One of the requirement of the US for immigration is a physical exam. On the day I had a cough so it showed up in the xray. I have to wait for weeks and weeks being tested if my lungs cleared. Finally it did. I got my papers to immigrate. I have to buy a plane ticket on installment as I dont have enough money for it.
somebody came to me and said if I exchange pesos into dollars at the Central Bank he would pay me $200. So I took it. Immigrants are entitled to some cash to buy dollars I dont remember how much. Angeline Fenol who works at the Central Bank helped me exchanged the money. So armed with $200 I am ready. I quit my job at Esso and left the boarding house. Esso tried to dissuade me from leaving with a pay increase but its too late and I made up my mind. I don't know what my mother think about this. My brother Fred already left for the US with his wife Guing and daugher Bess. They are in Seattle, Washington. My plan is to land in Seattle, live with them for a week or so and proceed.
The day of my departure came. I did not know that my mother invited lots of people to see me up to the airport. There were several transporation with relatives like tiyong Nico, tiyong Ser, etc. And my friends came also, around ten of them. When I was walking to the tarmac I saw my friends in the second floor balcony all waving at me. I waved back. I was clutching my oversize xrays and perhaps a bag or so. In the plane I befriended a couple who were immigrating also. We had a stopver in Tokyo, stayed in a hotel and we ate dinner together. I never saw them after that. My first time in a transpacific flight or in an airplane for that matter. It was uneverntful. By the way I had a sty in my eye in all of this. It did not bother until later. I landed in Seattle. Guing was going to pick me up so I waited at the airport. I was wearing a suit and some colored glasses. Guing finally arrived. I saw a bag of doughnut in the floor at the back and I grab it and ate it. The donut tasted pretty good lots of butter I suppose. The next day I took a bus and went downtown. Transportation is easy, the bus goings up and down Rainier street. In downtown I went to a doctor because I want to have medicine for my sty. I told them I need this medicine which I only have one pill. They can not figure out what medicine it is. It is not in their book. I told them it came from the Philippines. They gave me a prescription for antibiotics for the eye. I went to a stationary store and bought some typewriting paper. I also bought a ironing board as I notice Guing was ironing clothes on the bed. Fred is working somewhere in Seattle. I have to intention to work there and was antsy to fly to Chicago. After a couple of weeks I did fly to Chicago.
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