[Pinoy Mind Map] Manila

I wished for this trip to come through so hard, I whispered a prayer. A prayer to no one — and yet a prayer graciously answered.

And now, here I am — numb legs and stale breath — 40,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, hurtling towards Manila — and I can hardly wait to land.

Ironically, the last time I wished for something this hard, it was to leave and go far far away. That prayer was answered, too — 9 years ago. I left then and didn’t look back.

For a long time, I didn’t miss Manila — and now I know why. To miss her, you must first have had her — long enough to lose her. I left much too early for that. The truth is, I did not lose Manila, it was she who lost me.

When I came back two years ago, she took me back with open arms, and hasn’t let go since. And now I long for her, so profoundly, the words escape me.

Meanwhile, there is this song that keeps playing in my head…

Kelly and I will be leading a conversation on data visualization at “Cafe Scientifique: The World Through Art & Numbers” at The Mind Museum on Saturday, October 12 at 4 pm. This event is free and open to the public, but seats are limited, so please RSVP via email to uzzie.perez@themindmuseum.org. For more info, see the museum website: www.themindmuseum.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

‘Pinoy Mind Map’ is a collaboration between scientist Reina Reyes and artist Kelly Ramos. They embrace their geekiness and artsiness, respectively, and combine them to produce data art pieces inspired by the Filipino experience. They can be reached at the blog’s Facebook page: facebook.com/pinoymindmap.

Previous Pinoy Mind Map articles:

[Pinoy Mind Map] Kakanin

[Pinoy Mind Map] Highs and lows

[Pinoy Mind Map] Merienda Math