Attending the Fourth of July reception

IN the past few years, I would see Facebook photos of friends from the cultural agencies when they attended the annual American Independence Day reception of the United States of America Embassy in the Philippines, and it always looked like a lot of fun. There were photo booths, standees and lots of food, and I always wondered what it would be like to attend one myself. You see, I have actually been working with the US Peace Corps for more than half a decade now, giving basic history lessons on the Philippines and the complicated US-Philippine relationship. Finally, I was able to attend the reception last Tuesday, July 2.

Entering the lobby of the main ballroom of Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, there were photo booths depicting various genres of American pop music, from Motown to hip-hop, rock and roll and jazz. I imitated Elvis and a disc jockey in the photos.