Time to Fly’ With New Book of Life, Chapter 03: The City of South Padre Island!!!

So Fun, So Padre…

So Romantic, So Padre…

So Satisfying, So Padre…

So Natural, So Padre…

“The Place of Peaceful and Happiness” This definition will show you very clearly about the city that I am staying in and have several times with happiness and joyful.

My host organization is “The City of South Padre Island” like I said it on the second blog before, this city located in Cameron County: Texas, The United State of America. This city is an island which full of beautiful tourist place, nice view of sunrise and sunset on the beach and also have perfection in environmental and natural resources.

Moreover, the City of South Padre Island is one of the most beautiful beaches and shorelines in the State. In these areas, all of the areas is control and manage by the City of South Padre Island and Yes, here is my host organization that I will be go to work and learn anything from them. And beyond my expectation, I also found this area very popular for tourism, especially Mexican wealthy people and also know in this place have a lot of tourist location, tourist activities and all about of heritage areas zone.

This city is full of wealthy people both from The State and Mexico. That way the city will have a good management and infrastructure. Like I said before, this city just faced with Tornado and we have any problems follow this situation such as shut down of power, Light poles down more than 31 poles and we have a lack of food. However, the city government that my host organization all manage and adjust the problem very fast. In my point of view, I’m very amazed and admire them all. After everything still good and back to normal, everyone comes to me and says sorry for me about the uncontrolled situation and any error schedule. I just said to them, that fine I also have good opportunities to learned many more things from this situation, especially how their works, how their plan and how to co-operated all problems very soon. I am respectful and great to be here with them all this time.

*The City of South Padre Island, Texas 01*

*The City of South Padre Island, Texas 02*

*The City of South Padre Island, Texas 03*

*The City of South Padre Island, Texas 04*

With my first two weeks, I’m going outside with many departments, they bring me to see the real situation and processing of their work.

I have opportunities for talking, listening and discussion with Planning Department, Parks and Recreation, Financial Department, and also Building Department. I very enjoy sharing my moment and exchanges knowledge of work with them all. They all are so kind and very excited to greet me.

We have a good time together, my host prepared a welcome party for me. Moreover, I’m also helping them for cooking and we have a special moment as all the time together. We are staying long and talking a lot with any issue, all of them teaching me a lot of life and I’m feeling very thankful for this special moment.

Well, we will back to talking with my work mode in this city. With my first Fridays, I am going to seeing around the city with Alex He is the Director of the Building Department and he is very nice. He drove a car for me and we are going to survey all around the city, he also telling and describes the processing and how he’s department work, what kind of work, how about the processing of building development and the way of works between his department with each other’s.

For Park and Recreation department, I meet with Debbie, she is SPI co-program staff and she brings me to all of the parks in this island namely (1) Water Tower Park, (2) John L. Tompkins Park, (3) Turtle Park, (4) Butterfly Park, (5) Lis Memorial Park and (6) Queen Isabella Memorial Park.

For the second week, I’m going to work with Shoreline Department on Monday 28 October, I have an opportunity to meet a director of the Shoreline Department and her name is Kristina. The thing that everyone should know Kristina is a funny girl and she had a lot of jokes, it’s funny more than you can imagine.

Next days, I’m continued to working with Transit Department on Transportation and accessibilities systems. At that time I met up with Debbie who is the manager of this department. For all day long, I still learned and also go out on a trip with all routes of public transportation that I’m very fun and mirthful. Moreover, after we are finished with our work I also go to Port Isabella Light House to learn more about this city’s history and their background of development. I found is this town is an antique port city that has a long history and also has various beautiful ancient architectures.

An important day’s that I like it so much is Halloween Day’s on date 31 October. In my city, we have many activities for Halloween Festival such as face painting, gaming: trick or treat and also eating lunch together. The funny thing on this day is I also wearing my clothes like pirate ladies on Halloween theme and join with my host organization to playing a game which I like so much. Moreover, I receive a lot of candy, chocolate, and snack from my city colleagues and this is one of my cuties moments that I unexpected.

*At Halloween Party’s with my host organization 01*

*At Halloween Party’s with my host organization 02*

*At Halloween Party’s with my host organization 03*

Last but not least, I will talk about details of my weekend activities two weeks ago, I’m going to Halloween festival in Bird Nature Building as the north part of the island and I just walking around to see any activities like knowhow about mangrove and coastal ecosystem, types of ocean birds, growth cycle of alligator and saw about Halloween parade dancing. What a wonderful time.

Anymore, I also walking with a wonderful long beach back in front of my apartment and I very enjoy this time. However, I also walking and have any communication with people in this community and almost all of them are so kind to me. Just after two weeks that I am be here but I already know a lot of people here. For example, my apartment staff, public bus drivers, a neighbor friend in my apartments and also some of the tourist’s people who travel in the same place with me.

For this weekend, I going outside in many places for experiences such as convention center, island museum, Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge, La Copa Beach, Pearl Beach. In my city, we have several events and a lot of activities like sandcastle race, marathon on the beach, Food truck festival and Simon’s music concert on the beach Etc. So many activities more than I can say. So much Fun!!!!