Lulu Cooks and Tells: How Manhattan Came to Be

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

How Manhattan Came to Be

No, this blog post is not about Manhattan itself but the spirit that built this famous New York landmark. The story behind its beginning was told by my professor in sociology in college.

Sometimes what we remember in our college courses is not directly related to the subject matter but something else. When I see my former students in chemistry at the grocery store, some of them would sometimes struggle remembering my name but then could recall and mention a motivational phrase I gave them that had a great impact in their life then while taking the course and later. I am not surprised that they did not single out one equation or principle in chemistry. Who would anyway. I just hope that as nurses or ordinary citizens that they appreciate the importance of the scientific method in weighing out what they hear in the media about the corona virus in these challenging, confusing times. I hope they use it to judge if what they read is the truth or fake. Whether these supposedly truths printed are motivated by political leanings or to fit the author's anger and frustration.

What I remember in my sociology course, however, is directly related to it. One day, my laidback teacher who I remember always remained seated during the whole lecture, stated solemnly in her soft monotone voice, "Civilization arises from the need to solve a problem". She then cited the case of how Manhattan came to be. This piece of real estate is small but its location is strategic. Its developers had an epiphany on how to get the most profit out of this prime real estate namely, to build vertically not horizontally. Voila Manhattan with its famous skyscrapers was born.

The lockdown due to the corona virus posed challenges to all of us on how to survive physically and mentally healthy. I missed the most the interaction with my family and members of the various groups that I belonged to that kept boredom from retirement at bay.

During the most crucial time of the lockdown, my grandkids' parents decided to keep the children home. I could not go visit them. If I wanted to, I could see and talk to them via Facetime but I wanted to do hands on projects with them. I am not the crafty type but I can cook. I decided to use Zoom to conduct hands on session with them called Cooking with Lola, or grandmother in Tagalog. At first these sessions were with my immediate family. But they evolved to include the Lucas Clan, my relatives all over the United States, Canada and the Philippines. So far we have made together chocolate oatmeal cookies and chocolate mug cakes in the microwave, baked pig buns and micky mouse pretzels, chocolate ice cream using double baggie method, pancake cereals, a Tic Toc craze, halo halo, a popular Filipino dessert and even sushi.

When I watched the YouTube videos of the recordings, it dawned on me that my two grandkids are experiencing cultural immersion as they cook and bond with their aunts, uncles, and cousins some of which are their age. They cannot understand the language some of us use to converse, but they can feel the love and absorb the culture they are witnessing.

In a way I have made my own Manhattan story. In answering my need, I created a community for my grandkids and my relatives that fulfill their own yearning to interact with others in these challenging times.

Below are photos of how I survived and thrived physically and mentally. through the help of the internet and generous people during this pandemic. Thanks to all involved.

Zoom Zumba classes with Traci and Roddy and YouTube cardio walk with Beth.