On the Eve of Change

Have you been through a time when you know without any doubt that the world as we know it is about to change beyond our control? At around this time 30 years ago, the entire Philippines was in limbo as the snap election of February 7, 1986, intended to stabilize the volatile political situation, instead threw everything into chaos as the two opposing forces, Cory Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos, each claimed victory. The situation was ripe for explosion as our Countdown to the Revolution vividly documents, with part two focusing on the election itself and its aftermath. We all knew what happened and how the month ended, but re-living those days of uber-tension is almost cathartic for me, as I hope it is exciting for you.

In San Francisco this month, Jessica Hagedorn's acclaimed play, Dogeaters, based on her novel of the same name, is running in the Magic Theatre. Elaine Elinson, who had interviewed the Fil-Am author two weeks ago, writes a review of the theatrical presentation, which she tags as a definite must-watch. Enjoy "Dogeaters Distills the Time of the Conjugal Dictatorship" and buy yourself a ticket.

From Southern California, Positively Filipino Correspondent Anthony Maddela tracks down Cedrick Argueta, the Filipino-Salvadoran who got a perfect score in theAdvanced Placement Calculus AB exam, one of only 12 teenagers in the world to do so. His Filipino mother, Lilian, talks about how she and her husband, Marcos, are raising their son, now the popular math phenom. 

And from Crestwood, Illinois, Rey E. de la Cruz writes about a neighborhood gem, Philippine Cuisine and Groceries. 

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is Escabeche, the fried sweet-sour fish that is a great favorite among Filipinos.

And our Video of the Week: a short documentary from The Guardian on how the Aetas in the Philippines are fighting mining companies.

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Chocolates, Books and Beauty Contests

In 1990, Jessica Hagedorn, a Filipino American author, came out with her novel with the controversial name, Dogeaters, which became an instant bestseller, acclaimed by critics and winning for the author some plum awards. Now, 25 years later, Jessica is bringing the colorful characters she created for Dogeaters to life in a play of the same name that she wrote herself. Opening on February 10 in San Francisco and running for three weeks, "Dogeaters" the play, has actually had several incarnations from its first staging in 1990 to the current version. In "Dogeaters Comes to the Stage," contributing writer Elaine Elinson interviews Hagedorn on the evolution of the play, her transition from novelist to playwright and her inspiration in capturing the "wackiness and complexity of the [Philippine] culture."

Speaking of cultural wackiness, Filipinos' fascination with beauty pageants is in full focus in Positively Filipino Correspondent's Myles A. Garcia's "And You Thought You Know Everything About Beauty Pageants." From the first Miss Manila Carnival in 1908 to the current crop of beauty pageant winners, Myles traces the drama, the romances, the rivalries that make beauty contests almost like blood sport.

In this January of nature's fury, how about hunkering down with a box of Jade Chocolates, created by Mindy Fong of San Francisco, who draws upon her Chinese and Filipino heritage for her award-winning chocolate flavors. Contributing writer Manzel Delacruz takes us to Mindy's shop in "Jade Chocolates, Among the Best, Bar None."

And if snow or rain keeps you stuck at home, a good match for good chocolates is a good book. I've listed some of the amazing books that came out in 2015 in my blog, "The Pick of 2015."

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week is Breaded Tofu with Peanut Sauce from Rene Astudillo.

Our Video of the Week, enjoy Filipino crooner Arthur Manuntag's rendition of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" which he performed at the beautiful Smetana Hall in Prague to commemorate Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday in December 2015. 

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino