Blazing Trails and Digging Up Memories

If you're in Washington, D.C. next week (January 27-31), consider yourself lucky to be able to watch Stella Abrera, the first Filipina American principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater. Stella will be dancing in "Sleeping Beauty," Tchaikovsky's well-loved creation, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. For those who will miss this star performance, we have Anthony Maddela's feature, "Stella's Star Turn" for you this week.

Another must-see, if you're in New York, is "Allegiance," the gripping musical about a little known tragedy in American history -- the internment of Japanese Americans in remote camps during World War II simply because they were of Japanese heritage and therefore suspected of not being loyal Americans. This is George Takei's story and he appears here with Lea Salonga who gives another masterful performance in Broadway. Joyce Ibardolasa, who flew to New York to watch the musical, gives us her take on this memorable -- and timely -- piece of theater. Something not to be missed, if you're in the Big Apple.

Speaking of memories, Isabel Taylor Escoda shares one she can never forget: her meeting with Hollywood hotshot Tyrone Power when she was 12. It was 1950 and the dashing star was in the Philippines to film the movie, "An American Guerrilla in the Philippines," another story that emanated from WWII.

And still another commemoration: the centenary of literary giant NVM Gonzalez brought together 17 writers, educators and cultural workers to the Philippines for a workshop organized by NVM's son, Myke. In "Pilgrimage to a Literary Legacy," Lisa Suguitan Melnick takes us with her to UP Diliman and Mindoro for a week she'll always remember.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week: two recipes for Bicol Express from the book Pulutan: From the Soldiers' Kitchen by Elmer Cruz and Emerson Rosales. The two were Navy ensigns when they were incarcerated for participating in the 2003 "Oakwood mutiny," a failed military rebellion. With the considerable free time they had in prison, and fueled by their love for food and drink, the two compiled recipes from various sources into this one-of-a-kind book.

And our Video of the Week: we can't get enough of Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach's media blitz, this time on New York's Hot 97 radio where she talks about how she trained for Miss Philippines, admits to a big crush on James Franco and hints at a future political career. Quite a witty and delightful subject, this Pia. 

Initials of Greatness

A few years into our immigration to the US, my elementary school classmate and fellow UP campus brat Michael Gonzalez asked me if I could house-sit his parents' Hayward, California home while his dad was teaching in Southern California. It was a no-brainer for me. My children and I would have a whole house to ourselves and, best of all, we would be in the close orbit of the literary giant, NVM Gonzalez, Michael's father, who was then on this way to becoming a National Artist for Literature. Being able to have conversations with NVM was a great gift, as writer Lorenzo Paran III discloses in "Remembering NVM." On his centenary this year, NVM Gonzalez remains a formidable presence in Philippine literature, but my kids will always remember him as Lolo NVM who had a lot of stories to tell.

Another artist -- this time a painter -- also known for his three-letter initials is Vancouver, Canada-based SYM. Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza is known for his "neo-classical cubism" style and has earned a generous collection of accolades in his lifetime. Sandie Gilles tells us about this respected Cebuano who has made it big in Canada.

Positively Filipino correspondent Myles A. Garcia does another gem of a sleuthing job with "The Story Behind the Philippine Gold," the exhibit of which has been wowing Ayala Museum visitors for years. The priceless pre-Hispanic gold treasures have now been transported with extraordinary care and security to the Asia Society Museum in New York where it will be on exhibit through January 3, 2016. Behind the glitter however is a cloak-and-dagger story, so read it before you go.

We remember September 21, 1972 when Philippine history was changed forever with the imposition of martial law. Read again Patricio Abinales' account of his harsh coming-of-age in politics, "Note from the Underground."

Our Happy Home Cook recipes this week: Beef Pochero from yet another Positively Filipino correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino, and Rainbow Gelatin from Goldilocks.

Our Negrense readers will love our Video of the Week -- a loving tribute to island of Negros.

And some sad news: another Positively Filipino contributor, Aries Rufo, passes on. Aries, 45, was a staff writer of Philippine newsmagazine, Rappler, and a noted investigative journalist who covered church issues, among others. We join the Rappler folks in honoring the memory of Aries.

Privileged Views

If I were to list the five people I've felt so privileged to meet in my lifetime, N.V.M. Gonzalez would be one of them. The Philippine National Artist for Literature in 1997 was an exemplary man both as writer and raconteur -- witty, interesting, amusing, imaginative, with a mind that stayed young even as his body aged. To celebrate his birthday (September 8) a year prior to his centennial, we are posting an article by James McEnteer, "You Can't Go Home Again If You Never Left," originally published in Filipinas magazine, that we think captures the spirit of the late N.V.M. We are also posting one of his short stories, "The Tomato Game" from his book, The Bread of Salt and Other Stories.

Living in a country as dramatically different from the Philippines as Japan can be both enlarging and traumatic. The trick is not to take the strangeness too seriously as our regular contributor, Marites Danguilan Vitug, writes in "Surviving Japan Without Nihongo," an instructive piece on enjoying a place even without learning the language. 

Meanwhile, another regular, Myles A. Garcia, enthralls us with a nostalgic trip down cinema lane with "My Manila Movie Memories." Among readers of a certain age, who hasn't played hooky from school to catch the movies in downtown Manila, he asks. Who indeed hadn't made a special memory or two in those darkened movie theaters of our Hollywood daydreams?

Here's hoping the trip back brings a lingering feeling that will brighten your days ahead.