Deja Vu, Sort Of
/With the NBA finals upon us, starring the same two teams that fought it out last year -- the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs -- we're reposting "The NBA Finals' Pinoy Ingredients" by our own Raymond Virata. His story focuses on Filipino American Erik Spoelstra, coach of Miami Heat and Chip Engelland, assistant coach of the Spurs, who isn't Filipino but who played with the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for nine years. We hope you keep this Filipino connection in mind when you cheer for your team.
Meanwhile in another arena, Robert Bonta, the first Fil-Am Assemblyman in the California legislature, is running for reelection, this time buoyed by his remarkable legislative successes as a freshman legislator for the past two years. In "Our Man in California's Capitol," Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz chronicles Bonta's return to his roots to help out in the rehab efforts for Typhoon Haiyan victims.
The saga of the victims of last November's super-typhoon that devastated many areas in the Visayas continues with nonprofits filling up the gap when the national government isn't around. But how far can good intentions and heroic actions go when the need is so great? Writer and community activist Aida F. Santos gives us a glimpse on the hard decisions that go into aid relief in “The Women from the Bunkhouse.”
After devastation comes renewal, true for communities and individuals alike. Our regular contributor Cathy Sanchez Babao tells us the inspiring stories of two famous Filipinas -- Susan Reid Moore, better known as the timeless actress Hilda Koronel, and singer Becca Godinez -- as they found love again in "Second Springs."
In this era of smart phones and Instagram, travelers sometimes miss out on the essentials as they clamber to take the best shots for their Facebook posts or their Shutterfly albums. How about slowing down and taking in the details of the scenes that unfold before you instead, and recording them not (just) through photos but through sketches. As contributor Jojo Sabalvaro-Tan describes in "Travel Sketching in the Holy Land," drawing what you see can preserve travel memories better than digital photos.
Finally, how about making Vegan Pancit Palabok? Richgail Enriquez shows us how in the Video of the Week: How To Make Vegan Pancit Palabok.
And here's the latest post on my blog, "I Saw These Happen: The 10 Most Amazing Developments in My Lifetime."
For Daddies Especially
Now that Father's Day is about to happen, share with us the THREE things you want to tell (or would have wanted to tell) your father today. Send your list to submissions@positivelyfilipino.com, along with your father's full name, your name, city/country and contact info. Deadline is Wednesday, June 11, 2014.