Salad Days

Next to halo-halo, the perfect summer treat for most Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines is buko salad, especially when fresh young coconut is readily available. Here's a traditional recipe from Kulinarya, the book put together by some of the Philippines' best chefs, that shows how buko fruit salad is done in the old days. Hint: it involves heat, not just mixing stuff together. Our Happy Home Cook recipe for the week.

If you're planning a balikbayan visit, do spare the time to visit Intramuros, the best-preserved remnant of Spanish Manila. First-time contributor Renz Mae S. Ladroma shows as what you can see and enjoy in the Walled City, complete with prices and other details.

In San Francisco where the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is on stage until August 8, PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia focus on Alysia Noelle Beltran, the Fil-Am actor who plays the lead role of Esmeralda, the gypsy.

Emerging as one of the acclaimed books of the year, Fil-Am author Elaine Castillo's first novel America Is Not the Heart is a must-read, according to reviewer Pia Cortez.

Some riveting stories that you may have missed:

The Philippines is building a green, disaster-resilient city
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/new-clark-city-philippines/index.html?utm_source=CNN%20Five%20Things&utm_campaign=59f5ebca53-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_23_07_43&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6da287d761-59f5ebca53-91010673

In Duterte’s Philippines, Having a Beer Can Now Land You in Jail
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/21/world/asia/philippines-duterte-crackdown.html

'I tended to the bodies': attacked by the Philippine army
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/21/philippines-lives-land-lost-coffee-empire-militarised-politics

Galo's Road (page 11)
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/071118/Arlington.pdf

For video of the week, CNN Philippines features the work of Dr. Josephine Bundoc and Prosthetics and Orthotics Technician Ariel Zinampan on assisting People with Disabilities (PWD).

Cello, Golf and Angioplasty

The well-dressed crowd attending the June 12 Independence Day gala of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco rose to their feet to applaud the young cellist who enthralled everyone with his impassioned playing.That young man was Matthew John Ignacio who our regular contributor, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, features this week in Watch Out World, This is a Filipino. A video clip of Matthew John playing "Maalaala Mo Kaya" gives you a taste of his talent, but if you're in LA, try to hear him play in person and be proud.

Another reason to be proud: Jason Day, the Aussie-Filipino pro golfer finally lands the big prize -- the PGA championship last weekend. Not only was his win big, Jason also became the first golfer ever to finish 20 under par, beating Tiger Woods' record. The media frenzy over his win also introduced his Filipina mother, Adenil "Deling" Grapilon, to the world. Jason's unabashed tears at his victory was, he said, because he remembered the sacrifices his mother did to set him on a straight path and golf superstardom. Read I. Wilfredo Ver's report, "Jason Day, Golf Superstar."

Meanwhile, Bella Bonner writing from Manila gives us an idea how a serious -- and expensive -- medical procedure affects one's finances. "Angioplasty in the Philippines" is food for thought when deciding one's retirement location.

Pinoyspotting returns with Chicago writer Rey de la Cruz reporting on the Filipinos he socialized with in Indonesia.

August 21 is coming up once again and we point you to our previous stories on two historically changing events that happened in our country's past -- the 32nd anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the 44th anniversary of the Plaza Miranda bombing. Read again Ken Kashiwahara's "Ninoy's Final Journey" and Gregg Jones' and Mila Aguilar's "August 21 Stories."

This week's Happy Home Cook features another recipe from actress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Sinigang na Munggo. Goldilocks shares its recipe for Pinipig Polvoron.

Our Video of the Week: Ayuntamiento-A Costly Renovation

My blog this week: 10 Reasons to Love -- or Hate-- Retirement.