Give Thanks, Check Reality

With the pandemic and other circumstances in the US and the world swirling around us, catching our attention and sometimes increasing our stress levels, the Thanksgiving holiday allows us to pause, search for and embrace our quiet, and take stock of where our lives are heading. It's also a good time for gratitude because no matter how much our lives have been gobsmacked by tragedy and grief this year, there are also reasons to be thankful and hopeful. I say this not as a kumbaya statement but as a reality check, an acceptance of the principle of yin/yang, which states that (simplifying here) that every dark has its bright side.

To keep you company in your moments of reflection (ideally after a gratifying Thanksgiving meal with --and limited to-- the people in your household), here are some notable articles we have published that you might want to Read Again. 

Our Stories This Week

Manila Hotel: The Golden Years By Lou Gopal 

Second Springs By Cathy S. Babao 

Which Comes First, The Chicken, Or The Scruples? By Albert J. Lesaca 

Feeding My Filipino By Lotis Key 

No Turkey For Thanksgiving By Gemma Nemenzo 

The Happy Home Cook: Paksiw Na Lechon (Roast Pork In Homemade Liver Sauce And Vinegar)

Video of the Week: Jose Mari Chan and McDonald’s George Yang

McDonald’s Philippines Chairman and Founder George Yang and legendary Filipino singer Jose Mari Chan star in the McDonald’s commercial which came out during Grandparents’ Day last year. 

In The Know

Covid-19 is taking a devastating toll on Filipino American nurses
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/24/health/filipino-nurse-deaths/index.html

City pens official apology to Filipino community for 1930 race riots 
https://pajaronian.com/city-pens-official-apology-to-filipino-community-for-1930-race-riots/?fbclid=IwAR1Kxj8bMlph0t5THF_tLwVR9Mesy8WZP18TEI2IzpyrqU6VKu0y0bHpOPA 

When love is not enough
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/11/asia/hong-kong-filipino-helpers-dst/?fbclid=IwAR28Ta29T7d9MXxGYqkouj5wqmJez3XCCnziejFd2q7lXPBpeEOC0LrgDzk

Fil-Am state lawmaker seeks help for Democrats in Georgia runoffs 
https://usa.inquirer.net/60486/fil-am-state-lawmaker-seeks-help-for-democrats-in-georgia-runoffs

Philippines' richest chip in for COVID-19 vaccines
https://www.rappler.com/business/tycoons-philippines-chip-in-covid-19-vaccines?fbclid=IwAR2UrazfFSKVoFn8aJeprFAlOvj2CQTw3P4LNwZLDImN-Z18wOrQOMZCftY

A Mindanaoan filmmaker tells martial law's 'forbidden memory'
https://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/film/2016/11/22/teng-mangansakan.html?fbclid=IwAR2e645MY_QEgumVC2TzTw5Pbu_8-tTiBaYo3loAZDbrA_tjZ_i1tRQUpnY

65-year-old man plants 10,000 mangroves for 8 years to protect his house from the big waves during typhoon
https://kickerdaily.com/posts/2020/11/65-year-old-man-plants-10000-mangroves-for-8-years-to-protect-his-house-from-the-big-waves-during-typhoon/?fbclid=IwAR00DVsADdRVstLinOTLABN6C1YNcDFRsLtS2dcgnZM9-vFHOiP8b2rkuxE

Why is UP the Bastion of Student Activism?
https://www.reportr.world/news/why-has-up-become-synonymous-to-activism-history-has-the-answer-a4713-20201119?fbclid=IwAR3xgQ2wRelOk2OYUX7V37oeXmobUJxbT_Kp4pMZI9S30Lezz-ZhIvIncK8

Millennials Rising

Let's hear it from millennials!

Ateneo medical student Pia Guballa reflects on the inequities of status and gender privilege in the obstetrics ward on her last day of rotation. "Healer, Lick Thy Wounds" is not only insightful of the harsh realities in women's health, it also reveals a compassionate human being who is cut out to be a future doctor of conscience. May her tribe increase. 

Another good one from an Ateneo student, we're sharing this essay by the valedictorian of Class 2019 and outgoing president of the Ateneo student council, Reycel Hyacenth Bendaña, whose proletarian roots (she is the daughter of a jeepney driver) makes her immensely qualified to call for, not just a more generous Ateneo but, more importantly, a more generous country. We are reposting her essay from the Ateneo University web site so we take it that the institution is officially listening. We hope its alumni are as well. ("Prayer for Generosity")

From Stockton, California, Jaelyn Galasinao Sanidad, a third-generation Filipino American, talks about how it is to survive in what was once ground zero of the Filipino manong community and the strong sense of kinship this shared history has encouraged in succeeding generations like hers. Jaelyn is part of the forthcoming (June 22) annual cultural showcase, this year titled "Dawn." (Read "Little Manila at the Break of Dawn")

Today we celebrate the 121st anniversary of Philippine Independence. Here's a valuable Read Again to put the significance of the day in perspective: "Why June 12 is Different From Other Days" by John L. Silva 

On June 16, it will be Father's Day so here's another Read Again: "A Day in the Life of a Single Dad" 

And here's a fitting tribute to the great Filipino actor, Eddie Garcia, who is currently fighting for his life after a freak accident during shooting: Marra PL. Lanot's "What Makes Eddie Run?"

Our In The Know links to articles from other publications: 

Considering History and Narratives as Spain and the Philippines Approach 500th Anniversary
https://thediplomat.com/2019/05/considering-history-and-narratives-as-spain-and-the-philippines-approach-500th-anniversary/?fbclid=IwAR1CTAoFdm_QxQ1Z7ia4t3AmjELTVkT5ik8QZUZllnWfZjpuXw7Btw6pBxg

Not just a joke: The social cost of Duterte's rape remarks
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/211438-duterte-rape-remarks-social-cost-not-just-jokes?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2IMv32rjbSAuB9R_bkTd_TWVUEtV4PZbGLVq8j0JwDLvIscs2MOOHP3D4#Echobox=1558856702

Netflix, Forest Whitaker Team On Adaptation Of Newbery-Winning Novel ‘Hello, Universe’
https://deadline.com/2019/05/hello-universe-movie-netflix-erin-entrada-kelly-forest-whitaker-1202620474/?fbclid=IwAR33xS_-GIcj8JKEf3UtCgPrNiPPFB_FAvsmcWmv8ojAxH7T1gffoKNk0cY

Ulam:Main Dish' celebrates Filipino cuisine
https://www.ncronline.org/news/media/ulammain-dish-celebrates-filipino-cuisine?clickSource=email

For the Happy Home Cook this week, we are re-posting Chef Marvin Gapultos' suggested dishes for your own Independence Day celebration.

For Video of the Week, we feature McDonald’s Philippines Father’s Day commercial.

Food and Memes

Merry Christmas! And to our non-Christian friends, Happy Holidays.

Nothing marks the holiday season better than food, glorious food. And for Filipinos, it's always a good time to return to the flavors that we grew up with. This week, St. Louis, Missouri-based chef, food blogger and well-followed YouTube and TV culinary personality Malou Perez Nievera, as profiled by Contributing Writer and fellow foodie, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, shares with us two recipes from her childhood in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Papa Diddi's Stuffed Chicken is Nievera's take on the popular Christmas dish chicken relleno, this one inspired by her father. The second dish is Batil Patung, a traditional Tuguegarao noodle soup dish perfect for cold Christmas days. 

For those who are craving for Filipino desserts for the holidays, Elizabeth Ann Quirino just came out with her compilation, How to Cook Philippine Desserts: Cakes and Snacks, now available in print or on Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Philippine-Desserts-Filipino/dp/1541090799/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

And here's a collection of funny Pinoy memes to lighten your load.

Our Video of the Week is a very touching one about that little boy who did his homework at night outside a McDonald's in Cebu, and the young lady who helped him. This is tear-inducing, so be forewarned.