Homecomings

Weak wi-fi signal in a beautiful beach house in Ilocos Norte and an unexpected illness kept me from writing my editorial message last week, but I'm back in home turf now so no more excuses.

I admit that I still have a balikbayan hangover though from our always-too-short vacation, and with this comes the longing and nostalgia for our motherland. 

This week's new contributor, Lorenzo Paran III writes eloquently about the feeling that is all too common among Filipino expats in "You Can Go Home Again." The "home" he longs for is his childhood in the vicinity of Mount Mayon.

The longing for home assumes a bigger dimension in Ana P. Santos' touching report on Loraine, an OFW in Dubai, whose day's highlight is her regular Skype conversation with her little daughter in the Philippines. But it is not enough, she says, and Filipino expats separated from their loved ones know that only too well.

Artist Toots Magsino on the other hand returned to Manila after a stint in New York and finds that "home" is what you make of your homecoming. She has chosen to spend her time teaching art to cancer patients and her families, a commitment that has both kept her grounded and allowed her art to evolve. Serina Aidasani, herself an expat who spends a lot of time in the Philippines now, reports in "Toots Magsino's Art-Filled Life."

Filipino-Canadian comedian Mikey Bustos regales us again, this time with his video  "I Go To Palengke."

My blog this week is about the EDSA People Power Revolt 29 years ago.

Celebration Time

Despite the political chaos and clashing of passions everywhere, there are always good reasons to celebrate in February. This week, our stories of celebration come from both good memories and good encounters.

We draw from historian/educator Ambeth R. Ocampo's book Looking Back for three romances that captured the imagination of Filipinos in specific periods in our history: in the last quarter of the 19th century, a visiting king fell in love with a Filipina lass and gifted her with extravagant jewels; in the middle part of the 20th century, a dashing mestizo who became our president transported a well-known Filipina entertainer to serenade his lady love; in the ‘30s the most beloved American general carried on a torrid  and secret love affair with a Filipina movie actress. Who says history is boring?

A personal story on how a Filipino American came to understand and appreciate her Filipino roots is told by Carlene Bonnivier in her heartwarming essay, "Adobo." 

Jumping forward to the present, Anthony Maddela features Filipino American David Lat, a lawyer/blogger/writer whose recently released first novel, Supreme Ambitions, has been getting raves in both legal and popular circles. The book integrates American justice issues with Filipino culture, and the combination is a heady brew that's both entertaining and eye-opening.

On the lighter side of the present, world traveler Rey de la Cruz introduces the Filipinos he met in Jamaica in our Pinoyspotting feature for this month. For those of you who meet kababayans in your journeys and who have documented your encounters in photos, email them to us with a short backgrounder at submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.

Our Video of the Week is a fascinating short documentary on the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines and their photos. 

High Passion

Passions are running high in the Philippines over the massacre of 44 Special Action Forces (SAF) of the Philippine National Police. Commander-in-Chief Benigno Aquino is not helping the situation by his tepid, confusing responses to the tragedy. Veteran journalist Criselda Yabes, who has written extensively (including books) about the military and Mindanao, writes an achingly spot-on op-ed, "Mr. President, Feel for the Fallen," that also explains a lot about the real situation in that most volatile of regions in our homeland. 

A different kind of passion is displayed in "Maseg, An Artistic Tempest," as described by Lisa Suguitan-Melnick. Maseg, a dance production of Alleluia Panis (producer), Jay Loyola (choreographer) with music composed by Florante Aguilar, swept the San Francisco audience off its feet with sensuous, tempestuous energy that drew on Loyola's Palawan roots as inspired by Shakespeare's "The Tempest." The mix of talents and passion is memorable indeed.

On a more temperate though not less pleasurable tale, four senior males who've known each other for almost 50 years as fraternity brothers, embark on a non-touristy "trip of their dreams"and discovered sights that made their hearts flutter and a close friendship that begets more trips together. Danny Gozo tells us about "The Road to Mexico and Havana," which should encourage retirees to take a similar journey.

Our Video of the Week features one of the most popular food trucks in San Francisco, Señor Sisig.