Out of the Shadows

El Gamma Penumbra, a shadow play performance troupe from Tanauan, Batangas, bagged the first-ever Asia Got Talent gold with their mesmerizing dance routine -- a profound statement on climate change and the need to protect the environment. Watch the highly creative, winning performance of these 13 young Batangueños in our Video of the Week.

Another show worth watching is the revival of "Gigi" on Broadway starring Filipino American Vanessa Hudgens in the title role previously played by Audrey Hepburn and Leslie Caron. Myles Garcia writes a review, "Our Own New Gal on Broadway," that's also a backgrounder to this beloved musicale, while Ella Garcia (no relation to Myles) introduces her daughter Karla, who performs alongside Vanessa. 

Considering retirement in the Philippines? Think twice, as our Toronto-based contributor Maripi Leynes suggests in "Expat Retirement in the Philippines Isn't That Simple." While there's plenty of real estate to be bought, facilities or amenities geared towards the specific needs of seniors are sorely lacking. Maripi spent five months touring the motherland looking into places to retire in, if she decides to go home for good.

Lupus, that deadly autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women and communities of color (including Filipinos), has been found to have a strong genetic  component. Meaning if a close family member has it, there's a big chance you might get it too. It might be wise to get yourself tested, like Lady Gaga did. "Genetics May Be Key in Detecting Causes of Lupus" is a waker-upper from the Lupus Foundation, which is celebrating Lupus Awareness Month.

The Happy Home Cook recipe this week is "Longanisa Meatballs with Peanut Sauce," a quick, delicious meal that uses prepackaged Filipino-style sausage.

In my blog, I pay tribute to the Filipina nanny in "Mama Wasn't My Mother."

We'd like to hear from you so how's about taking a quick poll: Should Sen. Grace Poe run for president in 2016?

To our US-based readers, safe travels this Memorial Day weekend. 

Traveling the World

Travel is a transformative experience and no one lives this truism more gloriously than Louie Hechanova, a perpetual world traveler who has visited 107 countries (out of the total of 195), some of them several times. In "Around the World in 20 Years," Agatha Verdadero profiles this adventurous Germany-based Filipino who collects memories and adventures the way others collect stamps.

Another committed world traveler, Rey E. de la Cruz introduces us to some kababayans he met while traipsing through the continent Down Under. "Pinoyspotting: Australia" continues our series that we started last year and to which we ask all of you to contribute to. Take some pictures of Filipinos you meet in your travels and send them to us: submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.

In another corner of the world, Manuel Hizon writes about the poignant plight of Filipino seniors in "Reality Bites Off the Strip in Vegas." It is a sobering reality that contrasts with the glitter and excess of Sin City, USA.

Our recipe in The Happy Home Cook: meatless Pancit Canton stir-fried with shrimps and vegetables by Elizabeth Ann Quirino, our resident food blogger.

And our Video of the Week: NBC 7 San Diego's Liberty Zabala covers the first Filipino School in the U.S.

Safe travels, everyone!

Celebration!

May is the most festive month of the year for Filipinos. From Sarrat, Ilocos Norte to Pinamungajan, Cebu to Tubigon, Bohol and many other places in between, fiestas mark the return of townsfolk who have fanned out to distant shores but remain tethered to their hometowns emotionally. It's the time for family reunions, all-out food fests in various homes, mini-circuses, freak shows, processions and the awaited town dance at the plaza where a beauty queen's coronation usually caps the evening's festivities. 

Here in the U.S., May is a mixed-bag of commemorations that honors mothers, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, senior citizens, Mexicans, Haitians, Jewish and awareness of various health issues including mental health and lupus. So wherever you are, whatever your station in life, there's always reason to celebrate May because, above anything else, it's the month of sunny weather and glorious flowers.

We start off this month with a variety of delightful reads:

A challenging but ultimately satisfying trip to Mt. Pinatubo where first-time contributor, Dr. Sonny Siasoco and his family trekked. It's not for the faint of heart as his photo essay, "Positively Pinatubo," illustrates.

What if you've been bequeathed millions and you lost it? That's what happened to Filipina caregiver Hadassah Peri (born Gicela Tejada Oloroso of Sapian, Capiz), and our regular Internet sleuth Myles Garcia dazzles us with details of her fortune that's tied up with the late millionaire heiress Huguette Clark. "Good Help is Hard to Find: The Improbable Story of Huguette and Hadassah" is a must-read.

And for boomers who refuse to grow old, our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco comes up with a list of "Sixties Shades of Gray" that will have senior citizens and soon-to-be seniors laughing, if only the truth isn't so painful. 

The loss of a mother is a wound that never heals and Lisa Suguitan Melnick eloquently writes about it in "Out the Back Door." 

For those May gatherings, something familiar: Macaroni Chicken Salad with Pineapple from the recipe book of Elizabeth Ann Quirino, in The Happy Home Cook.

For our Video of the Week: Vina Lustado, a Filipino American architect who owns Sol Haus Design, a residential design firm, shows off her super-efficient and gorgeous 140-square-foot house in Ojai, California.

And my blog is on my personal May memories.