Halloween and History

It's Todos los Santos time once again. For Filipinos, it means remembering the dead; for our offspring, it means Halloween.

For Filipino Americans, this week ends the annual Filipino American History Month commemoration for 2015. As usual it’s been a frenzied month filled with festivals, exhibitions and activities that make sure we give due honor to the ones who came before us.

One of those Filipino Americans who should never be forgotten is Vicki Manalo Draves, the Olympic gold medalist in diving, who endured painful discrimination during her time but prevailed, to go down in US sports history for winning five Olympic championships and being the first Asian American to win a gold medal. Ed Diokno writes about this amazing woman in "Fil-Am Olympic Great, Vicki Manalo Draves."

Our Halloween story from artist/author Alex G. Paman tells of a popular urban legend, the White Lady, who turns out to be present in other cultures as well. "The Vanishing Hitchhiker, The White Lady and Hauntings Across the Seas" may keep you awake and alert when you're driving at night and you think you're alone.

In Los Angeles, the acclaimed FASO, the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines, is up for another concert on November 14 in Glendale. Following up on its highly successful "FASO Goes Broadway," this time it’s "FASO Goes Pop." Entertainment writer Ruben Nepales, writing for the first time for Positively Filipino, gives us the story behind FASO in "A Trailblazing Orchestra of Filipino Expats," and its members’ amazing commitment and dedication.

Before we indulge once again in holiday food, let's make a healthy regional favorite dish. G. B. Korten contributes this week's The Happy Home Cook recipe: Pinacbet, genuinely Ilocano style. Try it and see why the dish (and even its many variations) is a staple in Filipino homes.

For our Video of the Week: We just love Mikey Bustos, and this time, appropriate for the season, he gives a tutorial on Filipino superstitions and beliefs.

Beware

Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothing, beware of the charmer who can turn out to be an abuser.  Community advocate Cherie Querol-Moreno, who has long championed the cause of domestic abuse survivors, issues this warning to women -- and men -- who may miss out on the warning signs of a potential abuser. It is someone who always says and does the right things and can quickly charm his way to a person's heart. It’s a timely warning on this Domestic Abuse Prevention Month.

Continuing our Filipino American History Month focus, a "bridge generation" (child of a first-generation Filipino immigrant) contributor, Robert V. Ragsac Sr., tells us about some of the close friends of his family whose life stories, he feels, should be told. "Forget Them Not" is his personal appeal for more throwback narratives on the unheralded men of the manong generation, especially those who didn't have families to tell their life stories.

In another part of the world, contributor Agatha Verdadero writes about the universal value of making friends across cultures. Having spent a few years in Somalia, she has some fascinating experiences with Somalians she now considers her lifelong friends.

For our Happy Home Cook feature, a personal recipe of macaroons, the rage among the hip crowd. Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino provides it.

Our Video of the Week: Mikey Bustos, the Filipino Canadian YouTube sensation, gives us a tutorial in rap on the Philippines' 81 provinces.

And I hope you enjoy my blog on some of the highlights of my ongoing road trip across the US.

Thriller

A sordid tale of suspected adultery, a brutal murder, treachery and a sensational trial -- these and more titillated the imagination of Californians in 1932-33 and marked a milestone in Filipino American history. In "Murder Most Foul",  Alex S. Fabros Jr. and his daughter Katherine S. Fabros, take us to what was then believed to be a "secret cult" in the community, allegedly burying a woman alive. The story is like a thriller with an unexpected ending so we hope you enjoy reading it.

It is a well known fact that the Philippines' marine biodiversity is the most extensive in the world, but did you know that our homeland also has the highest concentration of unique mammals? Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney, the curator of mammals at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, attests to this. Positively Filipino Correspondent Rey E. de la Cruz introduces us to this Philippine specialist who has made it his lifelong work to document the country's natural wealth.

Like a thief in the night, cancer is an insidious ailment that can afflict anyone. Celia Ruiz Tomlinson, a cancer survivor, shares an inspirational piece "What To Do When Cancer Comes," for those who are currently battling the big C and their families.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week, another one from Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino: Mango Fried Chicken.

And our Video of the Week: Riza's Story. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg shares a story of how Facebook and Internet.org help a young Filipina earn a Computer Science degree.

---

Plaridel Winners: Myles Garcia, Lisa Suguitan Melnick, Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, and Mona Lisa Yuchengco (accepting the award for Lotis Key)

Congratulations to our Plaridel Award Winners!

Positively Filipino writers once again won big in this year's Plaridel Awards from the Philippine American Press Club (PAPC). 

Here are the winners and their winning stories: 

Best International Reporting: Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, "My Battle with Ebola"
Best Sports Story: Myles Garcia, "Before Elorde, Before Pacquiao, There Was Luis Logan”
Best Entertainment: Lisa Melnick, “Maseg: An Artistic Tempest”
Best Personal Essay: Lotis Key, "Feeding My Filipino"

Runners-up:

Aurora Almendral - Best International Story, “'Selling' My Story"
Myles Garcia - Best Entertainment Story, “My Manila Movie Memories”
Anthony Maddela - Best Sports Story, “Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers’ Fil-Am Sniper”
Myles Garcia, Best Feature Writing, “Good Help is Hard to Find: The Improbable Story of Huguette and Hadassah”
Myles Garcia, Best Profile Writing, “Love Baskets for Betty”
Anthony Maddela, Best Profile Writing, “Above the Law Blogger David Lat Goes Long Form”
Senen Siasoco, Best Tourism Story, “Positively Pinatubo”
Manuel Hizon, Best Tourism Story, “11 Great Beaches You Probably Haven’t Been To”