What Makes Us Smile?

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What makes us smile?

Acts of kindness, heartwarming stories, lost loves found, music and food and the sweet memories that they bring forth, old photographs, family gatherings, heroes in our midst, remembrances of pets and experiences, etc. etc. Each of us have our own smile triggers. What's yours?

This week we start a new series that we hope will inspire you to share your happy space. Send us a story that makes you smile, be it a vignette or an anecdote, a picture with an extended caption, even a screenshot. 

PF Correspondent John Silva's brief Facebook post for Father's Day that celebrates his dad and Pride Month is one such story.

Another post that went viral (so widely shared that we can no longer identify the original author) is that of a local hero, Delfin Angeles, a retired teacher who has started an informal school in his barangay in Laguna. 

PF will of course continue to introduce you to people of Filipino heritage who are worth knowing, like a Bridge Generation Fil-Am jazz musician Michael Montano who is profiled by another Bridge Generation stalwart Peter Jamero, and our ongoing list of Fil-Ams among the Notable and Famous. 

We likewise celebrate Pride Month with stories from our archives:

Read Again:

A Love Letter To My Dad And “Mom” by Nikki Villas
Listen To Your ‘Tita Aida’ by Rafaelito Sy

Now that summer is officially here in the western hemisphere and temperatures are breaking records, here's a treat for the Happy Home Cook's family http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-mango-refrigerator-cake

Our Video of the Week: Pre-Colonial Adobo

Tonic for Post-Election PTSD

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Fourteen years after he won the Man Asian Literary Prize for his book Ilustrado, Filipino author Miguel Syjuco has come out with a new one: I Was the President's Mistress!!, hailed by Salman Rushdie as a "brilliant black comedy" and by David Mitchell as "A super-typhoon of a novel." This wild satirical romp into the (imagined) inner sanctum of the rich and powerful might just be the tonic to lingering PTSDs from the recent elections. University of Hawaii professor Patricio N. Abinales gives us a peek.

In the hands of a capable writer, a story about a day, an event, a historical moment can be compelling reading. In the hands of a master, a writer of National Artist caliber as Jose "Pete" Lacaba, Jr. surely is, it becomes literature, history and magic all at once. Lacaba's reportage on the First Quarter Storm of 1970 (collected into a timeless book, Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage) remains unsurpassed among the historical accounts of that restless era. Here, in his recollection of the late, lamented movie director Lino Brocka's last day on earth (he was killed in an auto accident in 1991), Lacaba does it again: tells a story in words and it comes out more vivid than actual photos. In this age of Instagram, that's a monumental feat.

As Father's Day approaches, lawyer Paul-Philippe Reyes writes in awe of his granddad, the late journalist/editor/Press Secretary Rex Reyes who quite literally died while typing a story.

The month of June is rich in celebrations so here are some stories that you can Read Again to mark this month's passage. (We'll have more next week.)

A daughter commemorates her father who was a manong: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/6/the-ardor-of-my-father

Our publisher's father was a titan in the true sense of the word: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/my-dad-a-daring-dreamer

On Jose Rizal's 161st birthday, we are still amazed by his myriad talents:

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/jose-rizal-martial-arts-warrior 

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/rizals-kiss

Recipe of the Week: The Happy Home Cook: Sinigang na Paella

Video of the Week: O Bayan Ko

In The Know

More Filipinos trust news but many avoid it – Digital News Report 2022

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1610916/embargo-more-filipinos-trust-news-but-many-avoid-it-digital-news-report-2022?fbclid=IwAR3deR-zOUX4Y4S7mAyn5qR4qOKPhs2fB5jp8EBFZ6T8j_ODFDNmHOcKo0I

Sacramento Filipino-American activists breathe new life into half-century struggle after Marcos Jr’s election

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/06/12/sacramento-filipino-american-activists-breathe-new-life-into-half-century-struggle-after-marcos-jrs-election/?fbclid=IwAR08RPhcE4-EdnKZ82ULvdTtlGdRNK92ACVJqmj9mlYONE6YUm2IuTJvCuE

The Museum Was Built So No One Would Forget. Now It’s Falling Apart.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/world/asia/philippines-martial-law-marcos-museum.html?referringSource=articleShare

Babalu, Bentot, Cachupoy: The History Behind the Comedians’ Names

https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/classic-pinoy-comedians-names-a4362-lfrm-a2364-20200601-src-spot-lfrm2?utm_source=Facebook-EsquireMoney&utm_medium=Siteshare&utm_campaign=20220609-fbnp-culture-classic-pinoy-comedians-names-a4362-lfrm-a2364-20200601-src-spot-lfrm2-fbold&fbclid=IwAR0WO2CKAE6fp2UqDVmE0Kt_ixTuUThanLfyX_5PEl_Vm8jvv9jYLm31jTc

The Meaning Behind The PH Government's Seals

https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/ideas-education/finding-the-meanings-behind-ph-seals?utm_campaign=PH_DIG_FULL20220612&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tatlerasia.com

Eric Bauza: The Fil-Canadian voice behind your favorite cartoon characters

https://www.rappler.com/nation/overseas-filipinos/eric-bauza-filipino-canadian-voice-behind-your-favorite-cartoon-characters/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Euxk3s2JCzoWK_kyu4cOVCIV0reEnyeJX5w8V-pg5i1IMqD3WW4V6PLI#Echobox=1654999497

A New Filipino American Play Asks: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Lechon?

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914750/inay-dalisay-world-famous-lechon-vegan-filipino-play-bindlestiff?fbclid=IwAR1XonljhdViKD-AFDsz5t7gSF7-XIbSiAaUde4I8a7cRXHLmFlp7Xpxd5s

Biennale Star Cian Dayrit Was One of Dozens of Artists Arrested in the Philippines for Supporting Farmers’ Rights

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/cian-dayrit-arrested-2129854

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Staff

Beauty's Secret

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She was a legendary beauty during her time (mid-20th century Philippines), her name always uttered with both reverence and speculation. Susan Magalona never  joined beauty contests, never inserted herself in national conversations. On the contrary, she was reclusive, therefore mysterious, which added to her mystique. It was only in later years that stories of segments of her life emerged: her sad first marriage, its annulment, her second marriage to another rich scion, her move to the US. PF Correspondent Virgilio Reyes, Jr., distilled the tales that swirled around Susan Magalona and shares the story with us.

Why was Philippine Independence Day changed from July 4 to June 12? Gemma Nemenzo explains in her column.

"Utang na Loob: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is the latest of PF's webinar series that aired last week. Moderated by Fil-Am journalist Leezel Tanglao, whose personal story illustrating this very Filipino cultural value led to a podcast series, the webinar featured the expertise of Fil-Am psychologist/authors EJR David and Kevin Nadal. Leezel puts context to the dissection here. If you want to listen to the actual webinar, the link is in her story. 

PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco continues her long-running series on Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous. It's a fitting statement on how much the community has flourished in the US that she hasn't ran out of people to include in her list.

A shout-out to residents and visitors to the City of Angels: there's a new Filipino restaurant in town with the clever name of Spoon & Pork. Its Adobo Belly Nigiri ($8) is deemed Michelin-worthy and is definitely worth the drive to either of its two branches, in the Sawtelle and Silverlake districts. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela takes us there. 

For the Happy Home Cook, Spoon & Pork's Gising-gising recipe is a winner. 

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Staff