The holidays are coming up fast and we know this is a busy and stressful (though joyful) time, so we'll just keep this short.

Everyone needs to take time for a break so we hope Positively Filipino will provide you some relaxation as you take a breather from the many tasks you have before you.

In this issue, a San Francisco Bay Area dance troupe brings some Filipino culture to the World Folklore Festival in Cannes, France.

A worthy gift for the young readers and literature lovers in your life: the third volume of Growing Up Filipino, a collection of short stories from writers of the diaspora.

And for the home cooks gearing up for a Filipino holiday cookfest, a bit of history behind a staple in a Filipino kitchen -- Rufina Patis.

If you're hungry for some food nostalgia or are in need of some ideas for your holiday feast, Read Again our features on two distinctive cuisines, both written by culinary expert Micky Fenix. The first on Ilocano food, the second about Batangas dishes.

Soup Tales And Big Breakfasts

Straightforward, Simple Batangas Cuisine

Not exactly for the health nut but a delicious, occasional treat (and what better time than the cold December holidays): Cook Again the favorite Ilocano dish, Igado: The Happy Home Cook: Igado — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora

We end with a celebration of an extraordinary life, that of the Ultimate Entertainer, the Queen of Kundiman, the lovable Ibyang of TV sit-com fame, Sylvia La Torre who passed away last week at the age of 89. Our Video of the Week (in Filipino) pays tribute to her talent and her unmatched legacy in Philippine entertainment history.