Beauty of Spring, Kindness of Neighbors

As the ugliness of terrorism, political rhetoric and bigotry tries to kill our spirits, let's not lose sight of the more important constants in our lives: the beauty of spring; the spiritual renewal of Easter; the kindness of people.

Springtime in Washington, DC is magical, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Read Again Titchie Carandang-Tiongson's fascinating account of how Mrs. Helen Taft (wife of US President William Howard Taft) brought her fond memories of their stint in Manila by having the West Potomac Park designed as a grandiose Luneta. At its 1909 inauguration, the Philippine Constabulary Band was transported to the US capital to participate in the pageantry. "A D.C. Springtime Concert Born in Manila" affirms the contribution of Filipinos to the history of the US.

In the remote rural town of Jagna, Bohol, the kindness of a church community abounds as townsfolk work together to build homes for their less fortunate neighbors. Contributor Menchu Sarmiento in "Balay sa Kabos -- A House for My Neighbor" describes the heartwarming bayanihan efforts of the Balay sa Kabos Foundation led by parish priest Fr. Abet Uy.

Back to North America, as Cuba hits the headlines, Read Again contributor Chibu Lagman's travel story, "Eternamente Cuba," before you buy your tickets to the mysterious island nation.

While Lent means sacrifice and fasting in the Christian world, Easter Sunday is always a celebration, and what better way than to cook a sumptuous dish fit for hungry souls. Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her version of the recipe for Paella de Adobo by Senor Anastacio de Alba, our Happy Home Cook feature this week.

Meanwhile, another Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Anthony Maddela gives us a sneak peak of "They're Watching," a streamed-on-demand movie produced by the Filipino American team of Mark Lagrimas and Rico Jeffrey Garcia of Best Served Cold Productions. Watch it on March 25 after reading "'They're Watching' Could Get Hollywood Watching Too."

My blog this week is on negotiating through Pinoy macho-land.

For our Video of the Week, let's enjoy the simple pleasure of the hit song, "Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko" lovingly sang by an American and a Russian.