Give Thanks, Check Reality

With the pandemic and other circumstances in the US and the world swirling around us, catching our attention and sometimes increasing our stress levels, the Thanksgiving holiday allows us to pause, search for and embrace our quiet, and take stock of where our lives are heading. It's also a good time for gratitude because no matter how much our lives have been gobsmacked by tragedy and grief this year, there are also reasons to be thankful and hopeful. I say this not as a kumbaya statement but as a reality check, an acceptance of the principle of yin/yang, which states that (simplifying here) that every dark has its bright side.

To keep you company in your moments of reflection (ideally after a gratifying Thanksgiving meal with --and limited to-- the people in your household), here are some notable articles we have published that you might want to Read Again. 

Our Stories This Week

Manila Hotel: The Golden Years By Lou Gopal 

Second Springs By Cathy S. Babao 

Which Comes First, The Chicken, Or The Scruples? By Albert J. Lesaca 

Feeding My Filipino By Lotis Key 

No Turkey For Thanksgiving By Gemma Nemenzo 

The Happy Home Cook: Paksiw Na Lechon (Roast Pork In Homemade Liver Sauce And Vinegar)

Video of the Week: Jose Mari Chan and McDonald’s George Yang

McDonald’s Philippines Chairman and Founder George Yang and legendary Filipino singer Jose Mari Chan star in the McDonald’s commercial which came out during Grandparents’ Day last year. 

In The Know

Covid-19 is taking a devastating toll on Filipino American nurses
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/24/health/filipino-nurse-deaths/index.html

City pens official apology to Filipino community for 1930 race riots 
https://pajaronian.com/city-pens-official-apology-to-filipino-community-for-1930-race-riots/?fbclid=IwAR1Kxj8bMlph0t5THF_tLwVR9Mesy8WZP18TEI2IzpyrqU6VKu0y0bHpOPA 

When love is not enough
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/11/asia/hong-kong-filipino-helpers-dst/?fbclid=IwAR28Ta29T7d9MXxGYqkouj5wqmJez3XCCnziejFd2q7lXPBpeEOC0LrgDzk

Fil-Am state lawmaker seeks help for Democrats in Georgia runoffs 
https://usa.inquirer.net/60486/fil-am-state-lawmaker-seeks-help-for-democrats-in-georgia-runoffs

Philippines' richest chip in for COVID-19 vaccines
https://www.rappler.com/business/tycoons-philippines-chip-in-covid-19-vaccines?fbclid=IwAR2UrazfFSKVoFn8aJeprFAlOvj2CQTw3P4LNwZLDImN-Z18wOrQOMZCftY

A Mindanaoan filmmaker tells martial law's 'forbidden memory'
https://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/film/2016/11/22/teng-mangansakan.html?fbclid=IwAR2e645MY_QEgumVC2TzTw5Pbu_8-tTiBaYo3loAZDbrA_tjZ_i1tRQUpnY

65-year-old man plants 10,000 mangroves for 8 years to protect his house from the big waves during typhoon
https://kickerdaily.com/posts/2020/11/65-year-old-man-plants-10000-mangroves-for-8-years-to-protect-his-house-from-the-big-waves-during-typhoon/?fbclid=IwAR00DVsADdRVstLinOTLABN6C1YNcDFRsLtS2dcgnZM9-vFHOiP8b2rkuxE

Why is UP the Bastion of Student Activism?
https://www.reportr.world/news/why-has-up-become-synonymous-to-activism-history-has-the-answer-a4713-20201119?fbclid=IwAR3xgQ2wRelOk2OYUX7V37oeXmobUJxbT_Kp4pMZI9S30Lezz-ZhIvIncK8

Passion and Romance

Passion -- or the ability and persistence to pursue what your heart wants, no matter the odds -- separates genius from ordinary mortals. His passion for music made Ryan Cayabyab break his promise to his late mother, an opera singer, on her deathbed; it was also what drove him to drop out of business school and lie about his age in order to pursue his music. Of course, there's also talent -- and no doubt Ryan, now acknowledged as The Maestro -- has an inordinate share of that. But how did his music career begin? PF contributor and Ryan's sister-in-law Bella Bonner dug up family stories and shares them with us in "Music Man Ryan Cayabyab Came Up the Hard Way." Read it and be inspired.

Passion of the romantic variety enabled our Toronto-based contributor Corito Fiel to embrace all the good things and bad in a love affair with someone who made the earth move for her. In "Love and Magic in Baguio," she shares the story of her One Great Love, with whom she spent only two years before he passed on. 

And from our Seattle-based contributor Gia R. Mendoza, her curiosity and delight on her "First Glimpse of Cuba."

Let's not let up on romance this month, with our worthy Read Agains:

Manuel L. Quezon and his American fiancee: http://www. positivelyfilipino.com/ magazine/the-untold-story-of- nina-thomas?rq=Nina%20Thomas

Hilda Koronel and Becca Godinez and their new, happier lives: http://www. positivelyfilipino.com/ magazine/second-springs?rq= Hilda%20Koronel

Here are the links to the In The Know lineup this week:

In the Philippines, political trolling is an industry – this is how it works
https://www.opendemocracy.net/digitaliberties/jonathan-corpus-ong-jason-cabanes/in-philippines-political-trolling-is-industry-this

In an Anchorage professor’s letters to his family, the reality of racism is revealed
https://www.adn.com/arts/books/2018/02/17/in-an-anchorage-professors-letters-to-his-family-the-reality-of-racism-is-revealed/

Where heroes and kin used to tread
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/969562/where-heroes-and-kin-used-to-tread

Figure skating: Filipino skater got call to Olympics less than a month ago
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-figs-m-phl-martinez/figure-skating-filipino-skater-got-call-to-olympics-less-than-a-month-ago-idUSKCN1G00AQ

If you feasted on Valentine's Day, here's a recipe to bring you back to a sensible diet: Richgail Enriquez's Vegan Arroz ala Cubana.

For Video of Week, upcoming comedian Jeppy Paraiso recently posted his latest for Valentine's. Paraiso broke out last Thanksgiving with his Filipino Tita videos on social media.

Letters

In the ancient days, before email and social media, we had penpals -- strangers from other countries we exchanged handwritten or typed letters with via snail mail. I myself had two, a girl from Japan and a boy from Sweden. We went as far as sending pictures and exchanging stamps for our respective collections, but both correspondence fizzled because I lost interest and stopped writing back. Not so Rey de la Cruz, who carried on a penpal friendship with a woman from Finland named Satu, for 51 years. In "Dear Satu: Letters Tell the Story of Our Lives," Rey tells us how he and Satu finally met and became even closer friends. They now exchange emails, although occasionally, for old times sake, they would switch back to air mails. A heartwarming story of a lasting friendship that only few can manage.

Another Hometown story, this time about San Juan, Metro Manila where Dr. Senen "Sonny" Siasoco grew up in his physician-grandfather's house across the street from the famous Pinaglabanan monument. As he narrates in "My Lolo's House," their balcony was where Philippine presidents spoke from during the annual commemoration rites. The house held some other attractions and historic provenance, that Dr. Siasoco humorously shares. 

Our feature last week on Nora Aunor triggered some where-are-they-now questions on social media. So if you're wondering what has happened to Hilda Koronel, Boots Anson-Roa and songstress Becca Godinez, the answer as provided by contributor Cathy Sanchez Babao is: they're all happily married and in love. Here are some Read Agains:

Second Springs
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/second-springs

That's Amore
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/thats-amore

And, in case you missed them, here are some links to interesting stories from various publications, to keep you In The Know: 

The silent hero behind the Philippines' case vs China
http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/175731-profile-henry-bensurto-philippines-china-case?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral

Sacramento district can’t find enough teachers, so it turns to Philippines for help
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article161521288.html

How the Philippines managed to lose a potential world chess champion in Wesley So
http://www.spin.ph/chess/special-reports/how-the-philippines-managed-to-lose-a-potential-world-chess-champion-like-wesley-so

Inside The Mind Of The Young CEO Who Introduced The Break-Up Leave
http://www.fhm.com.ph/be-a-better-man/mens-stuff/meet-break-up-leave-pioneer-ceo-third-domingo-a00028-20170716-lfrm

These Michael Cinco Gowns Are So Unbelievably Pretty, They Left Us Totally Speechless!
https://brideandbreakfast.ph/2017/04/21/fashion-friday-michael-cinco-fall-2017-couture-collection/

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is a favorite merienda fare, Ginataang Mais from Judy Ann Santos' cookbook.

And for our Video of the Week: the Guardian UK reports on Filipina domestic workers being abused by their employers in London and the women's efforts to organize.