Follow the Caroming Ball

Billiards. The game that is revered by a large number of Filipinos and has triggered thousands of missed classes by high school and college students is given due reverence by PF Correspondent Myles Garcia's story on "Filipino Wizards of the Pool Table." Read about Efren Reyes, the world champion, who has put the Philippines on the billiards world map, along with Django Bustamante, Dennis Orcullo and others who have carved out a niche in the country's billiards hall of fame.

June is Pride Month and our Philippine-based correspondent Rene Astudillo looks at the status of the Filipino LGBT movement and the realities it has to confront. In "Pride and Prejudice in the Filipino LGBT Community," there are reasons for both fear and hope.

Today marks the 158th anniversary of the birth of our National Hero, Jose Rizal. Here are some Read Agains to remind us why, 123 years after his death by musketry, his life still commands interest:

Jose Rizal, The Oracle by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Jose Rizal and His Dueling German Friends by Penelope V. Flores

Rizal’s Cook Remembers a Good Man by John Silva

Jose Rizal, Martial Arts Warrior by Rene J. Navarro

And for the Happy Home Cook, here's a repeat posting of Elizabeth Ann Quirino's Sabaw ng Munggo Guisado, said to be Jose Rizal's favorite dish: The Happy Home Cook: Sabaw ng Munggo Guisado

In case you missed reading them, here are links to interesting stories:

Filipina finds freedom after living as family slave in US for decades
https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/12/19/filipina-finds-freedom-after-living-as-family-slave-in-us-for-decades?fbclid=IwAR0aPgIHWHWu452LUkKLRmPtay2gQOu7fftpKFZ6T99NC7QsegU3M_XGdZ8

'You know you're Filipino when …': Winnipeggers share an insider's look at their culture
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/you-know-you-re-filipino-when-video-heritage-month-1.5169205?fbclid=IwAR223UUI09SDeOA1GrpKBnTK3a7TcdBfVII0gNQnMCFQRY9EfxHv0b9QdII

The Most Prominent Families in Manila
https://www.townandcountry.ph/people/heritage/most-prominent-families-in-manila-a1590-20190614-lfrm7?utm_source=Facebook-TC&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20190615-fbnp-people-most-prominent-families-in-manila-a1590-20190614-lfrm7-fbfirst&fbclid=IwAR0myaulY5dib2cnXekN_1wk1ElRdK9yzDnF_dgIOtzF_OOec4jlhqhdrPc

Tito Al’s Success Story: It Started with Chicharron
http://www.manilamail.us/?p=8340&fbclid=IwAR1vY83DJ0zqznK5PiUonJLvx2j7yiVFYoFJw3lj3rvzGlNQayVXOqPTNPg

The Long and Tumultuous History of the Humble Banana Ketchup
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/the-history-behind-the-invention-of-banana-ketchup-a1729-20180622-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20190527-fbnp-culture-the-history-behind-the-invention-of-banana-ketchup-a1729-20180622-lfrm-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2zHOPb4dKCQGP-EYU4NiHf7JVoGQTLs_NXYohzoYTkRb2qi7cz61Xlm38

For Video of the Week, Lea Salonga sings “A Whole New World” with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Vince Rodriguez.

Manilamen Down Under

While over 300,000 Filipinos now reside in Australia, the history of Filipinos in the continent dates back to the mid- to late 19th century when "Manilamen" were recruited as pearl divers for the pearling industry. These Manilamen settled and married Aboriginal women in the Torres Strait area where their descendants still live. Sydney-based academic Dr. Deborah Ruiz Wall, who did an extensive oral history project of the descendants of Manilamen, writes this interesting, little-known story on "The Link Between Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the Philippines," a Positively Filipino exclusive. 

Author/editor Cecilia Manguerra Brainard reviews The Betrayed, a recently published novel by Paris-based Filipino writer Reine Arcache Melvin and proclaims it as "one of the best Filipino novels I have read in a long time." ("Passion in the Time of Revolution")

For Filipinos in the US currently unsure about how to deal with the ICE during this government shutdown, here's some valuable advice from San Francisco immigration lawyer Lourdes Tancinco, who contributes our Partner Post this week. ("Effect of Shutdown on Immigration Related Programs and Applications")

 As a young man in New York, PF Correspondent Myles Garcia bought a "Salvador Dali print." For the next 44 years, he wondered whether the artwork was authentic or if he was conned. Finally, he decided to take action and consulted an auctioneer. Read about the strange, amusing odyssey of a Salvador Dali sketch in "Hello Dali: Salvador, Venus and Me."

For the Happy Home Cook, here's a recipe for Mami, a popular cold-weather treat, from Le Cordon Bleu alumna G. B. Korten.

For this week’s In The Know links:

Philippine bid to jail nine-year-olds is 'a great child violation', Unicef says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/13/philippine-bid-to-jail-nine-year-olds-is-a-great-child-violation-unicef-says?fbclid=IwAR2LhWe0cBxZ6ccF41mthU1wvB73Fk1u2x_PVQ-cRcUpGGNbeNWGC1OWCZc

On Global Filipinos: Sheila Marcelo is 1st FilAm woman CEO on Wall Street
https://thefilam.net/archives/29145?fbclid=IwAR0AC7eDON1uaBFGIuRSqPuoKTRZOKxf4lMR054nYiKfucBkGf8Ubi5le50

Rhapsody in C: Ryan Cayabyab
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/profiles/ryan-cayabyab-national-artist-profile-a1523-20190117-lfrm3?fbclid=IwAR28ZsAXFkv_dF02I4aOZIhAmXK31Svz3tZBOhCrXLLurbpCMgY9w0_YFGQ

Vincent Rodriguez III Is a Gay Actor Playing a Straight Heartthrob
https://www.advocate.com/television/2019/1/08/vincent-rodriguez-gay-actor-playing-straight-heartthrob?fbclid=IwAR2YYdgtvtdrXydc7ZIxbqHHwMkluOqUUYWV4avB1GhkdQ__X5sggCSVgg4

Pixar artist creates short film starring Filipino-American leads
http://cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2019/01/14/Pixar-artist-short-film-Filipino-American-characters-Float.html#

For Video of the Week, we feature multi-award winning actor Darren Criss, singing “Proud of your Boy” from the Disney musical “Aladdin.”