What a Difference

When news about a forthcoming vaccine against Covid-19 first came out months ago, we were skeptical and a bit scared. The common thread among my age group was we'll wait it out for a few months, we don't want to be the guinea pigs. 

Now that the vaccine is here and people we know have gotten it and survived, our tune has changed. We can't wait to get it and some friends have gone to great lengths just to have the shot. One admitted that she was on hold on the phone for an hour and a half but she persisted. Another monitored availability from county to county, finally landing an appointment in a city not her own. 

Because our health insurance provider has issued a don't-call-us-we'll-call-you instruction due to the inadequate supply of the vaccine, we're starting to feel like guppies in a fishbowl, watching the world pass us by, gaping enviously at those lucky enough to snag a place in line.

The consolation is we can sleep soundly now, the planet (or at least the US) seems to have righted itself. What a difference a week brings! 

Our Stories This Week

Bullying The State University by Criselda Yabes

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 14 By Mona Lisa Yuchengco

A Festival In A Cookbook By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Dilaw By Lyn B. Gamboa 

Video of the Week: Ligliwa Dance Troupe

In The Know

Feeding the Troops on Inauguration Week
http://www.manilamail.us/?p=11529&fbclid=IwAR1IL3mbps39UoHR6bZitw9OzEGqT4iEToqQC4-e8dJWtrCNae-XJTaYce0

Japan's Filipino community puts down roots and moves past its hostess origins
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2021/01/24/issues/japans-filipino-community-puts-roots-moves-past-hostess-origins/?fbclid=IwAR2U9aZwBk_AaKYqn0i77GU6p6A1289Czb84aaKh2YJeRhvAQLxgHtnqU8w

The surprising, inspiring story of how the Met was built
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/30/19/high-standards-humble-efforts-the-early-years-of-the-metropolitan-theater?fbclid=IwAR06edrU6LTbcTdR_xYE4Juhs9bC5DEj76PiWLrtFAB7uxvxnN2IAoGPxr4

Everything You Need to Know about Filipino Food: The Next Great American Cuisine
https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/filipino-food-guide/?fbclid=IwAR2oaOZ-hRqoPiv11RNzMRlpfBnY2q3tI9KDyFO4OjJY-AaLnfCTNh5i4oE

How Drew Barrymore fell in love with this Pinay chef’s cooking
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/01/14/21/how-drew-barrymore-fell-in-love-with-this-pinay-chefs-cooking?fbclid=IwAR3fPL5_VqPgkrCcPmKyn_mLnDpF4ftw-OFY3cjGqyeuR3z_j969UW3PYR8

My UP in the ‘70s: I didn’t mind being a martial law baby
https://www.thediarist.ph/my-up-in-the-70s-i-didnt-mind-being-a-martial-law-baby/?fbclid=IwAR2Ia7X0_kDZAz07HK0725CaNopI4MLBF3aqDcnYBHUIHubidfiEJtXJ9KE

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Yes, Women Can

We join the entire world in celebrating Women's History Month 2018, well aware that through persistence and unity, women are making their voices heard loud and clear against their oppressors. We will be featuring stories of Filipino women who have made their mark in various fields, among them Armida Siguion-Reyna, whose long-running TV show Aawitan Kita kept the kundiman tradition alive through the generations. Armida isn't just an entertainer; during her heyday, she was also a feisty cultural activist, a producer of shows, and most of all, a doting mother and grandmother to her brood. In "We Call Her Mahal," Sara Siguion-Reyna writes lovingly about her beloved grandma.

PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco recalls a visit to the small town of Amagi in the Tokunoshima island in Japan and tells of the historic role Filipino women played in keeping the town alive.

For my blog this month, I focus on the poet Angela Manalang-Gloria, one of the leading lights of early Philippine literature in English, whose famous poem "Soledad" captivated me when I was younger, and titillates my imagination to this day.  

It's official, folks. And it has been official since it was enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution: the national language of the Philippines is Filipino, not Pilipino. How did the F win out? Poet/translator and language expert Marne Kilates gives us the backstory on how the F, along with C, J, Ñ, Q, V, and Z have now been added to the previously 20-letter Filipino alphabet.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week comes from graphic artist/writer Alex G. Paman who just came out with his second book, Filipino Barbecue. Enjoy Alex's version of Chicken Inasal.

Here's the In The Know line-up:

The 19 Best Filipino Restaurants in Los Angeles, 2018 Edition
https://la.eater.com/maps/best-filipino-restaurants-los-angeles-adobo-lumpia

Oscars 2018: Robert Lopez becomes the first person in history to double EGOT
http://ew.com/awards/2018/03/05/oscars-2018-robert-lopez-double-egot/

Rita Moreno wears the same Pitoy Moreno dress she wore to Oscars in 1962
https://www.today.com/style/rita-moreno-wears-same-dress-oscars-she-wore-1962-ceremony-t124430

To design costumes for 'Black Panther,' this artist drew on his Filipino upbringing
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/design-costumes-black-panther-artist-drew-his-filipino-upbringing-n852856

For Video of the Week, CNN Philippines The Story of the Filipino looks into lives of 3 women: Aya Fernandez (founder and head of Project Lily PH), Cha Roque (a filmmaker and Dakila Communications Director) and Kelsey Hadjirul (a young LGBT and Women's Rights Activist).