First of many Firsts......

After almost three years of spending time with Noah he has officially started Pre-school. His first day of course was filled with excitement and anxiety for all of us. He was eager to use his new Thomas the Train backpack that "Ganga" found for him at a tag sale and the new backpack we bought. When we arrived in the classroom the teachers set up a cubby space for him with his name on it.

We were very fortunate to bypass the torment of enrolling Noah in a NYC pre school program after we attended an Open House for our local YMCA. It is a mere two blocks away from our home and we could not be happier with the staff.

Tender Care is a 2 year old program at the Grovsenor YMCA. Noah attends twice a week for 6 hours and he has even conformed to their nap schedule. He has a wonderful diverse group of classmates that he seems to get along with. And he has a special friend named Sophia who is only 10 days older than him and actually looks like she could be his long lost sister.

I spent an hour with him before having to endure his cries to go home with me. But as I slowly crept to the stairwell I heard the teacher trying to sooth him and he immediately stopped crying.

And there is nothing else that makes a Mom's heart melt but the smile and big hug that I got when I picked up Noah. He grabbed his jacket, threw his backpack on and dragged me out of his classroom before I could say goodbye to anyone!

The Filipino Channel - Connect to the Culture and News of the Motherland

I always thought that the only way to access Filipino channels was through satellite but
I stumbled on Time Warner Channel 594 TFC . Within 5 minutes was connected instantly to the world of cheesy telenovelas, real time news and over zealous game shows like Wowowee.

I am hooked and even if I understand 2% of what is said, I will slowly pick up Filipino words here and there.

It has been 6 months since my multiple hospitalizations in November 2008 and two months ago I had my gall bladder removed. The severity of my Acute Pancreatitis was quite a shock considering I did not have any prior medical issues. The prognosis looked bleak according to my doctor but someone was looking after me and though my recovery was not speedy I slowly got back on my feet, altered my diet and reminded myself every day how fortunate I am of my improving health.

After my health scare it led me to make the decision to run in the "world's largest race", ING NYC Marathon on November 1, 2009. The training alone is rigorous as well as the mental preparation to run 26.2 miles through 5 boroughs of NYC, starting in Staten Island. I wanted

I chose the The DOE Fund: Ready, Willing and Able organization to sponsor my entry into the race because I was unable to run the 9 NYRR required races for automatic entry. RWA has been assisting the formerly homeless in NYC for many years by providing temporary housing, employment assistance and legal services. When I lived in the Upper East Side, I always noticed the men and women with the blue shirts, pushing garbage cans and sweeping up after New Yorkers (yes, I said it!).

If you would like to donate to my cause visit DOE: Ready, Willing and Able .

Little Master's Art - Bringing out the artist in your child.

I enrolled Noah in LMA classes this past spring and was so impressed with the art classes that I signed him up for the summer session as well. Living in the UWS and formerly UES, I found that the programs/activities for the younger kids was so competitive, in terms of enrollment, fees and limited physical space but LMA is truly the best kept secret in the UWS!!

I was fortunate to learn about LMA in its inaugural year and has since found a permanent host site at El Taller Latino Americano. The two co-founders have put so much thought and detail into the programming and have focused on providing a welcoming and creative space for all. Amanda is a graduate of NYU in Art History and Studio Art while Narges (a mother of a toddler) has a Master's in Design and Technology with a background

Classes are available for children between the ages of 16mo-18 years with an emphasis on enriching the children with the understanding of the art culture by introducing hands on projects that reflects artists of the day and reinforcing the idea that although art can be messy, it should also be fun! LMA has expanded to include music classes taught in both english and spanish.

If you can't committ to the 12 week courses be sure to check for their monthy, Saturday Workshops!

Information on registration and classes DEADLINE: Aug 15th

Got Pilipino?

The first ever IndioBravo Filipino Film Festival was held this weekend in NYC. Initially, I wanted to see Foster Child (again) because I felt it captured the essence and emotions of being a Foster parent in the Philippines. Though I would say that the portrayal of the eventual adoption of the main character was a little skewed.

A weekend of Filipino movies with English subtitles!? A perfect opportunity to see a glimpse of life in the Philippines, learn about the styles of Filipino cinematography, the actors and especially to learn a little bit of the language!

Since my summer abroad at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2003, I have desperately tried to maintain the basics of the language that I learned. I bought a highly recommended double volume set of Phil/English Eng/Phil dictionaries, Lonely Planet phrase book, Before You Know It computer tutorial, Learning Filipino book, children's books I bought in the Phils (in Filipino with English translation), downloaded Filipino songs, you name it.

I have since learned that one of the better approaches to retaining Filipino is through movies.
On that same trip a good friend of mine brought me to a dvd shop. I purchased movie titles, which I thought would be of interest. I have watched a couple of them and when I attend Filipino events I make it a point to buy such movies.

It has been a slow process but I don't like to pretend that I the mother tongue when people speak to me. I am determined to teach myself the basics.

If you have any suggestion of movie titles let me know!

Looking forward to next year's Indio Fest!

Model Filipino-American

My good friend Dr. Kevin Nadal and Godfather/Ninong to Noah has written, Filipino American Psychology - A Handbook of Theory, Research and Clinical Practice. I was especially excited to provide him with information about Filipino adoption, which very little is written about.

I was also honored when he asked me and Noah to pose for the cover of the book along with a dozen other Fil-Ams. Noah made the final cut for the front cover and there is a group photo on the back of the two of us!

BUY THE BOOK NOW!

Congrats Kevin!

Honoring and Evoking the Babaylan Spirit

Truthfully, when I told my dear friend I was interested in organizing the Babaylan Conference April of 2010 I failed to realize that it much more than planning a phenomenal event. I have walked into a the epicenter of understanding the role of self in the community and the world at large but how to embrace the essence of babaylan and its spirit.

Babaylan Conference of 2010
April 17 – 18, 2010 at the
Sonoma State University, CA

What is Babaylan?

Babaylan is a term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker" (or a combination of any of those). Although the role and function of a babaylan is open to both sexes, most babaylans from the pre-hispanic era are female.

"The babaylan in Filipino indigenous tradition is a person who is gifted to heal the spirit and the body; a woman who serves the community through her role as a folk therapist, wisdom-keeper and philosopher; a woman who provides stability to the community’s social structure; a woman who can access the spirit realm and other states of consciousness and traffic easily in and out of these worlds; a woman who has vast knowledge of healing therapies".^[1] In addition to this, a babaylan is someone who "intercedes for the community and individuals" and is also someone who "serves." Any study of the babaylan must take into consideration the suppression of the babaylan's practices since the onset of European and American colonialism in the Philippines.

Prior to, during and after the Philippine Revolution of 1896-1898, the babaylans of Dios Buhawi and Papa Isio of Negros Occidental participated in the struggle to throw off the Spanish yoke. Their primary agenda was religious freedom and agrarian reform; most followers of the babaylan tradition were dispossessed land owners thrown off their property by the Spanish hacienderos and in some cases by Spanish friars bent on acquiring land.

More to come.......