It will be my second year as the Co-Director of Filipino Heritage Camp (FHC) and the first year that any of the 10 Colorado Heritage Camps (CHC) has two Directors that are both adult adoptees in its 19 years of existence.

I volunteered as a camp counselor in 2000 when I came across the website after doing a search on line. I still have the printed emails that I sent to the CHC Director who is pictured to the left.


I was not sure what I was getting into - traveling solo to Denver, CO to be a counselor to young kids who were adopted from the Philippines. I comforted by the fact that there was a fellow young adult adoptee that I could relate to and that a couple families happened to be on the same Motherland tour 2 years earlier!

Fast forward a decade later and many hours on the phone with my fellow co-counselor and now Co-Director. I would like to think I am ten years wiser and more experienced to take a leadership role in a camp that has become a second home and family to me.

It will be our 4th consecutive year traveling to the Rockies with my son who has been attending and recently participating as a camper, which will undeniably help play a role in his own identity development.

My Beantown Days: Reminiscing without regrets.












Above: entrance of my old apartment where lived for almost 5 years.

To think I lived in Boston/Allston 10 years ago is mind boggling. I referred to that period of my life as the terrible 20's for a few reasons.

I found Boston to be stifling after a while and part of it was because it is a college city. I lived between Boston College and Boston University. Once you complete your four years everyone moves on and if you choose to stay you start to feel old as younger students replace the departed graduates. Quite honestly I outgrew the small city and was yearning to go to the city that never sleeps!

In retrospect being in a smaller town like Boston was the stepping stone for me when I made the decision to move to gritty/glamorous New York City a few years later. It was also the backdrop of the next 5 years as I started to embrace my identity as an adopted Filipina in America. And not to mention some of the characters I met along the way.

After doing some internet research, I quickly became immersed in Fil-Am student organizing, which sometimes felt like an unpaid job. My first year I was a member of the programming committee for the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND) conference hosted at Harvard University. To this day the 1999 FIND spring conference continues to hold the record for the largest attendance of 1,500 delegates that traveled nationwide to take part in the most unprecedented conference.

Sometimes I felt out of place among the Fil-Ams I became friendly with. Part of it was my insecurity about my adoption, as if I had a disadvantage because I grew up 'more American.' I tried to normalize my feelings by building a collection of books about every aspect of the Philippines and absorbing as much information possible. I also became a frequent flier attending Fil-Am conferences and networking with other Fil-Ams easier made me feel more harmonious with my Filipino counterparts.
















Above: Paradise Club - I used to work here as a coat check girl......why?!
















Above: Quincy, MA - in the eyes of Pedro Magni

The other reason why I visited Boston on one of the coldest days this winter was to meet a fellow adoptee Pedro. He attended my alma mater, University of Massachusetts Boston and one of our mutual professors gave him my information. We met at one of my favorite dim sum restaurants, China Pearl in Chinatown and also drove to Quincy to get a glimpse of his Fil-Am stomping ground.

Driving through Allston into Chinatown was a quick time warp of my Beantown years. It warmed my heart to drive around and see familiar places I used to frequent though other spots have not changed i.e. The Paradise, what a dump! Although I thought of that period of my life negatively I realize it helped define who I am today.

GO REDSOX!

Mid Winter Gathering

Solstice means: standing-still-sun.











Above: My uncle Ron tending to the bonfire

For the last few years my family has celebrated the winter solstice at my aunt and uncle's house in Valatie - upstate New York.

I am not sure how the idea came about but it has been an annual event in which my uncle prepares a bonfire on their property. My aunt provides edibles, spirits and warm drinks such as hot chocolate and hot cider. My contribution has

.been ingredients for s'mores and also getting a little dirty as I probe




What I find fascinating about Winter Solstice is that the earth is closest to the Sun in January than any other month of the year. Something about the tilting of the axis - exact calculation is " 23 degrees and 27 minutes off the perpendicular to the plane of orbit" All the science mumbo jumbo gives me a headache so I will spare myself the pain of explaining it.




Above: My brother Ed and John bringing more fuel for the fire.

In anycase, I hope that Noah will be able to appreciate this event as he becomes older. It is one day in which our ever growing family can become attuned to the astral observance and be with our loved ones.

Car equals freedom


When you live in a city it does
not make sense to own a car unless you have money and can afford to pay the outrageous
monthly garage fees or parking tickets you are likely to get.

Thanks to my cousin, I joined Zipcar because I have been tired of taking Metro North transit. My friend lives in Nyack, which is 45 minutes outside of the city and I wanted to visit her without the hassle and stress of relying on public transportation, especially with a toddler.

Despite having been lost for an hour I still made it to Nyack with enough time to have a sit down lunch and also go to BJ's Warehouse where I indulged in economy sized things you cannot get in the city.

The picture above is of Malcolm (left) and Noah on our adventure in BJ's.


Some great perks with Zipcar:

- You are given a nifty card that only you can use to access the car,
- They cover gas up to 180 miles FREE,
- Every car has an EZ pass and if you go through a toll it is billed to your credit card,
- You can rent cars from $8-$18/hour,
- They offer different levels of membership if you require a car often or once a month,
- There are a variety of cars and if you want to go luxury rent a bmw, mini or suv,

Concerns:

- Make sure you call the garage in advance to ensure your car does not have any problems i.e. flat tire,
- Do a test run of the car you requested,
- Report any issues of the car to Zipcar,
- If you need a car during the weekend reserve a week or two in advance.

Rockin in the Rockies
Filipino Heritage Camp
Frasier, CO


This is my third summer traveling to the Rockies to volunteer as a counselor at the Filipino Heritage Camp.

FHC was developed for children adopted from the Philippines and their families to spend a weekend to meet other adoptees, learn about their Filipino heritage/culture and also have lots of FUN.

I found FHC on a web search and thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to travel west and especially meet other adoptees. Some of the same kids have attended the camp and were familiar faces this summer. Difference was they are now in high school and no longer the rugrats they were 6 years ago.

Interestingly, when I visited the Philippines for my first time in 1998 I met up with a group of adoptees and their parents on a Motherland Tour. Those same people coincidentally were also part of FHC so it was quite a reunion to see them at the camp. I accompanied them to all the orphanages they were adopted from.

There were families old and new - some came from California, Indiana and Ohio to the 3 day camp. I was taken aback how grown up all the kids are since I saw them in 2004. They definitely kept me on my toes but I loved every moment of trying to keep up with them. One night we played speed ball - water polo with out the water. My legs were pulsing the following day.

Noah is a great baby to travel with. He was a little chatty on the plane but otherwise was wonderful - both ways.

Thankfully, John was helpful and looked after Noah while I spent time with the high school kids. He spent time with the Filipinos who cooked our Filipino meals and spoke to the Titas who could not keep their hands off of Noah.

I know in future years Noah will benefit from the cultural aspect of the camp and I want to make sure he is exposed to all things Filipino.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden - Cherry Blossom Festival

Unfortunately the Cherry Blossoms were not in bloom for the festival but either way it was a beautiful day to be outside and spend time in the Brooklyn Borough.

This was finally the opportunity for my dear high school friend Jenn and her sister Lisa to meet Noah. Thank gosh Lisa's boyfriend drove us there - it saved a lot of time.

Traveling with a baby requires well thought out planning especially considering everything I need to bring for the 'just in case' moments.

This was my first time at the BBG. I imagined it to be in a far away place from Manhattan but in fact I have been much closer to it when I visited BAM. In anycase, the weather was cooperative and I got a crash course in flora and fauna of the garden.

The 200 cherry blossoms if in bloom would have been spectacular and is appropriately named the Cherry Esplanade.

There were outdoor tents with entertainment ranging from J-Pop music, samuri dancing and Japanese theatre. My only complaint of the experience was that the food was not authentic sushi, as a matter of facts it was catered. I should have known from the packaging.

>> I wonder how many other people picked up on this misleading cuisine no-no<<

John met up with us later on. We had a chance to walk around ourselves and look at the flower arrangements, a common Japanese art. Fortunately, the tulips were brilliantly showing off their colors.

Below is Noah nestled between the original sushi pillows. His Tita Jenn bought him the salmon roll one on the left. I wonder how he was propped up like that?

Happy Daylight Savings Day!


We wanted to take full advantage of the extra hour of daylight and went on a family excursion to J-town (Japan Town) otherwise known to everyone else as St. Mark's Place. Our other destination was to go bargain hunting at the well known flea market on 11th Street and Avenue A.

Besides the outdoor vendors selling hats and sunglasses, one may notice all the Japanese restaurants nestled inbetween the seemingly misplaced punk rock stores. After doing some research I learned that St. Mark's was once the hub for all things punk rock. http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2006/07/26/a-semi-japan-town/

Above is a picture of John with Noah at one of the new additions to J-town, a self serve eatery of American favorites. You have a selection of hamburgers with all the toppings, my favorite the corn dog, chicken nuggets and other fast food treats. The concept of it is very Japanese. Insert $2 worth of coins in the desired section and you have yourself a tasty snack made on the spot.

The Avenue A flea market is not to be missed! Every weekend a parking lot half the size of a football field is transformed into a paradise for anyone in search of a piece of the past or bargain prices on anything imaginable.

John bought an Iron Maiden concert dvd filmed in 1983 in Germany. I bought a set of fondue forks to replace the ones for the family Christmas Eve fondue feast. I could not help myself from buying a pair of spring flats that seem like they are from the 80's as well. I guess I can wear them while we watch Iron Maiden --- for kicks -- hee hee!

Afterwards we met up with our friend Kym (pictured with Noah) and completed the afternoon a meal at the corner restaurant. We had ourselves one of the best smoked mac and cheese dishes though cannot beat Mom's famous recipe.

Visiting MaMARIA and Inspecta X (aka Malcolm Bayani)


Kym, Noah and I had our own adventure to Natick, NY to visit newborn Inspecta X. Malcolm Bayani was born January 26th - 7lbs 12oz.
Bayani is a Filipino word, which means hero although there is far more meaning to the word.

http://www.tribo.org/history/bayani.html

Thank gosh Kym is patient because I was ready to turn around and go straight home after spending 15 minutes trying to find each other. We wanted to meet in Port Authority but it was not nearly as easy as we anticipated. I went up and down the escalator stopping at each of the 4 floors at least twice, making rounds through the station. The elevator did not exactly give me access to every section of the station and I ended up carrying the stroller down a few flights of stairs before finding Kym.

We opted to take a bus to Nyack, which drove along the Hudson River but was not necessarily the best decision. Of course our next visit will be much easier now that we know our mistakes but the train would have been easier.
Malcolm's mom coined the nickname Inspecta Kissy Face because he puckers his lips after his feedings. The name caught on and I decided to call him Inspecta X. The visit was exactly what I needed even if it was rather stressful getting there. It was great to be around another mom, to share pointers, experiences and coo over each others babies.

I am looking forward to the coming months when Biggie Smalls (Maria's nickname for Noah) and Inspecta X get bigger and can have play time together.

In 2003 I went to the Philippines on an academic summer exchange program. 30 other Filipino Americans and a Mexican American took part in the 2 month language, culture and history program at the University of the Philippines - Dilman in Quezon City.

I desperately wanted to learn Filipino and also do some self exploration. Our daily schedule consisted of language class, workshops on culture and lectures on history, economy and other subjects of interest.

Another aspect of the exchange program was to complete a research paper and I chose to write about international adoption. This allowed be to do some soul searching about my own adoption and had the surprise of my life.

The Inter Country Adoption Board (ICAB) oversees all Filipino children placed with families internationally. After a couple meetings with the director and socialworkers they arranged to have me to visit the orphanage I lived in for the first 5 years before going to the US.

We met with the director who remembered me once I showed her my Philippines passport. I look back now and realize that I was not necessarily prepared to hear anything about my time at the orphanage. This explains why I allowed them to speak in Filipino. I did record the conversation but will have to find someone to translate it.

One of the questions I did ask was the origin of my name. I believed that my biological chose my name but it turned out that the former director, a missionary from Seattle, WA had a niece named Lorelei and wanted to name the next girl of the orhapange Lorial. I was a little disappointed but realized that some of my unknown past was a fabrication of my own thoughts.

Another question I asked was what they recall about my biological mother. This led into more details about my birth. She told me that I was born during a typhoon, which explains my fascination with thunderstorms - my mom can attest to this. She also said that because of the storm they had to wait three days before they could go outside and pick me up. The roads were not paved back then and my biological mother lived further out from the airforce base. Apparently my biological mother did visit a couple times but afterwards the orphanage never heard from her again.

When I tell people I am adopted one of the questions they ask is if I want to meet my biological mother. As far back as I can remember I have always replied no because of the language barrier but especially because she made her decision and I respect it.

I will always be curious about her and how much I may look like her. If I did meet her I would assure her that my life has been absolutely wonderful. She gave me life and also gave me a chance for a better life.

Below I am pointing out a picture of myself I found along the wall of the orphanage. It was taken the day I left for Manila in September of 1980. They have kept it up all these years, which was pretty amazing. I finally felt a connection to the orphanage and has been memorialized on the board.

Our piece of paradise for our short stay at Na Balam Resort. Just yards away from our hotel room we both got our share of 3rd degree burns.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Babymoon

I would highly suggest Isla Mujeres for folks who like more privacy and less resorty surroundings like their neighboring Cancun on the mainland.This was a last minute escape and most definately long overdue. We stayed at the Na Balam (The House of the Jaguar) resort www.nabalam.com that was walking distance from the ferry and center of town.

We had a wonderful view of the beach from our room and when we had breakfast outside. The menu consisted of more health conscious eatings. I especially enjoyed the fresh squeezed orange juice!

The island is not even 5 miles long so you can either rent bicycles or a golf cart, which we chose. We took full advantage of the beach and ventured around the island, stopping at the Tortuga (Turtle) farm, Hacienda Mundaca, Mayan Temple and Light house - to name a few.

http://www.isla-mujeres.net/thingstodo.htm

Sunset at Na Balam Resort
Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Photos of Sagada indigenous people

One of the first people that I told about my pregnancy was my very good friend RB. We have known each other for over a decade now.

She was in CA at the time and I did not make a final decision immediately though probably could say now that I knew I was going to follow through with the pregnancy.

I did need ponder about the timing of the pregnancy, finances and of course whether the baby daddy was in agreement to have the baby.

RB was planning to head back to the East and asked if I wanted to join her in AZ to drive cross country. We did drive in a record three days because RB had a rehersal to go to and because she is a veteran at driving long distances in little time. She insisted on driving the entire way and I did not object.

The picture above was taken at a rest stop in AZ.

We talked alot about motherhood, friendship and where we saw ourselves in the coming years. The road trip was exactly what I needed to clear my mind and share ALOT of laughs with RB. I hope she knows how much she means to me.......

Ifugao indigenous people

I spoke to the woman with my limited Filipino and learned that the two men are her brothers. They are presumed to be in their late 80's and the one furthest on the right may even be in his 90's. Their date of birth is not known because birth records are not kept by the Ifugao.

I confirmed with our tourguide and he said they can be found sitting out at the former offical look out point to make extra money. It also turned out that the older man has a concave nose because of eating a local hallucinagine plant commonly used.

Rice Terraces - Banaue Philippines

My mom and I went on a 5 day tour along the Cordillera region north of Manila. We arranged the tour through our hotel; had our own tour guide and driver. This may sound pretentious but very common in the Philippines.

The drive to the Rice Terraces took 8 hours so we stopped in a few villages along the way. Our tour guide, Ed was extremely knowledgeable of the area so besides short naps and sight seeing he gave us history lessons of the places of interest.

We drove through the mountains and reached one of the highest elevations of the area. Some of the roadways were not completely paved, which made for some cliff hanging moments.

The mountain terraces have been around for thousands of years and the irrigation system is ideal for rice harvesting. It was once known to be one of the eighth wonders of the world or the 'stairway to heaven.

Rice is no longer the top export of the Philippines and the country is actually importing from places such as Japan but Banaue is still home to Ifugao/Bontoc indigenous people who still live traditional lives without running water or electricty. They are still found harvesting rice.

Sagada - Hanging Coffins

We took a long hike through the forrest lined with pine trees to see famous hanging coffins nestled along the limestone walls. The oldest coffin is thought to be 100 years old and the most recent only a couple decades old.

The elderly expecting to die carve their own coffins otherwise if they are too feeble to do so another relative will take the responsibility.

There are other burial sites in near by caves otherwise some can be found stacked ontop of each other. Unfortunately, because the areas are not regulated some of the coffins have been tampered with - bones taken as souvenirs.

Sagada weekend market

We had a clear view of the market from our motel. People traveled from nearby cities to buy the fresh produce and meats that the Sagada farmers sold. Preparation for the market began as early as 4am. You could hear the women talking as they laid the tarp and arranged the various vegitables.

Family 'Bish' Bash

All things aside, I enjoy family reunions since we do not get to see each other often. There may be some heated drama but the lasting thoughts are that all families have their moments.

Camping with the family makes for more excitement and any chance for a bonfire is a plus.

Touching Boann the fertility goddess of Ireland.

Failte!

I am convinced this had something to do with the conception of Noah.

I visited Dublin to attend an international adoption conference hosted by Center for Family Connections of Boston www.kinnect.org

I went on a day long tour along the Dublin coast during my free time. One of our stops was at a castle, this is where I learned that every church in Ireland has the goddess of fertility, Boann. The tourguide said whoever touches it will become pregnant within the year. Low and behold - if we calculate the exact date we learned about my pregancy it would be just around the time of my anniversary in Dublin!!