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.......

My Little Master Artist

I wanted to find any type of class for Noah and to my surprise came across Little Masters Art
for kids between 2-12 years; the best kept secret in NY. Each one hour class begins with a snack, story time and an activity inspired by a chosen artist of the day. Although Noah would rather toy around with the play dough it seems like he has enjoyed experimenting with different tools and materials. Little Master's also hosts a monthly Saturday Workshop that is reasonably priced; $15 a child.

April - In like a Lamb......

Brooklyn Avenue

The Peace Fountain statue is quite impressive, which is next to The Cathedral Church of Saint John in the Upper West Side. I discovered that Saint John's is the largest cathedral in the world and to think it is a few blocks away from our apartment! I still need to go inside the the cathedral and would like to bring Noah to the free organ performance every Monday at 1pm.


Noah's Ark plaque, I like to bring Noah to see all the small bronze figures of animals and mamals that were designed by youth and adults. Another attraction are the two peacocks that roam the church grounds. One is white while the other has the iridescent green. You will most likely hear their unique bird cries. I was puzzled when I first heard them.

I turns out that the Bronx Zoo has been donating the peacocks since 1973.

248th St. Patrick's Day Parade, NYC

I took this photo shortly after the biggest winter storm that hit the Northeast this year.

A few weeks ago as I was walking along Broadway I noticed a new store that immediately caught my attention. From the window my eyes widened with exuberance as I peered at the displays of sticker letters, embellishments of all sorts, cute cartoon creatures, pens, card stock and other paper; used specifically to scrap book and for someone like me, to make cards, note pads, and photo albums....(for now.)

I have had to briskly walk passed Portrait Bug a couple times knowing I would not be able to hold back from buying the array of colorful everything. Needless to say, I succumbed to my weakness and painstakingly kept my purchases to a limit.. There were a few projects crafted by some of the employees that were on display and I could not help but admire.

I found out about the Inaugural Crop Party at PB and honestly did not know what I was getting myself into. I brought along a file organizer filled with designed and plain paper, stickers and other items from my collection of craft material. It did not compare to the supplies other women brought to this event. I walked into the world of scrap booking that I did not know existed!

Some ladies had totes for their materials while others rolled in travel size luggage with decorative hole punchers, rubber stamps, glitter, contraptions, which I had no clue what their function was and it was quite a distraction from my purpose of making some Valentine cards.

After three hours of chatting it up with scrap book novices, a professional calligrapher/rubber stamper, a gal who has gone to paper crafting conventions and a working mom looking to find an outlet, I did make a couple decent looking cards and more inspired to craft cards when I can find the time!

Webinars are Genius!

I registered for a webinar (a seminar on the web) on The Role of the U.S. Government in Intercountry Adoptions through the Joint Council on International Children's Services. Their mission is to, "promote ethical child welfare practices, strengthens professional standards and educates adoptive families, social service professionals and government representatives throughout the world."

JCICS provided a panel, which included Government representatives and adoption professionals that spent the two hours explaining the often confusing process of adopting, terminology, the role of the Hague Convention and other facets. Additionally, the power point presentation was sent to all participants and with the webinar feature was viewable in real time during the lecture.

Reusable Produce Bags - Etsy


Why didn't I think of this?! A reusable produce bag, instead of those darn plastic bags. Ok, so the thought crossed my mind but I did not jump on the idea fast enough.......

Photo of Unisphere

Flushing Meadows - Corona Park
Location of the 1964-65 World's Fair

Mommy Poppins is the most comprehensive resource for Moms/Families in NYC that I have come across thus far. I only wish I had discovered this during my first year with Noah. It probably would have helped with an easier transition into mommyhood but I survived living in a three story walk up on the Upper East Side for the first year.

If you know people visiting NYC with kids from ages 0-10 years this guide is a godsend to parents who are not at all familiar navigating through the Big Apple.

"Mommy Poppins is the unpretentious parent's guide to where and what to do, see, go, eat, discover, read, make, play, learn, buy, travel, splash, and envy in New York with kids."

The Proud Day for All Americans and the World!

I still can't believe I was considering driving to DC the night before the Inauguration. I suppose part of me wished I was the care free person I once was but with some disappointment resigned to the fact that I would not join the thousands of people in DC.......sigh.

Instead, I woke up early (7:30am) with Noah and listened to CNN until 1pm. I watched as the droves of people descended on the Mall in the early morning hours, checked into Facebook and read friend's statuses who were in DC and happily carried on with my mommy duties.

I can agree with many that for the first time I felt patriotic to my adopted country and was optimistic about the future of America.

"The Moment"

Breaking for Bread

My mom told me that my brother started making bread and had me thinking about trying it out. Now that I am older and can focus more, what better time than to be reintroduced to the Tassajara book. I do remember glancing at the book once or twice when I was younger but the directions alone can scare off anyone! Now that I am far less manic, I was interested for the first time to add bread making to my list of domestic duties.

My dad used to make bread that would fill our house with the aroma of a bakery. I never watched him make it although was the first to give a taste test. Years later he invested in a bread maker and readied the ingredients at least once a week. At the time one of our cats was especially fond or should I say addicted to the yeast. She somehow learned how to open the section where the yeast was placed and would lick every grain out.




To my surprise, Mom gave me the book for Christmas and a couple days later she showed me some of her own tricks and pointers on how to make bread. It is quite a workout but worth the labor intensive process. I immediately fell in love with the bread and we polished off one of the loaves in the first day. We even made miniature loaves for Noah and his cousin Adeline. If I could, I would bake my own bread over store bought anytime. We will see how possible it is with a feisty 2 year old running around the apartment.

Traditions and Family

Christmas with the Crowder/Pasquarellos!

Yes, I am the sentimental type and heavy on family traditions. Because my memory is not so great I always made a point to take pictures and thanks to the advanced technology in photography I won't miss those important moments!

If only I kept a list of gifts that I gave to my family....I am sure they would make me laugh hysterically.

Christmas at the Crowder's (and Pasquarellos) always starts with an early rise so we could tear into our stockings! We are flexible about the time of arrival now that we are older but still engage in paper shredding through our stockings.

There was one point when we had a membership to Price Club (warehouse) and our stockings were filled with 6 dozen pencils and other bulk items like post its and scotch tape! We still continue the tradition because it would not be Christmas without it!


The next phase was Christmas breakfast, which always includes grapefruit topped with meraschino cherries and the usual makings like scrambled eggs or pancakes and even buckwheat waffles....I suppose it was the preparation that made has made it memorable because there is something to say about too many cooks in the kitchen.....

This year we had a cranberry coffee cake and pomegranate with dill and pistachios. Delish!

Once our tummies were full we proceeded to the living room, exchange gifts and play with our new toys for the rest of the day.

Pinay Power Brunch


I hosted the December Holiday PPB at my apartment after a long hiatus of attending the brunches. The purpose of the brunch is to gather on a monthly basis and offer a comforting and supportive environment for young Filipina women in the NYC area. Most brunches have themes, ice breakers and other fun activities for the ladies to learn more about each other, discuss relevant newsworthy events, or talk about life.
For me it has been the outlet I have been seeking since becoming a mom and wanting to keep my connections with the Filipina community.

As the hostess of the holiday brunch my suggestion was to decorate cookies. The wanna-be chef side of me that wanted to exploring the art of cooking. What better project than to bake sugar cookies and decorate with icing, and sprinkles. Baking or cooking anything from scratch still is new to me so I researched recipies, stocked up on ingredients and made sure I had all the traditional cookie cutters.

I was in a baking frenzy before the guests arrived but I enjoyed the rush of having to methodically roll the dough, use the cookie cutters and keep a mental timer of the cookie readiness.

Of course, a couple batches of the cookies did not make it but over all I was very satisfied with the end products. Noah also took part desperately wanting to shake the sprinkles and dots all over people. His sneaky quickness did allow him to try the icing which instantly transformed him into a crazed sugar hyper kid.

Aside from the cookie making, we also had a wrapped book exchange. I was particularly entertained by my gift because it was a trashy novella that I got from the 7-11 while I was in the Philippines a few years back. I did use a bandana from the Philippines to cover the book since the book itself was not the most desirable to most.

We had a sharing of the significance of the holidays and our fondest memories. I talked about my first winter as a new arrival in the U.S. when I was five. I spent hours of delight in the snow, making my own fortress by the garage, eating snow dripped with maple syrup and the fascination that white stuff was falling from the sky!

Everyone went home with a handful of cookies. I hope if not at PPB I can host another cookie decorating party. Who says it only has to be during the Winter Holidays?! Maybe I will have a Valentine's Day cookie decorating party!