moving forward

Some people may not understand this, but when you lose your parents, a line is drawn.

This line defines a moment.

And nothing is ever the same again.

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What a journey this could yet be.

MMXI

Here it is, my first post of the year.

As I type this, some firecrackers are still going off. I could go on about the health and environmental hazards of firecrackers, but I already blogged about them here.

I do wish the government — or someone, anyone — would seriously campaign for the elimination of firecrackers. There are so many benefits to this, beginning with those to our health and environment. Perhaps a more obvious benefit and a more compelling determinant of not buying and using firecrackers would be that of saving money: they don’t come cheap, I hear, and one could think of better ways to spend money in these times.

In the meantime, a new year is upon us. I add my prayers to those of all humanity. May this new year bring us all not just new energy, but more importantly, new opportunities, new inspiration, new dreams, and new hope.

May there be more reasons and opportunities to write-paint-draw-sing-dance-act — and generally be creative.

May our lives have more meaning, and our efforts, more purpose.

And may we be worth every second of this new year.

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Here’s an excerpt from a “happy new year” email being circulated, with points on improving one’s life. The author of the points–not of the email–is Randy Pausch, famous for his book “The Last Lecture.”

The premise of Pausch’s book is an academic tradition at Carnegie Mellon University, based on this question: If you knew you were dying and had only one lecture left to give, what would it be? He himself passed on in 2008 from pancreatic cancer.

These particular points, according to the email, are supposed to have been written to his wife Jai, and their children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe. (I couldn’t seem to find anything on the Internet to verify this, so my apologies if this info is inaccurate.)

Points on how to improve your life

Personality
1. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
3. Don’t over do; keep your limits.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
5. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
6. Dream more while you are awake.
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
8. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more.
14. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community
15. Call your family often.
16. Each day give something good to others.
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
20. What other people think of you is none of your business.
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything.
24. Do the right things.
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
27. The best is yet to come.
28. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

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Watch Randy Pausch’s lecture below, or click here. As he says in the lecture, “it’s not about how to achieve your dreams; it’s about how to lead your life.”

A shorter version of the lecture is here.

“kano” wins top prize in amsterdam film fest

“Kano: An American and His Harem,” the Philippines’ lone entry to the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, won the top prize in the “First Appearance” category.

This is the first time a Filipino film has been in competition at the IDFA (to my knowledge, at least)–and has won.

Congratulations to filmmakers Monster Jimenez and Mario Cornejo, as well as everyone at Arkeofilms!

Click here to access the official announcement of the IDFA winners.

Read more about the film here and watch the trailer here

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In a small country still finding its voice, every win is precious. It’s an affirmation of our identity and of our ability to rise above setbacks and challenges.

This is why anyone who brings honor–not to mention good publicity–to our country is treated as a hero. Sports figures like Manny Pacquiao, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Paeng Nepomuceno; musicians like Cecile Licad; singers like Lea Salonga and Charice–I could go on and on about the talent that has made us proud, and thankfully, there has been so much of it.

An important point, however, is that this talent is sometimes better appreciated beyond our shores.

In film, for instance, indie films and filmmakers are recognized in film festivals around the world. What about here?

notes on home

There’s no place like home, it’s been said — nothing like the smell and feel of your own bed, the warm feeling of being in your own room, and the way the sun filters in through your windows.

There’s nothing like a trip to make you realize and appreciate the little things that define home. And for that matter, nothing like a trip to sort of shake you up and help you value and see, without comparing with others, what your life is really like on all levels.

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A few days back, and already, a number of things have shaken me up — such as:

The traffic. Do we really need wider roads? How about less cars? Or better regulation of car sales and registration? How about more effective implementation of traffic rules?

The way we drive. Do we not stop for pedestrians? Really? And can we all try not to get there first?

The number of our fast-food restaurants. I know the merits of such eating places when you’re in a pinch; I’ve done drive-thrus myself. But there are too many fast-foods and not enough places serving home-grown, home-cooked meals. Too many coffee places, too.

The number and size of our malls. Is this really a source of pride for us? How could we really think this is development, much less progress? Could we try bringing basic services to all parts of the country before anything else? Could we put a little more thought into what our country is turning out to be?

The fact that there has not been justice for the families of those killed in what’s been called the “Ampatuan massacre.” We’re letting them get away with it? Really?

The huge billboard on the highway, promoting a new TV show hosted by a controversial celebrity (who hosted a similar show on another channel), which promises “saya” and “pag-asa.” How can we experience true joy when we pin our hopes on a show featuring dole-outs and a man with no sense of propriety (it seems to me)?

For the sake of having a better shared experience as a community and as a nation, I hope concerns like these can be addressed by our leaders, and considered by all who call themselves Filipino.

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Despite its problems and challenges, I still say, there’s no place like home, whether it’s a physical structure, a community, or a nation. The street where I live may be strewn with potholes, but I felt them forming, know where they are, and have learned to not just to avoid them but to tell the authorities about them.

All this talk of home reminds me of The Wizard of Oz and Charles Small’s beautifully written song, Home, from The Wiz (sung by a very young Diana Ross). Home may be where everything is familiar and known to you, but it may also be a place where things are new and strange. There’s a part in Home that goes, “Living here in this brand new world might be a fantasy / But it’s taught me to love / So it’s real, real to me… “

The last part tells us that Dorothy has found home — and maybe there’s no need to click her heels three times after all? “And I’ve learned that we must look inside our hearts to find / A world full of love / Like yours, like mine / Like home.”

What a mushy thought. It’s good to be home.

the best veggie sandwich in sf is made by a pinoy-owned bakery

 

Magsaysay "Mags" Facultad, Pinoy baker in San Francisco and owner of West Portal Bakery, poses in front of his artisan breads.

One of the most familiar streets in San Francisco to me is West Portal Avenue. My aunt banks in the area and I’ve accompanied her there many times before.

So after an errand last week, we went to West Portal Bakery for some late lunch. We stopped in again the other day for a snack. And that’s when I decided to blog about the place.

Both times we went to West Portal Bakery, I had the veggie sandwich — mixed greens, avocado, and tomato. My choice of sauce was pesto, and my choice of bread was focaccia. Being both vegan and lactose-intolerant, I stayed away from the cheese, though the sandwich came with a choice of cheddar or swiss.

It certainly gets my vote for the best veggie sandwich, ever. It was very well made both times — a big sandwich, too, bursting with fresh greens and big slices of avocado. The focaccia itself was worth the sandwich. I was so pleased with it that I even emailed my friend, Green Wok owner and chef Dolly Aspiras, just to rave about it.

On our second visit there, we discovered that the owner of the bakery was Filipino.

Magsaysay “Mags” Facultad moved to San Francisco in 1987, saved some money, and by the early 2000s, wanted to start a business. A friend recommended he open a bakery, and Mr. Facultad bought West Portal Bakery.

 

Fresh artisan breads and other baked goodies at the West Portal Bakery

A little standee outside the bakery advertises artisan breads — non-commercial in quantity, allowing more attention and care to quality. The baking is done twice a day, and produces a wide (and yummy-looking) selection of breads, pies, cookies, and bars sold from 6 am to 7 pm.

It seems like a popular place, too, by the looks of the crowd in the bakery, especially on our first visit. At 6 pm daily, a queue starts to form for their “buy one, take one” offer for items above the counter.

“Filipinos like the brioches, while Americans, the sourdoughs,” Mr. Facultad pointed out during our casual and very brief Q&A. The taste of the brioche must remind Filipinos of the pan de sal from back home, he said.

On future visits to San Francisco, I hope to visit West Portal Bakery again.

feeling good about social entrepreneurship

The world of social entrepreneurship as represented on some websites always seemed to me something that tended toward feel-good sentiments. Nothing wrong with that, really. Of course I understand that doing good makes one feel good.

But in some cases, it seemed to me a bit shallow, a bit put on – as if the social in social entrepreneurship meant that what you did was always fun and easy, and had to be accompanied by much fanfare.

The above must have sounded cynical, I know. But I think I have had enough exposure to social entrepreneurs and their work — some firsthand, and some through publications like the Enterprise Development Technical Kit: Social Enterprise at Work, which featured case studies of social enterprises, published by thePhilippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP) (and incidentally, edited and designed by our group, East Axis Creative) – to know what it can be like, especially in a country such as mine. Social entrepreneurs have an ideal for their raison d’etre and hold to it with all they are and have. And I’m talking about social entrepreneurs in the rural areas, those who probably aren’t even aware of the term “social entrepreneur.”

If there’s anything I’ve picked up from these books and from these encounters, it’s that going into social entrepreneurship is no walk in the park. “Fun” and “easy” aren’t always the words social entrepreneurs would use to describe what they do, and not only do they do it without fanfare, but at times, they do it without much support.

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Workshop participant Minoli presents her idea during an exercise while Tommy Hutchinson (in background) listens.

Maybe I was more curious than anything else when I attended the two-day British Council-sponsored workshop, “How to Start a Social Enterprise,” held September 30th and October 1st.

I didn’t really know what to expect. I think I wanted to see how ideas and good intentions could be translated to plans and actions – and, in addition, to see if a social enterprise was the way to go for our organization.

I was, to be frank, wary of feeling good. Anything remotely close to motherhood statements about saving the world, and I’d be out the door.

But this was not that kind of workshop. Tommy Hutchinson of i-genius and Vince Rapisura of Social Enterprise Development Partnerships (SEDPI) had so much to share that the two days just flew by. No motherhood statements, no feel-good sentiments. It was solid, practical information from the beginning.

My take-away from the workshop was a deeper understanding of what it took to be a social entrepreneur and an appreciation of the realities a would-be social entrepreneur would face. The exercises and the honest assessment of our ideas were useful.

Particularly valuable was the exchange of energy between the facilitators and the participants. I felt I was in the company of people whose passions and ideals may have differed but who had one thing in common: they cared about something enough to want to do something.

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Caring about something might very well be what makes a social entrepreneur, as Tommy Hutchinson of i-genius said during the workshop.

In an interview after the workshop, he talked a little bit more about this. Ideas, after all, are not enough. A social entrepreneur, Tommy said, “can spot an opportunity, make it happen, and continue to develop.”

This opportunity doesn’t always come in fair weather. In fact, even recent history has shown that many social enterprises are born from dire need. “Great things usually happen in periods of adversity,” he said. “The best innovations, the best ideas often come in places where there’s conflict or where there is poverty.”

This might explain why commitment is often the key and perhaps the most important quality of a social entrepreneur, as Tommy said. “Social entrepreneurs are not easily put off. It is not easy to set up a business. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. So it’s not easy. And they shouldn’t pretend it’s easy.”

But with 5 social enterprises under his belt, Tommy can certainly make it look easy.

To workshop participants, he had this to say: “I would hope that they would take something that they have learned and apply it. I would hope that they’d be inspired to really go for it and to not let setbacks that occur put them off. So I would hope that they would come out being inspired, driven, and a little bit more knowledgeable. If I’m lucky,” he jokes.

On a more serious note, Tommy said, “I would also particularly hope — in fact, I think this I would expect — for them to make friendships and partnerships with other people who attend our events. That really is the easiest thing you can do. Sit next to somebody, introduce each other and say, ‘How could we work together?’ I would expect them to do that.”

Update (8 November): My story on social entrepreneurship is out in today’s Manila Bulletin, Business Agenda section. Read the online version here.

A longer story on social entrepreneurship in the Philippines will follow soon, hopefully…

1 hostage taking, a few tweets, and some fb pages

It’s been almost two weeks since the hostage crisis.

Since that time, the incident has been the topic of countless news reports, broadcasts, editorials, newspaper columns, talk shows, blogs, tweets, IMs, cafe and office conversations, and every other channel of written and spoken communication one can think of.

These have expressed the whole gamut of emotion over what happened–incredulity at the lack of training and equipment of our police  force,  frustration at the lack of coordination and authority, disgust and indignation at the media coverage, shame and embarrassment at the deaths of the tourists-turned-hostages.

And anger. Not surprisingly, the hostage taking and its outcome have triggered the outrage of the Chinese, from those in the highest echelons of power to ordinary citizens.

Action star Jackie Chan seems to be one of the few Chinese–if not the only one–who made public his magnanimity and empathy for the Filipino people. Among his tweets was this:

HK is a nation built by a lot of different people..don’t worry! We do not hate! 11:43 AM Aug 25th via ÜberTwitter

His show of good will was not well received by some of his countrymen, however. “Hate pages” on Facebook–the opposite of fan pages–were soon put up against Jackie Chan. According to some, the actor did not speak for the Chinese.

There were also reports of “hate pages” against the hostake taker, former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, put up by Filipinos.

I can’t lecture to the Chinese about what to do or say, or how to feel after this incident. I’m not Chinese, and I can’t pretend to know how the Chinese psyche works. What I can do now, as many other Filipinos have done, is to offer my apologies for what happened and my prayers for those whose lives were lost.

But to the Filipinos who put up and have joined these “hate pages,” may I humbly say this: The hostage taking was a mistake that cannot be corrected by hate. In fact, hate can take away nothing of what happened. It won’t erase the errors committed by human frailty–the police’s, the media’s, or the government’s errors. It won’t bring the hostages back to life. It won’t improve our country’s image or reputation.

What it will do, on the other hand, is breed more hate. By letting hate dominate, you are proving yourselves to be no better than Mendoza, or any other hostage taker or killer.

As a nation and as a people, we can and should only move forward from this incident. And learn.

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I admit I haven’t seen the said Facebook hate pages (I’m not on Facebook and I have no desire to visit those pages), and I’m not familiar with other online activities related to the August 23 hostage taking.

It is apparent, though, that people really use Facebook and other social networking sites to vent.

What this means is that we Internet users–”Netizens” as we are sometimes called–are, whether we know it or not, a society. And if we are to progress as a society, virtual or real, we must allow ourselves to be guided by a set of rules that would define what is acceptable and what is not.

Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com wrote on August 26th:

What’s really happening with Facebook, Twitter and other social networks is that the conversations that dominate society are devolving into mindless hate speech. (emphasis provided)

Is this really where we want to go as a nation and as a society? Is this what free speech has come down to?

Let’s make sure it’s not. Please.

Mike Adams’ thought-provoking post can be read in full here.

everyone a hero

Today was an important day for us Filipinos.

Many of us stood in line for hours, braving heat and humidity, defying hunger and thirst.

For those who could have worked instead of waiting in line, it meant lost income. For others, it simply meant a lack of material comfort.

In places such as Ifugao, it entailed a trek of at least four hours through God knows how many mountains. Elsewhere, it entailed crossing rivers or even seas, praying that the waters and winds would allow them safe passage back home.

No one really knew what to expect. Would we find our names on the list? Would the machines work? Would our ballots be read properly?

Would this work at all?

Certainly there was a lot of complaining. There were reports of intimidation and violence. There were stories of women fainting and men being shot at, of many giving up and going home.

Yet, go out many of us did.

To vote.

Senior citizen or first-time voter, man or woman, student or professional, rich or poor — it didn’t matter. All were there for the same reason.

You could see it in their eyes, no matter how long the wait: This day was important to them. They knew their vote mattered.

They all wanted to vote.

It wasn’t even about who they were voting for anymore.

It was about exercising a right and fulfilling a responsibility.

It was about doing what they thought was best for the Philippines — something honest, sacred, and heroic.

So today, I am proud to call myself Filipino. Because everyone who voted was a hero.

into the world of the deaf

Sesame Street's Linda gives the sign for "I"

I’m sure many Sesame Street fans will remember Linda — the deaf woman who signed so expressively and taught kids simple sign language. My younger sister Margie and I were so fascinated with the signs even at that early age that we bought two sign language books: one featuring Linda and the Sesame Street muppets, and later on, a book used by the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf.

There there were the deaf dancers from Miriam College — Jomar, Paul, Wiljohn, Henry, and two others whose names I can’t recall at the moment — collectively called the Maui Boyz. My introduction to them was a documentary made by Margie for one of her classes at the UP College of Mass Communication. I later got the chance to work with them when we got them to perform in “Positive Pop!” — a concert featuring Hangad. I learned a good deal of sign language language and was able to communicate with them, with much effort and ever so slowly. But I tried.

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At last night’s TEDx Fort Bonifacio, I was once again transported into the world of the deaf. The first speaker of the night, Ana Arce — who graduated magna cum laude from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde — is Deaf. Deaf, with a capital “D,” she explained through an interpreter — not deaf, deaf-mute, hearing impaired, and certainly not dumb!

Ana’s talk was inspiring. “The Deaf can,” she told the audience. The Deaf, she pointed out, are businessmen and women, sports enthusiasts, artists and photographers — and yes, educators. This, despite the fact that they live and move in a society that is so hearing-centric. Think about it. How have we made life easier for the Deaf? Aside from the TV show “Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko,” how many TV shows have had sign language interpreters or even closed captioning? How many theater productions and live events? And how many cinemas show films with subtitles for the Deaf?

Ana closed her talk with a challenge to the hearing: “Let us into your world.” It is time to make our society more Deaf-friendly. We can at least try.

Ana Arce (with scarf) at TEDx Fort Bonifacio

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Interpreting for Ana and for some of the other speakers was Veronica (“Nicky”) Perez, the dean of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS), who happens to be my cousin.

Watching her sign during TEDx, I realized how hard it is to be a sign language interpreter. It’s more than just literally signing what a speaker says. “You have to sign for the Deaf to understand,” Nicky said — which means there can be a lot of explaining and contextualizing going on.

The Deaf community needs more hearing people to learn sign language — and eventually interpret for them. For those who want to learn the language, SDEAS would be a good place to start.

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There’s also the concern about what kind of sign language to use when communicating with the Deaf. The signs used by Linda on Sesame Street are from American Sign Language (ASL). SDEAS is pushing for Filipino Sign Language (FSL).

Many of the signs are universal, but there is one simple difference. “FSL is based on the experiences of Filipinos,” Nicky explained. To make the ASL sign for “dog,” for example, one would slap one’s leg and then snap her fingers. But this is an American’s experience — friendly, well-trained dogs. In the Philippine setting, with dogs roaming the streets freely and barking at people, a more appropriate sign is made by using the hands to mimic the action of a dog’s jaws as it barks.

It’s an interesting language — and like other languages, a living language that continues to remain relevant to those who use it.

The sign for "I love you"

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I also blogged about TEDx Fort Bonifacio here.

vegetarian cooking, the green wok way

Green Wok Deli and Cafe had its first vegetarian cooking demo last Friday, October 16.

Long-time health advocate and vegetarian Dolly Aspiras showed us how to whip up six — that’s two extra! — easy-to-cook dishes, and shared practical tips on food preparation.

Each dish took very little time to prepare. It was like Rachael Ray’s “30 Minute Meals” for vegetarians. Or if there were a “Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies,” Dolly’s cooking demo would be it.

Not only that, the dishes all tasted great. To say that we participants enjoyed the different dishes is an understatement. At the end of the demo, we sat down to a veritable feast of Three C’s Soup, Sol’s Oatmeal Balls, Sweet and Sour Veggie Magic, Ratatouille, and Mock Chicken Teriyaki, served with refreshing tanglad (lemongrass) tea.

yummy ratatouille

guilt-free sweet and sour veggie magic

Vegetarianism is healthy and environment friendly, and vegetarian food doesn’t have to taste like paper. Dolly’s vegetarian cooking demo taught us how to cook food that was simple, tasty, and economical.

I hope this will be the start of a series of cooking demos for those of us who are culinarily challenged. Let’s watch out for the next one.

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A word about transition food: tofu, gluten, and “meat magic” are all plant-based foods that can be cooked as one would cook meat. It’s just a matter of marinating them to taste and using them instead of meat.

To some this might seem like “cheating” — but in reality, it’s healthy for those who are making the transition from a meat-based to a plant-based diet. These foods provide the flavor and sometimes even the texture and “heaviness” of well-loved meat dishes, but more importantly, the protein. Having meatless versions of a favorite dish can also help a new vegetarian deal with the craving for meat that might come.

Not all vegetarians miss the taste and “heaviness” of meat, though. In which case, these meat substitutes simply add variety to one’s diet and help make food preparation less stressful. You don’t have to relearn how to cook new dishes — you just have to tweak your favorites and make them meatless!

mr. c for a cause

The GK All85 concert is tonight, 8pm, at Music Museum with Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers.

water, water, everywhere

But not a drop to drink, as the rhyme goes.

Ultimately, that’s how it’s looking in Metro Manila and other provinces after Ondoy (“Ketsana”) and Pepeng (“Parma”).

But it doesn’t have to be that way, thanks to a new technology that quickly turns dirty water into clean, potable water.

Nonprofit organizations are working to bring this technology to the Philippines to help those affected by the floods. If you’d like to help, click here.

Watch this video to learn more:

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more on water

If anything, these floods have reminded us that we are an archipelago. It’s a fact of life: water surrounds us. Rivers and creeks criss-cross through even our big cities. Naturally, these bodies of water swelled up and spilled over on the streets during the heavy rains. Driving through Quezon City last week, I was suddenly aware of many bridges marking even small waterways. For sure I had passed those bridges countless times before, but with hardly a second thought.

The floods have also underscored what may have been only subtly hinted at in the past — that our society has become increasingly consumerist and trash-happy. Plastic bags are everywhere, choking our landfills, cluttering our streets, floating in our waters. How many thousands of plastic bags do those malls give out in a day? As I drove along Araneta Avenue in Quezon City last week, I was appalled at the garbage lying along the street — at the volume of it as well as at the realization that there had been that much garbage in the river, and the river just had to spit it out, heaps and heaps of it, back onto the road.

Near E. Rodriguez Avenue, cutting across a residential area to get to St. Luke’s Hospital, is another bridge. My friend and I were wondering how high the water had risen. Our answer came in the form of the ubiquitous plastic bag — several of them — caught on branches of trees along the road.

In all the finger pointing that ensued after the floods, it became obvious that no one was going to point the finger at him-/herself. Well, the truth is we are all accountable. It was we who allowed plastic bags in the millions and other solid waste to pass through our hands each day. We dumped our garbage in the nearest waterway, or turned the other way when we saw it being done. And in the name of progress, we allowed malls and factories to be built right beside rivers, practically giving them license to pollute those rivers.

It’s time we took these things a little more seriously. We must take a little more care where we dump our waste, and what kind of waste it is. Our government, perhaps through the educational system, might want to look into consumer education so that even schoolchildren will know how to handle plastic and other non-biodegradable items.

And while we’re at it, we should try to develop an awareness of how much of the things we use or own, and how much of our habits are actually harmful to the environment. The environment, as these floods have taught us, is not out there in the oceans and seas, not in the ozone, not in some forest in Central America. The environment is here, around us — in our communities, on our streets, in our cities.

Maybe it’s hubris or just plain stupidity for us to have assumed that Metro Manila would never be flooded to the extent or scale that rural areas sometimes are. Let’s make this our wake-up call. Let’s not allow this hubris, this stupidity to lead us to commit the same mistake a second time.

Let’s not wait for this to happen again.