Homesick

By Diane Fermin Roeder

I’m homesick.

That unsettling, hollow, all-too-familiar feeling is gnawing at my guts again. Striking swiftly, without warning, as another sweltering day begins in a strange new metropolis. As the silent darkness steals over an unfamiliar city crowded with grim, weary strangers.

Homesickness occurs when we literally leave our comfort zones and have minimal access to our normal support systems of family, lifelong friends and the familiar routine of structured schedules. Basically, our world just seems horribly out of whack. Symptoms I’ve learned to recognize include fatigue, irritability, loss of appetite, difficulties in sleeping and yes, I admit, even occasional depression.

“You still get homesick? But you’ve been away from the Philippines for more than half your life! You should be used to this by now, “ a well-meaning friend recently pooh-poohed.

Uh, hello??? Just because we’ve all been homesick doesn’t make it any easier each time it strikes.

So, how exactly do I deal with homesickness?

When I was younger, I used to drown my homesickness with what I called “white noise”. Kind of like leaving the TV on at home even though I’m not watching it, finding consolation even in the empty chatter of disembodied voices, anything to avoid the stillness of a lifeless apartment. During that period in my life, if 75% of my existence was spent with excessive career demands, the rest was spent with relentless socializing, self-medicating with alcohol at parties, cocktails, bars, dinners, and physically flagellating myself afterwards with compulsive competing in endurance sports, such as marathons on the road (running) and on water (outrigger canoeing). Deprived of my normal support system, it was as if I was always compelled by a sense of urgency in seeking substitutes to externalize my internal loneliness.

Now that I’m older, hopefully wiser, I’ve learned to develop healthier behavior patterns in dealing with homesickness.

I’ve come to recognize and seek out my faith on my own terms and have come to rely on it and deeply, truly appreciate its intrinsic value in my life. Carving out a regular schedule for prayer and meditation has become a necessity. Going to church to worship with a regular community – something which I basically took for granted growing up – has actually become a tremendous source of comfort and joy each week.

I’ve learned to take advantage of the wonders of technology to the fullest and to the best of my abilities in order to keep regular and open communication lines with loved ones back home. How extremely fortunate are we in our day and age to have such innovations as Skype, Face Time, Viber, even old-fashioned SMS and email, at our fingertips? Yes, I’ve learned to use them all, sometimes not without a struggle, but eventually, wisely and well.

Along the way, I’ve discovered that sticking to my own habitual modes of self-expression can also be extremely beneficial. For some people, cooking or gardening can be therapeutic. For those blessed with musical or artistic talent, they may like to unwind by playing the piano or by sketching and painting. For others, shopping isn’t called retail therapy for nothing. In my case, self therapy translates to writing - which is why I blog! - and to exercise, such as running. But unlike in the past, these days, I don’t run for pain anymore; I run long and hard and fast enough to the edge of pain and then, when I’m at the precipice, I’ve learned to give myself up to the pure enjoyment of it.

Within a few more months, I know I will find that core group of new friends in this strange new city, people who share my eclectic interests and with whom I can feel comfortable enough to call on a random Friday night just to say, “ Hey, what’s up? Hubby’s working. Wanna hang out?”

The homesickness will slowly, eventually, fade away.

[caption id="attachment_1094" align="aligncenter" width="323"] Another sweltering day begins in a strange new metropolis...
Photo Credit:
Image of Guangzhou, China by Diane Fermin Roeder[/caption]

|*|*|*|*|

Diane Fermin Roeder is a reformed marketing communications expert in the hospitality and financial service industries. She enjoys being an expat's wife and founding wordsmith of DFR+word.works, a consultancy specializing in content solutions and development for luxury hotels and resorts in China. She carved a 15 year leadership career spanning the Philippines, Hong Kong, the US, and China, with an American MBA to boot. Diane suffers from an incurable addiction to killer stilettos. You may to The Bamboo Stiletto (personal blog) http://bamboostiletto.wordpress.com and Follow tweets: https://twitter.com/bamboostiletto

EXTRA EXTRA!

FLORIDA PT RUNS FOR A CAUSE

Jane Hernando Catacutan, a physical therapist, runs to help raise funds for children afflicted with Leukemia.  Join her cause. Here's the link:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/wdw13/jcatacutan

Inspired by faith, she runs on the philosophy: "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."

VOLUNTEER TEACHERS: HOPE FOR THE STREET CHILDREN

By Bisai Ya

Today we share to you a humbling story of a public school teacher in Philippines who spends her weekends teaching vagrants, poor and unschooled youths.  Through volunteer teaching, she gave them a new lease on life. Thanks to her and a few co-teachers, this volunteerism spirit has made us realize that education is a key to eradicating poverty in any society.

I vividly remembered in high school, being educated in a premier ladies institution Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion in Cebu, we were taught by the Daughters of Charity sisters to embrace love for the poor and the less fortunate. It was after all a trait and value we learned from our original founders Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise De Marillac. Saint Vincent is the founding Saint of the Daughters of Saint Vincent de Paul.

Because of our constant exposure to charitable works by the DC sisters, we grew up appreciating how it is to be of service to less fortunate people. We would often go to remote slum areas and distribute our bundles of joy. One student club called Children of Mary (COM) in CIC Cebu would perform periodical stage performances for unschooled youths to learn about Christianity and the religious stories, in many Cebu slums.

Twenty-five years after my high school graduation, I came in contact with a classmate who is now a public school teacher coaching elementary students in Mandaue, Cebu. We lovingly refer to her as Teacher Emilin Cutanda-Isahac now, a fellow Inmaculadista.

Embracing a noble profession, Emilin shared to us the joys and fulfillment of a being teacher who also does alot of teaching volunteer works on weekends under the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a test program of the Department of Education in Philippines, started in region 7 where Cebu belongs. She shared to us her joys at volunteering works to out of school youths in Mandaue and the uphill journey of their group in meeting the challenges.

Emilin shares, “Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a test project of the Department of Education Region 7 and by official definition of ALS, it is a non-traditional learning delivery to out-of-school children, youth and adults who may either be indigenous people, rebel-returnees, those living in highly inaccessible areas, persons with disability, jobless adults, senior citizen, drop-outs and others like housemaids, drivers, garbage collectors, street cleaners, vendors not served by formal education due to poverty.”

“The ALS set up is very relaxed, wherein we teach our students valuable lessons not confined in classrooms so they don’t get intimidated. The venue is outside of the normal classroom, usually we conduct it in a barangay centre or maybe a church courtyard, a cockpit, under the shade of tree or any other areas where learning can take place in a relaxed ambience for the students,” continues Emilin.

Emilin, being a fulltime teacher for the DepEd, along with few other co-public school teachers agreed to volunteer a major part of their teaching time to teach out-of-school youths (OSY) in Cebu using the ALS Program. These sessions are usually held on weekends at various locations usually remote or slum areas where there is greater number of unschooled youths residing.

“The ALS program has proved to be fruitful in attracting many out of school youths because our manner of communication is comfortable. We talk to them face to face, we try to handle it in the most friendly manner where our students do not out rightly feel intimidated by fellow students even when in the presence of us teachers.

We allow them to come to class in their most convenient clothes that they usually wear daily without imposing them standard uniform requirements. They all come from poor families and we understand some of them don’t even have spare clothes to come to class. Some of them even come slipper-less because they could not afford to get one”, adds Emilin.

“Each ALS class is facilitated by many of DepEd’s mobile teachers, and ALS facilitators and instructors. However in our area in Mandaue we have few volunteers and we try to spread out so we can cover several areas and several students at the same time.”

“I am delighted that the ALS program became very appealing to poor students. In this program we have three major levels namely: Basic Literacy Program (BLP), Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A&E) and Informal Education Program.

There are youths out there who have been schooled previously but stopped due to economic or health reasons. These may be learners who have stopped school for sometime and did not obtain elementary, high school or even college or vocational degrees. Or they could already be overage, however with this system they can easily go back to school via this ALS program.

From basic Literacy program they can move on to the A&E level. When they pass the A&E for elementary or high school, that means that his/her level of understanding is equivalent to elementary or high school students who graduated from formal school. Passing the exam being administered by the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) then can accredit them.

The ALS program in the Cebu District has produced excellent graduates like Ana M. Diores, a magna cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Pre-Elementary Education at the Cebu Institute of Technology and Kristine Y. Martinez, a magna cum laude graduate of the University of San Carlos with a degree on Library and Information Science.

Emilin said that the ALS program is doing well "because it has been talked about in the barangays where many poor families reside and many of them could not afford to send their children to formal school even to public school. The ALS has allowed us to get inside their homes and has given the poor parents and families hope of continuing education even when life for them has become much harder in view of the global economy and the looming recession spirit”.

She expressed gratitude to the ommunity charity group “Bisayababe” who also appointed her as one of their online facebook page admin. Bisayababe members has been instrumental in facilitating some of our needed teaching resources like projector screen so we don't need to write our lessons in manila paper or cartolinas which gets wet during typhoon or rainy seasons“.

“A member donor donated a laptop so we can create our lessons plans without having to write them manually. With laptops we are able to pass and easily send digital lessons plans to every teacher via email and digital means. It makes our life much easier and hassle-free.”

"In 2011 a bisayababe donor who wish to remain anonymous came forward and donated a wall projector for us so we can accommodate more students in one class. This equipment helped us in our major classes and gatherings and introduced our learners to using IT technology products inour classes."

“On important occasion when we would need to attend seminar for ALS volunteers which is usually held in Manila, we in Cebu gets to attend because our donors assisted us by helping pay for our seminar fees and plane fares. This is such a huge help on our part since we do not enjoy subsidy from the government body for these expenses and requisites. Our benevolent sponsors and donors are the ones that fire us up to continue doing our teaching volunteer works.”

“Early this year when our latest batch of ALS learners graduated, we had a simple ceremony and again our loving donors contributed cash so we could buy simple rubber shoes and white tshirts for their graduation uniforms. Oh you should see the happiness in their faces as they march on stage to be recognized for their achievement. It is such bliss to see them look so happy and hungry to learn more.”

We were so touched by what Teacher Emilin has shared with us. She and some of her co-volunteer teachers are wishing that many would assist them propagating the program inorder to offer affordable and easy education even to the poorest of the poor.

“Even if we don’t have proper learning sites, our learners are happy to be taught even in old or vacated warehouses. They are just too happy too happy to learn. They are happiest when they are able to hold pen or pencils in their hands and able to write a complete sentence, even of their grammar needs a lot of improvement.”

“These learners are happiest too when they are able to read sentences or paragraph without interruptions. Our visual aids are the usual manila papers cut and pasted on blackboards painstakingly prepared by teachers or sometimes borrowed from school or books from the public library. We could not afford to buy books, so we end up begging for old books from students in private or public schools. We use to lend them to learners to take home so they have something to review and learn at home.”

“We try our best to reward their families too with incentives like a kilo of rice if they allow their kids to attend or not miss a class. Some parents of our learners would prefer their kids to go out working in the streets rather than attend classes since these kids are made as breadwinners of their families. We try to persuade parents to send their kids to our classes and in return we give them a kilo of rice or some viands that the kids can take home to their families to eat.”

“We also look after their spiritual welfare by making them attend Recollection session where they are taught about religion and faith and at the same time to know more about their spiritual side and growth,” shares Emilin.

As a parting shot, we asked Emilin what would be their group’s wish list from possible donors known to OSM! and she gladly says:

“We need additional laptops for our other volunteer teachers. Raincoats for our students, shoes, slippers. Our current salaries do not allow us the capability to buy from our own pockets. Oftentimes our manila papers get spoiled through constant pasting and use and we always run out of materials especially when we go in separate groups to different barangays or poor camps. A laptop would allow us to prepare our materials quicker than usual and also projector (even second hand will gladly do) would allow us to conduct learning to many students especially when we are teaching to more than 20 students at a time," she said.

To know more about ALS and Teacher Emilin and her group, please visit the website www.wix.com/bisayababe/bisayababe.

VOLUNTEER TEACHERS: HOPE FOR THE STREET CHILDREN

By Bisai Ya

Today we share to you a humbling story of a public school teacher in Philippines who spends her weekends teaching vagrants, poor and unschooled youths.  Through volunteer teaching, she gave them a new lease on life. Thanks to her and a few co-teachers, this volunteerism spirit has made us realise that education is a key to eradicating poverty to any society.

I vividly remember in high school, being educated in a premiere ladies institution like Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion in Cebu, we were taught by the Daughters of Charity sisters to embrace love for the poor and the less fortunate. It was after all a trait and value we learned from our original founders Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise De Marillac. Saint Vincent is the founding Saint of the Daughters of Saint Vincent de Paul.

Because of our constant exposure to charitable works by the DC sisters, we grew up appreciating how it is to be of service to less fortunate people. We would often go to remote slum areas and distribute our bundles of joy. One student club called Children of Mary (COM) in CIC Cebu would perform periodical stage performances for unschooled youths to learn about Christianity and the religious stories, in many Cebu slums.

Twenty-five years after my high school graduation, I came in contact with a classmate who is now a public school teacher coaching elementary students in Mandaue, Cebu. We lovingly refer to her as Teacher Emilin Cutanda-Isahac, a fellow Inmaculadista.

Embracing a noble profession, Emilin shared to us the joys and fulfillment of a being teacher who also does alot of teaching volunteer works on weekends under the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a test program of the Department of Education in Philippines, started in region 7 where Cebu belongs. She shared to us her joys at volunteering works to out of school youths in Mandaue and the uphill journey of their group in meeting the challenges.

Emilin shares, “Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a test project of the Department of Education Region 7 and by official definition of ALS, it is a non-traditional learning delivery to out-of-school children, youth and adults who may either be indigenous people, rebel-returnees, those living in highly inaccessible areas, persons with disability, jobless adults, senior citizen, drop-outs and others like housemaids, drivers, garbage collectors, street cleaners, vendors not served by formal education due to poverty.”

“The ALS set up is very relaxed, wherein we teach our students valuable lessons not confined in classrooms so they don’t get intimidated. The venue is outside of the normal classroom, usually we conduct it in a barangay centre or maybe a church courtyard, a cockpit, under the shade of tree or any other areas where learning can take place in a relaxed ambience for the students,” continues Emilin.

Emilin, being a fulltime teacher for the DepEd, along with few other co-public school teachers agreed to volunteer a major part of their teaching time to teach out-of-school youths (OSY) in Cebu using the ALS Program. These sessions are usually held on weekends at various locations usually remote or slum areas where there is greater number of unschooled youths residing.

“The ALS program has proved to be fruitful in attracting many out of school youths because our manner of communication is comfortable. We talk to them face to face, we try to handle it in the most friendly manner where our students do not out rightly feel intimidated by fellow students even when in the presence of us teachers.

We allow them to come to class in their most convenient clothes that they usually wear daily without imposing them standard uniform requirements. They all come from poor families and we understand some of them don’t even have spare clothes to come to class. Some of them even come slipper-less because they could not afford to get one”, adds Emilin.

“Each ALS class is facilitated by many of DepEd’s mobile teachers, and ALS facilitators and instructors. However in our area in Mandaue we have few volunteers and we try to spread out so we can cover several areas and several students at the same time.”

“I am delighted that the ALS program became very appealing to poor students. In this program we have three major levels namely: Basic Literacy Program (BLP), Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A&E) and Informal Education Program.

There are youths out there who have been schooled previously but stopped due to economic or health reasons. These may be learners who have stopped school for sometime and did not obtain elementary, high school or even college or vocational degrees. Or they could already be overage, however with this system they can easily go back to school via this ALS program.

From basic Literacy program they can move on to the A&E level. When they pass the A&E for elementary or high school, that means that his/her level of understanding is equivalent to elementary or high school students who graduated from formal school. Passing the exam being administered by the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) then can accredit them.

The ALS program in the Cebu District has produced excellent graduates like Ana M. Diores, a magna cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Pre-Elementary Education at the Cebu Institute of Technology and Kristine Y. Martinez, a magna cum laude graduate of the University of San Carlos with a degree on Library and Information Science.

Emilin said that the ALS program is doing well "because it has been talked about in the barangays where many poor families reside and many of them could not afford to send their children to formal school even to public school. The ALS has allowed us to get inside their homes and has given the poor parents and families hope of continuing education even when life for them has become much harder in view of the global economy and the looming recession spirit”.

She expressed gratitude to the ommunity charity group “Bisayababe” who also appointed her as one of their online facebook page admin. Bisayababe members has been instrumental in facilitating some of our needed teaching resources like projector screen so we don't need to write our lessons in manila paper or cartolinas which gets wet during typhoon or rainy seasons“.

“A member donor donated a laptop so we can create our lessons plans without having to write them manually. With laptops we are able to pass and easily send digital lessons plans to every teacher via email and digital means. It makes our life much easier and hassle-free.”

"In 2011 a bisayababe donor who wish to remain anonymous came forward and donated a wall projector for us so we can accommodate more students in one class. This equipment helped us in our major classes and gatherings and introduced our learners to using IT technology products inour classes."

“On important occasion when we would need to attend seminar for ALS volunteers which is usually held in Manila, we in Cebu gets to attend because our donors assisted us by helping pay for our seminar fees and plane fares. This is such a huge help on our part since we do not enjoy subsidy from the government body for these expenses and requisites. Our benevolent sponsors and donors are the ones that fire us up to continue doing our teaching volunteer works.”

“Early this year when our latest batch of ALS learners graduated, we had a simple ceremony and again our loving donors contributed cash so we could buy simple rubber shoes and white tshirts for their graduation uniforms. Oh you should see the happiness in their faces as they march on stage to be recognized for their achievement. It is such bliss to see them look so happy and hungry to learn more.”

We were so touched by what Teacher Emilin has shared with us. She and some of her co-volunteer teachers are wishing that many would assist them propagating the program inorder to offer affordable and easy education even to the poorest of the poor.

“Even if we don’t have proper learning sites, our learners are happy to be taught even in old or vacated warehouses. They are just too happy too happy to learn. They are happiest when they are able to hold pen or pencils in their hands and able to write a complete sentence, even of their grammar needs a lot of improvement.”

“These learners are happiest too when they are able to read sentences or paragraph without interruptions. Our visual aids are the usual manila papers cut and pasted on blackboards painstakingly prepared by teachers or sometimes borrowed from school or books from the public library. We could not afford to buy books, so we end up begging for old books from students in private or public schools. We use to lend them to learners to take home so they have something to review and learn at home.”

“We try our best to reward their families too with incentives like a kilo of rice if they allow their kids to attend or not miss a class. Some parents of our learners would prefer their kids to go out working in the streets rather than attend classes since these kids are made as breadwinners of their families. We try to persuade parents to send their kids to our classes and in return we give them a kilo of rice or some viands that the kids can take home to their families to eat.”

“We also look after their spiritual welfare by making them attend Recollection session where they are taught about religion and faith and at the same time to know more about their spiritual side and growth,” shares Emilin.

As a parting shot, we asked Emilin what would be their group’s wish list from possible donors known to OSM! and she gladly says:

“We need additional laptops for our other volunteer teachers. Raincoats for our students, shoes, slippers. Our current salaries do not allow us the capability to buy from our own pockets. Oftentimes our manila papers get spoiled through constant pasting and use and we always run out of materials especially when we go in separate groups to different barangays or poor camps. A laptop would allow us to prepare our materials quicker than usual and also projector (even second hand will gladly do) would allow us to conduct learning to many students especially when we are teaching to more than 20 students at a time," she said.

To know more about ALS and Teacher Emilin and her group, please visit the website www.wix.com/bisayababe/bisayababe.

Eating in America

By Debbie Almocera

If you’re in the US for the very first time, you’re likely to experience what I call the “supersize syndrome.” That is, realizing that everything, and I mean everything comes in “supersizes”. Whether it’s the Big Mac in your hand or the SUV you’re in, you will realize that size does matter in America.

Let’s focus on food. The first time you order a regular cheeseburger, you wonder if they made a mistake and gave you one for the whole family. The drink that comes with your meal is usually the size you get when you’re having a family reunion in the Philippines. In the States individual soda orders are ridiculously supersized that New York had to propose a law banning soda drinks over 16 ounces!

When my oldest daughter first stepped into one of the most popular fast food chain in the country, her first order was a chocolate milkshake that was larger than any milkshake she has ever seen, it practically shook her. When her “regular meal” arrived, she wondered if she could pack and mail some of her food, and share it with friends back home. Then they offered her dessert that looked so appealing on the illustrated menu. When it arrived, it was it bigger than her meal.

I believe first timers in the US feel a pang of guilt every time they couldn’t eat all the food they’re served. I used to share the same sentiments each time I looked at the food I have to refuse simply because they were too much for my stomach.

In my effort to compensate for my lack of culinary skills, I made the mistake of taking my daughter to an Asian buffet. The minute she saw the delectable display of Asian cuisine, she couldn’t believe her choices. However, it didn’t take us very long to realize that this was a losing proposition. We paid way more than what we imagined we could ingest. She was “full” before she could start tasting everything she wanted. In times of dire hunger we think we can eat anything and everything. The brain responds to visual and olfactory stimulus of food. However, my daughter’s stomach can only accommodate so much food before it sends a signal to the brain that it’s full. To the dismay of her taste buds the hypothalamus (that part of the brain that regulates hunger), dictates that she has to stop eating.

Buffets are as commonplace as fast food restaurants in this country. No matter how small the town, you can bet your last penny you can find a Chinese restaurant with a buffet not too far from McDonald’s wherever you are in these United States. And for this, what can I say but I’m grateful.

The perennial question during the first few days of my daughter’s colonial life is - “where’s the rice?” Whether it’s a fast food restaurant or a fancy steakhouse, her first question is “do you have rice?” Imagine the surprise of the servers at KFC when my daughter insisted they have to have rice on their menu, because that is the only way she could eat fried chicken! Apparently, they have rice with their chicken at KFC Philippines. Mind you, I was the same way during my first few years in the States, before I developed a taste for hamburgers and fries as actual meals.

Grocery shopping for the first time was not a very pleasant experience. I thought, “that’s it, I’m going to go hungry”. Food in massive quantities and extra large canned goods were staring at me in the face, but there was nothing I could eat. All I wanted was a small plate of rice and something to go with it. I realized that if I want to eat my kind of food, I’d have to learn to make them myself. The first thing on my list was a rice cooker.

When I found one I realized I have never had such a great appreciation for a simple kitchen appliance. What a priceless invention for those like me who needs it out of dire necessity and survival.

My daughters have since adjusted to the American way of eating – unhealthy. And I couldn’t be any prouder. The humungous cheeseburgers no longer look as intimidating as they used to. We have gotten so used to eating larger meals that our stomachs have finally stretched to the dismay of our brains. Miraculously, my girls still look like waifs in a hunger colony. Which makes me wonder, where did all that food go?

[caption id="attachment_1105" align="aligncenter" width="444"] For more details, click here
or call 1.860.460.9720[/caption]

|*|*|*|*|

Debbie Almocera is a licensed therapist working in the behavioral medicine department of one of the largest hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri. For her, there has not been a more fulfilling and rewarding career than the one she has now. She can be reached at dholderle@yahoo.com

WORK AROUND YOUR BUDGET

By Marivir R. Montebon

I was raised by a mother who was very strict and stringent in managing money in our home. I remember it was in Grade 5 that she started giving me money to pay for my own tuition fee every month at the school cashier. We had a passbook that showed how much had been paid and the remaining balance.

When I get home, my mother would ask for the passbook and the remainder of the money, down to the last centavo.

I got used to that. Everything has to be returned to mom. And if I wanted extra money, I had to ask from her and not automatically use the remaining amount, or I will be in trouble.

I grew up thinking that my mother was strict and inconsiderate. But as I look back now, I realized I learned from her the value of honesty and thrift. I only had to use my own allowance for the day to buy what I wanted or needed, despite the little extra coins I had during tuition fee pay days.

My mother also keeps a list of all her expenses during the day, like a diary. One could actually find out our family history through the list she keeps! Every night, before my mother would join me and my brother for our book reading at bedtime, she would write all her expenses for the day in a dark brown Golden Gate notebook. I glanced upon the entries of that notebook, I remember, she wrote: Fish PhP5, Eggs P2, Chicken P6, Bread P2, Vegetables P5, Marivir/Jerry baon (allowance) P1, Fare P.50 cents.

Overall, my mother taught me to work around my budget. Never spend more than what you earn. In fact, she encourages quick savings too. She would insist for example, of having water instead of soda, or buying pan de sal and eating it at home, instead of sitting in a small resto for a quick snack, which would be a few pesos more expensive . Oh mother, I grew up on a tight budget.

But it all worked for me. I learned to live the simple life, low maintenance that is.

When I became a mother, I somehow followed my mother's own thrift ways, eerrr, except perhaps on spending for books, clothes and shoes.

I pretty much believe that home budgeting could well be a pattern for national budgets. Priority expenses would be for food production, safety, education, and health. The wisdom of a country's economy stems from how much earnings it is making in order to be able to spend for such public necessities. It still goes back to my own mother's philosophy of one should not spend more than one earns.

As a country, where do we get our earnings? What businesses and enterprises run the economy? Is government rationale enough to spend public incomes for education, health, safety, and recreation? How will the economy sustain itself to perpetually finance these needs? From taxes, of course. My only hope is that businesses and individuals who are being taxed enjoy a viable environment for growth, where trade and commerce are vibrant enough to sustain a dynamic economic life.

Going back to my mom, she has always told us that her efficient performance in her job as teacher and accountant enables her to spend for our education, food, health needs, and recreation. Her job (and my father's small business) were our stable economy, without which, we would have nothing to get by.

These days, it is fundamental for government to ensure an environment that would keep the country's earnings up and economic well-being first, before actually acquiring the capability to cover for health, education, and safety services for everyone. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.

[caption id="attachment_1050" align="aligncenter" width="571"] For details and orders, visit healthychocolatenyc.com[/caption]

MOVIE REVIEW: TO ROME WITH LOVE

By Marivir R. Montebon

Once again, writer director Woody Allen cracks up his audience with his crazy wit in the movie To Rome with Love, showing at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Five couples were the focus of this comedy love story set in Rome, showing distinctive characters of wit and outright dumbness, guaranteed to make one laugh.

To Rome with Love imparts a shallow message, compared to Allen's previous movies. Nevertheless it is true to life, with a lot of exaggeration of course which makes up for its humor.

Allen plays Jerry in the film, an art producer who dreads retirement, and finds solace and approval from his pyschiatrist wife Phyllis (Judy Davis).  He finally wounds up with his daughter's future father-in-law, a mortician whom he successfully promoted to be an opera star on the shower.

Each couple in the film are entangled in a situation whose twists and turns are as wacky as the plot and their punch lines. Allen resolves each situation with a powerful knot of convincing endings.

There is Leopoldo (Roberto Benigni), a predictable, routinary family man, who suddenly became the object of endearment of the paparazzi and becomes an instant popular celebrity.  He is constantly hounded by the press, asked the dumbest questions, meant to poke fun on how intrusive and obnoxious media people could get.

John (Alec Baldwin), a celebrated architect in the US, returns to Rome to visit his old home and meets Jack (Jesse Eisenberg). He acts as an active observer of the love triangle happening between Jack, his girlfriend Sally (Greta Gerwig), and Monica (Ellen Page).

Anna (Penelope Cruz) is the high end prostitute in the film who accidentally had to act as the wife of a neophyte business who came to Rome to visit his family and begin a new job.

Allen did a terrific mix of characters in the film, and the plot, although absurd, guaranteed big laughter from the spectators. To Rome with Love is surely entertaining, however shallow, only Allen has the genius to be able to pull it off.

The Woman's Reproductive Health is a Country's Wealth

THE WOMAN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IS A COUNTRY'S WEALTH
By Marivir R. Montebon

Most people must see outside the box, and without malice, on the nuances and complexity of reproductive health.

One has to view reproductive health as covering for both men and women. And one has to be mature and humane enough to see the larger picture that reproductive health is the basic requirement for the quality of life of every human being in this planet.

The basic elements of reproductive health, aren't just condoms and contraceptive pills and abortion. Reproductive health is a holistic health care program for women and men in their procreation functions. It ensures physical and psychological well-being so that parental responsibilities are well executed.

At the first sign of heartbeat in the mother's womb, isn't it that our concern as a society and as an individual, is that we are prepared to take on a new life? Should it not be that the mother be healthy and happy during the entire period of her pregnancy? Should it not be that she knows how to take care of herself, know what to eat and do, when in the very critical period of life giving?

And for men, should it not that they also are healthy and be responsible citizens in procreation?

Therefore, the whole gamut of parenting is rooted on responsibility and capability. That is how reproductive health and rights have to be seen in context.

Education and ethics are specifically required in the reproductive health issue. When we speak of it, procreating life should come to mind, no more, no less. If one is to become a parent, both man and woman must be prepared emotionally, economically, and physically, and not dictated upon by religion or society. All these noise about peripheral issues must be put to rest.

If we are to establish happy families, we begin by ensuring that reproductive health is thoroughly fulfilled.

[caption id="attachment_1050" align="aligncenter" width="571"] For details and orders, visit healthychocolatenyc.com[/caption]

A Mother's Heart

Two years ago, Good Housekeeping asked me to submit an essay for its Mother's Day issue, only 700 words. I was a mother only a few weeks old. The long wait for a child—16 years—had led us to Anna, whom my husband calls “God’s Best.”

I wrestled with the essay, perhaps the hardest I ever had to write. My heart had been reeling from tenderness, from bruising, from delight, from doubt.

The William Wordsworth sitting on my shoulder was no help: any spontaneous overflow of emotions, he had said, should be “recollected in tranquility.” I shushed him: a mother is hardly tranquil.

By the third GH deadline, I still hadn't written much. My words sounded cheap, sentimental.

And then there was Ernest Hemingway: “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.”

Writing is at once egotistic and humbling, a struggle between vanity and vulnerability. The truest sentence—my truest sentence—is the one I needed to tell my daughter.

Dear Anna,

Two years ago, when my fertility workups seemed futile and our faith was flailing, your father and I attended Healing Room, a prayer-healing forum. The ministers praying for us weren’t told what was ailing us; they would rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal what healing was required.

When it was my turn to be prayed for, a woman minister—a stranger to me and unknowing of my petition—gently touched my womb and said, “God wants me to tell you that you have a mother’s heart.” I wept, bearing the burden of the barren years. Then she said, “He says that this country has many children that need a mother.” God’s answer: you wouldn’t come from my body and wouldn’t inherit my crooked left ear and my penchant for trans-fat.

Two weeks ago, you finally came home to us, 10 months old and perfect. A gift from God and born from the heart. Though our infanticipation wasn’t coursed through my womb, how could we not exclaim as Adam did, that you are flesh of our flesh, and blood of our blood? It was then I experienced what John Donne said in The Good Morrow: “If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired, and got, ‘twas but a dream of thee.”

The second day we had you, I forgot to give you your vitamins, fed you two hours too late, and bathed in you in water too cold your lips started shivering even as you loved playing in the water. That night I cried in your father’s arms. “I’m a bad mommy,” I blubbered. What made me think I was able to nurture and care for another life?

In C. S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, when Aslan asks Prince Caspian to rise to his leadership, the boy says, “I do not think I am ready.” And Aslan replies, “It is for that very reason that I think you are.” I’d like to own that truth in your father and me. It is humbling, overwhelming, to be your parents. The more we read on parenting, the more we realize how inadequate we are, how much we do not know. All we have is this certainty that you make us want to be better people. This time we aren’t just living for ourselves: we live for you.

A few nights ago while I was singing you to sleep, the light of a star filtered through the trees, and the truth hit me: the God who created Canis Majoris—the hypergiant star so immense it would take seven quadrillion Earths to fill it—is the same God who breathed life into you with a Word, and when He did, He saw that you were “very good.” He will not fail you or me, dear Anna. All my inadequacies as a mother He will assuage; He will fill in the blanks.

I wish for you to be awed by a world “charged with the grandeur of God,” that you would find joy in a can of sardines as you would in Bach’s Air on a G String. There is magic to this world, and it takes a special set of eyes—and the sensitivity of the heart of Anna, the prophet after whom you are named—to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

The heart that is truly grateful is the one that leaps at seeing a bird perched on a wire like a musical note, or finding the elevator held open for you by a stranger, or chancing upon Nessun Dorma from a tricycle boombox.

Your Ninang Germaine once said that all we need is Jesus, family and ministry—everything else is a bonus. Revel in that bonus, dear Anna. When we realize that God’s grace operates in the everyday, that it is only by His tender mercies that I am able to write this and hear you sigh as you sleep, that every day is God-breathed and God-allowed—only then will we have a heart that finds joy even in the direst of circumstances.

What a privilege it is to be your mother.

Love,

Mom

[caption id="attachment_1103" align="aligncenter" width="414"] For more details, contact tettobes@yahoo.com
Phone No. 1.702.545.5055[/caption]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Janet Villa practiced Law for nine years before she received a fellowship to the Philippine National Writers' Workshop and to the UP National Workshop. Her first published sotry "Undercurrents" won the NVM Grand Prize in 2003, and her sond "Closopen" won the NVM Grand Prize Special Prize in 2005. She is now finishing her MA in Creative Writing. Her biggest adventure is being best for husband Jojo and daughter Anna, while pursuing her passions in writing and teaching. Janet maintains CreW, the creating writing special interest group of Mensa Philippines after being the Mensa Philippines president in 1998.

It has been a hot summer and I have been cooking our meals thru this new best friend of mine, NESCO.
This versatile, multi functional stainless steel digital pressure cooker performs several functions: pressure cook, slow cook or steam, brown and warm. Use to make roasts, ribs or chicken, as well as rice dishes, soup and stews and steamed vegetables.
I have done all of the above! Made my life so much easier.

I can eat this dish without guilt! Here are the specifics on my easy pork stew, in case anybody wants to try it.

Ingredients
o 2-3 lbs pork butt, cut in 2” cube ( combination of lean meat and fat)
o 1 cup of sweetened pineapple juice
o 1/4 cup light soy sauce
o 1/4 cup white vinegar
o salt and pepper
o 1 head garlic, minced
o 1/4 cup brown sugar
o 2 pieces bay leaves
o 1 medium potato, cut
o 1 ripe plantain, peeled & sliced
o ¼ cup of cornstarch
Directions
1. In the NESCO pot, mix all your ingredients except the pork meat, potato, plantain & mix well.
2. Add your pork meat & marinate it for 30 minutes or overnight
3. When ready to cook, place your plantain & potatoes on top. Cover with the lid.
4. Plug in your NESCO. SEAL. Press the button on slow cook and time to 35 minutes.
5. When the time is done, this pressure cooker will keep it WARM for you.
6. Serve warm and enjoy with white rice.
*** On the safety side, please read NESCO Pressure Cooker instructions that came with it.

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Ruth D. Ezra is a culinary queen in her own right through experience and training. She works at the AllState Roadside Services in Northbrook, IL. Her greatest delight is serving good and healthy food to her husband Heman and only daughter, Isabelle. Kit would love to receive feedback on her recipes, and exchange them with yours at ezraruth@comcast.net.

Rachel Richards: The Power of Touch Makes the Difference

By Marivir R. Montebon

When living the hurried life in New York, having a massage therapist is definitely a necessity, but having a really good one is a rare find.   OSM! features Rachel Richards, an incredibly rare find in the business of massage therapy in the city that never sleeps.  Before deciding to be a massage therapist, she was a stage actress.

The lovely and petite woman with gentle, powerful touch sang and danced in some of her favorite roles as Eliza in My Fair Lady, Evita in Evita, Bella in Rags, Connie in Good News, and Sandy in Grease. (See her acting website:  http://rachelmoses.com/)

But married life has compelled her to do an extreme shift in career, and because the care giving career, by nature, is more economically stable. About four years ago, the power of her touch has done pretty much amazing help to her clients, as much as she did amaze her audience in the theatre.

Rachel is a native of Long Island and finished massage therapy at the Swedish Institute, which covered studies on anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, neurology, assessment, Swedish massage, Shiatsu, and clinical applications.

Excerpts:

1. How long have you been into the massage service industry? Why did you choose this particular career?

I began my massage therapy education at the Swedish Institute of Health Sciences in April 2007. I’ve now been working as a licensed practitioner for almost four years.

After working as a stage actress, touring the country for the better part of my 20s, I finally decided it was time to find more steady work that would allow me to stay home with my husband Jesse. It took a tremendous amount of brainstorming, reading, and soul-searching. It was clear that my interests lay in health sciences. I had a powerful urge to help people. I’m also a very kinesthetic person - understanding the power of touch and how it could be used to provide people with less pain, better health, and an improved quality of life was something I wanted to explore. As opposed to many other health professions, where office visits may be scary, annoying, or painful, massage could offer health benefits and a relaxing experience. I came across the Swedish Institute online, applied right away (while in Florida doing a show), and began school shortly after my return to New York.

2. There are various massage styles or techniques, how did you master all these techniques?  Does it come with practice or the knowledge from school mattered more?

Techniques are learned and then practiced and honed over time. As far as styles, I think each practitioner has their own. Techniques are the easy part. Knowing how to do a thorough assessment and deciding which techniques would provide the best possible outcome for the patient is where more of the real work lies. And even once I’ve devised a treatment plan, that is subject to constant modification depending on the needs and comfort levels of the patient.

As far as which mattered more, school or practice, I’d say you can’t have one without the other. School was my foundation. It gave me the tools I needed to practice safely and effectively. As with most any career, expertise comes with experience. Not only do I learn from my work, I also make it a point to continue to study. I’ve taken many continuing education classes since I graduated. I followed my interests and received advanced certifications in medical, sports, and prenatal massage. I think no matter what you do, you can always learn more. Especially in the health field where new developments and discoveries are being made every day.

3. I have tried a few sessions with you and I found it very helpful, how do you know what fits best for your client?

Every person is different. Even if two patients present with the same pain symptoms, it is not unusual to use two different approaches to treatment. What may be wonderfully beneficial for one person may not be appropriate for another. That’s why it’s so important to take a thorough patient history and assessment before beginning treatment. Once a patient is on the table, I make sure she knows that the lines of communication are open. I explain why I’m doing a particular technique and check in to see if the pressure is appropriate. I encourage the patient to let me know if he feels any discomfort or if there’s anything he needs. In other words, I encourage my patients to take an active role in their sessions and in their health care. It’s really a partnership.

4. What do New Yorkers complain most of when they ask for massage service from you?

I see people with all kinds of pain and injuries, both new and old. I suppose the most frequent complaint I hear is neck pain often due to the hours spent on computers nowadays, and the lack of knowledge about proper ergonomics. If you spend a lot of time on a computer, check out my article on ergonomic essentials, http://rachel-richards.com/news-feb2012.php

5. How is business going these days? Is it busy or slow?

I am very fortunate to have a busy practice!

6. Do you have a problem with competition? How do you deal with it?  What is your edge over the rest?

No, I’ve never found competition a problem. There are plenty of New Yorkers in need of massage therapy, more than enough to fill the treatment rooms of all therapists. If you know how to market your practice and are good at what you do, getting clients won’t be a problem.

I think one of the things that keeps my patients coming back is the individual and undivided attention they get when they’re here. I make it a point to really listen to their concerns and treat them as unique individuals.

7. Being a massage therapist is quite a tiresome physical and emotional (I believe, your hands must express a sense of nurturing), so how do you regain your energy at the end of the day?

Proper body mechanics and self-care techniques were a huge part of my education. Knowing how to take care of myself and making sure I don’t overbook my schedule is key to keeping myself healthy. I make nutrition and sleep a priority. I practice Yoga and I get massaged regularly. In other words, I practice what I preach!

Links to share:

Website: www.Rachel-Richards.com
Blog: http://hungryforlifebook.wordpress.com/
Like Rachel's page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Richards-Massage/160760773967012
Sign up for her free monthly e-newsletter offering health tips and massage specials: http://rachel-richards.com/contact-rachel-richards.php

MHC YOUTH ENVOYS CONCLUDE MEANINGFUL, MEMORABLE UN CONFAB

BY MARIVIR R. MONTEBON

[caption id="attachment_1120" align="alignleft" width="300"] The United Nations General Assembly Hall, where all the Youth Assembly delegates were warmly welcomed. Speaking on the podium is Simona Miculescu, Romanian Ambassador to the United Nations as UN Department of Public Information's (Outreach Division) Deputy Director Ramu Damadoran moderates. Photo credit to Leani Auxilio
1 August 2012[/caption]

New York – Youth delegates of the Migrant Heritage Commission left New York with fond memories of and new realizations from their participation in the 11th Annual Youth Assembly of the United Nations which was concluded in early August.  “The youth assembly has made me realize that we have so much potential to make a difference. I think it is time for us to step up and help make a difference,” said Ayah Manalastas of Virginia.

The MHC is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, DC which provides services to immigrants through its legal assistance, education, youth development, cultural diversity and development, and social and medical services programs.

For this year, MHC has sent 26 youth delegates from August 1-3, 2012 at the UN headquarters in New York as part of its youth development program.  The MHC Youth Envoys for Peace, as they are officially called are: Nicole Calaro, Edalaine Tangkeko, Stephanie Lyn Marquez, Jessica Campanilla, Lexi J.A. Crisostomo, Iana Kozelsky, Jolene Mafnas, Gissele Pinero, Irene Barnachea, Therese Maria Igharas, Jennefer Ipanag, Camille David, Leani Auxilio, Ayah Manalastas, Andrew Jimenez,  Jose Pestaner, Nathan Ebilane, Krishna Mata, Rynchelle Campanilla, Nathan Ebilane and Kathleen Calaro.  This year’s batch was joined by five of last year’s batch of delegates as the group’s leaders: Raymund Valera Jaramillo, Alex Valera, Chessa Taboada, Lizane Joyce Mata and Heather Horner.

[caption id="attachment_1123" align="alignright" width="300"] MHC Youth Delegates in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. From left to right: Chessa Taboada, Nathan Ebilane, Jose Pestaner, Leani Auxilio, Stephanie Marquez, Ayah Manalastas, Gissele Pinero, Irene Barnachea, Jennefer Ipanag, Iana Kozelsky, Jolene Mafnas, Camille David, and Lex Crisostomo. Photo credit to: Chessa Taboada[/caption]

Lexi Crisostomo, for his part said, “this assembly has made me grow and the MHC as well. And I believe that with this, we will be able to help the others in a much better way.”

The 11th Youth Assembly gathered on the theme “UNwired Generations: Youth Leveraging Technology for the Millennium Development Goals” which was highlighted by presentations on technological breakthroughs that improved the lives of people all over the world.  These projects centered on innovative technology, education, and gender fair programs and were presented by speakers from the Philippines, Europe, USA, Kenya, and Bangladesh, among others.

MHC youth delegate Jennefer Ipanag said she was inspired by all the presentations but admired most the presentation of Illac Diaz from the Philippines, who generated electricity by recycling one liter soda bottles and using them to catch light to illuminate homes in the slums of Manila.  “Being here has given me the idea on how to start your own charity project or business to be of help to those who need it most.”

Leani Auxilio meanwhile noted that in the assembly, she realized how technology can become useful and practical to people and actually help improve their economic lives. She's currently contemplating whether to go back home to the Philippines or travel to Ecuador as a Service Ambassador spring next year.

During the cultural night, held in a cruise ship plying through the Hudson River, the MHC youth performed Tinikling, a Philippine folk dance using bamboo poles. They were the most applauded presenters that night, and youth leaders from other countries approached them to learn the dance even before Mr. Alex Valera announced that they would be happy to teach interested learners.

The Envoys for Peace said they were grateful to MHC for having chosen them to represent MHC in this year’s UN Assembly, and that the feelings of being a family and a community within three short days would never be forgotten. Nathan Ebilane couldn’t have said it any better: “I learned that leadership means to be part of a team and cultivate the value of cooperation.”

[caption id="attachment_1122" align="aligncenter" width="560"] After the Youth Assembly, MHC delegates take a visit to what is arguably the best-loved fastfood chain by Filipinos all over the world: Jollibee. Photo credit to: Lex Crisostomo[/caption]

Mothering Heights

The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist.
– Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

I write this in a rush. In less than an hour, my three-year-old daughter’s footfall will resound on the corridors and her palm will bang on the door. She will shout, “Mommy!”

The word Mommy defines me two-thirds of the waking day; the other third I spend trying to deserve it. I worry: Did I love enough? And then chide myself for raising the bar too high. I think: There is no bar. And hope that my heart will listen. Why are mothers ridden with guilt in the midst of so much bliss and affection?

I write to make sense of this emotional pendulum. Nothing provokes our extremes like our children: we exult in a burp, agonize over a cold, celebrate every first, battle over food, turn from Mom to Momster and back. Rinse and repeat. Almost every day is manic Momday.

I write because mothering is charged with loves, hates and raptures too big for thought and too fast for the heart. Writing
connects me to parts of myself engulfed by deadlines or harassed by the day’s cares. I look for words to shape thoughts, so that each day falls into place, sometimes painfully, sometimes joyously. Like all mothers, I am a fractal art—color geometrics that are difficult to pin down, irregular but harmonious, a mix of order and chaos, creative, requiring effort and intelligence, and mostly better appreciated from a distance.

I need words to find me. For smothered under motherhood are other roles, goals and hopes that shape me: daughter, lover, dreamer, artist, sister, friend. I write to understand, sometimes accept, that Mommy is not so much a designation as it is an endearment.

I write to find the grace to be a beginner every day and the grace to thank or forgive myself at its end. To understand that all mothers go through the ordinary madness of mothering—what the writer Judith Schwartz calls the “map of ambivalence,” how a mother’s heart can hold many antithetical emotions in chorus.

I write—a solitary act—because while we have books, websites, support groups, family and friends to help us, we in the end navigate motherhood alone.

A friend said that I enjoy motherhood. Enjoy is not quite the word, I think—it is too limited. I prefer the word my husband used:  awe—the reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder. Awe at the revelations and riddles in a child. But more importantly write because I fear, question and wonder at the revelations and riddles that I discover in me.

I write about my family in the journal I keep for my daughter Anna. What an ordinary life we lead. Our days revolve around the commonplace, peaking at her delight in finding a stray puzzle piece behind the potted plant. Nothing pivotal or portentous, but this is our story. Thank you, Gustave Flaubert—what you said centuries ago made me realize that ours is a tale to be told: “One should write of ordinary life as if one were writing history.”

In writing about motherhood, I find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Janet Villa practiced Law for nine years before she received a fellowship to the Philippine National Writers' Workshop and to the UP National Workshop. Her first published sotry "Undercurrents" won the NVM Grand Prize in 2003, and her sond "Closopen" won the NVM Grand Prize Special Prize in 2005. She is now finishing her MA in Creative Writing. Her biggest adventure is being best for husband Jojo and daughter Anna, while pursuing her passions in writing and teaching. Janet maintains CreW, the creating writing special interest group of Mensa Philippines after being the Mensa Philippines president in 1998.

Eggs & Hot Dog Pancake Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups of Bisquick
2 eggs
1 ¼ sugar
1 can fat – free evaporated milk
1 package (8oz) softened cream cheese
4 pcs of Smart Dogs® (it can be substituted)
4 eggs (to make scrambled eggs)
Maple Pancake Syrup
Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350F.
2.    Grease 12 muffin molds.
3.    Cook your scrambled eggs (should be soft & moist). Divide it into 12 & set aside.
4.    Slice your hot dogs in 3 parts per hot dog  & set aside as well.
5.    Mix  Bisquick, sugar, eggs, cream cheese and milk in a large bowl with a whisk. It's okay to have some remaining lumps.
6.    Pour batter about 1/2 full into each muffin mold.
7.    Place 1 hot dog slice & scrambled eggs on top of batter for each muffin mold.
8.    Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
This recipe is SO easy, and my whole family LOVED them especially drizzled with the maple pancake syrup!! !

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Ruth D. Ezra is a culinary queen in her own right through experience and training. She is a bookkeeper by profession at AllState Roadside Services in Northbrook, IL.  Her greatest delight is serving good and healthy food to her husband Heman and only daughter, Isabelle. Kit would love to receive feedback on her recipes, and exchange them with yours at ezraruth@comcast.net.

WRITE FROM THE HEART
By Marivir R. Montebon

Welcome to OSM! Janet Villa and Diane Fermin Roeder!

To have somebody as deep but easy as Janet Villa as a writer is truly exhilarating. OSM! is honored to have her. Mothering Heights is OSM's latest section, and we will travel digitally, reflecting into our lives through Janet's mothering experiences as we relate or affirm them with our own.
In one of our exchanges in private message, I told Janet, yes, mothering is scary. But it makes us who we are, most of the time.  I remember how I dreaded the thought while staring at my newborn daughter in her crib that this was now my real womb to tomb responsibility. As the days turned into years, mothering has always been a mix of joys and horrors.
OSM! shines further with the classy and vibrant Diane Fermin Roeder as our fashion and marketing guru. She debuts her Bamboo Stiletto for us with a keen fashionista eye on the Olympics 2012 uniforms of the athletes. It is an honor to have you with OSM!, Diane.  Thank you, Ms. Bessie Salomon for bridging OSM! to wonderful people.

We feature in our cover today an awesome person, a Judge and Poet rolled into one. Finally, we have an awesome man for OSM! It was difficult enough finding one, an awesome male subject, as I told Digital and Content Editor Leani Auxilio.He definitely writes from the heart. And so does Janet and Diane, and everyone else who are able to glue my eyes into their copies.

I love how Judge and Poet Simeon Dumdum Jr. puts it, "whether one becomes a celebrated writer or not is for the future to decide. Art makes one rich, not materially but spiritually."

Indeed, great writing comes from the heart.  It is spirited and sincere.  Each topic is a solid eruption from the heart, that did not happen in one magnificent touch of a wand, but of the writer's complex mix of joy, salvation, angst, sincerity, contradictions, and finally, confidence. Each written piece is a result of the revolting emotions and truths. Writing, like birthing, is never easy. Once it is finished, the writer feels she has given birth again, one more time.

Let me close with a poem by Judge Dumdum, which I print with his permission.

The First To Love

Always she is a step ahead.
When I think of giving her flowers,
She waylays me with wine-red roses.
And if I get up in the morning,
Pulled out of bed by the idea
Of a long walk across the fields,
She would be there, lacing her shoes,
The coffee, which was on my mind,
Filling up the room with its presence.
But one day, when there was a downpour,
I made sure I would be the first
To suggest that we have a race
In the rain, but she turned me down,
And I saw in her smile that we
Were too old for such recklessness.
But that afternoon, the sun blazed,
And she asked what just then had crossed
My mind, that we both go outside.
The road was a patchwork of water.
I wanted to help her across
A rain puddle, forgetting that
Her legs were longer than mine.

For details and orders, visit healthychocolatenyc.com

RE-WIRE YOUR BRAIN

BY DEBBIE ALMOCERA

A friend of mine once told me that when she got depressed, her mother told her to “find a husband”, and she would feel better. Two husbands and two divorces later, she finds herself in the same predicament.  She finally sought professional help, and reported feeling better.  She is living a single life, with a great career, and a disappointed mother.
The field of mental health not only introduced me to diverse tools in psychotherapy in treating depression and anxiety, but it also broadened my understanding of the impact of psychopharmacology on these disorders.  I have become a strong advocate of psychiatric medications, and have consistently encouraged medication compliance among my clients.  Explaining to clients that mental illness is not a mythical issue, nor a punitive consequence of one’s perceived degree of “sinfulness”, is quite a challenging task at times.  It never ceases to amaze me when people ask me if they are depressed because they are “weak in spirit”, flawed in character, and/or being “punished” for their “sins”.  These views not only reflect the antiquated stigma of mental illness that is still prevalent in our times, no matter how many “iPods” and state-of-the-art cell phones we have in our possession, they also reflect our lack of understanding of the organ that primarily dictates how we see ourselves and the world around us –the brain.
This 3-lb mushy mass, inside our skulls has 100 billion neurons that could each fire an average of 200 impulses per second.  Each electrochemical impulse, also known as a neurotransmitter, fired by a neural axon and received by another neuron through its dendrites carries a “message” transmitted from our senses to the brain. These neural connections establish the brains ability to process and interpret information.  A “breakdown” in these connections could trigger “misinformation”, and mood disturbances, among others.  Just like any other vital organ, the brain is not infallible and can malfunction for various reasons, affecting how we feel, think and act.  Although capable of seemingly-endless phenomenal things, when afflicted by mental illness, the brain needs help.
The good old-fashioned belief, that mental illness can be addressed by simply telling the individual to “straighten up your act and buck up”, is reinforcing the stigma of mental illness.  We can only truly achieve a significant milestone in medical history when we start to correct our own misconception of mental health and mental illness, and take care of our brains by addressing issues of mental illness as medical problems.  As I always tell my clients, if they have problems with their hearts, they would be first in line to see a heart doctor.  However, when they have problems with mood and thought distortions, they hesitate to seek help for fear of social alienation.
Spit It Out or Pop It In
Talk your problems out with your therapist, or your doctor.  In view of the biochemical nature of mental illness, talking may not cut it.  Ask your doctor for a possible medication regimen, and stay compliant.  Don’t stop taking your medications as soon as you feel better, for this could have dire consequences.
I practice and utilize cognitive and behavioral approaches to therapy.   Cognitive approaches examine one’s own personal belief systems that could be contributing to one’s dysfunction and misery.  Erroneous personal belief systems trigger depression and anxiety, and frequently lead to conflict in our relationships.  When left unchallenged, they become our reality and we believe them to be true.
Behavioral approaches are simply what I refer to as “movement approaches”.  As you move your body, your senses move with you.  The more your senses are activated, the more the brain is stimulated.  Chances are you will start to feel better as you keep moving.  So get your gluteus maximus off the couch, and start walking, jogging, or dancing.  Practice a healthy and an active lifestyle and make it a habit.
A recent article by Dr. Ambardar, cited by the Mental Health Association of Eastern Missouri, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheenie-ambardar-md/emotional-health_b_1542521.html), talked about addressing depression and anxiety without medications.  I found this article very amusing but couldn’t help but agree with the good doctor.  Being a Psychiatrist, she does prescribe psychotropic medications.  First on the list to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety is to SPEND LESS TIME ON FACEBOOK.  To quote:

When Facebook is used as a casual tool to keep in touch with friends or stay in the social loop, it can be a useful distraction. However, when Facebook is used to keep constant tabs on others or to promote a certain self-image, it can lead to an unconscious need to compare ourselves to everyone in our social network. This frequently leads to jealousy, insecurity, misplaced feelings of superiority or alternatively, feelings of inadequacy. Limiting time on ubiquitous social media sites like Facebook may be hard at first, but it may be one of the best things you do for your mental health."

How’s that for treatment!

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Debbie Almocera is a licensed therapist working in the behavioral medicine department of one of the largest hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri. For her, there has not been a more fulfilling and rewarding career than the one she has now. She can be reached at dholderle@yahoo.com

2012 OLYMPICS EYE CANDY: Opening Ceremony Outfits We “Heart”

By Diane Fermin Roeder

We tried our darnedest to stay up to watch the live broadcast of the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony in London on TV. Epic fail...we dozed off at 2am and instead, woke up at 7:30am.

Seeing as the live broadcast started at 4am, we initially missed the entire thing but thankfully, China still has vestiges of an Olympics hang-over after hosting it in 2008 so CCTV (state-owned national TV) is currently providing wall-to-wall coverage. They replayed the entire Opening Ceremony which made for a convenient and fun Saturday morning while I simultaneously stayed in bed and ordered a room service  breakfast (Herr Hubby and I are still making the Four Seasons Guangzhou our temporary home).

The Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was a tough act to follow...I still remember getting goosebumps from that show, a truly amazing feat by Chinese film director Zhang Yimou. Well, in opening this London Olympics, I think British film director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire", "The Beach", "Trainspotting") did a stupendous job; to quote the BBC's most over-used words this morning, the Opening Ceremony was indeed "remarkable" and "extraordinary".  Although, personally, I would have been happy with a little bit more of David Beckham. I mean, this is the Olympics - we love seeing successful, stylish, impeccably groomed godlike athletes in tight, shiny suits, don't we?

One thing which has become sort of a delicious Bamboo Stiletto ritual during the Games' opening is watching the Parade of Athletes to check out the various teams' outfits. For us, this segment of the Opening is like an international fashion show of multi-cultural style, modeled by a global assortment of eye candy, all in glistening peak physical condition. What's not to "heart"? So....let the Games begin!

Here's our Top 5 Picks for Most Stylish Teams (in no particular order or ranking):

1.) Denmark

 

One of the few teams that did separate but beautifully coordinating outfits for ladies and gentlemen, I especially loved how Team Denmark made their female athletes look so feminine. Beside the ladies, the gentlemen looked even more dashing and masculine in their navy blue-grey suits.

 2.) Serbia



Team Serbia also had separate yet coordinating his and hers outfits, which they kept casual chic and cool. Dontcha love the girls' perky blazer & shorts combo???Tennis champ and Serbian flag bearer, Novak Djokovic, wore his shirt carelessly untucked underneath his red pullover and, coupled with a rebellious stubble, was a statement in studied nonchalance.
3.) Netherlands

 

oh, how the Dutch and I swear only the Dutch can pull off wearing orange trousers. Not only does Team Netherlands pull off the orange pants but when paired with their cobalt blue trench-style blazers and preppy white tennis cardigans, they looked downright poppin'! As an aside, I remember that this team was also on my most stylish list during the 2008 Olympics. Pale dove grey blazers and trousers paired with the most adorable orange ties, again which only the Dutch can pull off...

Get a load of the Dutch when they unveiled their Olympic uniforms a few weeks ago - won't you love a bite of that orange trench? This is stuff that we actually do want to wear!

Dutch treat!

4.) Sweden

 

Team Sweden's ebullient candy-striped sweaters just spelled adorable. Especially when paired with the ladies' pleated minis. Very United Colours of Benetton. Note the colour coordinated kicks & laces...how Scandi-cute is that?

5.) South Korea



Natty nautical-inspired outfits from sportswear giant FILA who was responsible for South Korea's look (four on the left were Opening Ceremony ensembles). Too bad we have no actual photo during the Opening Ceremony...Team SK looked so dang cute!!!

Special Mentions - for looking extra-stylin' and/or festive as befitting the Olympics (again, in no particular order or ranking):

1.) France

 

aah, the French never fail to live up to our style expectations. I mean, how GOOD do these athletes look? We especially have a weakness for their tennis players. And spot the cute little red ballet flats on the ladies? We HEART!

Btw, Team France really set the bar high for Olympic uniforms, unveiling these minimally stylish threads by Adidas a few weeks ago:

Voulezvous...?

2.) USA

 

I thought Team USA worked it! Yes, yes, I know we're not quite sure if the beret works...the French can carry a beret with requisite elan but Americans seem a bit ambivalent about it. Also, yes, we're aware of the huge hoo-ha in the US upon realizing that these Ralph Lauren outfits were actually made in China. But hey, weren't the Ralph Lauren uniforms back in Olympics 2008 - which also looked super stylin', btw - also made in China? Where was the hoo-ha back then???oh Americans & the drama :-)

When Team USA unveiled their uniforms, the Ralph Lauren/"Gossip Girl" Manhattan Upper East prep chic look is pitch perfect:



Team USA's controversial Olympics uniforms, by Ralph Lauren. Regardless of where it's produced, in my mind, what makes it look vaguely non-American are the French-style berets, with the red, white & blue stripe on the side. I have a Lacoste beret exactly like this, with the little alligator on the side in red, white & blue stripes! Perhaps a "newsie" cap would have been more American, more New York anyhow...


Bass. Chuck Bass.

3.) Germany

 

What a delightful festive surprise, Team Germany! Keeping flag colours to a minimum (accents only on trilbys) & instead rocking pastel pinks and cornflower blues, with darling matching scarves, was so un-German & so unexpected...we LOVED it. Btw, this team seemed to be one of the rowdiest & most boisterous (one girl clambered on top of a guy's shoulders) that for a second I thought the Australians had paraded again! haha!

4.) Brazil

There's something about the Brazilians that just make us smile and chortle. They're just yummy-delicious! Team Brazil wore their colours in exuberant combinations, with ladies in mini-skirts showing off tanned athletic legs (and why NOT?), matching scarves loose around their necks...meowrrrr! What is it about these people, they just look so friggin' SEKSI?!?!

5.) Paraguay

 

and speaking of SEKSI...like the Netherlands, Team Paraguay also came up with outfits that we would love to get our Stilettos in. Check out this va-va-voom wrap & tie fire engine-red dress! The gentlemen in their bright blue blazers, snowy white trousers & crimson ties looked natty too.

Expected More Stylin' From:
Italy

 

Admittedly, my expectations for Team Italy were MASSIVE, to begin with...I mean, their uniforms are designed by The Master himself, Giorgio Armani. Even the lowly deckhand staff working on this guy's personal yacht are nattily attired, as featured once in Vogue (or was that Vanity Fair?). Anyway, these were the uniforms he unveiled for Team Italy a few weeks ago...ok, very Armani. Very understated. But what are they wearing for the Opening?

 

...and here's Team Italy during the Opening Ceremony. Again, very understated. Stylish, yes.But VERY subdued. It's not terrible, of course not, you can see even from just a TV screen's perspective, these are exceptionally cut, extremely well-tailored suits. Just slightly underwhelming in terms of overall presentation. These are Italians, for goodness sakes, they're supposed to rule with cool! I just expected a bit more LapoElkann dash and flair, not the constipated investment banker look. Fashion critics everywhere are raving about Team Italy's look though.

Biggest "Huh?" Moment:
Great Britain

We expected a LOT from the host; Great Britain after all is the home of great,innovative, edgy designers, e.g. Stella McCartney, Christopher Bailey, Sarah Burton, to name a few. So when Team GB strolled out, we were like: "Huh?" Stella McCartney's PR people were quick to tweet during the Opening Ceremony that these white & gold tracksuits are NOT hers - she only designed the athletes' performance kits & village wear. Ouch! Apparently, these were done by British apparel retailer Next. Why in the world didn't they get Christopher Bailey to do the Opening Ceremony outfits? What's more cool Britannia than Burberry???

So, Stiletto-istas, that's a wrap for our coverage of Olympics Opening Ceremony fashion. Hope you enjoyed  it as much as we did! In closing, we leave you with a parting shot of the Olympic torch as carried by the tall cool drink of water that's David Beckham, who we think was woefully under-utilized by Danny Boyle:

 

THIS is how Team GB should have rocked, y'all!

Did YOU watch the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in YOUR corner of the world? Which teams landed in YOUR Best Dressed and Worst Dressed List? Just some lighthearted fun this weekend, Stiletto-istas, let's hear it from YOU!!!

***photos from CCTV (Official China TV broadcaster for the Olympics) Adidas, Fila, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren (for the non-Olympic shots)

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Diane Fermin Roeder is a reformed marketing communications expert in the hospitality and financial service industries. She enjoys being an expat's wife and founding wordsmith of DFR+word.works, a consultancy specializing in content solutions and development for luxury hotels and resorts in China.  She carved a 15 year leadership career spanning the Philippines, Hong Kong, the US, and China, with an American MBA to boot. Diane suffers from an incurable addiction to killer stilettos. You may to The Bamboo Stiletto (personal blog)  http://bamboostiletto.wordpress.com and Follow tweets: https://twitter.com/bamboostiletto