Check Bucket List: Lani Misalucha Concert

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City

I ecstatically checked one item in my bucket list on October 27, an otherwise chilly autumn day in New York: Watch a Lani Misalucha Concert. Yes, I was in a giggly mode on the NJ Transit bound towards Linden in New Jersey to watch the most seasoned, spectacular Filipina singer perform in a concert.

[caption id="attachment_2882" align="alignright" width="203"] In my bucket list: Lani Misaluchi live![/caption]

Minus the pompous and elaborate stage so characteristic of the Las Vegas Strip, Lani enthralled her audience at the gym of the Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Academy. The two-hour concert was all about her pure, elastic full octave voice, and that endearing style of making an audience laugh and participate.

Lani Misalucha, ever since her stint as singer in the Philippines, had entertained with the widest range of voice, from the low alto to the ambitious highest note of a soprano one. She teases any musical note, whether high or low, with a voice so sweet or full. She just pulls it off. In fact, Celine Dion, as a peer, has spoken highly of her talent and ability.

Since she conquered Las Vegas in 2004, Lani has been called "New Siren of the Strip." She was "Best Singer" in the 27th Annual Best of Las Vegas poll by the Las Vegas Review Journal in March 2008. Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman awesomely declared December 4 as "Lani Misalucha Day".

So there was my chance to hear Lani sing live, that FALDEF fundraiser concert.

[caption id="attachment_2883" align="alignright" width="300"] Full octave, unbeatable. She can do the voice range and quality of Beyonce, Whitney, and Celine.[/caption]

East coasters were game and fun. Everybody sang "lalalalala" with her from 'Lovin' You' and someone tried to pull off the pinnacle of the tune which only a nightingale can sweetly and sharply sing...aaaaahhh (my words cannot even capture its piercing shrill).

They also sang the old song with feelings..."you don't have to say love me, just be close at hand" from Lani's popular remake of the song "You don't have to say you love me".

[caption id="attachment_2884" align="alignright" width="300"] Enthralled[/caption]

Rising talent Jared Martin was the concert's headliner.

Kirby Asunto, fresh from her success as Basilio in the Noli Me Tangere Opera,  rendered songs before Lani to an audience of about 200, an impressive turn-out. The concert was a fund raiser for the FALDEF, a not-for-profit organization providing legal and education services for immigrants and for the St. Mary of Hungary Church.

[caption id="attachment_2885" align="alignright" width="300"] Kirby Asunto (middle), co-performed with Lani. Jared Martin was headliner.[/caption]

Lani included in her repertoire a medley of the songs of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Donna Summer, songs that sent everyone holding their breath, and then breaking in generous applause.

She finally showed her singing prowess as an opera singer in the Italian rendition of Titanic's My Heart will Go On, Il Mio Coure Va. Absolutely stunning.

[caption id="attachment_2887" align="aligncenter" width="135"] Unforgettable[/caption]

The prolonged encore stretched to Abba's Dancing Queen and Thank You for the Music. Everybody went wild, and went home happy and satisfied.  (On November 1, Ms. Misalucha will do another fund raiser concert for the victims of the Bohol and Cebu earthquake at the Philippine Consulate on 5th Avenue, NYC at 8PM.)

[caption id="attachment_2886" align="aligncenter" width="300"] With the FALDEF officials[/caption]

Event

NWU Kicks off Writers Workshop this Halloween

By Marivir R. Montebon

[caption id="attachment_1850" align="alignright" width="300"] One of the many events of NWU is its Monday Forum. Its Thursday Writers Workshops kicks off this Halloween.[/caption]

The National Writers Union New York Chapter formally kicks off its Weekly Writing Workshop on October 31, 2013 with the topic on Writing for Halloween/Horror Stories as its opening salvo. Novelist and short story writer Marc Abbott provides the lecture from 6-8PM at the Conference Room of the NWU - NY office on 256 West 38th
Street, in NY, NY 10018.

With these weekly workshops, the NWU aims to provide members of the union affordable skills improvement programs to advance their careers as writers, and to invite new members to join the union.

In the CREATING HORROR workshop,  Abbott will discuss the difference between two horror concepts-Supernatural & Non-Supernatural and how to create a horror story.  Students will learn how to apply these concepts to help jump start a horror story and begin to build it.
[caption id="attachment_2879" align="alignright" width="205"] Marc Abbott[/caption]


Abbot runs his own publishing company, the Hobbcat Publishing, Inc. and has published two books since 2007, The Hooky Party and A Gamble of Faith.

The NWU-NY has lined up the following weekly writing workshops:

Oct. 31 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING FOR HALLOWEEN/HORROR STORIES – Marc Abbott
Nov. 7 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING FOR A FAMILY MEMOIR - Dahlma Llanos Figueroa
Nov. 14 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING BIOGRAPHIES - Peter Pullman
Nov. 21 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING BIOGRAPHIES - Peter Benjaminson
Dec. 5 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING BOOK REVIEWS – Eleanor Bader
Dec. 12 Nov. 7 Thursday 6-8 pm WEB BLOG CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT – Leani Auxilio
Jan. 9 Thursday 6-8 pm POLISH YOUR ENGLISH – Adam Weir
Jan. 16 Thursday 6-8 pm POLISH YOUR ENGLISH – Adam Weir
Jan. 23 Thursday 6-8 pm POLISH YOUR ENGLISH – Adam Weir
Jan. 30 Thursday 6-8 pm POLISH YOUR ENGLISH – Adam Weir
. Feb. 13 Thursday 6-8 pm WRITING ABOUT LOVE/VALENTINE’S DAY – June Pascal
Feb. 22 Thursday 6-8 pm SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK: A HANDS ON WORKSHOP - Tim Sheard
Feb. 27 Thursday 6-8 pm SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK: A HANDS ON WORKSHOP - Tim Sheard
Mar 6 Thursday 6-8 pm -  CREATING YOUR OWN BUSINESS - Alex Faiz
Mar 13 Thursday 6-8pm -  CREATING YOUR OWN BUSINESS - Alex Faiz

Union members will pay $10 for the workshop while non-members will pay $20, with certificate of attendance. To register online, go to info@nwuny.org with the subject line Writing Workshop.

Outside the (Balikbayan) Box

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City

A few months ago, I wrote to describe the balikbayan (literally meaning returning home) box as the receptacle of thoughtfulness and nostalgia of Filipinos who are living away from home. Filling this box with goodies, from coffee, chocolates, kitchen utensils, towels, shoes, to signature clothes and bags has become quite a habit for most Filipinos who would naturally remember their families as they live in America, the most materially abundant country in the world.

Sending out balikbayan boxes with these goodies are, for the most part, a way to cope with homesickness and the wish-you-were-here feeling of nostalgic Filipinos.

But I believe that our thoughtfulness, contained in the balikbayan box, has to transcend the immediate relief of nostalgia and necessity.

My wish is for Filipinos to think outside the balikbayan box, focusing on concerns for education with emphasis on agriculture and science, and investments on land development and entrepreneurial progress. These endeavors mean a lasting impact in making our families and communities more independent and self-sustaining.

Regardless of the futility and uselessness of the national government in ensuring the quality of life for Filipinos, the paradigm of development based on agriculture-based education and entrepreneurial development has silently proven itself to be reliable in stabilizing family economies.

[caption id="attachment_2850" align="alignright" width="412"] Books inside the balikbayan box to ensure knowledge and independence.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2851" align="alignright" width="383"] OSM! is campaigning for books to ensure children's bright future. Donations welcome.[/caption]

"Small and beautiful" and "bottoms up" development is the route of how Filipinos alleviate themselves in a concerted manner (while I suppose fighting corruption beginnning at upper echelons of government). The truth is, the ordinary Filipinos could not and never really depended on the national government for their lives.

What has it ensured for the Filipinos? Roads and bridges? Police protection and safety? A few kilograms of rice and cans of sardines after a typhoon? Quality health care? Nothing much! The ordinary Filipinos actually just survived through the thoughtfulness of family and friends. Government institutions have largely been shamefully useless.

So now, more than ever, we need to think of long-term doable efforts to rely on ourselves, in honesty and hardwork, through education and making land productive and healthy. My friends, this is sustainable development in its element.

I could not help but mention the foresight and faith of Vicky Wallace, a widow, nurse and mother of two teenage children, who set up what is now one of the most popular sites of healthy restaurants in the province of Bohol, the Bohol Bee Farm and Restaurant. She serves delicious, healthy food grown right from her own land, with the faith that it is a kick start of making land more productive and providing healthy food for a happy people, by educating farmers to use environment-friendly technologies.

That simple, that doable, and it is happening right now, with the likes of Vicky Wallace at the helm. So I would like to stir the imagination of well-meaning entrepreneurs and those who have the capital and foresight to do it. All we need is to think outside the balikbayan box, and invest on land and education for a healthier and happier us.

 

[caption id="attachment_1675" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Xocai Dark Chocolate: It is a healthy love.[/caption]

Click here to connect http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/about_fbc_history.html

Visit http://cleanworldnewjersey.com/


 

 

 

How's My Ten Cents Word?

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City

While power is at the tip of our fingers in this awesome digital age, the writer in the internet, ironically, still remains a pauper.

Although a writer's value in the industry is key to the industry's life (for every writer, there are 30 other industry players and workers who earn from her/his writing output, including editors, lay-out artists, actors, and marketing personnel), she/he is generally paid low or none at all when writing for the internet.

In New York and in many parts of the US, a writer is paid about ten cents per word or $50-$100 for a 500-word story. Most of these fees are arbitrarily determined.

This financial anemia for writers is a stark contrast to the robust accessibility of the public to information. At the outset, because most of the information is free and highly accessible, fees for writers, sadly, have become all time low.

How this can be resolved has to confront a myriad of issues concerning the publishers, writer's name and experience, as well as, advertisers and sponsors.

At noon time on Saturday of October 19, four freelance writers in the auspices of the National Writers Union in mid-Manhattan ignited the discussion on the low wages prevailing in the internet.

[caption id="attachment_2861" align="alignright" width="300"] There is a need to standardize writer's fees - freelance writers[/caption]

"New York on Ten Cents a Word?" was a panel discussion led by David Hill, and composed of Sarah Jaffe, James O’Brien, David Roth, and Maggie Serota of the 3rd Annual Writers Conference of the NWU-New York Chapter with the theme "Writing Success in the Digital Age."  More than 40 writers from the East Coast attended this year's conference.

Maggie Serota, co-host of the music podcast Low Times and contributor for The Onion and Philadelphia Weekly, told the audience that she has "never felt safe as writer."

"I have not made a living from writing. I had other jobs to pay for my bills. Papers are just folding everywhere, and with that I had also lost my writer's fees in several cases," she said.

The three other panelists shared their huge challenges of losing their jobs as writers and how they managed to keep afloat through other sources of income, particularly when local publications were folding up at the height of the 2007 recession.

To be Published For Free

In These Times magazine staff writer Sarah Jaffe noted that there are writers who are willing to write for free, just to be published. As a fresh graduate, Sarah said she preferred to not be paid or be paid lowly for $50-75 per article because she is building her name as a journalist.

She however noted that there are still publishers who are capable of paying writers decently, and these are the stable media institutions who choose to pay the more experienced writer.

Stability for Newly-Opened Media Groups

James O'Brien (an independent writer and author of the Dos and Don'ts of Full-time Freelancing) and David Roth (co-founder of The Classical, a Kickstarter-funded sports website) noted that with the advent of writers becoming publishers themselves in the internet, it became financially burdensome to create a more steady income for these newly established media groups, which much show capability to pay for their writers.

Someone from the audience however, aptly said that instead of becoming an apologist for publishers, free lance writers must instead organize themselves and define the standard fees for internet articles. "Ten cents per word is truly ridiculous," she said.

[caption id="attachment_2862" align="alignright" width="300"] Ten cents per word is ridiculously low[/caption]

The four panelists concurred to the suggestion of defining standards for internet articles. O'Brien particularly expressed optimism that emerging publishers will eventually create ways to earn through the internet, making their media outlets capable to paying writers decently.

Editor's Notes

Pork's Anatomy and Other Fatty Perks
By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City

The Philippine Congress is the bosom of corruption in the Philippines. Governance starts with this legislative body with the creation of laws of the land. Congress is the single largest and most powerful government office, currently holding 289 representatives from congressional districts and 24 senators elected nationwide, that plunders the economy of the country systematically.

I have experienced working for six months at the Lower House. And in that shortest stint of work, I saw under my nose the operating system of the legislative houses that is horrifyingly corrupt.

Every year, the one most important piece of legislation Congress passes is the national budget. Early in their term, the solons decide which projects (local and national) to fund and submit for approval by the entire body.

It is the busiest time for congressmen, more so for their staff, who actually do the writing and ground work. I remember that Speaker Jose de Venecia had to order the doors of the plenary hall closed in the wee hours of the night so that no congressman would escape, ensuring a quorum in the deliberations and final voting for the national budget.

I had to cut short my work in Congress, because everyday, it became harder to stomach the transactions of commissions, gifts, and deals. These were easily done through telephone calls, or over cups of coffee or glasses of wine by legislators, contractors, and key people at the executive offices. The fat layers of commissions literally leave nothing or a measly amount for project implementation.

It is not even a question of whether or not we are engaged in sustainable economic activities. It is a question of whether we have enough funds to do anything effectively, because of how unbelievably money is stolen and chipped off from the highest to the lowest levels of government structure.

Central to this outrageous commission system is the pork barrel fund which is allotted per representative (P200 million for senators and P70 million for representatives per year) and expended upon his or her discretion. This fund makes them truly feel like royalty. They decide which projects to fund, by how much, and for whom vis-a-vis lobbying constituent groups, businesses, and even the executive arms of government, and then cook them up into local and national laws.

Many legislators would decide to build roads and bridges in their districts because of the fat commissions they get. A kilometer of road would normally cost P10 million in 2001. But because of the layers of commissions that are being taken out from the original budget, the implementing budget of that road would like be a million pesos, thus creating a substandard road.

To my personal knowledge, many congressman would rather invest in and pass laws for projects where they gain more commissions, such as those in telecommunications, infrastructure, and transportation (also known as hard projects) rather than agriculture, education, and science (or the soft projects). Nope, they won't buy cattle, despite its value to farmers and the sustainability of the program in agriculture because they get a very small margin of commissions from it. What we have is a cacophony of projects that are not cohesive and comprehensively looking at sustainability and stability of the economy.

Worst, pork barrel funds are outrightly laundered into personal accounts or bogus non-government organizations. The case of Janet Napoles may just be one too many of such schemes.

The pork actually completes the power of the legislators to become quasi-executives for projects of their own desire on one hand, as they have the inherent power to pass laws to legitimize such projects. The system is actually creating monstrous thieves.

Another milking cow for legislators is the monthly operating budget (about P200,000 at the time I was working in Congress) for each office which is not subject to audit. This operational fund is earmarked for research for new legislation and for impact studies of existing laws and how effective these have been.

Because it is not subject to audit, the representatives decide arbitrarily what to do with these funds. Some of these monies are used for vacation or shopping sprees.

Finally, there is the Automatic Appropriations Act which allots 40% of the national budget to debt service, another factor why appropriations continue to be anemic.

[caption id="attachment_2631" align="aligncenter" width="283"] Pork power. The first Philippine Assembly (top photo) and the Lower House of Congress. (Photo by Tumbler)[/caption]

Many of these debts need to be reviewed. Thus, paying back to debtors, without considering the usefulness of these debts, is like approving without thinking. But there has not been a substantive effort to re-think this law. And once again, it is a rich source of commissions and perks for those managing this budget.

While the Philippine economy continues to have insufficient appropriations for education, health, agriculture, science, and other social services, the leaders are happy and could not, for the love of their lives, eat and digest all the excessive money and privileges they get from the system.

In the meantime, to finance the ailing economy, Filipinos working abroad and sending money to their families continue to be the natural, most reliable source of funds to get by the short term needs of food and shelter and long term needs such as education and business.

This is the system that operates in the Philippines. No matter how much money is siphoned into the families in the country, through sweat and blood of those working abroad, it will remain a short-term solution.

The national system that hovers above us is laden with greed and corruption and won't permit a fair and sensible economic development program that will mean long term benefits and stability the country. All is driven by selfish greed for power and money.

There is budget for social services and economic development in the Philippines, but most of these are lost to kick-backs and commissions.

So, the ordinary people dance as fast as they can to be able to make both ends meet, but the supposed leaders bask in unimaginable, stolen wealth. The legislators won't stop themselves. It is time for the people to stop this now. Injustice prevails not because of the abusers, but because of the abused who allow them to thrive.

[caption id="attachment_1675" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Xocai Dark Chocolate: It is a healthy love.[/caption]

Click here to connect http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/about_fbc_history.html

Visit http://cleanworldnewjersey.com/

 

NOLI ME TANGERE, the Opera: A Resounding Hit

By Marivir R. Montebon

New York -- It was the finest treat Filipinos in the East Coast could ever have for this year, the staging of the novel Noli Me Tangere by Dr. Jose Rizal, into an opera of three acts (Felipe de Leon) in the Big Apple.

Deep, moving, and definitely awesome in the finer artistic elements of the set, costumes, and music, Noli was a landmark performing arts production. Ms. Loida Nicolas Lewis along with the experienced expertise of Filipino artists, labored on this project with passion and dedication through the Foundation for Filipino Artists.

[caption id="attachment_2830" align="alignright" width="694"] An astounding performance. (Photo by Troi Santos)[/caption]

Thanks to Jerry Sibal who did a fabulous stage design that transported the audience to colonial Philippines in the 1800s. And thanks too to the orchestra of maestro Michael Dadap, the soulful mingling of the voices of the actors and the orchestra was magical. May Pamana definitely did a splendid direction of the entire Opera.

The demand for a repeat performance is as audible as its rousing applause in the three autumn nights the Noli was shown at the Kaye Play House of the upper east Manhattan's Hunter College on October 4-6.

Noli, the Opera, was an ensemble of respected Filipino opera singer led by Sal Malaki as Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, Antoni Mendezona as Maria Clara, Andrew Fernando as Padre Damaso, Roberto Perlas Gomez as Elias, Maria Christina Navarro as Sisa, and Kirby Asunto as Basilio.

It also featured Jonathan Estabrooks, Rosemarie Flores, Brad Arreglado, May Hackett, William Lim, Brittany Palmer, Allan Samonte, Rina Saporantos, Elijah Sirilan, Zion Sirilan, Ulises Solano, Resty Yongco, Sherwin Su, and Lisa Villamaria.

The crew was as formidable as the cast: Rene Dalandan (assistant stage director), Kristin Jackson (choreographer), Jeff Davis (lighting designer), Executive Producer Jerry Sibal (set and costume designer), Natalie Qing Zhang (stage manager) and Clare Chujie Xu (assistant stage manager).

Noli, the Opera has stuck to the same message of social ills which Dr. Rizal boldly wrote about in his novel that inspired the anti-Spanish revolution. Sans the impeccable showmanship of the Filipino artists, Dr. Rizal perhaps would still want to emphasize how we must heal our own illnesses and wounds as a people.

As Philippine Consul General Mario de Leon puts it, it was "a world class production with a world-class Filipino cast. Noli Me Tangere, the opera, makes everyone proud to be a Filipino during its 3-day run in New York City, the capital of musicals and operas in the planet."

OSM! shares these reviews from an ecstatic, well-satisfied audience:

"Noli Me Tangere was fantastic! The singers were all excellent. The whole performance brought nostalgic feelings in me. The character Sisa delivered a powerful performance both in her singing and acting. Maria Clara, Crisostomo Ibarra, and Padre Damaso brought their characters to life with such passion that for a moment we, the audience, felt that we have gone back to the Spanish era. Everything was meticulously prepared - the costumes, the music, and the background of each scene.

This opera is a testament to the ingenuity and talent of our Filipino artists. Ms. Loida Lewis and the rest of her group deserve a standing ovation for a job well done!" - Vicky Baul

[caption id="attachment_2831" align="alignright" width="384"] Loida Nicolas Lewis (right) with Vicky Baul and Ernie Pamolarco. (Photo by Ernie Pamolarco)[/caption]

"I am proud to have seen a Filipino Opera in NYC. The whole production is outstanding! Jerry Sibal designed and created the 1800s look and feel on stage. The orchestra was remarkable. I have nothing but praises for all the performers. To Ms. Loida Lewis and the organizers, thank you for making this event possible. Mabuhay ang Pinoy." - Grace Labaguis

[caption id="attachment_2832" align="alignright" width="2048"] Music director international conductor Michael Dadap with Elton Lugay and Grace Labaguis (photo by Elton Lugay)[/caption]

"It was great, although it was a bit long.  Kirby Asunto gave a heart tugging performance as Basilio. She made me cry." - Elton Lugay

"Thank you for asking me about something that I enjoyed immensely last Saturday night. The Opera Noli Me Tangere was truly outstanding in regards to the set and the costumes. I love the set design by Jerry Sibal, the capiz shell windows from top to the floor and open up to show scenes like the day with the clouds moving by, then changing to evening with a moon and then closing to show chaos outside. It was magnificent. Kudos to Jerry Sibal whom I congratulated personally.

And the costumes, wow, I want to wear all of them to the community functions. The singers were terrific with their singing especially Sal Malaki as Crisostomo, who I learned was a student of Fides Ascencio Cuyugan, and Maria Clara (Antoni Mendezona) but the best of them all was Sisa. She was gloriously excellent in her role as Sisa. Her acting as the crazy woman was superb. 

I think that the music was a little loud that it drowns some of the singing of the main actors. All in all, Noli Me Tangere should have been seen by more people, especially Filipinos so they can be proud that they have something to be proud of."  - Lumen Castaneda

"Magaling sila lahat pero doon ako umiiyak sa scene nila ni Sisa at Basilio. (They were all good but I cried on the scene of Sisa and Basilio)." - Shirley Asunto

[caption id="attachment_2836" align="alignright" width="2048"] Basilio (Kirby Asunto) enraged at the death of his mom Sisa (Maria Christina Navarro). A revolution begins. (Photo by Elton Lugay)[/caption]

 

 

"It was truly a beautiful production, great acting and singing, especially Sisa who made me cry. The message of Noli continues to be relevant today. There has to be a repeat performance and a national tour!" - Nerissa Alegretti

[caption id="attachment_2837" align="alignright" width="238"] Nerissa: The message of Noli remains relevant today.[/caption]

The Perks of Being a Grandmother

By Sylvia Hubilla
Round Rock, Texas

 

 

“Memeh, what do you want to drink?”
“Hmm, I don't know.”
“Well, you have to eat healthy, so here, have some low fat milk,” quickly grabbing a small carton of milk from the counter, and putting it on the tray.
“Oh, and you will want peas, right?” proceeding to put the little bowl of peas on the tray. “And the baked potato with broccoli and cheese.”
Down the line, the little hand picked up an orange, saying,” You don't want the mixed fruit in syrup. You do not need syrup.”
This was the exchange between me and my five year old kindergarten granddaughter, Ari, while going down the cafeteria line for lunch on grand parents day.
One would think I was speaking with my fitness and diet coach. But I'm in good hands, obviously, with my youngest granddaughter.
She can even be my very own fashion consultant. She was with me and one of my daughters on one of my shopping trips, mainly to look for a black purse. I almost always just go for the neutral colors like black, or beige, or gray, so it is easy to coordinate with any color clothes.
“No, no, no, Memeh (this is how all my grand kids call me). You are always wearing black, or black and white. Look, you are wearing black right now,” she said as she pulled me towards the colorful purses.
“Here, how about this?” she said, as she took a bright yellow cross body bag from the rack.
“You should have some color in your life!” she lectured me some more.
A lady looking at us, who looked like a fellow grandma, couldn't help laughing, and said, “My, they start young nowadays, don't they?”
I ended up buying the yellow bag, and she relented and agreed on a dark blue one in lieu of the black.
I never knew how it felt to have a grandma, growing up. Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers had passed away before I was born. So I had no idea what to expect or how it would feel to be a grandmother. I had no standard to follow, to gauge my performance as a grandmother against, except to remember how my mother was with my children.
I first joined this elite club thirteen years ago, and received the highly coveted title of “Grandma.” I had to travel all the way to the Netherlands just to see this precious prince, and claim the perks and rewards of hugs and kisses. And for each and every one of the 5 grandchildren who followed, in California, and Arizona - I made sure I was there.
When I had my first child, people told me, “bayad ka na” or “You have paid back.” I have often heard this said before – that you can't pay back your mother for having brought you into this world, until you have given birth to a child of your own. What a horrible thing to say! This statement is the exact opposite and definitely does not come close to the joy and elation that comes with becoming a grandparent. One does not think of a payback, or worse, revenge. My mother never told me that. I never told my daughters that. I don't know how this notion ever came about.
All I know is how I feel. Being a grandma is a gift. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of these young lives. And I intend to enjoy them and celebrate their triumphs, big and small. I intend to claim my hugs and kisses before they get too tall for my arms to enclose them, or they get to be teenagers, and therefore I would get my hugs only after their mom barks at them, “Give your grandma a hug!”
Oh by the way, there is another rumor going around, that grandparents love their grandchildren more than their own children. In all honesty, I have to say, there is some tiny truth to this. Maybe because we are here to just enjoy them, and have the luxury of returning them to their parents when they become difficult. After all, I just want to be a popular grandma to my grand children. Their moms and dads can discipline them.
I have gone from being a daughter, to a wife, to a mother, and now, to a grandmother. All of the above have been great and wonderful. But I have to say, I have saved the BEST for last.
HAPPY GRANDPARENTS' DAY!

 

 

(For more of Sylvia's writings, visit singlesixtyandfree.blogspot.com)

How Are You, My Friend?

By June Pascal
UWS, Manhattan


 

 

 

 

 

How are you, my friend?
How goes it? Your broken heart?
Are you still in Limbo,
Or have you moved to Paradise?

As for me, I am here.
At peace, almost bliss,
By myself, with no he.
I am in Paradise.

Do I get lonely, no, not at all.
I'd take this pen in hand to touch you
ten thousand miles away.

How are you my friend?
How goes our days in a twinkle.
Let us be happy the rest of our lives,
Be one big ball of burning love,
Blazing like the sun.
First loving Self,
Then Everyone.



http://junepascal.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-are-you-my-friend.html

 

[caption id="attachment_2602" align="aligncenter" width="471"] FAIR TRADE CEBU
You Gotta be Healthy, You gotta Be Fair[/caption]