Your Faith Looks Familiar: This Faithful Business is Brisk too!

By Marivir R. Montebon

We are pulling off a second interview with the brother-sister entreprenuerial tandem of Abe Medenilla and Shanna Wallace. Since the branding of the Your Faith Looks Familiar T-shirts, business has since grown briskly in the Big Apple and beyond.

1. What's the latest with the young brother-sister creative entrepreneurs got to offer these days?

ABE: We're preparing new shirts that feature familiar friends in fresh designs like the one you see in our ad, Niño. New characters are also coming soon.
SHANNA: New characters, very excited about them, especially our first female figure. More collectibles, wacky webisodes and worldwide ventures.

2. Who is your mentor in this venture, especially on the 'faith side' and the entrepreneurial side?

ABE: Concept-wise we're just a 2-headed creator but we do have a NY-based consultant for the purchasing and sales side.

SHANNA: It's compelling to take the best out of of every belief system and introduce our own perspective. We take inspiration from different situations and mostly everyone in our past. Even though my siblings and I had a very religious upbringing... I for one, went to an all-girl Catholic School from 1st Grade to Senior Year in HS, we were always interested in other creeds and schools of thought. I liked questioning my personal beliefs--they're usually challenged and upgraded or simply strengthened.

As far as the entrepreneurial side, we consult with Mercedes Gonzalez of Global Purchasing Companies. Everyone in the business of retail & fashion should make it their business to take her workshops or find her on YouTube, she's got a wealth of useful information and is so supportive of emerging designers.

3. Is business doing good so far? What challenges?
SHANNA: The journey has been amazing, we're getting tremendous support from our whole family as far as funding, manpower and sales. There may be a lot of competition just because of the countless shirts out there, fortunately, our original designs really standout and there is nothing in the market quite like our brand. The YFLF characters always create curious & cool conversations with whoever sees them! I'd say we have the-chicken-or-the-egg-challenge... selling in retail stores & selling to the end-use-consumer. Popular retail chains will buy in bulk if they sense a decent demand from the public & the public will demand it if they see the products in popular retail stores. Like anything in life, it's a balancing act. We're happy to take it on.

4. What should we look forward to as far as your faithful products are concerned?

ABE: We have only been selling in pop-up shops and that's going fine. We want to step things up and concentrate on retail chains. We have conversations going with some stores already. We're also looking for distributors abroad, starting with Asia. Referrals are welcome!

5. How was it like doing business in the Philippines and here? How are you both able to pull it off?

ABE: Our parents have always been negosyantes in the Philippines and have pushed us to go into business way before. Now, we are finally doing it! Also, our mom's store in Marikina has been burned to the ground late last year. Now, she's coming to NY to help us with the retail side. She is turning that accident into a fortunate event. Works!

SHANNA: My Mom and Dad owned two stores in the Philippines while the 5 of us were growing up. My Mom managed them on beastmode when my Dad passed on to his next life, it was incredible experiencing her thrive and still continue to make their business bloom. She taught us a lot about excellent work ethics, maintaining relationships with integrity, staying faithful & grateful, being creative... & smiling with your eyes, among others! Her name is Corazon (heart in Spanish), she's wonderful and so inspiring, I took all her lessons to heart but never thought I would follow in her footsteps this way.
We look forward to open our own brick and mortar in Soho one day and expand the brand onwards. One of my Mom's stores closed down years ago due to the economy and the 2nd one was ravished in flames with the town's entire market last year...blessings-in-disguise.
We're honored & thrilled that she's now choosing to help us take our own business to the next level. She always says, "Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako." [You've just started your journey while I'm already on my way back.] Words of the wise. We'll use her wisdom to our advantage and express gratitude in advance to where this adventure leads.

Easy Bread Pudding with Macapuno Strips

By Ruth Ezra

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sugar


• 2 eggs


• 1 can evaporated milk


• 2 teaspoons hazelnut extract


• 8 pcs stale white bread, cubed


• 1 cup raisins


• ½ jar of macapuno strips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add hazelnut. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 15 minutes.

Add in the raisins.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set & golden brown. Remove from oven.

Serve warm or cold. Or with any scoop of ice cream on hand.

I had mine with Gelato Pistachio. Deliciouso!

|*|*|*|

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.

67 and Counting

By Sylvia Hubilla
Round Rock, Texas



I stayed with my eldest daughter, Tsina and her babies aged three, two, and four months at the time, in Fort Hood, Texas. Her husband was serving in Iraq in the US Army. So most days, while their Mom was at work, I was happily surrounded by my 3 lovable grandkids. There are times we could be flying “To infinity and beyond!”, and next we are a rock band banging on toy drums and making music on keyboards and little guitars. A lot of times, we had “conversations,” as I tried my best to get through the endless “why's?”

On one such afternoon, the then three year old Xavi ( He is 13 now.) asked me quite out of the blue, “Mehmeh, (this is what my grandkids call me. Xavi started this actually, when he would follow his Mom as she would call me, “Meh...Mommeeh!”) How old are you?” I said, “fifty-seven.” All of a sudden, he started bawling! He was crying uncontrollably, so I hugged him and asked, “Why are you crying?” And he answered between sobs, “Because I don't want you to die!” I didn't know whether to laugh, to be angry, or to cry. Trying my best to look and sound serious, I hugged him tighter and said, “I'm not going to die. I'm not that old! When you're a teenager, I'll just be in my 60s. I'll still be around when you're in high school.” He then asked, “Why do people grow old?“

Now, four days before yet another birthday, I find myself asking the same question; why do people grow old? I don't quite remember how I answered Xavi's question ten years ago, and the question in my mind now, is just rhetorical. The mind doesn't make me feel old. But the body has a way of reminding me of my age. Some things I have discovered, the knees crackle and pop, the eyes make you live in a constant haze and fog, the ears, well, as you age, you get a license for selective hearing, if you know what I mean. And the mirror of course, is the cruelest of all. It lays before your eyes, the horrible effects of gravity! Not even the sight of my hair bedazzled with silver could soften the shock.
When I was in my teens, I couldn't wait to be twenty. But then I thought about people in their thirties, and I said to myself then, man, that's old! But I got there, and I didn't feel or look old at all! If anything, I was happier! I had three of the cutest little babies anyone could wish for.

The timeline of my journey up to this point, has been amazing, marking numerous events in world history – both joyful and tragic. There was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the USSR, the end of the Cold War between Russia and the US, space travel and landing a man on the moon. I cried when President Kennedy was assassinated. I watched horrified at the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers.

Closer to home, I was starting my family just as the Philippines was entering the dark years of dictatorship. And more than twenty years later, I witnessed our triumph in the struggle to regain our democracy which led to the tragic assassination of modern day hero, Benigno Aquino.
The Catholic Church has been through several Popes – I grew up with Pope Pius XII, then Pope John XXIII, then Pope John Paul, then our canonized saint Pope Paul VI, and the present Pope Benedict.

On the lighter side of music and fashion, I like to believe my time was the best of times. I risked being expelled from school because I watched an Elvis Presley movie and watched Elvis gyrating his hips. And then of course, The Beatles! Oh I memorized every song, and swooned over Paul McCartney. I watched the little Michael Jackson grow and blossom into the ultimate entertainer. And sadly, die the way he did. And the dance moves – boogie and rock and roll – classic!


On the fashion scene – for starters, the hemline just went everywhere – up and down and middle. I went through mini, midi, and maxi. I even suffered through the itchy petticoats much earlier. The hippie generation ushered in the peace and flower power which translated into paisley prints on silk body-hugging tops and bell-bottomed pants.

Well, forty and fifty came and went, and now I'm pushing sixty going towards, (horrors!), seventy. I am three years shy of that number. “Older and wiser,” it is often said. True? I'm not really sure about that. This is what I know, every birthday that comes, is truly a happy time. It is a door opening to new possibilities. And we go through this door armed with the strength we have forged and wisdom we have earned from the experiences of years passed. This is what I believe older and wiser means.

Why do people grow old? Even at this point, I cannot claim to know the answer. I can only talk about the process as I live it. As we age, the years peel off a layer at a time, and each time reveals a fresh new layer, untouched and pure, a story waiting to be told. And as the process continues we learn to discard the trivial and the frivolous, while we come closer to the core of who we really are.

I would like to believe that we do not grow old. We age – much like a good bottle of wine, retaining only that perfect bouquet. We age to perfection.
So Xavi, I will not even attempt to try and answer your question, “Why do people grow old?” I know you can easily Google that, or ask Siri. And they will most likely tell you about genes and DNA, and oxidants and a lot of scientific and medical terms.

Let me instead tell you what I feel now that I am growing old. What I feel is, blessed. And rich, in terms you cannot quantify in numbers or currencies, but more in things intangible, and more palpable in the heart. Does that make sense?

So bring it on, 67! CHEERS!

The Sinulog Tradition

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York
I can hear the frenzied beating of the drums of the Sinulog dance. And I can see the animated foot dances of devotees and plain merry makers of one of the the biggest religious festival of my country which happens to take place in Cebu.

Here I go again, waxing sentimental.

Every third Sunday of January, the feast of the Child Jesus, whom we call Sto. Nino de Cebu, is celebrated by Cebuanos in hometown Cebu and by Filipino immigrant groups in many parts of the world.

Dubbed as the Sinulog, the festival is named after a dance prayer, "sinulog" which is being offered by devotees to the Child Jesus, as a form of thanksgiving and petition seeking. On the social realm, it is hugely religious and yes, hugely commercial. Cebu attracts so many tourists, including natives who are living and working abroad, to come home in time for this festivity.

As a matter of profession, I have covered the Sinulog celebrations since my heydays at The Freeman Newspaper, the oldest running community paper in the Philippines. Although it is the same old process of the fluvial parade, Catholic procession, and mardi gras for an entire weekend, each year is distinctively beautiful, hence, an event to look forward to.

Now on my 5th year here in the US, I long to be able to cover these events again. And dance to the Sinulog beat.

The Sinulog tradition in Cebu as well as the heavily celebrated home town fiestas in the Philippines is a heritage from the Spain when it imposed Catholicism for more than 300 years.

I would say it would not have been embraced fully by the natives if not for their inherent flamboyant and carefree nature. Being animistic and paganistic, the practice of the Catholic faith had seeped and blended right into the psyche of the natives. Whether the Catholic friars wanted it or not, the flourishing of a Catholic tradition rests on a subconscious psyche of animism.

Such is uniquely Filipino.

This explains further why we are naturally faithful and merry, despite the enormous social ills. As a people, our mindset is not anchored merely on the material. Our common strength is in the faith of an unseen power of a God. Or gods.

Tons of articles written by academicians, church doctors, and social behaviorists, describe the Filipinos as backward, pagan, blind, gullible. There is some grain of truth in that.

But what has this faith created? It has created resilience and perseverance, individually and collectively. It is a kind of subconscious strength of a people that must be harnessed, in an educational and ethical manner, for the personal and common good. That is how I see, otherwise we are lost.

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Happy New Year!

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York

A sore throat could be a blessing. Two weeks before the year 2012 came to close, I was down with sore throat. Down meaning unable to talk, and that is really down for me. So it was a good chance for me to keep quiet most of the time, and do my annual practice of discarding old, useless files and junk. In three days, I finished my clean-up, just in time when my immune system won the fight against my sore throat.

So I welcome 2013 with excitement and offer these professional and personal plans to the One. That is just who I am and accustomed to do, and I go my merry way, as usual.

2013 is the 13th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century. For the Gregorian Calendar, this is the 2013th year of Anno Domini and 5773rd year for the Jewish Calendar. For the Islamic Calendar, 2013 is 1434.

There is something funny about time. Although human beings box themselves in time only for purposes of measurement and memory, like in years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds, there is actually more to it than just the ticking of the clock.

The Kaballah definition of time is this: the distance between cause and effect, the separation of action and reaction, the gap between deed and dividend, the divide between crime and consequence, and the distance between good and its reward.

For somebody maturing, I gladly embrace this deep meaning.

Albert Einstein does not have an absolute definition of time. In fact, he says time is an illusion and has two definitions of it. Time to him is when the event is instantaneous (moment) and time of event duration (the intermediate between two moments, such as the moment the train leaves the station and the moment the train arrives in the other station).

On that note, there is no questioning Einstein. He was a humor-filled genius and a deeply spiritual man who revered nature and order and who did not think that a personal God would interfere in the natural laws of physics.

Time for me takes a pragmatic meaning too. I am blessed to have been shared a personal note by my favorite high school teacher in my autograph (you know, that famous notebook in high school where your friends define themselves, and love, and friendships, and crushes) which has shaped my attitude towards time for the better.

My Speech teacher Ramona Alino goes to write on my autograph: Time is precious. Don't waste any of it. Use it wisely and lovingly, for yourself and others. Do it now, before it is too late.

This note has stuck in my head ever since. And I have learned to value and make use of time, wisely and lovingly as much as I can.

For new year 2013, it still has to be that way.

Best wishes, everyone!

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Movie Review: Four Eggs (out of Five) for “DJANGO Unchained”

By D-Man on Film
Aja Music & Film Productions, NY

Christmas 2012 was met with releases from a few major studios, but none were anticipated to be as maligned as Quentin Tarantino’s “DJANGO Unchained,” a “folkloric” style, brutal tale of a slave who is purposely separated from his wife by their owner, but subsequently (by some strange twist of fate) is re-purchased by a European Bounty Hunter, earns his freedom, and becomes one half of a partnership packed with... read more

The Blessings Jar

GRANNY GORGEOUS
By Sylvia Hubilla
Round Rock, Texas



Hours before the countdown to the New Year, my three girls and I were hurriedly checking our list – thirteen round fruits, check! Bubbly, check! Ham, check! Who is bringing the fish? Grapes? Check! And fireworks? Check! Looking good.

The table, laden with goodies that made it to the list, not only because of taste, but more important, because of the good luck it's supposed to bring into the New Year, was ready and looking good. Bring it on, 2013!

Preparedness is key. And it's all about lists – menu list, gift list, fireworks list, and of course, the New Year's Resolutions list. The latter though, did not make it to our list this year.

I noticed, as the years went by, that my New Year's resolutions kept getting shorter and shorter. This is not to mean that I continued to achieve my resolutions of the year before. Rather, it only means that my list of achievable goals realistically got less and less. Or put simply, I just did not have the motivation to keep on making a list which kept getting broken year after year. This did not do a lot for my self-esteem either.

It just occurred to me, that making a New Year's resolutions list is counting what you don't have. I decided I would rather count what I have. It's all about having a more positive attitude to goal setting.

So this New Year, I added something new to our tradition. On our Media Noche table, mixed in with the arrangement of 13 fruits, there were 3 jars, simple glass jars, festooned with holiday ribbons, one for each of my daughters' family. I labeled each “Family Blessing Jar.” Inside, to make it simple, I put the instructions on what to do with it.

Here is a sample of the note I placed inside each jar:

FAMILY BLESSINGS JAR
2013

Please feel free to embellish this jar any way you want to make it truly YOUR FAMILY's very own.

How To:
1. Every time you receive a blessing or a wish or a prayer comes true – write it down, put the date, and drop it in the jar! It doesn't even have to be a note – it can be anything: a note, a symbol, or something that will make you remember.
2. At the end of the year, the next New Year, you get everything out – and your family COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! And then, if you feel like it, say a prayer of THANKS.

3. And start the New Year again with the EMPTY JAR, and a prayer for more blessings to fill the jar, and your lives, for the whole year!

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR FILLED WITH BLESSINGS!

My oldest grandson, Xavi, asked me to explain. He is a linebacker in his Football team. So I asked him, “What is your greatest wish when you go into a game?” And he answered, “To win!” So I told him, and when you do, that is a blessing. And you can mark each and every win, put a date on it, and drop these in the jar. Blessings are not labeled big or small. They are not judged important or not. Because they are personal and subjective, each one is big; each one is important. They are obstacles overcome, finish lines crossed, stars reached, and dreams coming true.

I was happy to see my family on board with the idea. Who wants to make a list of resolutions, which at the end of the year, you have to pull out and see how many, if any, you even started. Will that make for a happy new year?
Wouldn't you rather, open that jar, and see the blessings spilling out and filling you with joy and gratitude? So at the end of 2013, as the family once again gather to welcome the coming New Year, we will open our jars, and count our blessings, and offer a prayer of thanksgiving, and start the new year with our empty jars!

MARY LOUISE INTERVIEWS

By Mary Louise Alu Curto
Merverville, New Jersey

Today's interview is with the accomplished writer, actor, producer and web designer, Mark Violi.

MLAC: How did you learn to be a screenwriter?

MV: I'm self taught. I've read many books and taken a little from each one. Being an actor helps me as a writer and being a writer helps me as an actor.

MLAC: What's your writing process? Do you start at the end and work back to the beginning?

MV: I have tried a lot of software that deals with story structure. They haven't worked for me. I develop my ideas by brainstorming....I write any ideas associated with the story such as dialog, characters, etc. and that evolves into an outline. This is a seven page outline, not like a school outline but a series of scenes or story beats that I will break out into three acts...Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3. This ends up being about seven pages and from there I massage that outline which leads to story structure, plot and character development. A few pieces of dialog will find their way into the outline. Scene location is less important at this time. Once I have this completed outline, then I can start writing the screen play. I usually start at page one. Rarely do I write a scene out of sequence. Once I have the first draft completed, then the fun begins. I might have a story. The nuances, punch line and nailing character arcs are reserved for a second draft. I usually like the process of rewriting because that's when I know that I have something that's working. I'll follow a similar path for a stage play. There also has to be a sense of marketability...I put that as part of my process because it requires some direct thinking.

MLAC: What's your suggestion for learning the format of screenwriting?

MV: I've read my share of screen plays but I've learned more from watching screen plays. Being an observer of films helps me more than reading them...to write visually. I can get a better sense of visual writing. I will screen films that are in the same genre that I am writing...in the early stages of developing a script. Two books I recommend for everyone ... The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler and Save the Cat! (Series) The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. There are many other good books that I've learned a lot from, but if I had to pick, those would be the two. You can apply the concepts in Writer's Journey to any sort of story telling or writing.

MLAC: Any advice for screenwriters trying to get produced?

MV: My first piece of advice is to write something great. There's no substitute other than to write something great. And you need to think about marketability. There's a balance that has to be struck between creativity and originality, if you are going to have commercial success.

MLAC: What was your inspiration for writing Roebling:The Story of the Brooklyn Bridge?

...taken from Mark's website (www.roeblingplay.com): "the new drama Roebling: The Story of the Brooklyn Bridge is in development for a New York City professional production. Produced through special arrangement between the author Mark Violi and Theater To Go. Based on the true story of the Roebling Family who labored against all odds to conceive, design and finally build New York's World-Famous Brooklyn Bridge. This play has been endorsed by the Roebling Museum and played to great acclaim in two past non-equity productions."

MV: I was born in Trenton so I was always aware of the Roebling Family. One night I was watching the History Channel and they did a short piece on the Brooklyn Bridge and it was absolutely amazing. I had always wanted to be a writer and never had anything to write about. So this story really struck a chord with me. Someone should write to dramatize this... and I did it! The mechanization was already there...the plot, the characters were already there. It was a great thing for me to write first. I had to do a ton of research because I wanted it to be historically accurate and of course entertaining. The goal is to have a production in March 2013. We're in the middle of the Indie Go Go Campaign and accepting Tax Deductible Donations with some cool perks of artifacts from the Roebling Factory.

MLAC: Can you tell us about another project you worked on?

MV: Riding the Comet was the second thing that I wrote. It was produced in October 2011 at the Actors Net of Bucks County and was named a top 5 production of 2011 by the Princeton Packet. That idea came to me in a dream. I had a dream about two American soldiers during World War II who were in France and met two sisters. Something made me hang onto that and I built this story around two soldiers and two sisters. That also required a lot of historical research because I wanted it to be accurate.

MLAC: You have a Writer's Resource website...and you are the facilitator/instructor for the Screenwriters' Critique Group at Barnes and Noble in Hamilton, NJ. So that makes you a Pay It Forward kind of guy. Can you speak to that?

MV: One thing I love about writers is that they are so willing to help each other out. We seem to love hashing out story lines, working on characters and navigating through the business end. That's what we try to do with the writers group I facilitate. Writing can also be a very solitary exercise and we find great value in meeting once a month to talk about what we're working on, discuss specific issues with our work and read some pages. I also keep a Writing Resource Page on my www.markvioli.com that has many websites and online materials that I have found useful and puts them in one place to help writers out. I think it is very vital to your success to help out others with their work. So in these ways I get to help others and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

MLAC: To visit Mark's Blog and to find out about his experiences working as an actor in the new film Paranoia and many other projects go to www.markvioli.wordpress.com

(MaryLouise Alu Curto is a Special Education Language Arts Teacher and illustrator who have utilized her lesson plans and other original teaching materials to create picture books, workbooks, nonfiction and fiction articles and teacher's guides for educational curriculum. She can be reached at www.marylouisealucurto.blogspot.com and My Interview Blog which contains interviews with all types of writers and illustrators.)

Homesick at Christmas and New Year

Sylvia Hubilla
Round Rock, Texas
The gaggle of scruffy, mostly barefoot kids' voices soar above the din of jeepney horns a-honking, “Kasadya ning takna-a...” (This is such a merry time...)and “We wish you a Merry Christmas...” to the accompaniment of soda pop bottle caps strung through a wire hoop like a tambourine. At the end of the song, each one gets a shiny coin, or the group gets a peso bill if there is a designated cashier. Then they do the finale, “Thank you, thank you,” and depending on how generous, or un-generous you were, could end this way, “ang babarat ninyo, thank you!” (You are all cheapskates.)

I miss the carolers who walk from house to house – whether the likes of the above, or the more formal groups who come into your home on their appointed time printed on the envelope they sent you days before, and fill your home with songs.

I miss this gift of songs!

I encouraged my three little girls to carol around our neighborhood with their neighbor friends. We would make a list of the names we think would welcome them. I, or one of our helpers, would of course, keep a close watch over them. Some nights, they would come home excited! Some nights, they came home dejected. So I decided, as a rule, that ours would always be the last stop for the group. And of course, we made it worth their while!

The celebration is ushered in by the “ber” months, starting from September to December, and even long into January, for “Pit Senyor!” the big celebration of Sinulog, the Feast of the Infant Jesus. Christmas carols take over the airwaves, blaring from jeepneys, and inside malls and stores.

Christmas officially starts on December 16, and the Simbang Gabi, the dawn masses for nine days before Christmas. The highlight of this early morning ritual for me, was, I'm sorry to admit, not so much for the spiritual, as much as for the gastronomic experience that follows. Outside the Church would be wafting in the air, the enticing, irresistable aroma of “sikwate” (thick, hot cocoa) and “puto bumbong,” purple, “tapul” sticky rice, steamed in bamboo tubes, served with butter or margarine on top, and grated coconut and muscovado sugar on the side.

Or these and more, are usually waiting for you too when you get home. Also add to the mix, the Cebuano puto – sticky rice steamed with ginger, coconut cream, a pinch of salt and sugar, wrapped in banana leaf, usually shaped in a triangle. I would pour my sikwate all over the puto – aah, my tastebuds ascend to gastronomical heaven!

New Year's Day, is another story in itself. The preparation leading to it is a big production. Central to it is the table for the “Media Noche,” as we call the midnight meal the family shares as we welcome the New Year. The center piece would be, of course, the thirteen, round fruits. You would like to start getting this together earlier, because the closer you get to the eve, the rarer, and more expensive they become. And you don't want to have just ten, or eleven, or twelve – it has to be thirteen! And only round fruits! Next, you have to have sweet, sticky food, preferably round.
Then the thirteen grapes for each member of the family, to be consumed by each one all at once at the stroke of midnight! Quite a feat, huh? Oh, and no chicken dish must be served. Pork is fine.

Now the attire is another thing – you must wear polka dots, at least somewhere on your body, visible or not. At midnight, your pockets must have coins to jingle, wallets and purses must have bills in them, windows, doors, drawers, must all be open when midnight comes, to let good luck and prosperity in. And to drive away the evil and negative spirits, we make a lot of noise with anything – horns, pots and pans, honk car horns, and of course – fireworks!

The firecrackers and fireworks are something else! Bordering on the dangerous, sometimes fatal. Hospital emergency rooms go into overdrive. This can go on and on into the wee hours of the morning. I remember the sight, and sound, and the smell of it! When everything died down, the smoke and smell of gunpowder made the neighborhood feel like a war zone. I remember we had to put earplugs on my baby grandson who was home for a visit – poor baby.

Maybe “homesick” is not the right word for what I feel when this season comes around. Because I am, truly “Home” now – with my children and grandchildren.

So when we gather on New Year's Eve for our Media Noche, we will have our thirteen fruits, our thirteen grapes, wearing our polkadots, jingling coins in our pockets, and marrying our traditions with the west, we will have ham, and “biko” or “sapin-sapin” and toast the New Year in with red wine while we do the countdown, waiting for the ball to drop in New York City, via internet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! And may yours be filled with bountiful joy and blessings!

Dance the Night Away: Cebu's Dance Sport Champs Wow New York

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City
The year opened with a dance party at the Astoria World Manor with Cebu's dance sport champions electrifying New York. "Dance the Night Away" brought the house down, with six dancing champions fresh from Cebu and select guests.

Dance sport veteran Ricca Alix and the newly created group AKCreatives, LLC, led by Fred and Cynthia Canete, who are from Cebu City, put the show debut event up on what is to be year of spectacular ballroom dancing in America's east and west coasts.

The dancers definitely wowed the audience that night.

Jessa Mae Briones is a competitor in 5 dance Latin and 5 Dance standard. She was the Champion in the Youth Open Standard at the Nevada Starball Championship in Las Vegas in August 2011.

Also performing were the top three in the Latin Open of Philippine National Dancesport Championship.

Anselmo Estillore Jr. is a 5 dance Latin competitor and champion in the Latin Rising Star of the Nevada Star Ball Championship in Las Vegas in August 2011.

Christopher Albert Corro and Hanna Jane Diluvio were both competitors in Standard and Latin and were champions in the Pre-champ category
in Latin also at the Nevada Star Ball Championship in 2011. The pair also won the Standard competition in the Empire State Dancesport Championship in 2011 and in 2010, they were champions in the Pre-Championships of the Philippine Dancesport Nationals.

Dance couple Renante Saldua and Ricca Alix are 5 dance competitors in Standard and were grand slam Philippine National champions in Special events in 2010. They were champions in the Senior 5 dance Standard at the Nevada Starball Championships in 2011. They were champions in Senior standard in Philadelphia in April 2012.

Dance the Night Away also featured dance presentations by special guests Dr. Dalmy and Baby Francisco, Dr. Tito Tan and Ms. Claire Vogt and dance couple Luciano and Vanda.

Ricca is the one of the founders and pillars of the Dancesport Team Cebu City and the organizer of the AKCreatives in New York City.

[gallery type="slideshow" ids="1584,1582,1581,1580,1579,1576"]

These athlete dancers have honed their talents through the outreach program of the Dancesport Team Cebu City. When they become successful in the field of dancing, they give back what they learned from the team by giving free dance lessons to young children in the grassroot programs for the poor villages of Cebu City.

The Dancesport Team Cebu City won the Book of Guinness synchronized dancing as the larggest dance class in the world in 2009 with 7,7770 participants at the Cebu City Sports Center.

After the huge success of the debut show, Ricca and Cynthia said they are excited to book shows in different cities in the US.

JENN BOCIAN: The Performer To Watch in 2013

By Marivir R. Montebon

New York City

It is a thumbs up the first time you will see and hear The Lady Jenn Bocian! She's definitely the performer to watch in 2013. With superb voice and performance qualities (on par with stars Christina Aguilera and Beyonce), this young lady from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is simply the next big artist.

On the professional front, she launched her debut album and carrier single "Don't Love You" last year and has since continued to rise steadily on the Internet and terrestrial radio.

On the home front, Jenn has two labradors, incredibly supportive parents, and three brothers. The youngest, John, recorded the guitar solo in her first album's single "Don't Love You."

Jenn graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BA in Vocal Performance. Her artistic talents and discipline have been honed in a number of musicals, notably including Dorothy Brock from 42nd St., Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, and Fraulein Kost in Cabaret.

She can sing in a number of languages, which she learned in school and independently: Italian, French, German, Latin, Spanish, and Russian.

The Lady Jenn Bocian looks forward to a wonderful year and credits much of her inspiration from her family. If it weren't for my family, I wouldn't have this incredible opportunity to live out a life-long goal of performing, she said.

Excerpts from the OSM! interview:

1. What is your edge among all the other singers in the country today?

I guess my “edge” would be my classical music experience; finding my strengths through schooling and performing since I was 7. In this ever-going and ever-growing process of studio recording, improvisational technique, harmonizing, and live performance, I am grateful to have had such positive motivators in my life, especially that of my producer, Darrell Lawrence!

2. Who helped you develop your talent in singing and dancing?

I grew up in a musical family; this is where I initially discovered my talent and began to sing and play piano daily. It wasn’t until middle school that I began taking private lessons from Marjorie Waltman. High school was a busy time, where I became involved in Central Dauphin H.S. choirs not only as a participant, but as an intern and eventual president, all under the direction of O. David Deitz. At Lebanon Valley College, I studied a broad range of genres and languages with my private teacher Victoria Rose, as well as Dr. Rebecca Lister and Dr. Mark Mecham to name a few.

3. Who is the singer/performer you somehow look up to?

Beyonce Knowles is not only a fantastic vocalist, but an entrepreneur with incredible focus and drive. I look up to her for all of her talents, and hope to perform with her someday.

I also look up to Mariah Carey for her vocal range and talent live and in studio. What an exceptional artist!

4. Plans for 2013.

I plan to continue promoting my album through live shows. It’s exciting introducing my album to fresh ears... as well as performing songs live for those who already have the album and know the lyrics!

5. Aside from singing and dancing and acting, what else are you good at? (i.e., sports, or cooking?)

I have a bartender’s license, so I can mix a mean drink! In my down time, I crochet blankets for loved ones; I find it very therapeutic. Also, a year ago I picked up the ukulele and haven’t put it down since. I also like to give something back through entertainment to those who may be less fortunate than others, so I look forward to working alongside charitable organizations that help with children, infectious diseases, and the less fortunate.

By Ruth Ezra

Everybody loves PINAYPAY NGA SAGING
Chicago, Illinois

One lazy afternoon, my hubby and I were craving for some fried bananas, especially the Pinaypay nga Saging. It is a favorite snack we enjoyed when we went home to the Philippines earlier this year.

Very few ingredients are needed and so easy to prepare. I just have to slice the bananas into a hand fan, which the name pinaypay derives the name from.

Kits Kitchen ingredients:

• 3 pcs plantain banana (cut into 3 parts)
• White sugar
• Cooking oil
• ½ cup pancake mix
• Milk or water

Kits Kitchen procedure:

• Heat the oil
• Mix flour & milk to appropriate consistency like you make a pancake
• Peel bananas, slice into a hand fan shape
• Coat well the sliced banana in the pancake mixture
• And slowly add into your heated oil.
• Cook till golden brown
• Drain excess oil
• Sprinkle it with white sugar

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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.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Madonna Angeles-Davidoff is a Filipino, American and Swiss rolled into one whose artistry have become pervasive in three continents with a stroke of a paint brush or pencil. This New York-based artist was born and schooled in Manila. She considers famous Philippine artist Larry Alcala (way back in her college days in UP) and New York artist Matt Madden (School of Visual Arts in NYC) as motivated to boost her skills in cartooning.

Madonna created Little Mado, the cartoon series in 2011 after having been inspired by grade school friends whom she reconnected through social media. The amusing memories they shared online actually gave birth to the cartoon Little Mado.

The artist in her got inspired and illustrated those shared memories and posted her own personal experience on social media. Interestingly, it got a lot of positive feedback which prompted Madonna to take seriously making a graphic novel or comicbook.

OSM! features weekly the Little Mado series starting in this issue.