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For the past 20 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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The last time I heard a real alarm clock -- the one that rings like an old telephone and rouses you to sleep like it’s the last morning of your life -- was in 2001. My sister had this really old alarm clock, complete with a rooster on top of it. I hated that clock. I always wake up with bad feelings because of it.
Recently, I noticed that I have totally gone digital. Even my alarm clock is a software that plays music from iTunes at a specified time of my desire. Very cool.
I get to chose the sound that would wake me up each morning and I never wake up with ill vibes. I could choose to have the legendary Astrud Gilberto to wake me up with a cool Bossanova or have The Beatles’ ‘Good Day Sunshine’ usher me to the new day.
Realizing that even my alarm clock is no longer the classic analog alarm clock, it woke me up even more. I discovered that my present life is so dependent on technology. I have become THE iLife -- a walking, breathing organism whose daily existence is governed by a thing called a computer, a power mac to be specific.
The digital life has eaten every analog bit in my world. I am because of OSX.
It is scary, but that’s how it is . Do you want to take a peek at my iLife?
Here it is:- I wake up to iTunes.
- My morning paper is NY times.com
- I watch movies using my mac’s DVD player, quicktime and iPod.
- I rent DVDs online.
- My TV is You tube.
- My entire music collection is not a pile of CDs, tapes or vinyl but tiny programs called, AIFF, MP3 and AAC stocked in my computer music library and my iPod.
- My radio is internet radio.
- I order pizza at Vinny’s Jersey City -- an online Pizzeria.
- I do my grocery at Freshdirect.com
- The last time I actually bought something out of a physical shop was when I bought my computer from downtown Manhattan.
- I buy clothes online.
- I sell stuff online.
- I pay people I owe money from using paypal.com
- I get Chinese food online.
- I bank online.
- I haven’t got a hold of a real photographic film since 1999.
- My photos are all digital.
- My calendar is not made of paper with photos of sexy girls for every month.
- I freak out when I see real, physical volumes of encyclopedias - I go wikipedia.
- I chat without talking.
- My ongoing and outgoing mail are all stamp-less and paper-free.
- I have saved a lot of trees for using eBooks.
- My diary is called a blog and it can be viewed by the whole world.
- I send and receive digital greeting cards.
- My doctor is called webmd.com
- My notebook is not bound by spring or string.
- I make phone calls using the internet.
- I am more worried about computer viruses than HIV.
The scary part of having a life stored in a hard drive is not knowing how to exist without it. I always wonder what would become of me if the internet ceases to be. And I always feel that if ever all these online conveniences disappear, I would be like a pre-historic guy who knows nothing but to start a fire using two stones.
Simply put, I cannot live without technology. I mean, how could anyone live without eMail? I know a lot of folks who still hold out on eMails and the online life. I suppose they just wanna be, well, regular folks. with no attachments. I could dig that especially because most of these tech hold-outs belong to an older generation who live ‘analog’ lives and grew up in a then ‘analog’ world.
What I don’t get are the folks of my generation, who grew up in the age of Super Mario Brothers and the world wide web yet avoid using any of today’s modernconviniences for political reason.
One time, I received an eMail from a radical group that despises anything hi-tech. Hypocrites!
I even find websites condemning the internet for making a generation full of lazy. tech-dependent junkies. It even promotes the theory that the number of the beast is not really 666 but a computer’s IP address.
I cannot force these groups or people to lead a life the same as mine. But hey, it’s cool to have an iLife - at least it’s one letter longer than regular lives.
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MANILA -- New mother Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo sports a body to-die for. At mid-30s, she has the measurement that is the envy of women in their 20s.
The mother of nine-month-old Jacobo swears that every pound she gained was worth it for her son but she admits to the depression and insecurity upon seeing her inflated body right after childbirth. She says, “Coming from a pregnancy, it was very frustrating since I couldn’t do much about my excess weight. Given my post-caesarian condition, I was temporarily barred from doing any taxing activity that, for a moment, I already contemplated on getting liposuction as a desperate measure.”
After considering all the horrors of liposuction, Dawn dropped the idea of any surgical procedure. She candidly utters, “I don’t want to look like a longganisa after going under the knife! I don’t want the uneven curves that liposuction often produces. I know people who have regretted their decision after the ripple-like curves start to form and become visible on their bodies. It’s really ugly. Add to it the fact that it’s not just expensive, but most importantly, it can be quite dangerous.”
It was at this point that she chanced upon Marie France’s slimming system. “Upon finding out that all their treatments are non-invasive, I immediately gave it a try. The next thing I know, I was dramatically losing all the unwanted pounds and inches of flab,” Dawn narrates. “And then finally, after shedding all that fat, I found out about Marie France’s newest treatment, Ultrashape. It was the perfect finishing touch for people who have lost weight but still have some lumps and bumps that just won’t seem to go away.”
Flaunting her flat stomach, she proudly says, “The effect is already visible as early as the first treatment, would you believe! I was pleasantly surprised to see my tummy flatten. It boosted my confidence that I started treatment on my thighs soon after. So you see, liposuction is unnecessary.”
She adds that there was no discomfort during the treatment, “It was painless. The doctors explained that Ultrashape destroys the fat cells in the targeted areas like my stomach and thighs. From there, the fat is metabolized and burned naturally by my body as energy. Before I knew it, my body’s once again capable of wearing even the skimpiest of outfits like a bikini. I’m confident because I have nothing more to hide. I’ve got the body of a sexy 20 something woman even if I’m already 37 and have just given birth!”
But she adds, “Just beware of the consequences of Ultrashape. You’ll definitely start looking more delicious to your husband and you just might find yourself pregnant again!” (MNS)
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MANILA -- It’s confirmed!
GMA-7 has already taken Jericho Rosales and Heart Evangelista under their wing and new shows are now being prepared for them. But they cannot announce it yet in the open as both Echo and Heart want to formally say farewell to their mentor, Johnny Manahan or Mr. M of ABS-CBN Star Magic.
But this early, GMA-7 executives are being warned that the shows of the love birds might not click, just like their last pairing in the ill-fated “Panday” that didn’t rate at all. “Nega kasi ang dating ng romansa nila sa tao,” someone opines.
Echo really needs to do a lot of damage control, especially now that his name is being dragged by Jane Gonowon, the former live-in partner of his younger brother, Jeremiah, for refusing to intercede for her in her efforts to get their two kids’ monthly allowance from his brother. (MNS)
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MANILA -- Melissa Mendez hopes to finally get married. She almost married bold actor JC Castro but it was good she backed out before it was too late. Melissa has three daughters aged 18, 15 and 8. Her new boyfriend is an American she met through a friend.
“It’s a long-distance love affair as he is based in California,” she says. “He’s 38 years old and a computer engineer. We have yet to see each other, but we do communicate regularly through the webcam. He has proposed marriage and I’ve accepted it. He’s coming over here in November to finalize the plans. My eldest daughter will be my maid of honor. I told him I’ll never live in the US so he said he’s ready to settle down here. Dito na siya maghahanap ng trabaho.”
Will she require him to sign a pre-nuptial agreement?
“Of course. Although he’s earning well, I think in terms of property, mas mayaman ako sa kanya.”(MNS)
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NORA Aunor fans will be pleased to know that the latest digital film she did in the US, “Ingrata (Ungrateful),” will be shown on September 27 exclusively at SM.
Directed by L.A.-based Joey Gonzales, Ate Guy plays Bea, a Pinay who goes to California to help her family. To make her stay legal, she has a fixed marriage with an American, played by John Robert Porter (that’s John Rendez for you, using his real name). In the process, she falls in love with John even if he abuses her. When she decides to leave him, people call her ingrata.
“The film explores the Pinoy concept of utang na loob,” says Joey. “Hanggang saan ba ‘yan? Nababayaran ba ‘yan? You’ll find the answer after watching Nora’s story. The script is written by Bernardo Bernardo, who’s also in the film as Nora’s brother.”
Why did they get Ate Guy? “I was also involved in the film she did with Suzette Ranillo, ‘Care Home,’ that was never shown in Manila. We thought she hasn’t had a new movie and this might be a good comeback project for her. Mas maganda nga sana if she’s with us to help promote it here, but she can’t leave the US yet. We shot the film while she’s serving her rehab sentence after her arrest at the L.A. airport. We’re releasing this in various places with the help of the Bantay Bata Foundation thatís our main beneficiary.”
Did she give them any problem?
“None. We heard horror stories about her but, in fairness, while shooting this, she’s always on time. Kung minsan, 10 or 15 minutes earlier pa sa’min sa set. Tuwang-tuwa siya when I ask her to block her own scenes. At magaling naman talaga siya.”
But we heard the producer for the movie “Aswang sa San Francisco” backed out because her manager, Nori Sayo, has many demands? “We dealt directly with Nora. That time, wala sila ni Nori kaya mas madali siyang kausap. But now, we heard nagkabalikan na nga sila. Her only request was for us to get John. At first ayoko, but then I decided to give him a chance. Noong una, I’m telling him to act a certain way. Pero kahit paulit-ulit, hindi niya makuha, so I just allowed him to be himself. Hirap na hirap lang siya sa romantic scenes nila ni Nora. Hindi raw kasi sila gan’on.”
“Thatís true,” says Isah Red, who’s close to Ate Guy. “Hindi sila nagse-sex kasi ang tingin ni John kay Guy, mother niya. Nora says she’ll never forsake John kasi at the time she’s down and out, he never left her. Iba ang relasyon at closeness nila.”
It’s now time for all Noranians to join forces and support “Ingrata,” so it won’t end up like her last film, “Naglalayag,” where she gave an unforgettable performance but was first day-last day in many theaters. (MNS)
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NEW YORK CITY - Over 250 Filipino youth, workers and allies from New York and New Jersey united on September 23, 2006 for a night of music and poetry to speak out against oppression, human rights violations and other issues that affect Filipinos in the Philippines and in the United States. “Reclaim: (Re) Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. II” was organized by the New York/New Jersey based Filipino youth organization Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland).
Ugnayan is a grass roots youth organization, whose members include both US born Filipinos and immigrants, aims to bring together Filipino youth and educate them with issues affecting Filipinos in the Philippines and in the US.
Reclaim II commemorated the Filipino peoples’ collective resistance against the state of Martial Law that took place during the Ferdinand Marcos regime from 1972-1986. The fund-raising event started at 8:30 PM and it featured primarily Filipino youth as well as other allied immigrant and youth of color performers and artists: Hip Hop acts Deep Foundation and Spirit Child, acoustic soul singer Taiyo Na, rock bands- Qwadra, The Happy Analogues, and acoustic singer Maui Zafra. Street theatre by Ugnayan and Damayan Migrant Workers Association dramatized the political killings. Visual art/photography pieces were featured by artists Luke Abiol, Kiko Bordeos, Emmy Catedral, Maria Gonzales, Joana Palomar and Soulfire.
The presentations, especially the dramatized political killings were elaborate and at most times, haunting due to its solemnity. A visual presentation further made Ugnayan’s message clearer to the audience, as clips of martial law travesties flashed on a big projection screen while some protest verses were being read. The organization never left a stone unturned.
The event, though serious in tone, was festive in nature until an abrasive St. Mark’s Parish Church Hall employee stormed the stage, interrupted the rap artist Spirit Child and called an end to the program due to time constraints. The resulting fiasco was a result of a failed negotiation deal between the organizers and the St. Mark’s management to extend the time of the use of the Church Hall. As a result, rock bands The Kuwagos and Blue Mellon Pop, and hip hop MC Koba were unable to perform to the disappointment of some members of the audience, who even voiced out their cry for a refund. The organizers charged $10 with a meal stub and a drink ticket.
Yet despite the messy ending, the program was generally a success. As the wide range of artistic expression reflected the diversity of the Filipino community’s experiences, both US-born and immigrant, straight and queer, who came together as a unified identity, consciousness, and fist of defiance against the systemic oppression victimizing the Filipino people throughout history.
Local Filipino youth and Reclaim II organizer Chevy Evangelista says, “Reclaim II was a phenomenal event for Filipinos in New York and New Jersey. The youth, domestic workers, professionals, artists, women, queers, immigrants and second generation youth born and raised in the US all united in one congregation.”
Reclaim II served as a prologue to “Pasulong: Our Stories Must Be Told, Our Future Must Be Forged,” which will take place on November 3-5, 2006 at Barnard College in New York City.
Pasulong is a youth consultation, also organized by Ugnayan, to address the issues of Filipino youth in the New York and New Jersey area, and will connect local and homefront issues.
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