Here's the extended version of my first interview with Darren Criss (I also had a short chat with him at the Globes).
It's become so popular (almost 16 thousand views - thank you, Darren Criss fans!) that it's now one of my most-viewed videos, along with my interviews with Kris Allen, Venus Raj, Adam Lambert, Harry Shum, Jr., and Piolo Pascual.
Showing posts with label Fil Am I Am. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fil Am I Am. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tagaytay's Enduring Charm
By Yong Chavez
www.FilipinOnline.com
One of the most invigorating things I did last year was visit the Philippines. Though it was only for 10 days, the break did my weary body and mind a lot of good.
In October, I went straight from the airport to One Tagaytay Place, which was highly recommended by my friend and kababayan Manny Ilagan of the Philippine Tourism office in Los Angeles.
Like anyone who's traveled the fatiguing LAX to Manila flight, I was crabby and sore by the time I arrived at the hotel.
But as soon as our group (I was joined by my mom, sister and niece) arrived, the staff starting with the concierge put me at ease with the kind of hospitality that us Filipinos are known for.
Juday Aniceto, my contact at the hotel, greeted me like a long-lost friend even though we've only met through email when I was making the reservation back in Los Angeles.
Chatting with her reminded me why we Filipinos make it anywhere we go: we're naturally friendly and supportive of every kababayan we meet. In America,no matter where I am, I break into the widest smile whenever I hear someone speaking Tagalog or talking about anything remotely Filipino.
When we got into our room, a basket filled with local fruits and pineapple drinks artfully stored in the fruit itself were waiting for us. As a kid, I had enough warnings about not eating different fruits at the same time. Fruits sold in U.S. stores taste bland in comparison to the kinds grown in the Philippines so I was tempted to inhale the whole basket in one sitting. Thankfully, mom stopped me before a tummy ache could ruin my already too-short trip.
The room was tastefully decorated. It had modern features but the native touches were endearing. I loved the soft bed with pristine white sheets. It was perfect for what I had in mind at that moment: rest my jet lagged body.
After grabbing a two-hour sleep, I was ready for the day's activities. I made arrangements to interview the hotel's general manager to talk about tourism in Tagaytay and visit noteworthy places in the area.
Here's my chat with Karl:
After, Juday took us to a chapel, a zoo, and a bee farm.
At the chapel, I saw a counter where you can write down your prayers and drop it in a box. Putting personal thoughts down on anything that will be read by another person is usually a no-no for me. But there's something so peaceful about the place that allowed my usually cynical self to let go. Faith is a very personal thing to me - I never publicly discuss it. But in the presence of other supplicants, I found myself not just able but liberated to bare my soul. Afterwards, I quietly repeated what I wrote when I kneeled down in front of a Mother Mary statue.
We went to the zoo next. I've been to the Los Angeles zoo and I have to admit, this zoo was very small in comparison. But my visit to the LA zoo was missing a major component: I didn't go there with a child. I experienced the Tagaytay Zoo with my adorable niece, an urban girl whose dealings with animals are limited to cats and dogs. She was so ecstatic to see the animals up close that we jaded adults found ourselves enjoying the visit as well. The monkeys were especially entertaining as they gracefully swung and interacted with each other in their cage as if mounting a choreographed stage production.
Lastly we went to a bee farm where personal care products are made. Entering the simple shop, I'm reminded how much it differed from my favorite Bath and Body Works branch back home, but they share the same vibe and scent. They both offer simple bliss in a bottle. I bought several items and smelled lovely the whole time. I snuck a peek at their back area and saw young women happily chatting away while mixing ingredients.
On our way back to the hotel, I saw an image that for me encapsulates Tagaytay's appeal: an old woman with a makeshift cane casually walking into the woods like she probably has been doing all her life, oblivious to the hustle and noise of passing cars and the modern yet quaint hotels housing busy people just a few feet away from her. Through the years, Tagaytay has managed to retain its old-world charm yet it's able to provide world-class amenities for tourists.
Back at One Tagaytay, the final appointment in my packed arrival day schedule was waiting. I couldn't be happier. All day, as soon as I deplaned, I was aching for this: a full-body massage guaranteed to take away all the stress that I've put my body through.
After an hour of being kneaded by a pair of professional in-house massage therapists, I was boneless and satisfied. And extremely sleepy. The massage knocked me out faster than any sleeping aid I've ever had. But before I nodded off, I remember asking the therapists to come back with me to Los Angeles. We all laughed and I wished wasn't just kidding.
The following day, I woke up refreshed and hungry. Before we checked out, my family enjoyed the hotel's sumptuous breakfast buffet. I skipped the Continental breakfast selections and filled my plate with Filipino food. Sarap-to-the-bones. In all my years in the U.S., there's one part of me that will always be 100% Pinay - my tummy still belongs to Philippine food.
After, I said my reluctant goodbyes to the friendly staff. I wish I had a week, at least, to stay in the hotel but I had appointments to get to.
I don't know when I will be going home to the Philippines again, but this I know for sure: when I do, a stay at One Tagaytay Place is a must.
www.FilipinOnline.com
One of the most invigorating things I did last year was visit the Philippines. Though it was only for 10 days, the break did my weary body and mind a lot of good.
In October, I went straight from the airport to One Tagaytay Place, which was highly recommended by my friend and kababayan Manny Ilagan of the Philippine Tourism office in Los Angeles.
Like anyone who's traveled the fatiguing LAX to Manila flight, I was crabby and sore by the time I arrived at the hotel.
But as soon as our group (I was joined by my mom, sister and niece) arrived, the staff starting with the concierge put me at ease with the kind of hospitality that us Filipinos are known for.
Juday Aniceto, my contact at the hotel, greeted me like a long-lost friend even though we've only met through email when I was making the reservation back in Los Angeles.
Chatting with her reminded me why we Filipinos make it anywhere we go: we're naturally friendly and supportive of every kababayan we meet. In America,no matter where I am, I break into the widest smile whenever I hear someone speaking Tagalog or talking about anything remotely Filipino.
When we got into our room, a basket filled with local fruits and pineapple drinks artfully stored in the fruit itself were waiting for us. As a kid, I had enough warnings about not eating different fruits at the same time. Fruits sold in U.S. stores taste bland in comparison to the kinds grown in the Philippines so I was tempted to inhale the whole basket in one sitting. Thankfully, mom stopped me before a tummy ache could ruin my already too-short trip.
The room was tastefully decorated. It had modern features but the native touches were endearing. I loved the soft bed with pristine white sheets. It was perfect for what I had in mind at that moment: rest my jet lagged body.
After grabbing a two-hour sleep, I was ready for the day's activities. I made arrangements to interview the hotel's general manager to talk about tourism in Tagaytay and visit noteworthy places in the area.
Here's my chat with Karl:
After, Juday took us to a chapel, a zoo, and a bee farm.
At the chapel, I saw a counter where you can write down your prayers and drop it in a box. Putting personal thoughts down on anything that will be read by another person is usually a no-no for me. But there's something so peaceful about the place that allowed my usually cynical self to let go. Faith is a very personal thing to me - I never publicly discuss it. But in the presence of other supplicants, I found myself not just able but liberated to bare my soul. Afterwards, I quietly repeated what I wrote when I kneeled down in front of a Mother Mary statue.
We went to the zoo next. I've been to the Los Angeles zoo and I have to admit, this zoo was very small in comparison. But my visit to the LA zoo was missing a major component: I didn't go there with a child. I experienced the Tagaytay Zoo with my adorable niece, an urban girl whose dealings with animals are limited to cats and dogs. She was so ecstatic to see the animals up close that we jaded adults found ourselves enjoying the visit as well. The monkeys were especially entertaining as they gracefully swung and interacted with each other in their cage as if mounting a choreographed stage production.
Lastly we went to a bee farm where personal care products are made. Entering the simple shop, I'm reminded how much it differed from my favorite Bath and Body Works branch back home, but they share the same vibe and scent. They both offer simple bliss in a bottle. I bought several items and smelled lovely the whole time. I snuck a peek at their back area and saw young women happily chatting away while mixing ingredients.
On our way back to the hotel, I saw an image that for me encapsulates Tagaytay's appeal: an old woman with a makeshift cane casually walking into the woods like she probably has been doing all her life, oblivious to the hustle and noise of passing cars and the modern yet quaint hotels housing busy people just a few feet away from her. Through the years, Tagaytay has managed to retain its old-world charm yet it's able to provide world-class amenities for tourists.
Back at One Tagaytay, the final appointment in my packed arrival day schedule was waiting. I couldn't be happier. All day, as soon as I deplaned, I was aching for this: a full-body massage guaranteed to take away all the stress that I've put my body through.
After an hour of being kneaded by a pair of professional in-house massage therapists, I was boneless and satisfied. And extremely sleepy. The massage knocked me out faster than any sleeping aid I've ever had. But before I nodded off, I remember asking the therapists to come back with me to Los Angeles. We all laughed and I wished wasn't just kidding.
The following day, I woke up refreshed and hungry. Before we checked out, my family enjoyed the hotel's sumptuous breakfast buffet. I skipped the Continental breakfast selections and filled my plate with Filipino food. Sarap-to-the-bones. In all my years in the U.S., there's one part of me that will always be 100% Pinay - my tummy still belongs to Philippine food.
After, I said my reluctant goodbyes to the friendly staff. I wish I had a week, at least, to stay in the hotel but I had appointments to get to.
I don't know when I will be going home to the Philippines again, but this I know for sure: when I do, a stay at One Tagaytay Place is a must.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Patalastas
I can't believe 2008 is almost over, and there are still so many things I want to do! I planned a blog makeover, but due to my crazy sked, that was sidelined for the nth time. Looking back, I know I missed posting a lot of Fil-Am news, features and topics - even those I actually covered for TV, I didn't even get the chance to write about here.
I'll try to do better in 2009.
I'm also writing a book that's culled from my reporting experiences so I hope to be able to publish more info about that here in a few weeks, fingers crossed.
To those emailers that I haven't responded to: Please don't be mad, I'm writing back soon.
Manigong bagong taon sa ating lahat!
I'll try to do better in 2009.
I'm also writing a book that's culled from my reporting experiences so I hope to be able to publish more info about that here in a few weeks, fingers crossed.
To those emailers that I haven't responded to: Please don't be mad, I'm writing back soon.
Manigong bagong taon sa ating lahat!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
AMERICA VOTES FOR CHANGE
History is made, and we are part of it.
Congratulations, President-elect Barack Obama. Congratulations, too, to Sen. John McCain for such a classy concession speech.
This morning I left home first to vote, and then to polling places in West Covina and Walnut, Calif. to report live on FilAm voting experiences for ABS-CBN's news shows.
I was supposed to wait for a family member so that we can vote together after office hours but I just couldn't take the chance, if for some reason I can't be at my polling place by 8 p.m.
I couldn't wait to vote. I couldn't even sleep last night because this is all I think about recently. This was my first time to vote, and there's no chance I will squander this right and privilege.
But after voting, I put aside the personal and went to work to report on today's historic elections.
In two live phone patch reports for ABS-CBN, (and for LA18's Kababayan LA - a last-minute request from colleague and friend, Jannelle So), I spoke about how Filipinos supported each candidadate.
Among the Fil-Am voters I interviewed in the area, a majority (around 70%) supported McCain. "He's a veteran." "He is just better." "He's a Republican." were the reasons they gave. Someone also said that her church told her to vote for McCain so she did.
Those who favored Obama were more detailed in their reasoning: "His economic policies make more sense." "Kay Bush, nawalan ako ng trabaho, nasira ang ekonomiya, so bakit ko iboboto ang kagaya rin nya?" "I voted for him because he gives me hope. I hope that one day, I will see a Filipino American president, too."
The news about Obama's win might not be great for those Filipinos we talked to, but as one Fil Am voter said: "Whoever we voted for, what's important is how we claimed our place and believed in our power as Americans - immigrant or not."
What's in store for FilAms who didn't believe in Obama? In his acceptance speech, Obama acknowledged those who didn't vote for him. He said, "I hear you, too."
But will they hear him, too? That is the hope.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
HOUSEKEEPING
I met a fellow Pinay blogger online (Hi, Avee!) and she gave me some tips on how to add some gadgets on FilipinOnline. Hopefully, I'll be able to follow her instructions because as evidenced by the bare-bones look of this little shingle, I could never be mistaken for a blogging expert.
Anyway-- This morning, I added a 'Latest News' link on the right. I put the keywords 'Filipino Americans' and was pleasantly surprised to see the online version of my Balitang America report about Singgalot in the ABS-CBN site as one of the links. Serendipitous! If you didn't catch that TV report, this short article summarizes the event.
And if you find yourself in the L.A. area, go to Remy's at Temple in Historic Filipinotown and see this Smithsonian Institution exhibit about the history of Fil Ams in the last 100 years. It's terrific, compelling, educational, and touching.
Here's a photo from the exhibit's opening taken by lotusflower252004, sent to me by one of Singgalot's prime movers, Prosy de la Cruz.
Anyway-- This morning, I added a 'Latest News' link on the right. I put the keywords 'Filipino Americans' and was pleasantly surprised to see the online version of my Balitang America report about Singgalot in the ABS-CBN site as one of the links. Serendipitous! If you didn't catch that TV report, this short article summarizes the event.
And if you find yourself in the L.A. area, go to Remy's at Temple in Historic Filipinotown and see this Smithsonian Institution exhibit about the history of Fil Ams in the last 100 years. It's terrific, compelling, educational, and touching.
Here's a photo from the exhibit's opening taken by lotusflower252004, sent to me by one of Singgalot's prime movers, Prosy de la Cruz.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
FIL AM I AM: Going Home
I just had a semi-crisis: It's been so long since I posted last that for a moment I forgot my blog password. Thankfully, my morning-brain freeze was only temporary.
So, I went home to the Philippines last month. I found it apt that before both my departure and arrival, I thought of the same thing: "I'm going home." As one quippy Fil Am told me once: "America is our homeland; Philippines is our motherland." We Fil Ams - like many Pinoys who live all over the world but still maintain Philippine roots - have two homes, and we're so lucky.
Manila is so different, and yet it's still the same. Masikip is the best physical description I could come up with as soon as I entered the always-chaotic NAIA terminal. But Manila has always been masikip. Its very limited space is part of its appeal, I guess. If you're poor and un-connected, it is so hard to survive there that some people from the provinces probably treat it as a badge of honor to be able to eke out a living there.
The traffic is as slow as I remembered - but not, I thought, any worse than the 101 freeway in L.A. at rush hour. But the crazy driving and careless pedestrian-crossing are a different matter altogether. The photo I took of this truly Pinoy behaviour (see above pic) was on the front page of Philippine News a few weeks ago. Of course, in true Pinoy fashion, humor seeps through the seriousness of this situation. Tell me you don't get the urge to chuckle when you read the sign. Morbid humor. Pinoys do it best, I tell ya.
The only place I got the time to visit was Malacanang (to interview Press Secretary Bunye), and the popular Mall of Asia. I hope to write about both in later posts.
I wish I have more interesting stories to share today about my trip but since it was short and my time to write today feels shorter, I would include in this post a promise to double my efforts to write more in the coming days.
There's info galore in my Ask a Kababayan and Buhay America Tips folders so please come back later. (I know I'm writing as if I have a steady group of readers, but I can dream, can't I?:)
I also have several Q&As lined up. I've done four or five stories (for PN and Balitang America) since I came back but I didn't even find the time to write about them for my own website. Pathetic, no? While covering those stories, I witnessed a Pinay mom break down after her daughter's and grandson's killer was sentenced to life in prison; laughed at a breakdancing young Pinoy wearing kamisa de chino backstage at a Filipino Cultural Night in Knot's Berry Farm; and hear both Hillary and Obama prominently mention their support of Filipino WWII vets at the historic (if horribly attended) first-ever Asian & Pacific Islander Americans Presidential Townhall.
I'm also busy getting my mom settled here (she's the reason I went home; my petition for her went through fast and without a hitch, yay!) My mom is quickly adjusting to Fil-Am life; you should see her cheering for American Idol's David Cook last night. I myself was cheering for Archie, but what the hey. There were definite Pinoy moments in the show (Ramiele & Renaldo were there, of course) but the best thing for me when we were watching it was seeing her appreciate how in America, everything is possible if you work hard. Say what you will about AI (cheesy, repetitive, with shameless and crass commercialism - all true, BTW) but at its best, it's truly great TV for us impossible-dreamers.
She is still converting everything to pesos and misses her Tagalog soap operas (Have you heard of Lobo? Apparently, wolves roam the Philippines like askals. In TVland, that is.) but she is now addicted to Law & Order and Crossing Jordan reruns on cable. She also appreciates many things about American living. For instance, she was amazed by how quickly the process for applying for a senior ID took at the DMV.
"Lahat mabilis dito. Tsaka lahat malaki," she says while looking at a watermelon double the size of her torso at Walmart.
Through her, I'm gaining a lot of information for new and senior citizen-immigrants that I could share with other Pinoys undergoing/about to undergo similar family petitions. By the way, did you hear about the new H2B ruling? This might help you, so check it out.
All these post-trip activities on top of my regular workload required busier-than-ever multi-tasking that of course pointed out one undeniable fact: I'm home. Time to get crackin'.
So, I went home to the Philippines last month. I found it apt that before both my departure and arrival, I thought of the same thing: "I'm going home." As one quippy Fil Am told me once: "America is our homeland; Philippines is our motherland." We Fil Ams - like many Pinoys who live all over the world but still maintain Philippine roots - have two homes, and we're so lucky.
Manila is so different, and yet it's still the same. Masikip is the best physical description I could come up with as soon as I entered the always-chaotic NAIA terminal. But Manila has always been masikip. Its very limited space is part of its appeal, I guess. If you're poor and un-connected, it is so hard to survive there that some people from the provinces probably treat it as a badge of honor to be able to eke out a living there.
The traffic is as slow as I remembered - but not, I thought, any worse than the 101 freeway in L.A. at rush hour. But the crazy driving and careless pedestrian-crossing are a different matter altogether. The photo I took of this truly Pinoy behaviour (see above pic) was on the front page of Philippine News a few weeks ago. Of course, in true Pinoy fashion, humor seeps through the seriousness of this situation. Tell me you don't get the urge to chuckle when you read the sign. Morbid humor. Pinoys do it best, I tell ya.
The only place I got the time to visit was Malacanang (to interview Press Secretary Bunye), and the popular Mall of Asia. I hope to write about both in later posts.
I wish I have more interesting stories to share today about my trip but since it was short and my time to write today feels shorter, I would include in this post a promise to double my efforts to write more in the coming days.
There's info galore in my Ask a Kababayan and Buhay America Tips folders so please come back later. (I know I'm writing as if I have a steady group of readers, but I can dream, can't I?:)
I also have several Q&As lined up. I've done four or five stories (for PN and Balitang America) since I came back but I didn't even find the time to write about them for my own website. Pathetic, no? While covering those stories, I witnessed a Pinay mom break down after her daughter's and grandson's killer was sentenced to life in prison; laughed at a breakdancing young Pinoy wearing kamisa de chino backstage at a Filipino Cultural Night in Knot's Berry Farm; and hear both Hillary and Obama prominently mention their support of Filipino WWII vets at the historic (if horribly attended) first-ever Asian & Pacific Islander Americans Presidential Townhall.
I'm also busy getting my mom settled here (she's the reason I went home; my petition for her went through fast and without a hitch, yay!) My mom is quickly adjusting to Fil-Am life; you should see her cheering for American Idol's David Cook last night. I myself was cheering for Archie, but what the hey. There were definite Pinoy moments in the show (Ramiele & Renaldo were there, of course) but the best thing for me when we were watching it was seeing her appreciate how in America, everything is possible if you work hard. Say what you will about AI (cheesy, repetitive, with shameless and crass commercialism - all true, BTW) but at its best, it's truly great TV for us impossible-dreamers.
She is still converting everything to pesos and misses her Tagalog soap operas (Have you heard of Lobo? Apparently, wolves roam the Philippines like askals. In TVland, that is.) but she is now addicted to Law & Order and Crossing Jordan reruns on cable. She also appreciates many things about American living. For instance, she was amazed by how quickly the process for applying for a senior ID took at the DMV.
"Lahat mabilis dito. Tsaka lahat malaki," she says while looking at a watermelon double the size of her torso at Walmart.
Through her, I'm gaining a lot of information for new and senior citizen-immigrants that I could share with other Pinoys undergoing/about to undergo similar family petitions. By the way, did you hear about the new H2B ruling? This might help you, so check it out.
All these post-trip activities on top of my regular workload required busier-than-ever multi-tasking that of course pointed out one undeniable fact: I'm home. Time to get crackin'.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Simula
Welcome to FilipinOnline!
As described above, this site aims to provide News, Helpful Information, Features and Entertainment For and About Filipinos in America. Currently, it is Southern California-centric, but I aim to include more national Fil Am news and features in the future.
I want to say that this place is a product of some overnight tinkering but the truth is it took me a long time to finally realize this dream.
While covering Filipino news in Southern California, I've always been struck by the wealth of material that goes unreported in our community. As the reporting assignments I get are frequently of the "if it bleeds, it leads" variety, I hungered for the days when I will get the opportunity to write about stories in our community that are truly worth caring about.
It took me a long time to break free of my fears and inhibitions about striking out on my own to finally follow through on this idea for a site that aims to help, inform and entertain my fellow kababayans.
Here we have a segment called "Ask A Kababayan" where anyone can pose a question that will be answered by a kababayan who is in a relevant field, or by someone who, due to a personal experience, just knows the answer.
This is our online version of bayanihan, one of our greatest Pinoy traits.
When I was just starting out in America back in 2000, I would have killed for a place like this where I would be able to get help from kababayans who've been there and done that. And because it seems like we have successfully infiltrated every field there is in America, I am confident that somewhere, somehow, some knowledgeable Pinoy will always be able and willing to inform a kababayan in need.
We also have Buhay America Tips. It's fun collecting these tips because I get to learn a lot in the process too.
There are lots more in store!
I was inspired to finally take the plunge to set up this long-dreamed of site when I discovered darynkagan.com, a website created by former CNN news anchor, Daryn Kagan. She calls her website a "hopeful" news site whose aim is "to show the world what's possible." Her site's credo, it seems, is just simply to help and inspire.
I hope to do the same thing, and I hope you'll join me on this trip.
Yong B. Chavez
As described above, this site aims to provide News, Helpful Information, Features and Entertainment For and About Filipinos in America. Currently, it is Southern California-centric, but I aim to include more national Fil Am news and features in the future.
I want to say that this place is a product of some overnight tinkering but the truth is it took me a long time to finally realize this dream.
While covering Filipino news in Southern California, I've always been struck by the wealth of material that goes unreported in our community. As the reporting assignments I get are frequently of the "if it bleeds, it leads" variety, I hungered for the days when I will get the opportunity to write about stories in our community that are truly worth caring about.
It took me a long time to break free of my fears and inhibitions about striking out on my own to finally follow through on this idea for a site that aims to help, inform and entertain my fellow kababayans.
Here we have a segment called "Ask A Kababayan" where anyone can pose a question that will be answered by a kababayan who is in a relevant field, or by someone who, due to a personal experience, just knows the answer.
This is our online version of bayanihan, one of our greatest Pinoy traits.
When I was just starting out in America back in 2000, I would have killed for a place like this where I would be able to get help from kababayans who've been there and done that. And because it seems like we have successfully infiltrated every field there is in America, I am confident that somewhere, somehow, some knowledgeable Pinoy will always be able and willing to inform a kababayan in need.
We also have Buhay America Tips. It's fun collecting these tips because I get to learn a lot in the process too.
There are lots more in store!
I was inspired to finally take the plunge to set up this long-dreamed of site when I discovered darynkagan.com, a website created by former CNN news anchor, Daryn Kagan. She calls her website a "hopeful" news site whose aim is "to show the world what's possible." Her site's credo, it seems, is just simply to help and inspire.
I hope to do the same thing, and I hope you'll join me on this trip.
Yong B. Chavez
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