YES PHILIPPINES Newsmagazine - November 2017 by YES PHILIPPINES Nordic Edition

NOVEM BER 2017

LETTY SIM PSON A Filipin o Fair y Tale Com e Tr u e

in SWEDEN

BLACK ROSE BAND Den m ar k 's Fir st Filipin o Ban d Con t in u es t o Rock

A J DEE TheFilipino Star Risesin NORWAY

NOVEM BER 2017

Let t er Fr om Th e Pu blish er Mabuhay! Welcom e to the m ai den i ssue of YES PHILIPPINES New sm agazi ne Nordi c Edi ti on.

This Edition is distributed all over the Nordic region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland & Iceland).

We are exci ted to present thi s fi rst ever m onthly publi cati on for the Fi li pi nos i n the Nordi cs. I rem em ber i t vi vi dly w hen the i dea to create thi s publi cati on germ i nated i n m y m i nd just recently. It w as i n the afternoon of 2 Septem ber 2017 duri ng the ti m e that I w as em ceei ng the 4th Nordi c Barri o Fi esta i n Oslo, Norw ay. I casually asked som e people i n the crow d and the Fi li pi no guests from Sw eden and Denm ark i n attendance i f there ever w as a new spaper dedi cated for Pi noys i n the Nordi cs. The uni nam ous reply w as none. I w as told that there w ere a couple of m agazi nes (now defunct) that ci rculated bri efly before but they w ere never i ntended solely for the Nordi c regi on but for a Europe-w i de ci rculati on.

'I r em em ber it vividly when the idea to cr eate this publication ger m inated in m y m ind.'

YES PHILIPPINES Nordi c Edi ti on, bei ng the fi rst ever publi cati on for Pi noys i n the Nordi cs, happens to be our fi rst foray i n the fi eld of publi shi ng and pri nt m edi a as w ell. Our com pany, CHANNEL PHILIPPINES NETWORK, started as a broadcast m edi a com pany i n 2009 operati ng onli ne radi o stati ons all over Europe dedi cated to the Fi li pi no audi ence. Thi s new chapter i n our com pany's hi story i s i ndeed very exci ti ng as w e are pi oneeri ng som ethi ng new i n the regi on. YES PHILIPPINES Nordi c Edi ti on ai m s to be the voi ce of the Fi li pi no com m uni ty i n the w hole of Scandi navi a. We endeavour to publi ci ze Fi lcom events and acti vi ti es, Em bassy new s and updates, Feature stori es of successful Fi li pi nos i n any fi eld busi ness, sports, arts, entertai nm ent, etc. We enjoi n everyone to support thi s pi oneeri ng project w hi ch w ould ulti m ately redound to everyone's benefi t! Maram i ng salam at,

J SONNY LARAGAN Pu blish er an d Ch ief Execu t ive

M ARY SOL PIM ENTEL Associat e Pu blish er

SARAH M AE LARAGAN M an agin g Edit or

JOHN KNUCKLES Ar t Dir ect or

RANDY V. URLANDA APPLEPIE DULAY LAAM ANEN M ARVI GIL ABLAZA M ARICOR M AGLASANG FRITZIE BLORECIA Con t r ibu t or s

KARLA DUCAY Adver t isin g

M ARIO CAM AS JUN EGE JUBEROSE GRIJALDO GERUM JADEY Cir cu lat ion

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YES PHILIPPINES Nordic Edition is a monthly publication distributed to the Filipino community in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland & Iceland. We welcome details of local stories, including success, awards, appointments and events. Send your items by email to: yesphilnewsmag@gmail.com

NOVEM BER 2017

COVER STORY

THE FILIPINO STAR RISES IN NORWAY

?It w as r eally dif f icu lt f or m e t o close t h at ch apt er in m y lif e an d st ar t a n ew on e in an absolu t ely opposit e w ay of livin g.?

by RANDY V. URLANDA

F k li eg li ghts?glare could bli nd a movi e celebri ty for constant exposure, Angel James Dee III, or plai n ??AJ? to hi s countless fans i n star-struck Phi li ppi nes, would have been bli nd by now.

Asi de from hi s si lver screen debut i n Dream Boy, he w as also cast i n the ABS-CBN dram a seri es Vi etnam Rose w i th Mari cel Sori ano and Angeli ca Pangani ban. Thi s exposure m ade AJ one of the m ost recogni zable faces am ong the Fi li pi no young stars on televi si on today. After hi s successful teleserye, AJ w as featured i s other pri m e ti m e show s li ke, Show Me Da Manny and Bak i t Kay Tagal ng Sandali , and hosted an entertai nm ent talk show such as the Wanna Buzz segm ent every Sunday of The Buzz of popular talk show host, Boy Abunda. AJ i s the elder brother of Enchong Dee, w ho i s now a superstar i n m ovi es and TV show s i n hi s ow n ri ght. The Dees, a closely k ni t fam i ly, are from Naga Ci ty i n the Bi col provi nce of Cam ari nes Sur, renow ned for i ts m i raculous Our Lady of Penafranci a, beauti ful beaches, pri sti ne w aters and secluded coves. After graduati ng from college at the Jesui t-run Ateneo de Naga Uni versi ty, AJ m oved to Mani la to pursue a professi onal m odeli ng career. He had m odeled popular clothi ng li nes i n the Phi li ppi nes li ke Bench, and di d TV com m erci als as w ell. How ever, thi s lasted for only a year as he joi ned a hosti ng contest i n a popular noonti m e show called ?Magandang Tanghali Bayan,?

w here he fi ni shed runner up. Thi s opened the flood gates to the gli tzy entertai nm ent w orld w here he gli ttered w i th the other stars for tw o years. Asi de from m odeli ng, AJ w as also i nto com peti ti ve sw i m m i ng. As luck w ould have i t, AJ?s fate to li ve i n Norw ay w as sealed on the w orld-renow ned i sland paradi se of Boracay i n Ak lan alm ost a decade ago. ?I m et m y w i fe, Olga, a Norw egi an, i n 2007 w hen w e

totally leave the li fe of acti ng w hen I reali zed that i t?s best for m y chi ldren to grow up here than in the Phi li ppi nes,? explai ns AJ. ?It w as really di ffi cult for m e to close that chapter i n m y li fe and start a new one i n an absolutely opposi te w ay of li vi ng.? Even though li vi ng in Norw ay i s one of the m ost expensi ve i n the w orld, Norw ay i s a great envi ronm ent to rai se a fam i ly. It has very low cri m e

setti ng foot on Norw ay, he recently got a day job as a sales person and a speci al m edi a m anager i n one of the fi nest m ensw ear bouti que i n Oslo. Asi de from that, AJ and tw o Fi l-Norw egi an fri ends, Rudi Celso and Chri sti an Tandberg, set-up ?Chef Pi noy,? w here they m ake and sell authenti c Fi li pi no food and do cateri ng servi ce. Food i s expensi ve i n Norw ay, that?s w hy Norw egi ans eat hom em ade m eals. Because

A J an d Olga Dee, n ee Havr an , w it h t h eir son s M axim u s Jam es an d Alexan dr os Jayden

w ere shooti ng a fi lm there ti tled ?When Love Begi ns,? says the 35-year-old actor cum m odel. ?My co-star and fri end, Rafael Rosell, also a Norw egi an, i nvi ted m e for di nner, together w i th hi s com patri ots, w hi ch i ncluded Olga,? AJ adds. ?That started our relati onshi p w hi ch bore tw o beauti ful sons - Maxi m us Jam es and Alexandros Jayden.? ?I deci ded to m ove to Norw ay m ore than a year ago and

rate, health care and educati on up to college are free, and the Norw egi an li festyle i s slow , peaceful and nature-lovi ng. Bei ng a soci ali st country, Norw ay spends all i ts educati on m oney on tryi ng to help slow er k i ds catch up so everyone gets the sam e educati on. Now , AJ has adjusted w ell i n the Norw egi an li festyle. Asi de from doi ng a fashi on blog after

of thi s Fi li pi no expatri ates ordered AJ?s hom em ade food, w hi ch i s a lot cheaper (and fam i li ar to thei r taste buds) than eati ng out. ?Here, i t?s a 360-degree turn from m y usual li fe i n the Phi li ppi nes,? enthuses AJ. ?Everythi ng here has to be done, fi xed and m ade by you,? he conti nues. ?A typi cal Western w ay of li vi ng, challengi ng but, that?s w here you fi nd the true essence of

bei ng a responsi ble parent or a hum an bei ng.? ?I used to only thi nk about m yself and li ve the li fe i n any w ay I w ant i t, how I w ant i t,? confesses AJ. ?But, i t doesn?t w ork that w ay anym ore because I can see clearly now the real purpose of m y li fe,? he adds. ?Havi ng a chi ld i s a li fe changi ng experi ence, especi ally i f you li ve i n a Western country and I am pri vi leged to have experi enced that.? AJ loves the quali ty of li vi ng in Norw ay, w here the governm ent system plays a bi g role i n protecti ng i ts ci ti zens. Accordi ng to hi m , Norw ay?s law s are based on trust and equali ty. ?One ti m e, I lost m y w allet contai ni ng all of m y credi t cards,? states AJ. ?My fi rst i nsti nct w as to call m y bank i n the Phi li ppi nes to term i nate all m y bank accounts,? he adds. ?A couple of days later, m y w i fe called m e from w ork sayi ng that som eone returned m y w allet and I can pi ck i t up at the H&M store. It turned out the person w ho found m y w allet used m y H&M card to trace m e.??I pi cked i t up the follow i ng day and everythi ng w as i ntact, even m y 200 k roner bi ll,? says AJ. ?It really m ade m e laugh, i n a good w ay, and reali zed how honest the people here i n Norw ay w ere,? AJ concludes. ?That experi ence m ade m e feel safer to li ve here.? Li ke AJ, i t i s the quali ty of li fe that i s a m ajor deci di ng factor w hen i t com es for w ould-be i m m i grants i n choosi ng Norw ay over any other country.

NOVEM BER 2017

A Filipin o Fair y Tale Com e Tr u e--in Sw eden Let t y w it h dau gh t er M ich elle an d son M ich ael.

by RANDY V. URLANDA

NCE upon a ti me, a young gi rl, Letty Lopez, who li ves i n a poor vi llage i n the mi ddle of golden ri ce fi elds i n a town i n Nueva Eci ja i n the Phi li ppi nes, dreamt of goi ng to college to become a nurse so she could help her ei ght si bli ngs get to college.

Too needy to reali ze that goal, Letty took up a free vocati onal course on hai rstyli ng i nstead. ?I chose hai rdressi ng because I li ke w ork i ng w i th m y hands usi ng m y i m agi nati on and creati vi ty and m eeti ng people,? declares Letty. ?Also, I thought then that I could have a place of m y ow n i n the future,? she conti nues. ?Asi de from nursi ng, I also w anted to becom e an accountant.? After fi ni shi ng the bri ef hai rstyli ng course that w as com m on for poor young w om en to take i n li eu of a college course, Letty becam e the darli ng hai rdresser of San Isi dro, her hom etow n w here w om en w anted her to coi f thei r unruly hai r i nto a m ovi e star-li ke hai rdo. But, the dai ly long queue of young gi ddy gi rls i n the hai r salon she w as w ork i ng i n di dn?t deter her

sheer determ i nati on to gi ve her si bli ngs? proper educati on no m atter w hat. After three years i n the cram ped hai r salon, Letty flew to Sw eden 42 years ago through a placem ent agency to try her luck even i f she di dn?t speak a si ngle Sw edi sh w ord. Despi te hardshi ps she w as able to reali ze her chi ldhood dream , that of achi evi ng prosperi ty through honest and hard w ork . Now , the hai rdresser from San Isi dro, Nueva Eci ja, i s a successful entrepreneur w ho ow ns her ow n travel agency in Stock holm called Ai r Asi a, a travel agency, w i th m oney transfer and door-to-door cargo servi ces.

Despi te hardshi ps she w as able to reali ze her chi ldhood dream , that of achi evi ng prosperi ty through honest and hard w ork . Letty w as born i n the hi stori c tow n of San Isi dro, w hi ch w as desi gnated by Presi dent Em i li o Agui naldo of the Fi rst Republi c, as the capi tal of the Phi li ppi nes i n 1899 after Malolos i n Bulacan, the seat of the

revoluti onary governm ent, w as captured by Am eri can troops duri ng the onset of the Phi li ppi ne-Am eri can War. Letty w as the second chi ld i n a brood of ni ne (four gi rls and fi ve boys). To bri ng food to the table, Letty?s father operated heavy equi pm ent in constructi on w ork s far from hom e, w hi le her m other took care of them . After fi ni shi ng hi gh school, her plan of goi ng to college w as di scouraged by her m other w hen her father got seri ously i ll. When she w as 16, an opportuni ty cam e a-k nock i ng for her to be a self-supporti ng student i n Mani la. But, even before she could even thi nk of w hat dress to w ear on the bus tri p to the bi g ci ty, her parents prevented her to pursue her dream on her ow n. ?In 1975, I deci ded to com e here i n Stock holm to try m y luck ? clai m s Letty i nsi de her w ell-appoi nted travel agency offi ce. ?My fi rst job after m y arri val here w as to w ork as a nanny to the fam i ly of the Irani an am bassador to Sw eden,? says the now w ell-heeled Pi nay entrepreneur. The di plom at gave Letty, w ho w as w ell loved by her w ards, an opportuni ty to learn Sw edi sh every Tuesday and Thursday eveni ng after w ork . The ni ght language school proved fortui tous for Letty. ?I m et my husband, Peter

Si m pson, an Engli shm an w ork i ng as a com puter engi neer at the Control Data Corporati on, i n the language school,? explai ns Letty. ?He w as

Now , the hai rdresser from San Isi dro, Nueva Eci ja, i s a successful entrepreneur w ho ow ns her ow n travel agency i n Stock holm called Ai r Asi a, a travel agency, w i th m oney transfer and door-to-door cargo servi ces. supposed to attend the advanced course i n Sw edi sh but cam e to the w rong classroom (begi nners? classroom w here I w as),? she conti nues. ?It w as a stroke of serendi pi ty and w e fell i n love w i th each other and then got m arri ed soon after.? Thei r good fortune w as blessed w i th a daughter and a son. As fate w ould have i t, thei r m arri age lasted only for 23

years. As a si ngle parent i n a forei gn land far from hom e, rai si ng tw o chi ldren took a toll on Letty?s physi cal and em oti onal w ell-bei ng. But, she persevered and m oved on to the next, albei t, successful phase of her li fe i n Sw eden. Her husband passed aw ay i n 2014. ?My daughter Mi chelle, now 28, w ork s as a physi otherapi st, w hi le m y 24-year-old son Mi chael i s studyi ng a course on di gi tal data i n a uni versi ty,? clai m s Letty. ?Both of them speak Tagalog, Sw edi sh and Engli sh. ?In 1998, I establi shed m y very ow n Ai r Asi a Travel agency here i n the heart of Stock holm ,? she adds. ?My cli ents are Pi noy expatri ates and Sw edes as w ell,? she conti nues. ?After 19 years i n the busi ness, I now consi der m yself successful,? concludes the epi tom e of a rags-to-ri ches story you only read i n paper-back novels. After achi evi ng her dream i n the ?Land of Nobel Pri ze and ABBA,? Letty plans to vi si t San Isi dro thi s w i nter to be w i th her fam i ly and look back to the travai ls of her past i n her hom etow n. As the Chi nese phi losopher Confuci us (561 BC-479 BC) says, ?It does not m atter how slow ly you go so long as you do not stop? w as w hat Letty di d to reali ze her dream . And, she i s sti ll not stoppi ng.

NOVEM BER 2017

BL ACK ROSE BAN D, DEN M ARK 'S FI RST FI L I PI N O BAN D CON TI N UES TO ROCK by RANDY V. URLANDA

HILE Canadi an pop si nger Paul Ank a was belti ng out hi s number one song, ?Di ana? on a transi stor radi o down the hall, a male i nfant came out i nto thi s world on that hi stori c Saturday afternoon i n August 31, 1957 i n a hospi tal i n Iloi lo Ci ty i n the Central Phi li ppi nes.

After a couple of spank s on hi s behi nd, he let out the hi gh pi tch w ai l of li fe. After settli ng hi m i n the nursery room , he di dn?t k now that he w ould carry a fem ale nam e for the rest of hi s li fe. What? Is he a herm aphrodi te, you m i ght ask . No, hi s nam e w as due to a si m ple cleri cal error and not due to a com pli cated chrom osom al problem . A nurse?s m i stake i n the spelli ng of the new ly born m ale i nfant i n the deli very room of a hospi tal i n Iloi lo Ci ty m ade the boy carry a fem ale nam e, Roselyn. The exci ted father w anted to nam e hi s son, Roslyn, after hi s Am eri can fri end. The nurse, w ho prepared the bi rth certi fi cate, how ever, i nadvertently added an ?e? m ak i ng the i nfant?s nam e Roselyn. The nam e i s of Old Germ an ori gi n m eani ng a ?gentle horse.? The year 1957 w hen Roselyn w as born w as an exci ti ng year. Asi de from ?Di ana,? w hi ch w as released that year, together w i th another fi nger tappi ng song of Elvi s Presley, ?All Shook Up,? thousands of m ovi egoers i n m ajor ci ti es i n the Phi li ppi nes, li ke Iloi lo Ci ty, w ere queui ng for hours to w atch ?The Ten Com m andm ents.? It w as also the year the Federati on of Malaya (now Malaysi a) gai ned i ndependence from Great Bri tai n. Despi te thi s spelli ng aberrati on, Roselyn w as never been teased or bulli ed i n school. Maybe i t w as due to hi s strong personali ty that he stood out am ong hi s peers. Li ke m ost young lads i n the Vi sayas i n Central Phi li ppi nes, Roselyn played a m ean gui tar and sung hi ts of that peri od li ke a pro. On hi s fourth year i n m echani cal engi neeri ng at the Western Insti tute of Technology (WIT) i n Iloi lo Ci ty, he dropped out and joi ned a fam ous band at that ti m e i n the regi on called ?Basura? (Trash). ?In the sum m er of 1979, I got a telegram from Holland that stated that (a band) needed a m usi ci an for i ts forthcom i ng road tour,? explai ns Roselyn Gonzales, the band leader of the now fam ous ?Black Rose,? the fi rst Pi noy Rock Band i n Denm ark . ?In June of 1979, after I had processed m y travel papers i n Mani la, I w as i n Am sterdam i n no ti m e to play w i th a Holland-based band called ?The Sw i ngers? com posed of ei ght m usi ci ans,? adds Roselyn. ?Later on, w e replaced the bass player and I took over,? he conti nues. ?If you are a gui tar player, i t i s easy to play the bass. For tw o-and-a-half years, w e toured Germ any, the Nordi c regi on li ke Denm ark , Norw ay, Sw eden and Fi nland.? The fi rst ti m e Roselyn set foot i n Norw ay w as i n Bergen duri ng thei r tour from October to Decem ber 1979. Bergen i s the second largest ci ty i n Norw ay on the w est coast of the country. They played at the popular Ugla CafĂŠ, w here the audi ence recei ved them w arm ly. It w as there that Roselyn m et a com patri ot, gui tari st Beni to Braza, Jr. w ho joi ned them on thei r tour, together w i th hi s Norw egi an

fi ancĂŠe, Bente. After thei r three-m onth gi g, the band w ent back to Am sterdam , thei r hom e base. ?In every country w e played i n w e w ere gi ven three m onths vi sa,? says the bespectacled Roselyn. ?We usually m ove from one venue to another, but i t w as only i n Bergen w here w e played three m onths strai ght i n one place,? he adds. ?In October of 1980, w e w ere i n Vjle, the regi onal capi tal of southern Denm ark , w here Legoland, the popular am usem ent park i s now located. At the ?Mouli n Rouge,? w here w e played, I m et a pretty fai r-hai red Dane nam ed

Rethy. w as love at si ght,?

It fi rst he

fei gned li ke a love struck teenager w i th hi s eyes closed and li ps pouti ng. Equally love struck w i th her dark -hai red Asi an Rom eo, Rethy vi si ted hi m in Am sterdam , at Honefoss i n Norw ay, and up to the end of thei r road tour i n Decem ber 1982 that culm i nated i n Fi nland. Roselyn w ent to

Denm ark and m arri ed Rethy, w ho gave hi m tw o lovely daughters, Sasha and Sabri na. ?Before the Black Rose bloom ed, I had a band called Rose Band, com posed of four Danes and a Fi li pi no,? explai ns Roselyn, w ho look s m ore li ke a balladeer than a rocker w i th hi s close-cropped hai r and spectacles. ?After ni ne years, I m et Rom y, a Boholano w ho si ngs for fun w hi le w e w ere playi ng,? he adds. ?I?ve had enough of Rose Band so I di sbanded i t and asked Rom y i f he w anted to si ng as a duo, w hi ch he gladly accepted? Roselyn thought of bri ngi ng i n hi s younger brother, Daryl, w ho plays bass gui tar for a band i n Iloi lo to m ake them i nto a tri o. It w as then that the ?Black Rose? w as form ed i n 1997. After three years, the tri o becam e a quartet he called the ?Black Rose.? Thei r hom e base w as Aarhus, the second largest ci ty i n Denm ark k now n for i ts m usi c hi story. In the 1950s, m any jazz clubs sprung up around the ci ty. By the 1960s, the m usi c scene di versi fi ed i nto rock and other genres. In the 1970s and 1980s, Aarhus becam e the center of Denm ark ?s rock m usi c. Roselyn?s Black Rose Band had a nam esake also called Black Rose, a Dani sh hard rock / heavy m etal band w hi ch started i n 1979. It broke up i n 1981, si xteen years before a new Asi an bloom flow ered i n Denm ark . The Black Rose Band i s com posed of Roselyn, an Ilonggo, w ho handles vocals, gui tar/ gui tar synthesi zers, Rom y, a Boholano, on bass and vocals, Debbi e, from Davao, on vocals and percussi on, and Engli shm an Paul Atk i nson on the drum s. Thei r repertoi re i s all around m usi c genre, li ke blues, country, bossa nova, pop, rock , and som e popular Dani sh hi ts. ?Our m ost popular show i s our yearly 80s-them ed repertoi re w here w e w ear long hai r li ke hi ppi es and funny clothes of that New Wave era,? chuck les Roselyn. ?The audi ence loves i t and laughs at the w ay w e dressed and looked w hi le fi nger tappi ng and sw ayi ng w i th our soft rock m usi c of that decade,? he conti nues. ?We alw ays gi ve our audi ence m em orable m em ori es, both the sounds and fashi on of that joyous era.? Recently, the Black Rose perform ed at the Aarhus Musi c Festi val, w here they becam e a hi t w i th the large audi ence. The popular m usi c fest starts at the last w eek of August to the fi rst w eek of Septem ber. Roselyn?s repertoi re i nclude Di re Strai ts?popular ?Sultan of Sw i ng,? w here he plays a perfect rendi ti on of Mark Knopfler?s vi rtuoso gui tar playi ng; and the band can dupli cate the m usi c to perfecti on of another renow ned gui tari st and si nger, Eri c Clapton, Credence Clearw ater Revi val (CCR), Santana, Bruce Spri ngsteen, Bruno Mars, and renow ned fem ale vocali sts li ke Whi tney Houston and Celi ne Di on.The vari ed m usi c of the Black Rose com pletes the rem ai ni ng soci o-cultural gap to affi rm Denm ark as the ?happi est country i n the w orld.?

NOVEM BER 2017

Filipin os in Fin lan d: a St or y of Resilien ce by APPLEPIE DULAY-LAAM ANEN

T was 22 December 2002 at mi nus 22 degrees Celsi us, when I came for the second ti me and for good to Fi nland. I was 25 years old. Back i n M ani la, i t was 37 degrees when I left. Huh! Tak e a moment to ponder on that.

Fi nland. Yeah, I heard about i t. The Ni do com m erci al w here thi s fam i ly eati ng break fast and revi ew i ng the son on the upcom i ng geography test cam e up w i th the li ne, ?What?s the capi tal of Fi nland???Helsi nk i !?? says the younger si ster. That?s the m ost I could rem em ber. Not k now i ng that 10 years i nto the future, I w ould actually reach thi s place. A very peaceful, prosperous and oh so beauti ful country. But li ke m ost places, i t has Th e au t h or 's f ir st exper ien ce of sn ow f all - 15 Oct ober 2003. a dark si de. And I m ean 6 m onths of dark ness. Alm ost 15 years later, I am sti ll here i n Tam pere, Fi nland. Yes, I have grow n to love the beauty of w i nter as m uch as I hate putti ng on layers and layers of clothi ng just to get a carton of m i lk from the shop. It?s a gi ven fact that m ost Fi li pi nos here i n Fi nland, ei ther m arri ed to a Fi nn or on w ork i ng vi sas, li ved through extrem e nature and culture di fferences. But let m e tell you a li ttle secret that w e Fi li pi nos possess? Resi li ence! You can put a Fi li pi no i n the m i ddle of a desert or a bi ti ng cold w i nter and

Th is is t h e f am ily w e m ake. Filipin os w h o em body li ved for so m any years i n r esilien ce an d w ou ld ju st n ot give u p! the sam e bui ldi ng and not even k now the fi rst nam es of thei r next door nei ghbors. If befri ended, a Fi nn could be very w arm , loyal and dependable. It takes ti m e though. And thi s can take a toll on a fri endly Fi li pi na w hose been li vi ng so far aw ay from her fam i ly and fri ends w i th no k now ledge w here to Wh en m issin g h om e, t h e f ir st t h in g t o do is t o m ake lu m pia!

A picn ic in t h e Viik in sar i (Vik in g?s Islan d)

Th e n ew gen er at ion of Filipin o babies

he w i ll thri ve. I have m et a lot of Fi li pi nos here, young and old, w orkers, touri sts, resi dents, all k i nds. And although there are those w ho m ay have m et a sad fate, they sti ll w ear a sm i le and get on w i th the li fe handed to them . I am very proud to say that w e are tough. Tougher than w e w ould ever k now. Fi nns i n general are very reserved. Very unli ke Fi li pi nos w ho alw ays have a ready sm i le and a greeti ng to everyone they m eet. Fi nns could have

Fin din g lech on at t h e M edieval f est ival in Tu r k u

get the ri ce. Luck i ly, w e now enjoy the dozens of Asi an shops that only cam e about i n Fi nland som e 20 years ago. We all have a story to tell. Som e got here on a Fi ancĂŠ vi sa, som e on w ork vi sas, fam i ly relati ons, etc. But w hat w e all have i n com m on i s that speci al characteri sti c that m akes i t possi ble for us to pow er through extrem e cold and dark ness, unfri endly envi ronm ent, bureaucracy and for som e, raci sm . I am sure that not only Fi li pi nos i n Fi nland have these experi ences, but am also confi dent that w herever you are, you are a Fi li pi no, and you are resi li ent.

NOVEM BER 2017

SWEDEN

T h i s a d spa c e i s r eser v ed f o r ELI NOR U. LUCERO

NOVEM BER 2017

ASIAN FOOD, ICELANDIC STYLE by M ARVI ABLAZA GIL

HERE have been fleeti ng moments when I wi shed I was a food snob. It must be exhi larati ng to be able to di sti ngui sh the subtle nuances of deli cately flavored di shes playi ng wi th the senses.

Sadly though, m y tastes are stri ctly pedestri an and w hi le I do appreci ate the ti m e and effort requi red of gourm et cook i ng, I alw ays turn to m y Asi an roots: Dow n hom e cook i ng now m odi fi ed to accom m odate Icelandi c i ngredi ents or rem astered to cater (just a teensy, w eensy bi t) to the Icelandi c palate. There are a num ber of Asi an grocers i n Reyk javík . The m ost vi si ble w ould be the Thai (Mai Thai ) grocery and gi ft shop ri ght across Hlem m ur, the m ai n bus stati on. It?s a m i xed bag of Southeast Asi an Sau ces com m on ly f ou n d in Sou t h east Asian st or es. cupboard basi cs: Li ter bottles of soy sauce, a noodle ai sle, dri ed spi ces and i n the freezer secti on the occasi onal appearance of fresh squi d, tropi cal fi sh, banana leaves and spri ng roll w rappers. One w ould thi nk that soy sauce, squi d, fi sh and spri ng roll w rappers Th e popu lar spr in g r olls called k ínarúllur i n Icelandi c. w ould be ?regulars?i n the Icelandi c corner grocery store except that a m ajori ty of Icelanders w ould: 1) never touch squi d, 2) soy sauce i s treated m ore as a di ppi ng sauce and hence sold only i n 200 m l bottles, 3) obvi ously m any spi ces have a speci ali zed m arket, and 4) spri ng roll w rappers are often sold i n bulk at Asi an shops. Thi s haul of Asi an i ngredi ents i s supplem ented by suppli es from the regular grocer?s.

Icelan dic h yper m ar t ch ain Hagk au p f ou n ded in 1959. There are fi ve-k i lo bags of ri ce i n Asi an shops but I have learned to com pare pri ces and di scovered that a k i lo bag of Basm ati ri ce i s m uch cheaper i n good old Bónus superm arket. Iceland?s answ er to a low -cost m ecca, Bónus also has a respectable array of frui t and vegetables such as stri ng beans, Th e Th ai bist r o an d su per m ar ket n ear Hlem m u r bu s st at ion . gi nger and m ung bean sprouts. If you?re luck y, there m i ght even be an occasi onal coconut. Here i s also w here I get m y tofu. There i s a w i der selecti on of exoti c i ngredi ents i n Hagk aup (a hi gh-end superm arket). Here, they have a respectable selecti on of Low -cost h yper m ar t ch ain Bon u s. sauces, grai ns, nuts, lenti ls and beans. In thei r freezer secti on, I even found frozen, ready-to-roll sushi i ngredi ents. Sushi i s pretty popular i n Iceland. Sadly, i t also defi ned as the end all and be all of Japanese cui si ne. There are sushi bars, but no Japanese restaurants w i th teri yak i , sashi m i or tem pura. But I di gress. So, arm ed w i th that k now ledge, how about tryi ng your hand at a good old Asi an standby? Called k ínarúllur (and som eti m es vorrúllur) i n Icelandi c, i t i s w hat the w orld k now s as spri ng rolls.

NOVEM BER 2017

A U PA I R CORNER So for the first time in forever, I needed to leave home. What? Yes, I was going to leave my home country in exchange for the sweets, chocolates, cheese and Eiffel Tower. Yes, the Eiffel Tower. It?s included in my bucket list... SO PARIS WAIT FOR ME!!! But before that, I really needed to leave home! Then I said, it won't be that long and a year is just my only target to stay. Well, I really needed to face the challenge. Saying goodbye for the very first time was truly a difficult feeling and experience for me. I, of course, didn't want to leave home. But this once in a lifetime chance I thought then was too exciting. As they say, many are called but few are chosen.

BITTERSWEET EXCHANGE by FRITZIE BLORECIA

N Au Pair is an u n m ar r ied you n g adu lt aged 18 t o 30 year s, w ho h as no ch ildr en an d t r avels t o a f or eign cou n t r y f or a def in ed per iod of t im e t o live w it h a Host Fam ily.

"halfway possible". Finding the Treasure Chest... I made a research on how to live outside the country without spending much and even not be pressured to work. And it so happened that a distant friend of mine tried the Au Pair scheme in Holland already. So when I learned about it, I immediately did more research on how to be one.

The au pair is considered as an equal part of the family during the entire stay. As such, he or she helps the family with childcare and can be asked to assume some household tasks. In return, the host family In 2013, I registered on the provides free board and lodging, online website (AUPAIRWORLD) as well as monetary support. as an au pair. There, you will be asked to fill out some information like - your preferred host country, preference about the family, something However, the au pair is not a about yourself, expectations to nanny nor a housekeeper. your future host family, The Au Pair placement is a even a short unique way for young people letter to them. from all over the world like me to To me, I think live and experience life away this is very from home. convenient for applicants to Reality and Dreams... do. Just sit in I was a graduate of Bachelor of a corner and Arts in Psychology from the fill in Philippines way back in 2010. It everything didn't take me that long to find a they ask job after my graduation, but online. although it's really not my So my only goal before "Dream Job", I still considered it as an achievement since the becoming an au pair was to be Company was good and I was "Ms. World" (a Miss who wanted to travel and explore the World). paid a handsome salary. But I think it?s been written in the And just as what other young stars and I'm really destined to people wanted to do, I also do it. This is because I did not dreamt of being a wanderer and wait that long to find a perfect to travel around the world. But if family that matched my you're in the Philippines, and preferences. with a decent salary, traveling Bitter and Sweets... outside the country is way too

Certified Ms. Brown EU... I'm almost done with my 5th year of being an au pair. I started my journey as an au pair in The Netherlands for a year. Then, almost 4 years in Scandinavia (2 years in Denmark and turning 2 in Norway). As expected, it wasn't easy at first. Culture shock as you would call it. Food was one. Not eating rice in a week. Thank God there were potatoes. The lifestyle, the language definitely and the weather all gave me the ?shock so to speak?. Well Scandinavia made me experience one of their coldest winters ever -- minus19 degrees and it almost got me cold burned. But what else is there to be surprised about? You want to live like a local right? Then embrace it!

been very thankful for having good Host Families. I've been so fortunate to be have been part of the families who never treated me differently. Of course they see me as an Asian, but they?ve never been remiss in treating me equally despite the racial difference. I appreciated every support that they gave me and even their wishes of good fortune and success and my development as a person. I felt their happiness and excitement too every time I would inform them of my scheduled travel and vacation. They would even provide me with travel booklets to bring with me before embarking on my journeys to those destinations. The Lonely Planet has truly been an indispensable help as well. and even get involved to our own Filipino Cultural Activities. I?m also very grateful to my host families as they sought out the Filipino Hubs for me so I could fraternize with my fellow Filipino au pairs and the Filipino community as a whole. That was how I got involved in some cultural activities of the community.

her daughter to school. Although the child?s class starts exactly at9 am,she has to be brought to school at8:30in the morning at least. She finishes at around 12:10 pm. My work basically starts when the kid comes back from school. That would from1pm to 3:30 pm. And that's my routine on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. During my work schedule, I would either bring her to the nearest playground and oftentimes go to the nearest shop to buy snacks and eat ice cream (her happiest time) or stay at home and do art works depending on her mood. Wednesday is really my "Play Date" day with her.That means that since she doesn't have school on that day, I get to spend the whole 5-6 hrs with her. Fridays will be my errands day or tidying-up day. On that day, I am the ?Lord of the House? as the mom brings her daughter to school and I am in charge of tidying up the house from 9 am to 11 am. After that, I have my half day off and weekend as well. The mom cooks for all of us so she's in charge mostly on our daily dinners. I spend my weekends,my most awaited part of the week, mostly with fellow Filipina au pairs. We do a lot of talking, cooking, baking, movie marathons, sightseeings, swimming, biking, or mountain climbing.

My host families were therefore

It's the Final Countdown...

properly oriented about the "Cultural Exchange Program" which is the main aim of the au pair scheme. BIG Brother's Daily (Norway Edition)...

Tasks

As agreed in the contract between me and my current host, I would have to do light household chores or kid watching that shouldn't exceed 30 hours per week (6 hrs max/day).

I can say I am having a wonderful time being an au pair. I have proven to myself that this experience is priceless. Now, I'm counting down the last three months of my journey as an au pair before I go home for good. This coming December will be the end of my contract. (Oh no! I'm giving away my Brown EU title.) All in all, I?ve now thoroughly understood that the best qualification to be in this program is your ability and skill to influence the people around you. Expressingthe goodness that you have and be influenced in return. I believe I was made to touch lives.

My daily routine starts with getting the breakfast ready in the I know I was privileged enough morning and eat with them as a to have such great memories to family. Since we only have one remember for the rest of my life. The Addams Family... kid (a girl), our daily routine is Forget the fiction here, but I'm very smooth. The mother gets My Aupair life and I....... Thank one of the many who's always her ready every morning to drive you!

NOVEM BER 2017

GLOBAL FOOD TRIP IN M ANILA

PART 1

by M ARICOR M AGLASANG

ACK i n the day, typi cal restaurant fare i n M ani la usually consi sts of ei ther Chi nese, Ameri can, Itali an, or Fi li pi no food.

Thei r Pad Thai and Pork Satay are just absolutely delectable, and thei r selecti on of desserts i nclude Mango Sti ck y Ri ce and Coconut Ice

Cream . They also have an al fresco di ni ng area w here guests can How ever, w i th the sudden boom of food culture i n the Phi li ppi nes, you can fi nd a ton of restaurants servi ng di fferent types of food from all over the globe. Here are som e of the ones I have tri ed. People?s Palace Mak ati offers one of the best di ni ng experi ences w hen i t com es to m odern Thai cui si ne.

lounge around w hi le dri nk i ng cock tai ls. It m i ght be a bi t pri cey, but i t?s w ell w orth the expense. People?s Palace i s located at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Centre, Mak ati Ci ty. For those look i ng for a uni que Fi li pi no experi ence, Nai m as i s the w ay to go. Located at Am orsolo cor. Rufi no Street, Legazpi

Vi llage, Mak ati Ci ty, Nai m as offers a plethora of Northern Phi li ppi ne (Ilocano) di shes. A m ust try w ould be the

Bagnet or a deep fri ed cri spy pork belly, and the Tapang Baboy Ram o, or cured w i ld pork . Now , i f you?re look i ng for a

classi cal Itali an di ni ng experi ence, Carpacci o Ri storante Itali ano located at 7431, Yak al Street i n Mak ati has exactly w hat you need. Whi le a bi t on the pri cey si de, the food totally speak s for i tself. A m ust try w ould be the Saffron Ri sotto as w ell as theCarpacci o Alla Ci pri ani , and of course thei r pi zza. They also have a w i de

selecti on of w i nes that you can choose from . Defi ni tely a go-to place i f you love Itali an food. If Chi nese food i s m ore to your taste, then an i nteresti ng place to go to w ould be Kw ong?s Provi si ons at Hole i n the Wall Mak ati . Hole i n the Wall i s a food hall i n Century Ci ty Mall that offers a lot of di fferent cui si nes to choose from at a relati vely affordable pri ce. Kw ong?s Provi si ons serves Chi nese street food i nspi red by the food served i n San Franci sco?s Mi ssi on Street. Thei r Soft Shell Po?boy i s a m ust try, sam e w i th thei r Brai sed Short Ri bs Ri ce Bow l. If you?ve got a hankeri ng for Australi an Surf and Turf, then Bondi and Bourke should be on top of your li st. Located at Cattleya Condom i ni um i n Salcedo St., Legaspi Vi llage, Mak ati Ci ty, Bondi and Bourke serves top quali ty Australi an seafood and m eat served i n a si m ple

w ay. Thei r ri beye steak s are a m ust-try, along w i th thei r m ussel and oyster selecti on.

Oom a i s a m odern Japanese restaurant and ri ce bar located at Rock w ell Edades & Garden Vi llas, Am orsolo Dr., Rock w ell, Mak ati . They have an am azi ng selecti on of sushi

as w ell as ri ce bow ls. Thei r m ust-tri es i nclude the Tem pura Soft-Shell Crab Mak i , the Hanger Steak , and the Uni Udon.

NOVEM BER 2017

ENTERTA I NM ENT Secti on

M an n y Pacqu iao bar es h is sou l in GM A Net w or k ?s dr am a an t h ology Stories for the Soul

APUSO vi ew ers w i ll get to see the di fferent si de of Senator Manny ?Pacm an? Pacqui ao as he takes on another role w hi le reveali ng hi s m ai n purpose i n li fe vi a Stori es for the Soul begi nni ng November 5 on GMA Pi noy TV. Despi te all the challenges he has gone through, Sen. Manny beli eves he i s called to i nspi re and preach God?s w ord. ?Ang Pangi noon ang nagbi gay sa ak i n ng convi cti on. There are so m any challenges i n m y li fe that ti m e. May m ga ti m es dun na nagk am ali ak o pero m asasabi ko na ang Pangi noon ang m ay gaw a ng lahat. I beli eve thi s i s w hat I am m eant to do? to spread Hi s w ords through thi s show ,? he sai d. He i s proud of thi s show because i t presents stori es that ai m to gi ve hope and at the sam e ti m e m oti vate one to becom e an i nspi rati on to others. ?Look i ng forw ard ak o na m ak i ta ng m anunuod ?yung i nspi rasyon at Word of God na talaga nam ang m ak ak atulong sa pam i lya o sa baw at problem a na nararanasan ni la especi ally on how to becom e strong. Gusto ri n sabi hi n ng show na i to na sa dam i ng challenges m o sa buhay, hayaan m o lang. Dadati ng ang panahon na

m ak i k i ta m o ang salvati on ni God sa buhay m o,? Sen. Manny added. Thi s dram a anthology presents stori es i nspi red by characters and stori es from the Bi ble, also k now n as the greatest book ever w ri tten. For i ts pi lot epi sode, Stori es for the Soul features versati le actress Andrea Torres, hi ghly-talented Kapuso actor Mi ke Tan and veteran actress Sham ai ne Buencam i no. Inspi red by the Story of Ruth, the epi sode tells the story of Li nda (Andrea), an orphan w ho found love i n Manuel. Just w hen everythi ng i s falli ng i nto place, she becom es a w i dow at an early age after her husband di es from an acci dent. Chi ldless and alone, she chooses to stay w i th her m other-i n-law Glori a (Sham ai ne) w ho also m ourns w i th the loss of her son. Even w i th the bond that they have bui lt together, the latter sti ll tells her to fi nd a new li fe and start over. She then m eets Ram on (Mi ke) and falls i n love w i th hi m . Wi ll Li nda and Ram on fi nally end up together? Wi ll Ram on cause a strai n i n the relati onshi p of Glori a and Li nda? Di rected by Mark Dela Cruz, the Kapuso Abroad can catch Stori es For the Soul starti ng Novem ber 5, Sunday, on GM A Pi noy TV.

NOVEM BER 2017

FI LCOM EV ENTS & A CTI V I TI ES

M eken i Nor w ay Celebr at es 5t h An n iver sar y Even t f or a Cau se by CHARLENE SAM OY

Mekeni Norw ay, headed by i ts founder Esteli ta Poni o Puyat and the Mekeni Norw ay offi cers, presented a one-of-a-k i nd anni versary concert as part of i ts 5th Anni versary celebrati on last October 21 at Bek kelaget Meni ghetssenter, Oslo, Norw ay. Mekeni Norw ay i s a chari table non-profi t organi zati on opened for Kapam pangans, thei r fam i li es and thei r Fi li pi no or Norw egi an fri ends w ho ai m to be part of i ts vari ous program s such as gi ft gi vi ng, scholarshi p program s and other hum ani tari an help to our k ababayans i n Norw ay and i n the Phi li ppi nes.

Væri ngstad, Rem a 1000, Century Properti es, Mekeni Norw ay Offi cers, and com m i ttees. Other donors i ncluded Isabeli ta Lund for gi vi ng three cakes andAm i e Egeberg for the Valenci ana/ Paella. chari ty w ork s.

To m ake the event m ore exci ti ng, som e luck y parti ci pants w on i n the raffle of thei r entrance ti ckets!

The guest of Honor of the event w as Vi ce

The w i nners w ere: - Hedi di a Cornel - Round-tri p Turk i sh Ai rli nes ti cket plus tw o-ni ghts stay at Gram ercy Resi dences from Century Properti es - 1st Pri ze 1000 k r - Mary Ann Magnussen - 2nd Pri ze 700 k r - Rex Bagyan - 3rd Pri ze 500 k r - Stei nar Mi chelsen - 1 EE door to door box -Marco Reyes Cam as - 1 EE door to door box -Leonora Garshol Consul Juan Paolo Ali x. Talented si ngers and arti sts graced the event i ncludi ng Rheanne Ovi edo Li ndeberg, Daylyn Nanqui l Gottschli ch, Rod L. Sanchez, Junel Li w anag, Li k ha Scandi navi a vi a Leonora Garshol and Sanny Garbo Gi pgano, the Gi nang Kalayaan 2017 Candi dates and Francesca Arnaldo. A Fi li pi no food festi val i ncluded som e of the Regi onal foods from the di fferent provi nces li ke Si si g from Pam panga, Igado from Ilocos, Hum ba from Cebu, Si nai ng na Isda from Batangas, and m any m ore deli ci ous di shes! More than a celebrati on, the event w as a fund-rai si ng program as Mekeni Norw ay w i ll dedi cate the proceeds from thi s event to i ts

Mekeni Norw ay?s sponsors i ncluded ASOR and SaladMaster vi a Ri zali na Jenssen; Turk i sh Ai rli nes vi a Mr. Cem Ongen; RIA vi a Eri ck Ri os; World Rem i t vi a Roxan P. Bjerke; Zi ja vi a Knut Jørgensrud; Century Properti es vi a Jeffrey N. Tam ayo; EE Door to Door vi a Edgar Placi do and Myleen Malveda. The organi zati on also recei ved cash donati ons from Grace Vasquez, Sanny Garbo Gi pgano, Adeli na A. Lopez, Lai la Ocam po, Agnes Eli gi o Bolor, Agnes Larssen, Vi rgi li a Banut, Nancy Loo Tee Sem elenge, Ines Belleza Laureta, Nora Talao. The Lottery Pri zes cam e from Lui sa Dela Cruz Svendsen, EE Door to Door, Ms Theresa Bantolo-Hei k k i lä, TFC c/ o Marco Reyes Cam as, Isabeli ta Lund, Turk i sh Ai rli nes, Ann Franci sco

Rosari o Catuday w as the m aster of the cerem oni es w i th Luz Therese Bergersen for the openi ng prayer assi sted by Noli Santos. The sound techni ci an.Knut Jørgensrud and Francesca Arnaldo prepared the Sli de Show s. The event accum ulated NOK 62691 plus collecti bles of NOK 3200 w hi ch sum m ed up to NOK 65891. Mekeni Norw ay offi cers and m em bers w i ll use thi s am ount to help thei r fellow m en have a great Chri stm as celebrati on i n accordance to i ts m otto: We Care and We Share!

NOVEM BER 2017

NORWAY

SWEDEN

FINLAND

DENM ARK

The Offi ci al Radi o Stati on of the Fi li pi no Communi ty i n the ICELAND NORDICS

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