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FILAMSPEAK: Memories of Ernie Pena as friend, mentor, artist
For several days, the death of beloved photographer Ernie Pena was the community’s best kept secret. Word had gotten around how he was found in his room by Jersey City police officers after he failed to come to work one morning and his co-workers decided to call in the cops. No one breached the request […]
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‘Hello, Dolly:’ Pidci welcomes 2013 Grand Marshal
By Cristina DC Pastor The weather was wintry-cold, the mood: merry, the event: An Evening with the Consul General, which also served as the coming-out party for Dr. Rebecca “Dolly” Rivera as the grand marshal of the 2013 Philippine Independence Day Parade. Dressed in fire-engine reds, the men and women of the Philippine Independence Day […]
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Yule never be far from home
It’s been said: When the last bone of turkey is safely put away, Santa should be on his merry way. The day after Thanksgiving, New Jersey has started to deck out in red and green, lights and lanterns and stars and sleighs and snowballs and stockings. Some houses have them in abundance, others with […]
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Thanksgiving woes for Filipino Wal-Mart worker
A week or two before November 22nd, Celina Vicencio had announced to her family that their turkey dinner would have to wait until after 7 p.m. instead of the traditional noontime repast where her glazed ham is always at the center of a sumptuous Thanksgiving spread. “I got to go to work,” she announced. Her […]
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On Thanksgiving Day, FilAms stay close to families, friends and faith
In sprawling suburban homes and cramped apartments, Filipino Americans feted Thanksgiving by celebrating with their families and relatives, friends and co-workers and giving thanks to God for His blessings. In the case of an account executive who lives by himself in Queens, the day was quietly celebrated solo with a takeout turkey from a Georgia’s […]
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Learning about the Mayans on a recent visit to Chichen Itza
By Wendell Gaa Travel is said to be a potent cure for the diseases of ignorance, apathy and insularity. Aware of the nourishing benefits derived from travelling, I decided to join my parents when they recently spent two weeks of their retirement in the Yucatan peninsula region in Mexico. I flew from New York down […]
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Monique Lhuillier bridal comes to Manhattan
By Elton Lugay Reese Witherspoon, Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson and our own Lea Salonga all wore Monique Lhuillier bridal to their fairy tale weddings. The California-based designer recently opened her eponymous boutique on the Upper East Side for the New York brides-to-be who want the look of Hollywood glam on their special day. (But no […]
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Modeling is his ‘greatest passion’
By Cristina DC Pastor I wonder if it’s typical of fashion models to secretly wish they had a billboard big enough to shade Manhattan and yet secretly dread not being able to find work if they were in excess of a pound or a zit. With fashion as an industry, one can have great expectations […]
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Flores de Mayo fashion by Josie Natori
By Elton Lugay After a 35-year reign in high-end fashion, Josie Natori is returning to her Philippine roots for inspiration. Paradise Wear, her peek into spring 2013, brings Flores de Mayo’s free- flowing flamboyance to New York. “It’s about time,” Josie told The FilAm. The collection is modern, almost unrecognizably Filipino, except for the all-whites […]