Garden lessons
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” –Claude Monet, speaking of his garden at Giverny in France SPRING is here and the earth beckons. The rains came this year, sometimes with…
Category: Life & Style
Covering the week’s most noteworthy life & style news stories impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Celebrating spring the Filipino way
Having four seasons in a year is an idea that is quite foreign to Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines. Back there, we only have dry (summer) and wet…
‘The Man with the Muck-rake’: Common good requires truth and facts
“In Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim Progress’ you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muck-rake in his hand;…
During those perplexing times
”Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a…
Food Medicine
In this week’s issue, we shall devote our column to exalting “medicinal values or therapeutic effects” of regular, ordinary, food that people all over the world eat as part of…
Eddie Garcia, national artist for film
TO be inducted into the Order of the National Artists of the Philippines (Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas) is, doubtless, the apex of one’s achievements in the Arts, specifically,…
The day I died
This is a story of a gynecologist as he related in MedScape: “When I began experiencing chest pain that was different from my usual heartburn symptoms, I denied I could…
‘Stop the heart?’
Why do cardiac surgeons stop the heart during surgery? The conventional technique in coronary bypass surgery includes, among other elaborate procedures, arresting the heart in order for the surgeon to…
Did you know? Fascinating facts about Easter
Those of the Christian faith will mark the end of the 40-day Lenten season with Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While the day is widely symbolized by the Easter…
Realities of aging
Last February 28, 2018, my wife, Farida, and I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Manila, following our two medical missions in the Philippines. While waiting at the…
Fil-Am Chef Barb Batiste turns to Filipino classics at Big Boi on Sawtelle
Sawtelle Boulevard in West Los Angeles is another haven for those with eager tastebuds and stomachs, as blocks are lined with sushi bars, ramen places, and Boba tea shops, as…
Fil-Am owned café pushes Philippine-sourced coffee beans, Filipino dessert flavors in drinks
Despite the ubiquity of coffee giants, neighborhood cafés are still appreciated by locals, and for visitors, it’s the best way to get a glimpse into the local scene. If you…
On listening in silence to God’s voice
I heard this beautiful story last week from a group of Lebanese Maronite Catholics during my visit to St. Maron’s Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a mother’s womb were two…
Aphrodisiac dangers
What are aphrodisiacs? Aphrodisiacs are pro-sexual drugs or substances that will heighten libido (sexual desire), orgasm (ecstasy and pleasure) and performance in males and females, not partner-specific. As society gets…
Only by God’s grace
I ADMIT that there have been times in my life when my faith and prayer have run dry. What do I mean? It means that even in my life as…
Vatican to endorse porn?
For some people, to even think that the church could be persuaded to endorse porn or abortion is ridiculously absurd! The title is a satirical statement to highlight the stupidity…
Kaju Soft Tofu in Buena Park offers fresh, authentic Korean comfort food perfect for the winter
WITHIN the last few years, Korean food has become a hit in the United States, and it’s not very surprising to see why. It’s just so good. There is no…
H Mart announces grand opening of San Jose-Oakland location on March 8
H MART, a leading International supermarket chain has made a final announcement of H Mart San Jose-Oakland Grand Opening and is set to open its doors at 10:30 a.m. on…
On living our faith with passion, zeal, and conviction
REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn, one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art (1606-1669), portrays this Sunday’s Gospel in his painting, Christ Driving the Moneychangers from the Temple,…
Wisdom from a taxi driver
OUR team from Las Vegas and other states just completed our annual medical missions, first in Alaminos, Laguna (February 4-8), followed by another in Kamay ni Hesus Pilgrimage Center in…
The challenge and the promise of trust in God
Trust in God is what we need to face the hardships and incomprehensibility of life. It’s what Abraham in this Sunday’s First Reading manifested to us. He trusted in God’s…
Self-induced cancer
In the book on disease prevention at the cellular (DNA) level, entitled, Let’s Stop “Killing” our Children, I have highlighted tobacco and alcohol as the two major causes of most…
Lent as Kairos
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set a bow…
The tragedy of Valentine
Love is still thick in after Valentine’s Day, and as powerful and triumphant as ever, inspiring people around the globe, as different societies celebrated it according to their own tradition…
Ways to make Valentine’s Day special even when you’re apart
For most couples, it’s easier to think about Valentine’s Day when you and your significant other are at close proximity compared to those who are far apart. While couples who…
The greatest love is not bound by rules
WHY does some love between two people endure a lifetime, while others are destined only for a while? Then, the two lovers are separated, either by choice or by faith?…
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s documentary debuts at the Rose Bowl Stadium
“Dear Rosalynn” narrates life of Mrs. Carter, special relationship with St. Genevieve Parish Schools Since leaving the White House, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter moved back…
It’s a special brunch and mass for President and Mrs. Carter
By Grace O. Rosalynn Carter is a truly unforgettable American hero who inspires everyone she meets. Recently, she arrived in Los Angeles to be honored as one of the most…
Not being great, but good
“If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touch him, and said,‘I do will it. Be made clean.’— Mark 1:40-42 WHEN we think of leprosy in…
Spend Valentine’s Day on a budget
A trip to the grocery store can be a day filled with life-changing discoveries and hard-hitting realities. And if you are like me, who trails down the grocery aisles pre-occupied…