Finding the Sunken Garden (and losing it)
If my blog’s name didn’t give it away, I obviously have some connections with UP. No, I don’t have hot and sweaty moments in the Sunken Garden but I certainly had times well-spent in the green (sometimes dried) field. Not only was I always a casual observer to the unabashed display of public affection but I was a frequent diner of Beach House. Not even its bloodied notoriety can deter me from having barbeque and itlog na maalat (with rice, ofcourse). I spent numerous early mornings littering the slope with newspaper to spell-out happy birthday for some CSSP council members. I thought it was cool and thoughtful!
I’ve already moved twice since I came from the Philippines. First to San Francisco where I unsuccesfully connected to any Filipino communities and most recently to San Diego where I finally found UP Alumni Association San Diego. But for some weird reason (or not), the connection I was looking for was just not there.
So what was I looking for? I was hoping to find a sense of belongingness… A feeling that you DO have something in common besides your alma mater. I attended the first event but help incredibly out of place. Perhaps it was because most of the alumni were older than my college professors… and perhaps it was also because they were so unlike my college friends. I was struke with the realization that sharing the same language doesn’t necessarily give you a pass to belong to a group.
Maybe I didn’t give it enough time to grow… What I do know is that I haven’t found what I was really looking for.
29 on the 29th
Blame it on the full moon but my upcoming birthday is putting me into an emotional rollercoaster. Ask my husband, he KNOWS. For months, I’ve embarked on a job search. I’ve been to a handful of interviews, sent numerous applications on jobs posted on Craigslist and Monster, and frequented numerous job fairs. So far, no luck.
Which just makes me nervous! Here I am, a graduate of the best state university in the Philippines with top honors. THAT ofcourse is no big deal here. You don’t get any pogi points for that. I have 4 years of account management experience which has proven to be useful in getting my foot in sales positions.
I had a prospective employer who even pointed out that I might want to leave out the fact that I am bilingual as some employers might be concerned that I have an accent. I’ve been to so many interviews, received both job offers and got rejected as well. I guess, the key is to just treat job search as a job. I’m currently doing odd jobs with a financial management company and it helps to atleast regain the work confidence that is shaved off after years of being at home… Opps, another tip from a friend is to never say I’m without a job. Because, really, I’ve been running a family business for 2 years. I have child care, catering, taxi, cleaning services, pool and garden care services… mommies, you know the drill.
I may be 29 but I’ve had a wealth of experience.
HELP WANTED: Guests to Shake, Rattle ‘n’ Roll a Party
THE QUALIFICATIONS
Must be willing to go back in time to the Fabulous 50’s in authentic costumes
Must be physically & mentally fit to ‘Twist & Shout’, ‘Rock & Roll’ from 6pm till midnight.
Must be ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ to the cause of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association – San Diego
THE APPLICATION FEE
$35 prepaid by Nov. 10 for guaranteed ‘Acceptance’
THE BENEFITS
Fun, Dinner & Dance, & A Most Unforgettable Evening
THE SPONSORSHIPS*
$100 sponsorship for guaranteed “Local Star Status”
$500 sponsorship for guaranteed “National Star Status”
$1000 sponsorship for guaranteed “International Star Status”
THE HIGHLIGHT
50’s Dance & Costume Competition
(with participation from LA, OC, SD Who’s Who)
Celebrity Judges
THE DATE
Saturday, 17 November 2007
THE PLACE
The Champion Ballroom Academy
(Home of Fox’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Judge Mary Murphy)
3580 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 291-7722
THE PARTY ORGANIZER
Beatrice Bael, UPAASD
ArtsyGutsy Affair: A Fling With Elegance
http://artsygutsyaffair.blogspot.com/
Deadline of Ticket & Sponsorship Payments : Nov. 10, 2007
Checks payable to: UPAASD
Mail to: Ann Napolitano, 5552 Genesee Ct. East., #230, San Diego, Ca 92111
REWIND THE FIFTIES
Some Favorite 50s Dances
Author: Sherril Steele-Carlin
It’s funny how dance crazes come and go. Some it seems, like swing and jive, will never really go out of style. During the 50s, there were several dances that were “it” at the school prom, the high school homecoming dance, and anywhere a band could play a tune. So, now’s the time to kick back the rug, remember some of those old dances and how to do them with us. Put on a record on the record machine and have yourself a sock hop! The Bop. When you dance the bop, you usually dance separately from your partner. It’s a lot like jive or swing, but there’s a lot of toe tapping involved, and you don’t hold hands. Usually you alternately tape the heel and toe of either foot as you dance. The Bop is still popular in many dance clubs and events, and is especially popular in many areas of England. The Stroll. The Stroll was often done only by girls, but that isn’t a “rule” in this classic 50s dance. The Stroll is basically two lines of dancers with a large space in the middle. Lead dancers are on one side, their partners on the other. Dancers do a step pattern to advance the line, and leaders do a solo routine though the line, joining it at the end. The dance continues this way through the music. The Stroll was one of the most popular dances of the 50s, and many nostalgic 50s movies feature a scene featuring The Stroll. Swing. Swing was popular during the 50s, it was a holdover from the 40s jitterbug and swing. Swing is one of the few dances of the fifties that is still practiced today, and still inspires many young people to learn how to dance. The Hand Jive. “Oh Can You Hand Jive?” If you danced during the 50s, chances are you still remember the Hand Jive; in fact, you probably can’t get it out of your head all these years later. This is one dance you can even do sitting down, as that famous dance scene in the film “Grease” shows! Basically, the dance is a series of hand and arm movements done in a pattern. The song “Willy and the Hand Jive” came out in 1958 and stayed at the top of the charts for 16 weeks, so if you were anybody in 1958, then baby, you can hand jive. The Madison. The Madison first started in the late 1950s and gained popularity in the 1960s. This dance was a little more complicated, and it was done in a group, rather than by a couple. There were several dance sequences with specific steps, and some of the sequences referred to some very popular television shows of the time, like Jackie Gleason. The Cha Cha. Although the Cha Cha first appeared in 1949 or so, it really hit its stride in the 1950s, when it became quite a popular nightclub dance. The Cha Cha is a blend of two Latin American dances, the Puerto Rican Danzonette and the Cuban Danzon, and evolved into many different forms of Cha Cha here in the U.S. Rock and Roll. Of course, by the end of the 50s, rock and roll was making news all over America, and dance was changing. Partners no longer danced together, but gyrated to the powerful beat on their own. Swing and The Bop gave way to 60s dance crazes like the Twist, the Mashed Potato, and the Hully Gully, but that’s another story!
Sherril Steele-Carlin is a freelance writer and researcher in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications including American Profile, Highways, Pool & Spa, and many more.
Need ideas for costumes? Click:
http://www.clicket.com/costume/costumes.asp?group=50s
come, hop into
with us on
november 17…
limited seating. reserve now!
Virgin at Jack’s
On our 2nd wedding anniversary, I decided to surprise my husband by taking him out. Is it my faulty memory or have I never really taken my husband out for the 4 years that we’ve been together?!? It sounds pretty bad but hey I make it up in other areas.
After much internet and magazine scanning, I decided it was time for us to try Jack’s in La Jolla. I even contacted Chef Roland of La Folie in San Francisco to ask for some suggestions. La Folie was our favorite special occassion restaurant. It was were I first tried foie gras, truffles and caviar. Chef Rolad recommended Mille Fleurs in Rancho Sta. Fe and George’s in La Jolla. However, I decided not to make reservations in both restaurants because of the mixed reviews. Mille Fleurs sounded snotty, overly expensive and not everyone was happy about the food. George’s didn’t have foie gras. Thus, Jack’s.
I made the reservation 2 weeks early (yes, I used to be a Girl Scout!). They were only open from 430-830 on Sundays. We needed to be at the La Jolla Playhouse for Carmen the Musical at 7pm and the show ends at 930. I made a 430 reservation specifically asking if dinner will be serve by then. The girl who took my reservation said yes. A week before our anniversary, I got a 20 usd gift certificate from Jacks through email. I replied saying thanks and added that I made reservation s already for 430. Then, I got a reply that dinner is not served until 530?! Infuriated, I wrote back about my conversation with the person who took my reservation. Then comes an email thread from the resto’s owner Bill and followed-up by Chef Tony?!? I was at the brink of cancelling my reservation because it was all too confusing for a simple reservation but with the owners taking attention I decided to set aside my annoyance and still try Jack’s.
They didn’t let me down. The Sonoma foie gras was exceptional. Melts in your mouth! My entree was the Spice Crusted Sea Bass in Soy while Carsten opted for Duck Breast. It was pretty good. My only regret is that I couldn’t eat it without ruining its presentation. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay longer and have dessert. I guess that means we’ll have to come back. Oh and they have a wonderful deal where VIP members get free entrees on Sundays when you order 2 entrees and 2 drinks. Great dinner for 25% the price of last year’s anniversary dinner. Reasonable pricing and delectable food, what more can I ask?
Notes from the Balikbayan
We are home again after spending 2 weeks in my “home-country” which is defined in the Ebuna’s Dictionary as the place where you reached your maximum height. It will be almost two years since I left. My husband contended that I will be shocked.
Was I?
Not really but I certainly saw things in a different perspective. The humidity, dirty air and dusty surroundings were familiar. I didn’t mind eating rice three times a day but I must admit that I felt uncomfortably full most of the time. I had mango shake whenever it’s on the menu. I felt stuffed most of the time but eating monggo and tuyo, escabeche, sinigang na lechon was too irresistible.
So what took me by surprise?
Di laging masaya
What surprised me as soon as I landed and walked through the airport was that people aren’t as friendly and happy as I thought they were. Was it always like that? Have I been telling myself too often the cliche that Filipinos are happy people? How do you arrive at such generalizations? Have we been always characterized as such and how do we compare exactly to other races?
Yupi-yuping UP
I always though that my alma mater had character. It was an impressive campus for me (atleast 12 years ago). I recall that some of the ceilings at AS were broken. I particularly remember one room where the ceiling fan was dangerously hanging on to the ceiling. The fan was working but you might want to rethink sitting under it! I was awed by the size of the campus and I always regarded its brokendown state as “quaintness.” As I walk through SC in search for a cheap mananahi, I found myself wondering why UP looks the same or even worst. The SC was littered with posters and it looked the same. The UP theater looked like it had a gangrene. I didn’t get to look around more but what I saw depressed me. Why does our state university look like this? After all the countless malls sprouting like mushrooms all over Manila, the sight of my rundown alma mater is quite depressing.
