A memorable birthday party for Angela

Birthday celebrant Angela (third from right) with party host Janet (extreme left) myself and Angela's sister Adriana

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

A birthday party was hosted for the beautiful Angela Cook by her friend Janet Pichon-Hixon and her husband Richard at their beautiful home and my husband Ronnie Dennis and I were among the fortunate few who attended the event.

Janet is Angela's good friend for many years now and Janet spared no effort to make the day extra special with candles, flowers, friends and good food for her. 

Angela, who is with the Aloha Island Hula group came with her fiancée Bernie Sumcad and sisters Adriana and Analyn. Angela was radiant in a black and red dress with matching black shoes.

Angela invited most of her close friends, a lot of whom Filipino-Americans in the Charlotte community including the Aloha Island Hula group. 

Some of the sumptuous fare served by both hosts and guests—a potluck affair of sorts--include  fried chicken, adobo, noodles with shrimp and chicken and spring rolls. 

For dessert there was raspberry birthday cake and matcha cake. After eating, the guests moved to the dance room where everyone was eager to party. The famed YMCA song and the electric slide brought the house down. 

The guests sang “happy birthday” as Angela cut the cake with fiancée Bernie by her side.  Richard then distributed glasses of wine and wished good fortune for the birthday girl. 

Angela had been in the US for the past 17 years and used to work for the Union County Public School for most of that time. 

A native of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu province in the Philippines, her interests include dancing, traveling, shopping and food tripping.

The beautiful hostess Janet Pichon-Hixon was the Mrs. Asia USA titlist three years ago while her husband Richard worked in New York's financial sector. It was indeed a beautiful party for people who clearly enjoyed each other's company. 

Also in attendance were Amelia Lambert, Wenjun Whisen and Harumi Ito Lerner, Isabella Jane Throck, Christine Fejarang, Analyn Ymbong, Adriana Faile and many others. 

My husband Ronnie Dennis and I join the well wishers in praying for Angela's continued happiness and success.   

Angela with fiancee Bernie Sumcad

Japanese -American community celebrates Girls Festival' in Charlotte

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina--Japanese-American women in the Charlotte community celebrated their native country's Hinamatsuri or Girls Festival last March 3. 

An acquaintance named Harumi Ito Lerner explained to this writer that the Hinamatsuri or Girls Festival is also known as “Momo no Sekku” which means Peach Festival and is considerable a special day in Japan. 

Hinamatsuri is an annual celebration and is marked with prayers for the health and happiness of young girls.  Families with girls display “Hina Ningyo” or Hina dolls. 

It is said that the Hina Ningyo takes away bad luck from the girls that own them. 
Each Hina Ningyo wears a Heian period court costume which can represent the Emperor, Empress, their servants or attendants, musicians  and other members of the royal court. 

A platform covered with red carpet-material is used to display the set of ornamental dolls. On the day of the festival it is said that pink means peach, green means land and white means snow.

These three colors portray spring scene after the snow melts away and shows blooming peach flowers.  Another folk belief is that if people put away the Hina Ningyo late, the girl may end up getting married late in the future. 

Harumi Ito Lerner is from the Kumamoto prefecture located south of Japan. She came to Charlotte in 2004 from New Jersey. A friend gave her the set of Hina  dolls and since then she had been celebrating Hinamatsuri every year on March 3.  

To preserve the dolls, she kept it in its original boxes. “They came as a complete set so we don’t have to change them out,” Harumi said.

Based on my online research, the earliest recorded instance of a public display of the dolls to commemorate the Peach Festival occurred in 1625, when Emperor Go Mizunoo’s daughter Oki-ko ordered the Imperial court ladies to set up a stage where she can display her dolls.

After Oki-ko succedded her father as Empress Meisho, Hinanatsuri legally became the name of the holiday in 1687.

During Japan's Meiji period when a new emperor came to power, the Hinamatsuri was lowered in favor of new holidays that focused on the emperor’s supposed bond with the nation, but the event was later revised. 

By focusing on marriage and families, the Hinamatsuri represented Japanese hopes and values and as the dolls represented the emperor and empress, it also fostered respect for the throne. 

The holiday then spread to other countries where there were immigrant Japanese communities and their descendants. Harumi said she noticed that some people have incomplete Hina doll collections featuring only the Emperor and Empress. 

Harumi invited friends to the festival and some of her friends were Filipino-Americans Angela Cook and Mae Nonato Armstead. My Tomadachi Harumi is looking forward to the next Girl’s Festival next year.

Filipino-American women join International Women's Day event in Charlotte

Dr. Maha Gingrich receives flowers from Phin Xaypangna, chairperson of the planning committee of the 2018 Charlotte International Women's Day.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina—The hundreds of participants to this year's Charlotte International Women’s Day were challenged to serve as mentors to the next generation of women in their respective communities.

In her speech, the event's speaker Dr. Maha Gingrich told the diverse crowd of women attendees at the International House to sow trust in their community and help lead the women to become achievers in their own right.

“I challenge you to get a young professional, friend or a colleague and help them professionally. I tell you it is rewarding,” said Gingrich, the vice president of the Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC).

Gingrich, who also serves as the International liaison officer for the CPCC, came in her native Indian costume. Her dress is colored purple, the designated color for this year's International Women's Day which is held at the International House for the third year in a row.

Dr. Gingrich came from South India and is also  a TV host who focuses on immigrant  success stories.  

“As women we want to be everything, we are super women,” Dr. Gingrich said, earning enthusiastic applause from the women participants.

She said this generation's superwomen are expected to care for everyone, with their right hand holding a child, the other hand clutching a phone and her feet soothing the family pet. 

Dr. Gingrich said she was fortunate to have experienced first hand the various cultures of women in other countries, having attended Mass in Catholic churches and visited temples of Indians as well as Muslim mosques.

Gingrich also talked about her childhood and her father's role as her mentor, instilling in her principles and values that would shape her character. “Father instilled in me the ambition to succeed in life ,” she said.

John Autry, the Democratic party candidate for the North Carolina House of representatives District 100 welcomed the attendees in behalf of Ella Scarborough, chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners. 

Phin Xaypangna of Mecklenburg County, who is this year's chairperson of the 
planning committee for the event, reminded everyone present that while much had been done to advance women's welfare, a lot of work still lays ahead to improve their status.

Xaypanga is the chairperson of the event's planning Committee  for the past three years. For her part Alexis Gardon, chief protocol officer of the City of Charlotte said women should not be relegated as objects.

“I am a noun, not an adjective,” she said. Gordon said women should not remain content in being labeled through adjectives that describe her beauty but also as leaders. 

A call to action later followed after the speech, with each participant given a Press for Progress ballot and asked to check the boxes in the ballot for a pledge of support to initiatives to improve women's welfare as explained by Phin Xaypanga.

These boxers consist of pledges to register to vote in the November elections, educating oneself on the candidates and the issues they support. This commitment for civic engagement drew enthusiastic feedback from the participants.

Among the cultural performers during the event were harpist Chiara Capobianco, Shefaleenpatel who performed an Indian folk dance, Mimoouna and Kim who performed an African dance, Molina and the Crew who performed a Latin American dance and the Philippines Cultural Dance troupe of Charlotte led by Maria Corazon Benrokiya and Dorena Reynolds who did the Ifugao dance. 

Florami Lao Cordero-Lee, past president of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas (FACC) is a member of the planning committee. 

She said she is grateful for having helped the celebration of International Women's Day for the past three years.

Among the Filipino Americans who attended the event were incumbent FACC Treasurer Mildred Cordova and Auditor Gloria Cagadas Grifenhagen, Roditha Fuentes Terado, Sony Krupp, Janet Hixson, Aurea Barbee, Maria Corazon Benrokiya, Dorena Reynolds and FACC member Ronnie and Susan Dennis. 

Also in attendance Leigh Altman, Meckklenburg County Commissioner candidate.  Barbee and Krupp helped Lee in the food committee.

Kagay-anon doctor mounts art exhibit at Philippine Center Gallery

Brochure for the art exhibit which runs from March 19 to April 6

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina---A Kagay-anon doctor now based in Iloilo City will stage her own art exhibit at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York on March 19.

The art exhibit of Dr. Minda Marie dela Serna Cabrera which runs until April 6 is entitled “Tumandok- a Glimpse of the Ati, Indigenous People of Panay: A Collection of Portraits in Charcoal.” Everyone is invited. 


Dr. Cabrera was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro City and is the sister of lawyer Eli de la Serna.  As her exhibit suggests, Dr. Cabrera will use charcoal pencil in drawing the Ati, the natives that live in the island of Iloilo. 


Ati is one of two ethnic groups that live in Iloilo and most of them were displaced by mining, deforestation and urban development in the past few decades.  


Dr. Cabrera graduated at the South City Central School in Nazareth, High School and at Lourdes College. She took up Natural Science as her pre-med course at Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan.


Dr. Cabrera graduated at the  University of Santo Tomas College of Medicine and works as a rehabilitation medicine  specialist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo. 


When asked why she chose the Ati as her subject, Dr. Cabrera said her inspiration came after she saw a group of women selling ”hibyok” brooms by the roadside in Pavia town, Iloilo City.


Hibyok are tall palm trees endemic in Southeast Asia and are found in deep forests and mountain slopes, said Dr. Cabrera, a self-taught artist. As such “hibyok” brooms cost a lot more due to the difficulty in procuring the material from the forest and slopes.


“After I bought some brooms, they obliged to have their photograph taken. When I arrived home, I started sketching my very first Ati portait. In the process I realized that drawing the human face was an intensely intimate encounter with another human being. In this experience I saw beauty, character and emotion,” Dr. Cabrera said.  


The Ati are often a target for discrimination because of their color, physical features, stature and culture. “As a busy rehab medicine practitioner, my exposure to them was limited to random encounters in the streets of Iloilo,” she said.


Her fascination of the Ati grew to the point that she visited the Ati settlements in Sitio Katikati, Barangay Lanit,Leong and Nagpana. Dr. Cabrera developed her sketching skills after studying the human form in her biology class. Her course also required a lot of drawing of the human anatomy. 



Her fascination with the paradoxical complexity and simplicity of the human body led her to charcoal which provided the perfect foundation for her passion in sketching.


Dr. Cabrera said she uses lines, light and shadow to enhance her understanding of the form, spaces, tone and texture of her subjects. Though admitting to starting late as an artist, Dr. Cabrera is still happy that she discovered her artistic side.


She is happily married to a gentleman farmer from Barotac Viejo, Iloilo with whom they have two boys and two girls. Her love of natives and nature is found in her early works that featured flowers drawn in pencil, water color and oil.


It was in 2014 that she began the daunting journey of learning her craft and through sheer determination and persistence, Dr. Cabrera has come out with her own art exhibit.


She said she realized the vast potential of portrait drawing in communicating ideas and evoking compassion and discourse for her subjects. 


“My exhibit history is very short. Despite my limited and mostly intuitive skills, I am privileged to be able to share stories as well as my personal reflections and insights on the present condition of the true natives of our islands through my charcoal drawings,” Dr. Cabrera said.

Fil-Am artist, model duo shine in Carolina couture show

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Tia Ashley Michaels (center) with Edelweiss de Guzman (right) 

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina---It was yet another time to shine for the Filipino-American community during  Saturday's (Feb. 24) Charlotte Condom Couture Fashion Show at Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The artist-model duo of Edelweiss de Guzman and Tia Ashley Michaels respectively made the Filipino-American community proud with their participation in the unique runway fashion show which showcases local designers in the Charlotte area using condoms to create fashionable, wearable art in order to promote safe sex. 

The theme for this year’s show is “Around the World” and it is sponsored by Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health care in the US and around the world. 

The first condom couture dress Edelweiss made was in 2015 and it was later auctioned off. Edelweiss donated half of the amount to Planned Parenthood which celebrated its 100 years recently. 

Edelweiss, co-founder of the local Art Ecologie group, grew up in the Philippines and moved to the US when she was 18 years old. Her works include illustrations, paintings and haute couture made from recyclable materials.

Edelweiss de Guzman with Tia Ashley Michaels

Last year, Edelweiss created a dress made of white condoms that was inspired by a 1910 culture homage to the Industrial Revolution for the Condom Couture Fashion show. 

Her model, tall and lanky 18-year-old Tia Ashley Michaels, wore Edelweiss's latest creation of an A-Line ball gown and a bodice coiled in latex. It was a happy mix of white, red, yellow and orange colors. 

Tia, who looks like a real princess, wore the head piece inspired by those worn by the Manobos and T’boli natives in the Philippines which consist of decorative shells.

Tia is a full time student at Central Piedmont Community College(CPCC) majoring in computer science and a minor in the arts. 

She performs Polynesian dancing as a hobby during her free time and belongs to the Filipino International Community Church (FICC). While she didn't attend any schooling in modeling courses, it looks like she is into it already.

“I see myself progress in this field by learning and communicating with others,” Tia said. 

Artist Edelweiss de Guzman with co-host Ramona of 107.5 (right) and friends Dr. Keith Ayrons, J. Andrew Arlegui and Charles Vogel

A beauty pageant for Muffy

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

A beauty pageant of sorts capped off the birthday party of Muffy P. Therrien at her Spencer Mountain home in Charlotte, North Carolina last January 6. 

The pageant is included in Muffy's Around The World contest and is now on its third year. This time the pageant was won by Amie Mendoza Ervay who represented Vietnam and was crowned Ms World. 

About 20 countries were represented in the contest aside from Ervay, other winners were Gayzel Carballo 1st runner up represented Saudi Arabia, Dhi Donato who represented India and is 2nd runner up, Elvie Bramich representing Indonesia landed 3rd runner up.

Other winners were Marjorie Enriquez Ray who represented Peru and won MS Talent, Connie Vitug who won Ms Congeniality and Alma Redelosa Alindao Butler who won Ms Photogenic, Best in costume representing Argentina was awarded to  Nora Gardner.

The contestants gamely wore native costumes of the countries they represented which they made themselves. They competed in both talent and the question and answer portions.

The funnier the answers, the better audience reaction which meant additional points. Those who sat as judges were Lynn Lorenzo-Polk, Marc Mcdaniel and Aloy Palting.  

This contest/pageant started in 2015 during the birthday of Muffy T Therrien. In its first year, Myra Tranquilino got the crown. 

Lest we forget, here's some background info on the birthday celebrant Muffy P Therrien: She graduated AB Psychology from Philippine Christian University and earned her masters degree at Strayer University specializing in Health Services Administration.

She graduated with a 4.0 GPA and she is also a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society and Golden Key International Honor Society.

While pursuing her MBA, Muffy worked as a Starbucks manager in uptown Charlotte. She has a seven-year-old daughter Miko who shares her interest in cooking.

Muffy loves to be around people and she helped enliven the spirits of Filipino-Americans in the Charlotte, North Carolina community particularly at the Gastonia area.  

Her friend Tonette Asay has this to say: “Nagalak ang marami mong kaibigan at kamag-anak sa kasiyahan na naganap sa iyong kaarawan celebrasiyun ng araw ng iyong kapanganakan sa Spencer Mountain, Dallas/Ranlo, NC nuong ika 6 ng Enero 2018 (A lot of your friends and family are happy at the joyous celebration of your natal day at Spencer Mountain, Dallas/Ranio North Carolna last Jan. 6, 2018).”

Asay, who represented Egypt, attended the party despite undergoing a cyst removal procedure in the chest and a face plastered on the left side a day before the event. 
  
It’s that one day of the year when people laugh and celebrate their birthday and they share it with people who care about them. That’s what happened to Muffy who got to spend her special day with friends at her home. 

I love birthdays and I am sorry to have missed your birthday party, Muffy P.  Therrien. I could have represented Timbuktu.

Boy Jayson passes away as family asks for help

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina--I was saddened on receiving word last night that Albert "Boy" Jayson, a friend and a neighbor from my hometown of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental in northern Mindanao, Philippines, died of a heart attack.

I commiserate with his family consisting of his wife Esperanza Sabio Valdehuesa, his daughter Marie "Whong" Jayson Escalante, her husband Junmar Escalante and their son Noah for their sudden, untimely loss.

Boy with his wife Esperanza in the US

Boy as he was called by friends arrived in the US last Oct. 1 to fulfill his childhood wish to come to the US to visit his eldest daughter Whong and her family who had resided in the Charlotte, North Carolina area for sometime.

At 9:45 pm last Saturday Nov 17, while preparing for a trip next day to Washington DC to see the White House, he collapsed and never woke up. 

Boy was 64 and he left six children—five back in the Philippines and one in Charlotte. He was an only child and most of his relatives are in the Philippines.

As incumbent president of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC), I want to ask for help to help the family bring Boy's remains back home in the Philippines.

The family is targeting to raise US $12,000 to cover expenses. This amount is big but if we work together and raise the amount then we can help reduce the family's burden.

Boy's daughter Whong said her dad died happy and was in fact so proud that he finally reached the US. On behalf of the family and the FACC, I am asking for help from all Filipino-Americans and those who read this blog to contribute what they can to help raise funds for the family.

Boy was a good father, a good husband and a good friend. He had a ready smile to anyone and enjoyed life as a businessman in Tagoloan town but he always dreamed of visiting the US and he realized it.

Now let us help his family bring him back home to Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental in northern Mindanao, Philippines. Go click on the GoFundMe link provided here and give what you can to help them./Susan Palmes-Dennis

Boy with his daughter Whong