Last night I went to #NJPWG1USA repping #balutclub #tfalpodcast. It was my first live wrestling show ever and it did not disappoint. For folks who cannot understand why I am into wrestling I recommend you watch episode 5 of GLOW on Netflix. One of the characters on the show has an epiphany about why wrestling works. . The answer? . STORIES . Entertainment is about stories. It’s what keeps us engaged and coming back for more. Stories are why I made my dad read Cinderella to me every night as a toddler. Stories are why my Lola Sabel watched All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital religiously and would not let me change the channel. Stories are why in college I could go back to my freshman year dorm at 1pm and there would be a group of us watching Days of Our Lives on the common living room tv. Stories are why summer blockbluster’s are fun, documentaries are compelling, and tv is currently in a golden age. . My history with wrestling goes back to my childhood. I watched wrestling on TV and got sucked into the story. Like Lola Sabel’s soaps, wrestling was my soap opera. As I got older I fell out of touch with what was happening, but like All My Children, I could always jump back in and get into the story. In college PUSO Pal Berto, (FYI he is my PUSO pal because of the UCI student org Pilipino Pre-Health Undergraduate Student Organization PUSO matched us to be PUSO pals!), would watch wrestling with some friends. I remember I tried to come over and watch with the homies but my allergic reaction to cats prevented me from hanging out since I preferred being able to breathe and not having my eyes burn and my nose run. Berto is the reason for my new foray into wrestling. Last year for my birthday I got a surprise in the mail. A WWE Network card, a list of matches to watch, and a list of shows. This was my “homework.” I mentioned to him that I was getting into Lucha Underground and occasionally watching RAW and Smackdown. His birthday gift turned into putting WWE Network cards on my elfster for Christmas, and finally buying my own card when my gift cards ran out. Which leads me to last night when we saw NJPW1USA live. I saw wrestlers I had only seen on the internet and tv before my very eyes. Hearing folks chant “This is Awesome,” boo a heel, or flip their shit when something insane happened was the best. We sat behind a family with two girls who were super into the show, flashing the #BulletClub sign, and standing on chairs for a better view. If I could time travel to my little kid self I would let that bowl cut Elaine know that one day you’ll be at a live show and there will be other girls into wrestling too. I would also tell myself the winning powerball numbers for the next jackpot and make myself promise that I wouldn’t turn into Biff Tannen. . Last night the crowd was into the story because that’s what keeps us in the seats. It’s why we boo or cheer. It’s why #tfalpodcast exists so we can tell Filipino American stories. Why hopefully one day we can talk to Dave Bautista, TJ Perkins, Kris Wolf, Jeff Cobb, DJZ Michael Paris and hear their stories as Filipino American professional wrestlers. Because if we don’t tell these stories, who will?
0 Comments
Need a distraction from the current presidential news cycle? Take a listen to the latest episode of This Filipino American Life! We talk food with Sarahlynn Pablo of Filipino Kitchen!
I share more stories about how my family lied to me about certain Filipino foods. And by lied I mean push their preferences for Sinigang made with fish (yuck) and Tortang Talong not being made with ground beef (double yuck). Thank you to everyone who has go us to 1000 likes on our Facebook page! We appreciate you so much! Maraming Salamats for being a part of our TFAL podcast journey.
The TFAL Podcast crew has been quite productive. This week we put out a timely episode about the holidays! On this episode we talk about holiday traditions. Listen as Ryan talks about his life on the streets, how Mike needs to give us a sample of his minus one solos, and how Joe keeps up the Santa tradition alive for his family. Me? I talk about how I found Santa's gift wrap and that I was still writing to letters to Santa in my teens. Yes my teens. Enjoy this episode! And SPOILER ALERT. If you are listening and have kids, maybe this is one you might wanna skip with them, because we spill the beans about Santa!
Originally posted on This Filipino American Life:
Christmas is coming! (Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit!) What are your unique Filipino American Christmas traditions? Do you go to Simbang Gabi…at 7pm? Do you make parols? Do you visit the Philippines every Christmas? Do you send your loved ones balikbayan boxes? Do you eat Queso de Bola after midnight mass? Do you watch NBA basketball all day with your family while eating lechon and candied ham? Join the TFAL crew as they reminisce about old Christmas traditions they grew up on. Find out how Elaine discovered the real truth about Santa Claus. Find out which is Producer Mike’s favorite Xmas movie. Find out what Shrek character Ryan dressed up as. And find out what the heck is going on in the picture above. Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!
Mike picked up a fancy shmancy 360 camera and captured what it's like when we record TFAL at Berllado Studios. As you can see we have fun doing this show.
This Filipino American Life Episode 5: Filipinos in Higher Education is now up. This episode was really fun to record. We had two guests on this episode. Ivy Dulay Daulo, who's an instructor at California State University Long Beach, and Kevin Casasola, a student at University of California Los Angeles. I loved that we got to hear both their perspectives on what Pilipino Studies means to them.
We share our experiences with Pilipino Studies and Asian American Studies in college. I find it interesting that a movement that I was a part of in college called Tagalog And Pilipino Studies (TAPS) is something that Kevin and his fellow students study as an organizing model. Props to the students who continue to fight for these courses on your college campuses. Rate, review, and subscribe to us on iTunes here! Comment on the This Filipino American Life Facebook page. Check out our blog at This Filipino American Life Listen and follow This Filipino American Life on MixCloud Tweet at us @TFALpodcast
From This Filipino American Life:
Bakit /ˈbaːkit/ is a Tagalog word that means, “Why.” Join the TFAL team while we go through our “Bakit List” of questions such as:
Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!
There was magic in the air on Saturday, October 8th. I wore two hats at FPAC this year. One was as a member of the This Filipino American Life family. We conducted interviews with several artists who performed at the festival as well as interviews with long time supporters of FPAC. The biggest thing that happened was we got to talk to Deedee Magno Hall.
This is the smile of someone who cannot believe they are taking a picture with someone they grew up watching on tv and listening to on cassette single. As a kid the Disney Channel was a premium channel and I can recall taping The Mickey Mouse Club the week we would have the channel. Why? Because of Deedee! She was young, Filipino, and acting and singing on tv. I completely fangirled on her and told her how I saw her at mall performance years ago when she toured with The Party. Deedee is also the voice of Pearl on Steven Universe, a show that I absolutely adore and makes me cry on the regular. I can't wait to share that interview with folks. It can be an audio commentary to this post.
The other big thing that happened at FPAC was that we started our short flags documentary journey. Folks from Oxnard and the South Bay came out to our short flags meet up and shared their stories with us. Many thanks to Eseel, Kirby, and Ana for holding it down.
FPAC is a time for reunions. You tend to run into friends and family at FPAC. It's what I love about the festival. At one point during the tinikling battle something magical happened. As the familiar strings of the rondalla played a group of us began to sway balance and dance tinikling with imaginary tinikling sticks. There was no pause in the moment, we all knew the moves, and for that short moment in time we weren't TFAL or short flags documentarians, we were Filipino Americans making a memory.
And then there was this moment. When Paul made Mike and I tear up. Catching up with this former Sessions LA student and hearing him tell Mike that Sessions saved his life was a poignant way to end the day. Thank you to everyone who shared their FPAC day with me, TFAL, and short flags.
Rest In Power - Guru Danny
Guru Danny was a Master kulintang musician and artist. He was the subject of The Cotabato Sessions, a documentary film by Joel Quizon and Susie Ibarra. We were lucky to get a picture with him when he performed at FPAC in 2014.
From The Cotabato Sessions: It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Master Danny Kalanduyan. Per sources close to him, Danny suffered a stroke at Stanford University Hospital September 27, 2016, where he had been admitted for a cardiac procedure. Rest In Peace, Danny. We are so honored and proud to have shared a little bit of your art and story. Our deep condolences goes out to his family, his friends, his many students that he has mentored through the years and all of those fortunate enough to have heared and seen him perform. We have lost a legend, a true master of his craft. In memory of the life and legacy of Danny Kalanduyan. We would like to share our film online for the first time. Thank you to all of you who helped to support making this film possible. Please share and consider donating to help pay for his funeral expenses here: https://www.gofundme.com/dannykalanduyan We have lost a great artist among us. We will never forget you, Danny and we will forever be grateful for sharing your passion, your art, your home, and your love with us. Your voice is the first thing we hear on this film and its your message of how music is shared and handed down generation after generation linking us to our past and our roots that will forever linger in our hearts. We will continue to keep the music always in the present. From Susie Ibarra and Joel Quizon The Cotabato Sessions from Joel Quizon on Vimeo. ![]() It's October already! Insanity! I wasn't able to finish out the Oblivious Birthday Gratitude posts. However 22 posts was a good run. October is here which means several things like October Baseball. Dodgers are in the playoffs and I can't wait for their run this season. I cried my eyes out when Vin Scully called his last game at Dodger Stadium. I was listening in my car when Vin gave his last words to the fans and they played a clip of him singing Wind Beneath My Wings. This is a picture of me sobbing in my car. I couldn't handle it. I was the crying emoji at that moment. ![]() October also means Filipino American History Month. And with that is the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture this Saturday, October 8th from 10-8pm at Echo Park Lake. More info can be found here: FPAC Samu't Sari. I will be at FPAC wearing multiple hats. I'll be there at the This Filipino American Life booth repping for TFAL! We'll be talking to artists and folks attending the festival. Share your FPAC stories with us! Another hat I'm wearing is the Short Flags Docu hat! Tsismis Council has planned a short flags meet up at FPAC this year. We want to capture your stories. Show us how it's done. Bring your flags and teach us! And if you feel like coloring stop by the Generasyon Pavilion! Color Your Troubles Away is providing coloring sheets for FPAC this year. Color some Filipino themed and inspired sheets! It's going to be an insanely busy Saturday and I can't wait to spend it with you all at FPAC! Oblivious Birthday Gratitude Day 18. I am thankful for This Filipino American Life podcast. When Joe Bernardo approached me to a part of his idea for a podcast I was totally game. Having tried my hand at it with Lessons From Lola and Oblivious Great Idea, I was happy to co-host a project with friends. I've learned so much on this journey. The response to the podcast has been so dope. I'm so excited for sharing future episodes with everyone!
Thank you to everyone who makes TFAL happen! There are a lot of people involved and you all make us sound and look awesome! Oblivious Birthday Gratitude Day 11. I am thankful for this new instagram account azn143637. It is a side project of This Filipino American Life. We all are fans of Veteranas and Rucas, which documents Chicano/Latino youth culture. azn143637 is our way of documenting the Filipino American and Asian American youth culture experience in the 80s and 90s.
On This Filipino American Life we talk about our lives in the 90s. We have these touch stones that scream this life. For guys its a fade with a high top and some long bangs which Joe and Mike have perfected in their pictures. For girls there was long, sun in drenched hair, with super thin eyebrows and dark lip liner with shiny glossy lipstick that was lighter than the lip liner. I think most pictures of me in that uniform are at my parents house, so thankfully I don't have that to share with you all. Instead I have myself doing the traditional "pogi" pose at my 8th grade banquet. I"m excited to see what submissions we'll get for this project. Can't wait to share your memories with everyone. Send your best aZn picture to [email protected]. |
#ColorYourTroublesAway Organizer of coloring events in Los Angeles|#TFAL#TFALpodcast This Filipino American Life podcast @tfalpodcast|Writer of ObliviousnessFollow me on instagram (@obliviousnerdgrl) for daily obliviousness and teaser sheets for Color Your Troubles Away! Archives
July 2017
Categories
All
|