"Philippine Homecoming's Cherished Memories" An entertaining and easy-to-read account of a Filipino American's homecoming to the Philippines and the interesting memories it triggered. Excerpts from the book Seeing the Philippines for the first time after many years would give any former resident a "culture shock." The roads, which looked to be wider before, appeared narrow. The buildings and the streets, which were dilapidated and dirty before, looked more dilapidated and dirty now. - Chapter 2 - Balikbayan Culture Shock All of a sudden, the small kids from before were now grown up. Their faces had changed, yet somehow looked familiar. Some of his relatives who lived in a compound beside them had already died. Gone forever during a span of just ten years were his maternal grandmother, three uncles, two aunties and two cousins. - Chapter 3 - Like A Video Tape Experience Their vehicle moved towards the man and again they asked: "Boss, alam mo ba ang bahay ni Maning Bakla (Boss, do you know the residence of Maning, the homosexual?)?" The man looked serious and glumly said: "Yes, I am Maning, what do you want?" They were embarrassed as they were sure that Maning did not appreciate the unsavory nickname. - Chapter 6 - Maning Bakla And the Duty Free Shops In Manila There was a full moon above, and they could see its reflections on the water as the waves slapped on the sand. They could feel the cool breeze kiss their face, the warm water wet their feet. On that cold December evening in Maryland Beach Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines, they wanted to freeze time and enjoy every moment of their stay - Chapter 10 - Nasugbu Market Place And The IUD BBQ Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas proved to be an innovative mayor; for example, he introduced the free elementary and high school education in the city, the first of its kind in the country. He was also a poet in the vernacular; at every opportunity, he would recite or talk in the form of a poem he himself composed. In answer to his critics, he once said: "Marami ang nagtatanong kung bakit ako tumutula, bakit, ang tula ba ay masama (Many are asking why I am reciting a poem, why, is a poem bad)?" Chapter 17 - When "Gatpuno" Villegas warmed his "Salumpuwit" at Maharnilad Their playmates from the barrio were cautious and made a sign of the cross when passing ant hills, which they would call "nuno sa punso". They would reverently say, "Makikiraan, po (Please allow us to pass!)!" Chapter 31 - Nuno Sa Punso And Other Weird Provincial Experiences The boys, usually five at a time, would line up and march without their pants towards the rice fields at the back of the house. They would pass by a guava tree, pull out several leaves and wash them in the artesian well. Once in the field, the quack doctor would hammer a stake into the ground made of a branch of a guava tree with the other end bent towards the boy. - Chapter 34 - Circumcision: Why Do Some Boys Walk Bow-Legged During Summertime In The Province?
About the Author: Simeon G. Silverio, Jr. was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and educated at the Juan Sumulong Elementary School and Arellano High School, in Manila. He obtained his AB degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines and took graduate courses for a Master in Communications and a Master in Business Administration at the Ateneo de Manila University. He was a managing editor of Sunburst Publications, publisher of international magazines. He also edited Business Ventures in the Philippines & Asia. He was reluctant to leave his thriving career in the Philippines when he had an opportunity to migrate to the United States in 1982. However, the assassination of Marcos critic Benigno Aquino a few months later, which resulted in the collapse of the Philippine economy, gave him the obvious choice. He knew he would be competing against U.S. educated American journalists with English as mother tongue in mainstream newspapers. Even if he were hired, he would just be given minor assignments that would not give him much professional fulfillment. Aware that his advantage was his knowledge of the Asian and Filipino community, he published the Asian Journal, the first Filipino weekly newspaper in San Diego County. It had been a successful business and fulfilled him professionally. Like others, he first wrote and commented about the conditions in the Philippines. Writers had done it before; sadly, their suggestions often fell on deaf ears. He realized such articles would only be relevant for a few days and would soon be overtaken by events and forgotten. He remembered his parents telling them stories of their childhood during dinners. He lamented the fact his Filipino American daughters, born and raised in America, did not have any idea of their Filipino parents' backgrounds. From then on, he started writing about his memories while growing up in the Philippines so his daughters and grandchildren will eventually know and appreciate them. He hopes his readers will also pass on such information, as contained in his writings, to their progeny so the next generation of Filipino Americans, at least in San Diego, will not be totally in the dark about their Filipino heritage. This is one of the reasons why he continues to write, and why his writings are published into books - so they can be preserved for posterity. In 1999, he co-founded the Los Angeles Asian Journal and later moved on to focus on his business interests in San Diego, California, where he lives.