Overweight in Brussels

Yes, I gained 12 pounds during the trip, but this is not about that. I would have called this entry “Mga Bagong Bayani” but the thought of being overweight amused me.

I would have included this story in my Pinoy blog entry but this deserved its own space.

I went home to the Philippines a couple of nights earlier ahead of the cast. I missed our biggest show in Europe (I heard more than 2,000 people watched, including VIP sponsors and it was also the first one that had cocktail tables and champagne) and our best guest performer (Sandrine, who was like the “Belgian Idol”) and had to ride the train from Leuven to Brussels with all my luggage.

The best part about it was that I can have 2 pieces of luggage at 20 kilos each because it was an international flight. Normally, if I was traveling with the whole group, I was allowed only ONE piece of checked in luggage, then the other slot would be for UWP equipment. Since I was alone, and the equipment was still in use, I had the go signal to use my luggage allowance. It was stress free packing!

So I made it through the train ride and dragged my suitcase and backpack and shoulder bag to the check-in counter. I was so happy because it was still 2 hours till boarding and I can still have a leisurely time walking to my departure gate. Only to find out that I had to pay 600 Euro for an extra 23 kilos – my blood ran cold.

Turns out that the flight from Brussels to Frankfurt will be on a small plane and couldn’t accommodate more than 20 kilos per passenger! It doesn’t matter how many bags, as long as they add up to 20 kilos. I told her that I will be on the connecting flight from Frankfurt – China – Manila and that I should have the international luggage allowance. No, she’s sorry. Brussels-Frankfurt is 20 kilos. Cross-continent flights, 40 kilos. I wished UWP ended its tour in Frankfurt!

I only had 15 Euro left in my pocket, and I was not about to use my credit card to pay for extra luggage. Lufthansa even had a weight limit for ONE carry on (not two pieces, like most American flights) and my laptop just about made the limit, so it was impossible for me to unload some suitcase stuff to my carry on.

In the middle of the Brussels airport, I opened my suitcase and surveyed its contents. With a heavy heart, I filled a plastic bag with some of my clothes, my toiletries, scarves, some books and magazines that I accumulated. All these went to the lost and found bin at the airport.

One hour until boarding time, I was back in line for the check in counter – they weighed my suitcase and this time I was 450 Euro overweight. I noticed a group of Pinoys at the end of the line and acknowledged them with a brief smile – but I did not have enough sanity to think about my Pinoy-quest game. Sigh. I really wanted to cry – I did not have 450 Euro, but then I could not bear the thought of leaving my valuables behind. In my suitcase taking up space and weight are sentimental stuff and some pasalubong I collected along the way and I really did not want to part with them. 5 months of travel can get really heavy.

30 minutes until boarding time, I was beside the check-in counter. The long lines were gone because check-in was about to close. Again, I had a small plastic bag already filled with valuables that I was about to throw away, I was holding on to it tightly. I was silently praying, I don’t know for what – for divine intervention, for a smart decision.

Then suddenly,

“Kabayan, ano ang problema?”

A group of Filipinos, the same ones at the end of the line, were obviously very late for check in. The attendant at the counter was hurriedly processing their papers and was about to close. She was talking to the Pinoy’s Flemish boss.

I explained my predicament to the 3 seafarers (seamen) and they were surprised with the luggage allowance. It turns out that seafaring companies have agreements with airlines about UNLIMITED baggage allowances since their employees travel for at least 9 months. Before I knew it, their Flemish boss was asking me if I wanted to check in my luggage with them.

The lady at the check-in counter told us that once we do that, it will be all our responsibility already, but I can see that she was also happy for me! I was ecstatic and couldn’t stop thanking everyone! It was less than 20 minutes until our boarding time and we said goodbye to the Flemish boss and practically ran to our gate. We made it! And I made 3 new friends in the queerest of circumstances.

The flight was amazingly quick and once we were in Frankfurt, we were joined by a lot more Pinoys on the flight to Manila. There were a lot of greetings of “Kabayan! Saan ka sa atin?” and I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. When the plane touched down in Manila, the passengers cheered. Most of them were seafarers who are excited to be spending Christmas at home.

What happened to me in Brussels was really a miraculous thing – I prayed for intervention and God gave me my heroes in the form of 3 seamen who were almost late for the flight. What if they were on time? Nobody would have saved me!

A million thanks ! Kina Mr. Hilario Caspe, Mr. Boy Villanueva at sa kanilang isa pang kaibigan. Alam kong masayang masaya po kayo at nakapiling ninyo ang inyong pamilya nitong nakaraang Pasko at Bagong Taon. Nawa'y maging masaya ang inyong 2008!

The Global Pinoys

Two weeks into the program, I was sick of speaking English all the time and was hungering for my native language. I was missing the Pinoy warmth, the Pinoy family and the Pinoy sense of humor. I know Pinoys were everywhere and I just had to find some.

In this blog entry, “Halo-Halo in Denver” – I wrote about Pastor Carlos Bulalayao, Jr and the Crosswind Community Church and how they gave me my much needed Pinoy culture. We ate Halo-Halo, watched The Filipino Channel, had family bonding time and I had the chance to relax and listen to the Eraserheads in one of their friends’ cars.

In my Filipino blog entry, “Pinoys Around the World” – I was obviously so homesick and showcased here my small encounters with my “kind” But looking back, I think I missed a lot of stories!

In Sierra Vista and in Coos Bay, Oregon - I received some pocket money from very generous Pinoys who I just met. In both instances, these people also traveled the world with a youth group and knew how fun it was to be able to have ice cream on travel stops.

There was 14-year old MJ Magtanong from San Diego, California who proudly wore a “Filipino Pride” shirt. He was Stefan’s (from Germany) host brother. He grew up in the USA and has visited the Philippines (Subic) only once but had no qualms to say that it was the best place ever! We hung out a bit after the show (I remember we had Pepsi from the vending machine) and he uploaded a couple of hip hop songs AND Boom-Tarat-Tarat to my phone. Ah, and he can dance it, too!

I also remember this blog entry from Winston, Oregon where I encountered a Pinoy family falling in line in the food distribution CI I was in.

Of course, I also wouldn’t forget friends and friends of family who sacrificed some of their time to see me (and even host me!). My high school best friend Romilee who’s now in Tucson, my good friend Tiffany who drove alone for two hours to see me in Corcoran, California, my Tita Miriam and Tito Conrad who saw the show in Corocoran AND Las Vegas, my Tito Bobot and Tita Maria who hosted me in Las Vegas and my fun stay with Tito Eric, Tita Vivian, Noelle and Lola in Portland.

In Milan, Italy, one of my castmates had a Pinay helper in their house, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to talk to her. But I met a Filipina OFW on the subway and had a quick chat. My host dad’s boss’ wife (ang haba ah!) was also a Filipina and we talked on the phone. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a busload of Pinoys on tour got off right in front of where I was standing and to my delight, one of them gave me a big smile and asked, “Pilipina ka?” to which I enthusiastically answered, “Opo!” They must have been weirded out because my UWP friends all laughed and hugged me after that. Because, they too, were amazed at the number of Pinoys I met on the road.

Probably the most touching encounter I had with a Filipino came during one of our Internal days in Portland. I had just finished my Education internship and suddenly had a “less stressful” schedule than usual. With some idle time in my hands, and a pretty slow day (we were watching “An Inconvenient Truth”), it was the worst homesick-est feeling I had during the whole trip.

Thinking about home and my family, I went for a bathroom break and found out that half the stalls were closed because it was being cleaned. An old man was mopping the floors quietly. I studied him closely, he was the kindly, grandfather type with tanned skin and gray hair. I sneaked a glance at his name tag and sure enough, he was Filipino! I was just overcome with emotion and homesickness that I just blurted out,

“Hi Manong, Magandang Umaga po!”

His head snapped up and he stared at me and asked carefully, “Pilipina ka?”

With tears in my eyes, I answered, “Opo, Pilipino po ako!” – and without thinking, I hugged the lolo who was cleaning the bathroom. Soon he had tears in his eyes, too. Two of his daughters married Americans and convinced him and his wife to live with them in the USA. He badly wanted to go home to the Philippines where all his other kids and grandchildren were.

“Gusto ko nang umuwi. Ang hirap dito, may trabaho ka nga pero mahirap at malugkot pa din. Buti sa atin, kahit minsan walang pera, pero masaya tayo! Dito, kayod ka ng kayod, wala naman makuha. Pero mahirap naman basta-basta umuwi kasi mahal ang pamasahe”

It’s funny how easily we forget that some people really don’t have a choice when they go abroad, and that they don’t have complete control of their time and resources because of extreme need. Just like what I felt when I met the family at the food pantry in Winston.

We were performing a mini-show at the Oude Market Square in Leuven, Belgium – the stage was shaky, and it was freezing but the crowd was so happy that it felt really good. A girl in front of the crowd caught my eye, and like everyone, she was also into the performance. I soon learned that she was Malou, a Filipina! She was studying Theology at the University and was eager to introduce me to her friends.

That same evening I joined them for their Wednesday novena. It was the smallest Catholic mass I have ever attended! There were ten of us all in all, including two priests who both celebrated our small mass. We just gathered around a small table with a cross and some Bibles. I read the First Reading.

In my conversation with Malou, she told me that she was looking forward to the time that our media would start highlighting Pinoy achievers overseas and stop dwelling on mail order brides and abused domestic helpers. Apparently, the Leuven community has had its shares of Pinoy students and scholars.

“Na sana Makita naman nila na hindi lang mukha ng Pinoy ang mail order bride at domestic helper. May iba’t ibang mukha din ang Pinoy sa ibang bansa. Madaming estudyante, pari, doctor – na nag e-excel sa kani-kanilang fields”

Filipinos in Abroad already form a world and a culture of their own. It is a world with its own language, hierarchy, beliefs and values. Their experiences are so rich and very different from each other – that it is hard to generalize or stereotype them into one mold.

However, as Pinoys spread out all over the world, I hope they never forget their roots, be not ashamed to be Pinoy, and to always do what is right wherever they may be. This will be a perfect reason for us to celebrate our Filipino brothers and sisters around the world.

Flashback Belgium: Meeting Butchok

Our family in the Philippines is a licensed foster family. For those of you who do not understand this – it’s like being host family to kids who do not have a family until the time that there is a permanent home available to them. By permanent home, this means an adoptive family or when his biological (real birth parents or maybe relatives) family decides to get him or her.

There are many reasons why a child becomes “homeless” – this can be abandonment intentionally or maybe abandonment by death (orphaned), sickness, prison, etc.. There are also abused kids and kids who are “foundlings” (saddest case where they find kids with absolutely no history) These kids are usually put in orphanages or what we can call “institutional care” – think houses with 20 or more kids with some social workers looking after them.

Foster family care is an alternative way of taking care of these kids. It is temporary care in a real family setting where they have a mom a dad and in some cases, siblings and pets and toys and books they can call their own. But then this is temporary and is very different from adoption. Like I said before foster care is a prelude to adoption (getting the child accustomed to family life while his or her papers are being processed) or a temporary staying place while the real parents are getting their acts together (like deciding whether to keep the baby or not, or while looking for a job, or while recovering from an illness..)

This is my mom and dad’s advocacy. They hope to see more families stepping up to the challenge to become volunteer foster families. Our family takes care of one child at a time and they have stayed with us for as short as 3 weeks to 4 years! I guess me having 15 foster brothers and sisters in a period of about 12 years compensates for our lack of family members.

We once took care of a cute little boy named Michael Gabriel or MG or in my term of endearment for him, “Butchok”. I forgot for how long he stayed with us – but he was a darling little boy who was adopted by a couple from Belgium when he was only about a year old in 2005. I was very thankful for the rare chance for me to see him again when UWP was in Belgium!

My mom wasted no time getting in touch with MG’s adoptive parents when we found out that I was going to Belgium. The De Turcks (Koen and Marie Therese) were equally thrilled to meet me there. Their first adopted son, Paolo (5 years old) is also a Filipino and was really getting curious about the Philippines – and MG was growing up to be an active little 3 year old.

So I took a one-day leave from UWP (yes, this is allowed – we can apply for a “leave” as long as it is two weeks in advance and all info about our whereabouts are supplied to the staff) and got picked up by the de Turcks. They lived about an hour away (oh but it took them over 2 hours to get to Leuven because of extremely heavy traffic, yes, even in Europe!)

MG, (or Michael as they called him) was shy at first but gradually turned into a sweet little boy and naturally did not remember me nor speak any English. I was “Hanna from the the Fillipenen” (I don’t even know if I spelled that right) and that “Paolo and Michael are from the Fillepenen too!”

We drove back to their hometown and went to Michael’s pre-school. The teacher introduced me to the “all-white” / Caucasian class and through body language and some translation I understood that she was saying that I was a Filipino like Michael. She motioned to my black hair, my dark colored eyes and my tanned skin and how me and Michael were similar. I can see the pride in Michael’s eyes as he showed of his “ate” and the kids’ curiosity as they proceeded to ask their teacher (in rapid Flemish, which is what they call their language – not Belgian!) questions about why their eyes are different from ours. It was such a pretty sight.

We then picked up Paolo from his school, where the two boys hugged and were so happy to see each other. Obviously Paolo and Michael were “famous” in their schools and everybody just scrambled all over Michael to say hello and touch him and squeeze him. Paolo’s love for his brother was very evident as he announced, “My brother’s here, my brother’s here!”

At the de Turck’s house, the grandmother was there as she was also very eager to meet me. We could not talk much because of the language barrier but Marie Therese and Koen helped with the translation. It was also very evident that they loved their two Pinoy kids to bits. They showed me a lot of pictures, and even showed me how they kept the boys’ clothes and their old feeding bottles from the Philippines.

I was amazed at how they spoke so highly of the Philippines and the Filipino people, and how they would love to spend more time here. Koen even told me that if his boys someday would like to go live in the Philippines and look for their parents, he and Marie Therese would gladly accompany them and live here. They told me that there was a different kind of warmth in our personalities that makes a person feel good. They particularly loved Cebu and have made fishermen friends there when they came 2 years ago to pick up Michael. The family is really saving up now so they can come visit the country by 2009.

It was definitely a visit to remember! In the afternoon, a couple more adopted Filipino kids went to the house for spaghetti and to meet “Hanna from the Fillipenen” – It was a surprise because I saw another one of our foster kids ! Corazon (her name is now Celine and she was also adopted by a Belgian couple.)

Contrary to its Philippine image of “kawawa naman” (what a pity / what a sad case) – adopted children are very special children and very loved children. They are so lucky to have these people go to great lengths just to call them their own.

For more information about foster care / adoption and how your family can get involved, leave a comment or email me at hanna.fernando@gmail.com.

Studio 23 - "Amazing Pinay" (!!?!!) - EDITED

Aside from the psychological pressure of being home with the cast, I also had to put my best foot forward for media events. For a person who is totally honest that her secret dream is to be a celebrity , I was a nervous wreck during our first press conference at the Tektite Tower in Ortigas as the PR team of Zesto (our main sponsor) introduced me over and over as the "First Filipina Uppie"

I was a good spokesperson during my UPLB years. I don't know why - probably due to higher standards of the "real world" , my confidence just faded away when I was already working.I guess that's a different story altogether and something that I should totally overcome.

Going back, it really took a lot of courage from me to do these media stuff (pwede, pasulatin nyo na lang ako and wala ng interview?) . I had a press briefing from Paul Whitaker and Luis Petzhold (our Asia team) and had a brief pep talk with my cast manager Joern Gutowski and a big hug from castmate Lysan (thanks so much Lysan!)


It also helped a lot that the Studio 23/ ABS-CBN crew was a fun crew And the best part was when the camera followed Jules and I from Ortigas , to the cab, to the apartment in San Lorenzo.

Property of News Central, Studio 23.

It was funny because they featured this back to back with Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez' participation in the Amazing Race Asia. The title of the feature? "Amazing Pinay" :oP

Also thanks to Ann (the reporter, I LOVE HER JOB) UWP had good exposure on Studio 23 :-) Watch out for other features in the next updates. Ah, if you want straight news and extraordinary feel good news, watch News Central!

When the World Visited the Philippine Military Academy

Sorry for the repetitive versions of explaining what UWP is. This was submitted somewhere for publication so there was a need to explain... I tried editing it out but there were snippets of information that I'd like included! I also inserted some personal insights.

Last December 6-9, 2007, colorful dots appeared among the sea of dress grays during noon and evening mess at the Philippine Military Academy as 70 students representing 19 countries across 5 continents dined and participated in various activities with the Cadets. I have always found life in the PMA very intriguing and it was such an honor getting a glimpse of it even for just a short while.

Based in Denver, Colorado in the USA, Up with People is an extraordinary global education and leadership training program which takes young people from different cultures and backgrounds on a life-changing journey around the world. Along the road, we experience different cultures and different ways of life as we undergo extensive training in servant-leadership, global issues, cultural diversity, and the performing arts. Starting with a month-long orientation period in Denver, last July 2007 - we continued on to tour around the United States (Colorado, Arizona, California, Oregon and Nevada) and Europe (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium) before reaching Manila last November 13^th. In each city or country we visited, we partnered with local organizations and did volunteer work, learned about local culture through living with host families and regional learning, and performed an inspiring musical variety show. Making it a point to visit one developing country in each semester, this was the first time that the program visited the Philippines since the 1960’s which made the Manila and Baguio City stops very meaningful for the program and for the participants

While in Manila, Cast B 2007 (as our batch is called) had a very busy schedule taking in the Philippine history and culture. Our corporate sponsor Zesto Corporation, in association with RC Cola – with full support from the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation made sure that the group had an enriching experience. The Manila leg of our tour was culminated by two major shows full of international songs and dances last December 1 and 2 at the Meralco Theater.

Aside from tours around Manila and the Show, the Cast also spent most of our time volunteering for several Philippine non-profit groups such as Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, Virlanie Foundation, Kaibigan Ermita Outreach Foundation Inc., Philippine Association for Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities Inc., Ortigas Foundation Inc., Assumption School, KYTHE Foundation, ERDA Tech Foundation, Makabata School Foundation Inc., and the Rotary Clubs in Valenzuela.

Being the only Filipina in the Cast (and possibly the first Filipino to travel with the Up with People program) made me very proud of the good things happening in our country through these organizations. Yes, the UWP visit was in perfect timing with the bombing at Glorietta 2, the bombing at the Congress and the Manila Peninsula stand-off – but all these were overshadowed by the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino. Some of my co-delegates also said that it is in our country that they felt the sense of community the most. That’s the Pinoy concept, “Bayanihan” at work, I guess!

It was again an unexpected warm welcome for us at the Philippine Military Academy (even if most of them thought that we were students from U.P!) . Here we enjoyed a great (and very wet) soccer game and very interesting indoor activities at the Longayban Hall. It was surprising to enjoy a very child-like game of “Bear, Fish and Mosquito” with the future officers of the AFP! And we were very impressed with the opinions that you shared with us during the game “Take a Stand.”

While playing "Take a Stand" Something that made an impact on me was when we asked "Are you ready to go to war for your country?" My natural reaction was to assume that all cadets will stand on the "Yes" side. I was surprised when a lone cadet stood on the "No" side. Of course his fellow cadets jeered him on for an explanation, to which he shyly answered = that he was here to defend his country but that he strongly believes that problems cannot be solved by war. His response made me think of a General in Mindanao that I met a few years back -- he told me that soldiers are peacemakers and not warlords. War is not the only solution (with this I pray for lasting peace in the country!) In that same game, I also remember saying "No" to "Do you think your country should be lax about immigrants from another country". My take on this is we Filipinos and the Philippines must concentrate on building our own identities and getting our acts together before inviting everyone to live here. I feel like most Pinoys feel inferior to foreigners and in the process actually become foreign in our own country.

Lunches and dinners were made more interesting as we experienced your everyday way of eating and were treated to a special cultural presentation and a Cadet Uniform Fashion show. Oh, and we would also never forget the proper alignment of utensils, the “third viand”, the symbols for sauces and the “bone plate” and the occasional “social graces” notes that reminded us all on how to eat a banana!

The whole cast also enjoyed the synchronized twists and turns of the PMA Saturday parade and the refreshing Silent Drill performance at the Burnham Park for the Baguio City Centennial Celebration Kickoff. And to make our PMA immersion more complete, we teamed up with some cadets and did the obstacle course. A few hours and a number of sore muscles later (but happy! I fell on my butt HARD while doing one of the obstacles and it was PAINFUL... I was wondering if my spine was still aligned even after 2 days) , Home Team # 2 won the relay with a time of 5 minutes and 4 seconds to brag about.

Saying goodbye to PMA on the very last day was like saying goodbye to a host family!

Up with People’s Cast B would like to thank the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines, Lt. Candelaria, Col. Perfecto and Gen. Maligalig for welcoming us so warmly and sharing with us four days of your very busy lives. We certainly learned a lot and we greatly appreciate it! What better way to end our 6-month tour but with an interaction with other promising young leaders that was so different from us?

The laid-back and flexible lifestyle of the UWP program was such a contrast against the rigid training environment of the Academy. And that is what Up with People is all about – looking beyond the differences to spread the message of peace and understanding. Because deep inside each person – be it a UWP student or a PMA cadet, is the goal of making the world a better place to live in.

Being a leader requires a lot of guts and commitment. I guess this is the similarity between Up with People and the PMA.

Spending time in the PMA and doing what they did (sort of) was a very cool experience for me. I saw (sort of, maybe not even near the vicinity of pero pwede na din..) what my husband and a lot of my friends went through everyday while in the Academy. As I skipped one obstacle after another in the O-course (I admit that I can be a scared girly-girl most of the time!) my friend Alex (a first class cadet at the PMA) told me that I had to do it so I'd know what they go through. I told him that they do not need to make me go through the course to gain my respect - they have already gained my respect a long, long time ago :-)

By the way, my Home Team #7, Semiah Jr. finished 3rd place in the obstacle course. 5 minutes and 13 seconds.

and here's another treat for you ...