House

Traverse City, Michigan

Click photo for a larger view

Family Ties

My nephew (he looks like my Dad)

My Father
My Chinese Ancestors
My paternal grandfather family in Amoy, China

FILIPINA in Perspective

This is my entry to Ms. Toral's objective in attaining search engine visiblity for Filipina.

FILIPINA is a Filipino girl or woman in the Philippines. Filipina is many things to many people but for me, she depicts qualities just like any other woman in the universe, whether she was the Filipina of yesterday or today. She has feelings, intuition, skills, talents, beauty, education and goals in life.

But what distinguisihes her from the rest of the women of the world is her character. She has combination of qualities and features, that differs her from the rest.

From my point of view as seen through the eyes of a Filipina who worked, travelled and lived in three continents. This is my perspective.

Filipina workers are smart, adaptable, confident, hardworking, skillful and resourceful. If given the opportunities for her future, she faces that opportunites "come what may" to help and support her family.

In love, a Filipina is faithful, caring, loving and martyrs "till death do us part". As a mother, she wants to raise, care and provide the best for her children. She struggles to keep her family alive.

The online Filipina today - thanks to the world wide web, the social networks, the bloggers and the chat rooms. There is no boundary when it comes to her quest for love, friendship, relationship, and husband-to-be.

You Filipinas out there...whatever you have achieved, whatever is your occupation, whatever you may be labelled to by people in other parts of the world - a maid, whore, japayuki, mail-order-bride, etc. you are not alone in this world.

From the points above, the Filipina embraces life in a unique way to fulfill her dreams, ambitions and contribute her unique ways to survive. Mabuhay ka Filipina!!!

Join the Filipina Writing Project and share your writings

W3O - Filipina Women on the Web, Wireless, and Outsourcing: Join the "Filipina" Writing Project

W3O - Filipina Women on the Web, Wireless, and Outsourcing: Join the "Filipina" Writing Project

Reflective Thinking - Taking the 8th Habit Challenge: Attaining search engine visibility for Filipina

Reflective Thinking - Taking the 8th Habit Challenge: Attaining search engine visibility for Filipina

My Old Cookbooks Collection

Antique, out-of-print, rare, vintage, whatever you may call it. I started collecting old cookbooks during my stay in America. I bought them in antique shops and sale book shops. 10 years older cookbooks is considered vintage? I find great joy reading the old recipes and comparing them to new cookbook recipes.

The Castelar Creche Cookbook was published in 1922. It's worth $100 according to Antiquarian Booksellers' Asso. of America.


I guess this one is the oldest in my collection.

James Beard's Menus For Entertaining - 1965 First Edition hardbound
Worth $ 49.50

Searchlight Recipe Cookbook by Arthur Copper

Black cloth hardbound
Published by Household Magazine 1945 Edition

Worth: $ 39.50

Sample of recipe

Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating

Places Vol. 3 1959 Edition. Worth $32
Hundreds of interesting illustrations. It's a gourmet's tour of celebrated restaurants all over the United States.

I'll be posting some more.

Lumpia (Springroll or Eggroll)

Fried Lumpia (Eggroll)

Types of Lumpia (Springroll) in the Philippines:

1. Lumpia Hubad

Lumpiang Hubad literally means naked spring roll. It is basically unwrapped (without the crepe).

2. Lumpia Sariwa

Lumpiang Sariwa, or fresh spring rolls in English, consist of minced ubod (coconut tree) chicken or pork, crushed peanut, lettuce leaf and egg crepe. This variety is not fried.

3. Lumpia Shanghai (Fried)

Consist of mince pork, onions, egg, and carrots.

4. Lumpiang Prito

Lumpiang Prito literally means fried spring roll. Ingredients consists of vegetable variety of your choice, be it cabbage, beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, bean sprouts etc.

5. Lumpia Banana

Banana Lumpia or Turon is a Philippine dessert, made by thinly slicing pieces of bananas cut lengthwise, dusting in granulated sugar, rolling in a wrapper and frying. Brown sugar is coated while in the frying pan for additional sweetness of the wrapper.

Sauce to dip lumpia in: soy sauce, vinegar, diced garlic, dash of black pepper

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month of November

I am a 16 year cancer survivor

I would like to share my story:

I was working in Abu Dhabi, UAE for over ten years, never been sick nor hospitalized not until April 20, 1991 when I was admitted in a gov. hospital because of fever, itching and yellow coloured eyes. It was also discovered that I have type 2 diabetes. I was evaluated by the hospital, had a complete blood check-up which revealed an elevated billirubin, my ultrasound revealed an enlarged gallbladder, dilated bile and pancreatic ducts. A CT Scan suggested an enlargement in the head of the pancreas so an arrangement was made by the hospital that I will undergo a surgical exploration at the end of the week.

My sister an RN, was not willing that I will be operated in Abu Dhabi because I had no relatives there. What if I'm gonna die? She requested that I will be moved to USA because of her confidence in the institution. I travelled from Abu Dhabi with a stop over in London for a few hours then to USA. After a series of test and biopsy it was confirmed and diagnosed of peri-ampullary adenocarcinoma.

A day before the surgery, my doctor talked to me and without any hesitation, he directly informed me that I have Cancer. It will be an open-close operation. This means that if cancer has spread he will just close it, if its not then I will have to undergo a Whipple surgery. I just could not believe it. It was not denial 'cause I feel that I was very strong. I lost my mother due to cervical cancer in 1988. I thought and prayed oh dear God, why me???? You took my parents and now me??? Please let me live, I'm still young I have so many things to do yet.

My surgery was in May 1991. They found a 3 cm. large mass involving the entire ampulla of Vater. However, there was no involvement of the pancreas nor any mets diseases . The surgery lasted for 6 hours.

I have a good recovery but the first few days after surgery was terrible with all those tubes and gadgets attached in my body, it was not easy getting up, moving and walking around doing my daily post operative exercise.

BACKGROUND:

Cancer of The Ampulla Vater

Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is a malignant tumor arising within 2 cm of the distal end of the common bile duct, where it passes through the wall of the duodenum and ampullary papilla. The common bile duct merges with the pancreatic duct of Wirsung at this point and exits through the ampulla into the duodenum. The most distal portion of the common bile duct is dilated (ie, forms the ampulla of Vater) and is surrounded by the sphincter of Oddi, which spirals upward around the terminal portion of the duct. Because of biliary outflow obstruction, carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater tends to manifest early, as opposed to other pancreatic neoplasms that often are advanced at the time of diagnosis.
Curative surgical resection is the only option for long-term survival. Surgical or radiologic biliary decompression, relief of gastric outlet obstruction, and adequate pain control may improve the quality of life but do not affect overall survival rate.
Pathophysiology: Ninety percent of ampullary tumors are adenocarcinomas. Neuroendocrine tumors, cystadenomas, and adenomas represent additional, but uncommon, histologic types. Tumors originate from ductal epithelial cells and usually invade into the substance of the pancreas. In more advanced disease states, peripancreatic tissue and the adventitia of large neighboring vessels, such as the superior mesenteric and portal veins, may be involved.
Lymph nodes metastases are present in as many as half of patients. Pericanalicular lymph nodes usually are the first to be involved. Nodes along the superior mesenteric, gastroduodenal, common hepatic, and splenic arteries, as well as the celiac trunk, are the second station of lymph nodes. Perineural, vascular, and lymphatic invasion are associated with a poor prognosis. Liver is the most common site (66%) of distant metastasis, followed by lymph nodes (22%). In advanced cases, lung metastasis also may occur.

Frequency:
In the US: Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is an uncommon tumor; fewer than 2000 cases are diagnosed per year. Ampullary cancer accounts for approximately 0.2% of all gastrointestinal tract malignancies and about 7% of all periampullary carcinomas. Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is the second most common periampullary malignancy.
Internationally: Worldwide incidence is not known.

Abu Dhabi

Sand Dunes in Liwa (Safari Desert in Abu Dhabi)

Volcano Fountain in Abu Dhabi

New York City

Statue of Liberty

Twin Towers (before 911) click photo to enlarge
This is a souvenir shot during my visit to N.Y City. I will treasure this photo due to historical event of 911 and now a symbol in New York City.