"Relaxation"

Hello,

 

                My mind’s been on a crazy trip this weekend reflecting about life, love, & politics. Haha! So… It’s been a week since we were all at the Liwanag Kultural Center & I must say me not being used to the city of Daly, I got lost… I found my way though! We had a guest workshop on the 60’s and I can say that a lot of what I was told about the 60’s in High School was basically just about the Civil Rights Movement. One of the most important things that I’ve recently learned is the legacy of the TWLF-BSW Ethnic Studies Strike on the very campus we all attend.  I was numb to the topic until I had Larry Soloman for and Intro to Ethnic Studies Class and we spent a whole semester on the Strike. We spent a whole semester on the year 1968 and the crucial events that was going on at the time. During the workshop I’ve never been to the other political groups besides the Black Panther Party since our History classes in High School always seem to be Black & White, Eurocentric, Westernized. As fresh it is still on my mind, I can’t even remember the other groups’ names, but each community of color was represented. Latino/Latina, African American, Asian American, Native American, & I barely knew the role of the working class poor white community. As a Filipino-American and my involvements in very Filipino based organizations and groups, I tend to sometimes overlook the significance of the other communities of color and it’s been something that I’ve been working on.  The 60’s, what day in age in our history & it isn’t that long ago… to think that the country we live in today was on the brink of Revolution. R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N, all that progress now is gone and like I said on Friday the thing that makes me want to know more is the collapse of this once powerful movement. COINTELPRO, Counter-Intelligence-Program (According to my ETHS 100 notes…).

                Many compare Vietnam to Iraq these days and it does seem like History does repeat itself. A crappy economy, a war of aggression on the Third World, too much happening in these tough times… I just can’t believe that “WE” almost won in the 60’s. I think as a new generation we need to learn from the mistakes of those who fought for “real change” in the 60’s and make sure we do win. I think I go on and on about the politics…

                So also I would love to talk about the Anti-War March that happened that following Saturday.  As someone who feels that there isn’t a lot of people who I can talk about these topics with outside of a school setting. To be surrounded by an immense number of people who felt the same way I did felt assuring that “Hey, I’m not the only one!” It felt good to be out there with the people.  I think I’ve mentioned how hard it is to maintain on 2 sides of the bay. That day was one of the first days where I’ve felt two worlds didn’t collide, but merged. I pulled the bike in the front & switched to holding the BAYAN flag. What a day! I lost my voice… I cramped later that day, but I think it was worth it doing it in solidarity with the contingent. So below is a video with a timeline of Vietnam to Iraq.

 

Vietnam To Iraq from Adam Davis on Vimeo.

 

One Love,

“Ian who be screamin’”

 

P.S. I think my mind’s been filled with a political ambition this week thinking A LOT. Damnit! What a way to spend Spring break to relax! I need to do something to even out this militant agenda in me… FML. 

JUFRAN Retreat/LKC

We are products of the people.

We are products of our past. 

 

Over these past 2 weeks i have learned those 2 important lessons.

Retreat

During our Jufran retreat we experienced bonding and learning to grow with one another. I felt it was a rather successful retreat where that growth together truly began. My favorite part of the entire retreat was the hike. Sure the hike was tiring to get up there but it was well wothe the relaxation and the view when we reached the top. You see i like to take things symbolically. We rise together or we fall together. We either view a great finished product, or an incomplete one. That hike symbolized our rise together. We worked hard to pull ourselves to the top, and in the end we witnessed a truly amazing view. Like this internship we will rise together and look back at a great result. We will learn together and fall together, but no matter what we do it will be as ONE. We are the products of the people. And this treat made me realize that when we build these kannections with other people, it allows us to create and concoct a new form of thinking and critical mindset and helps us forge a new path for a more intellectual future. I will look back at this experience and say i am the product of those around me who helped me grow and learn. So i would like to thank every single one of you for allowing me to see that and getting closer to all of you will just make us grow even more. 

LKC

1968 was the year that shakes the nation.

One thing that caught my attention was that phrase on the powerpoint. It did not say 1968 was the year that shook the nation, but it said "shakes" It got me thinking that in the general scheme of things, everything we do will forever change the ongoing future. 1968 was special because many social issues were being brought to the forefront of mainstream America. TWLF, Vietnam, Ho Chih Minh, we are all products of our past. We are shaped by what happened 41 years ago. Sergio's presentation, although short on time, was a highly informative and highly effective workshop. He presented things in an organized fashion, while also allowing us to think critically about the events that went on 4 decades ago. Not only do the events of history shape who we are, but today we may be experiencing just as much turmoil. The Iraq/Afghanistan war, the horrible state of the economy, and the huge budget cuts in the educational institutions seem to have replaced old problems. We must look back at these men and women who shaped the nation in 1968, and determine how we go about fighting the problems. It was also brought to my attention that the people who led the revolutionary organizations such as the black panthers and twlf are dwindling to close to nothing. But we must take it as our responsibility to continue the fight. Sure they may be gone, but it is our turn to fight for ourselves. At least we have a precedent in which we can model ourselves after. The trip to the LKC, although not as long as i would have liked it to be, will be a memorable one as it taught me that we are products of 1968 and we must take the reins and unite underharsh conditons here in 2009

My song for the week is a fitting song as it is entitled 1968.

The track is by your one and only Ben Paz. =)

Here are the lyrics and a link to my website where you can listen to it. 

1968 by Ben Paz

 "I see Black whites latinos and Asians come together like one bondin nation they marched and sat down and as peaceful as this shit sounds you hear the rounds of clip bein shot to the ground they released the hounds but these men didn’t sit there and stare the rose up not with pitchforks and guns but an open mind they closed up the campus closed shut for 5 months with no luck but showed up but so what? Today the seeds of this revolution were nothing but uprooted covered and booted silenced from me and you and still can’t make a change we still deranged from our first day to the graduation stage. Still knowin more math than ourselves and the board entails they need more bread to make it more well its more hell 6 years its takes to graduate man we two years late in this modern day war Still need to shape a revolution evolution they preachin and this cos sin tan shit our culture still missin the essence of the message they put forth is prone to be distorted by a biased form of knowledge man our shit aint got no logic now we stuck between a rock and a hard place they say this is our space where everyone can live laugh and learn more like shit crash and burn. its our turn to grab the mics and idolize our heroes and fight"

myspace.com/bayarea916

JUFRAN RETREAT/LIWANAG KULTURAL CENTER

What's good guys.

The retreat was mind boggling and I learned a lot. It was beautiful how we connected and shared intimate moments. My favorite moment was the eating because I got to taste the sinigang first and that was the ish (word to moo). The eggplant made it memorable and something I would tell my grandma or any other relative to add when making sinigang. Like Jr, I thought sinigang had potatoes in them, but thats called something else right? Thank you Jr for introducing me to the rule of thirds, without it I would be taking horrible pictures which i still am, but im practicing not to take those kind of pictures.
The hike was the ideal activity for the retreat because what else could we have done? (sleep in and make fun of the participants in the snoring symphony?). All jokes aside, something weird happend a couple days after the retreat. I developed the roll of film I used during the retreat and noticed only one picture in the film ( i bought a digital cd and kept the film). The picture was of the big ass cross on top of the hill. Creepy right? Not only was the picture of the cross the only frame visible, but it took 21 blank frames to lead up to the cross. I turn 21 this October. What you guys think? Should I throw my 21st on top of Mount Davidson? You guys are all invited. Back to the retreat. Charles' presentation provided us visual aid for the Philippines' struggle for economic balance. I realized the three basics are real and we are in it, but if we put ourselves out of the "bubble" and look at our lives in different perspectives, we can see why there are struggling countries. This world is crazy, you guys are crazy, I'm pretty crazy, but I am starting to feel this warm fuzzy feeling in my chest like we can do something in our lives to change others. The retreat was a success.

The Liwanag Kultural Center was some place I thought never existed. That was my first trip there and it was cool to see Sergio and Lyle running the show. At the most part, Sergio informed us on some history behind the organizations the LKC housed. For the past two weeks I've learned so much about history, particularly thrid world countries and their struggle to hold their own in this world, and I thank all of you guys for being part of this journey. I'll see you guys Friday.


The new guy,

Ruben

The Remedy

The visit to the Liwanag Cultural Center was very interesting. I found the ED they had presented on 1968 to be informative. I had known some information already, but I was surprised as to how much I didn't know. In high school, the information that was taught to me about the 60's was very selective. There would be times while sitting in class I would flip to the index and search for the word Philippines. I would never find the word, but for some reason I did this a lot expecting to actually get an answer each time I did it. When I came to San Francisco State I had a reality check. I had never heard of Asian American classes and I didn't know what the college of Ethnic Studies was. I thought what I had already known was enough, but I was wrong. After my first Asian American Studies class I knew I wanted to learn more and that I didn't want to take the information for granted. Although I am a Kinesiology major, I am an Asian American Studies minor. I plan on opening my own physical therapy clinic one day, but the help I will offer will be aimed towards Asian American communities who cannot afford hollistic health care. I also want to focus on how culture and gender can effect the movement of the human body. The college of Ethnic Studies has helped a number of people and it has helped me realize what I want to do with my life.

I really enjoyed the lesson on 1968 because it reminded me of high school and how much I didn't know. If I could change one thing about the day it would be to have more time because there was a lot of information to take in just a short amount of time. However, I found everything that I learned to help me realize that I should be more open minded to different perspectives about issues I already know.

So while I was writing this journal I kept thinking about high school. I'm going to share with you guys a poem I wrote in high school when I was confused about life in general.

The Remedy
As I take a deep breath and exhale fog rolls out like morning weather
shivers run down this spine of mine as the cold seeps through my sweater
In a trance like state I repeat the systematic routine
Wake up, school, work, sleep
Same grind Same time
I am programmed like a robot, this diobolic process just won't stop and I need some relief
No, I'm not talking about that medication that helps you fall asleep
Something that can rock my world and divert these eyes from the daily grind
So I popped a CD in and started to listen
Went through 20 tracks Felt the vibe from within
I was met by something so beautiful and sweet kinda like that first kiss that knocks you off your feet
Overcome with so many emotions its like gazing as the beautiful stars up above or looking into someone's eyes and falling in love
It took me to a place where no one else goes
Suddenly became lost in rhythm and tempos
Snares and drum kicks Soul groovin to synchronized base hits
I couldn't stop the audible odyssey
It was poetry in motion
Tangible enough to taste like an elixir / mad doctors potion
Felt everything so fluidly like the roaring waves of the ocean
The stressfulness tried to get the best of me but I kicked it to the curb saying, "Yo, you wanna piece you gotta take the rest of me"
So as I walk down the street with a bounce in my step
It's simply because Hip Hop beats within my chest

From The One and Only,
Kristina Nagales

Jufran Retreat Spring 09

Hey guys, sorry for the delay just been busy with some stuff...but no more waiting, here it is...Enjoy!

A symphony of music throughout the night. Each one of us expressed our feelings as if we were spittin' through a mic.
3818 Palos Verdes was our destination, bobbin' my head as if I was listening to my favorite radio station. I was excited for what the weekend would hold, but I was also happy to be inside cuz it was hella cold.
Singing old school 90's songs while cooking sinigang and spam masubi. Smiles and laughter, a chance for everyone to get to know me.
Songs on KC's laptop played in the background as we danced and joked around, but we remembered after midnight not to make loud sounds.

3818 Palos Verdes was our destination, bobbin' my head as if I was listening to my favorite radio station. I was excited for what the weekend would hold, but I was also happy to be inside cuz it was hella cold.
Bustin' a few rhymes to "Bonita Applebum" was a challenge for me cuz I was going head to head with a cat who referred to himself as illestD
Songs on KC's laptop played in the background as we danced and joked around, but we remembered after midnight not to make loud sounds.
Who has clean up first? Don't forget, we have to treat each other and the house with respect.

Bustin' a few rhymes to "Bonita Applebum" was a challenge for me cuz I was going head to head with a cat who referred to himself as illestD
What movie to watch? We first started with "Jumanji" then ended with Suicide Club, started to close my eyes and get sleepy, but I wasn't trippin' off the movie cuz it was really freaky.
Who has clean up first? Don't forget, we have to treat each other and the house with respect.
Try to get some sleep regardless of the sounds, ain't trippin' how I left my king size bed to be sleeping on the ground.

What movie to watch? We first started with "Jumanji" then ended with Suicide Club, started to close my eyes and get sleepy, but I wasn't trippin' off the movie cuz it was really freaky.
Woke up early to get a head start. We hiked up Mt. David while playing the number game, when we reached the top and saw the view our feelings would never be the same.
Try to get some sleep regardless of the sounds, ain't trippin' how I left my king size bed to be sleeping on the ground.
Had an ED about the exposure trip to the Philippines. Made me realize that things are not what they always seem.

Woke up early to get a head start. We hiked up Mt. David while playing the number game, when we reached the top and saw the view our feelings would never be the same.
Singing old school 90's songs while cooking sinigang and spam masubi. Smiles and laughter, a chance for everyone to get to know me.
Had an ED about the exposure trip to the Philippines. Made me realize that things are not what they always seem.
A symphony of music throughout the night. Each one of us expressed our feelings as if we were spittin' through a mic.

From The One and Only,
Kristina Nagales

"Children of the Sun"

Hello,

 

            I would firstly like to admit that I’ve been lagging on this week’s blog due to midterms… I would also like to say that I do also wonder what would of happened if PEP had done their workshop.  I haven’t been in LFS for that long, but I can share how AB has planned a retreat and has a similar program to JUFRAN called the Social Justice Academy. I also think that programs like JUFRAN and AB’s SJA target a specific group of people who aren’t on the same level as a LFS/AB GA member.  I can share my experience in coming into a retreat with no background at all in organizing and it can be PRETTY OVERWHELMING with all the things that an Organization can throw at you… Committee after committee… Whew… At the same time it can agitate the hell out of youth and ignite excitement to do more with the work.  So even though the ED about the BSB was there, I also think that building the relationships needed to be able to create a space and build more as people comes first. Like how Chairman Mao says it

“Learn from the masses, & then teach them.”

For example, I’ve been consumed in doing the work in the past so much that burnout is second nature, probably me being part of AB’s EC for a while. A kick-it to relax the mind a bit isn’t so bad. Abiding by our internship’s theme “Kasama Kannections” comes first hand I believe.

Capacity also has to be put into consideration, meaning that we are all College Students who may/may not work. So we all have to work with each other’s capacity to work. Also personal relationships shouldn’t get in the way of how we all learn as a collective. I’ve seen groups & orgs sink down the drain when things are taken personally and drama fills the air. Also the guidelines we all have to follow go everywhere with us. So if someone needs to be checked, then by all means check them, but also be weary of yourself too, when things are said. Tendencies may hit highs and damage relationships. We’re all Kasamas going through this experience together, we got nothing but to build and grow from the experiences we face. Can’t we all get along?

Everyone has their own way of living and principles set, but also we all have to put in mind that other people may not agree with a certain lifestyle and it’s always going to happen. Through constructive criticisms we can all come to a consensus. For example, the role of the facilitator isn’t to drop all the knowledge, but to gather up everyone so we can all come to a higher point of understanding together and make that consensus as a collective. It’s why we “Isang Bagask”, “Own Down, One Fall”, & it can all help us move on from what is/has happened.

The retreat was really fun, I got to know a bunch of people more, or my comfort with folks grew since we’re eating, sleeping together as a group.  I also feel that something as an ED on an Expo Trip can take as one session. It’s understandable if it was a brief intro what an expo is. Overall I think the retreat did its job and we all got closer. Also it would have been cool if we got the folks of the Green Palace to join us.

 

So Facebooking around I ran into this song by Deep Foundation.

I swear… This is like one of the hardest Fil-Am Hip Hop Songs that is like a  lyrical bomb dropping consciousness, history, & knowledge on my mind…

 

Enjoy.

 

 

One Love,

“Ian who be screamin’”

Retreat Planning Assessment by Carlo

Sups, JUFRAN? It's Carlo, the current Educational Development Officer for LFS. First of all I'd like to say how happy and excited I am for all of you participating in this program. It's only been... 3 weeks now? and it seems like a lot of you are getting to know each other pretty well and having lots of fun. I'm glad to hear & read that many of you had a good time at retreat.

I would like to share my concerns about the planning meeting last Friday as I was not able to assess with you all. Now Jack gave a pretty thorough post about what we both discussed so I won't try to repeat what's already been said.

I liked the idea of having the JUFRANians experiencing what an LFS General Assembly meeting is like. However from my understanding the workshop that day was supposed to be done by PEP, who had to cancel last minute. Now this is not the fault of the coordinators by any means, but I found it odd that the original workshop was replaced with a retreat-planning meeting for retreat which was to begin three hours after. This bothered me because suppose the PEP workshop had happened. Would there have been a plan for the retreat at all?

Also, as Jack and Paul had pointed out, the planning meeting became quite chaotic. I don't want anyone to have the impression that that's how LFS General Assembly meetings are like. You can ask Paul, Faye, Moo, KC, and Ruben about all of that. But we learn from our mistakes and this is why we have these assessments. Perhaps later in the semester if there's another planning session, we can run one that's more disciplined and efficient. You can also check out what LFS GA meetings are like Monday's at 7pm in BH 252.

As far as the retreat itself, I wasn't there but I've heard a lot of positive things from the coordinators and the JUFRAN interns. I would've liked to see more educational discussions and guided activities. The purpose should've been not only to have fun and bond with other folks, but to also introduce the politics of LFS to the JUFRANians. You can have fun and get work done at the same time. It just takes planning just as Faye pointed out.

Anyway that's about it. Everything else has pretty much been said. You folks are all awesome. I'll see you all soon, you awesome folks. AWESOME!

-- Carlo

Assessments on the Retreat-Planning Workshop

Hello there interns, Jufranians, kasamas, overall supa cool people, it's Jack (that white guy and former educational development officer for '08-'09). Or, in elite speak (that is, 31i73 5p34k):

H3110 7h3123 1N7e12N5...awww fuck it, its to hard.

I just thought I would share my assessments from the latest planning meeting you all had for your guy's retreat. Carlo and I were talking over the weekend about our thoughts of the planning meeting and we generally had some points of agreement on what our deltas were for it (Carlo can expound in his own post, this is my b109 p057 damn-it!).

First, I liked the idea of having a meeting in where folks could see what it was like to take part in an LFS meeting, not the most exciting thing in the world, but I thought it was a good idea for folks to see and do themselves. I also loved the ice breaker, one of my favorites :-)

But I think the meeting started to break down during the planning for the retreat. There wasn't a lot of discipline (as Paul aptly points out), in my opinion, by the the coordinators to help guide the group in its discussion of how to plan for the retreat. While I understand that the coordinators wanted everyone to take charge and plan their own retreat the problem was that it could have been done more efficiently with more input from the coordinators as they have much more experience in actually trying to plan events while keeping on task and on time. This was evident, for me, when I came back from moving my car and reparking it and realizing everyone was still talking about food.

This lead Carlo and I to suspect that there had actually been very little structured planning for the retreat by the coordinators themselves and that they were using the interns to essentially plan the event instead of having a structured schedual with the interns providing important feed back and possible adjustments. This could have been, as Moo points, to the fact that there wasn't enough planning done in advance.

This, if I'm reading the blog posts right, lead to a retreat that was less of a retreat and more of a kick it with a single workshop. Proper planning in advance could have lead to a more structured retreat with a few workshops, get-to-know-each-other-sessions, mini-activities, and a fun hike; instead of the over abudence of down time that some of the interns, such as Faye, have pointed out.

Just thought I would point this out to ya'll. Thanks for letting me have the venue to post some Criticism/Self-Criticism. Hope to see you guys tomorrow!

-Jack

Lack Of Valuable Empathy.

WADDUP EVERYONE!
Yo', the retreat was CRACKIN'! I was glad that I was able to go and be able to bond with my fellow Jufranians. The food was delicious, big ups to the cooks of both days! And big ups to Dennis & co. for allowing us their place for the whole thing. I had a lot of fun going on the hike, all the random questions, games, and the view from the hill (such an amazing site, would be better if it was all sun, but seeing spots of God on the water was cool too!). It was a really great way to end another week for my life because I've been stressing with my life as it is, haha. I hope to do this all again another time, and also to have this much fun when we kick it with the PACE interns.

The one thing that really bugged me (and it REALLY REALLY bugged me) so much that it upset me was a statement that was said in referring to me.. See, I felt a lot of what was said disrespected me, thinking that what was said was merely "a joke". I was in one of the PACE's workshops earlier this week, and this week was LGBTQQI (or Queer) Week. One of the things they were talking about were words and stereotypes that affected people of that community, and I felt that the statement imposed those stereotypes on me (BTW, did I ever come out to everyone? Well I'm doing so now) and it really hit me hard because not only did it hurt me personally, but I've already had that instance happen to me once before in my high school years, where a "friend" had spread a rumor about me to a person I had just met about me being "a touchy-feely" gay man. I was really hurt with that statement, but I wasn't the one to go any lower than that person who said it, so I let it be. And like back then, this time, I let it be, in a way. Though it really did disrespect me a lot, I didn't let it affect me too much that it altered the rest of the retreat.

I really hope that everyone can understand where I stand when it comes to the statement. That's part of what I'm trying to do with my life: to check people when they discriminate against a community that they don't know too much about.

Thanks, and good night.
<3 "KACE up in this PLACE", KC.

Seriousness to Sillyness

So I'm going to get right to it cause I'm tired and have a test to study for.

When we were doing the assessments of the past workshop I felt that everybody had a very good input. Although we had more deltas than pluses, it only shows that we as individuals were paying attention and also that we are not afraid to criticize each other in person.

When we were doing the plannning for the retreat, I felt that the process was very unorganized. I understood what JR and Pete were trying to do by having us do the planning of it, however I felt that they were too hands off with it. By being too hands off, we as a whole went down a number of tangents that took up too much time. Also, since we voted as a whole on everything it was very hard to decide. I feel that we should have broken up into groups and decided upon a list of options that we could present to everyone, because not everyone cared about the exact details of everything. Not everyone cared if we ate sinigang and spam misubi or kare kare and sisig. Not everyone cared what movies we had to watch or not. Just the entire discussion on exactly what food to eat was very time. Although it is import to have a sense of democracy in what we decided, to some degree(like debating about food) we should be able to compromise. That is a quality that I feel we should all have in order for us to become real Kasamas.

On the retreat there were many problems at the same time many laughs. There is nothing I can say on this blog that will make the situation better, so I won't and leave it up for those people to handle it. But like what JR said R.O.P.E.S. We must always be concious of how we are amongst each other and be respectful and sensitive. We must not be close minded to new things we share with each other. And at the same time we must not act too abrasive, because we still need to warm up to each. The relationships we have together are all gradual processes.

For the next week, I just hope that we try to learn from our mistakes and try to mend the bridges that have been damaged. I hope that we are respectful of the LKC and simply keep an open mind.

People tend to be the way they are by surrounded themselves by certain people. If I am random or silly to you. It is because of my bros here.

FYI: I'm not in this video, but these are some of my best friends from san diego. They had a part of making me who I am today.


Love & Faith,
Paul Simon Jaro Silverio

who'Sinigang?

HEY BEAUTIFULS!

I had a lot of fun at the retreat last weekend. Getting to know you all was great. (and yeah don't worry Jordan! There is still plenty of time for more gatherings!) I'd probably say the highlight of the retreat for me was Hiking! What better way to get to know someone then to spend a couple hours on a trail together, right? Even though, i was grumpy in the beginning from lack of sleep. The hike made me happier. haha. Thanks for letting me cook for you guys as well, i hope you liked it, cooking is a big passion of mine so thanks for letting me share that with you. MORE TO COME. =D

We were lacking in the time management portion, but i do agree that if it were a SUPER STRICT scheduling there would be no FUN time for us to bond. (which we did a lot of.) Maybe we could have had more formalized group activities during all the down time. I feel like planning wise we were really rushed, maybe we should have planned the retreat more in advanced, or had the coordinators plan more parts of it in advanced.

I'm SUPER GLAD i decided to do internship this semester because you rock my socks and i love you guys! i feel really safe in our space together and i hope you guys feel the same way too. There is a lot more fun to come! see you on friday!

--ohh and this week i tagged "Kasama Kannections" because this weekend we began to build them. its a little more plain then the other two but i hope you still likee.

--MOO HELLA COO
Melissa Fiel

Blog 3. Suicide Club and Chocolate Rain.

Kapatids,

It was great spending a night, and getting to know all of you who went to the retreat (and don't worry Jordan, there will be other opportunities!!! haha!).

Spending time with y'all got me feeling more comfortable around you guys, which will definitely help me--and you guys too--get the most out of this internship experience.

(I'm sounding like a robot. Sorry. I just spent the last two days writing news articles.)

My kisses were definitely to the food, the company, and hiking. Thanks to Moo for the sinigang, Kristina for the spamasubi, and the boys for the lovely longsilog (and of course to the masa who harvested the ingredients. heh).

Wishes would be to the time management, and overall planning of the agenda. It would've also been great if we emphasized the house rules, and incorporated more activities in the retreat. I know many of us agreed that it wouldn't have been as fun if we were strict on time, but I think we still would've had a lot of fun if we had activities to keep us productive.

While waiting for food, for example, we could've had an ED, or an ice-breaker game. We could've used the time for small exchange of our interests, hobbies, and life stories.

It would've also been nice if we clarified who will bring what--I admit, I even forgot my little tiny cream cheese shmear. Just saying, next time, we should be more prepared, and ORGANIZED. Yeah?

So that's my kisses and wishes.

Anyway, we should go hiking more often y'all! Fresh air is good, especially after being drained out with school work.

I look forward to more of these kick its with you folks. It's exciting and educating all at the same time!

Kita kits sa Friday!
Faye from the Bay

Kreativity:


Lined Dots by ~FayeYAHEY on deviantART

One bird for each JUFRANian.

Off Top Productions

Hey guys,

I was probably the only one who didn't go to the retreat, because I had a family emergency that night. I had my bags packed and ready to go too!!!. But anyways I hope to find out more about what y'all did through these blogs.

But anyways, what I do want to know about and research more about, are Filipino songs -- mainly Ilocano folk songs or modern (if they still write some). One day, coming back from school, I arrive to find my mother playing these old Ilocano folk songs that would make anyone annoyed. However I found it interesting that, a lot of these songs were just remakes, in which nobody knew the authors of these songs. In the end, it gave me inspiration to go out and research. And because of this, I was actually inspired to sample old Filipino tracks.

Being an open minded producer, I can sit down near a turntable and just spin vinyls all day. And everyday I find myself in a constant struggle to find inspiration to make beats. I definitely plan to make new music by the end of this summer.

In fact, I just helped co-produced an album for my emcee: BLUE. If anybody want's a copy , I will be selling them this friday. Since you guys are my barkadas =).... instead of $8 bucks, ill sell em for $3...=P

Peep some tracks at: www.myspace.com/blue

one love.1 peace

Sinigang and Silogs, Subtle Serenades of Resistance

Family,

Apologies for the late post, it was a crazy weekend.

Words cannot express my immense inspiration and elation after reading everyone's posts. JUFRAN has most definitely been a huge breath of much needed fresh air.



I wanted to touch on not only Land is Life, but also on this past weekend's retreat. Both I felt were important sessions we spent with each other, de/constructing, collectively, important concepts that, for me (and hopefully for you), make things in life more clearer. As an indigenous person of color living in the U.S., I sometimes lose touch, are amnesiac, and/or become numb with everyday "first world" life.



However, what I do in/out JUFRAN, is in contradiction to the powers that oppress me. As a community, we are striving for truth, freedom, and justice, re/building and healing our decolonizing selves. We are collectively resisting what keeps us blind, and instead, are hopeful and resilient.



This past weekend's retreat was really dope! Not only did I have fun, but I was able to learn a lot about myself and everyone else. One constructive criticism I have, is to remember to follow the ROPES wherever we are as a collective. The ROPES is applicable not only within the context of JUFRAN, but also with life. I understand this is a learning process for everybody (including myself) and I hope that we continue to transform through this semester and throughout life.



The following photos were taken during my trip back to the Motherland last summer. When I question why I do what I do, I think of my family back home. Their spirit and the power of the people, keep me waking up each day.

Ingat,
jr

3:04 AM

sup guys this aint my post for the week, but im awake right now in our retreat and some stupid music is playin on KC'S mac, half of you (JR, Katrina, Kristina, Faye, and KC) are snoring your dreams away, and im here not sleepin. My boy pete with the beat is still on his comp doin who knows what, and shit its 305 and we gotta all be up by 7...OMG...well yea i had fun the first night, and excited for tomorrow..well today, hahahaha...see you all later!!!

Land is Life

Land is Life
Amidst the horror and strife
i keep my motion alive
im never sinkin i might
trip every once in a while
for every inch of the mile
i may not do it in style
but keep walkin and smile
cuz the ground where i step
it holds me up when i sweat
it keeps me strong when i rest
or while im catchin a breath
i always cherished this land
although my history's banned
the footprints in the sand
is evidence of the men
who brought me up in this place
and made a dollar a day
oppressed by minimum wage
and forced to labor for slaves
and fought for the US
but came back to their death
and not receivin a cent
shit my people in debt
from their colonized minds
to suppressin their rights
we continue the fight
for all pinoys and pinays
remember land is life
and through the horror and strife
lets keep the movement alive
For my people, lets fight



Thats just a little thing i wrote yesterday and forgot to post, sorry
but basically, land is life!!!
we need to recognize this. and although we have been oppressed here in the u.s.
we need to keep the fight goin
we need to keep marching toward a better tomorrow
what i get out of this internship is that next step
like in my rhyme, we do trip every once in a while, but we need to get up and take our next step toward better days.
This internship can hopefully allow me to do that.

What also got me goin for this week was analyzin, mobilizin, and organizin.
Not only should i apply it for LFS, but everything i do in life should be tackled with that apporach
I honestly believe that is the equation to success, we just need to figure out how to solve it.

My song for this week is "Black President" by Nas
Although this is not a Filipino dude rappin like the Blue Scholars last week, it really shows how long African Americans have come and through the land of America that they have stepped on, they percsisted and resisted, and eventually sparked change throughout the sphere of American Land.

-Ben Paz PEACE

Passion for procrastination.

I think I had mentioned my self-criticism about my laziness and procrastination in my last blog, and I wanna keep touching base with this because I really do need to keep myself in check with it. Even as I speak, I have procrastinated on much work, such as this blog, only remembering it just now. I also have to work on an essay that's due tomorrow, and I haven't started. I realized that this is a bad habit for me to keep up because when I actually do homework on time, it does more good than I expect. For example, I got a B on my last essay because I had actually PROOFREAD it due to the fact that I had started early on it. That could be my inspiration towards my procrastination: to do things early and ahead of time so I can get more feedback from myself and others.

[edit]
Adding this on, because I'm a ditz like this, concerning the workshop, I think that it was a great workshop. I felt a little awkward because my answers all contained some uncertainty because some of these things weren't really things I've been able to talk to my parents about. The constantly used quote, "Know you're roots" is looming my head every time I think about this because I need to "know history to know self." It was great that I was able to learn about everyone's background history and where their parents came from. I'm also still trying to comprehend "Land is Life". To me, I feel like the title is pretty self-explained, but also goes deeper than just the words itself. Land is life, like land and life are are the fates of two lives, intertwining, becoming hand in hand with each other, dependent to each other; one cannot live without the other, the way I see it. If you don't have land, you don't have life, and vice versa; like you and life are bound to each other. It's all about the future and being able to survive with land. Because the land that once used to be owned by Filipinos is now occupied by people with malicious intents, their life is, in a way, almost non-existent. Though they may be poor in the monetary sense, they continue to be rich in family and such. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I'm just ranting, to be honest. But that's what I think about it so far.

[end edit]

Here's a video (because I love videos) of UCLA Scattertones performing "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey. I really love this video because of the fact that it's an a capella song (Yes, a capella is TWO words) and the soloist is great.


I'm actually hoping that the weeks ease up a little so I won't have to feel so stressed out, but then again, that's partly my fault for piling mucho stuff on my plate. But that's the way I work and operate; I have to keep myself busy because I hate lag time. I don't like having big gaps of time between my set schedule. So again, I wish for something to ease up my schedule or to actually get sleep! Haha. We all need sleep, not this 'NAP' stuff that college students are "supposed" to do.

Good night to all!
<3 Kace Face.

"Homecooked"

Hello,

As I sip on my bottle of “Naked” juice that I still have from our last meeting, haha & post this overdue since I’m the greatest procrastinator in the world(Something I should not be proud of), I guess my High School habits have followed me. Anyways, As a couple in the folks in the space have said, I too have been apart of the “Land is Life” workshop a couple times before and each time I do it it’s always a different group of folks. Each time I’ve done it has also given me a different experience since I get to hear so many different stories/narratives. My first post-it with my family was around the Martial Law Era in the Mid-80’s and I am a Second Generation Filipino-American. My parents were the first to Immigrate here. My mind may be not so fresh from Friday, but I think we listed out what resources were. People were one of them. Like how JR says “Health is Wealth.” The things necessary to maintain our wealth is food, clothes, shelter & I’ll admit I take a lot of these things for granted… Growing up I’ve been spoiled with the above, because I’ve always had enough to get by. I‘ll share that my mom is a working professional that came here to the United States to get a better paying job than she can ever get in the Philippines. It wasn’t no walk in the park for her, but she used her privilege to her advantage in order to set me up so I won’t have to feel her pains, her stress, her struggle… She was a single working mother at the time when I was born. Her degree didn’t mean a lot here at first and her first job was a CNA in Alameda, but that lasted for only 3 days. So, she had to resort to working at Carl’s Junior & Montgomery Ward in Sunnyvale for awhile. Currently she is working for the Department of Health and she has a decent enough salary where I am comfortable enough to not to work yet in my life. I haven’t even had a sample of how she has felt over the years. I’m nothing but a second generation Fil-Am who has lived in the same house for almost 19 years of my life. I guess one of my greatest fears is “growing up” or accepting responsibility since I’ve been so privileged enough to have a memorable childhood. I tend to “forget” about the blood, sweat, & tears my mom has shed for me. (I don’t know if she’s bled, but it just sounds cooler by putting “blood in it”, so the blood part is a maybe…) She worked extra shifts for a majority of my childhood and I had my grandparents to take care of me & my uncles & aunts who still live in our house who haven’t had a chance to move out yet. I had so much attention since I was “unexpected” & I’ll admit my childhood was something special. I have so many Ninongs & Ninangs that have spoiled the shit out of me since my mother was working. That attention and expectation developed and their encouragement gets in my head and eventually I develop a "false sense of pride" and I tend to "bear a cross", "carry weight on my shoulders". That’s where I’ve failed in my past and recently have been making that mistake because their message to me gets twisted in my mind. The reason why I wanted to try so hard in school was for my mom… for my grandpa… & I also dream that one day I can muster enough cash and re-connect with my Biological Father’s family. I just have to remind myself of my purpose.

I don’t like seeing my mom cry… I don’t like my grandpa struggling with his old age… See if I don’t constantly humble myself and cherish the people that have set me up in my privilieged situation where I have a roof above my head, food on the table, & clothes on my body, and an opportunity to go straight to a 4 yr University, & enough time for myself at my disposal. If I don't humble myself, I spit on my mom’s face…, I spit on my grandpa’s face… I spit on their struggles& their lives because I haven’t met them halfway & “doin’ my own thang” becomes a selfish behavior I can/have develop(ed). Staying humble has helped me gain friends, new loved ones, & helped me live a good life. I’m no perfect man and there are times when I am not humble and abuse my privileges and those friends & loved ones may despise me at times.

Land is Life. Land is resources. Resources give us the essentials we need in order to survive. "I should always know my privileges and should not take them for granted, because I know there are other people that have it tougher than me.” (I put this on facebook a couple days ago, haha) Bringing it back home to the Motherland, my fams would of never have left the Philippines unless there was a reason to. Like I shared, my cousin is still in the Philippines and he currently is still there married with two kids. It breaks my heart everytime he calls our house and has to beg for money since my God son & god daughter are sick or even the fact that he says “hello” means that he needs money… we here in the U.S. are also struggling, but my cousin is trapped there all alone and can’t arrive here and reunite with us since the damn process takes so long. My cousin is in his 30’s and been living alone without his immediate family, because they’re all here. He’s almost been forgotten… I also know why I am a “God parent” to many family members, it’s because I am capable of “giving them money.” I know why I am a part of the entourage for family events since my privilege allows me to “sponsor.” As much as it is family, there’s always this root cuase called money. Capitalism makes us rely on it all the time. Like the workshop showed us. The Three Basic Problems are what we need to ANALYZE, MOBILIZE, & ORGANIZE against in order to fight for that social change where there is hope that one day there will be a day where we flip this social pyramid Feudalism has created, in which the people at the top lose their power & then the wealth is equally distributed. “Think Globaly, Act Locally.” The Third world also is under extreme oppression due to U.S. Imperialism and I picture the U.S. as this “Octopus” which has it’s arms spread out everywhere, & us as Filipino-American focus on the Philippines & try to make as many connections as we can, & Our focus is to chop off one of it’s arms then we weaken this “beast” whose arms are every where.

Unlike Faye(Sorry if I used you as an example… It's all love), I am a second generation Filipino-American, I do not have an intimate personal attachment to the Philippines on my own & my perspective is in trying to understand & I won't fully understand until I go on an expo trip sometime in my future. For my creative piece, here’s a song… “Homecooked”, by Bambu, (½ of Native Guns). I would love to re-unite with the motherland someday without having the “Balikbayan” experience…

One Love,

"Ian who be screamin'"

Press (F5)

Greetings,

Going into the "Land is Life" workshop was nothing new to me. I actually taught this workshop with JR and Moo at a high school conference last semester. Other than learning more about my fellow Jufranians, I did not learn anything new. However, I saw this workshop as a great reminder and refresher. Recently, I have been feeling kind of lost with what I want to do in life and in what field I want to take it and I feel that "Land is Life" has given me that breathe of fresh air that has reminded me on the best path I should take. Even though I didn't learn a lot of new things from this workshop, I feel that I had a better experience from it this time around.

Everybody had really good participation in it and always payed attention. JR and Pete were very good at walking us through the workshop and Lyle and Carlo were very good at putting their input in a very in-depth explanations. The only bad thing that happened on Friday was kasama Ben falling in the mud and dirtying his white tee.

I know that there are small issues with what was originally planned for the guest PEP workshop, so my only hope for this workshop is that the coordinators do for it doesn't stress them out too much. I know that whatever it is, it will be good.

Since coming to SFSU two years ago, I feel that I have drastically changed from who I was back in high school. Some of you may really know me well not, but there are still things that everybody doesn't know about me.

Here's a little glimpse of my past


Love & Faith,
Paul Simon Jaro Silverio

"Sky is the Limit"

When I think of the lesson Land is Life the first thing that comes to mind is my dad. He grew up in a small province called the Bikol. His entire family is still there today. While growing up my dad would tell me stories of how he would walk to school bare foot in the rain or if he was lucky he could ride the carabao. At the time, I was only in elementary school and I didn't believe what he was saying. I thought it was a story he would tell me just so I would stop complaining about going to school. Now that I am older I know those stories are a reality and are very much true. The only memory I have of my dad's side is a picture of me with my grandparents. It makes me kind of mad knowing I can't remember anything from the last time I was in the Philippines, but then again the last time I was there I was only eight. I can't imagine how hard it must be for my dad to have his entire family in the Philippines. I told my dad that I want to go to the Philippines and stay with my grandparents. He said sure why not, but I told him I want to go to the Philippines and experience it my way. When I say my way I mean by actually doing everything he had to do when he was growing up there. My dad straight up laughed in my face saying he doesn't think I could do it. And then I told him that's why I want to do. I appreciate the things I have in my life, but I believe by experiencing this I will have an even deeper appreciation and an expanded perspective to life in the Philippines.

I don't want luxury when I go to the Philippines, I want the reality. This past October my best friend went to the Philippines for the very first time. The interesting thing about my friend is that he is not Pilipino, he's Australian. Brown hair, blue eyes, white skin; someone that definitely stood out. When he came back and told me about his trip I got annoyed and irritated with him. He would tell me about all the things he did, all the stuff he bought, how cheap everything was, and how small the Wowowee studio really is. I was so annoyed I didn't let him finish the conversation and walked out on him. After realizing what I just did I didn't know why I was so upset. But then it hit me, I was upset because he played the typical "White Tourist". He came into the Philippines and observed what he thought was the usual lifestyle. Everyone was nice to him and was willing to help him with anything he needed. After a week in the Philippines he acted as if he knew everything. I told him how I felt and why I was upset. The first thing that came out of his mouth was "I didn't know". Then it hit me that a lot of people don't know. With what I learned during this lesson I knew I didn't want to take the knowledge I have for granted. I want to take what I know and make a difference whether it be big or small.

One thing about the lesson I found to be very influential is the statement that JR had made. Towards the end of the discussion he had asked an open ended question, "If the Philippines is so rich in resources, then why are the people poor?". I believe this is a very good point because it caused me to re-think what I knew about life in the Philippines. And it also pushed me to ask myself what more can I do and what will I do with that knowledge. I truly believe knowledge is power because it has the ability to make changes.

This week's journal isn't that creative, but my writing was actually inspired by the song that is on repeat on my playlist right now. "Sky is the Limit" - Notorious B.I.G ft 112. I honestly believe that even in the worst situations you can overcome the struggle. One must never give up and try their hardest; just as the lyrics state, "you can only move if your heart is in it".

The One and Only,
Kristina Nagales

so... thats why,

HI GUYS! =]

This was probably my 3rd time going through the land is life ED and every time I go through it I always get something different out of it. I always thought that being a third generation Filipino-American made it super hard for me to connect myself back to the Philippines, because most if not all of my closely related family is in the states, and I have never seen anything beyond the borders of California (barely any of Nevada). In some aspects it actually is a little harder for me to make those connections to back home, but not as hard as I was making it seem. This workshop helped a lot with that whole process of thinking about the reasons why people leave the Philippines. Both my Grandfathers were merchant marine chefs who came to America around the Manong era. So I guess you can say my family has been displaced for a super long time. But like everyone else they left the Philppines to persue the "American dream" and also to help their families back home. So thats how I ended up being here. Its always interesting to wonder what your life would be like if your parent/grandparents didn't make the choices that they did. How would I be living my life in the Philippines? Sometimes its scary to wonder too. All I can say is that I am thankful for everything in my life even more so than I used to be. I know I have so many luxuries that people back home have never even had a taste of.

With all that said, my general thoughts about how the workshop went are good. Whenever we do this ED though, i always wish we could go a little further into detail about the three basic problems because i always feel like we are rushed through them in order to finish on time. Maybe some handouts might help? =D But other than that, i enjoyed it!

so on the creative tip-
I decided that because I liked drawing and doing the first tag so much, that each reflection blog I'm going to make a new tag/drawing. This weeks tag is "Land is Life" and I drew some things I though related to the words. Water, plowed land, rice terraces,a coconut tree, and those thing on the right side of the flower are supposed to be sugar cane stocks. (YEAH I"M NOT THAT GREAT OF AN ARTIST HEHE. oh! and I wanted to explain the flower- I drew a sampaguita flower because it thought it represented the natural beauty of the Philippines well.

hope you likes.

-MOO
Melissa Anne Fiel

Two Birds With One Stone

Blog 1.

Mga Kasama,

I apologize for this late blog, and I promise to never miss it again. I have been really busy for the past month to a point where I sometimes forget to breathe. You know how that feels? When you're just so exhausted, so busy, so stressed out that you inhale and forget to exhale? Yeah. That's how I am with 19 units and a job wherein 3-4 year olds would throw blocks at me if I don't give them any attention.

But it came to me on our first day of J.U.F.R.A.N. that maybe I'm tired not because of my schedule, but because of such a lack of inspiration.

Being in BUS 113 for the first time with my new kasamas made me feel good. Just the ice breaker got my energy up. I really think my fellow Jufranians and I are gonna have good energy all throughout the semester, and I definitely look forward to kicking it with them.

As far as suggestions go, I agree with Pete--we need more snacks! Not like it's a requirement, but I found that food is a good way to get everyone comfortable with each other. The fact that we can share a small box of malt balls was proof enough that being kasamas with these folks will be no problem. See? We can make the best out of small things.That's step #1 to knitting a close internship.

I'm excited to get to know you all!

In ode to my excitement is this picture that I took about 2 July 4ths ago.


Star Spangles by ~FayeYAHEY on deviantART
A spitting image of my energy with my kasamas!

____________________________________________________________________

Blog 2.

Mga Kababayan,

After further reflecting upon the Land is Life ED and our Human Web, I started reminiscing:

I am an immigrant, as I have told many of you already, and last Friday made me feel content. There is hope after all.

The first 4 years of my life here was probably the worst 4 years of my life.

I was forced to leave my Mama (my grandma) and Papa (my gramps)-- the two people who took care of me since birth.

I was forced to leave my best friend who was my "kumare" since our Gerber days.

I was forced to leave my aunties, uncles, cousins, yayas, ninongs, ninangs--every loved one who loved me since birth.

I was forced to leave in exchange of displacement, and become one of those Filipinos who fled the country and came back in a form of a Western Union transaction or a 20x20 Balikbayan box. I didn't want to be like that, but I had to.

There was never a day that I stopped asking my parents why we had to move here when we were living a decent, happy life in the Philippines. Yeah, it was tough at times, and the kurakot-of-a government was a pain in the ass--but it was tolerable.

"It's for you, anak. There are more opportunities here," my dad would tell me.

"But there are opportunities there, too!" I would snap back.

And my dad would just smile, and laugh that annoying you-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about laugh.

"There are, but you'd have to work ten times as much to find them," he said.

He had a point, and I hated it.

Why was it like that? Why can't I live a happy life in the Philippines and be separated from the people I love? Why do I have to experience being displaced, and be put in a country where you felt small because you were an immigrant?

Was it necessary for my dad, a geophysicist-turned-engineer, to work as a custodian for Food 4 Less before he got a job as a data analyst?

Was it necessary for my mom, a UP Literate professor, to work as a teacher assistant in a condescending Catholic private school?

Was it necessary for my Kuya to give up his passion for music in exchange of a petty medical degree that'll "make ends meet?"

Was it necessary for me to be put in ESL classes for 3 years despite the fact that I can spell better than my English teacher?

Was it fair for my little brother to witness every single one in his family step on their shattered pride and dreams?

The only thing that made it feel worth it is when we would get ecstatic pleas of thank you's from our relatives back in the Philippines after we'd send them a fat Balikbayan box. Especially when I would get a letter from my 7-year-old nephew, thanking me for buying him a set of colored pencils--the reason he's top 1 in his class.

I don't mind suffering a little bit of comfort anymore, because I want to provide for my nieces and nephews enough so that they won't have to end up displaced like me.

I hope this rather long entry of mine will make my fellow Jufranians understand the reasons why they're here.

I'm pretty sure I went through the same things your parents have.

They came here for you. So you won't have to be the one suffering through the transition of leaving a country you've grown to love.

They came here for you, and thank goodness they did. Because if they hadn't, you wouldn't be in this internship right now, learning Land is Life.

You wouldn't have realized that being Filipino American puts you in a much better position to make change.

Seeing you all realizing the importance of connecting back to the homeland gave me hope, because finally! My nieces and nephews won't have to think that a Balikbayan is just a boxful of goods, but an actual person who has love for their country.

As for my creative piece, this is my nephew Zan. He's one of the reasons why I work hard to finish my degree, so I can come back to him and watch him grow up to be a smart young man! YAY!:


Singa by ~FayeYAHEY on deviantART

I can't wait til we all get together once more!

Kapayapaan,
Faye from the Bay

"Lili's Hands"

Hello,

J.U.F.R.A.N. ain’t just banana catsup! It’s an internship. Haha. So like… The very first time I’ve heard of J.U.F.R.A.N. was last year during the Phil-Amer War Event here at SF State. At the time I was just a High School Senior trying to figure out where to go to school. It was through my outlet as an organizer with Anakbayan East Bay is how I’ve networked with LFS. I’ve been to Events here & there. Mobes & Rallies here & there, but actually going here to have an education is where I’ve started to know folks here & there. I really liked how our first day together was productive and right away I felt a sense of “comfort” and the space was there for us to toss out ideas, experiences, etc. That means something since I really am not able to “put myself out there as much.” Overall, I’m pretty excited to build with folks and build connections. On a personal point, I also want to re-educate myself. I’m familiar to the Fil-Am struggle, but I’ve only learned from a select few perspectives. With J.U.F.R.A.N. I feel that it’s a re-fresher for me since I just feel brand new this semester. First Semester of College was hard as hell, I didn’t do that good & it isn’t “redemption” but “another chance.” Since I am a commuter student, I haven’t had the “full” college experience yet. I haven’t built enough network, friends that have made me feel like I belong somewhere. Meaning, I run into an internal conflict where Union City is home, but my friends here go to different schools and I basically only see my family. I’m here at State, but all I do is stay on my school grind & nothing more. I hope J.U.F.R.A.N. is that sense of balance I’ll find.

Since it is International Womyn’s Day Sunday…

Here’s a little spoken word piece that hits home to me…




One Love,
"Ian who be screamin’"

P.S. This is how I felt in High School… and why College transitioning was hella hard. (I'm talking about the quote below)
--
"While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die." 

-Leonardo da Vinci

Papa's Story.

About 5 years ago, I had one of those father and son talks about life in general, and I remember asking my pops, what he loved to play back in the Philippines. I somewhat had a feeling that he would say basketball or shit maybe chess, but instead I guessed wrong and he straight up said local pool. When he was young, he loved to play local pool (traditional makeshift billiards for the poor barangays in the Philippines), every single day and night. This was their hangout place, like most people in town. But as the years passed by, legit billiard shops were being built in the city, and this is where he continued to play pool. Never thought he would tell me this but, he used to be a mad hustler. A hustler who would badly beat up people in pool, taking their money and receiving free drinks. Gambling was too easy for him, and it was impossible to get him off the table, unless you paid him to get off. He played everywhere, especially in the heart of Manila, where most great pool players played. This is when he tells me he actually saw young Efren Reyes playing back in the Philippines, which in his eyes considered him to be weak. He told me he couldn't compete with him, and there was no chance this kid could play. Although he never played him, since Efren was basically a kid and at the same time was a complete no name, it just struck me that, Efren Reyes -- probably the best pool player in the world today, would probably get his ass kicked in pool by my dad. That's a shitload of bragging rights! He stopped playing pool after about 10 years because he had a position to be the mayor's personal officer, a right hand man in Pangasinan, Urdaneta. And about 3 years after, my mother petitions the whole family, and they were all bound for America. My pops then tells me that, just about a year in America, he developed a severe case of asthma, in which he couldn't do a lot of things because it would tire him quick. Sadly, he couldn't play pool anymore because of his complications.

About an hour has passed by he stops the story and leaves for work. At that moment, I had the "WTF" face on, because I just had a shitload of history just told to me. This was the first time he ever wanted to talk about his life. It was great. I loved him even more from those stories and I couldn't get enough of them.

I wanted to share this story with you guys, because first of all pool. When and were did that shit start in the Philippines. In the next week, I would like to research about Pool in the Philippines.

Passing away a few months ago, I felt sad at all the things my father would've done. The biggest thing was not getting a chance to see him play pool, and this is what is embedded in my head whenever I get a game of pool.

Even though pool is fun, I play because my fathered played, and I know that he would love any of his sons to continue his legacy. RIP POPS...

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Here is a clip of EFREN "BATA" REYES performing one of the greatest shots in billiard history!!! enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq_2k-k0pd4

EXCITED. ECSTATIC. ENERGETIC.

WEE. Does anyone else think this Blog is really SUPER cool?

So, I've been in LFS for a semester now, and I have to say that I feel completely at home with all the colorful people that are in this organization. Honestly, I have not felt that close of a bond with people since high school days. I feel like I have learned so many new, interesting and seriously thought provoking ideas that are just impossible to ignore. I decided to join JUFRAN to help further my knowledge on these ideas. I think what I'm really expecting to get out of this internship is a better understanding of who I am, and where I come from. I also really am excited about gaining new friends and building stronger bonds with the friends I already have. AND looking at the syllabus I'm super excited for all of the exposure trips, especially the one we get to go out a look at Murals. Its funny how I was born in raised in San Francisco but i never knew that there was so much out there in the community for me to see and be apart of. I like looking at San Francisco from that different perspective now, and hopefully I can start helping change it for the better too.

I don't really think there was anything about our first workshop that I can critique because I enjoyed the activities and I felt like we were pretty productive... so um. YAY for that.


SOOO I drew a picture for the creative part, because I wanted to put something different up. =D I really admire those who can do graffiti and Tag art, that being said, I did a little tag of my own... but I am in now way an expert at tagging. haha. hope you like it. I spent a good hour and half on it. haha.

-MOO.
Melissa

"Find My Way"

I'm running late, I need to hurry before I'm out of time, one step forward puts me three steps behind.
New faces, new ideas, a journey through the semester that I know I will never forget; an internship that is bound to give me a reality check.
Questions from a hat as I pick and choose; Who is my hero? Who am I? Do I like to fart out loud? I already know I'm feeling this crowd.
We shared a piece of ourselves and learned so much more about one another. We talked about the itinerary and what's to come, I know this experience will be memorable, a story that is never done.

New faces, new ideas, a journey through the semester that I know I will never forget; an internship that is bound to give me a reality check.
No need to be afraid of what I say or do, we respect the R.O.P.E.S as the beats in the background play, like A Tribe Called Quest these folks will help me "Find My Way".
We shared a piece of ourselves and learned so much more about one another. We talked about the itinerary and what's to come, I know this experience will be memorable, a story that is never done.
We're on a Journey to Understand Forgotten Reasons to Act Now, with kasamas by our side we're trying to make Kannections, one set of prints in the sand going in many directions.

No need to be afraid of what I say or do, we respect the R.O.P.E.S as the beats in the background play, like A Tribe Called Quest these folks will help me "Find My Way".
We started building community and were introduced to Talumbuhay. Photos, music, trips, songs, workshops through out the day; by the end of the semester I know I will never look at things the same way.
We're on a Journey to Understand Forgotten Reasons to Act Now, with kasamas by our side we're trying to make Kannections, one set of prints in the sand going in many directions.
It's time to take action and make a change in our lives. Our brothers' and sisters' continue to struggle for liberation and National Democracy, can't you hear their cries?

We started building community and were introduced to Talumbuhay. Photos, music, trips, songs, workshops through out the day; by the end of the semester I know I will never look at things the same way.
Leave the cool kid image at the door, don't be afraid to let your hair down. If you feel like you're falling we'll catch you before you hit the ground.
It's time to take action and make a change in our lives. Our brothers' and sisters' continue to struggle for liberation and National Democracy, can't you hear their cries?
Although it's just the beginning there is so much that needs to be done. So much I need to say and do, this journey has just begun.

Leave the cool kid image at the door, don't be afraid to let your hair down. If you feel like you're falling we'll catch you before you hit the ground.
Questions from a hat as I pick and choose; Who is my hero? Who am I? Do I like to fart out loud? I already know I'm feeling this crowd.
Although it's just the beginning there is so much that needs to be done. So much I need to say and do, this journey has just begun.
I'm running late, I need to hurry before I'm out of time, one step forward puts me three steps behind.

-The one and only,
Kristina Nagales