World War II and the novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept #warnovels #wwii

On December 7, 1941 (December 8, Asian Time Zones), Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu.  Ten hours later, Japan launched an attack on the Philippines. 

My novel, When the Rainbow Goddess, chronicles the coming-of-age of  nine-year-old Yvonne during wartime in the Philippines. The novel garnered excellent book reviews from Booklist, Publishers' Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Kirkus Review, the Associated Press, and many others.

I'm reprinting the review by Associated Press, dated December 18, 1994: (you can see what a sorry state my copy is!):

Associated Press
Capsule Reviews:

When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Brainard is the tearful, seldom-told story of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II as seen through the eyes of a young Filipino girl. The many hardships that 9-year-old Yvonne Macaraig and her family are faced with teach her the value of hope and endurance.

Student Films Based on Cecilia Brainard's Story Flip Gothic

Yesterday I posted some student films based on a story of mine, but I found more student films on another story entitled "Flip Gothic." These stories (and others) are being taught in English/Lit classes in the Philippines.

"Flip Gothic" is part of my short story collection, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories (Anvil 1995).

The short story is about a rebellious Filipina American in New York who is dispatched to her grandmother in Ubec when her parents had had enough of her Goth look and unruly behavior. Here's the complete transcript of Flip Gothic. The student films and a student analysis follow.

Student Film Adaptation of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's short Story "Flip Gothic" - Joshua's Group

Student Film Adaptation of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's short Story "Flip Gothic" - Mary Rose's Group

Student Film Adaptation of Cecilia Brainard's short story "Flip Gothic" - Lara Monegro's group

Elaine Catubig's article "Flip Gothic: A Cultural Analysis"

Flip Gothic presentation by Carmz Daculap


Read also
           Students Films Based on Cecilia Brainard's Story Woman With Horns

• Book Review of Angelica's Daughters by Micaela Keck, Germany
• Oscar Campomanes' Article -- Cecilia Manguerra Brainard: Scenographer
• Leonard Casper's Possibilities of Humaness in an Age of Slaughter (critique of When the Rainbow Goddess Wept)
• World War II and the novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

     Tags: Philippines, Philippines, Filipino, literature, Flip Gothic, young adult, story, Filipina

     This is all for now,

     Cecilia

Student Films Based on Cecilia Brainard's story Woman With Horns

 

For your enjoyment, here are several student films based on my short story, "Woman With Horns". Here's a brief summary of the short story, courtesy of Wikipedia:

The story is set in 1903 a year after the tumultuous Philippine-American War. America was busy sending American administrators to their newly acquired colony in the Pacific. One of those who went to the "Islands" and who ended up in Ubec was a New York doctor and widower, Gerald McAllister. As the Public Health Director of Ubec, he carries on with his duties of establishing a vaccination program to stop a cholera epidemic. His initial meeting of the beautiful and sensual widow, Agustina Macaraig, disturbs and irritates the doctor. It is his assistant, Dr. Jaime Laurel, who reminds him that life is more than work: "Friend, you don't know how to enjoy life. Look at the sun turning red, getting ready to set spectacularly. It is a wonderful afternoon, you walk with a friend, you talk about beautiful women, about life..."^[2]

It is Agustina Macaraig who eventually teaches Gerald McAllister to love and live once more.

SOME LINKS TO STUDENT FILMS FOLLOW:

2014 University of Santo Tomas Student Film Production of Cecilia Brainards' Woman With Horns, directed by Bagaslao and Bocobo.

2011 Student Film of Cecilia Brainard's Woman With Horns

2014 Student Film adaptation of Woman with Horns (UST Group 3 2-6, Philippine Literature)

2014 Student Film adaptation of Woman with Horns (uploaded by Gio Castillo)

2011 Student Film of Woman with Horns (Lit 102 project) (gynetheagustine)

"Woman With Horns" Bloopers re Mendoza Production (Bagaslao and Bocobo)

Read also:

Links relating to "Woman With Horns":

Wikipedia's page on "Woman With Horns"
Enotes on "Woman With Horns"
Oscar V. Campomanes' Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Scenographer
Leonard Casper's Possibilities of Humaneness in an Age of Slaughter (critique of Brainard's When the Rainbow Goddess Wept)
Student Films based on Cecilia Brainard's Story Flip Gothic
World War II and the novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

There are more student film adaptations of my story in YouTube - search "Woman With Horns"

Tags: Philippines, Philippine, Filipino, literature, story, Ubec, Woman With Horns, film, students, Cebu #philippines

This is all for now,

Cecilia

Thanksgiving Day Family Pictures 2015

Here are some Thanksgiving Pictures.

Happy holidays!

Diet Strategies for the Holidays #diet #holidays

The holiday season is coming up and along with that comes a lot of socializing, eating, and drinking. My husband's family is already planning our Thanksgiving meal, which will include turkey, ham, lamb, all the trimmings, plus all sort of desserts. One Thanksgiving, one of my sons counted the calories one could consume at such a celebration, and it was around 1,500 calories.


My friend, Maria Ciocon, and I were discussing a plan to keep from gaining weight over the holidays. Here are my suggestions:

Avoid drinking sodas and alcoholic drinks because they're loaded with calories;

Be careful of rich appetizers, trimmings, and desserts. I'm talking about chips and dip, mashed potatoes, gravy, butter, pies, cakes, bread and other carbs, and so on;

Think about what you pop into your mouth! Do you really want more dressing with gravy? Do you really want another slice of pie? Have that slice of pumpkin pie, but not two, and avoid eating it with whipped cream.

By all means eat at these gatherings, but do so sensibly.

Don't think you're "dieting" because you'll feel deprived; think instead that you're choosing to be "healthy" and taking care of yourself.  You'll feel better and lighter if you choose salads, vegetables, lean turkey meat, instead of piling your plate high with mashed potatoes, gravy, and other buttery creamy food.

Don't castigate yourself if you do eat too much. Just make up for it by eating salads and taking more walks in the days after.

At these gatherings, focus not so much in indulging in food and drink, but in talking to your loved ones.

Weigh yourself regularly so that you can correct yourself right away in case you gain a pound or two. It's easier to get rid of 1 or 2 pounds rather than 5 or more.

Here are some tips I picked up in the internet:

Healthy eating for the holidays

Top 10 Holiday Diet Tips of all time

Tags: #holiday, #diet, health, Thanksgiving, food

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Read also

Roasting Leg of Lamb
Thanksgiving Day 2014
Diet Strategies for the Holidays

Tags: Thanksgiving, holidays, #thanksgiving, family, picture

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Belgium: Chagritte Led Me to the Surrealist Rene Magritte #art

You can run.

But you cannot hide.

Chagritte will get you. 

~ grabbed from #BrusselsLockDown Tweets on cats

One of the cat pictures tweeted in #BrusselsLockdown is this one, with a cool and collected cat sitting in a bowler hat.  It took me a while to catch the nuance that this was a takeoff on the work of the Belgian surrealist artist, Rene Magritte.  The name "Chagritte" is derived from "chat" (meaning cat), and Magritte. 

Some commentators pointed out how the Belgian tweets of cats, in response to the police request not to post their location, was surreal. Indeed the spontaneous and vigorous postings of cats had whimsy and humor. It was unexpected and somewhat strange given this was a fearful time for the Belgians. It was a wonderful response, a way of countering the negative energy created by the "dark side."

Belgium Uses Cat Power against Terrorists - #BrusselsLockdown #catpics

May the force be with us

On Brussels' third day of a lockdown, Sunday, the Belgian law enforcement asked their citizens not to post information about their operations on social media. The Belgians and others responded by posting funny cat pictures. This went viral and not only lightened the tension but also flooded the social media with memes that made it difficult for terrorists to track police activities.

Here are some of my favorite Twitter postings, followed by the thank-you from the law enforcement.

Review: Keith & Margo's Murder Mystery Dinner #losangeles #entertainment

Cecilia, Andrew, Lauren, Swapna

We went to Keith and Margo's Murder Mystery Dinner at Matteo's in Westwood, Los Angeles.

I've read about such murder mystery dinners but had never attended one; this was my first one.

What happened at the dinner?

Cebu, Philippines: Hit-and-run Driver in Mabolo left Victim Bleeding and Unconscious

Laertes Del Rosario Ocampo

Laertes Del Rosario Ocampo, a resident of Cebu City, Philippines, was hit by a vehicle with License plate Number GDA434, at around 4:10 a.m., November 21, 2015. This happened in the vicinity of Mabolo, Cebu City.

The driver/owner of a vehicle left Laertes unconscious by the sidewalk where he lay bleeding profusely.

The driver should contact authorities immediately. 

Tags: Cebu, Sugbo, Cebu City, Visayas, car accident, hit-and-run, Mabolo

Petition to Preserve Syrian Refugee Progam in US

Zaatari Camp for Syrian Refugees, Jordan

“When hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything and have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we should not turn our backs on these refugees escaping violence in the Middle East.” ~ Bernie Sanders

Email your US Legislators to Preserve Syrian Refugee Program in the US. 

Write your legislators to support continuing the refugee program that promises refuge to 10,000 Syrians, mostly women and children who are escaping violence in their home country.

USA.gov - Government Agencies and Elected Officials

Keep in mind that the Paris Attack Terrorists were European nationals, not Syrian refugees

.

Know that all refugee applicants to the US will be vetted very, very carefully.

Remember that 10,000 refugees is a drop in the bucket given millions of them have been driven from their homes.

Middle East Refugees "Flight to Egypt"

Read also

Paris Attack 2015: Names Terrorists All European Nationals, not Syrian Refugees

Syrian Refugees: A snapshot of the crisis

Syria Crisis Facts - World Vision

• The Syrian Passport Found at the Paris Attacks #Pa...
• Paris Attacks: Did Facebook Favor Paris Over Beiru...
• Syrilution Creative Arts: Art for Healing
• Prayer for World Peace #parisattacks
• Tags: Syria, Syrian, war, refugees, US, refugee program, petition, #syrianrefugees
• This is all for now,
• Cecilia
• 
  

Pictures: Autumn in Venice, Southern California

This is how Venice Beach is looking today.

We tried the Eggs Benedict at the Terrace in Venice Beach, California, and it's pretty good, but they serve this until 2 p.m. only.


Read also
Long Beach, California: Beauty Queens, Parkers' Lighthouse, Queen Mary, MOLAA
The Pinata District of Los Angeles, California - Ole!
Los Angeles, California: The Fairfax District and Canter's Deli
California: Night Tour of Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, California: Mural on Steward Street "Pico Neighborhood"

Tags: Venice, California, Southern California, pictures, photos, Westside, Santa Monica

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Westside Pavilion: The Lull Before Thanksgiving Day

It's a week before Thanksgiving!

Here's what the Westside Pavilion looks like now, before the mad Christmas rush. On Black Friday the place will be hopping with shoppers looking for bargains.

Read also
Pictures Thanksgiving 2014
Roast Leg of Lamb for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day - A Time to Catch Our Breath
Diet Strategies for the Holidays

Tags: holidays, Thanksgiving, shopping, family

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Che and Tesla on a Cat Tree #pets #cats

My cats on their cat tree where they have a view of me working.

Other times, they are on my desk.

Read also
My Cats Chasing Laser Beam
The Healing and Creative Powers of Cat Purring
My "Boys" - Che and Tesla
My Non-Ninja Cats and this Southern California heat wave
My literary cat reading "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Cats reading "To Kill a Mockingbird"


This is all for today,
Cecilia

The Syrian Passport Found at the Paris Attacks #Paris #parisattacks

I grabbed this image from the Syrilution Creative Arts. 

The picture ridicules the imperishable Syrian passport found near the body of one of the Paris suicide bombers at the Stade de France. Other similar cartoons raise the question of how a suicide bomber could even think to bring his passport with him. The thinking is that the presence of the passport was deliberate.

Paris Attacks: Did Facebook Favor Paris Over Beirut? #Paris #ParisAttacks

Drawing courtesy of Micha Khalil

During the Paris Attacks, Facebook initiated the Safety Check tool, which allowed residents in Paris (or their friends) to mark themselves "Safe." Facebook also allowed Facebook users the ability to turn their profile picture into the French flag to show solidarity with the people of Paris.

Syrilution Creative Arts: Art for Healing

The art in this site, Syrilution Creative Arts, is healing. The site is dedicated to promote creative arts related to the events in Syria. Some beautiful work in there.




Read also
Review Salam Neighbor
Our European Cruise: Low Water Level of the Danube and Refugee Crisis

• Prayer for World Peace #parisattacks
• Paris, I Am Very Sorry! #parisattacks
• The Indian Festival of Lights or Diwali
• Tags: Syria, Middle East, #Syria, Syrilution Creative Arts, healing, art, war
• This is all for now,
• Cecilia
• 
  

Prayer for World Peace #parisattacks

Prayer for World Peace
by Sister Joan Chittester, OSB

Great God, who has told us
"Vengeance is mine,"
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.

Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.

Give us the strength it takes
to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again
to make peace even when peace eludes us.

We ask, O God, for the grace
to be our best selves.
We ask for the vision
to be builders of the human community
rather than its destroyers.
We ask for the humility as a people
to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.

We ask for the love it takes
to bequeath to the children of the world to come
more than the failures of our own making.
We ask for the heart it takes
to care for all the peoples
of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Palestine and Israel
as well as for ourselves.

~~
Read also
Some Prayers for Peace and Serenity
Prayers for Peace in Syria, Iraq, the Middle East
Tags: Middle East, Paris, #parisattacks, Syria, Iraq, terrorism, ISIL
This is all for now,
Cecilia

Paris, I Am Very Sorry! #parisattacks

Paris, I am very sorry ...

Read also:

Paris Attacks: At least 153 Killed

This Map Shows Where the Paris Attacks Took Place

Travel France: Chapel Clinique Blomet, Bastille, Charlie Hebdo, Grand Mosque

Update Paris Attack: Two Hostage Situations Ongoing

Some Thoughts After the Terrorist Attack in Paris - Charlie Hebdo

Tags: #parisattacks, Bataclan, terrorism

This is all for now,

Cecilia

The Indian Festival of Lights or Diwali

Happy Diwali!

From activityvillage.co.uk comes this retelling of the story behind Diwali:

Once upon a time there was a great warrior, Prince Rama, who had a beautiful wife named Sita.

There was also a terrible demon king, Ravana. He had twenty arms and ten heads, and was feared throughout the land. He wanted to make Sita his wife, and one day he kidnapped her and took her away in his chariot. Clever Sita left a trail of her jewellery for Rama to follow.

Rama followed the trail of glittering jewellery until he met the monkey king, Hanuman, who became his friend and agreed to help find Sita. Messages were sent to all the monkeys in the world, and through them to all the bears, who set out to find Sita.

Book Review of Brainard's Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, by Harold Augenbraum

I'm reprinting Harold Augenbraum's fine review of "Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America" ed Cecilia Brainard - the book has been in print since 1997 but remains relevant and is still available from Anvil Publishing in the Philippines and Philippine Expressions in the US, email lindaatphilbooksdotus


BOOK REVIEW
CONTEMPORARY FICTION BY FILIPINOS IN AMERICA
Edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
Anvil Publishing, 1997, 254 pages

MANOA, Vol. 13, No., 1, Silence to Light: Japan and the Shadows of War (Summer, 2001) pp. 201-203
by Harold Augenbraum
Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America.Edited by Cecilia
Manguerra Brainard. Pasig City, Philippines: Anvil Publishing, 1997.
254 pages, paper $22.95.

A couple of years ago, I asked a colleague of mine who was preparing a comprehensive
anthology of world literature which Filipino writers he was going to
include.He wasn't aware of any, he replied, adding that they probably hadn't been
translated yet.

Antique Vintage Filipina Dresses #Philippines #sayas

I'm featuring antique/vintage dresses worn by my Cuenco relatives. These antique Filipina gowns and clothes are now gone. My aunt, Teresita Cuenco Gonzalez, told me that during World War II in Cebu, they cut up the old gowns to make into other dresses to sell, to help them survive.

Take the time to study these antique/vintage dresses. They come from a time that is no more.

The top picture is my mother, Concepcion Cuenco. My mother is the one in the middle of the children's picture.

Concepcion Cuenco

Cartoons Jokes - Then and Now

Here are some cartoons floating around in the internet.

Have a great week!

Vintage Philippine Wedding Pictures & Superstitions #philippines

Teresita Cuenco Gonzalez, photo courtesy of Manny Gonzalez

Here are some pictures of Philippine brides and grooms.  (That's my aunt up there! I don't know the others but they all look very charming.)

The Philippines has wedding superstitions including the follow:

• It is bad luck for siblings to get married within the same year;
• It is bad luck to give married couples sharp and pointed objects as these could lead to a broken marriage;
• The groom should be be at the church before the bride to avoid bad luck;
• The couple should not see each other the night before their wedding;
• Rain during a wedding day means good luck

Poem: Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

In 2002, my friend and teacher, Rachelle Benveniste, who passed away recently, sent me this poem to comfort me after my mother died. I am sharing it with my readers. ~ Cecilia


Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there.  I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there.  I did not die.

(poem courtesy of Rachelle Benveniste)

Read also
Rachelle Benveniste's Poem "The Moth"

• Rachelle Benveniste's "Writing from the Inner Self...
• Review: Salam Neighbor, Documentary on Syrian Refu...
• 10 Famous authors on the Importance of keeping a journal
  Explosion and Drawing as Writing Exercises
  Your Writing Workspace
  The Importance of Sensual Writing  
  Vintage pictures that help me write my novel - Paris, Barcelona, Ubec 
  How to Write a Novel #1
  How to Write a Novel #2

      Tags: writing, writers, authors, literature, Rachelle Benveniste, poet, writer, writing teacher

      This is all for now,

       Cecilia