100 Million PQs..happening everyday....

Doreen, Pauline, Linda and I went to see the Flower Drum Song on stage at the San Jose Performing Art Center. In one of the opening scenes, the major male lead comes on stage.  Doreen leans over and whispers, "That guy really looks like Nathan."  Having already perused the program, I whispered back, "It's because that guy is Filipino."

A PQ of a different sort, but one nonetheless.

PQ in NYC

Bruce and I went to New York for our very first time, save his GI days of drunkenness and debauchery, of which he conveniently forgets the details, and WE, yes, me and Bruce, got the PQ.  We were asking for directions to the cheap Broadway show tickets place and spoke to a smoking young white girl, who told us she just got here herself and didn't know.  Then there was this young white guy with a handful of flyers and Bruce asked him and he told us.  He also gave us a Dianetics flyer for a meeting down the street.  He had some kind of European accent, but he asked, after I joined in his and Bruce's conversation, if we were from the Philippines.  I said no and almost added, we wish...

Yes, in Time Square, we got the PQ. 

Welcome to the PQ, Nee Nee

Well, well, well...it finally happened.  After the Santa Cruisin', Contillions, pretending to be Catholic with your Filipino Milpitas High friends, it happened.  The Safeway deli sandwich lady thought you were Filipino and that you looked like her niece. hahahah This is only the beginning.

Manila by the Bay

Your basic outreach to the Filipino community at church.  Bruce signed us up to bring an appetizer for this pot luck.  I made my famous artichoke dip not knowing that the spread was mostly Filipino food, some more exotic looking than others.  Personally I was impressed by the number of large rice cookers!  When we wandered down the hall looking for the get together, we saw an older woman in a dressy dress (I in my very casual and Bruce too), with the traditional see through puffy squared off short sleeves.  Her hair was neatly swept up into a French roll and she looked very pretty toddling down the hall.  When we got to the Quad, there was music, a lot of friendly faces and name tags to fill out.  Hosting the event was Pastor Henry Abuda and his wife Arlene.  Other dignitaries were Ed Santos and his wife Rhoda, the Camaisas, the Paragaos, etc.  Anyway, we squeezed our dip onto the crowded food table and found a somewhat empty table.  We sat with this couple, their sister and brother - young people who were educated in the Philippines and have been here about 10 years, etc.  Very sweet, very friendly and very nice.  We teamed up with them for an ice breaker, answering about 20 trivia questions about Philippino History, i.e. first president, how many islands, who was the first beauty pageant winner, what is the most sung song, etc.  We were assured that someone was going to sing this during the open mike karaoke to follow.  Anyway, our table won, no thanks to Bruce and me.

Here's the PQ-- everyone was politely welcoming us, but no one asked about our Filipino-ness, but a late arrival gentleman, sat next to me after we all got our overflowing plates and were eating.  He casually asked, "Do you cook Filipino at home?"  Assuming that I was, and that I could possibly cook cuisine regularly for the family.  I politely and apologetically answered, "No, not really."

We left before karoke, but I heard tell that Pastor Henry sang in tagalog.

Southpark Picture and cute Emily & Mrs. Choy