Ms. Yoko Ramos

The June 12 Philippine Independence Day in Athens started with an early morning Flag Raising Ceremony at the Philippine Embassy, the Officers and Staff wore their traditional Filipino wear to commemorate the event.  111 years ago, 12^th June 1898, between four and five in the afternoon, General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines from the Spaniards at the balcony of his residence in Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit).  Also for the first time, the Philippine flag was hoisted and the National Anthem was played in public. 

The grand celebration was held at the Ambassador’s Residence with the members of the diplomatic core, the honorary consuls:  stunning half Filipina Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides in Cyprus, Nikolaos Margaropoulos in Thessaloniki and Anastasia Manolopoulou in Patras were in attendance. The representatives of the Filipino communities were also present, as well as the teachers in the Filipino School, Kaphilca.  Other guests include:  the famous TV personality Psinakis, businessmen from the shipping industry, ladies from the Women’s International Club, and friends of the Philippine Embassy.  A guesstimate of about 300 attended this event.

The Ambassador’s Residence was transformed into a gallery to showcase the Philippine paintings; a video presentation about the Philippines was shown on the other side of the room.  The guests were received in the foyer then were led to the garden.

The big garden was lit with torches, good thing it was a breezy summer solstice that day; the guests were enjoying themselves with good food and friends; in the background the air was filled with different Filipino music.

Filipino cuisine was presented to the guests.  There was Pancit Canton, fried Chicken Adobo, Pork Barbeque, Longanisa Sticks, Siopao, Shanghai rolls, and a lot more. The famous San Miguel beer was a definite hit to the foreigners.  The buko juice was mistaken for milk but it was gone, too.  Even a halo-halo corner was set up for the pleasure of those who are curious about it.  Mediterranean food was also offered on the opposite side.  Overall, it was a feast, a typical Pinoy fiesta night in the city of Athens.  Congratulations to the PE Athens for a very successful celebration.  Mabuhay!

Diplomatic relations between ASEAN countries intensify over dinner — Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia cordially met at the Thai Ambassador’s Residence last March 20, 2009, here in Athens. 

Her Excellency Asha Dvitiyananda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Thailand, hosted a sumptuous fete in honor of the new Indonesian Ambassador, and the visiting Malaysian Ambassador, His Excellency Datuk Zakariah Sulong.

Thai’s First Secretary Phubadi and Mrs La-Or-Ngern received the guests at the Ambassador’s Residence while the delectable and luscious food was skillfully arranged by Second Secretary Wassana Pramulmuang.

The guests include:  (Philippines) HE Rigoberto and Mrs Tiglao, Deputy Chief of Mission Maria Fe Pangilinan, Minister and Consul General Constancio and Mrs Yoko Vingno  (Malaysia) HE Datuk Zakariah and Mrs Sulong, Honorary Consul Datuk Prof Thomas Antonius and Mrs Haziroglou, Mr Omad, and Mr   (Indonesia)  HE The Ambassador, Minister and Outgoing Consul General Hadi Sasmito and the Incoming Minister and Consul General. 

Amb Dvitiyananda and Mr Dvitiyananda welcomed everyone to their residence.  Her Excellency Dvitiyananda gave a short opening speech about the “ASEAN get together”  and about the important role of the ASEAN in furthering the relations and addressing current issues.  The Malaysian Ambassador articulately responded to the warm reception and the Indonesian Ambassador also eloquently thanked the host to the impressive dinner gathering (he just arrived the previous day with his wife.)

Shortly after, the dinner was served and started with hot and spicy Tom Yum soup followed by a generous serving of the famous “Pad Thai” with Som Tam (grated green papaya salad).  Boiled Octopus, Stir Fried Vegetables, and Tamarind Fish Fillet with Hot Rice was the main course.

The lovely night ended with Thai’s yummy Kao nia ma muang (sticky rice with mango) — dessert served with hot tea.

Twenty-Nine

By: Yoko Ramos-Vingno

Life has always been full of surprises if not unpredictable. At some point in your life you could be jolted by an event that could turn your life upside down. One day you are happy and serene, feeling and enjoying what life has to offer – a blessed family life, wonderful children, a loving husband a house you could call your own until in this string of welcome bliss something just snaps and suddenly your life takes a different course towards uncertainty. 

Take the story of this gutsy and spirited widow, whom I met here in Athens, Greece during a party at the Philippine Embassy in 2007. For Charita Ballalo Bataan, life seemed smooth and easy, for she felt she had it all having been blessed with 7 nice children from a loving husband who took very good care of her and the children. Sadly, this all would change when a sudden and severe attack of stroke would snap the life out of her husband at the age of 53.

Charita’s husband Leonardo was an officer of the Philippine Constabulary.  They met at a town fiesta in her native hometown Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur.  Smitten by Charita’s comeliness, this young officer befriended and pursued her until she succumbed to the military bearings of her determined suitor.  Despite earlier usual problems of in-laws not favoring the relationship, the couple eventually married and established their own family – away from their relatives. The marriage produced 7 children – two boys and five girls. Raising 7 children was not much of a problem as Leonardo was a good provider who had hired a helper for Charita to assist in her daily household routine. 

So it was then until Leonardo’s fateful demise that Charita ceased to live in her comfort zone.  Reality and the feeling of helplessness stared her in the face: no husband, left without a work and seven growing kids who needed to go to school were too much for Charita to bear.  She composed herself and took matters into her own hands. Having the future of her children in mind, Charita set aside her pride and accepted the invitation of a cousin working abroad who found her a job as a domestic help in Greece, a work she had not even imagined when her husband was alive.

Chari arrived in Athens in 1980 and found employ with a Greek diplomat couple.  She learned her way around from this kind and generous couple who taught her the basics of household routines in a diplomatic household.

Chari took her day off on Sundays – where she went to church and was able to meet other Filipinos. Kind and approachable by nature, Chari went out of her way to extend assistance to fellow Filipinos who had asked her for help concerning various kinds of problems.  She recalls bringing food and other necessities to Filipinos who were imprisoned due to overstaying in Greece.  Her group of Filipino acquaintances grew – and her newfound friends started to call her Chari.

For nine years Chari stood by her diplomat employer and when the latter was deployed in France Chari opted to stay in Greece. She fell in love with the country that had welcomed her and had given her the means to provide for her children. Also, Chari found it difficult to leave behind the friendships she had developed over the years with the other Filipinos.   

Again on her own Chari, was fortunate to find work and a decent place to stay that she would call home – the same place where she currently lives.  Work was aplenty – and she took advantage of this.  She put in long hours – accepting a lot of part time work that netted her easily Two Thousand Three Hundred Dollars a month.  This is a tall order for a single mother who had to immerse herself in work to overcome her homesickness and lingering thoughts of her children.

Chari’s solace was the Filipino community. She joined Filipino organizations and became very active in community undertakings.  Many Filipino friends joined her when she formed the “Integrated Barangay of the Philippines” and was voted its president.  Shortly after she left the group and in 1998 during the Philippine Centennial Year, with the encouragement of former Ambassador Norberto Basilio, Chari founded and was voted president of the “Philippine Overseas Society.”  This organization of 11 years has received several citations and recognition for its efforts in promoting Philippine culture in Greece and, helping less fortunate students in the Philippines through the organization’s “Tuloy Aral Program”.   For her tireless and selfless efforts, Chari was twice nominated for “Ang Bagong Bayani Award”.

“Tita Chari”, as she is now fondly addressed in the Filipino community, has been staying in Greece for the last twenty nine years. Not to deny the good blessings that came her way to other Filipinos, Chari was able to help about seventy Filipinos to find work in Greece.  She helped her two sisters-in-law, her four children and a grandchild plus friends and other relatives to stay and work legally in the country that had been so kind to her and welcomed her with open arms.

Chari already has two houses in Antipolo and proudly – at 64 – she plans to travel a lot and, enjoy life with family, grandchildren and friends – and still live here in Athens!

A Filipino Chef at Ledra Marriott Hotel-Athens

By:  Yoko Ramos-Vingno

Famous and celebrated chefs have started from scratch – from just a mere name to become a renowned cuisine guru; rising from nothing to something big – like Mario Batali and Bobby Flay.   Chef Mario Batali started as a dishwasher at “Stuff Yer Face Restaurant” in New Jersey, and Chef Bobby Flay started as a cook in an eatery.  The Naked Chef Jamie Oliver at age 8 was a vegetable peeler at his dad’s restaurant, the Cricketers.  At 16, he decided to study at Westminster Catering College and went to France to get more experience before going back to London and becoming the famous chef he is now.  Others started as sous chef for chefs with names in high end hotel establishments.   

This Filipino Chef, only 20 years old, is a young man which exudes the appearance of a person who seemed to have lived a pampered and blissful life. He lives alone in his flat in Glyfada, located 45 minutes away by car in the southern part of Athens.   This young fellow carries a healthy physique, about 5’5 in height, with a bright and cheery attitude, always ready to flash that instant smile; a guy that struck me as a young Mario Batali:  jolly, charming, sensible and confident.

Chef John Levi Reano, a fortunate and lucky man indeed, John was given the opportunity to study and finished at the prestigious Alpine Center: the Swiss Business School for Hotel and Tourism Education in Greece with a Swiss Diploma in Culinary Arts.  He graduated with distinction and was given the Academic and Professional Excellence in Culinary Arts in 2007.  A consistent top student of his batch, John is the first and only Filipino to graduate in this exclusive Culinary Arts School in Athens.  John’s first industry training was at Porto Elounda De Luxe Resort, a luxury golf-and-spa-resort in Crete Island, under the tutelage of chefs Jean Charles Metayer and Michalis Kontes.  His second training was at 5-star Ledra Marriott Hotel where he gained the admiration of the Executive Chef that soon after finishing his training, he was offered a full time employment. 

Now, John is the only Filipino Chef employed by the Ledra Marriott Hotel. He is the sushi chef at the Kona Kai Restaurant that serves Polynesian and Japanese cuisine and caters to well-heeled Greeks and expatriates.   The hotel pays him a good starting salary with satisfactory perks.   He is admired and well liked by his fellow chefs and gets along well with the others – from the restaurant Manager to sous chefs because of his talent and pleasant and sunny disposition.

John tells me about his childhood in Batangas and how he grew up to realize how fortunate he was to have lived a life that had very strong supportive structures centered in the family.  The Reano household is a typical Filipino family where the father works abroad to provide for the family and the children’s education.   John is the youngest child of Domingo and Natividad Reano.  Domingo is a former overseas contract worker in Saudi Arabia while Natividad stayed at home to take care of the children.   Domingo, then in his mid 50’s and having saved a little, decided to retire in their house in Tanauan, Batangas.  Soon thereafter, Chef John was conceived when his mother was in her late 40s.   Thus, little John Reano was born on October 8, 1988. 

Early on, John attended elementary and finished at the Bernardo Lirio Elementary School.  He spent his high school at the La Consolacion College in Tanauan, Batangas. Thanks to the kindness and support of John’s elder sister, then a nurse in Switzerland, who paid for his high school education.  John also attributes the blessings that came his way to the generosity of his Greek born brother-in-law who had encouraged and inspired him to pursue his passion and ambition and supported him all the way as if he were his own son.  His brother-in-law who is in shipping business met and married his sister when she was working in Switzerland as a nurse.

Chef John is delighted to have his friends (of different nationalities) around, pleased with his independence and thankful for his family and work at Ledra Marriott.  When asked for his plans for the future:  “I want to pursue another Diploma for my career in the business.  I want to travel around the world to have a better understanding of the world and to experience and explore the different cultures and cuisines.” And for all the good blessings that came his way, John says, “I would like to be able to own and operate my own restaurant to open up opportunities and give jobs to my fellow Filipinos. I think this is the best gesture and way that I could think of to give back what I had received and to thank those people dear to me who molded me into the person I turned out to be.”

That’s Chef John – our Pinoy Chef.

Pinoy Bistro in
Vienna

By:  Yoko Ramos-Vingno

This writer has always thought of February as synonymous to love - a month when the hopelessly romantics are sucked into their perennial attacks of reminiscing from day one of courtship to marriage with resolute conviction. They think about flowers, hearts and cupid that all symbolize love. For this writer, though, thoughts of Vienna would insist themselves into her mind during February, not that she does not like it or does it get to the point that these thoughts could become quite annoying; on the contrary, these reminiscing had refreshed and invigorated her particularly when she remembers that she and her significant half spent their honeymoon in this lovely place many years ago.

Austria’s capital Vienna adopts the city slogan “Vienna is different”. For truly, as the avant garde in me takes over, Vienna is a recommended place where you would want yourself to be if you want to satisfy your yearning for culture, the arts, music, architecture, food and romance. This is where grand antiquity and sophisticated modernity co-exist at the same time.  Churches, palaces, government buildings, apartments have different types of architecture – some are Gothic, Baroque, others are more Art Nouveau and the new ones are of modern 20^th century type. With the United Nation’s headquarters situated here and the OPEC, this city with a low crime rate proved to be politically important in the world.  Vienna is haven for the artistic and the lovers of art – the Opera (is grand), theaters (impressive), museums (over 50 kinds are fantastic) and the architecture (historical and magnificently striking).

Vienna, being located in the heart of Europe, is a really a lover’s paradise.  Parks are full of lovely and wonderful flowers especially in summer.  What a splendid and picturesque sight for a romantic like me to see and feel.

Vienna, known to us by its famous Vienna coffee, the classical music of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss, the waltz, Sigmund Freud and the Vienna Boys Choir, is actually second home to about 30,000 Filipino expatriates, according to the Deputy Chief of Mission Charlie Manangan of the Philippine Embassy in Vienna. Most of them are in the medical field like nurses and caregivers, professionals in the United Nations in Vienna and some others are working in fast food restaurants and a few are working in the house. Majority of them have lived in Vienna for the past 30 years or so.

Hubby and I spent our New Year in Vienna and while re-tracing the steps we took during our sojourn there years ago, we revisited the building owned by the post office where the Philippine Embassy is housed as well as the other shops located there including the Asian Bakery/Bistro owned by Malou Santos, a Filipino old-timer entrepreneur that has survived the economic ups and downs in the last 11 years including the most recent global economic crisis. Malou’s store offers interesting varieties of Filipino food. Her store sells hopia, siopao, growers, itlog na maalat as well as various viands of pancit, adobo, kare-kare, menudo, dinuguan and the like. She serves her mostly pinoy clientele lunch and dinner. She also has her steady flow of foreign citizens who have started to acquire and like the taste of Filipino food.

Mary Lou Lagon Santos, performs an all around work in her Bistro.  Apart from being the owner, she’s the cashier, cleaner, servidora – all rolled into one.  The only thing she cannot do she said is to cook.   Avelino ‘Bhong’Santos, Malou’s husband, does the cooking.

When I met her she was busy preparing food for the New Year’s celebration which according to her was for the Filipinos living alone in Vienna who had requested her to organize a gathering, since living alone, they were looking for company to spend time with to welcome and greet the New Year.  Her regular customers requested her to open the Bistro so they can have a place to celebrate the coming of the New Year with Pinoy friends and with pinoy food.  It made sense as it was a freezing minus six in Vienna on New Year’s Eve!

Malou is looking forward to celebrating the Bistro’s 11^th year in the business.  “It was hard work all the way. We survived through prayers and perseverance”. This, she explained was the reason why she and her husband are surviving the world economic crunch where credit is hard to come by.  She proudly tells me that the Bistro is the only one in Vienna.  Other Filipino restaurants some of which used to be in the same building all closed down.

Malou is a Commerce graduate, who majored in Business Management at the University of the East. Her educational background allowed her to discern and address business’ problems.  Like in any other business ventures, Malou experienced several hardships and setbacks before getting to where she is today.  After college, she enrolled herself again at Cora Doloroso and took up Computer Secretarial.  Malou found work at Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company. At about the same time, her sister who was working as a nurse in one of the hospital’s in Vienna invited her to visit and stay with her having in mind the thought of Malou possibly and eventually finding a job in Vienna.   

She arrived in Vienna with a three month visa. Lucky as she could get, Malou found a babysitting job and when her visa was about to expire, she found someone at the United Nation who sponsored her stay so she could stay longer.  Consequently she cleaned house for her benefactor for three hours on Saturdays and continued with her babysitting job on weekdays.  For some time life was a routine but Malou is the person who is not wont to complain as she loved and continues to love Vienna.  After doing other odd jobs, Malou got her initial big break after she was hired to work at the American embassy residence, a job she was well paid for, and she did not mind having to do extra hours of work in the residence as they meant an additional pay. The good working conditions gave her the opportunity to save.

Shortly thereafter, Malou was offered a business opportunity that required her to invest her money and be part owner the Asian Bakery. Sounding like a good deal, she invested her savings of 304 thousand schillings (almost a million pesos that time) and became part owner of the Asian Bakery.

Meanwhile, Malou continued to work at the American embassy residence and would occasionally visit the bakery in her free time until one of her partners confided that something was amiss in the accounting side of the business. Malou asked for the books and discovered irregularities. Malou filed a case against the partner handling the finances. After spending time, effort and money, Malou won her case gained sole ownership of the establishment. She was supposed to have filed another case against the same person but she decided to let it go as she felt a new case would bring her again lots of stress, endless tears and sleepless nights which she had endured in the previous case.

Malou met her husband, Bhong, in Vienna during her turbulent years in the business.  Bhong offered to help her in the Bistro and suddenly they found themselves in love and got married. Now, they own apartments in Nueva Ecija and Caloocan which they are renting out.  They bought an 850 square meter land in Antique, which they plan to develop into a resort house. Malou has also invested a large amount of money in the research project of her scientist brother on developing waste management.

After all the adversity, hard work and perseverance plus with a loving support from her husband and partner, says Malou, the Bistro will continue to sell the same Pinoy food that we love and grew up with as long as they can.

A Pinoy in the heart of Omonia

By:  Yoko Ramos-Vingno

Omonia Square is said to be the pride and joy of Athens – and also its oldest square.  Omonia played a part of the grandeur that was Greece.  Philosophers and famous people used to frequent this place to hang out, talk about their stuff, drink coffee or just simply gaze to while their time away.

Omonia means concord and literally – the environment and atmosphere is in harmony with a combination of the shabby and the chic style; the Greco-Roman/Neo-Classical and the modern architecture; the elite of the society and the normal people can be seen around –cosmopolitan.  All major roads are leading to this place so a lot of people converge in this tiny location, often crowded, to do their business.  Tourists abound here mainly to avail themselves of bargain prices the place has to offer with different hotel establishments offering budget prices and special shops – high end and discount stores existing side by side enjoying brisk business.  Whether shopping for a nice stuff or simply buying fresh food from the market — Omonia is the busiest district of Athens.  

Situated at its center, is the Agora —the Omonia Market.

At the market, you will find Danilo ‘Dan’ Robles, an overseas Filipino worker at work at the meat section busy cutting meat into slices preferred by his clients and while doing so occasionally chats and exchanges pleasantries with his customers, Greeks and Pinoys alike. Gifted with a disarming smile and a pleasant disposition, Dan is a person who is easy to get along with, talks freely about his feelings, no wonder he has become a trusted employee by his Greek employer – Dmitri who took Dan under his employ in 1995.

Dan started as a part-time worker with Dmitri receiving 50 Euros, for a one day and a half work on Fridays and Saturdays. Since then his status as butcher progressed as now he earns more than 1,000 Euros per month — 250 Euros as basic pay per week — excluding tips that he shares with his co-workers. In addition, Dan receives the usual social security benefits just like any other Greek worker get. 

Dan, whom my husband (Philippine consul general in Athens) and I first met during an awarding ceremony hosted by Filipino Bowlers Association in Greece (Filbag) of which he is the president,  is a native of Davao, the 6^th child from a brood of 9, born and educated in the South of the Philippines.  He was 16 years old when he left their house to study in another town.  He took up BS Agriculture majoring in animal husbandry at the state owned University of South Mindanao.  Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way what his parents had planned for him as money was hard to come by. He failed to finish his course, left school when was 3^rd year and got married – taking with him his teacher bride who was then working as a teacher assistant in the university. 

An undergraduate and a young husband, Dan survived by doing odd jobs in the province working in factories like Coca-cola and Franklin & Baker and at piggeries in the late 70s and early 80s to support a growing family.  Life was hard for the struggling young Dan.

Dan had a brother who was working in Greece. When he came home for vacation he told his brother of the great job opportunities obtaining in Greece.  However, then, rich Greek families preferred women over men in the employ of their households taking care of children and old people since for men job opportunities were limited only to seamen. 

As things unfolded, Dan’s wife, petitioned by his brother, went ahead to Greece to look for a job with the goal of also finding a job for Dan.  Dan was left home to take care of their three young children. With the money sent by his wife, Dan bought a house for the family in Davao – close to where his relatives live. 

Years of living separately from his wife finally took their toll. The marriage was starting to fall apart. Somehow husband and wife survived the first trial. An opportunity opened up. Wife’s employer needed another help. She petitioned him.  Dan arrived in Greece in 1989 and husband and wife were reunited.  The couple worked for the family of Cristina Onassis but when the old man died things changed and the couple decided to leave the family to be on their own.

The couple found shelter with a good Pinoy. Dealing with the bureaucratic maze of strict Greek immigration laws, the couple successfully established themselves as economic refugees did part time jobs then moved out from their friends place to a flat of their own.

Meanwhile, Dan and wife had yet to settle the issue of their deteriorating marriage which was affecting both of them emotionally. In the midst of all these, Dan found an outlet to release his disappointments by helping other people.  He hanged out with veteran Filipinos in Athens helping fellow Pinoys find jobs and seek shelter. 

Eventually, Dan found work as a janitor in a language school in the 90’s, while his wife took a job taking care of an old man. Determined to earn more money to save for his children, Dan did part time work at the Omonia market as a butcher. Dan eventually left his janitorial job to become a permanent employee of his kind and amiable boss Dimitri.

About this time, Dan also became actively engaged in Filipino community activities and joined the VIZMIN organization, a group of Filipinos from the Vizayas and Mindanao.  He also became a member of a support group, The Reevaluation Counseling Group – composed of a group of professional psychologist with American, Greek and Irish nationalities.  Dan said that this Reevaluation Counseling Group helped him release all his personal problems and frustrations and the struggle he went through.

Years went by, the old man his wife was taking care of died.  The wife went home to set up business in the Philippines from their saving. Dan’s wife went home to their conjugal house in Davao.  put up a sari-sari store and bought a tricycle for additional income. 

Finally, the marriage unraveled with husband and wife going their separate ways.

Dan continued to work until he met Emma and the two fell in love.  Emma provided the stability Dan was looking for in his life, the emotional support he needed to confront the problems he left in the Philippines especially when his eldest son got hooked on drugs – twice.

Dan remains active in the community. He reorganized and reestablished the United Visayan Mindanao (UVM) where he is the current president.

Dan and Emma are blessed with a daughter – Paula, now 10 years old.  Dan focuses his remaining strength to save for Emma and Paula’s future.  Emma has several properties in Davao which includes a 1,000 sq/m open lot, a 360 sq/m duplex and another 300 sq/m land in Masambal, Davao del Norte. 

He remains active in the Reevaluation Counselling Group, president of UVM and member of the Active Community Partners (ACP) composed of the different Filipino organizations in Greece. He finds time for bowling as a form of recreation. He is also the current president of Filipino Bowlers Association in Greece (FILBAG). Danilo Robles is considered one of the best Filipino bowlers in Athens.

By:  Maj. Yoko Ramos-Vingno

The Women’s International Club of Athens (WIC) selected the Philippines to make a presentation of the different varieties of Philippine dishes — the Filipino cuisine which was held at the embassy residence last November 27, 2008. This is the second time this year that the WIC has requested the Philippines to make a cultural presentation the first one of which, “Meet my Country” was held last April at the Philippine embassy.  

The Women’s International Club of Athens (WIC) is a prestigious international club which has chapters all over the world and its members are from the elite Greek society, wives of ambassadors and lady members of the diplomatic corps.

The Ethnic cooking session, as the event was called is one of the many activities of the WIC which idea is to learn the different cuisines, style of cooking and the type of food of each foreign member. 

Like the “Meet my Country”, playing host to the event is the indefatigable, chic and lovely wife of Ambassador Rigoberto D. Tiglao, Mme Getsy S. Tiglao. She has been a member of the WIC and of the Ethnic cooking circle since two years ago. 

Mme Getsy Tiglao presented the event with highlights of Filipino hospitality and atmosphere of Philippine fiesta for the ladies to feel the typical ambiance of Philippine setting that exemplifies and portrays our country’s tradition.  Philippine paintings depicting harvest and other local scenes by Filipino painters mounted on the walls of the residence accentuated the Filipino flavor of the occasion.

In the cooking demonstration, Mme Tiglao made a short introduction about Philippine cuisine: “Many people have asked me what Philippine food is.  I say that Philippine food is the original fusion cuisine as it blends the best of the East and West.  The overriding elements are the indigenous or Malay base, the Chinese and Spanish.  The influences of all these foreign cultures, combined with our own indigenous cooking style and traditions have resulted in a uniquely our own, and one of the world’s best cuisines.” The roster of Pinoy fiesta dishes that was presented for cooking demonstration were Sinigang na Salmon, Chicken Adobo, Lumpia and Pancit Canton.

At lunch proper, the ladies started off with the hot comforting soup Sinigang na Salmon followed by the main entrée Chicken Adobo, Pancit Bihon, Lumpiang Shanghai, Crab Relleno, Tsipoura Escabache and culminating in the dessert: Maja Blanca and Leche Flan. Mango and Pineapple juices were served for drinks.

The WIC ladies had a wonderful time and enjoyed themselves. In her toast remarks, Ms Bridget Coscoros, current president of the WIC, said, “Thank you very much for your charming hospitality today, clearly enjoyed by everyone.  Congratulations to you.”

In response, Mme Tiglao thanked everyone who attended saying, “This is truly a memorable and meaningful gathering which you and the Club allowed us to give you a glimpse of what Filipino Cuisine is – and in the process give you an experience of what Filipino hospitality is all about.” 

For this event, the Philippines once again through the untiring efforts of Mme Getsy Tiglao, was able to host and launch a successful cultural event that would no doubt contribute to the further enhancement of our image in Greece. 

Pink is feminine and ultra chic.
Yellow is happy and young.
Green should be hope.
White is so pure and innocent.
Black is creepy and sad.
Orange is sweet but sometimes bitter
Red — oh, red is the heart and soul.
It is love!
The world should be painted red!
Blue..

I am blue

Blank stares
Empty thoughts
Tears flow from within
When is it going to stop

Air runs fast
Sun bids goodnight
Moon shines above

You are here
But where am I