ANGEL FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

In my last column, I had mentioned the admirable and effective work being done by Tahanan Sta. Luisa (TSL), a crisis intervention center for street girls in Manila. I learned about their outstanding work from a longtime friend and a director of TSL, Victoria “Bubut” Rialp, married to TV and stage director and talented artist, Leo Rialp. 

Out of the over 500 girls that TSL has helped towards healing and recovery, is one girl whose inspiring story is worth recounting —Angel.  Around 5 years ago, she was finally fulfilling her dream to get a good education when she started as a freshman taking up Bachelor of Science in Education at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). Thanks to TSL.

But the road to where she was as an 18 year old freshman in PUP was not an easy one.

Here are some excerpts from her story in the website of Tahanan Sta. Luisa…

“The road to getting to school was a difficult one. Before she was able to walk the walls of her school, she was roaming the streets of Metro Manila to earn a living.”

In Angel’s translated words – “My life was miserable then. I had to spend my day in the streets, looking for a living. I helped my mother by selling bottled water and reusable materials.”

“But the earning from the streets was not enough to make ends meet.  She had to work as a sales lady to get extra income.  Angel and her family were living in Quezon City then”

Angel said…”I was the eldest of five siblings. We had different fathers. I never knew who my father was.  My mother was into drugs and she could not take care of us.”

“Angel admits the pressures and struggles were often too much to handle. To get some relief, she was lured into smoking cigarettes and marijuana.  She was a consistent honor student until Grade 5, but her vices affected her studies.”

Fortunately, she became a part of Childhope Asia Philippines’ street education program.  With the guidance of street educators and social workers she was encouraged to seek a better life.  From there, a Childhope social worker referred her to Tahanan Sta. Luisa – a recovery center for street girls who have suffered trauma.

Angel said…”I longed to live in a shelter because I knew that if I stayed on the streets, I will not reach my dreams. I had to think of ways to get my family out of poverty.”

In TSL, Angel’s life started to take a different trajectory.

In Angel’s words…”My life now is far different. A lot of adjustments were made. And because of the genuine love and care of the people around me. I survived daily.”

“At Tahanan, social workers, teachers, and house parents take care of Angel and other street girls. Tahanan is a home where street girls are given their basic needs. The program seeks to empower street girls by giving them opportunities to learn, heal, and love.”

Angel said that her “inspiration to achieve my dreams is my siblings. I realize that I am the only one who can help them.  I have talents and skills to develop. I promise myself to enhance them with the help of Tahanan Sta. Luisa family. I believe in the saying that I can’t give what I don’t have.   So, I must help myself first.”

And so she did, under the aegis of the Tahanan Sta. Luisa family in Antipolo, Metro Manila. By now, she would have finished her Education degree at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. 

Angel’s story is only one of the heart- warming stories from Tahanan Sta. Luisa.  There are hundreds more who have benefitted from the nurturing support of TSL. May they live long (the TSL family and the street girls) and be a shining beacon to others as well.

For more info about Tahanan Sta. Luisa, you may check out their website – tahananstaluisa.com.

LESSONS LEARNED 

There is one lesson I have learned from Angel’s story – to count my blessings when I complain. Another lesson is to recount and re-live the wise words of the late great revered Vietnamese Zen Master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh…”to look at all living beings with eyes of compassion”. And compassion must translate to action. Not just thoughts and feelings. What is the use of words if it does not manifest in one’s actions? Walk your talk.

CONGRATS TO GRADEX 109 OF OCAD

I definitely did not miss Gradex 109, Ontario College of Art and Design University’s 109^th Annual Graduate Exhibition – dubbed as Toronto’s largest free art and design and exhibition from May 1 to 5. And I am glad I did not.  It was the best way to spend a sunny May 2 day, inspite of having to take the train and subway all the way from Ajax to OCAD. It was worth the long trip. The works of the 2022 graduates of OCAD were exhibited and they were a refreshing sight to behold. There was so much to see though that one day would not have been enough to view most of the artworks. They had 6 levels of OCAD University filled with the artworks for the exhibit.  Whew!!!

Sadly, for me, at least, the Lakeshore East trains were not running May 4 and 5 and I was only able to enjoy around half of the entire collection of works. But what I was able to view were more than enough to make my day. I would say, make my year. Next in line, perhaps, to being able to see Vikingur Olafsson perform live at the Koerner Hall last January, 2024. With fingers crossed, maybe I will be lucky enough to watch Japanese singer/songwriter/musician Fujii Kase perform live this year. Three in one year would be phenomenal. A count-my-blessings event, that’s for sure.

Looking forward immensely to GRADEX 110 of OCAD University next year 2025. Next time, I will be better prepared. 

MY FINALE FOR ASIAN DRAMAPHILES (LIKE ME!)

Speaking of being prepared — that is, for a downtime session of screentime drama immersion complete with your favorite snacks (maybe, make it healthy, or at least, less toxic)—

If you have not watched it yet, I suggest you do. I am referring to the just- concluded 16-episode Kdrama series “Queen of Tears” on a popular US based streaming site. 

According to Hindustan Times…”QUEEN OF TEARS has mapped out an unconventional pioneering track vis a vis nationwide viewership ratings since the season’s inception on March 9. Closing the chapter on the show’s traditional track with the Season 1 finale on April 28, the Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won starrer amassed an unprecedented personal best average nationwide viewership rating of 24.850%.  Etching history on Sunday, the series also recorded the highest-rated series finale in the history of TVN dramas.”

I myself was not too enamored but I still found myself hooked though. I thought that DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN, the 2016 Song-Song starrer was better made – storyline-wise, production-wise, character development-wise. But as the cliché goes – the customer is always right. At least, the numbers says so, in the case of QUEEN OF HEARTS. But don’t get me wrong.  I became a big fan of Kim Ji Won, after seeing her in DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN. I did not even realize she also played a major role in the popular 2016 kdrama THE HEIRS starring Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye, which I have watched over and over again. I guess at that time, my eyes were glued only on the two female and male leads, of which I am also fans of. Ha ha!  

Other Chinese dramas, I highly recommend are BLOSSOMS IN ADVERSITY (2024 still ongoing), NIRVANA IN FIRE  (2015, Season 1 with Hu Ge and not Season 2) and A JOURNEY TO LOVE (2023) with 2 of my fave wuxia stars – the Liu/Liu pair. Liu Shi Shi (female) and Liu Yu Ning (male). I think they are the best when it comes to martial arts dramas. And there is no lack of breathtaking sword slashing scenes  in A JOURNEY TO LOVE. Undoubtedly intense but laced with comedic breaks and heartwarming moments.

All of these are on YT. Alleluiah!  Just have patience though. All of them are at least 35 episodes or more. So take them 1 or 2 episodes at a time; that is, If you can wait. They are so exciting sometimes that I end up marathoning. Not a good idea though.

With these, I bid fare thee well. Enjoy May as the weather finally warms up, I hope. Welcome sunny days!

Tessie O. Taylor