Bayanihan sa Filipina Salo Salo Blog

Thank you for a fabulous event last night. Everyone felt inspired and very impressed. Hope it spurs more involvement in public service. Everything worked beautifully. We left with many memories and the fabulous photos will surely make this an event to remember. Maraming salamat!!! Let's keep the discussion going! SPECIAL SALAMAT - to Susie Quesada for the yummy salad, Rebecca Delgado for busing some of us from San Francisco, Elena for bringing extra food (always!) and Mona's Mom for the lumpia! If you took photos, Please send along photos by sending email attachments to filipina@ffwn.org. Warmest regards, Marily, Elena, Al and Jennifer (FWN Board Members present yesterday).

Sunday was a beautiful day for the first salo salo for 2010! It was great to witness the spirited Pinay Peer Discussions. Hope we made a difference in the 11 protegees who participated in the Pinay Circles. Hope you all continue the Pinay Circles, and use the Circle Guidelines we gave out last Sunday and attached to the email today. We want to capture your thoughts, comments and musings on what the event was like...including the salo salo food served and the fabulous waitstaff! If you took photos, please send vial email attachments to filipina@ffwn.org. Maraming salamat!!! Let'd keep the discussion going! FWN Salo Salo Committee - Michelle, Jennifer, Sonia, Val, Pearl, Genevieve, Franklin and Al.

Maraming salamat to Senator Liz Figueroa, Malia Cohen and Timothy Dayonot for a very inspiring and thought provoking session on why we need more Filipina women represented in government!

My hope is that next year at this time....more Filipina women are holding boards and commissions appointments and running for elected office.

Kudos to Nelson Tolentino and his staff members - James and Aurora for making us feel welcome at Patisserie Philippe and for the delicious adobo brunch!  The pastries we took home were a pleasant bonus!

Nini - on behalf of FWN, we don't say goodbye to you but instead "see you at your next post!". With technology and social media....you're only a click away....so make sure you stay in touch. Love from all of us... Marily

As can be gleaned from Gary Cruz' photos, Intramuros is a visual delight. I forgot I was in El Camino Real. I thought I was in a zen-inspired metro restaurant in Manila, Bangkok or Singapore. There is an airiness that complements whispered conversations as well as vivacious chatter, and some across-the-floor Beyonce'd free-range.

Salo-Salo succeeds in connecting people, intersecting interests and welcoming cultural exchange. As diverse as my table composition was, we had food talk, food talk and more food talk. It's like gathering for a family meal and the food is the novelty. Suddenly we became gourmet diners, food critics, Trader Joes, Whole Foodies and farmer's marketeers.

The Tell-Me panelists served to balance the food emotionalism. Alas, we were enlightened with their professional experiences. 

Wish you were there.

 

Hello, Queens of FWN,

Thank you so much for the first Salo-Salo on January 24, 2009.  How timely it was as the next day was my 32nd birthday. 

Let me just say that I was sooo moved and proud to be Filipina after that event.  I left Intramuros feeling supported and loved.  Marily was just such a dynamic host for the panel and each woman in the panel was precious in their own light.  That's it, that's the word: Bayanihan.  My goodness, I am sooo moved and proud talaga.  We are soo funny and witty and loving as a people.  I got so much from each guest sharing on the mic.  That was such a wonderful idea (though I bet Table 1 had the jitters because they went first).

I was the one who said on the mic that I just came from this Workshop Series called "Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women" (specifically, The Queen Course).  In that Workshop, the leader asked us to complete this sentence: "My Queen is _______ like ________." And that night, I was present to that "My Queen is funny, witty, innovative, loving, turned on by life, generous, unbridled, sexy forces of nature like the women of FWN." 

Before this event, I convinced myself that I will not join FWN this year.  After going to Salo-Salo, I realized that it would be so silly for me not to be part of an organization that embodies so much of my values and love for the world. I just paid my $100 FWN dues today.

All my love and admiration,

Kathleen Ben
Woman who is "Satisfied" ;^)

P.S. I am so serious that I am a resource for those of you who are looking to have satisfying relationships with men (i.e. boyfriends, husbands, sons, fathers, co-workers, etc.).  I so would love to share.  For now, check-out www.understandmen.com.

Maraming salamat to all of you who came to FWN's inaugural salo salo!

Barry Picazo, Valerie and Mark De Leon and everyone at The Intramuros - you were all fabulous and professional. You made us feel welcome - it felt like we were visiting your home.  Thank you!

We'd love to hear your experience at Salo Salo sa Intramuros!