I was on the train en route to Madrid last weekend when I spotted the book the man in front of me was reading. What caught my attention was the big red word “Why” at the bottom of the cover. Why what? I wondered to myself. I tried to make out the rest of the title but the man´s hand was covering the first two words. Minutes later, he laid the book on the train seat table, giving me a good view of the rest of the book´s title. START WITH WHY. In bold letters. All caps.
As a book lover, I am always interested in what other people read. So I fished out my phone, googled the book, and read the description. Written by Simon Sinek, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action is about how people are inspired by a sense of purpose, or the Why of things and that asking Why should come first before How and What. Interesting.
Later that day, I was sitting opposite five representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, together with poet Karessa Malaya and actress Alexandra Masangkay to have a dialogue on how Filipino culture and community in Spain can have more visibility and representation. “Why” became a significant word when we started our presentation as it immediately became the anchor of our narrative. Why are we there in front of them? Why is this dialogue important to the Filipino community in Spain? Why are we doing what we are doing? A productive discussion followed after.
And apropos of why, why are we excessively excited about our Autumn 2024 Issue?
Well, it is because we have Filipina Philanthropist, author and businesswoman Loida Lewis on the cover. TFEM had the pleasure to sit down with Mrs. Lewis for an interview in Barcelona where she shared her inspiring journey as an Asian American wife, mother and CEO of a billion dollar empire in the US. Coincidentally, her latest book “Why Should Guys Have All The Fun?” also starts with “Why”.
Nurse Lyn Oamil Tagorda shares how her tenacity led her to work as a nurse in Barcelona and explains why not so many Filipinos work as nurses in Spain even after it opened its door to foreign nurses.
In Expat Living, we explore Filipino expat life in a less-known country in the Baltic. Chef Eric Layno explains why he took chances on choosing Albania to be his home. Did he make the right choice?
We are treating you, dear readers to a trip to the past as we take you to the journey of Felix Laureano to Spain where he made a name for himself as a successful photographer and businessman. Canada-based researcher Frank Villaluna pieced Laureano´s life together, making his life and works known to the world.
For our Q&As, Philippine Ambassador to Germany Irene Susan B. Natividad shares how she spends her me time, and heart-healthy advocate Jacqueline Chio-Lauri tells us about We Cook Filipino, her book which contains heart-friendly recipes from Filipino chefs and cooks.
Retiree Alma Patist-Clutario expresses her thoughts on life as a retired grandma, and teenager Benjamin Serafica Elaydo reacts to a Filipino classic film, Himala. Two interesting reads from two voices from different generations.
And of course, in less than 45 days, it is the holiday season once again, and we know that most of our kababayans are going home to celebrate the year´s jolliest days together with their loved ones. That is why, we have prepared a list of cool pasalubongs for everyone to bring to your family and friends. Not only that, writer Althea Ricardo has listed down top mouthwatering street food that you surely have missed while being away from home. No matter where we are, whatever ciricumstances, we Filipinos always try to keep the Christmas spirit alive. Dra. Evangeline, Bigboy and Gary recount how they celebrated Paskong Pinoy in the middle of the war, the high seas and the desert.
For our readers who plan to travel this holiday, we entice you to experience the magic of the Baltics. Surely, it will be a once in a lifetime adventure. Scared of those hassles at the airport when flying out of NAIA? We offer you some tips to avoid getting offloaded at the immigration.
There you have it, dear readers, another exciting TFEM Issue for you to enjoy!
As always, let us be the first to greet you, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
And remember, the best thing to enjoy the fun is to start with “WHY” and end with “WHY NOT”.
Cheers!
P.S. Dear Readers, we’ve made the tough decision to start charging a small fee of €2.50 for our magazine. This wasn’t easy, but it’s necessary to keep delivering the high-quality content you’ve come to expect. The main reason is that the costs of producing and distributing our magazine have increased significantly. Rest assured that our commitment to provide you with in-depth articles, engaging visuals, and exclusive features is still strong and and your support will help us continue to do this. We hope you understand. Thank you for your continued readership.
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