crossrhodes

Went for my second fetal ultrasound this afternoon. This time I scheduled it so Don could come, too. Unlike the 8-week sonogram where the only visible movement was the pitter-patter of the heart chambers, the baby at almost 12 weeks was quite active! It was turning, flipping, kicking, and doing cartwheels. It was amazing! It was like a Cirque du l’utérus! Once again, seeing the reality of an active human being living inside me made me choke up to tears.

Don’s reaction? Besides yes, that was neat seeing the baby move, the gears in his brain were cranking geeky ways to build an ultrasound machine at home. While mommy was crying tears of joy, daddy was mentally circling the aisles of Home Depot for parts.

It’s okay, baby. You don’t have to be like daddy.
But I do hope you inherit his western nose!

It’s too early to tell, but if you look closer at the baby’s profile right now, it looks like he/she has my stubby Filipino nose, my family’s square forehead, and likely a full head of hair. I was born w/ a full head of hair and so was one of my nieces. What can I say? I have strong genes!

It finally feels like autumn! When its chilly outside, I crave my comfort foods… and MY comfort foods are Filipino foods! (But honestly, I crave Filipino food year round.)

My mommy and daddy drove all the way down here to bring my Filipino food cravings. And I asked my dad to cook Pinakbet in my kitchen so I can watch and learn.

Pinakbet or Pakbet, a hearty vegetable stew, is a classic dish in the northern region of the Philippines from which my dad came. His dad’s (my grandfather’s) version contained only veggies. My dad’s (pictured above) includes a pork and shrimp flavor base. Oh mannn, did it hit the spot! I’ve had it for dinner three nights in a row. My white boys will have nothing to do with it, which means more for me!

Same goes for the fried dried fish. It’s an acquired taste, I know, but dried fish is not exclusive to Filipinos. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of dried fish from Iceland to Thailand, with as many drying and cooking variations.

I wanted to post a few pics of dried or drying fish for the curious. None of them are mine. Click on each image to view on the owner’s site.

You know, I worry that the second generation of Filipino-Americans in my family will loose the Filipino in them altogether. When my grandma died, a lot of her recipes died with her. Now I make it a point to learn my parents’ recipes to pass on to my children. Among other things I’d like to bestow to my biracial offspring are a love of Filipino food and at least a basic understanding of the language. (I doubt the latter will happen since even my parents don’t speak to us or their grandkids in Tagalog anymore.) Meanwhile, I’ve begged and begged and begged Don not to move me even further away from highly Filipino-populated areas. They are my only link to the food, language, and culture of my upbringing.

I’m nearing the end of my first trimester when the nausea is supposed to end. Instead, I’ve been feeling worse morning sickness, a misnomer since it occurs any time of day, and for me it’s at night.

James took his 3rd or 4th SAT this weekend. I’ve lost track of how many; he’s been taking them since junior year, shooting for a higher score each time.

He also spent some time with his girlfriend, whom he only sees on weekends since she’s not local and they still need us parents to drive them. She’s really timid at first, but can talk up a storm once she feels comfortable with you. She practically shared her whole lifestory with me at dinner and it wasn’t even my best cooking!

Don’s been working in the garage all weekend. He installed a snow plow on the tractor mower to get ready for winter, which means we’re sure to have very little snow fall this winter and no use for the plow =)

I struggled to loose weight when I was NOT pregnant. Who would’ve thunk I’d shed pounds without even trying when I AM pregnant?!?! I lost 4 lbs. in 2 weeks between my OB visits. In other words, it’s okay to eat a Sausage Egg McMuffin everyday as long as you violently eject it through the same way it came in. *LOL* Kidding!

I was counting on my girlfriend Melissa, a mother of 4, to give me new tips and tricks on combatting the nausea, besides stuffing my face with Saltines and ginger ale. You know what she said? “Just throw up!” Well… alriiiiighty then!

I hate vomitting. I think it is one of the most vile, disgusting things in the world. But letting it out is really the only way to feel better. So… I… just throw up!

If you watched the season premier of Desperate Housewives last Sunday, you may have caught the line that Teri Hatcher’s character said to the doctor during her exam,

“Can I check those diplomas? Coz I would just like to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.”

The Filipino community is up in arms about this racial slur against our medical professionals and the outcry spread online like wildfire! I was first emailed by a friend in California who wrote a letter of complaint to ABC and its Philippine counterpart within minutes of the segment being aired. I wouldn’t doubt it if he was the one who started this campaign that went all the way to the Philippine government because he was the only “civilian” quoted in the news reports. (Good going, Jay! You’re famous!)

Since then, it’s been all over the blogosphere, YouTube, and email chains. I’ve seen the quote from the show severely misquoted and even butchered completely out of context in successive emails and blog entries. The victims have also evolved to include not only Philippine medical schools, but Filipino nurses, domestic helpers, and basically ALL Filipino workers in general.

Three days after the show aired, ABC made a public apology and promised to edit out the racial slur from future airings of the show. Apparently, that’s not enough. The Philippine Medical Association wants the apology aired on the next episode of the show and will escalate their concern to the World Medical Association meeting in Denmark. Locally, a special-interest group is picketing in front of ABC studios in Manhattan for a longer public apology.

C’mon, peeps! Enough is enough! It was a poor attempt at humor by a Hollywood fluff writer, not official findings by an advanced-degreed expert from the American Medical Association. There are more critical issues on a global scale that deserve more effort and, to be honest, worse criticisms to be said of the American educational system from which the writer came.

I have a neurosurgeon, general surgeon, 4 internists, 2 anesthesiologists, nutritionist, physician assistant, and, of course, nurses in my family; more than half of whom graduated from a Philippine med school, and all of whom are highly-trained and competent in their field. This one tactless remark (on a show that they’re probably too busy to waste their time watching anyway) does not define them. Yes, it was insulting but I seriously doubt it has compromised their profession.

The original writer of the online petition said it best:

“…a statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. (and successfully passing their U.S. licensing boards!) as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is extremely disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant. Many of the hospitals in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. (and the world) would not be able to operate without its Filipino and Filipino American staff members.”

Now, kiss and make up. Accept ABC’s apology and rectification and watch something other than Desperate Housewives on Sunday nights. End of story.