Friends:

I spent most of the day preparing for my residency at a New Orleans area school (I have been a teaching artist at this school for 8 years!). I am doing a two-week artist residency at an elementary school (PK-5) presenting “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales.” For grades PK-2, I will be telling stories and then the students will play board games I created based on my stories. For grades 3-5, students will be creating board games from folk and fairy tales that they will deconstruct, from which they will create a story map. Using the elements of the story, in groups, they will design and craft board games based on the stories they choose. The upper grades’ activities will culminate in a grade-wide “Game Day,” where they will exchange games with other classes and play each others’ games.

Because I am teaching such a wide age range, I had to come up with a way to make the board games work even for children who have not yet mastered reading fluency (PK-1). I decided to go with a nearly wordless board game that I invented called “The Gingerbread Jam,” based on my retelling of “The Gingerbread Man.” Here is a picture of my 7 year old daughter (in all light pink) and her cousins helping color the boards.

The students will be divided into groups of 5-6. They will be instructed on how to play the game. “The Gingerbread Jam” tackles basic math concepts of adding and subtracting. Numbers do not go higher than “4.” This is done so that even my preschool students will be able to play the game with minimal supervision. Game pieces are fuzzy pom pom balls and the game uses either dice or spinners.

Here is a picture of Eliana (7 years old) and her cousins, (Camrynn [8)] Ashlynn [7], and Jasmynn [6]) playing the game. They had so much fun that they played it over and over.

The game is simple in concept but addresses many content standards in language arts and math. Besides, it also makes learning a blast!

I will be blogging about my residency every day so please come along and join the fun!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Soleil, my 17 year old daughter, the artist, was asked to donate a piece of  art to the New Orleans Opera Association’s charity ball. This is Soleil’s description of her art:

“This is a very special, original piece by Soleil Lisette Casas commissioned especially for the New Orleans Opera Association in keeping with the ‘Romeo & Juliet’ star-crossed lover’s theme of the Opera Ball. This detailed, mixed media work highlights three operas with authentic sheet music and romantic objects such as velvet and lace to ’set the stage.’”

The operas Soleil chose include: “Dido & Aeneas,” “Romeo & Juliet,” and “Orfeo ed Euridice.” The painting is a beautiful black, gray, red and white interpretation of romance operas, with a woman singing her “Aria di Amore.” Soleil concepted the piece, took 25 hours to paint it, and created the title. The painting measures 9″X12″.

It is a gorgeous piece I wish we could keep! Sigh. It will be auctioned at the New Orleans Opera Association ball to raise money for the opera. Congratulations, Soleil! Your painting is gorgeous and will beautify any wall it adorns… We’re so proud of you!!

Sing with joy, my friends!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Eliana, my 7 year old, is such a sweet girl. She is constantly kissing me, hugging me, and telling me how much she loves me. She is also very helpful and will do anything I ask her to do right away. In addition, she often takes the initiative to do thoughtful things on her own like make my bed, fold and put her own clothes away, or pour me a drink.

So I thought I would do something special for her. Last month, before I left for my big international trip, I gave her a Super Star Award. It read:

“Super Star Award to
Eliana Marisol Casas
from Mommy
You are AMAZING!
February 2008″

Eliana loves the trophy so much that she carries it around with her all the time. It’s like she won a coveted “Oscar” award. Of course, she deserved it because she is an AMAZING child. Sometimes you have to let your children know in big ways how much you appreciate them. Just because they are.

Here is a watercolor masterpiece she created for me today…

See what I mean? AMAZING! Delight in the miracle of your children. Show them how much you love and appreciate them. They are amazing!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

My 17 year old daughter, Soleil, had to do a children’s book project for English V Honors. The book is about a young girl named Holly Wood who is afraid of taking risks.

She doesn’t like riding bikes, roller skating or swimming. The catchy chorus running throughout the book is preceded by a question: “Swimming in the Ocean? Holly shouldn’t… Holly couldn’t… Holly wouldn’t.”

When Holly’s best friend, Michelle, encourages her to try out for the school play, Holly decides to take the leap.

“Acting in the school play? Holly should… Holly could… Holly would!” This delightful story, full of clever word play and bright illustrations already has fans. One of Eliana’s (my 7 year old) classmates’ mother saw the book and asked Soleil if she could buy a copy!

I am certain that you’ll be seeing Holly Would on the bookshelves. I think it will be Soleil’s first children’s book. Publishing a children’s book? Soleil should… Soleil could… Soleil would!  “Soleil, I know you’ll make it. I believe in you!”

I believe Soleil is going to be a bright new star in the children’s book world. And she’s only 17! Just wait! By the way, she’s already working on a second book: The Beastro, a story about monsters cooking up a storm.

Way to go, Soleil!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

On Sunday, March 16, 2008, an article was written about a “Read-Along” sponsored by the Philippine Inquirer, the Philippines’ largest newspaper, at which I was a guest storyteller. The article, which ran on the front page and about a third of an interior page featured a lot about me. Very cool. Though some of the facts are a bit incorrect, the article is still great. (I did not sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” – same tune but my adaptation called “If You Like to Hear Stories…) Here is the article:

Philippine Inquirer
Sunday, March 16, 2008 Vol. 23 No. 100

Read-Along Goes to Miriam for Campus Tour
By Kenneth M. del Rosario

KEEPING ITS PROMISE OF bringing reading closer to children, the INQUIRER partnered with the Miriam College Child Study Center (CSC) for its first ever Read-Along session in a private school.

Last Tuesday, more than 50 students in nursery and kindergarten had stories read to them by no less than the school president, Patricia Licuanan, and one of the students, 5-year-old, Angelo Aquino.

The children, aged 4 to 6 years old, also got a special treat when award-winning author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas, who came all the way from New Orleans, took storytelling to another level when she told stories without reading from a book.

The INQUIRER started its Read-Along sessions in its Makati City office in May 2007. Since then, sessions were held in its office, in malls and hospitals, among others.

This book-reading in front of so many children was a real challenge for me,” said Licuanan, who read “Paradise of the Animals” by Virgilio S. Almario. But like a pro, she read the story, complete with props she had made the night before. The book is about a parrot which destroyed the peaceful lives of animals when it started telling lies that made everyone fight each other.

The children, attentive and energetic throughout the activity, interacted with Licuanan by imitating the sounds of the animals in the story which included lions, dogs, horses, elephants, tigers and carabaos.

He didn’t like the story
When Licuanan wrapped up her session, she asked the toddlers if they like the story she read or not. While many gave her a thumbs up, one student expressed his disappointment.

“No,” the child shouted. “I don’t like the story because the animals fought with each other,” to which the president and the teachers responded with laughter.

Licuanan said that she was glad the children freely expressed themselves as this is exactly what they are being taught in school.

Then it was Aquino’s turn to read. Dressed in full dinosaur suit, he stole the limelight when he read Carlo Diggory Shield’s “Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp.” After his performance, his classmates were up on their feet, clapping with fervor.

Clap if you’re happy
“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands [clap, clap]…” De Las Casas burst into song when it was her turn to tell a story. The children were more than happy to comply.

“When I tell my stories, I try to incorporate songs, dances, and a little choreography,” said De Las Casas, a professional storyteller for 13 years. “That’s how you keep children’s attention. Tell your stories actively.”

She started the session with “Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle,” using her thumbs to act out the two characters. The students joined in by imitating her gestures.

Half-Filipina, De Las Casas left for the United States when she was 3 and settled there with her family. She gave in to the children’s request and followed up with two more tales.

Handmade Tales
De Las Casas is in the country to hold a series of workshops on handmade tales, which is sponsored by Scholastic Publishing. Scholastic, which distributed reading materials to the children after the session, has been sponsoring De Las Casas since 2002. She holds storytelling workshops all over the country.

Her awards include iParenting Media Award, Children’s Music Web Award, Storytelling World Honors, and NAPPA Honors for her children’s books and storytelling CDs.

De Las Casas has two children, Soleil, 17, and Eliana, 7. She said that she would use her own kids, nephews and nieces to try out new stories she has written. “If they like my story, then maybe other children will too.”

Having conducted storytelling sessions in Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, and all over the US, she gets her inspiration from talking to children’s teachers. “Sometimes, they ask me to write materials to help them teach their students about unity, love or sharing.” she said.

Back-to-back sessions
On Monday, radio host Ariel Ureta and award-winning actress Cherry Pie Picache graced the back-to-back INQUIRER read-along sessions also held in Miriam College CSC.

Ureta has a child studying in CSC and so does Picache.

For the morning session, Picache read “It’s mine” by Leo Lionni in front of more than 50 nursery students.

Ureta brought to life “Si Beang Makulit,” a story he wrote especially for the afternoon session of the INQUIRER read-along. It is about making children believe that angels exist even if they can’t be seen.

First children’s story
Ureta said this was his first real attempt at writing a children’s story, although he has been thinking about it for some time.

He said he expected to read the story in front of out-of-school children so he wrote it in Filipino. When he noticed that the CSC children, aged 4 to 6 years old, would understand the story better if it were in English, he translated the story into English right there and then.

De Las Casas thanked the INQUIRER for spearheading the Read-Along sessions. “It’s all about literacy and teaching children how to use language to their advantage. Teach them to read and you teach them to decode anything – from math to science. Name it.”

“After all,” she said, “If children can’t read, what else can they do?”

Friends:

After arriving back in Manila from Boracay, I had to part ways with my Aunts. I love you Auntie Espie and Auntie Jovie! See you next time!

I had a few hours to kill before my next flight (home), so I headed to Mall of Asia. It wasn’t that far from the airport and my client, Meinard Cruz, stored my luggage in his car.

Meinard suggested that I get an all-over body massage to help me relax before my long 36 hour journey home. I hadn’t yet seen my friend, Manolo Silayan, leader of the Alitaptap Storytellers group. He had been traveling all over the Philippines doing storytelling workshops so he agreed to meet me at the mall for a bite to eat. While waiting for Manolo to meet me, I did have my massage. Oh so wonderful! Manolo has the cutest little boy – Janro – who is 7 years old. Unfortunately, with all the excitement, I forgot to take pictures!! Mahal kita, Janro! Thank you both for coming to see me. I wish we had more time together!

Then it was time to go. Meinard and my cousin, Katrin, took me to the airport for a final farewell. From Manila, I flew to Guam (3.5 hours). From Guam, I flew to Tokyo (3.5 hours). In Tokyo, I had a 6 hour layover! Fortunately, the Narita (Tokyo) airport has a lot of amenities. I found an origami museum!

Talk about spectacular! I was in awe of the intricate detail of the origami and soooo inspired. I have a book idea! Here is a gorgeous garden around a Japanese house. There was so much more – parades, dinosaurs, dolls, boats, animals, fish… The artistry is breathtaking. Of course, I had to bring some home so I bought a beautiful origami doll.

Next stop, food. I love Japanese food so I ordered some gyoza, fried pork dumplings. In the restaurant, I met some gentlemen from the Czech Republic. They were part of a large music and dance troupe that toured in Japan – 27 shows in 40 days. I wish I could remember the name of their group.

At the restaurant, I met the most beautiful girls – the servers – two Japanese and one Filipina! The Filipina, named Aya, has lived in Japan for ten years and speaks fluent Japanese as well as Tagalog and English. They were so sweet and took me to my next stop – The Day Room!

What is a Day Room? It is the most awesome concept and EVERY airport should have one! At the Tokyo airport, you can rent a day room, a small room with a bed and a bathroom. I had a 6 hour layover in Tokyo so this was a perfect solution for me. I rented the room for US$19 for three hours. For two hours, I slept – I even put on my pajamas! I had a wakeup call and then took a hot shower before my next long flight to Newark, New Jersey. The day room is equipped with a single bed, slippers, towels, toiletries, a hair dryer, night light – basically, it’s a mini hotel room. When you turn off the light, it’s pitch dark so I was really able to get some quality Zs. Tokyo was the best layover I ever had. I recommend the day room to anyone who has a long layover and an international flight. Oh, and if you just want to take a hot shower, you can do that too for just US$5!

My next flight was to Newark, New Jersey (12 hrs). Fortunately, the flight was not full and I had 3 seats to myself! I got to stretch out and sleep. In addition, we were traveling on a newer airbus and the built-in TV on the back of the seat in front of me had some awesome features – over 300 pre-programmed movies to choose from, TV shows, and a customizable iPod-like music player where you could choose the songs you wanted and place them in your personal “jukebox.” It sure made the time pass a lot more quickly. Across the aisle, I sat next to a cool guy from Seaside Heights, New Jersey, who works 5 months out of the year and tours beaches for 7 months out of the year. Pretty awesome, right? He had also just visited Boracay. Small world. Hi Brett!

As we were getting ready to land, Brett told me that I would be able to get a pretty nice view of New York City, so I got my camera ready. Here is NYC welcoming us into the U.S. I even saw Lady Liberty but she was so far away, I couldn’t get a good picture of her.

After a 4 hour layover in Newark, it was a 3.5 hour trip to New Orleans. By the time, I arrived home, I was exhausted. I had traveled for over 48 hours total! My husband and two daughters greeted me with a card and flowers. The traveling took a toll on my body and I sounded like a frog when I spoke. The best part of getting home was my little girl running to me and screaming, “Mommy!” then jumping into my arms. As soon as my arms wrapped around her, the tears just flowed. I missed my family so much!

It’s good to be home. There’s definitely no place like home!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

The above picture is my last look at the beach before I left Boracay. Notice the sand bags and the fallen tree trunk? Just one month earlier, a storm ravaged the shores of Boracay, leaving the beach stripped of tons of sand and natural shoreline. It had not yet been restored when we arrived and may take some time before it is finally repaired.

So it was back to Manila by tricycle, by bangka boat, by van, and by plane. Here is a picture of the bangka boat that took us back to the Caticlan Jetty Port, where our van driver, Ernie, was waiting for us.

Here is a picture of me leaving Boracay in the bangka. I am happy to have had the experience but sad to leave the beauty of this paradise behind…

Ernie, our van driver, took us through the countryside and even paused so I could take some pictures. I had to take this picture since I tell “Rockin Three Billy Goats.” So where is the troll? “Who’s that trippity trappin’ over my bridge?!!”

Then we came across two carabao – a rare sight to see them so close! Wow! Unless, of course, you work with them in the rice paddies.

When we arrived in Kalibo, Ernie told us to try the chicken binicol. It is chicken cooked inside bamboo over a hot fire. It sounded delicious so we sat in a restaurant across the street from the airport while a porter took care of checking our lugagge in and securing our boarding passes (couldn’t do THAT in the U.S.!). When I saw the chicken, I lost my appetite. My Auntie Jovie grabbed the first piece yelling, “I just love chicken feet!” Ugh. Gross. Disgusting. And with rice, no less, sitting atop a beautiful banana leaf…

Okay, not everything was picture perfect. But I did give you all the good parts. You can’t have the chicken without the feet too. LOL

Fortunately, our flight back to Manila was not full. So we all got our own window seats! Here is a picture leaving Panay Island.

I was born in the Philippines so I guess I am truly an island girl at heart. Until next time…

Mahal kita!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Katrin and I planned on going parasailing (Day 6 in the Philippines, Day 3 in Boracay). Auntie Jovie and Auntie Espie left earlier to explore the island. They were supposed to be back by 10am to go parasailing with us but they never showed up so we decided to head off anyway. Later on, Katrin and I found out that Auntie Jovie and Auntie Espie got lost! They made it back to the hotel okay albeit late.

We had to walk down a path by a cave to get to the beach to find a parasail booking agent. Here I am posing in my fiery red sarong. I really did adapt to island life!

To go parasailing, we had to take a speedboat to the parasailing boat.

Once we got to the parasailing boat, we had to get hooked up to our parachute straps as well as don a life vest. Here we are in fullgear…

Now check out the Super Girls parasailing! Wheeeeeee!

Yes, it really is us. Here is a close-up. Wow! What a natural high! Pun intended! hahaha

After our parasailing adventure, we headed back to the beach in front of our hotel. I coaxed the speedboat driver to give us some extra time and he did, giving us another spin around. Welcome to the “Lifestyles of the Wish We Were Famous!” What a life! Sailing, snorkeling, speed boating, parasailing, sunning… I could get used to this! I went from the color of the foam in a cappuccino to the color of cappuccino itself! LOL

After our parasailing adventure, we found my aunts and spent the rest of the day sunning and swimming at the beach. It was wonderfully relaxing although I still can’t seem to get all the sand out of my nooks and crannies! hahaha

Here is a picture of my two aunts, taking a welcome respite in a shady cove…

Later that night, we again headed to D’Mall for some dinner. Katrin wanted a henna tattoo painted on and although my aunts protested, she did it anyway. She’s 20 years old… what can you do? Anyway, it looked cute although it was a tad too large for my taste. But hey, thank goodness it was only temporary…

Afterwards, my aunts headed back to the hotel and Katrin and I went back to the club we danced at the night before – Guilly’s Island. Now we had star status and we were invited to sit in the “VIP” section. The manager even rolled an air conditioner in front of me to cool me down (it’s an outdoor club on the beach). It seemed that everyone found out that I was an “author” and on the front page of the newspaper. My aunt called me an “artista,” which is a big deal in the Philippines. It was fun to be a “star” for a night. Here is a picture of me planting a kiss on a fan… Move over Angelina Jolie… LOL

Boracay was a fun-filled vacation of a lifetime. I enjoyed every minute of my time there. Too bad it was so short! We were leaving the next day – my family back to Manila and me back to the U.S.

The memories of Boracay and the time I spent with my family will be forever enduring, just like the waves that caress the sugary sand shores of the beach. Much love to all the people of Boracay! XOXOXO

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

It was my fifth day in the Philippines. No matter what time of the day you catch the beach, it is always beautiful! This is Diniwid Beach early in the morning. A great time to go walking and shell collecting BUT we had a date! It was time to get to our paraw (a bangka sailboat with bamboo outriggers). We were going island hopping, exploring parts of Boracay easier to get to by boat.

Here is a picture of Katrin and I posing in a small, beached bangka.

Auntie Jovie, Auntie Espie, Katrin and I boarded the paraw, not knowing what to expect. Two of us sat on each side, on nylon nets secured between two bamboo outriggers. Two men (Tim and Dudes) operated the primitive sailboat. Tim steered the boat from the back while Dudes managed the sails and rigs in the front.

Our first stop was Crocodile Island, where we went snorkeling. Rain and wind threatened our adventure but somehow, it seemed the sea god was listening and Poseidon  calmed down the weather and water for us. How I wish I could show you the splendor beneath the sea! Alas, I did not have an underwater camera! I saw an electric blue starfish, pink coral, orange sea anenome, black and white sea urchins, and an array of fish no landlubber’s aquarium could match. It was spectacular and strangely peaceful to swim with the creatures of the deep blue.

Here is a picture of Crocodile Island, a small desolate island shaped like a… you guessed it – crocodile! It is situated in one of Boracay’s best diving and snorkeling spots.

After our snorkeling adventure, we headed to Talipapa at Station 3. Take a look at this beach!

Here, I did some MAJOR shopping. I bought tons of handmade jewelry with pearls, mother of pearl, abalone, and capice shell at dirt cheap prices. I made sure to stock up for Christmas! Here is the jewelry stand where I bought my priceless treasures. The jewelry was handmade by a woman named Chickitang. She even customized several pieces for me right on the spot! I made her the happiest woman on the beach. My aunt said that I probably fed her and her family for at least three weeks with the purchases I made that day. Wow… So humbling.

I treated Chickitang and her daughter to food and drinks. I also treated our paraw sailors to drinks and pizza. Chickitang was so happy she even threw in some free pieces of jewelry! Our paraw sailors, Tim and Dudes, made sure our trip was phenomenal.

Next, we headed for Puka Beach, a private and protected beach where hundreds of thousands of puka shells can be found. To preserve the beach, tourists are not allowed to harvest any of puka shells. Unfortunately, the wind did not cooperate with us. It died down and walang hanging (without wind), we could not corner around the bend to get to Puka Beach. So the guys took us to Balinghai Point instead, the oldest part of Boracay. We anchored our paraw in the small, rock-protected bay.

The water was clear but it was quite rocky. Thank goodness for US made sand shoes! Here is a picture of the Boracay Beach Babes! Do you see a calendar in our future? LOL!

Okay, not quite Baywatch… But we had such a great time swimming, playing in the sand, and exploring. Dudes took me up a windy staircase that hugged the side of the cliff. Here is a picture of the steep stairs.

After 50 million breathless steps, I finally made it to the top. The view from above was worth the exertion of the trip. Check it out!

Nestled in a secret location at the top of this mountainous climb was a restaurant. Dudes’ wife worked there and gave me a gomamela flower for my hair. See, I really am an island girl!

After climbing down (gripping the railing I might add), I had to capture this beautiful view of the rocky path we just navigated.

We headed back to our hotel, enjoying the last of the water and the wind for the day. Here is a picture of us girls at the end of the day on our paraw.

What an adenture!  Yes, we were tired but our day didn’t end there. We swam for a bit in the pool and headed for D’Mall for a bite to eat and some entertainment. It rained a bit and scared off some tourists but it didn’t stop us. We ate Mongolian Barbecue and had fun anyway. Then Katrin and I headed out for some dancing at the local nightclubs. We ended up at Guilly’s Island and had a blast. We received first class service – our waiter even escorted us back to the hotel (on the back of our tricycle), just to make sure we got back safely. Thanks, EJ!

Here is a picture of me in front of a handmade sandcastle. Too cool!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

It was an early day, having to catch a flight to Kalibo in Panay. I was vacationing in Boracay (a Philippine island), rumored to be one of the Top 10 Beaches in the world. I took my two aunts, Jovie and Espie, as well as my cousin, Katrin. Above is the view from my window, overlooking the province of Aklan, where the Kalibo airport is located. From Kalibo, we had to take a 1.5 hour van ride through the countryside to get to the jetty port in Caticlan. From there, we had to take a Bangka boat to Boracay. And finally a tricycle to our hotel. The journey went like this: car, plane, van, bangka boat, and tricycle – just to get to our beach destination. But let me tell you, it was worth it. More on that later — you’ll see…

Here is a picture of my Auntie Jovie, Auntie Espie and cousin, Katrin, deboarding the plane. Auntie Jovie had only flown a couple of times and it was Katrin’s first time flying. We flew Philippine Airlines (PAL or “Plane Always Late” as it is so affectionately nicknamed).

Once we arrived in Caticlan, we took a big Bangka boat to Station 1 in Boracay. This is Katrin boarding the bangka. Yes, it was scary. That’s why you pay a porter to bring your bags on board!

Once we arrived in Boracay, we had to take a tricycle to our hotel, Microtel Inn and Suites in Diniwid Beach. Here is a picture of tricycles taken from a tricycle!

Once we arrived at our hotel, we were greeted by the hotel staff with shell leis, ice cold sweet tea, and cold towels (it’s very hot in the Philippines). What a welcome!

I rented one of the best rooms in the hotel – an executive suite on the ground floor that sleeps four. The sliding glass door opens to the pool and the beach. What a phenomenal view!

This was my room… An American chiropractic standard bed! Yes!

Of course, I had to explore. Check out the BEACH!! Oooh! Aaaah!

Sugar white sands and calm turquoise waters! I really could become an island girl forever… After settling in our room, we donned our swim wear and had lunch in the hotel restaurant. Here we are – just the girls, sipping on Mango shakes…

Afterwards, we spent a few hours playing in the sand, surf, and swimming pool. Here is a picture of me by the swimming pool as the sun is going down.

Take a look at this gorgeous sunset! The sunsets on Boracay are breathtaking!

After getting cleaned up, we headed to “D’Mall,” hip, happenin’ part of town located at Station 2. D’Mall is a vast array of markets, shops, cafes, restaurants, and beachside dining. Since my aunts and cousin had never eaten Mexican, Spanish or Cuban food, I treated them to Cafe Ole’, a cafe serving delicious Spanish/Mexican/Cuban style food. My aunts ordered black rice (colored with squid ink) paella filled with a wide variety of seafood. Here we are dining outdoors.

Speaking of seafood, OMG! Take a look at these lobsters. And they are sooo cheap. About US$6 each and from-the-sea fresh too!

We had a wonderful time our first day in Boracay. We couldn’t stay out too late. We had a date in the morning. I chartered a “paraw,” a sailboat… I’ll leave you with a picture of our pool at sunset. Wish you were here…

Warmly, Dianne