Friends:

Due to my insanely busy schedule, I have not had a chance to blog! So here I am catching up!

On Sunday, April 13, 2008, my family and I went to the French Quarter Festival. This year, there were over 400,000 people in attendance, a record-breaker! Here is a picture of the St. Louis Cathedral from the Algiers Ferry, which we rode to cross the Mississippi River to New Orleans from the West Bank.

Here is a picture of Aquarium of the Americas from the ferry.

Boy, was the quarter crowded! Check this out…

Soleil brought two of her friends, Nea and Sierra, to the fest. Here is a picture of them grubbing on that wonderful food at the fest. Nea is on the left, Sierra in the middle, and Soleil on the right.

We met my mom, stepdad, brother and his four children at the festival. Here’s a picture of my brother enjoying a moment in the shade on a folding chair.

Check out my mom, Josie, partying to the soulful rhythms of a jazz band. You go, Mom!

The food at the French Quarter Festival was phenomenal. My favorite was the prime rib sandwich on a pistolette from the Rib Room. Talk about awesome! The kids enjoyed a concert by Johnette Downing, internationally acclaimed and award-winning children’s musician (who also happens to be my best friend). Johnette has such a way with kids. They were singing, clapping, dancing and having a grand time! We had a fantastic time partying to Johnette’s music. Here is a picture of Eliana and my niece, Jasmynn, holding cards to illustrate Johnette’s song, “Today is Monday in Louisiana.” Eliana is in pink and Jasmynn is in green.

Johnette had me lead the second line parade for her final song, “Second Line.” So much fun!

Here is a picture of my two beautiful girls, Eliana (7) and Soleil (17). Are they cuties?!! Of course, I may be a little biased… LOL

It was a gorgeous day with weather in the 70s with blue skies. Soleil, who is so fair, got a little strawberry coloring. This is one of my favorite pictures - it’s of the Natchez, a paddle wheel boat on the Mississippi River. So New Orleans!

If you’re thinking about visiting New Orleans, you should. It’s a wonderful city with rich culture, friendly people, and fabulous food. Check out the pretty architecture in Algiers Point. I love the houses - they look like little story book cottages.

Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll! Come to New Orleans, mes amis, and pass a good time!

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

My third full day in the Philippines began with another all-day teacher workshop, the same workshop that I did the day before. This time, the workshop was held at Lourdes School of Mandaluyong (in Metro Manila). The teachers were just as enthusiastic, creative, and daring as the day before, stepping outside of their comfort zones to learn new methods of using storytelling in the classroom.

Here we are, creating a board game from my modern telling of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.” Although I told the same story as the day before, the board game came out completely different. That’s the beauty of working with different groups - every group has its own interpretation of the story. I love that.

After explaining the “Stories on Board” method, the teachers went to work creating their own board games from the stories: “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza,” “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” and “The Three Little Pigs.” Here is a picture of a very creative board game in progress. It is titled “Pizza Party.”

Colorful, fuzzy pom poms were used as game pieces while dice or spinners were used to determine how many spaces to advance the game pieces.

Here is a picture of Sister Ceterina playing one of the groups’ games called “A Tail’s Tale,” based on the story of “The Three Little Pigs.” She is having a ball. I wonder if she won? Go, Sister, go! Actually, Sister and I sat together for lunch and had a wonderful conversation about the power of reading and education in children of third world countries. We can make change - one story, one child at a time.

Here is a picture of some of the amazing board games that were created that day. I am always in awe of the talent and dedication of these teachers. Their energy and enthusiasm was absolutely contagious. I just LOVED being around these teachers. I can’t wait to see what kind of work they will be instituting in the classroom and how those students will be affected for the rest of their lives. Wow!

After the “Stories on Board” portion of the workshop, we moved on to “Tangram Tales.” Here is a picture of me instructing the teachers on how to create a tangram without a pre-designed patterned. All you need is a square sheet of paper.

Here are the teachers working avidly on their tangrams.

It was then on to create our Tangram Story Theater. Like the groups the day before, they performed “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories,” and “It Could Always Be Worse.” The dynamics of the groups were different than the day before but nonetheless amazing. Here is a teacher named Son telling her part of the story, “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories.” Her storytelling really touched me - she was so passionate and lively that when she finished, everyone clapped for her! See the tiger tangram in the background? Too cool!

Here is the story chorus, led by a teacher named Ning. Ning was lively, energetic and a real group motivator. The picture is blurry because they were all dancing up a storm! Ning is the third one from the left, in red and the blurriest because she is really movin’ and groovin’!

My workshop ended with “Tell Along Tales,” where I encouraged the teachers to use audience participation in their storytelling. I shared several examples of stories and shared a couple of stories they really liked - “The Viper” and I ended with “Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle.”

It was a great day, filled with enthusiasm, creativity, and lots of caring teachers. I had a blast with the teachers and look forward to returning soon!

I have to thank my sponsor, Scholastic Book Fairs, for an incredible time. Your staff was, as always, so accommodating and helpful. A special thanks and BIG HUG to Meinard Cruz, general manager, who over the years, has become a friend as well as an education partner. Another thank you to Elinor Ferriol, the sales manager of Scholastic, who made sure I had everything I needed. As I said before, Scholastic is FANTASTIC! I look forward to working with all of you again — soon! Here is a picture of Meinard, me, and Elinor (Enoy).

Of course, after the workshop, my day was not over. I had the privilege and the pleasure of spending time with my good friend, Zarah Gagatiga, a librarian and great storyteller herself! She met me at my hotel, the Legend Villas in Mandaluyong, where we had dinner together. Here is a picture of Zarah and I. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun!

After Zarah left around 9:00pm, my day was still not over! I had a date to celebrate with my friends from Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines. We met at a bar called Club Serve in Cubao at the Araneta Center. Boy, did we have a blast! Check us out! (Hi, Cha, Pie, Bing, Mario, Percy and my cousin, Katrin!)

Here I am at the end of the night - exhausted but very happy. And to think - I still had to go back to my hotel room and pack for my trip to Boracay the next morning!

Here is a picture of me with my friend, Jay. Jay is a fantastic storyteller and actor who presents storytelling workshops all over the Philippines. He also attended my first day workshop. Jay told me that my the marketing workshop I taught in 2004 in the Philippines really inspired him to make the leap into professional storytelling. Wow! Jay was kind enough to escort me and my cousin, Katrin, back to my hotel - just to make sure we made it back okay (more coffee, Jay?). Thank you, my friend!

Thank you to all the staff of Scholastic, the teachers, the librarians, storytellers, and my friends in Manila who made my visit so very special. One of the librarians told me, “Dianne, you are my idol! You inspire me so much!” I have to tell you that it is YOU who inspire me! Let’s keep connecting children with learning through the rich and diverse art of storytelling. I will be back - I promise!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

My second full day in the Philippines began with a teacher workshop at the Development Academy of the Philippines sponsored by Scholastic Book Fairs, Philippines Division. There were over 100 enthusiastic attendees, teachers from all over Metro Manila.

I opened with a lively song, my adaption of “How Funky is Your Chicken, How Loose Is Your Goose?” I asked the teachers to give me some names of animals and I was given “Hippo” and “Rhino.” That was a challenge but I came up with “How wobbly is your hippo? (with hips wobbling from side to side)” and “How pointy is your rhino?” (with a finger symbolizing the rhino’s horn).

The all-day (6 hr.) workshop called “Explore-A-Story-Um” consisted of three workshops: “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales,” “Tangram Tales: Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle,” and “Tell Along Tales: Playing with Participation.”

We began with “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales.” I told the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza,” my modernized version of “The Little Red Hen,” and then, as a group, we created a board game on a white board. First, the attendees and I created a story map based on the characters, the characters’ traits, the motivation of the characters, the perils, the aids, and the triumphs of the story. The board game is based on the characters, the perils, and the triumphs of the story paired with perils and triumphs of a board game. For instance, using the story “Cinderella,” a peril on the game board could look like this: “You lost a glass slipper. Move back 6 spaces.” Participants were also given various kinds of board game patterns to use: the square, the winding path, the zig zag, and the spiral.

Next, the room was divided into groups of six, where they worked on creating their own board games. In addition to “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza,” they were also provided with three other stories to choose from: “The Tortoise and the Hare,” The Three Little Pigs,” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Here is a picture of a group working on their board game. This group is creating a board game based on “The Tortoise and the Hare.” They used the spiral path pattern, drawn inside the shape of a tortoise. Very clever!

After lunch, I livened the group up with my song/chant/fingerplay “Peanut Butter and Jelly Jam,” from my “Jump, Jiggle & Jam” CD. They loved it. We then moved into “game playing” mode. The groups moved and played another groups’ game. There was a lot of laughter, hooting, and hollering. This is a picture of me playing one of the groups’ games. Talk about fun!

Here is a picture of the “Stories on Board” games that were created by the many groups in the workshop. Phenomenal creativity!

Everyone got a prize because I just couldn’t pick out a favorite or “best” one. What I really loved seeing was the groups’ collaboration and cooperation in creating the board games. It’s a great way for students to work with stories and really learn the structure of stories. There is also the bonus of tons of fun.

After completing the “Stories on Board” portion of the workshop, we moved on to “Tangram Tales.” I told the story of “The Legend of the Tangram” and then shared a story, “Henny Penny,” using tangrams to illustrate. The participants were taught how to create a tangram without using a pre-designed pattern. Then the workshop attendees familiarized themselves with tangrams by working with tangram patterns.

Next, the room was divided in half and each group was assigned a story. The first group was given “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories,” an African folk story, while the second group was assigned “It Could Always Be Worse,” a Jewish folktale. After parts were assigned (storytellers, tangram artists, and chorus), the groups then worked on their parts to create a whole story theater. The results were amazing. While the storytellers told the story, tangram artists assembled the illustrations.

The story chorus jazzed things up by singing, chanting, rapping, and dancing their parts.

At the end of the seminar, Scholastic presented me with a certificate of appreciation. I am pictured here with Meinard Cruz, the general manager of Scholastic Book Fairs. Meinard was a fantastic host, treating me like royalty. Working with Scholastic was fantastic! Maraming salamat po (thank you very much) to my Scholastic “Dream Team!” Mahal kita!

After my workshop, my day was not over! I met up with another friend, Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, a pediatrician and children’s book author from Manila. We ate at Conti’s, a delightful Bistro at “The Fort - Bonifacio,” a new high end mall area in metro Manila. The food was delish and the cake (Mango Bravo) was enough to cause a “foodgasm.” Ha ha ha! Here is picture of “Dr. Author” and I, enjoying the night.

Luis has this ultra cool camera that has a “coupling” feature. Rather than explain it, I will show it to you. Here is a picture of Luis and I, and Luis and I, having fun at a local coffee shop. (Thanks, Luis, for introducing me to “coupling.” It gives a whole to new meaning to the word! Hehehe

Day 2 was a fun-filled day of business and pleasure. Love to all my new friends. Teachers, you can do it! Add storytelling to your curriculum and let me know how it goes! Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

My day began with a performance at Miriam College, one of the largest all girls schools in Manila. The Philippine Daily Inquirer (the Philippines’ largest newspaper), along with Scholastic Books, partnered to sponsor a reading and literacy promotion event for the preschool (co-ed) children. The children were so fun and energetic. They also loved to participate!

After my performance, I was interviewed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The article is scheduled to run in the Sunday (March 17, 2008) paper.

I was so impressed with the literacy level of these children. At 5 years old, many of them were reading! I could tell that the school and the parents worked closely with these children. Dreena del Mundo, the Principal of the Child Study Center, gave us a tour of the preschool facility. It was very impressive and well-equipped. This is one of their preschool classrooms.

I explored the playground and found the children that were in my audience playing. Here is a picture of me with some preschool girls.

Of course, the boys wanted a picture too so we took one on a “bus.” Too cute!

After my fun day with the students, my client, Meinard, took me and my cousin to The Fort, a mall area, for lunch. We ate at Gerry’s a restaurant specializing in Filipino cuisine. It was delicious (but very fattening). LOL Here is a picture of me and Katrin at The Fort.

The Philippines is so full of paradoxes. They have so many well-developed areas with “mega malls” yet the country still has such abject poverty. So many Filipinos struggle at making a living. Today, there was a transportation strike. Jeepneys and buses were not supposed to run, as a stand for higher fares. Still, I saw quite a few jeepneys in spite of the strike. They just couldn’t afford a day without pay. This is a picture of squatter housing.

Later that night, my entire family met me at the SM Mall of Asia, Asia’s largest mall, in Pasay City on Manila Bay, filled with shops and restaurants. It is rumored to take 7 days just to walk the entire mall. It’s HUGE.

We ate at a Japanese restaurant called Tempura. There were 22 of us!! My family had never eaten Japanese food before and I had fun watching them trying to master chop sticks. It was great seeing them again. Here is the gang, my aunts, my cousins, and my cousins’ children. The family has grown! There are four new children since I last visited in 2004, a new wife (my cousin Jug Jug’s wife) and a new fiance’ (my cousin, Shobe’s fiance’). Here is the gang. That is one LOOOONG table!

Mahal kita, pamilya!

When I arrived at my hotel, I was so exhausted, I collapsed in bed and got some GOOD sleep. Seeing my family makes me miss my own family even more. I love you Antonio, Soleil, Eliana, Mom, Clay, Papi, Jennie, Gary & Kids!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne