Category: Lifestyle

Pinay from Chicago going to Aussie with Oprah

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

Balitang America TV
September 30, 2010

By Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — After twenty five years, Oprah is leaving her show in Chicago.

Last Sept. 13, she kicked off her farewell season with an announcement heard around the world.

She told her ultimate fans, she’s taking them to Australia.

One very lucky guest was Filipino American Marlita Salvador from Chicago.

During an interview, Salvador was still visibly excited recalling her experience at the show.

“I was already honored just to be there. And then I was already honored, when we found out that we’re gonna be in the first show of her season and that was good enough for me,” said Salvador.

The show turned out to be a special episode for the ultimate Oprah fans like Salvador.

Continue reading “Pinay from Chicago going to Aussie with Oprah” →

Chicago legend sings the blues to save Skokie Theatre

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

AOL-Patch.com
September 7, 2010

Text and photos by Ted Regencia

SKOKIE, Ill — The New York Times once raved about him as “the sort of exuberant entertainer who can turn a concert into a party.”

Last Sunday, Eddy Clearwater lived up to the expectation once more, as he turned the small crowd at the Skokie Theatre into a boisterous rhythm and blues revelry.

The rare Skokie performance by the Chicago blues legend is part of an ongoing community effort to save the storied theater from possible bank takeover. Just two weeks from now his busy schedule will bring him to Dunkerque, France, and on to the Netherlands in November.

In between the soulful execution of an original, “Slow and Easy is My Style,” and the spicy “I Love You,” the Skokie-based artist declared, “[The theater] needs to be here and it needs to be alive.”

With his every distinct Chicago riff and his husky voice, the Mississippi native injected just the right kind of musical dose into his impassioned plea. Continue reading “Chicago legend sings the blues to save Skokie Theatre” →

Three classically-trained Filipino artists charm Chicago

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

Tribune Local (Evanston/Skokie), Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Global Nation Section and Philippine News

August 23, 2010

Text and photos by Ted Regencia

EVANSTON, Ill — Kundiman is a traditional Philippine music genre that centers on relationships and romance. It is written in Filipino language, and its melody is described as flowing and gentle. In the old days, it was sang to woo a lover, or ask someone in marriage.

Last Saturday, August 21, three classically-trained Philippine artists put kundiman to a new light, in a rousing performance at the Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, north of Chicago.

Juilliard-trained mezzo soprano Clarissa Ocampo teamed up with award-winning baritone Andrew Fernando, and another Juilliard alumnus and distinguished pianist Raul Sunico, in staging Ang Pag Ibig Mo: A Philippine Love Cycle.

Continue reading “Three classically-trained Filipino artists charm Chicago” →

White House chef returns to Chicago to promote healthy eating

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Health, Lifestyle

The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America
April 2010

Text and photo by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — On a cold December in 1983, a young lady from Sampaloc, Manila landed at Chicago’s O’Hare airport to join her family and start a new life here.

Last Friday, April 23, she flew in from Washington D.C. and was warmly greeted as a homecoming hero; an American success story.

White House Executive Chef Cristeta Pasia Comerford returned to her adopted city, to speak at an Earth Day event at Northwestern University.

Combining inspiration and motivation, Comerford talked about running the White House kitchen, while stressing the importance of local food sourcing and healthy eating.

White House Chef Cristeta Comerford returns to Chicago from Ted Regencia on Vimeo.

Continue reading “White House chef returns to Chicago to promote healthy eating” →

45th Chicago Int’l Film Fest puts spotlight on 2 Filipino directors

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

GMANews.TV
October 2009

Text, photos and video by Ted Regencia


CHICAGO — Celebrating the 45th year since its founding, the Chicago International Film Festival shines its spotlight on two independent films from the Philippines.

Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize winner, The Rapture of Fe (Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe) was selected for the After Dark Program, while the gay-themed, The Thank You Girls was picked for the World Cinema and OUTragegous categories.

“Chicago is a great global society. We live in a great immigrant community and we are very diverse. It [festival] represents the whole world,” Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Jr., said during the opening night, where he also welcomed actress Uma Thurman, the Career Achievement Award recipient. Thurman alsocame for the premiere of her new movie, Motherhood.
Continue reading “45th Chicago Int’l Film Fest puts spotlight on 2 Filipino directors” →

Letter from Chicago: Rach at the Park

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

Blog entry originally posted on 06/24/09

Text and photo by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — Some of the best things in life are still for free, like a full rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 by the Grant Park Orchestra, at Frank Gehry’s iconic Pritzker Pavilion. Welcome to Chicago, where winter is characteristically brutish, and summer’s infinitely rewarding, particularly to those who endured it’s yearly cold blast.

Last Saturday was one of those hard-earned and much-deserved days of recreation. The sun was up and the afternoon air cool, just perfect to cap the official end of spring, and hail the beginning of summer, which was almost thwarted by a fierce thunderstorm the night before. It was unthinkable to stay indoors. Everyone was out, from die-hard Cubs fans who congregated at Wrigley to the Boriqueños for the Puerto Rican Day parade. And so we packed our picnic bag, took the “L” train and headed downtown.

Unlike many cosmopolitan areas, this city of three million people, puts premium on its public space. Parks are sacred grounds, and malls are anathema. So while Chicago boasts of a magnificent skyline, it also has an excellent and expansive greens that the whole population can enjoy. It was the industrialist Montgomery Ward who first led the fight to keep the lakefront free from obstruction. And so it has been since 1836.
Continue reading “Letter from Chicago: Rach at the Park” →

Filipino contingent shines at Chicago’s Pride parade

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Lifestyle, Politics

Philippine News and GMANews.TV
July 2008

Text, photos and video by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — For the first time in the 39-year history of the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, a contingent of Filipinos joined in the festivities Sunday, June 29, capping their trailblazing participation with a victory in the Best Organization Float category.

An estimated 450,000 people — 25,000 more than last year, according to reports — gave the Filipinos and Friends in Chicago (FINC) and other parade participants a wild and frenzied welcome. FINC is an organization of young Filipino professionals in the Windy City.

“We really want to highlight the rich and colorful culture of the Philippines, and make known to the world that as Filipinos, we are proud to be a part of the Chicago community,” Oliver Cutamora, a founding member said.

FINC’s street performance, a fusion of native Filipino dances and modern rhythms, conceptualized by professional choreographers Mike Vallente and Chip Payos, sent the crowd into loud cheers.

As the performers entertain the crowd, other FINC members distributed pink beads, while an advance party carried the group banner, the American and Philippines flags, and the rainbow-colored flag of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community.

Continue reading “Filipino contingent shines at Chicago’s Pride parade” →

10-year old Fil-Am breaks own Guinees world record

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Lifestyle

PINOY Newsmagazine
May 2008

Text and photos by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — He has no mutant powers, but with his skills he can give the comic super-hero, Speed, a run for his money.

Ten-year old Steven Purugganan smashed his own Guiness Book world record last April, to keep his title as the fastest cup stacker. The fifth-grader from Massachusetts made his mark during the 2008 World Sports Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado.

Steven set a record-breaking 6.21 seconds in the “Cycle Stack” category, a solid improvement from his previous world record of 7.23 seconds, which he set only last October 2007 in New York. He beat over a thousand competitors to claim the grand prize. Prior to the Denver championship, he already broke his original record twice, in February (6.65 seconds) and March (6.52 seconds).
Continue reading “10-year old Fil-Am breaks own Guinees world record” →

13-year old Fil-Am performs at the Lyric Opera

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

PINOY Newsmagazine
March 2006

Text and photo by Ted Regencia
CHICAGO — At eight, he knows his checkmates, gambits and rooks. At 10, he was already crunching numbers and competing in Math Olympiads. At 13, he still rides his scooter like other boys his age, battles dragons, and explores treacherous dungeons in many an online games. He’s also a certified performer at the world-renowned Chicago Lyric Opera.

Robert Keith is the first of two children of Dr. Annabelle Santos and Atty. Keith Volgman. Robert’s mom, who hails from Marikina, happens to be the cardiologist of Oprah Winfrey, while his dad is President and CEO of Northpoint Capital. Robert has a sister, 9-year old Caroline. With that kind of kinfolks, it’s painless to reckon that excellence runs in the blood.

This March, Robert will once again display one of his many talents, as he takes the stage and performs in the operatic fare, Carmen. He will be singing alongside top opera sensation Denyce Graves, Vincenzo La Scola and another Filipino-American, Tenor Rodell Rosel, who was profiled by PINOY Newsmagazine last year.
Continue reading “13-year old Fil-Am performs at the Lyric Opera” →

Exclusive Interview: This Filipino chef cooks for Oprah

by Ted Regencia, posted in Lifestyle

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
April 2005

Text and photo by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — “I am not financially well-off, but I am rich in experience. So I want to give something back to our less fortunate countrymen,” Chicago-based Filipino American chef Ron Bilaro says, speaking of his trip to the Philippines this November to help raise funds for the Gawad Kalinga (GK) project for the poor.

For the event, Ron will travel to Manila with his mentor Art Smith, private chef to Oprah Winfrey. Ron also cooks for the entertainment mogul as sous-chef to Smith. Smith, who has his own children’s foundation, Common Threads, was inspired to team up with Ron, and visit the Philippines after learning of the latter’s charity work.

After the White House has named Filipino American Cristeta Pasia Comerford as its executive chef, a sense of kinship among Pinoy chefs in the U.S.has been established.

One of those who emerged from anonymity is Ron Bilaro. He invited this reporter to his hip residence located near the heart of Wicker Park’s yuppie village. Ron’s digs, which offers a stunning view of the Chicago skyline, is surrounded by upscale restaurants, which he visits often to try out new tastes.
Continue reading “Exclusive Interview: This Filipino chef cooks for Oprah” →