Birthday celebrants from left: Susan Rosal, Manny Ortega, and Janelle So
This was Sunday 9/23/07 and the party was scheduled to start around 5:oopm. The address was located in the highlands area north of Los Angeles and really hard to find. However, thru sheer determination and a phone call to my friend Vics Magsaysay who gave me directions, I got to the party ala Filipino time.
Approaching that front door was intimidating for me since I didn’t know too many individuals inside. It was pleasing to see homeowner and host Ed Rame greet me at the door with that warm smile reflective of Filipino hospitality. His home sits atop the hill in a cul-de-sac with a million dollar view of the sprawling Los Angeles skyline. It must be nice to have a home like that.
The get together was in celebration of the September birthdays for Susan Rosal, Manny Ortega, and Janelle So. This actually was a party attended by the management and staff of Taliba News Publications. It was pleasant talking to owner/publisher Manny Patolot. He is a very unassuming person who genuinely enjoys being with his crew. As the Taliba patriarch, he conveys a relaxed operating mode enabling his people to utilize their creative actions in a non-stressful environment. This organization reminds me of a mom and pop store on its way up.
It was a small party. There were about 20 people in attendance. But it was a big party in the sense that everyone had fun. The food was great and a person could feel the camaraderie in the air. Teasing and jokes at the other person’s expense was prevalent followed by laughter and an occasional slap on the shoulder. I could sense the closeness and affection everyone had for each other.
The celebrants had a chance to blow the candles from not one but two cakes and show their singing skills via Karaoke. Never for one moment did I feel like a stranger in their environment.
I can only say that if all Filipino-American organizations had the Taliba spirit, then our community would be a lot better off. Artists need each other to flourish. They feed off of each other’s creative ideas, which then lays the foundation for success. The caring is what matters.
Again, Happy Birthday Suzan, Janelle, and Manny! You embody the positive traits of our beautiful race. Party on!
Article By John Lacson
Photo courtesy of Vics Magsaysay
(Editor's Note: Suzan Rozal is Editor-In-Chief with the newspaper "Taliba", Manny Ortega is an Officer with PPCI and Photo Editor of "Taliba", Janelle So is with "Asian Journal" and host a popular daily show which airs weekdays at LA TV18 entitled "Kababayan L.A, Southern California’s First and ONLY Pinoy Daily TV Show! Each day, host Jannelle So talks to the most interesting and exciting personalities making news around the Filipino community. Watch Kababayan LA weekdays for the latest local and Filipino news as well as the hottest entertainment, gossip and music. The program airs weekdays at 4:45pm after TV Patrol. If you miss the show on TV don’t worry about it. You can watch it on the web at www.la18.tv anytime.)