Celebrating Filipino Cuisine in Canada

Since arriving in Canada, I've sought specific connections to Filipino culture. The music, handicrafts, and food of the Philippines bring back memories of the melody, touch, and taste several thousand miles away from home.

To celebrate Filipino culture and cuisine, we're lucky to participate in Canada's first-ever Filipino Restaurant Month. This initiative was made possible through the collaboration of the Philippine Department of Tourism, the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, and the Philippine Consulates in Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. 

It's a celebration of Filipino touch, taste, and sound in a month-long food festival style participated by 40 Filipino restaurants across Canada.

In Surrey, British Columbia, we visited a Filipino restaurant after our afternoon walk in the park. We had our sumptuous dinner in Grandt Kitchen, where they served a platter of various Filipino dishes. 

What made it festive was when the restaurant was full of Filipino diners and the presence of a live band playing a selection of romantic OPM songs that gave a nostalgic feel. 

Celebrating Filipino restaurant Month in Canada is a great way to level up our cuisine and put it in the mainstream where other competing Asian cuisine seems to dominate.

We must support our food and take pride in being Filipino. This way, we help elevate our Filipino cuisine to the global stage. 

The first-ever celebration of Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada was a huge success and hopefully will become bigger and more widely participated in the years to come. 

We have to offer the best of our Filipino cuisine to the world. We must showcase our culture, live on with our traditions, and pass them from generation to generation. Our Filipino spirit will always be alive wherever we are in the world.

©️ 2022 Del Cusay

Holy Week 2022: A Journey to Paradise

The earth is healing. That's the message of hope and love this Holy Week. Finally, we get healed from the suffering brought on by the pandemic. It may not end yet, but we don't live in fear and prolong the agony.

Travel is what we desire this Lenten season. This way, we get to experience a new perspective on living. We cross borders and travel across the sea—a hundred miles of the journey, with immeasurable faith in Thee. 

We journey to a paradise to see and feel God's heavenly creation, and this time in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. It's a charming city that's rich in history. A story from the first nations passed down from generation to generation.

A walk around downtown Victoria is reminiscent of the distant past, where laidback living thrives even in the present. I feel the calmness, the serenity, the relaxed vibe I'm eager to see. It's a place to explore, find meaning and start a new beginning.

The message of God is evident; beyond suffering is a promised land where we live a heavenly experience. We walk with faith and allow suffering as we carry the cross toward our destination and salvation. We do not fear, but we trust God's will. 

©️ 2022 Del Cusay

Taking a Leap from Hope to Faith

We all have fears and doubts. But believing that something can happen makes a difference in our lives if we leap from thinking to surrendering. 

We have hopes because we can achieve whatever our hearts desire. That's when we believe our higher hopes can lead to tremendous success and fulfillment.

When we hope for something, we say, "it can happen." However, we're dealing with the possibility of keeping our fingers crossed. It may or may not happen. When we don't get our hopes, we slow down and may easily give up. 

Leaping hope to faith is believing that something will genuinely happen. It's about removing doubts that things are hard to achieve. But with confidence, nothing is impossible. That's the difference in why faith can make miracles in our lives. It's when we have great faith that we achieve things with easiness and a higher level of success.

When things go wrong, or we're behind in the race of life, we may pause for a moment, get energized, and take a giant leap from hope to faith. Then, the universe conspires to make things happen. It shifts our mindset from probability to a greater possibility. And our dreams and desires take a quantum leap of our faith to eternity. 

©️ 2022 Del Cusay

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👉 Quantum Leap of Faith in the Summit

The Cherry Blossoms at David Lam Park

The spring has sprung. It's this time of the year when we experience a renewed season filled with joy as we see flowers blossoming.

Springtime reminds me of rebirth and reinvigoration. We become alive as days become more temperate and people enjoy the outdoors. 

This beautiful season is only complete with witnessing the cherry blossoms festival in Vancouver. And so we visit the charming district of Yaletown to celebrate the "Big Picnic" event. It's the best time to see the flower in full bloom and when many people gather as friends under the cherry trees. There are no strangers, but just friends and lovers.

The Big Picnic and the Cherry Blossoms Festival aim to bring people together from Metro Vancouver to experience a day of fun and excitement. There are programs, art exhibits, and workshops for everyone to participate in, learn and enjoy.

This year's event may have been more significant as people move freely without restrictions. The Mask mandate is no longer mandatory, and people see each others' faces. But beyond looks are beautiful smiles, laughter, and joy that brighten the day and lift the mood. 

David Lam Park is a magical experience when people enjoy the hundreds of Akebono cherry trees donated by the 25th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Dr. David Lam, named in his honor.

There are physical fitness activities like yoga. It's a great way of becoming one with nature while relaxing the body and clearing the mind. There:s also winning haiku and haiku installations where they connect poems to the cherry trees.  

Seeing families and children enjoy various programs and activities is a good feeling. It's good to see more people outdoors and appreciate the wonderful nature in the city's heart.

As the clock springs forward, we show the world how we're progressing despite the situation, making joyful cherry blossom experiences and incredible memories. The Big Picnic is a unique event that brings people from different places in British Columbia to see the magical cherry blossoms and to experience "why there are no strangers under the cherry tree." We're all united; we believe we can be.

©️ 2022 Del Cusay