Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Please Visit SawagaRiverPress.com Next Time

Hello, Friends!

We hope you're all well.

With the arrival of the Mama, Mama books, we would like to now consolidate our blogging efforts with the press' site, SawagaRiverPress.com. From now on, all updates regarding the Mama, Mama book will be posted on that site.

Thank you so much for checking in. It's been a great 2.5 years of being in touch. We hope you will continue to support us!

                                          (Ba-bye! See you at at SawagaRiverPress.com)

With much love,
Justine (and the Mama, Mama Crew)

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Pamuhat Ritual for the Arrival of the Books



Hi, Friends,

I'd like to cross post here something I've posted on my other blog, Ginikanan.com. (Please check it out when you can.)

Dear Charlie and Jack,
Today, I set up an altar in front of the biggest tree in the park grove behind our house. I sat in silence as I thought of the more than 2 year journey that led up to the eventual publication of the book, Mama, Mama. I gave thanks to the spirit that lives in the trees, birds, animals, and everything else around me.  It is the same spirit that lives in me, allowing for the creation of this book; the same spirit that lives in my family, friends, and community allowing them to support me in this project. I also asked for blessings as I face the task of spreading the words that I’ve made tangible.



I would have stayed longer but a few kids arrived in the sandbox near the grove and their happy giggles made it hard for me to think. I was also a bit worried of my use of candles in the middle of the pretty dry grove. So I left and came back to make myself lunch and write this.

I think now about the altar I just created. I have never done anything like it before. My child self, the one who was unconscious and deeply colonized by western mentality, would have laughed at what I was doing, would have dismissed the act as “backward”, a meaningless “tinuohan sa buktot” (ways of the hunchback).

Years ago, my mother, your Lola, spearheaded the construction of our home along Sayre Highway in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. I don’t know how long the construction took but when the house was finally finished, your Lola asked a Datu we knew, the one we kids called Datu Pobre (Chief (which can also mean Rich) Poor), to perform a ritual to give thanks to the spirits and to ask their permission and blessings to live in the house.

This is how I remember that event: Datu Pobre, in his faded Binukid garb and headdress, mumbled and blew and spat a lot while he prayed in front of an altar that he had created. Then he gutted a chicken and spread droplets of blood along the entry way and on the altar offerings, including on the mannga, santol, grains of rice, and the smiling Buddha statue that your Lola inherited from her Chinese father. Datu Pobre also buried a few peso coins below the door. After Datu Pobre performed his offerings, the chicken was cooked and we all had chicken soup. Later that day, your Lola took all of us to church to pray for Jesus’ blessings and be blessed with holy water straight from the priest’s hand.

As I unpack this memory, I realize these:

I didn’t know what that ritual was called. I never bothered to know because I thought that kind of ritual was kinaraan and had no place in my life. But now I’m making the effort to know. Pamuhat is the general term for Bukidnon rituals propitiating the many guardian spirits and the deities. There are various rituals for various  reasons: to give thanks, to ask for permission to enter a space, to heal the sick, to seek blessings in an endeavor… Yes, I had to read and google-research to name acts that were once mundane and familiar to me. It is sad that it’s taken me this long to (re)familiarize myself with them and understand their significance! No time for regrets and head bashing over how things were, however. I mourn my years of unconsciousness… and now I inch forward, ready to learn more about my roots, my ginikanan.

It is very likely that the Datu’s name wasn’t really Datu Pobre, that kids like me called him that behind his back to make fun of what we perceived as his laughable poverty. He was always trading his kamote and gabi root crops for my Lolo’s Tanduay rum. It never occurred to me that his trading, even though it didn’t involve the almighty paper money, was another legitimate way of acquiring necessary goods. And a good one, at that! If I could meet with that Datu again, I would apologize, ask his name and call him that. And I pledge to accord others with the dignity they deserve by  acknowledging and accepting who and as they are.

It is also very likely that what we kids thought were the Datu’s mumblings were actual Binukid chant that we just didn’t understand. Because we were taught from a very early age that speaking English equated with intelligence and superiority, we looked down on the indigenous languages and their speakers and, instead, boasted of our mastery of English. Ironically, now I feel robbed of my precious right to (learn to) speak in my ancestor’s language. Again, I mourn my loss… and move forward with the pledge to encourage others to preserve their own mother tongue, whatever it may be, by speaking it with pride in their daily lives and, if possible, passing it on to their children.

I’m also remembering now that because our new house was along the town’s only highway, passersby looked in and those who had nowhere else to be at the very moment stayed to witness. The ritual, therefore, gathered not only our family and friends, but also members of the community, some of whom were strangers to us. It didn’t matter. At the end of the ritual, we all shared the chicken soup together. I assume everybody left sated, happy, and ready to tackle the rest of the day. Out of everything, this realization that rituals involve not just the individual but also a whole bunch of others, is what draws me. We all strive for connection and rituals allow us that. I hope to connect more with the community.

Lastly, the Datu was cool with having the smiling Buddha attend the party. It seems the spirits and deities (even Magbabaya, the supreme deity) can kick it with Jesus and Buddha! There is enough chicken soup for every one willing to share space, regardless of our leanings.

So, my dear Charlie and Jack, this is your Mama reclaiming the ritual for herself (and you!) I hope to channel our Lolas’ ritual making in the days ahead

Saturday, August 6, 2016

The Books Are Here!!!

Hello, Friends!


We hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer.

Finally, after months of traveling by sea, the Mama, Mama books have made it to Davis, California! We knew they were coming, obviously, but now that they're here we can hardly believe it. 

Before he rolled up the truck door, Al, the delivery man, told me the books weighed about a thousand pounds. I had trouble visualizing what a thousand pounds of books looked like. I didn't have to wonder too long. Suffice it to say that the cargo was massive- it took a bit of my breath away. It dawned on me (again!) that this is for real...



I still remember the night I got together with my friend, Jessica Egbert, who introduced me to her friend, Janet Del Mundo, and we talked about writing and publishing books that feature Filipino kids. That was way back in December 2013! Getting this book out into the world has truly been a journey for me.

We will be sending out reward copies in the next few weeks, hopefully before the end of this month, August.

We hope you enjoy the book. Should you wish to purchase a(nother) copy, please go to the small press' website at SawagaRiverPress.com and click on the link to the right of the home page.

We also welcome your feedback. If you would like to write a review, please let us know and we would gladly send you a review copy.

We are very grateful for your support. It got us here, with a tangible book in our hands, a book that makes visible to the rest of the world a day in the life of a Filipino American boy.

Again, thank you! We love you!

Justine and the Mama, Mama crew

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Sample Copies



Hello All,

I can hardly believe it- the sample copies arrived!  

It looks just like a book...

(Charlie and Jack have been reading the book at night. They get a kick out of reading about their shenanigans. Charlie is inspired to write his own books. His current one is titled The Tale of Nine Fingers about a doll who has nine fingers.)



The books are on their way to the USfrom our Malaysian printer and should arrive sometime in July. In the meantime, please take advantage of our pre-sale which is ongoing until the end of June. Go to our press' site, SawagaRiverPress.com and either click on Our Books or find the link on the side. 

Keep you all posted!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Mama, Mama Arrives in July; Pre-Order Sale Until June 30



Hello, Everyone!

Happy May! It's starting to heat up here in Davis and the public pools are now open. It's going to be summer vacation soon. We hope you're ready for summer picnics as we are!



In the meantime, we would like to ask your help in getting the word out: Mama, Mama will be arriving in July! It has been quite a journey to get to this point and we are so looking forward to having the finished books in our hands and sharing them with you. 

To get ready for the books' arrival, we are having a Pre-order Sale between now and June 30, 2016. You can now purchase your copy for $14.99 (plus shipping and tax). Please visit the Sawaga River Press site at SawagaRiverPress.com to order.

Support us! Help us create and spread more bi/trillingual children's books that are diverse in characters and stories.

Thank you!

Justine (and the Mama, Mama crew)

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Final Proofs; ETA July 2016



Hello, Everyone!

We are so so so pleased to let you all know that finally, after much back and forth with the printer, we have hit the "right" degree of brightness (I'm not sure what the accurate term is for that). It took three sets of proofs, some heated exchanges, and lots of patience on both sides. It also took an extra couple of months. Several times I thought about just approving the proofs even though I wasn't completely happy with them. When friends asked me how my book was doing, I felt the pressure to just be done! However, I think it was worth going through all of this. There were many good lessons to learn, for sure, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

So, barring any more issues, the printer anticipates being finished with production by the end of May. I will be sending the approved proofs tomorrow. It will then take about 4-6 weeks for the books to ship from Singapore to Davis. 

I'm still totally having a hard time believing we got to this point where everyone is satisfied. Today deserves a selfie!



Additionally, yesterday we received an invitation from the Napa Public Library to participate in their Filipino Month celebration in October. We are excited!

Now that we have an idea of when the book will be here, we feel more ready to market the book. Please help us out by letting us know if there's a space, event, place that you feel might be receptive to having us participate. We need to get the word out!

Thanks for your continued support!

Justine and the Mama Mama Crew

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Finalizing the Colors; Kickstarter Rewards; Napa Asian Pacific Heritage celebration

Hello, All!

So, we're down to the nitty gritty. The pages are looking good...but the color is not right just yet. We need the book to be brighter and more vivacious. We're going back and forth with the printer on how bright the pages need to look. But we're hopeful we'll figure this out soon so we can have a publication date set as soon as possible.


In the meantime, we're sending our Kickstarter rewards. If you pledged via Kickstarter, look for either a coloring page or book or both in your e-mail.  Please feel free to share them!

Lastly, we've been invited to share our publishing experience at the Napa Asian Pacific Heritage Month celebration on May 14, 2016. If you're in the area, please swing by and show us some love. There will be food and presentations.

Thanks again for all your support!

Justine (and the Mama, Mama Crew)