I drive myself twice a month to get groceries. Mostly homebound since March 7, 2020 since the #CoronaVirus pandemic.
My first day out to do groceries with my hubby was a nerve-wracking hour. I gradually relaxed after a few more errands, and after seeing folks with masks.
Today, I braved going to the produce market by myself to get my celery stalks for juicing. I even trained Carmen, the store owner, how to select mostly green stalks and not those turning white and gives metallic taste. She and I became friends today, exchanging information about dragon fruit and gooseberries.
I ventured some more this morning and took photos of the torn down Berlin Wall and opposite, the torn down LACMA building.
What a waste to see crumbling structures, without much thought given to demolishing them in Los Angeles and without regard on what to preserve. Unlike the East Coast where there is reverence to preserve century old buildings, the bulldozers are mightily taking down buildings in L.A. LACMA is no exception.
It became another heartbreak to cap yesterday’s losses: a closing of a well-acclaimed restaurant (Ma’am Sir), the death of a very talented, young actor, Chadwick Boseman, from colon cancer. He gave us power, strength and positive Black examples of heroes: the King of Wakanda, Jackie Robinson and Justice Thurgood Marshall. We saw his enviable power and strength onscreen which belied his inner pain and sufferings for 4 years, from cancer.
Of course, the gospel of today talks about not of the triumphalist Lord, but the suffering path of Jesus.
I loved what Fr. Randy Odchigue reminded us: “When we follow Jesus, we have to learn how to weather storms. It is a lesson of distinguishing what’s a costly discipleship vs. cheap discipleship (preaching forgiveness without repentance, grace without Cross of Jesus Christ). Our God paid a steep price when His Son’s life was given up to redeem us. Do not cheapen God’s commitment to us.”
I believe he is talking about moral alignment, perhaps the lesson all of us in America and around the world must learn. In America, we preach equality under the law but, as a nation, we have not learned to fully value and love Blacks, as our fellow American citizens who sacrificed bodies, limbs, blood, sweat and tears to build the American economy and to give us voting rights. Do we value their sacrifices by exercising our right to vote? Or do we cheapen this right by voting the con man into office, who promises us fortune? Do we not invest the requisite efforts of research to find the best President and by our vote, install decency, fairness, truth, and justice in the federal government?
Fr. Randy described how human beings have intelligence quotient, emotional intelligence and, adversity quotient. When a cross presents to us, a challenge, do we leave our sense of pride, our sense of security, our comfort zones to sacrifice, to make the requisite effort to demonstrate fidelity to discipleship to the Lord?
“Do we keep doing what’s right, despite incurring the ire of other people? Do we stay loyal to God despite being mocked? Do we become counter-cultural that when everyone is being judgmental of others, judging folks according to their bank accounts, do we do what is right and do we act according to the ethics of Jesus?”, he asked.
“Our religion will be judged on the authenticity of our discipleship, on the ethics of our discipleship, rather than the cultist practices, the rituals, but on how we exercise critical reflexibility in bringing happiness, joy and peace to others,” he said.
My Saturday and Sunday seem complete now after helping two small businesses and a self – employed friend – cooking for her, while she and I exchanged spiritual nuggets of wisdom. Her wisdom, imparted: “When you find yourself down, say, Lord, help me think of You more.”
I watched Joe Biden and slept 6 hours straight with no angst, hopeful for America.
I remembered Joy Reid’s serenity and huge smile. I also laughed at Nicole Wallace’s remark that “Donald Trump is a gold toilet.” But more importantly I could feel the passion of soul battle remarks of Loida Nicolas Lewis, quoted by Christina Oriel in Asian Journal.
All is right by my America that I love! Vote, vote, vote and fire with your vote the tenant in the current White House heading a billion dollar criminal enterprise with 8-9 indicted felons and unindicted felons in his cabinet and campaign organization. Vote as our democracy is on the line. I already requested for my ballot.
And, I texted my priest/friend after realizing what I am receiving in terms of great reads and great homilies for 165 days straight of digital mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, Artesia:
Fr. A, I woke up thinking of: Santo Nino, to the devotees, is more than an icon, it is the heart’s portal to a divine connection, a path steeped in faith, a path where devotees expect miracles. Without the faith, the divine connection can not be experienced. With devotion and faith, one receives the invisible lifeline to the Lord, the son of God who keeps us animated through the Holy Spirit. Much like the fervor and the love of the saints, the devotees’ outpouring devotion and faith towards the Santo Nino become their compelling sources of light. A light away from darkness where losses are multiplied and life is grimly difficult, chaotic and bankrupt in direction and purpose. The Santo Nino is their North Star pointing them to God’s love for all His creations. No longer wanting to find that divine connection, but hearts linked to Him.
Ohana generally percolates on aloha, the Hawaiian ideal of love and compassion. “I for one don’t think that I could describe it [aloha],” she says. I think it’s in the person. I think you are blessed with it or you aren’t. They like to say it’s caring and sharing, but I say, no, you folks missed the most important part—loving and caring and sharing. You have to love in order to care and share. To me it’s all three.
Kapeka Chandler as told to MJ Harden, “Voices of Wisdom,” 1999
Eight silver gongs for playing kulintang perched on green-colored wood frames caught my eye, while a multi-striped woven fabric with green, lavender and brown, and purple dominant hues casually draped it. Eight is a symbol of infinity. A crown made of white and yellow petals, with protruding green leaves conveyed a sense that folks dance in this house. Wearing an orange blouse and a blue denim shorts, Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough greeted me with her big warm smile and a tight hug.
On Facebook, Carol has been sharing photos of her cactus, her plumerias, her compost with earthworms, including how she and a group of gardeners started repurposing a portion of the city’s sidewalks in Historic Filipinotown, to become inviting rows of plants.
She took me to her backyard teeming with orange citrus fruits (oranges and calamansi), blending well with her orange blouse. Ripe red pomegranate fruits, on the verge of bursting, are on her dining table. The backyard’s bay leaf tree has grown beyond the roof lines. Contrasting are struggling ampalaya plants, white squash vines, slow and dormant, following its earlier season of blooms.
Plumerias are in bloom: white, yellow and pink flowers, reminiscent of Hawaii. Air plants and orchids are stapled onto charcoal tree bark, while cactus of different heights: chubby short, medium robust and tall and lanky, are nesting in a clay pot. Earthworms moved on a pile of compost: raked leaves, dried flowers, fruit peels, vegetable pieces.
Could it be that Mother Nature is delighted, that seeds and sprouts are allowed to grow and bloom? That day was dreary, gray and overcast, perhaps a prelude to what Carol was about to share, a life of grays in it, but also, a sunshine bright life in America.
“Gardening is like teaching, you think of planting seeds, some will sprout, some will do well, some will not. Some, no matter what you do, zero. So, do the best you can, and you put your energies [teaching] those who need help. Same as plants, with 10 seeds [planted], some will sprout, some will lay dormant,” she philosophized.
New beginnings in America
Carol is the eldest of Asuncion Diaz and Pedro Ojeda’s six children — Maria Teresa, Pedro Jr., Maria Asuncion, a FASO musician, Rafael, and Beatriz Rosa. She has children of her own (Andrei, Daniel and Sarah) and her first granddaughter (Te Awhina Toia) and married to her “fave Dave,” a moniker for David Kimbrough, her husband of 33 years.
She grew up in Project 4, Quezon City, near Labor Hospital, now known as Quirino Medical Center. She went to St. Bridget’s in elementary. She transferred to Philippine College of Commerce Laboratory High School where she was trained to think imaginatively and to become an engaged citizen. She went to rallies. It was the First Quarter Storm and students were being made aware of social issues of poverty, corruption and inequalities. Attendance got checked when they got to Malacañang Palace, where the President of the Philippines lived. After high school graduation, she went to UP Diliman to pursue pre-med.
While at UP, she joined Kabataang Makabayan (KM), an organization seeking to restore civil liberties and human rights, including a return to democracy in the Philippines. After two years of college, she became a community organizer full-time.
She dialogued with folks from all backgrounds, which included their challenges of “no food, no water and no housing.” She learned “street democracy” from them and mostly spent time to help them during the day, to fetch water, child care and at night, to connect them to the health care centers, as there were “no barangay systems then in Quezon City, a lot did not know where to go for help,” she said.
They became known as “barefoot doctors,” as she learned to administer acupuncture to relieve headaches. She slowly gained acceptance from those who trusted her and she referred them to seek services from the health centers. She met Rolando Federis. He was handsome with beautiful eyes, and teased her a lot. They fell in love and lived together. Much like Christian missionaries who relied on people’s help, they became “progressive pilgrims,” allowed to live in people’s homes. But when she became pregnant, she had to make a choice, continue her life as an organizer or nurture her child. She gave birth to Andrei and when he was six months old, she immigrated to the U.S.
“I did not expect to be in the U.S. from Feb. 1975 and to stay till today,” she told me. Andrei’s father, Lando, is now memorialized in Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a monument for activists whose lives were cut short during the period of martial law which was imposed by Ferdinand Marcos.
She carried survivor’s guilt, “what if I had stayed, maybe he would survive,” “what if I had stayed, would I have died with him, “ and trauma became a dark shadow in her.
In the U.S., “she joined the Union of Democratic Pilipinos, a national democratic organization working on issues of immigration and immigrants rights, affirmative action and international solidarity with the people of South Africa, Nicaragua and El Salvador,” GMA Network wrote.
Realizing her life’s purpose
Her first job was at ARCO as a secretary. She kept many balls in the air: a wife, a full-time worker, a mom, and an activist advocating for the return of human rights and democracy in the Philippines.
On weekends, she wrote newsletters, chaired meetings for the Anti-Martial Law Coalition (AMLC) and cooked for hundreds. She learned how to write press releases and do media briefings and attended the Far West Conventions held in Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Still, she persisted and took night classes for 14 years. She completed her B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Redlands in 1987. In 1996, she earned her Master’s degree in urban planning at UCLA, where she also completed her academic coursework towards a Ph.D.
At UCLA, she worked with the Chicano Studies Department’s Professor Abel Valenzuela and did research on day laborers, men who assembled on street corners, waiting and ready to be hired for the day. At truck stops, a group runs to the driver, seeking day jobs. Some met accidents, necessitating this study to be commissioned.
Carol met with day laborers at the crack of dawn. Their research findings helped in establishing the need for a Day Labor Center, and now, day hires can be facilitated, and with dignity to them. For this collaboration, she got a service award from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), presented to her by the day laborers she helped.
Just like a gardener, she weeds the soil out of injustice and prepares it to grow for the next growth season.
For the day laborers, her efforts led to greater dignity in looking for day jobs, and in the future, a job with living wages.
A strong believer in the community and academe connection
Critics of higher education have criticized professors in the ivory tower, much removed and rendered irrelevant without community connections. Carol strongly believes in a life in academe linked to strong community ties.
She has served on boards of non-profits: Search to Involve Pilipino-Americans, the Filipino American Library, and as a Humanities Advisor for FilAm Arts’ Saysay Project.
She was recruited to serve on the Economic and Efficiency Commission of LA County by then Board of Supervisor Gloria Molina. While a commissioner, the task force studied the jury system and it led to current practices now of one trial or one-day appearance with an increase in stipend from $5 to $15/day. Previously, jurors would sit for days and weeks, losing pay, waiting to be called for a trial. The commission also studied allegations of police brutality at the sheriff’s but their recommendations did not lead to reform. She served on that commission for eight years.
She also served as Commissioner of LA County’s Public Social Services for 16 years and in the San Gabriel Planning Commission for six years. Her volunteer job required refresher courses in ethics and sexual harassment and she served without compensation, pro bono.
She credits her husband for helping her figure things out, “he is a good sounding board,” and it enables her to use her voice, seek help from others, and get over any bitterness to simply enjoy life.
Diversity in her family
She met David, whom she described as “guapo, appealing eyes and kind,” at a rally. She soon realized their common bond as peace advocates. Their love has taken them to road trips and camping with the kids, preferring to take the back roads, to see the countryside, family get-togethers, celebrations of summer birthdays, and lots of friends coming over to watch the Rose Parade every January 1.
When asked how they managed to make their union last, she said, “by making each other laugh, by enjoying each other’s company, instead of fighting. One time, Koga, our cat became the referee, she meowed until we stopped our loud voices.”
On her grandbaby, “I re-learn patience. When I had kids, I was patient. With my apo, she gets it right away and she makes me laugh. When she was having tantrums, I simply said, ‘You are not having a good day,’ and then she pointed to a cookie that she wants and later, an area to explore. She puts a whole calamansi her mouth and I let her. When I have music on, she moves with rhythm. I have learned to go by her pace, a slower pace, and match it with music, dancing and laughing. We do not look at what future brings, but I look at T, that’s how the future looks.”
Her grandchild is a hybrid of Mexican, Filipino and Caucasian races. “In her, diverse nationalities have fused together in her blood and genes, and she exudes all these strengths: smarts, tenderness, affectionate, rhythmic movements, and multiple languages of Spanish, Tagalog and English.”
Carol’s aloha-full life is akin to the ‘beyond the roof line’ bay leaf tree, as she has literally planted good seeds in many places in Los Angeles, Historic Filipinotown, San Gabriel Valley, Fullerton and Irvine. Good seeds of love for her community, care for the environment and sustained sharing of her insights and knowledge.
Her home percolates on warmth and compassion, much like the warm tones of the fabric we saw wrapped with the silver plated gongs to play kulintang music with.
The resonance of her aloha is loud and clear!
Published on Asian Journal
Updates: This article was published in 2016. Many thanks to Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough who shared these updates, much of what we need during this #CoronaVirus
After spending the last 3 years fuming, commenting, cursing, and marching against mean-spirited and corrupt policies of this administration, I started to look forward to 2020 as the year when we could finally undo the damage this man and the Republican Party has done to America.
We had very ambitious plans for 2020, all involving a combination of travel with politics – starting with going to New Orleans in March and driving north and east from NOLA on a route that would take us to Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. We had planned on going to Carbon Hill in Alabama, where David’s family came from, followed by a stopover in Atlanta, GA to visit the Fair Fight offices (and hopefully meet Stacy Abrams) to see if we can return and volunteer during the November general elections, and finally, visiting our dear friends Cris Harris and Nannette Perez in Marietta, GA before we all continue together to either Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC. I was very excited about this trip, as I’ve never been to these States before.
After, we had also planned on a week’s vacation in Kauai in late April or early May, and doing volunteer GOTV work in either Nevada or Arizona shortly after.
However, by the time I was feeling well from influenza, enough to reschedule our travel plans, the spectre of COVID-19 has captured the country’s attention and without any federal plan or leadership, the State of CA issued a mandatory statewide stay-at-home order.
Well, that was the end of our 2020 travel plans. So what does that have to do with my gardening? Having meticulously planned to not be home for most of the year, I let the backyard area fallow, figuring it could use a vacation as well while we were out of town.
But when Gov. Newsom and other LA County/City officials ordered shelter-at-home and other public health measures, I knew there would not be any travelling happening anytime soon.
David was in charge of water quality for a big city in the SG Valley, and as an essential worker, he had to report to work daily. In the meantime, due to this pandemic, I lost my job babysitting my youngest grandchild, one of my two greatest sources of happiness. I was left home alone to ponder what’s next.
This is how I came to the idea of doing a major project in the backyard, as late as it was for spring planting, and see what can be accomplished. Fortunately, during the winter, I had covered much of the planting area with large cardboard sheets and layered leaves, wood chips and other compostable materials on top of the cardboards.
I learned this practice of “sheet mulching” or lasagna composting from a good friend who is a certified Master Gardener. By doing this and leaving it alone to decompose for a year, I thought I’d have a very rich soil built for 2021 planting.
While it wasn’t completely ready, I decided to go ahead. I started by building two garden beds, one 8’ x 4’ and the other 4’ x 4’. Not satisfied with that I also built a new trellis made out of cut malunggay branches, PVC pipes, zip ties, twine and other materials.
I decided to place the trellis just south of the large calamansi tree and make it wide enough to fit two children’s Adirondack chairs (where my grandkids can sit, read books, observe nature or just meditate). I imagined the vines that would grow along the trellis would provide a “hunting blind” so that the girls and I can freely observe birds, squirrels, or lizards (and take photographs) without being detected.
Here are before and after pictures of the backyard as well as pictures of what I was able to plant in late May.
I also included pictures of visitors – a parrot and a peacock !! We are lucky to live in SoCal where we have a long planting season, almost year-round even.
Still in progress are benches with the girls’ names and an art area where they can let their imagination run with whatever medium they wish to use – T is a dancer and visual artist while S is very much into singing and acting. But most importantly, I am preparing for the day when they can again spend precious time with Lolo and Lola.
During this time, I also created an FB group called Creative Cooking During the Pandemic where friends can help each other figure out what to cook – which isn’t easy to do if this has not been your routine in a while. I have learned so much from this circle of friends who are now into wild yeast and sourdough bread baking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, and my favorite, rainbow cooking.
I am hoping that the coming election will result in a more humane and accountable administration, one that will put people first before profits, that will put an end to systemic racism, and that will demilitarize and address police violence against our black brothers and sisters.
That is my hope, but I am also realistic enough to know that we will be facing an uphill battle against the pandemic and rebuilding the economy from the ravages of unfettered capitalist greed and blatant racism unleashed by Trump.”
Days ago, she came upon her #grandpa‘s strawberries. She immediately placed both over her eyes and said, “strawberry eyes.” What do you see? She sees love in others.
I made one day #macaroniandcheese and I requested her to come with me and to give it to our sweet, kind and generous in spirit octogenarian, vibrant and healthy neighbor, Larry.
She asked why? I told her that Larry likes her and may want to see her. She quickly replied, “He also likes Bonnie.” True enough, when we knocked on Larry’s door, I shared with them what my apo said. Bonnie responded with graciousness, “But, Larry likes #princess2015la more.
“When we got back to my place, she was all smiles. It does not take much to give joy to someone. Larry responds by giving me a beautiful close up photo of my apo.
My granddaughter then showed me her newly constructed farm, with flower petals as animals and plumeria flowers as trees. She also pointed to a brown rectangle patch and called it “a fake garden.
“I like that she tells me how she feels, what she thinks about, what she carries inside her mind and heart. It reminded me of the prayers today: “To be a lamp shining in a dark place, as the morning sun rises in your heart.” Maybe because, and in her words: “Grandma, you accept what I say.” I don’t challenge her, I simply validate and redirect.
May we all rise up from being one of the poorest nations in capacities to respond to Coronavirus with 4, 818, 328 cases out of 18, 710,668 new cases around the world in 188 countries and region, a whopping 25% of new cases in the world.
We are so poor in collective spirits, that the bankrupt soul of America is reflected in our pandemic cases, reflected in less than responsible and less than competent federal government responses and lacking missteps in governance. Good thing we have John Hopkins tracking these cases and our state and local govt.
God, help and bless America so it may help others by its best practices!
Happy advanced birthday @barackobama – you are the very first President, whom I dare say with my heart’s certainty, that you told us the truth, acted with compassion and for the #commongood, with honesty, integrity and accountability.
When I shook your hand at then Senator Barbara Boxer’s fundraiser, I shouted with glee:”Mr. President, dream come true.” You gave me your broadest smile and shook my hands.
You are someone I deeply respect and I gave my all to campaign for, including walking door to door to knock on the homes of Las Vegas’ citizens. Weeks before the elections, I knew in my heart you would win as folks were proud that they were voting for you.
I volunteered to be a poll watcher and recalled a couple, Americans of Korean descent, with an infant on a stroller, running to meet the 8pm deadline. When they got to my table, I told them to breathe, and to take their time to vote. After voting, the young mother said, “We are so happy to vote for him, the very first Black President and our very first time to vote. We hope he wins.”
You captured over 120 million votes in two elections.
I have been voting for years but my votes were reluctant votes for the lesser evil. When I voted for you, #44th, I was voting for the very best presidential candidate to be the very best 44th US President. I got to hear your voice thanking your campaign volunteers, sensed the hoarseness, your weariness yet still you had the energy to thank us all.
Through the 8 years, I casually would email you via the website created by the White House. One day, I got your email explaining in depth your foreign policy process towards Syria. I was surprised.
I kept emailing you and recall that I challenged you to consider working doubly hard for diplomacy negotiations, to redouble earnest efforts for peace and even consider a trip to Hiroshima.
I am not sure if you were persuaded, but a year later after I went to Hiroshima, you became the first US President to make an official visit to Hiroshima in Japan.
For all the public good you, our 44th US Pres. has done, I like the most is how you show your genuine love for Michelle Obama, children, and your staff.
I am crying. Each time I encountered Rainbow sightings without rains, it is when someone dies or laid to rest.
Many believe, including myself, that God is welcoming that person into heaven. I heard that when a teenager died from cancer and struggled with her pain to finish high school as she wanted her diploma for her parents as her gift to them.
Another rainbow was seen, on a sunny day when a chef, who had opened six restaurants in his lifetime died. He was in critical care, unconscious for months and after dear Fr. Camilo Pacanza took two hours to hear his story and prayed for his journey, days after he eventually went Home to the creator. His restaurant hosted former Broadway singers and would magically and spontaneously sing after eating his Italian cooked dinners.
And now two rainbows appeared at 8pm, as shared by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as they believed John Lewis said goodbye to them, a man she described as someone they had known worked alongside the angels and is now with the angels.
Rep. John Lewis was “a member of the Democratic Party, Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and served for 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
I wrote about his beautiful soul, a caring public servant in Congress for my column Rhizomes, hopefully will be printed this Saturday in Asian Journal. I was touched by his graciousness and kindness.
Prosy Delacruz, July 30, 2020
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“Just now — at the last sunset of the last day that Congressman John Lewis will lie in state here — an honest to God rainbow shines over the Capitol.” #GoodTroublehttps://t.co/oS3Pw93Toi
