Philippine American Writers & Artists

Excerpt from the
Introduction
by Penélope V. Flores

I have been doing volunteer humanitarian services beginning post Second World War and all throughout my life. That is not what I expected to discover when I began this book project. As a professor of education and an educationist, I had thought I would write a general account of how to teach, filled with anecdotes about the pitfalls of teachers who face a cohort of multifaceted individuals whose ideas of schooling meant symptomatically inflicting migraines and stressful anxiety to their mentors. However, in 2001, something happened when I was invited by Mekong Circle International to address a group of Filipino Americans who served in Laos from 1957 to 1973, a benchmark time of the Cold War Years in Europe and the Vietnam War in the Pacific. After many years of my neglect in linking with those who went to Laos with me, I suddenly became reconnected to the nurses, doctors, dentists, agriculturists, architects, engineers, artists teachers, technicians, nutritionists, social workers, and fiscal and executive administrators who went to Laos and served the people of Laos at the same time that I was there. In addition, what was important was that these old friends of mine were mostly residing in California. What a blessing!
As I began to reminisce with them about those days, I realized how much the Lao experience had shaped us. We were the only generation who...(read more of the intro...)




			Good-bye Vientiane Untold Stories of Filipinos in Laos Penélope Villarica Flores Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. San Francisco, CA 2005 211 pages LCCN: 2005907610 ISBN: 0-9763316-1-6 (978-0-9763316-1-2) stories of Filipinos in Laos, 1954-1975
			Excerpt from the Introduction by Penélope V. Flores I have been doing volunteer humanitarian services beginning post Second World War and all throughout my life. That is not what I expected to discover when I began this book project. As a professor of education and an educationist, I had thought I would write a general account of how to teach, filled with anecdotes about the pitfalls of teachers who face a cohort of multifaceted individuals whose ideas of schooling meant symptomatically inflicting migraines and stressful anxiety to their mentors. However, in 2001, something happened when I was invited by Mekong Circle International to address a group of Filipino Americans who served in Laos from 1957 to 1973, a benchmark time of the Cold War Years in Europe and the Vietnam War in the Pacific. After many years of my neglect in linking with those who went to Laos with me, I suddenly became reconnected to the nurses, doctors, dentists, agriculturists, architects, engineers, artists teachers, technicians, nutritionists, social workers, and fiscal and executive administrators who went to Laos and served the people of Laos at the same time that I was there. In addition, what was important was that these old friends of mine were mostly residing in California. What a blessing! As I began to reminisce with them about those days, I realized how much the Lao experience had shaped us. We were the only generation who...(read more of the intro...)
Pictures from Book Launch October 15, 2005 Clarion Hotel in Millbrae, California Good-bye Vientiane Penelope Flores, Edwin Lozada Mr. & Mrs. Vic Marquez, Penelope Flores
			CONTENTS Introduction Part One Chapter One: Overview Rodolfo Sanchez Laos: A Consular Post Chapter Two: The Nurses’ Stories Cecilia Salarda Datu: The Chao Khoueng’s Daughter Felina Jose Holgado: Troy and Zaldy Marilyn Bautista Raguini: The Suspension Bridge Petra Duruin Sismaet: The Dispensary Blueprint Eula D. Altamirano: I Never Gained Weight in Laos Chapter Three: Male Nurses’ Stories Gilbert Abad: My Dangerous and Colorful Life Bert de los Reyes: Why Am I Prone to Accidents? Vic Lagleva: Na Keng-kok Chapter Four: The Doctors’ Stories Alex del Carmen: The Commodore Raul de Jesus: The Reconstructive Surgery Pedro Gonzales: Oscar’s Pride Penélope V. Flores: On Dr. Teofilo Ocampo Rinaldo Bacordo: Leche Chapter Five: The OB Practical Nurses Training Program Sivilay Thiphakhinkeo Sivonxay:Graduation 1969 Phounsouk Keopraseuth Sisouphone: The Hospital Annex Cecilia Salarda Datu: The Practical Nurse Training Program Chapter Six: Nutritionists’ and House Managers’ Stories Linda Masibay: Buddhist Christian Love Camila Aniez: The Morning Talat Edith Habacon Palu-ay: A Letter to Boyong Penélope Villarica Flores: Thom Phoune à la Pheng Chapter Seven: The Accountants’ Stories Ernesto Felix: Mr. Moneybags Vicente Marquez: Marriage Laotian Style Purificacion de Jesus: One of the Guys Fred Mendoza: He Died Holding My Hand Chapter Eight: The Social Workers’ and Secretary’s Stories Penélope Villarica Flores: The Fashion Show PVF:The Laotian Kip Belen Gaborne Belicena: Belen’s Odyssey Lourdes Alberto Ilaw: A Period of Uncertainty Chapter Nine: How (to)…Stories Fidel Padayao: How to Celebrate the Fourth of July Rafael Mapaye: How the Frog Ate the Moon Orlando Datu: How I Met My Wife Angelino Datu: How Noodles Reach Up to the Moon Celso Orense: How to Order Fried Eggs Rodolfo Reyes: How to Celebrate the Lao New Year Casto Pingul: How I Eluded the KGB Helen Pingul: How I Got Out of the Hostage Crisis Chapter Ten: The Field Operations’ Stories Wattana Panutai: Sumptuos Lunch at Attopeu’s War Zone Jun Ilustrisimo: Aircraft Scenes Fr. Lucien Bouchard (OMI): Letters from Indonesia Mauro Camaganacan: Malaria: Scourge of Village Life Part Two Chapter Eleven The Lao Marriage Grid Chapter Twelve Longgan after Makphet 3rd Mekong Circle International Reunion Souvenir Program: Baci Ceremony 4th Mekong Circle International Reunion Souvenir Program: Mekong River’s Many Names 5th Mekong Circle International Reunion Souvenir Program Epilogue Jose Fuentecilla: In Search of a Vanished Hospital About Laos Historical Timeline of Filipinos in OB, Laos Glossary Name Index

Currently unavailable. 2^nd printing is scheduled for December. To obtain a copy Send a check or money order for $15.00 (includes postage within the US) to PAWA, Inc. PO Box 31928 San Francisco, CA 94131-0928 Or use your credit card or checking through Paypal PAWA, Inc. is a non-profit organization. Sales of the book go to funding of PAWA events and publications. A percentage of the sales of Good-bye Vientiane also goes to Mekong Circle.

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