Greetings to all of my friends and relatives from the U.S.A.
and the Philippines!!

My wife Rose and I have been back from the Philippines
for over 2 weeks and it took us so long to acclimate to the
time change (P.I. is 15 hours ahead!!). We had the best time
vacationing, networking for my documentary Mosquito Filipino
"A Bite of Spiritual Healing," and just reuniting with many friends
and relatives!!

We will never forget the memories from our 3 1/2 week trip
in the Philippines:
- Inexpensive massages in spas and even at homes we stayed!!
- Imagine massages on the white sand beaches, coconut oil, and total relaxation!
- Partying and sharing memorable times with our relatives the Empleo,
Mendoza, Ruizo, Arlos, Buhion, Maramara, Miguel, Musni, Ban-eg,
Salupen, etc. families. We love you all!
- From Mindanao, to Cebu, to Leyte, to Pampanga, to Baguio, and to
Manila...it was so tiring, but worth every minute!!!
- Enjoying the vacation spots of the Baguio City Country Club (Thank you Auntie Sita and
Uncle Lawrence!) and Oriental Mindoro's Puerto Galera
- Grilled tuna in Iligan City, Mindanao; Danget fish in Leyte, All the food in
Pampanga, Ayala Center in Cebu, all the SM's in the P.I., shopping till we
dropped!, Easter egg hunts along our trip, Baguio's fruits and vegetables,
Manila's nightclub and shopping, Gerry's Grill everywhere!!
- Promoting my documentary trailer all over the P.I.
Thanks for allowing me to share it with all of you!!
- Mendoza's 3-day family reunion in Lubao, Pampanga....
Kalaguran da kayu!!!
- Palompon, Leyte and all of my Ruizo relatives...thanks
for showing us a great time at Tabok Island...it felt like
the show SURVIVOR with the old bamboo
trails/bridges/passageways. Is there a single man for
Ate Marivic?? She requests a caucasian foreigner!!! Ha ha!!!

All in all, our trip to the "motherland" was filled with beautful
memories to last a lifetime. We hope to return back when my
documentary is properly completed, edited, and also promoted
which will hopefully be in 2008-2009. Cross your fingers!!! We
are currently looking for a grant to help us finish the post production.

Special thanks to Zoilo and Arlene from Gerry's Grill in the
Philippines in addition to Gerry himself who agreed to be one of
our official sponsors for Mosquito Filipino!!!!

Also.....I just want to add, that on Wednesday, April 18th, I
finally had my official 1st show as The P.o.e.t.i.c. Educator at
the View Park Library in South Los Angeles!! It was a success...
I want to thank my wife Rose, Auntie Aida Basco, and Ms. Deville
for supporting me...also thanks so much to the librarian Kelly Conn
for believing in me and my "Poetic Singalong Hip Hop Show"!!!

I will update my blog in the near future for more shows to come
for L.A. County and Public Libraries!!!

Take care, Peace, and Mabuhay!!
R.A. Mendoza

Hello friends and relatives!!!

My wife and I had an amazing time here in the Philippines!!! Despite a few illnesses such as upset stomaches, allergies, rashes, and mosquito bites, it was all worth it!!!

Our schedules/itineraries continued to change and it felt like a hair-raising AMAZING RACE television show in the States....here was our final schedule:
- Left LAX 3/5
- Arrived in Manila, Philippines 3/7 and flew to Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao 3/7
- Drove from CDO to Iligan City where Rose and her family lived, her hometown (3/7-3/10)
- From Iligan City, we drove back to CDO and caught a Super Ferry to Cebu (Visayas)
- Cebu (3/12), then took another boat ride to Palompon, Leyte (R.A.'s mother's hometown)
- Palompon, Leyte (3/13-3/15)
- Then took a van ride to Ormoc enroute to a SuperCat boat ride back to Cebu
- Cebu (overnight), then took a flight to Pampanga, Luzon (3/16-3/19)
- From Clark Air Base, then we had a driver to bring us to Santa Barbara, Lubao, Pampanga (R.A.'s father's hometown)
- From Pampanga, we had a driver to take us to Baguio (northern Luzon) where Rose's mother
is from (3/21-3/23)
- We decided that we couldn't go to Shanghai due to our frequent small illnesses, change of climate in Shanghai, and a pricey return flight from Manila to Shanghai.....so we ended up
spending time in Manila (3/21-3/24), then 2 days at a resort (3/25-3/27) at an island called
Oriental Mindoro which is an hour by boat ride from Batangas......we are presently in
Puerto Galera and White Beach at the Marco Vincent Resort....an amazing resort with white sand beach.....we went snorkeling on Sunday (a boat took us to the coral reefs and it was an amazing time!!) and checked out the area, and today we are finally keeping up with our email and getting a motorcycle bike ride with a tour guide around the island....we needed these two days of R&R (no pun intended) because our trip was filled with many family reunions, friend reunions, etc. on a non-stop journey!!

When we arrived in Mindanao, we spent about 3 days in Rose's "neck of the woods." She showed me where she went to school, we had a reunion with many of her friends, and went to 3 waterfalls!!! Her father was the "big guy in town" as the City Accountant to the Mayor. The waterfalls we visited were the Maria/Christina Waterfalls, Mimbalot Waterfalls, and Tinago Waterfalls (Tinago means hidden)....they were breathtaking!! In fact, her city of Iligan has about 12 waterfalls....we didn't have time to see them all!!! At the beginning of our trip in Mindanao, we didn't think it was just the beginning of our "Shopping Throughout the P.I. Tour."....literally!!!

In Cebu, we stayed at my Lola Tacquia's home (Lola means grandma....not a woman's name!) where we showed her the trailer of my documentary titled "Mosquito Filipino...A Bite of Spiritual Healing." She enjoyed it since it showed my mother and many other times we shared in the Philippines in the year 2000. However, we weren't able to show my trailer in Mindanao since no one had a DVD player, but instead a VCD player...We also loved shopping at Cebu's Ayala Center (a huge shopping center...we felt right at home like in the States)...SM Cebu, (Shoe Mart....a humungous shopping center franchise in the Philippines), and managed to go to a Catholic church for spiritual prayer.

From Cebu, we took a boat to Palompon, Leyte...it was a long 8-hour boat ride and
we were on sleeping pills due to the crazy and turbulent waves!!! When we arrived, I expected some pomp and circumstance from my relatives (like in 2000 with my mother), but instead
we slept for a few hours when we docked and I was stressed out that the boat would return
back to Cebu!! For the few days we were in Palompon, Rose and I had a great time
bonding with my relatives on my mother's side. We had daily novenas (prayers) for my Auntie Menay who passed away a month earlier. Rose and I bought a roasted lechon pig for our last night and partyed with R.A.'s relatives the Ruizo, Arlos, and Arroyo clan!! We sang Videoke (the new thing with somewhat of a jukebox with coins) in which my nephew Archie has his own business renting out his huge music machine. It was nice reconnecting with Ate Pura, Auntie Ami, Auntie Minga, Ate Mavic, and the rest of my relatives!!!

We went back to Cebu for a night and then took a flight to Clark Air Base in Pampanga. My Ate Tess (Ate means "Atey" or respect for an older sister or cousin) picked us up and we went shopping at Pampanga's SM Clark, bonding with her daughters Carmela and Therese (Therese is so big....the last time I saw her she was a baby!!)....we still went shopping!! The American dollar rate was $1 to their 48.85 pesos....in other words our dollar went a long way!!!

From Clark Air Base, we finally went to Lubao, Pampanga for the huge Mendoza Family Reunion!! It was nice to reconnect with my Kuyas (respect for older cousin or brother) Nilo, Emer, Rodolfo, etc. many cousins from the Musni, Mendoza, Miguel clan, and Ates Nelly, Fe,
Lorenza, Ruth, to name just a few.....almost 100 relatives for a 3-day event!!!

Rose and I also gave 2 scholarships for the Mendoza Scholarship Fund to nieces Kriss Joie and sister Karen Jayne Mendoza who both received $250 for an allowance to pay for books, classes, and supplies. They gave speeches, I played the flute, and Rose was the major cheerleader during our reunion!!! We also had an Easter Egg Hunt (both in Palompon and Pampanga...) which was a major success!!! It was hard for me to leave both Palompon and Pampanga because it has been 7 years that I went back to the P.I. to visit my relatives....a very emotional experience.

From Pampanga, we had a driver to take us to Baguio....Rose's aunt and uncle treated us to a
2-day Baguio City Country Club stay....an extraordinary time!! It felt like being in Pebble Beach, Monterey, and even San Francisco without the ocean!! Baguio is the coolest area in the P.I. since it's in the mountains and away from the humidity of the sea level areas.

Rose and I bonded with her relatives, shopped at another SM Baguio, and then had another
Easter Egg Hunt!!! We really enjoyed Baguio for the scenery and cool area....oh ya...it rained everywhere we went!! It would stop, but it seems we left a trail of rain everywhere!!

Then we went to Manila....I was blessed to make 2 radio appearances to promote the trailer of my documentary on 89.1 FM (a hip hop show headed by DJ Jerome...Rodel Intia from L.A. who transplanted to the P.I.) and 103.5 FM Heart....a jazz station...they are both in the area of
Ortigas (Metro Manila). Rose's aunt also hosted us in her condo in Ortigas and we had an awesome time exploring Manila.

Then we stayed at Fort Bonifacio where my cousin James Buhion is a Lt. Colonel and his family. He showed us around the Military Cemetary and saw the remains of Pres. Diosdado Macpagal (a distant relative of mine....we visited the Macapagal vacation home in Iligan City and also his birthplace of Lubao in a Nipa Hut). It was a very spiritual and picturesque place. James also took us to Spanish ruins in Manila called Intramuros....very amazing museums and architecture! Can you believe it's next to a first class golf course!!??

Rose and I partyed in the new area of Taguig which is just outside of Fort Bonifacio (Metro Manila).....a growing area for commercial business, condos, etc.....definitely a place to invest and we're considering it!!! Private investors bought this land from the military and now it's transformed into a huge metropolis!!! We even went to Rodel's gig of a Mossimo bikini fashion
show!!! In fact, we went to a nightclub called Prince of Jodpur (Indian restaurant) and was told
Apl of the Black Eyed Peas was going to perform...however, we stayed till 1am and didnt' see him since we had to wake up early to go to Puerto Galera.

Now we're here in Puerto Galera and enjoying our stay!! We will return to Manila tomorrow, do last minute meetings for my documentary, dinners with relatives and friends, shopping, and
just getting ready to head back to the States.

It's been truly a Trip of a Lifetime....an adventure that we'll never forget.....and my wife Rose and I bonded and our marriage strengthened during our trip!!!

Mabuhay...."Aloha in Tagalog" and Kalaguran da kayu (I love you in Pampanganian) to all of your in the Philippines and in the States!!!!

Love,
R.A. Mendoza and his wife Rose

Hello family and friends!!

My wife Rose and I will be picking up our plane tickets to go to
the Philippines and Shanghai, China on Monday, 2/12. We're
excited and our tentative schedule and subject to change is:
Leave LAX to Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao: March 5th, 2007
Arrive there and go to Iligan, Mindanao: March 7th-11th
Cebu/Palompon, Leyte: March 11th-14th
Boracay: March 14th-16th
Lubao, Pampanga: 16th-19th
Baguio: 19th-23rd
Shanghai, China 23rd-27th
Shanghai-Manila 27th
Leave back to LA 3/28

Please check my blog from time to time since our
itinerary may be updated in the future.

Mabuhay!!
R.A. "Rick" Mendoza

Greetings everyone!! This is February 5, 2007 and I'm finally updating my blog
for the new year.....Happy Belated New Year 2007!!!

There are a lot of great things that God has blessed me and my family this year.
My beautiful wife Rose just passed the RN board exams!!! We are so excited
for her!!!! All her hard work and determination paid off!! Also, I booked my
official first gig as "The P.o.e.t.i.c. Educator" at Viewpark Library in South LA
(Crenshaw and 54th St. area) on April 18th.
I'll keep you posted for futher details soon!!

Also I just wanted to let you know that I"m going to the Philippines with my beautiful wife Rose
in March. We are currently trying to book our airline flights to Mindanao (where Rose is
from), Cebu/Leyte, Pampanga, and Baguio. I will keep you posted in the
coming week for those in the PI who want to meet up with us for many
reunions!!! Mabuhay and Mahal ko kayo!!
R.A. Mendoza - The P.o.e.t.i.c. Educator

Today is Thursday, December 7th. I had an unbelievable time at Apl.de.Ap's (Black
Eyed Peas) birthday bash in Hollywood on November 28th at The Highlands at the Hollywood and Highland complex in Hollywood.

I interviewed the famous dancer/choreographer Filipina Cheryl Burke, the winner of "Dancing with the Stars" with her partner Emmit Smith (former Dallas Cowboy). It was incredible to ask her questions about her comparison of partners Drew Lachey (last year's winner) and Emmit. She told me, "Drew was a singer and had natural talent while Emmit was respectable to the sport of dance and wanted to learn to perfect his routines."

In regards to my interview with Apl, he told me that he chose Operation Smile as his pet project (An organization who helps reconstruct childrens' cleft palates to be worldwide.) and he said,
"I liked how they helped the children in the Philippines and so I wanted to give back to them."

I also met artists from Bad Boy Records, a new Filipina artist named Liberty, and even Kid from the old school group "Kid N' Play!!" I told Kid, "I still do the Kid N' Play dance to this day!!" He just looked at me in surprise and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Even the hottest Filipina actress who came out of the PI named Juliana Palermo was there. She told me that a few of her films were being shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Of course the Basco Brothers were there on the red carpet except for bro Darion who was home with an illness. Can you believe I ran into Camile Velasco, American Idol alumn from the Fantasia era, twice this year??? She's pretty cool and is in the recording studio with a possible track with Apl in the future.

The list goes on......Xinghu, martial artist who is collaborating on the film BBoy which is directed by Cris Judd....reality show stars, etc. etc.

My wife Rose and I were just so damn happy to have met Cheryl and Apl. Cheryl was so down-to-earth and Apl, in my opinion, is the unprecedented "Tupac for the American Fil-Am Revolution!!"

Next stop is Arianna Basco's 2nd launch of her zine titled Tard and Feathered....it takes place this Saturday, December 9th in Downey. For more info, check out www.myspace.com/ladybasco or www.myspace.com/tardandfeathered.

You can read my latest article in Philippine News about Arianna at philippinenews.com and search for Arianna Basco in the archives.

Peace, Love, Mabuhay, and Happy Holidays,
R.A. Mendoza
The P.o.e.t.i.c Educator

Today is Tuesday, November 28th, 2006 and I'm excited because
I'm going to cover as a journalist the private birthday party of Apl.de.Ap
who is one of the featured singers/rap artists of the famous Black Eyed Peas!!!

The party will be held tonight at The Highlands nightclub in Hollywood next to Mann's Chinese Theater....there will be a red carpet entrance with many celebrities in attendance and it
should be a night to remember!! I went to Apl's bday party last year
and it was cool to hear fellow Peas' Fergie singin' her "My Humps" song and the crowd was ina major frenzy!!! Apl and his crew sang their many songs and even mentioned his famous shouts out........FILIPINO!!!! FILIPINO!! FILIPINO!!!

Last year I met and danced with Lani Misalucha (Filipina singer) and
Lalaine (Filipina tv actress) and a whole gammit of "people in the industry."
Tonight should be another "off the hook" evening!!!!

Oh ya....before I forget, my article about Arianna Basco has been
published in philippinenews.com and search for Arianna Basco.
Also, Ari will be launching her 2nd edition of
her zine titled "Tard and Feathered" on December 9th at the
Basco family compound in Downey...for more info, check out www.myspace.com/ladybasco or www.myspace.com/tardandfeathered.
It should be another night to remember!!!!

Take care, peace and blessings,
R.A. Menodoza
The P.o.e.t.i.c Educator

Hello everybody!!

It's Thursday, November 9th and we have buried my close
relative this week. She was Vicki Richardson, my sister's former mother-in-law,
who has been a big part of my life within the past 16 years.

When I moved to L.A. and back to Southern Cal in 1994, Vicki was sort
of my adopted Southern Cal Mom since my biological mother was in Monterey.
Vicki helped me out a lot by using part of her garage as my storage during
my many traveling escapades as a former Power Ranger bad guy on the
World Tour 1994-96. Vicki picked me up from the airport, took me in at
times when I needed a place to stay, made me home cooked meals and
overall gave me some wonderful advice about life and dealing with
many issues that we all encounter in our lives.

We will never forget Vicki since she was a like a "friend for life" once you
met her. She was a lady who was ageless and lived life to the fullest. Vicki loved our
Mendoza family even though we went through a family divorce with her son
"Wing" who we still call "family."

Vicki will always remain in our hearts, minds, and souls. The great thing
is that my nephews Elijah, Gabriel, and Jacob (her grandsons) will continue
her life and legacy throughout the years.

We will miss you "Foxy Ma." You were unique and one of a kind. Your youthful
personality and effervescent, incredible personality will continue on forever!!!
May you rest in peace.

Love, your "Adopted son",
R.A.