In high school I performed with a Filipino dance group. In college, a friend and I created a performance group in which members taught one another a wide range of Asian dances. During my summer and winter breaks from college, I danced in a Polynesian show. Later while working on a steamboat that sailed along the Mississippi, I did ballroom dancing in the evenings after my workday ended.

I took piano lessons as a child. Several years ago, I found a new teacher so that I could focus on playing again and receive support. It certainly helped when we got a new (actually “used” piano), and I stopped playing on an electric keyboard.  Click here to see my wonderful purchase. My skills on the accordion are far less developed, but I can play a little. As for what I listen to, I confess I’m mostly stuck in the 1980s. I also enjoy movie soundtracks and songs from Broadway shows. Thanks to my father, I developed a fondness for some of the older singers, like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

I’ve done some traveling, but not nearly as much as I’d like. I’ve been as far south as Mexico, as far north as the Arctic Circle, as far east as the Philippines, and as far west as Portland, Oregon. Before grad school, I spent some time in the cruise line industry. I worked on an ocean liner in the Bahamas as a youth counselor and costume character. I also worked on a steamboat along the Mississippi River as a purser and gift shop manager. Past family vacations have included destinations such as Jamaica, South Dakota, and Hawaii. We’ve also been to Montreal, Canada, but I’d really like to see Vancouver one day. My dream destinations also include Alaska and Australia. In the summer of 2022, I took my two teens to Paris for a week!

I like to try out new recipes, though my children rarely like my experiments! I’m thankful that I learned how to make stuffed cabbage from my Polish grandmother, pancit (a noodle dish) from my Filipino father, and tasty salads from Russian friends. In recent years, I also had the good fortune to learn how to make rice the Brazilian way. Although I grew up eating steamed white rice, my friend from São Paulo taught me to love rice made with oil, onion, salt, and garlic!

From babysitting to volunteering in an orphanage, I’ve often sought out ways to work with children. I became a proud mother of two. My son and daughter have kept me very busy over the years…and very amused. I also volunteered at their schools in the past.

Having children gave me the opportunity to roller-skate again. For a while, we took lessons with two other families at a local roller rink. Click here to learn more! As for ice skating, I know enough to go forward and not fall. My son is the most accomplished among us three thanks to his years playing hockey. The true expert on ice is my younger brother, Tim Recio. Look him up online. He’s an elite skating coach based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Actually no! I don’t enjoy fighting at all, either in real life or in movies, but for just over a year I took taekwondo classes with my children as a way to stay fit. Before this class, I never threw a punch or kick at someone in my life. I can’t say that I loved sparring, but I did enjoy being more active and learning a few self-defense moves. The forms took me back to my cheerleading days in high school. (The difference is you don’t smile and you only yell HIYAH!) I also learned how to use the nunchucks (“nanchaku” or, in Korean, “Ssahng Jeol Bong”). Knowing how to use the Maori poi balls from my dance days gave me a bit of head start! These days, I’m content with my weekly tai chi classes.