Author: Ai
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Study abroad, neoliberal education, and lockdown students
I’m putting this together for my students at the University of the Philippines Open University who missed our video conference this term. A friend had suggested I teach at UPOU after returning from my studies abroad. I said yes to one semester, while working for an American newswire and hustling for commissioned international projects. A […]
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That Day I Arrived in London
The day I arrived in London in 2018, nobody was around to welcome me at the airport, unlike most times I landed in a new home. In Singapore, it was my sister who was at the gates to hug me. In California, there were three relatives. In Aarhus (Denmark), our landlady was waiting outside the […]
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Shooting Memories, Robert Frank’s Street Photography, and Why I’m Not on Instagram
The California that is exhausted of how the political situation has impinged on private lives, but recently managed to surpass the United Kingdom as the fifth largest economy in the world.
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Asia’s Dragon Rises
By 2025 global political power will shift towards the east. As of 2018, super power China and other major powers have the strongest influence in Asia. In seven years, the world’s most powerful states will be in Asia. If you want to see where the center of global political economy is heading, look east. In 2018, […]
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GDP Per Head in Three Asian Powers Catches Up With Europe’s Big Three
In 2013 Singapore overtook the United States in GDPPC for the first time, and continued to stay above it in 2014.
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Who Will Fill the Wine Glass After Brexit?
On a Wednesday evening, a middle-aged Englishman enters a wine shop on St. John Street in Clerkenwell, London with an empty bottle. Anne-France Leray takes the bottle with a smile, refills it from an oak barrel taller than them and wraps it gently with craft paper before putting it in a paper bag.
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Four Reasons to Go on a Safari in Your Lifetime
The world is enormous and there are so many things to see and do that sometimes itcan be a little overwhelming. There are some things I’ve always wanted to do, and have managed to tick off my bucket list, like parasailing in Boracay, and others that are still on my list that I hope to […]
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If Only We Knew How to Save a Life
Anthony I wish I could say that I was a hardcore fan of Anthony Bourdain. That chef with lovely lines on his face, sinewy arms covered in tattoos, and a wild crown of silver hair. I wish I could say I had read his Kitchen Confidential and watched every episode of Parts Unknown. But sadly, […]
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Russian and the Rain
Spring. I was in search of a new house and saw one advertised online. After texting the owner, I walked for an hour under the drizzle-rain combo toward a house at the south side of the UC Berkeley campus. When I arrived, there seemed to be a mistake: neither the house nor its rooms were […]
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End of Facebook Deactivation and Some Questions That Baffle the Mind
Yesterday was Facebook reactivation day, and what a day it is to see the newsfeed again. Congress has voted to give the Commission on Human Rights Php1,000 or USD20 for its next year’s budget. Obviously this is because the CHR has been vocal against the extra-judicial killings of drug addicts, including so-called collateral damage, under […]
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The level of anxiety one derives from social media
Sometimes one has to disconnect from social media to regain trust on oneself in times when the erosion of trust on institutions such as journalistic organizations or the academe has been more palpable than before. These times are challenging. Self-doubt is a cousin of anxiety.
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Around this time last year
Around this time last year was a beautiful start to a year of travels literally around the world from Manila to Aarhus to Milan to Berkeley and back to Manila. If one is to choose a city to live, Manila would be a difficult choice right now given the levels of air pollution and the density […]
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When rice is life
Don’t even joke about it. Somebody must have said this to Senator Villar when she suggested, and later denied, the banning of unlimited rice promos in restaurants to curb diabetes in the Philippines. But the damage has been done. Within hours after news broke, the poor senator is now one of the most hated politicians […]
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America
A week before US President Donald Trump took over the White House in January, I arrived in America. I was flying from Milan with connecting flights in Lisbon and New York, and I just finished writing the 10-page exam that sealed my first semester at Aarhus University in Denmark. I remember, all I wanted to do when I landed in my […]
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Six Uncomfortable First-Time Travel Experiences
Travelling is an amazing opportunity – and one you shouldn’t turn down if you get the chance. You’ll make life-long memories and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences, although not all of them will be memorable for the right reasons. Without a doubt, when travelling, you’ll have some uncomfortable first-time experiences. But don’t worry – within no time, […]
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Surfing
Today I was looking at the Pacific Ocean from one of the corners of California coast. The spot was a three or four hour drive from Berkeley. The waves were strong and the wind wild. Surfing comes to mind. One waits for the right wave to ride when surfing. When the big one comes, the […]
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If you are inconvenienced, scream
When a guy grabbed my behind while I was inserting a train ticket into the machine station in Milano one night after the 2017 New Year’s Eve, I screamed like one does when watching horror films. It was a weekday and there weren’t many people in the station. I was wearing shorts underneath a mini skirt but […]
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That moment I was mistaken for a nanny in Singapore
Weeks ago, the viral “BBC Dad” interview brought to surface one of the tiredest stereotypes of Asian women – nanny. In my travels in Europe and short stay here in the U.S., my brown skin has never drawn any racist remark or other tasteless judgment so far. I’m thankful I haven’t and hopeful I never will. I had […]
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Wine tasting in Sonoma and Napa
Whatever was I thinking when I thought California is small like a province? It isn’t. In fact, the state is so big and rich in resources – from farm produce to brilliant talents – that it can survive on its own. It’s even bigger than the Philippines. One of the state’s gift is wine. Napa, located in […]
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The one job in my 20s that pushed me to grow up, fast
I wanted to be an animator when I was in highschool. Someday I’ll live in Japan and join the ranks of worldclass artists who tell stories through anime or moving drawings, I’d tell myself. But then life happened, and I knew I wasn’t good enough in drawing, so I let myself pick another goal when I […]
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Russian-speaking prosecutor, Japanese foodies, and other people you interview for J-School
In the US and in the Philippines, journalists have been at the receiving end of unfair criticisms (“dishonest people,” “biased,” “failing”) from the government and its supporters. For journalists and students of journalism, this could be unsettling or discouraging or could be taken as a challenge, or all of the above. At the UC Berkeley Graduate School of […]
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Art exhibit exploring sexuality in the kitchen opens in Pro Arts Gallery
Wearing metallic purple tights and magenta nail polish, Danish filmmaker Lasse Lau proffered a fortune cookie during the opening of an art exhibit he co-created with German artist Flo Maak. “Open it,” Lau said, holding a basket of customized goodies. Inside the cracked cookie, a strip of paper read: Liberate Your Ass—Unleash the Queen.
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Before I get swamped in Berkeley
Before I get swamped in Berkeley, here is an update. Time check: it’s midnight. I’m in the United States. In the middle of history unfolding, perhaps the end of Pax Americana. “We live in exciting times,” a professor said this afternoon. I heard there will be more protests to come, in response to the new leadership […]
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That iconic Japanese wave art is here in Milan and I saw the beautiful thing
Last week I saw a Michelangelo. Today, when my second cousin Kathleen took me to an art exhibition, I chanced upon the famous wave reproduced thousands of times all over the world. What is it with Italians liking Japanese art and manga and food? There are many sushi joints around this neighborhood, competing with hair […]
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While people say “Good Riddance, 2016” I drink hot choco outside a cafe in Italy and laugh nervously
L’uomo universale. This is one phrase I picked up from a book I received when I won a storytelling contest in Denmark a long time ago (it feels like a long time ago). It means a “complete man”; says the book: “a man of action was supposed to have a soul and be tender-hearted and have delicate, aesthetic […]
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Resting in Milan
Where are you now? I seem to be getting this question a lot these days, and mostly my answer is on the bed? which is true. Minus the specific location, I am in Milan, Italy, staying at a relatives’ old, high-ceiling apartment. Three days ago, I flew here from Copenhagen with my cousin, my sister, and her […]
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Fika, hygge, and turning 30
Dear Micon, I’m happy you’ve reached this milestone, of turning 30. Congratulations on overcoming all the hardships of 20s. It’s one of the most difficult phases of life, they say, the 20s; but yours has been extra challenging. If people would know what you’ve been through, you will have to prepare yourself for warm, tight hugs. […]
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Two months in Denmark
Hello from Aarhus. It snowed yesterday and I make no secret of the fact that I’m ecstatic about first snow just as how excited I am about living abroad again. It’s been two months since I’ve taken a huge leap of faith and travelled to the other side of the planet to master a craft – and so far, the […]
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Marcia Adam’s Tuscany Tagaytay
Today marks my first month in Denmark and I am missing the Philippines, so let me share a memory from back home. Marcia Adam’s Tuscany is like a secret garden of aromas and chiaroscuro. The place is so beautiful. This is the first time a place shut me up when I was hangry.
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Remembering is reconstructing
My grandfather passed away weeks ago at 85. It was the first death in my father’s side. After the funeral mass, while walking from the church to the parking area, my seven-year old nephew asked Tita Ai, why do people die when they get old? I was fighting back tears that have been struggling to gush out since […]
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Simple make-up tutorial
Good morning. If you have different shades of lipstick – preferably approved by the DOH-FDA – then you can play with those to use on your lips and cheeks and even eye lids. You can even try a layering of lipsticks. Results can be surprising. For base, BB cream works wonders, but not if you have […]
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Casa de Cutab, Camiguin
If you are in search of a quiet paradise this Summer, check out the white sand beaches in the island of Camiguin, south of the Philippines, and stay at beachfront Casa de Cutab Guesthouse in Sagay. I was surprised when owner Grace Cutab shared about this Casa. In 2012, after we organized a series of anti-violence-against-women […]
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The Strange Library, best buys at the FullyBooked sale, and a raised wand for Snape
My wish list last holidays for the office exchange gift contained only one item, but a long one: ‘Haruki Murakami book except 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, Colorless Tsukuru, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.’ It must’ve given my Secret Santa a migraine. The minimum price was 300 pesos, and the […]
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Hello, 2016
Hi! I forgot I have a blog. The last time I posted here was September 2015. For the most part, I was offline reading books, attending meetings, showing up in the office for work, chatting with officemates and friends, driving, doing freelance work, and lately furnishing our new home in Makati City. For the […]
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Just before sunset in Gion, Kyoto: yukata, samurai, and glimpse of a geisha
Gion is born out of the medieval ages of Kyoto, Japan. This district is home to ladies of arts called ‘geisha,’ whose old ways of serving tea and performing ceremonial acts inspire one to move in a delicate balance and sophistication. Gion’s streets can be wide and narrow, uphill and down, illuminated and fading. Every turn has […]
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Laughter keeps couples
They say that laughter is the best medicine, but did you know that laughing is a secret aphrodisiac that can lead to a longer and happier relationship? Researchers have discovered that the therapeutic effects of laughter also translate to relationships, adding more positivity in your interactions with your partner in areas such as physical intimacy […]
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Sleeping in a century old house in Kyoto
There’s a townhouse in Kyoto, just 5 minutes away by bus from the Kyoto station, that’s a hundred years old. Floors are creaking, rooms are small, and tatami mats are respected like the old values of Japan. This house is called Hostel Haruya.
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All Colors
Bakla in the Philippines remains a derogatory term, truth be told. It’s synonymous with weakling, cowardly, parlorista. Vice Ganda may be tolerated in the country’s public airwaves and conquer blockbuster ticket sales, but “his kind” is mostly seen as no more than that—an entertainment, comic relief, a joke in the human evolution. In academic discourses, […]
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Osaka-Kyoto Notes
If I were to write a quick note to friends planning their first trip to Osaka or Kyoto, Japan, this would be it. This isn’t comprehensive. In fact, I’m writing point after random point, with no clear outline in mind – just typing away in the middle of the night, in a Kyoto townhouse that […]
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Free spirits who began life at 30s
My summer reads included two biographies – “Art Lover” (Peggy Guggenheim) and “Dearie” (Julia Child). These were 70% off because a Bibliarch branch in Pasong Tamo was closing its store last April – a sad affair, but a great chance to read about two strong women who began Life in their 30s.
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Fling off the heels, drink wine in your hotel (and some suggestions what to do in Macau)
Three languages populate the signages in Macau: Chinese, English, and Portuguese. English with a thick Chinese accent is used in many places – I was lucky to have a travel buddy who’s had four Chinese bosses in the Philippines and in Singapore, so he did most of the talking in stores, food stalls, restaurants, bus […]
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Cotai, Macau
Cotai Strip is the gambling highway of Macau, if not Asia. Las Vegas would surely not relinquish the throne to Macau, but the stream of money and ‘high rollers’ into Macau, especially Cotai, over the last years has been relentless. In fact, some time ago, it surpassed Las Vegas’ sales. Out of curiosity, a trip to […]
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Underground River and the Tamilok Challenge
The one thing you’ll notice among travelers who come out of the Underground River is that they’re in their best behavior, as if they’d been in contact with forces greater than themselves. An entire day is allotted to the Underground River Tour, not because it’s far, but because of the long queue. Is it worth it? Yes. […]
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Puerto Princesa
Palawan remains, to me, the most beautiful place in the Philippines. Recently, CNN named its beaches one of the best in the world, attracting foreign tourists this year, including Bill Gates. One of our tour guides in Puerto Princesa said Gates and his family went to Amanpulo and El Nido – two of Palawan’s pride […]
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A day at Villa Escudero
My first time in Villa Escudero was almost two decades ago, when I was turning 13. The second time was in 2014, when I turned 30. Here’s where my father’s sister, the beautiful Tita Cora, married a gentleman from the Escobar family (I was maid of honor). Our stay seemed to have left quite an […]
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Taipa, Macau
There’s a spot in Macau that reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. Windy, quiet, sleepy. It’s a cobblestone walkway that goes up and down, trees left and right, small cars parked outside, people walking, wind blowing. And the lamp posts. I have a thing for lamp posts. I feel they stand witness to the everyday […]
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What’s in my bag
Happy 2015! Every year, I meet and work with people who bring inspiration to the little skills that I have, whether it’s sketching, reporting, analyzing, or ‘journaling’ (wanted to say blogging, but I also keep ‘actual’ notebooks where I deposit thoughts and doodles). This year I’m positive that I’ll meet more who will continue to widen […]
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A spa called “Ginhawa”
Undressing for a stranger’s touch and paying for it may be a bizarre thing to do but that’s what a spa is all about. While reading an Englishman’s gastronomical adventures in France, I learned a little about spas. A proper spa facility has a wet area (jacuzzi and/or pool), a massage parlor with health treatments, and […]
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How does it feel being 30?
One month after my birthday, I am still getting the question how does it feel being 30. Rusty at answering such questions, I’ve answered “it’s great, I’m more confident, I’m at peace with myself.” It’s interesting, that query, because it’s as if I just climbed a mountain and people would like to know how it feels seeing […]
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Someone told me
Here’s a nice French song for this morning. (close the ads to see the subtitles) An assignment for our Saturday French classes is to soak in anything French for fifteen minutes a day, and for today it’s lovely to have this song I stumbled upon Spotify. Quelqu’un M’a Dit [pronounced ‘kelkamangdi’] was also in the film […]
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Inktober
This month, friends and I took on a challenge. It’s called Inktober. Some dude thought it’s a good idea to create ink drawings and sketches every day for one whole month of October. Instead of the Octoberfest (the beer festival that originated in Germany), here we bravely display our brewed works, but if you want to see some […]
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PIOLO: Potah, I Only Live Once
Never had I seen a cancer donation campaign as creative as Rav’s. Rav was my student in a Literature class back in UP. He’s rude, he’s a bitch, but he cares for grammar, so that’s fine. (Really he could be a Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, one of the novels we read, but […]
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Why Rurouni Kenshin matters to me and other 90s kids
When news broke that the Rurouni Kenshin cast and crew were going to Manila for film promotion, I did the most logical thing to do: stood from my swivel chair, covered my mouth, and jumped thrice in a carpeted office in the tallest building of corporate Makati. My colleagues looked on with mixed expressions, probably deciding […]
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What’s in our closet, and why we need to be mindful of our shopping
Any fashionista out there knows how the Philippines is becoming a big market for global fashion brands. EDSA alone is a window to power brands that are competing in the apparel/accessories industry; a stroll in Greenbelt, Bonifacio High Street, or malls takes a shopper to a survey of fashion giants from the luxury end–LV, Prada, […]
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Go to Davao for food, Samal, and food
Where are the people? Mike and I asked when we were walking down the streets of Davao. One weekend we met my dearest friends, K., G., and A. in Davao City upon the invitation of the internationally acclaimed filmmaker and writer Arnel Mardoquio, who was born in Davao. The trip to the South has been […]
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Visit to the dentist and the question Do you like your smile
I’ve never been to a dental clinic that looks like a spa, nor have I been asked if I like my smile, till I had my teeth cleaned at a dental clinic in Makati. Most Filipinos don’t quite consider oral health as top priority in their list of where to put hard-earned money. When you […]
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French fine dining in Davao
The story of Claude’s Le Cafe de Ville begins in France where Claude started training in his hometown and globetrotting to a lifetime career in the food and beverage industry, experiencing the world of 5-star chains – Hilton, InterContinental, Sofitel, and Novotel, managing a 16th century hotel in Normandy, and after more than 50 years, […]
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Food trip: Singapore in a dark corner of Makati
There’s an airconditioned ‘hawker’ in Makati, creatively called “101 Hawker,” near Chino Roces and one of my officemates treated the entire team to a feast, bringing me and Mike (my +1) back to my home for about two years some time ago, Singapore. Hawkers are Singapore’s uppity versions of Pinoy carinderia. For SGD3 one can […]
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Car review of a first-time driver, first-time owner
Not so many people in this country own a car. While researching something for work, I came across the World Bank statistics that show the number of cars per 1000 people in different countries, and the Philippines has “30 vehicles per 1000 people” as of 2010, compared with 782 in the US, 518 in the UK, […]
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Nowhere dresses
You know how some dresses or shirt of yours would just disappear and you’re not sure if it got lost in the laundry shop or the last house you stayed in and you remember them just because you’re in the mood for browsing photos of yesteryears and you feel nostalgic about those times you wore […]
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Road trip to Bicol, me driving, shooting stars
Recently friends and I rode to Bicol, about a ten-hour drive from Manila. I drove for about five hours on our way back till midnight, with speeding trucks and buses passing the rough two-lane, creepy road that slices Bicolandia, all my three passengers in the car were big guys, and I cherished that one moment […]
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Food trip (Father’s Day edition): nilagang baka
Nilagang baka (beef nilaga) is one of those Filipino dishes that are such a pleasure to eat. From sipping the broth to chewing the tender meat, eating it with rice, and topping with saba (banana) and pechay, you could find yourself feasting on rich flavors, especially if you add a few drops of patis (fish […]
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Ponkan, Pahinungod, and memories of Coron, Palawan
How do you properly send off a person to heaven or beyond? Do you write a farewell note in his timeline? Do you put a sad-face icon? Do you re-visit pictures and smile at the memories you created with others in this short life? Maybe a big thank you. The world has its share of […]
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Food trip: Don’t Eat all you can’t
How much should you eat at an eat-all-you-can? The metro isn’t short of Filipino pleasure houses we call “buffet”: Vikings, Cabalen, Kamayan, Yakimix, Red Box, Center Stage, and Tong Yang, among many others. How much should you eat to get the best value for your money? The answer is simple: it depends on how much […]
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Being one’s own boss
A college friend of mine, Ivan Burcer, may not be working for titan corporations like his fellows in Economics do, but he’s one of the heads of a language school called Elite Institute. We were talking about turning 30 several weeks ago in their office in front of GMA Network in Quezon City, and he […]
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Company outing on a Friday
My five-year old nephew would’ve been jumping in ecstasy watching the dolphins and sea lions had I taken him with me in our outing at Subic. I remembered some animal-rights-activist friends, too, while looking at dolphins dance, ‘sing’, jump, and walk on the water . Wonder how they’d enjoy the shows. The outing itself wasn’t […]
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Heatxtreme
Somebody must be having a heat stroke somewhere in the Philippines. Thankfully, looking at weekend photos in the water could somehow cool down our eyes, till our next getaway. My travel buddy and I went to Northern Philippines last Holy Week and a resort in Laguna several weeks ago. Later, we can only thank the […]
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Hired
In nine years, I have experienced being an employee, a freelancer, an entrepreneur, and unemployed. The last one beat me badly. It took me some time before landing a job, because a challenging, well-paying and reputable job in the Philippines is like ordering a choco-caramel sundae loaded with whipped cream and strawberry syrup, but zero […]
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Talk to my colored, rebonded hair
I entered Myra’s salon a little past 3pm. One of her staff greeted me and asked me to wait for the owner. I looked around the red walls of FHM Salon Cubao, high ceiling, and printed posters of Myra’s works. She has collaborated with network stations, fashion runways, and styling projects on top of other […]
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Her
Every second of this movie is strange. I’m glad my movie buddy could get us some free Greenbelt movie tix once in a while. Right now I’m writing a movie review for worldurbanista.com and I can’t think of any nice words except I liked the musical score. And the shots. And call me equally strange, […]
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Ateneo, after the Games
Should we start talking like them? Mike asked. No, I said. That’s their English, dude. And besides, Filipino is their conyo.
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Mediterranean Pinas
Somewhere in Makati, we found a piece of the Mediterranean. He’d teach me how to eat the chewy pita bread, tearing it with fingers, dipping into yoghurt mix. I’d take a bite, too, of his chicken bursting with flavors from Turkey or Saudi Arabia, where he worked for a year and ate with the passion […]
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Games People Play (review)
Final scene: Diego’s chiseled chest is in full view, his pants pulled down, showing his boxers. Julio is kneeling in front of him, and behind Diego is Luna bending over. Games It’s startling, that final scene of Games People Play, a theater production I thought would be a highbrow mindfuck piece of art. The ending […]
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What’s in a book
The Filipinas Heritage Library is launching The Printed Word, the lecture series on the BOOK, its history, as well as other facets not readily known by the public.
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Another patch of green in Quezon City
Polluted air, I read somewhere, has negative effects on the workings of the brain. People who regularly breathe pollutants are moody and pessimistic, not to mention prone to all kinds of pulmonary diseases. This is why it’s important for government units and urban planners to come together to plant green patches around the concrete jungles. […]
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Planning a trip to El Nido
Hello! If you wish to visit El Nido for the first time, probably the first step to planning is buying yourself a ticket; everything else follows. Many airlines offer low base fares. Mike and I got ours for only P1300 each (seat sale), all in, round trip. You can check Air Asia, ZestAir and Cebu […]
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The road to El Nido is poetry*
droplets lost on window white bird descending, proud couple bus grey beach zoom bus empty road only red umbrella early chatter post-storm wire smoke branch screech off-road brake almost fell side breath stop
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Titanium love
[box] A moment: Titanium was playing on the car radio, C5 billboards whooshing by; my sister, her son, and I singing along, dancing in the February sun; Mike was driving; flyover; shoot me down, but I won’t fall, I am TitAYneeYom, we screamed.[/box] In the spirit of Frozen, I dedicate tough, true love to my […]
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Poetry sales to be donated to Given foundation
Two UPLB humanities professors will be donating all the sales of their poetry exhibit to the Given Grace Academic Excellence Foundation, a scholarship set up by the parents of murdered UPLB student Given Grace Cebanico. Professors Eman Dumlao and Dennis Aguinaldo have been staunch critics of all forms of injustice in and out of the […]
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Ice cracker solo trip to Baguio
The passing of Filipino activist-comedian Tado and other adventurers in the northern Philippine mountains of Bontoc brings a wave of hush and stillness among travelers and other seekers of happiness and life purpose. Those bitten by the travel bug know that any journey comes with the risk of losing a limb, or life. Travels are […]
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Goodbye, cold
Can’t believe the cold left too soon. So before we say Hello, Summer, let’s give fleeting cool air a proper au revoir And merci for the passport to wear layers
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A cozy inn one night a superstorm washed Puerto Princesa
Inns are usually country houses where travelers dine and rent a room to sleep in. Aside from lodging, it’s also defined as “a residence formerly provided for British students in London and especially for students of law” (Merriam). The word ‘inn,’ first used in the 12th century, is sometimes interchanged with ‘hostel’ (first use: 14th […]
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An invitation to El Nido
You are cordially invited to see land before time, to feel all hues of blue and green and colors in between, to swim with the gifts of the sea and be the guest of a world beneath you never imagined, to say Hi to the spirit of the mountains and rock formation that slid from […]
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Sky high
Fascinating how the new ferris wheel in Tagaytay, the Philippines’ tallest, has landed ‘the most googled destination’ in 2013. It even bested Tubbataha Reef in Palawan (2nd in the Google’s year-in-review), which is a dream destination for many even if the reef is almost impossible to reach. But looking at the Top 10, the list also […]
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What’s in my bag
Late 2013, a friend of mine introduced me to the publisher of World Urbanista, a US-based lifestyle e-zine for Filipinas around the world, and since then, I’ve been contributing a short article on fashion (yes, fashun!) every month. Allow me to usher in some fabulous spirits into this blog this new year, starting with: What’s […]
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Calabarzon Film Festival 2014: call for entries
[photo: I was invited to the press con and Manila Gala Premiere of Singaporean Anthony Chen’s award-winning film Ilo Ilo at Resorts World Manila, but Mike and I had to attend his friend’s wedding, so I channeled my frustrations to goofing around with wedding photographers and videographers] *** Calling filmmakers from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon […]
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Working with Ayala
My last project with Ayala Land involves a video shoot with triathletes Dan and Ani Brown.
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The world’s lightest DSLR on my hands
Part of my Christmas bonus plus earnings from a writing project (Ayala Land Inc) went to a new toy: the world’s lightest DSLR to date, Canon EOS 100D aka “Rebel,” from BGC’s The Great Canon Sale two weeks ago. Good old iPhone 4s is still handy and takes great pictures, but this new gadget can […]
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Blow by blow
Since the super typhoon made a landfall in the Visayas islands, I’ve been looking for a detailed narrative of what happened at ground zero because reportage on Day 1 was crippled by busted power and satellite signals. Here, thanks to a contact of friend Izah Morales, I found a harrowing account of a person who […]
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Around the metro: united to help
Just a quick post today. I’ve been gathering foot dust rolling around the metro since weekend and everywhere I go, there’s serious work on relief operations and gigs for the Yolanda survivors. Before going to UPLB Pahinungod last Saturday we picked up something at Eastwood City and saw men prepping an area for a concert […]
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Back from El Nido
A trip to El Nido, Palawan is supposed to be a respite from the world’s madness, until super typhoon Yolanda came from Visayas barreling to Northern Palawan. Since we were cut off from social media for a while, Mike and I received our daily news of the Visayas tragedy from TV broadcasts, while we got […]
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Something poptastik for your taste
[poptastic: a state of happiness] One can’t be quite sure how Urban Dictionary, or humans (so to speak), come up with new words, which is probably as often as babies are popped into this planet, but this word here, poptastic, has sure captured the promise of the event below: that something good is going to happen. […]
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Parasailing in Boracay
What does it feel like, being suspended in the air, dangling from an umbrella? I’d think about this madly when I was small and bored being pinned on the ground. I’d consider jumping from the bungalow roof, umbrella on hand, friendly wind beneath my feet, and faith in my heart that I land in one […]
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Chocolate memories crumbling down
Seven years ago friend Kei and I flew to Cebu and Bohol from weeks of teaching in Coron, Palawan together with the volunteer group called Pahinungod. The plan was to unwind and see how other people live their lives in other parts of the Philippines, and of course, start combing the famous tourist spots of […]
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How to hide from the pursuing clock in Penang, Malaysia
To make sense out of the chaos of our minds and step out of the Things That Insidiously Kill Us Through Stress, dear friend Kei and I went to Malaysia summer of last year. Part 1: a guide, sort of Kei clearly loved the windows in this heritage town of Penang. Quite a striking literary […]
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How to scam a scammer in Vietnam
Not all escapades are bathed in sunshine. Early this year, I planned to divulge some misadventures I encountered in my trips (see: Bangkok post). Here’s an account of how I was scammed in Vietnam and how I turned the tables on the scammer. After being swathed in comfort at the five-star hotel where I stayed […]
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How to keep calm
Young people are more given to short temper and fury, than their elders. While in a waiting lobby, I read an article suggesting that a calm mind is more productive and professional in a working environment. It says many top executives have turned to meditation and quiet exercises to keep them on top of their […]
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How not to be scared watching horror films
Horror films don’t scare me now as much as they did before. I wouldn’t say it’s because I’ve grown up or that horror films have become less effective, but it’s probably because in the past three years, I encountered so much horror and corporate stress that could equal the terror of horror films, to the […]
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How to Plagiarize
“Today I’ll teach you how to plagiarize,” I told my students one semester at the University. That must’ve been enough to catch their attention for the rest of the lecture. First, I told them, don’t cite your sources. I was teaching English 2 (that’s Comm 2 for us, older UP alumni) and the library research […]
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Heroes’ Day
The quick facts, simply told: well-connected Janet Lim Napoles has been at the center of a pork barrel scam involving our billion-peso taxes that we pay either thru salary deduction or VAT in things we buy; she’s said to be in cahoots with congressmen and senators who actually get more in every transaction; Napoles’ daughter […]
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Boracay, 3rd time
Boracay the third time around can still bring surprises – the life-nourishing kind.
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Hocus Bogus
I took to social media the war against the Philippines’ biggest corruption scam, and almost forgot this blog as an equally powerful platform. Here’s one status I shared: You know, one of the things that irk me in this issue is how some people can easily register dummy corporations and foundations. Three years ago, when […]
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Being a monster is not easy
There’s a scene in Monsters University where Mike Wazowski was sitting by a lake, looking at the moon, contemplating his failure in being a monster. He’s a monster alright but the dean and other monsters think he lacks the scare factor, an essential element in one’s monstrosity. He’s not scary enough, they said, and ought […]
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My first cover story
For anyone trying to make a dent in their ‘writing career,’ having one’s story published on the cover of a magazine is such a milestone worth sharing. Here I post my first cover story – the latest progress in Alzheimer’s disease research. Like the other science articles I’ve written and edited, this one had to […]
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Cinemalaya 2013: 25 films and some posters of art
Vilma Santos is the lead star of Jeffrey Jeturian’s Ekstra; Eugene Domingo of Leo Abaya’s Instant Mommy; Gretchen Barretto of Christopher Ad. Castillo’s The Diplomat Hotel, and Alessandra De Rossi of Gil M. Portes’ Liars.
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Einstein’s letter to 11 year-old son
Thirty-six years old and a Dad, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to his son Hans Albert when the genius was in Berlin. The 11-year old was in Vienna, with his brother Edward (“Tete”) and Einstein’s estranged wife, Mileva. The letter was written after the theory of relativity was done. Here’s an excerpt: Dear [Hans] Albert, […]
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After the French film festival, Fête de la Musique
After the free French Film Festival last week (Jay and I watched Rust and Bone starring Marion Cotillard), Aliance Francais is bringing us another most-awaited free event in Manila, Fête de la Musique 2013, featuring over 100 bands to play over 10 hours. Fête de la Musique is not all French. In fact, it also celebrates the […]
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Radio and bedtime stories
When I was small, my parents were sometimes away and the aunts slept in another room, so my sister and I would sleep at the master’s bedroom, listening to voices and sounds on the radio, clutching our blankets or hiding beneath them while waiting for the right time to scream, like when the moon has […]
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Jars and a rainy day
When I was small, I slid some sheets of crepe paper into jars of water, and my jaw dropped when the water turned red, blue and green. I kept the jars at the backyard of my grandparents’ house, believing that I discovered something the world doesn’t know. I covered the jars with sheets of something, […]
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If the MMDA really has to write Dan Brown a letter
If the MMDA really has to write Dan Brown a letter, maybe I would volunteer as their ghostwriter and have the chair sign this: Dear author, That literature mirrors reality has long been a subject of debate among students of Art, but allow us to read your metaphor against the grain: the representation of Manila […]
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Mangoes, anyone?
Mike knows that mangoes tame my inner monsters, so since the onset of summer he’s been buying me kilos of yellow mangoes that exude that familiar smell of ripeness. One second, I could be a complete worrywart, the next minute, I am Zenlike, eating bite after bite of mangoes divine. On Sundays outside the streets […]
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At the sound of hello
At the sound of hello, I quiver holding the telephone connecting me to a voice from the land of aborigines, kangaroos, and koalas. Koalas. Seventy-five percent of a koala’s day, they say, is spent on sleeping. There’s no way you can say hello to them while they’re up there with their arms looped around branches, […]
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April
Women, they say, are most physically attractive when they’re in their late 20s and early 30s. Natalie Portman easily comes to mind as an example. This is the time of maturity for many in terms of physique, career, romance, and well-being. (If you’re 28 and you still baby talk in social media, perhaps you’re a […]
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We are what we eat and I am a salad
Since I come home after work early in the afternoon, siesta time, I would usually take a nap, read a book, walk around MOA (Booksale or Fullybooked or fashion stores), watch BBC/CNN/HBO, or prepare merienda. Pasta is my pastime because all it takes to cook it is boil the pasta and prepare the sauce. All […]
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Crossing fingers for heaps of good news
It’s a shame that the world is crazy over news on Boston bombing while ignoring or ignorant of that bombed Afghan wedding where casualties were ten times more than the marathon tragedy. This is not to say that little attention should also be given to Boston, but that equally big, caring social media space be […]
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No use talking about privacy in social media, says law professor
Less—not more—privacy benefits the community, said Deakin Law professor who argued that “the more we know about other people, the clearer it becomes that they are like us.” This, he said, reduces stereotypes and prejudices. Privacy, irrelevant Talks of privacy in the time of flourishing social media and technological advances are irrelevant, said Professor Mirko […]
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The so many questions after her death
There have always been those who have filled their bellies because they had no sense of shame, but we, who have nothing, apart from this last shred of undeserved dignity, let us at least show that we are still capable of fighting for what is rightfully ours. -Saramago’s Blindness The University of the Philippines freshman student […]
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World’s 2013 ‘best’ universities
I did a rewrite of a breaking news on the world’s top universities ranked according to reputation. As you might have guessed, the elite “super-brand” universities from the US and UK were on top. In Asia-Pacific, Australian universities are gaining recognition among scholars. The well-known 2013 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings was based on invitation-only […]
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Sleep – an important health and beauty investment
Australian sleep expert Prof. D Hillman said sleep, like diet and exercise, is key to healthy living. One who lacks sleep experiences quality problems in thought processing, decision making, vigilance, reaction times and mood. Lack of sleep lets all ingredients in a happy, healthy life slip away. “Productivity, safety and wellbeing suffer as do other […]
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Sleep and Marcus Wayne
Having a kid at home sends waves of energy and love. Hope to crush this boy with hugs and kisses again, probably on the long weekend. And now, I go back to sleep. But very quickly, speaking of sleep, I wrote an interesting news piece the other day about it. I’ll blog the details tomorrow, […]
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Nail specialists
Our fingers, our toes – they register our hardships or lack of such. “Nail experts” can read how and how often we use them. A professor of literature once observed that social classes can be read in one’s toes. Ginger toes for the working class, silky white for the well-scrubbed. Few months ago, I was […]
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Disappearing in Thailand
The first thing you need to know about Bangkok is how the heat can make you do crazy things in April. One morning, after the usual breakfast of croissant, eggs(?), fresh orange juice, coffee, and banana at a backpackers’ hostel in Siam, I searched for beaches near Thailand’s capital and found some islands a few […]
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Musings and brief moments of indulgence
I’ve been locked out of my blog for some time to avoid any hacking incidence that’s been crippling my host’s websites, so to make up for it, I’ll try to write every other day starting today. First, some realizations. In less than two months, I have written about 80 articles: news re-writes, breaking news stories, […]
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Grooming oneself for the new year
New year, new job, new home, new cut. Getting haircut is something I never did for three years until 2013 when I felt I need a big change in myself to signify the latest turns in my career. Cutting my almost waist-length messy, curly hair was a big decision any girl would encounter, but since […]
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Thank you
At the onset of this year, I was hired in Manila as a journalist for APN Educational Media, where I write for the Australian magazines Campus Review, Education Review, Insite, Nursing Review and TechGuide. Before I blog about the perks and rewards of the new job, I would like to say thanks again to all the people […]
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An amazing dance revolution of one billion
This Valentine’s day, a billion women will rise. Every day, 2 to 3 cases of rape are reported in the Philippines. Imagine every country around the world keeping similar statistics of forced sex, of physical abuse of women, of malicious touch and looks, of hitting and , and that would be enough to join One […]
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4th annual Manila Game Jam: making games in 48 hours
Students, professionals and hobbyists create games in just 48 Hours
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Sweet home, Tubbataha
The news of a US military ship stuck in an important paradise of a coral reef in the Philippine waters strikes a blow to any nature lover and travel enthusiast whose appreciation of marine life and ecological balance runs deep. Tubbataha reef may actually be considered the planet’s act of kindness–of showing a slice of […]
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CJ
Let’s talk about CJ. Another filmmaker from the South. At the end of these questions, see some awards CJ bagged in 2012. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? The Hobbit, with my sisters 2. What’s the next movie you’re going to watch on big screen? Life of Pi
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Dempster
Let’s talk about Dempster. Another filmmaker with laurel leaves. Dempster directed the documentary Taguri: The Kites of Sulu, a full-length feature on the Taosug people. His replies here sound like half-jokes, but they sure are telling. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? Ruruoni Kenshin, with the wife 2. What’s the […]
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Aedrian
Let’s talk about Aedrian. He’s an advocate of children’s rights as well as the rights of the LGBT group. He wants to make films that can “break the wall of oppression,” he said, to help the marginalized. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? The last movie I saw was […]
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Teng
Let’s talk about Teng. He’s Cinema Rehiyon 5’s curator for Mindanao. Born in Cotabato City and living in Davao City, Teng is also a filmmaker and writer from Maguindanao. He has directed and produced more than a dozen short documentaries and experimental works. His debut feature Limbunan (Bridal Quarter) has been screened in more than fifteen international […]
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Bagane
Let’s talk about Bagane. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? The Hobbit! With other hobbits. I was so glad I’m still alive and was able to watch it. 2. What’s the next movie you’re going to watch on big screen? I’m definitely going to watch The Hobbit again, before […]
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Happy, happy new year, world!
Apparently we all survived the end of the world, rather nervously. This start of the year should be a renewal of life, but I think all of us renew life every time we replace cells here and there, and improve on our self. Right before calendars turned 2012, I made a list of outlook, which […]
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End of the world wedding
I attended a special wedding when the world was supposed to end last December 21. An official marriage of Weng and Rene, two people I respect since 2002. It’s extra special for me because I hosted their reception and Mike helped in coordinating the event (Mike and I worked with them during the fun run […]
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Vanity splurges (next time, yoga and calamansi extract will do)
Not so many people know that I spend my salary on my family, especially my brothers’ education, so before I resigned from work, I splurged on things I never bought for myself. It was my last shot at a premium-rate wage, and I wanted to try some brands of make-up from primer to powder. I’ll […]
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Carson
Let’s talk about Cinema Rehiyon 5. The film festival for Philippine independent cinema outside the country’s capital is called Cinema Rehiyon, and the first two festivals were held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. After that, Davao and Bacolod hosted the next ones. In 2013, it will be in Maria Makiling’s paradise […]
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Auraeus
Let’s talk about Auraeus. Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) and Pisay are among his known films. And like a kickass rockstar, he did the the MTV of Huling El Bimbo. Busong, the first part of his trilogy that tackles issues in Palawan, went to the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. What inspired the works of […]
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Pol
Let’s talk about filmmakers. Many people love watching movies and some–like Pol here–make films. The power of independent filmmaking is in its freedom to tell stories dripping with the aspirations and perspective of the common people or voices that could have been censored by movie-producing cash cows or government censor bodies. 1. What’s the last […]
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Kei
Let’s talk about films. Many people love watching movies, some make films… and a few crazy ones, like Kei here, study them and head a cool film festival. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? Rurouni Kenshin with, uhm, you! 2. What’s the next movie you’re going to watch on the big […]
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Laurence
Let’s talk about movies. Many people love watching movies, some make films… and a few crazy ones, like Laurence here, help organize festivals of regional films, or stories of people outside the centers of politico-economic zones, captured in moving pictures. 1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom? Last film I […]
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BenCab Museum: that other world in the fog
In between reading books and editing articles, I bring here some memories from weeks ago at BenCab museum in Baguio City, Philippines. Entrance fee is 100 pesos (prices are discounted for students). The museum has four floors of wonder and the fog outside reminds me of the blinding whiteness of Saramago’s Blindness. Ben Cabrera is mostly […]
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Mario Maurer, watching movies in Bangkok/Manila, and Thai films
Scarcity of love in Love of Siam* (2007) The first time I watched Thai actor Mario Maurer was a few years ago, when a dear friend passed to me a copy of Love of Siam, which some dubbed the “national gay film.” He was ecstatic when he handed me the CD, looking as if he could die […]
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Every little girl wears her momma’s lipstick
Little girls love all the small things in her momma’s drawer of make-up and trinkets. A pair of pearl earrings, long golden necklaces, tiny bottles of perfume, empty vials from hotels, head band, endless loops of bracelets and necklaces in a complicated tangle, boxes of sequins, a mat of needles with rolls of thread […]
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Tam-awan Village and other realities
In some other time, or planes of existence, time seems to move forward ever so slowly, slower than the city pace or that of a town indulged in a rush for Pleasures that will masticate society- and self-induced Pain. Tam-awan Village in Baguio preserves a way of living in its small parcel of […]
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Because we love free art: Italian Cinema now returns at Greenbelt Cinemas
Fresh from the success of last year’s festival, Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now is back in Manila. The International Italian Film Festival returns anew on December 4-9, 2012 at Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, Makati City.
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Playing foodies in Baguio
Let’s start with the 50’s Diner near Mines View Park, Baguio City. Mike ordered stuffed squid, I had Corvette burger (porkloin steak), asparagus soup, and frozen margarita. The burger buns looked nothing special. Tell that to a person, “you look nothing special,” she might get offended, hold grudges, be bitter about it, so I […]
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Baguio wins our hearts
Baguio City and I were never friends. Baguio is that place families seem to be obliged to visit every year (at least in our case) when the kids are still, well, young and their participation in decision-making is as little as their financial contribution to vacations. And so, the small ones have no choice but […]
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An island of seven volcanoes, white island, and a riot of lanzones
Camiguin is a province island, north of Mindanao. It’s known for the sweet, succulent lanzones that looks like a full moon outside, quarter moons inside because of the fruit’s whiteness and translucence. The day we arrived in the island, our host Grace invited us to help her parents harvest corn and lanzones. Mike and I […]
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Coming to Camiguin
One weekend, under the trees of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Grace Cutab and I were talking about the Run for Given, when she mentioned that she’s having a trip to their home in Camiguin. At the mention of Camiguin, my face registered the surprise of a kid–every traveler and backpacker I know […]
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Raising funds (photos)
September and October have been busy months because aside from work, there’s the fund raising activities for Given Grace, the 19-year old Computer Science student slain and raped in UPLB exactly last year. Since justice delayed is justice denied, the Task Force Given Grace organized a benefit gig in business district Makati, a bike ride […]
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Editor
The title “editor” is a convenient, self-explanatory name quite handy to say to people who ask what I do for a living. It’s a capsule of information about what editors do: edit. One year into this editorial post, though, I understand that being an editor of a magazine is not just about trimming articles, spotting […]
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Rage, rage
From which hole did this idiot crawl? said Mike Jackson (former IRRI scientist who’s now back in UK) in his Facebook the other day. Curious me checked out the link attached. It’s an article about US congressman Todd Akin, who was quoted saying: “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to […]
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United Colors of Singapore, kids (SG post 4)
Singapore is home to Chinese, Malays, Indians, and foreigners–so many foreigners such as Australians, Filipinos, British, Indonesians, Bangladeshis, and others, that the locals want their influx stopped (immigration and work, not tourism). Such mixed and diversified population can be seen usually in tourist spots (Sentosa, Orchard, Esplanade) and business districts (Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar, Harborfront). […]
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Lucky Plaza, the Filipino mall (SG post 3)
If there’s a TV station for Filipinos (The Filipino Channel), Singapore’s Filipino mall is the Lucky Plaza. You can find this old mall at Orchard, sticking out like a sore thumb among luxury malls like Ion, Ngee Ann City, Paragon, and the forever-under-construction Tang. It stands proudly at the center of shopping action and tourist […]
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Walking among the millionaires in Singapore (SG post 2)
Singapore’s leading publisher, SPH, reported that the country has the “highest density of millionaires” around the world because of the state’s small size and the number of millionaires living here: 99,000! A typical millionaire, the report says, has an average of 3 signature watches (SGD15,000 each or half a million pesos), and travels out of […]
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Guilty, cheap pleasure (Singapore post 1)
It’s sweet that my brother Maeng asks how I’m doing in Singapore (I haven’t posted any photos/status of my whereabouts for weeks now, so to prove I’m not yet dead or rotting in a cabinet, I’ll start a series of Singapore posts). Last Sunday Aside from Kinokuniya Bookstore, another place I frequent in Takashimaya (at […]
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Wet and dry flip-flop
Typing this as I saw sad news and photos of what’s going on in inundated Philippines–Be safe, friends and family Weather news is a must-watch for those who stay tuned to economic matters. Commodity markets, for one, depend on good weather for production and transportation. In India, now is the time when farmers expect a […]
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Airport reading
Waiting in airports–for boarding especially–could be a tad boring. Some prefer to nap, usually when it’s an early morning flight; some chat with friends or make last calls before boarding; some connect to the airport WiFi and browse their gadgets; some shop around airport stores or buy some snacks or grab a cup of coffee; […]
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Sweet SONA and a grain of salt: thoughts on OFWs and BPOs
The first thing I will confess is I fell asleep yesterday afternoon watching the live streaming of President Aquino’s SONA. The drift was inevitable when he was promising the police force and the military big toys for big boys. I dozed off in front of my laptop. Please excuse my untoward reaction. My brain was […]
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Elephants on canvas
Part of my 2012 bucket list is to paint because for so many years, I’ve been telling myself that I’ll paint. I draw and sketch, but never have I painted. Whenever I come across a painter, amateur or professional, my line would always be “teach me how to paint!” and always I’d get this look […]
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Noel believes
Noel Torreta is mestizo. At any given time, he looks like he could recite poetry in Portuguese, with his eyeglasses hanging at the tip of his nose, his eyelids masking half of his eyes in a way that says what are you talking about, darling. Along the aisles and corridors of the Department of Humanities, […]
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Choose your own adventure type of road trip
You know that book Choose your own adventure, which gives you some command in telling what will happen next, by letting you jump to page xx if you want to, say, hide in a closet as men with tanker arms approach to assault you, or to page x to somersault out of the window, and you end […]
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Cagbalete island, capturing fleeting pleasure, and the neuroscience of optimism
Pleasure is early morning sunshine and good food and friends and hugs and kisses and booze and sea breeze and ocean waves on your feet (that is why eating breakfast with friends and sweetheart by the beach would make you go… “ah this is Life”). An article on neuroscience of optimism says that seeking pleasure […]
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Get a boyfriend who can cook
The boyfriend arrived in the Philippines last month while I was still on a two-week vacation in Malaysia, so during my last week there, I wanted to re-schedule my flight to an earlier date, but since it would be more expensive, I chose to wait instead and enjoy Kuala Lumpur’s gastronomic treats and sights. Starting […]
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Things I like about KL
What are the things to like in Kuala Lumpur? There are big things and small. Here are some snapshots I took when I was in Malaysia’s capital, last month.
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Up in the caves of Kuala Lumpur, talking to a backpacker, on a rainy night
It was raining in Kuala Lumpur. After staying in my room the whole day, I called Ranie to ask if he could accompany me to the Batu Caves. I changed my mind when I saw the downpour still going on outside. I told him, I’ll just walk around the block. Since I couldn’t go any […]
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Will never fly AirAsia again ever (a rant)
Yesterday has to be the worst flight I had during my first AirAsia experience, when our flight was delayed twice, first from 4pm to 8pm, then to 10:30 pm, thus, moving our arrival time at Kuala Lumpur from 8pm to 2am of the following day, and we were given a complementary snack coupon only (100 […]
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Bangkok food trip
Eating in Bangkok can be as expensive or cheap or exciting (read: street food) as that in Manila. smoked everything As much as possible I try to eat in different places to maximize my visit here (leaving tomorrow!). It’s not always Thai that I go for. One time I found a really cheap steak house […]
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too humid to move
While roaming the temples with my friends the other week, we saw this meaty dog. On the streets of Bangkok all the dogs I saw were hanging out like they’re on vacation in a tropical country.
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a night market
Silom, Bangkok. April 2012. After sunset. Past the racks of bohemian dresses and layered skirts, vials of colored contact lenses, boxes of synthetic pumps and oxfords, golden buddha keychains and silver elephant bottle openers, Pepsi cans in an icebox, digital clocks that glow on the surface of wood, vintage quarter-sleeve tops for ninety-nine baht, signage […]
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Lub it!
If you’re planning to go on a budget trip to Bangkok, my friends and I would highly recommend staying at Lub D Siam. It’s cheap, clean, and chic. The building’s design, in and out, could only come from persons who have taste in art. And on top of all these, it’s right in the heart […]
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This serious business of being alone
Today starts my second week in Bangkok, Thailand. Here, I feel like I’m just in Manila (cleaner version) so homesickness has no place in my mind, not even in my dreams. The Thais look like Filipinos, and I was always mistaken as a Thai. I’ve met solo backpackers from Korea and the Netherlands–young ladies who weren’t […]
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what to wear in Bangkok when you come in April
To dress up is to communicate. One doesn’t need an expensive wardrobe collection to flaunt one’s style. Imagination should be good enough. Coming to Bangkok in April, however, is a bit of a challenge to one’s creativity in mixing up dresses and accessories because this month is the hottest ever. (Try to focus a blow […]
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Floating market
Fascinating how the floating market operates. Also called the Venice of Asia, this market easily lands in travelogues and blogs about Thailand. You ride a boat and buy all sorts of products from the side of the waterways or from peddlers on boats. These photos were taken last week when C. and O. were […]
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a cabinet of wonders
There is a cabinet of wonders I rarely open, but this afternoon I remembered it when I saw my former colleague, Christian Tablazon, on Facebook liking this photo (thanks, Christian!): Christian showed me this website, and I opened it twice since then. Both times I wondered about the process of their creation (and not really […]
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Your hands on my face
Doors of the train slid open. Drum beats slipped in, people poured out. Below Bangkok’s Skytrain station are vendors calling out, everybody walking, people dancing and water-splashing. I stared at the long stretch of Sala Daeng full of partying teenagers and twentysomethings, not sure if foreigners are welcome in their New Year, in their celebration […]
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Singapore-Bangkok-Malaysia
It’s midnight and I’m writing this from a youth hostel in Bangkok, Thailand. Today, I could say that my work for the magazine is over (it’s running in the press already!) after this week’s sleepless nights of proof editing. The excruciating part of this editing job is having to read the same articles 10 times. […]
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iPhone 4s (technology meets art: perfection)
Once upon a modern time, before iPhone 4s was released, my game designer friend Jay warned me, in an arcane tone, that the way you look at mobile phones will never be the same again once you use an iPhone. Since I was never a techie person, that geek data he was trying to feed […]
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Ilustrado (an untrue, honest story about us, Filipinos)
Believe it or not, instead of reading or writing a review, the first thing I did after reading Ilustrado is add the author on Facebook to look at some of his photos. Whatever happened to my academic dignity and literary principle, the author is dead. (The dead accepted the friend request anyway) “honesty before glory” What […]
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holy week memories
Somebody from Cebu dropped a message saying she and her friends or colleagues just read my article that was published in Youngblood (the one about how I met a stranger on a bus) and she requested for a photo of Mr. Stranger. It has been my personal rule not to post our photos, especially the […]
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every day's most quiet need
soup for the soul on rainy days later again, after worship of screens (stopover in Singapore)
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every day’s most quiet need
soup for the soul on rainy days later again, after worship of screens (stopover in Singapore)
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Myanmar, a promising country in Southeast Asia
This summer, it will be my first time to visit some Southeast Asian countries after a stressful work for Rice Today magazine. I haven’t got time to plan this “backpacking” but I’m already excited. Unfortunately, I can’t stay out roaming for too long to explore the less travelled Southeast Asian countries such as Laos and Myanmar. I […]
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kei runs
Sunday morning found Kei Tan running. The run started at 2am (assembly at 1am). The distance: a crazy 40+ kilometers. That’s about the distance from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Buendia, Manila (a 1-hour drive). News is, she finished it. Everyone has her own quirks, but this Kei person is just… random. But her friends are […]
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Bahala na si Batman (Batman will take care of it)
Los Baños, Laguna has been in the news of late as it witnessed a series of crimes in the past weeks and months. Helpless students have been the target of theft, murder, and rape. Because of this, the image of elbi (LB)–serene, peaceful, quiet, and beautiful–has been tainted somewhat. But we will not let this […]
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Happy women's day! –but what is this for?
Our big boss who’s in a Mekong Delta trip right now told us that flowers are filling the streets of Vietnam as men get these for women since it’s women’s day today. What’s this international women’s day for? Different organizations have different themes, just as how different schools and discourses of feminism define a woman […]
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Happy women’s day! –but what is this for?
Our big boss who’s in a Mekong Delta trip right now told us that flowers are filling the streets of Vietnam as men get these for women since it’s women’s day today. What’s this international women’s day for? Different organizations have different themes, just as how different schools and discourses of feminism define a woman […]
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Coincidences, or not.
During our editorial summit break last week in Manila, my officemate and I were talking about the car that my sister and I bought for our father, and she said something like they must be lucky to have us as daughters, and I didn’t know how to respond to that so I just said with […]
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Buying a car
Yesterday my sister and I bought my father a car–an AUV to be exact. It’s not like we dropped by the shop and felt like buying him one. We’ve been in constant communication and research for a month on which to buy– economizing what we need, what we want, and what we have. Because we witnessed […]
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Exotic Asia and images of the Philippines in the Singapore published novel, White Tiger
Do you also get curious whenever your country is mentioned in a foreign film or book? Of course, we’re interested in how ‘the others’ see us. When I saw White Tiger on the shelves of Bookay Ukay, I thought it’s the famous 2008 award-winning Indian novel by Aravind Adiga (The White Tiger). It wasn’t. Published […]
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stretching
A good morning exercise is stretching every part of your body, lifting things, and walking. This will flex the muscles so they won’t be shocked if you do something heavy later in the day. Stress and fatigue can take its toll on the skin and well-being, so it’s best to be prepared for a long […]
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how to battle technology stress (!!!)
One of the RSS feeds I’m subscribed to is some bookstore blog in the U.S., and their latest book review offered a panacea to my recent technology stress. Technological advancements are supposed to make life easier, but there are times when it causes more frustration than comfort. This happens when files don’t effin’ attach, the […]
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Divine Secrets
Forty-year old theater director old Siddalee Walker is not in good terms with her (literally) crazy darling of a mother, Vivi. This is because of a controversial New York Times article about Vivi’s child abuse on her kids, including Sidda.
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Sunday trip to the Hot Air Balloon Festival and why “it’s more fun in the Philippines”
One time, my Singaporean boss asked me if it would be all right if my work takes me to the Philippines couple of times instead of staying all year round in Singapore. That wasn’t the first time he asked me (and I would always answer, I’m fine with it, and I’m not sure if he […]
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Sunday trip to the Hot Air Balloon Festival and why it’s more fun in the Philippines, really
One time, my Singaporean boss asked me if it would be all right if my work takes me to the Philippines couple of times instead of staying all year round in Singapore. That wasn’t the first time he asked me (and I would always answer, I’m fine with it, and I’m not sure if he […]
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Wednesday Snapshot: Mr Stranger
If you really want to know about the rest of the story, you’ll have to sit with me over a cup of coffee. As for the face of Mr Stranger, here he is.
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road trip, the Comm Arts way
Million thanks to the people who took some of their precious time reading, sharing, blogging, re-blogging, tweeting, google plus-ing (whut?), and commenting on my article published in Philippine Daily Inquirer‘s Young Blood last week. Many personal messages surprised and touched me. Friends told me that it was trending in FB, it’s the top most read […]
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I was published in Young Blood!
Today’s a lovely day. I’m back at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headquarters in Los Baños to start another issue of Rice Today. IRRI is just beside the UPLB campus, so walking around the university brings me back to my golden days of 2001 when I was a freshman. I felt like a student […]
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Philippine gov't explains why there's no need to increase minimum wage
What an ugly, mortifying news this is: THE country’s daily minimum wage is one of the highest in the region, based on the amount of rice, the staple food of Filipinos, it can buy. The National Statistics Coordination Board’s newly released “Sexy Statistics” showed that last year, the daily minimum wages in the Philippines and […]
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Philippine gov’t explains why there’s no need to increase minimum wage
What an ugly, mortifying news this is: THE country’s daily minimum wage is one of the highest in the region, based on the amount of rice, the staple food of Filipinos, it can buy. The National Statistics Coordination Board’s newly released “Sexy Statistics” showed that last year, the daily minimum wages in the Philippines and […]
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2012 may be a year of success, says the Dragon
The 28 and 40 year old Rats can look forward to some easy successes and unexpected good news. Happy Chinese New Year! What I love about this celebration is the astrology. Like many people, I take these predictions as a suggestion or possibility and not the end of the road fate for me. This Year […]
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bursting bubbles
Strength can be drawn from family, from a special person who used to massage your feet and kiss them, from friends who could put up with you for ten years, from your childhood imaginary friend, from blueberry cheesecake and chai tea latte, from old-smelling dog-eared books, from a plate of garlic rice, from black and […]
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my first economic report published in an international magazine
Slowly I am inching my way to learning about my job, that is writing reviews/ updates on exports (for an online trade publication that features highly classified information) and being one of the editors of Rice Today, an international magazine (with print-run of 5,500-6,000 distributed around the world). Both publications are dedicated to rice, the […]
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High risk (How I was persuaded to get a private insurance plus investment)
Insurance would probably be the last thing that many young people like me would spend money on. “Getting insured” seems apt only for the sick and aging people. In the Philippines, getting an insurance plan is the least of the majority’s concern, since many of the Filipinos would rather buy food for the table than […]
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Post-holiday depression, the story of Lola Cion, and ticking one box in my 2012 goals
Okay, the holidays are over. So many gifts exchanged, so many carbs consumed. And we have no more money. I’ve been very busy for the past weeks, working-relaxing-working, acting like a grown up, so I didn’t have time for myself and my blog. After the noise, there’s all this quiet. This week I was feeling a bit down for reasons I […]
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1Q84 punctures the boring, the ordinary and the lonely (no spoilers)
Okay, let it be said that I liked 1Q84 because I enjoy the strange and the extraordinary in the everyday life. This is just one of the reasons for recommending this novel to my friends. Another reason is, I love the ending. I was prepared for something Murakami-ish (perplexing), but its ending was concrete and […]
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Because I want more cupcakes
If you’ve been reading my blog, you’d notice I’ve been writing eulogies for friends and former students. I remember my boyfriend telling me one time that he doesn’t know how to feel about eulogies–people should be saying nice things to one another when they’re alive, not when they’re dead. I wanted to argue, but I […]
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the day I realized I'm a gerl
Every weekend, I reward myself for a week of editing that hurts my eyes and head. Most of the time, I buy a book. This is my mighty driving force whenever my eyes are about to give up. I’m buying a book, I’m buying a book after this, I encourage myself. Last weekend, before I […]
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Rest in beautiful peace, Tin
A day after a friend passed away and about a month after a former student was murdered, another former student of mine died yesterday. It was accident, they say, a death nonetheless. In one creative writing class, I wrote a story where many people related to the character are dead. The grandmother is dead, the […]
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Crush of the Month: Murakami
“I loved to read; I loved to listen to music; and I love cats. Those three things. So, even though I was an only kid, I could be happy because I knew what I loved. Those three things haven’t changed from my childhood. I know what I love, still, now. That’s a confidence. If you […]
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Friday snapshot: RIP Brother John, our former news editor and friend
Rarely do I wake up with good dreams and this morning I had a pretty decent, fun dream and I thought it’s nice to start my day in a bubbly mood, until I got the news of a friend’s death (where did I read that line that dreams symbolize death). My second Friday snapshot here […]
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test of goldfish memory
My boss and I meet at Spinelli cafe in Orchard almost once a week. Last time we met, he gave me his second on-the-spot quiz, which will give you an idea what stuff I deal with every day. Boss: What are the three most active origins right now? Me: India… (Boss nods, smiles) hmm, Latin […]
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weekend flea
Venue: Scape Flea Market Many items sold in the flea market are such a precious find like this cream vintage polka dot dress I got for only SGD3 (about a hundred pesos). Some are brand new, some are seldom used. Many are priced 5-10 dollars, others are $15-20. As closing time approaches, prices would drop […]
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Friday Snapshot: where I live
Thought of putting a Friday mainstay which starts today. A snapshot. No dilly dallying. Just a photo. Up here is a hill near where I live in Northeast Singapore. Clouds are steady, watching kites approach them.
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gone growing up
Gone are the days. This sentence has been filling up my mind lately. And the more you say this, the more you tell yourself you’re actually getting older. I was in denial before: that I’m a grown up and I hold responsibilities like a grown up. You know that word accountability? It’s a scary long […]
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Happy Diwali!
What I like about Singapore is so many nationalities and cultures are here that holidays are a many. The latest, aside from Halloween, is the Hindu’s Deepavali or Diwali (festival of lights). I like what it means to the spiritual ones: the celebration of an inner light, a self that is something beyond our bodies […]
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first timer in Vietnam (snapshots of walk trips, people, and all things lovely)
When I checked in and entered my room, I literally stopped in awe at the room reserved for me (my mind said: omigoshoigoshomigosh). Like in my other trips, I don’t expect much from the places nor do I read so many travel guides since they may spoil my own impressions. One funny habit I have […]
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I want more Vietnamese food!
Oh my. Vietnamese food is all goodness. Heaven’s delight. pho Honestly I had zero idea what specialty Vietnam has, until my co-editor at IRRI, Lanie, advised me to try pho, noodles made of rice! (they’re abundant with rice, Vietnam being the world’s second largest rice exporter (after Thailand). That advice came to me weeks before […]
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dressing up and down in saigon
Last week was a crazy week for our company as we organized the World Rice Conference in Ho Chi Minh (former Saigon), Vietnam. Let my first Vietnam blog be a no-brainer: my travel closet. Before the event, I was handed our company shirt. I’m not very small, but the shirt was really huge. XL, American […]
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Given
Do you remember me, Ms Ai? would always be the exacting question of a former student whom I’d run into; I’d answer not with a categorical yes or no, but with a classroom no. and seat location, or a topic in research paper–that’s where you sat, that’s what you wrote in class, I would answer; then comes the predictable reaction…
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Coming Full Circle
Last month, September, I turned 27. No fireworks, no champagne fizz. My celebration of life was quiet, with friends, in a town tucked away at the foot of a mountain. Twenty-seven. An odd number. Odd. One observation: I have come full circle when my age turned odd. Somebody said I got some dream job.
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first two weeks of work
My work is more complicated than I thought: my “colleagues” are all over the world; I do my work at the International Rice Research Institute, but I’m not an IRRI employee; I’m required to fly to other countries soon and I am not required to stay in the office. It’s as if somebody saw my […]
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Liliw Liwaliw
………………………………. Liwaliw, in English, is strolling or roaming, and this is precisely what my long-time friends and I did in mythological goddess Makiling’s beloved province, Laguna. [photos by CJ Brosas] It has become a curious coincidence that the three of us, Connet B. and Jay G., would go out to some far flung place, on a […]
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Crush of the Month: Larry, The Boss
On my last night in Boracay, I was walking down the beachfront with my relatives when a rock band seized my attention and its leader grabbed my heart: Larry of The Boss Band Boracay on Bass and Vocals I couldn’t explain what took over me that night when I heard and watched this Larry perform. […]
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Longest Day On The Beach
That’s how our 4-day stay in Boracay Island, Aklan started: with a very long lazy day of beach bumming while waiting for our relatives to arrive nine hours after us. Nine hours. And we thought the day would never end. With eating lunch and merienda in between, my brother and I walked the long stretch […]
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Boracay's Secrets
Boracay is world-famous for its White Beach. In 1997 though, it became infamous for severe pollution in its waters, mainly because of resorts dumping its sewage waste into the sea (according to a Discovery Channel publication). Ten years after that, Boracay gradually treated its waters, and bacterial content hasn’t been as grave as before […]
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3-Day Preparation for a 4-day Boracay Stay
It was flattering to be told that I must’ve photoshopped my picture of me in bikini, or, I must’ve undergone some “preparations” to achieve this so-called Boracay-worthy body. For the record, it was my first time wearing bikinis on the beach, and
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How To Get To Boracay (with 150pesos)
The Laws Of The Universe decided that I be in Boracay this month. Thanks to my Law student friend Giselle H. who sold me UP College of Law raffle tickets, I won two round trip tix to any domestic destination the week I arrived in the Philippines. Then by some strike of luck, my uncle, a graduate […]
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Laundry Time
Confessions: 1 When I’m home–as in my parents’ house– I don’t do the laundry. My mother washes my clothes, including my undies. 2 It’s been years since I actually did a hand wash of one laundry basket. When I was teaching, there were laundry shops. When I was in my sister’s place both in Manila […]
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harassment
The thing about public transportation is tolerance. You got no car, you take the PUV (public utility vehicle), and you expose yourself to all sort of challenges to your sense of civility. Civility. It’s sharing social space with strangers. On my way to Laguna, I had the unfortunate chance of sitting between the driver who was […]
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and now, let's talk about my hair
It reaches my elbows, my hair. Curly from its last treatment: cheap digital perm. Changing hairstyle. that’s the habit of a restless heart. An annual hobby, so to speak. Challenging, though, this recent style. It straightens and splits and flattens and expands and next thing you know, it’s gonna do a cartwheel. To tame it, […]
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Flight Stories and Some Coming Home Frustrations
Weeks ago saw my patience tested in the streets of Manila whipped by typhoons. One after another, surprises met me along the way, way before I set foot home. 1 I kept on putting off the printing of my plane ticket to the Philippines, then to my absolute shock, I found out that the […]
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worse novels make bad ones good
Last month I finished reading Norwegian Wood, Murakami’s novel that supposedly put him under the literary limelight. As a matter of preference, I didn’t like it. I’m sorry fans of Murakami. His Wind Up Bird Chronicles is to be blamed. I’ve seen what I think is his best and I couldn’t get myself into settling […]
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Departures (A Weekend of Harry Potter, some TV series and films)
This weekend’s film marathon in our friends’ house and in a 3D theater was a trip down the memory lane. We started with Eiga Sai featured film Departures, then relaxed with 10 Things I Hate About You, then saw two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and watched Harry Potter in 3D. When did you watch these […]
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Fresh Look and Some Nostalgia to Taste
new look AS a personal rule and respect to good writing, I don’t like starting my sentences, especially my posts or articles with “I”, nor do I use all caps in stating something in intense emotion, nor do I use exclamation marks more than one because one is enough, two is too much, three is […]
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blog under renovation
So I check out my site and I feel like accidentally trespassing into somebody’s house, then all sinks in, oh, my husband did mention to me something about some quick house renovation. So I step out first and go somewhere else while waiting for this to be fixed. In the meantime, I go back to […]
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Japanese. Film Festival. Singapore. 2011.
city of curious finds Days ago, I whined about not being in Manila where the film festivals are on. After that I saw a newspaper ad announcing the opening of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) here. Of course, I told myself, Singapore without its arts festivals is not Singapore. Gallery Theatre of the grand National […]
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Ohhh Sad Movies. Always. Make Me. Cry.
Couple of days ago, I solicited suggestions for all-time tear-jerker movies, the kind that will give you swollen eyes and runny nose. And here’s what I got: Rizza: A Moment to Remember
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strangers in my blog and my unsolicited sex advice to you
So you’re sexually active? Visit your gynecologist regularly. Penises and vaginas and all the things inside them aren’t like your elbows that will do fine even if you ignore it for the rest of your life.
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It's-My-Life-It's-Now-Or-Never kind of attitude of Us
We are the Generation Y (born in the 80s and 90s), nephews and nieces of Gen X (born in the 70s), and sons and daughters of the Baby Boomers (born postWWII). We are described as techy-savvy, family-centric, achievement-oriented, team-oriented, and attention-craving (about.com). One look on our Facebook News Feeds and we can observe that many of […]
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singapore, second time around
One’s first time in Singapore could be an amazing sensory overload treat, and really, if a tourist stays for sixty days, that’s enough time to conquer the island state. Coming back to Singapore for another sixty days, one can still enjoy the glamour of the city, but with more feeling of being “at home” than […]
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happy days are here
with my tiny nephew. It’s difficult to think of sad things when this toddler is around. Running, jumping, rolling around. I hope days like these, when I do nothing but look after him (cook for him, give him a bath, prepare him milk, play with him), won’t end. He loves to sing bahay kubo […]
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surfing (not the net, the real thing)
Maybe kids should go out more often, like, stay away from Facebook and the Internet in general, and do some real surfing, riding the waves, trying to stand on a surf board, experience getting stoked amidst the breaking of waves and the looming storm. Well, if only Baler is at your backyard. Travel guide to […]
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Eating, Praying, Loving
Reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love after Haruki Murakami is a breather. At first, Liz Gilbert’s voice in the novel could be really annoying as she is so full of herself (yeah, even if it’s her life, it’s too much!). She talks about her struggle in Divorce Land and whines all the time about her […]
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love of three women, ilocana style
(1) Nita My Ilocana aunt, who served as one of my nannies long time ago, just died of heart attack, in Ilocos. I was too young to remember that she’s the most trusted household person my parents had. Papa remembers, he would ask her to deposit 200,000 pesos to his bank account from time to […]
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ilocos, surreal
Ilocos Sur, last holy week, was sure surreal. The old house stood somewhere between antique and Yet To Be Finished. Grandmother’s presence is still there, but she’s gone together with the other elders of Angkileng. Gone are the solemn days of
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my first haruki murakami experience: I wanted to throw the book away and run for my life.
Some nights, we feel we need a good movie. A feel-good movie. Some evenings, we want a companion to cuddle with. Some times, we want to be alone with a good book that does not let go of us from page 1 to last sentence, a good book with a story that haunts us wherever […]
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All the best things (in SG) are free
Staying in Singapore is expensive. There’s a lot of cultural attractions and world-class entertainment in this tiny country but the only free things here are those cute postcards found in malls and restaurants. And some ten other things like the ones I shall list here. So how can a lakwatchero enjoy Singapore without the luxury […]
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Happy April Fool's Day!
Funniest that happened so far on this first day of warm April, somebody read my name as: Ei-Li Mashalint It was in a hospital. And I was waiting for my name to be called. When no one’s standing, I asked the local who called out “Ei-Li”: Did you say “Aileen”? She said, yes, Ei-Li. I […]
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Daily Anxieties Dissolved in A Cup
Every morning brings me quiet happiness. A steady stream of wind from the huge windows cool the house, blowing away the previous night’s coldness in my body left by the air conditioned bedroom. I would
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Curious Things One Finds Here When Lost
All started when I planned to see 1. an office 2. a museum 3. some people Getting lost, like I said, is not a bad thing, at least to me, who has an uncanny record of running away from home (since 3 years old) and going to places I’ve never heard of. In the presence […]
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lakwatcha mode
Yesterday was probably the worst day for my beautiful feet. Three times I got lost. For hours, I was around trying to find the right way, the right building, the right bus stops, the right person, the right framework of mind to keep on going. I reached our flat right after midnight, and hit the […]
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first earthquake, then tsunami, then crippled nuclear plant… and now, snow
Reading the papers everyday silence me for hours.
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Drowning End-Of-The-World Thoughts With Tsunamic Love
In Japanese, the name Ai means- love. (Says meaning-of-names.com) If the tsunami in Japan sent waves of panic and end-of-the-world thoughts (and jokes) around the globe, I could only think of that statement. In Japanese, the name Ai means- love. Our social conscience would tug at our heart strings, feel for Japan, and offer a […]
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Day…i lost count. how long have i been here? so far, though, this is my favorite photo of the week, one from the Universal Studios Singapore
That’s my little sister and we like to wear different hats in one day.
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Hollywood, Chika
My housemates and I slept late last night after watching short bio features (about 20 mins each) on E! channel. Starting with Nicole Kidman, the program went on telling the famous lives of top-selling Hollywood stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Aniston.
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How To Politely Ask Smokers To Clear Off Your Zone
Yehey! I have not used my inhaler (anti-asthma maintenance) for two weeks now. That’s since I stayed here in Asia’s Greenest City for 2011–Singapore. So maybe that’s the cure to this curse: get out of a polluted city (ehem,Quezon City) and live in a place where air pollution is kept to minimal.
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Point. Shoot. Singapore. (Week 1)
Dine in at Suntec City‘s rows of eatery. Wish at the Fountain of Wealth.
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Day 6 in Singapore
Finally I managed to get out of our block and visit Singapore’s Fountain of Wealth, Esplanade, and Marina Bay, check out a bookstore, feel the city while dining and walking and smelling, visit the art corners, and watch people. In the middle of all these, while listening to a band playing by the beautiful bay, […]
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the obligatory valentine post
Every Valentine’s Day, I blog about love as I join the entire human race in celebrating/comprehending the difficult business of romantic love. (My favorite posts are “undefined relationships” and “postmodern love“.) This year, I shall skip these musings and give space to two beautiful weddings:
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cracking the little red dot
This blogger is in Singapore. You may also follow her here where she posts her cultural learnings, one photo/blog a day in Southeast Asia’s Little Red Dot, the recently awarded “Greenest City in Asia” – Singapura.
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open letter to my nephew’s mother
Dear Micon, Your baby’s fine. That pretty much answers your everyday question, “How’s my Marcus?” Last holiday season, I was in Laguna for a couple of weeks. As you noticed in my facebook status, yeah, I did finish three novels in less than a week because I had nothing else to do but look over […]
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pig out!
Once in a while my eating buddy (Mike) and I treat ourselves to pig out dine out. For this week, we did italian and chinese/pinoy. When in Sbarro eat what Italians eat. Pasta and pizza. Mike likes to eat rice all the time. So yes he ordered rice. And if they serve Binagoongang Pork, lord, […]
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movie marathon
The boyfriend brought home his office laptop one night and he showed me the list of movies his former officemate downloaded in the “makina” (what they call their lappies). The list contains some 40 titles and I couldn’t tell what kind of person the officemate is or was, judging from the movies she watched and […]
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oooh. from elbi!
It’s Soundskool season again, I realized. It’s like a band talent search sponsored by a certain coffee brand. I’ve been to two Grand Finals by way of my friend who’s from Nestle Philippines. And each year it gets better and equally fun because of the Pinoy bands that they invite to perform (and mentor the […]
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what?! this is dakota fanning?
She was a cute little girl screaming like an angel last time I saw her in movies! My ged. How old am I?
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geek is love is music
Gino Quillamor is 93.1 dj in “The Awesome Twosome Show” and it was my boyfriend who “introduced” me to Gino, first by asking me to tune in to Rx Monster starting 4pm, then by showing me his facebook page. I wasn’t interested when he asked me to listen to a particular dj in a particular […]
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tartus wayne
This is my nephew. Marcus Wayne. More than a year ago, his mommy and I had double thoughts on how to raise him. We weren’t emotionally and financially ready that time. Now, we so love the boy in spite of everything. He’s grown into a naughty hyper-active kid! And here are the things he can […]
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How My Sister Could Possibly Attract All The Negative Vibes Of The Universe In One Week (the singapore flight misadventures)
My sister, Micon, was scheduled to fly to Singapore on the last day of Oct. to work as consultant for a P&G account. Guess what can happen to someone who’s about to work overseas and who has no OEC (Micon: ” a clearance for those going abroad to work from the Philippines”)? She got “off-loaded.” When […]
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a voyeur’s notes on “Good Morning Heartache”
My first Italian Film Festival experience started with the lovely Good Morning Heartache. I so love this film because I’ve experienced waking up every morning, saying, Good morning heartache.
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a voyeur's notes on the Pelicula (9th Spanish Film Festival)
A friend treated me to an all-night film marathon at Greenbelt 3 this month. That was the PELICULA sponsored by Instituto Cervantes. First film is a sober story about a death in the family. Like in other Pinoy films where there’s death in the family, secrets are spilled and relationships make or break. It’s fascinating […]
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a voyeur's notes on "Orz Boyz" and "Chocolate Rap" (from Shang's Taiwanese Film Festival)
Too bad. I only chanced upon two films from the Taiwanese Film Festival: Chocolate Rap (Qiao ke li zhong ji, Chi Y. Lee, 2006) and Orz Boyz (Jiong nan hai, Yang Ya-che, 2008) The first one is drama, but I hardly cried. The second one is comedy, but my eyes were red, swelling after
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a voyeur's notes on cine europa
Watching film is so much like voyeurism. You get pleasure out of watching (if not eavesdropping) people and their short lives on the silver screen. Orgasmic is the ending of every good film and frustrating are those that don’t give you climax. And those films that give you multiple orgasms, oh man, they’re gonna be […]
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to die for, in the weeks to come
Cine Europa 13 Movie Schedule: September 10 12:00 PM: Svetat E Golyam I Spasenie Debne Otysyakade (The World is Big & Salvation Lurks around the corner) – Bulgaria 3:00 PM: Vratne Lahve Empties – Czech Republic 6:00 PM: Frytelig Lykkelig (Terribly Happy) – Denmark 9:00 PM: Kielletty Hedelma (Forbidden Fruit) – Finland September 11 12:00 […]
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beautiful persons
When you are in the middle of your 20s, you want to conquer the world and go all the career paths available out there. You think that you understand the world and everybody else is getting it wrong. When you are older than 20 and you still feel the same way, boy, you gotta be […]
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hackers, hackers go away
TODAY I was hacked. My last post (and front page) was deleted and was replaced by this: which was embedded in this darkness:
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empire state of mindlessness
So. I’m confused more than ever. I was admitted to New York University‘s
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cesar
Today, a young friend from UPLB Department of Humanities died. And how else can the weather cooperate more than by dark clouds and rainfall. I usually do not write about something that I have just experienced or thought about. I let the safe distance of time
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why is everyone so emotional this time of the year?
June and July are the time of the year when many people have low happy hormones. Must be because it’s the end of summer, start of duties, no bonuses. Somehow, people born under this time exude the same nonchalance. I am thinking of “Cancerians.” One night, my mother and father were talking about a difficult […]
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last love letters from the University
Because I heard that today’s the first week of classes in UPLB, I looked at my files and kept in touch with the past, if only for a minute’s worth of quiet happiness. Caution: there’s a lot of me in here.
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whatta nikko dday
So ends last night the widely advertised PLDT Watchpad Crew search held at MCafe Ayala Museum in Makati. After getting toasted under Caramoan sun,
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CRACKER RECOMMENDS: New York, I Love You
This is a film of short films by different writers and directors and actors, who will all make you feel that in a city of strangers such as New York, you may find yourself enjoying every moment of experimenting with life. After watching this film I asked a friend who majors in film, if she […]
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Cracker recommends "Here Comes the Bride"
Chris Martinez wrote and directed this comedy. And as my friends and I decided after seeing this film, he is one genius who is worth viewing and reviewing. The film does not bank on slapstick, which Pinoy comedy movies are known for, infamously. It plays with funny impossibilities of character switch and all the actors […]
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the french connection (part 2)
Last week, I was stuck in a room somewhere in Ayala, with a French man, and this is part of our small talk. Monsieur: tu es arrivé ici comment? (how did you get here?) Aileen: uh, je prend le metro, le mrt. (i took the…mrt) Il fait chaud!!! (It’s
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the french connection
Here is my providential interview (part 1) with a French man: (I enter the room, smiling like silly and stupid and clueless and wasted) Monsieur: Bonjour! aI: Uh, hehe, bonjour! M: Comment ça va? I: uh, bien! M: oh, ça va bien. I: ah, oui, ça va bien. M: D’accord, d’accord. Vous parlez français? I: […]
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when my archenemy taught me that natural beauty does not exist
I stopped being pretty when I was a kid. After that, all the world’s grime polluted my skin and bones. Til I no longer cared how I look. See:
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goodbye eng 2 students
I teach College Writing in English and here is my farewell letter to my students (Part 1) Dear friends, You gave me a hard time reading your papers, do you know that? I would sometimes
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homelessness: a long word that never ends
After living in elbi since 2001, I partly said goodbye in 2008 when my housemates and I gave up our apartment, which I seriously, seriously treated as my home. So where does a homeless stay? PASIG & QUEZON CITY
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Home before I was Homeless
I was in my third year of teaching when Kei and I looked for another apartment. Together with then newly-hired teachers, Janette Malata and Buena Carla Ferma Zaldivia (my quirky friends in college), we landed on a spacious, elegant-looking, 8000-peso-unit near the University. Expensive, I know, because our taste is.
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how do you say goodbye if the end of the world is just like switching off the lights?
Everyday, life is one day less
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march is a month of farewells
You know how March feels like the last month of the year because for the longest time when you were still in school, this is the season when everyone’s finalizing paper works and grades and damn practical arts projects. This is also the exciting month when, finally, you no longer have to endure some people […]
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crushing
Oh, I forgot, my February posts are supposed to be romance/love-related. To continue, let’s talk about crushes. Crushes have categories.
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alcoholic stories and the macho town of hilly binangonan
I know Rizal, the province, is a neighboring province, but I didn’t know how far it was until
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Protected: OK, for the record, i'm not a flirt, but here's how to
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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for the love of traveling (cdo in images)
bound to Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental (feb 4)
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undefined relationships
I was reading my students’ autobio reports the other night and one line pulled my heart strings: I love falling in love. So innocent, so carefree! This line should obliterate all bitterness in the world. Even if it’s unrequited or undefined, romantic love ought to be
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stupid love
Our former colleague from the Division of English, Department of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences in UPLB, Prof. Ruperta “Perting” Asuncion passed away. Cancer took her away, but memories of her impossible dedication to teaching and mentoring will not go forgotten. Teaching is a thankless job,
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one of our favorite authors died (and we didn't know that he was still alive, or, that we were sharing the same planet with him)
If you really want to know about it, the author of Catcher in the Rye has died, at 91, in recluse, of natural cause. The last time I ‘encountered’ the American author was when I
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still on ayala
In the Philippine American Education Foundation advising, I met Margie who plans to apply to Harvard. She’s a part-time teacher in FEATI while working for the Asian Development Bank. She seemed to start taking interest in conversing with me when she asked me how my TOEFL went, and I told her I was drunk when
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at ayala
Yesterday was the longest time I ever stayed in Ayala, Makati when I sought advice from the Philippine American Education Foundation (PAEF). And I left the city floating with
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foot spa
Foot spa is one way to detox while calming the mind and the body. In parlors, it costs 100 to 200 pesos. Normally, it starts with the washing and soaping of the feet, followed by dipping of feet for five to ten minutes in a warm, bubbly foot spa machine set to massage mode. Then […]
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will travel, will go malling, will check in, will live
As of this writing, 473 cases of a(h1n1) have been tallied, one just died, and classes are being suspended in the Philippines, but the Department of Health sees no reason to panic. Travel companies do.
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Rallied (a vocabulary exercise on ambiguities)
DESPITE the a(h1n1) scare in Makati, friends and I went to the Ayala rally yesterday to rally our contempt against ConAss, the rallying point of the corrupt specter and power-hungry fiends housed in the Congress, which rallies, in stealth, around the change of constitution but not the constitution of people in Malacañang, all tactfully hidden […]
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Voyeurs and Savages
This is supposed to be an angry post against all the men, and women and gays and lesbos, who have uploaded and downloaded sex videos on the Internet, but it’s kind of too late, or too corny, or too moralizing to do that, besides, I dont have enough energy to be mad at billions of […]
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Summer in UP Diliman
Walking down wet streets of the national university spoil the fun of summer’s warm promises, and not even the main library is a homely place to stay, until I watched Possession, the film adaptation of AS Byatt’s seminal novel. For two weeks now I have been unearthing priceless possessions of history from the basement of […]
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how to get to galera alone
1. From Cubao, Quezon City (or Turbina in Calamba, Laguna) ride a bus to Batangas Pier. Fare is not more than one hundred pesos if coming from Laguna, and a little more than a hundred when coming from Cubao. Be ready to sit beside a former classmate in Speech Communication who still knows you and […]
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What is Comparative Literature?
Dr. J.B. Schriever, the Europe-educated and European-looking professor who can speak French, German, Spanish, English, Filipino, and Batangas Tagalog (&c.) interchangeably, says it’s a methodology. the comparatists in the painful making That affirms Damrosch’s claim that Comparative Literature is a mode of reading. So it’s not really an area of studies but a system of […]
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Puerto Galera, Folk Literature, and Holy Week Red Horse
Puerto Galera during the Catholic Holy Week is a sinful beach island! one reason for the beach being dubbed “Puerto Gaylera” docking area (this pic is by Gizh H.) At 3:30 Holy Maundy afternoon, the huge Comandos ferry boat docked at White Beach, which is full of ladies and gays in bikinis and
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missing randy david's class
the professor posing for aiscracker in his office at the Faculty Center, UP Diliman This is one semester I will not forget because of the professor above. The way he engages the Socio 275 class into critical thinking will leave an indelible mark in my memory and perhaps in my teaching. Definitely my
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confessions of the tita who suggested abortion to her sister crying in vain what to do one night she found out she's pregnant with a man she doesn't love
This is my first nephew, Marcus Wayne. He loves to sleep and make face. Most of the time he’s in deep thoughts. Rarely he smiles. Always he stares. Babies. More than nine months ago, his mother would always engage me in philosophical talks, trying to answer the most painful questions about life, love, and […]
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stingy foodies
No amount of global recession can really stop us from changing our food habits but when I dined in at Italianni’s one weekend, I felt like a well-off socialite (a cheaper version) who continually consumes wine and caviar amidst the global financial crisis, increasing job losses, reeking squalor, and unequal distribution of wealth. After picking […]
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a postmodern play*
do we love to make love or do we love …to make love? why do we suspend a part of ourselves when we love? why is everything in the wrong place when one is in love? why does everything in the wrong place fall in the right places when
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city of seven lakes in a country of two simultaneous summers
Like my mood, weather is quite unpredictable at the onset of March. With three term papers to write and 101 research papers to check, I rode a jeep with my travel buddy to lose myself one hot saturday morning in Laguna and to finally get rid of asthma attacks. Since I had no plans of […]
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How to watch Watchmen
WHY does Rorschach have to die? Why does the movie end with a depressing note and a funny tone? Why show an 80s story in the year two thousand and nine? Why the interest on this film adaptation of another DC comic book about heroes and end of the world and the great American […]
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Strawberry fields forever lalala (La Trinidad, Benguet)
Harvest images of happiness here: “Let me take you down/ cos I’m going to strawberry fields/ Nothing is real/ and nothing to get hung about…” (the Beatles) How is the strawberry field connected to art, I asked as the field trip buses of Hum 2 (Art, Society, and the Individual) belched intermittently in their struggle […]
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I just wanna be in the beach!
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte (Feb 2009) Sand, sun, and sea are
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what I get from visiting old houses of important people
What do you get when you watch those programs that feature the house of the rich and the famous? four poster bed in the middle of neatness in the house of Juan Luna grand staircase at the house of Jose Rizal in Calamba Aren’t you curious over how they do things before all the technological […]
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postmodern love
Pre-modern love is love less the romance: nothing intimate, nothing personal (“I love you because I own you, my lady), like when the German poets and minnesingers (love singers) in the early centuries perform something similar to the Filipino harana (courtly love songs) in public. Campbell narrates in his “Power of Myth” that love for […]
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a happy site by a comarts alumnus who's now with a gaming company
stolen from thesalmonellawars Jay Gavarra is a humorist, a genius, a reader, a songwriter (haha), a ComArts graduate, a professional gamer (PS3, PSP, Wii, etc), sarcasm personified,
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Life after UP
Last Wednesday I assigned something “disturbing” to my English classes. It was a 1996 article about a UP graduate (BS Agriculture Major in Plant Pathology to be specific), who ended as a maid in Hongkong after her short stint as a young scientist (since P4000 per month would not be sufficient for her, let alone […]
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in a place of forever Sunday: Quezon-Batangas
Candelaria, Quezon is a place of forever Sunday. It is so idyllic the place could pass for a dreamland where carabaos float on
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UST's "schizophrenia"
Europe? nah, one idyllic afternoon at UST, Manila “No class today!” This sentence always calls for a celebration–sometimes even among teachers. So when our Comp Lit 370 professor announced this via text, my classmates and I (with respectable teaching posts at the UP, Ateneo, UST) rejoiced and went on with our own Saturday plans (which […]
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how the tsinoy (not intsik, that's derogatory) celebrated new year in laloma
It was my first time to witness how a culture struggles to exist in a place hostile to their presence. On the eve of Chinese New Year, I was lying lazily on my bed in Laloma, Quezon City when drumbeats called and awakened something in me, making me want to run and dance, so right […]
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nostalgic at the uplb main library
Pegaraw, that magical winged carabao, guards the University of the Philippines Los Baños Main Library and whatever majesty left of that building. What makes this library so special aside from its rich repository of agricultural resources?
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elbi students
Here’s a toast and roast to UP students in Los Baños (the ones I’ve handled, at least) who are worth the stay for about four years now in the University of the Philippines: 1. Elbi students’ fashion sense is extreme. In one room, you could see the typical maong and shirt/blouse, as well as shorts […]
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interview with Hotel Sogo staff*
Iba ang dating ng Sogo Hotel. Iba sahod dito, may benefits pa…Ang panlaban ng Sogo hindi ganda ng room o sarap ng pagkain. Dito sa’men implemented ang courtesy. Tinuturo sa staff ang Japanese bow. Administrative, employee, or staff kailangan [marunong] ng Japanese bow.
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what’s inside Sogo (and kulturang motel)*
Apparently Sogo hotels stand on areas where the masses hang around—not in Rockwell Makati but in Guadalupe, not along Roxas Boulevard but Malate, not in Filinvest but Alabang Rotonda.
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what’s inside Ayala library
Guests are prohibited from entering the Filipinas Heritage Library during inventory period. But how did I manage to get in? I just walked in, took a couple of brochures, and went straight ahead to their posh Reading Room, looked around for someone I could ask where the library itself is, then felt something is wrong. […]
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interview with a hopeless, clueless librarian
“so why put up that public library anyway?”
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what happens when you gatecrash into some people’s Christmas party
Week before Christmas, my boyfriend invited me to their company Christmas party. Like any decent, self-respecting person, I refused. I said I’m cool all by myself that night. He insisted, said that since their group is too small, they’d be joining an umbrella organization in their Christmas Party at some hotel in Malate, Manila. I […]
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bohol: how we reached it by asking around
While in Cebu City last summer, my friend Kei Tan and I considered a side trip to Bohol since it was just one fast-craft-boat ride away. With a few thousand pesos left in our accounts, we grabbed our strollers and hailed a cab to the port. We asked around where the ticketing office is […]
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bantayan island, cebu
Bantayan island, Cebu is Boracay without party animals. Sugar Beach, the island’s longest stretch of beach, is the place to be when
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The Weird Creature in Joseph’s Artwork Called Naga
One night his brother Amando asked. “Jo, what’s this you have drawn?” Eight-year old Joseph looked at the piece of paper. the boy who created, err drew, naga “Naga,” he said with a straight face, one that does not invite more questions after that revelation. “Na-ga? What’s that?” the brother asked as he looked at […]
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Sky Over Dimas’ Review by Powerhouse Class
Dr Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo asked in class, “Why is there humor in a novel as tragic as this?” Thinking out loud I said, “Otherwise it could have been a Russian novel.” A classmate laughed, my professor sneered. Sky Over Dimas makes you feel good about how normal your family is–boring even. Its first line, “The fact […]
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The Fantastic in Philippine Speculative Fiction
How and why is fantasy—as defined by American critic Eric Rabkin and Slovenian Slavoj Žižek—used in Philippine Speculative Fiction 3 (PSF3)? For this inquiry, the stories selected are FH Batacan’s “Keeping Time,” Alfred Yuson’s “The Music Child,” and Yvette Tan’s “Sidhi”. Edited by Nikki Alfar and Dean Francis Alfar, the anthology is marketed as “short […]
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