From the monthly archives:
Along Circumferential Road in Antipolo, there is a cafe cum restaurant called Country Garden which, for as long as I can remember, Speedy and I have been promising to visit but hasn’t had the opportunity to do so. From the road, it looks like a quaint little place, quiet and serene despite being located along [...]
Continue reading 'Country Garden’s millionaire’s vine' →
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The politics of global warming — that’s the title of Alex’s school report which she’s probably delivering — with a Powerpoint presentation — right at this very minute. I don’t know why she chose that topic. When she asked me to help her, I made a few suggestions but she kept saying, “No, no… that [...]
Continue reading 'A school report and the Science Expo' →
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The thing about having a daughter is the tendency to get over-protective – the father, more than the mother. Cocky males who act as though they’re God’s gift to women say it’s because they don’t want sins of the father visiting on their children — you know, based on the illusion that they broke the [...]
Continue reading 'Roots to grow and wings to fly' →
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When Good Housekeeping magazine’s Associate Editor Bubbles Santos contacted me for an interview a few months ago (it came out in the November-December 2007 issue), it was followed by another request. Would I write a short article for the Valentine issue? I said, why not? I had forgotten all about it until I saw copies [...]
Continue reading 'I don’t normally write about love, but…' →
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The blueberry streusel cake is in the oven and, in two hours, Alex’s classmates will be arriving to kill two birds with one stone — do an ecology project and celebrate her birthday. The chicken had been marinated and the pasta just needs a cheesy topping before going into the oven when the cake is [...]
Continue reading 'For Alex on her 14th birthday' →
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In the comment thread of the obesity entry, Ben and I had a little discussion about how easy it is to subsist in a country where just about anything grows. The climate is kind to plants, no winters when almost nothing grows on the soil, and all it really takes is a small patch of [...]
Continue reading 'A vegetable garden' →
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If you’re into Filipino movies, you have probably heard of Mike de Leon, a film director who re-defined Filipino movie making which such films as Itim, Kakabakaba Ka Ba? and Sister Stella L. Although Itim and Kakabakaba Ka Ba? will always be my favorites among his work, Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising left a distinct impression [...]
Continue reading 'The dreamy mood of Mike de Leon’s ‘Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising’' →
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In today’s edition of Manila Standard Today:
If you’re one of those who say “Makikiraan po” when passing by an anthill (“punso”) or you consciously avoid driving through Balete Drive at night, you probably believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings. You’re not alone. A lot of people do.
When I posted photos of the haunted house [...]
Continue reading 'The other Stargate' →
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Although the exact cause could not be pinpointed, a new research says many children from low-income families are overweight. The first thing that crossed my mind was that I have never seen an obese child from a poor family in the Philippines. Fat babies, yes. But overweight children above the age of 7, I don’t [...]
Continue reading 'Obesity will not be a problem for poor Filipino kids' →
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My head feels like it’s floating and it’s been this way since I got out of bed this morning. See, I stayed up until 1.00 a.m. to watch Chinatown.
When Chinatown was shown in the local movie houses, I was still in grade school. When it was nominated in the Oscar Awards, I saw the trailer [...]
Continue reading 'They don’t make movies like ‘Chinatown’ anymore' →
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