Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittensBright copper kettles and warm woolen mittensBrown paper packages tied up with stringsThese are a few of my favorite things I love this song. It warms the heart. And those things listed would really make most people smile. But, I have a different list, from various periods of my…
Category: Life and Inspiration
Banana Heart Summer
After a few months of reading a chapter or two during my ‘pockets of freetime,’ upon waking up, before sleeping or during lunch time at work, and during brief stops in my recent Ilocos trip, I finally finished reading last weekend the novel “Banana Heart Summer.” My heart reeled with emotions – joy, sadness, grief,…
The Workers in our Midst/ Ang Mga Manggagawa sa ating Paligid
Isang inhinyerong sibil ang yumaong tatay ko. Matagal syang nagtrabaho sa Saudi, pero nagkaroon rin sya ng proyekto sa Ho Chi Minh sa Vietnam. Ang ilang proyekto naman nya ay dito sa Maynila. Naalala ko nga, nakapunta pa ako dati sa isang construction site dyan sa may Vito Cruz noong itinatayo pa lang ang pundasyon…
Some Risks of Being a Woman
A man in the bank that I went to last Wednesday afternoon for a quick errand asked for my mobile number. In my mind, I said “What the heck?” but I just told him, “Sorry, I don’t give out my number.” He wasn’t impolite, nor was he creepy, but it was absurd. This incident brings…
Marie Veronica Expert – a multigenre Filipina visual artist
The beauty of the female visage and form, a lively splash of colors, and arresting visuals — these are just a few ways to describe Marie Veronica Expert’s works. Marie is one of the visual artists that I met in Paris during my foreign assignment there from 2018-2021, whose artistic genre is so varied. During…
Spectacular Sagada
It was my first time to visit Sagada in June 2023. I was with my former high school classmates some of whom I haven’t seen for years, so it was sort of a reunion as much as it was a nature adventure and culture trip. Cel, Claire & Bryan, and Irma flew from Albay; Joy…
Dee Apilado – An Epitome of an Empowered Filipina
I first met Dee in 2018 when I was posted in Paris as a Third Secretary and Vice Consul. Dee is a ray of sunshine; she always has a ready smile, a charming face, and a vivacious personality. Dee is currently working in UNESCO as a Project Assistant in the Education Sector. She is also…
Poetry and Me
The other day, a younger colleague at work asked if I’m familiar with the poem “Henny Penny” from the elementary textbook. I was surprised at the question. It’s been years since someone asked me about that red hen. She was even more surprised when I recited it from memory, especially that we have a 10-year gap:…
Beyond Routes 