My muay thai trainer Verden says I am the oldest person “boxing” in the gym. There I am, at 68, throwing jabs and punches, knees and elbows (I haven’t worked myself up to kicking yet)—strictly no sparring—among a motley crowd of much younger people, a considerable number of them women. I have always engaged in...
Category: Lifestyle
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Save your pets in this extreme weather
“If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pet.” That’s a general rule that Anna Cabrera, executive director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), wishes to relay to those who are worrying about the wellbeing of their pets in the extreme heat currently being experienced nationwide. The temperature is not expected...
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Uluru: In the heartland of the world’s oldest living culture
SYDNEY—Can you see it from up here? I asked my daughter Giselle while I was looking out the window as the plane descended. If it’s on this side and it isn’t cloudy, she replied. Seconds later, it came into view: Uluru, the mammoth red rock that is Australia’s most iconic natural landform and one of...
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‘Namit!’ highlights the tastes and aromas of Iloilo food
There are many reasons to travel to the beautiful province of Iloilo, from its rich history to its food. And adventurous foodies will surely enjoy each town’s traditional cuisine, which will be highlighted in the annual three-day celebration in April called “Namit!” April is Filipino Food Month by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 469, issued...
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Solidarity is also served at Palestinian Filipino food line
After attending the Veneration of the Cross at the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Parish of the Holy Sacrifice on Good Friday, I went straight to Our Little Gaza Kitchen in Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City. The event was announced online a few days earlier and shared by over 100 within hours. It was pegged...
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What’s cookin’, Juday?
Viber beeps a message: “Can you take a call?” I reply: “Who is this, please?” A few minutes later, Viber beeps again: “Hello, Mr. Farmer. Can I call?” I realize who it is. Ext. Seashore. Early morning. The scene opens with a man preparing to cast a fishing net into the sea. Another man is...
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Smelling good (without going into debt to buy French perfume)
I used to have a keen sense of smell. It’s probably a vestigial faculty from my ancestors who, as hunter-gatherers in the wild of Panay, needed all their five senses heightened. But my nose has been dulled by age, Metro Manila’s pollution, and my own careless olfactory experiments. Once, I almost killed myself by being...
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Renewing faith and devotion to Our Lady of the Candles
ILOILO CITY—Years into her marriage, Maria Fe Villanueva Esquillo had been without a child. But her frustration and seeming endless waiting were eased somehow by her constant prayers and supplications to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles) at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral. “I asked for at least one child. Instead, the Lady...
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Finding our way to happiness amid life’s difficulties
In my study of philosophy, I have learned from a few thinkers and philosophers who wrestled with finding meaning—and, thus, happiness—in the hardness of life, whence struggles and challenges are “sine qua non” (literally, “cannot be without”). The German existentialist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, in positing that humans suffer for a reason, argued that we can...
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There’s a Slow Food revolution in Boracay
Boracay, once a small island community of fishers and farmers, has become the “crown jewel of Philippine tourism.” But amid the global acclaim for its stunning natural beauty and vibrant nightlife, questions arise on what truly sets it apart, particularly in terms of its food culture. While there is an array of international cuisines to...