“Welcome to the slow lane.” This was a message I received from a friend, an ex-colleague who had left before me, on the day I left the only company I had ever worked for. Fourteen years may not seem like a long time, but the bank was where I started my career just two months...
Category: Lifestyle
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Chasing Mount Mayon
After catching a glimpse of the elusive Mount Fuji in Japan last year, my husband and I had no idea that within months we would be setting our sights on another peak: Mayon Volcano. I remembered our brief encounter with Mayon when, early in the new year, I read reports of heightened unrest including rockfalls...
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In Sagada, there’s still a chance to avoid the madding crowd
SAGADA—Not only tourist testimonials but also stories in various media (like the films “Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising” and “That Thing Called Tadhana”) and even that eponymous song have drawn folks to this misty town in the mountains. Many have returned several times; others are so enamored by the place and its people that they now...
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When our all-Filipino choir sang Christmas carols at Martin Place
SYDNEY, Australia—Our all-Filipino choir, Himig Sandiwa, was invited by the City of Sydney Council to perform at Martin Place for its annual Christmas event, “Choirs in the City.” This is the first year the choir has sung at the event, and, according to the organizer, we are the first Filipino choir to be part of...
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From Michelin to Terra Madre: On (slow) food, identity, and connection
BACOLOD CITY—At the Terra Madre Asia & Pacific, surrounded and overwhelmed by dishes, beverages, and flavors, I thought a lot about food. Food, to borrow the words of anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, is “good to think with,” and surely I’m not alone in doing so, especially in the wake of the Michelin Guide’s arrival in the...
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Making memories in the heart of Shibuya
TOKYO—The Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu right above the Shibuya Mark City Mall that is connected to the Shibuya Station is near two of the district’s most iconic landmarks—the Hachiko Statue and the Shibuya Crossing. It was perfect for our three-day vacation in central Shibuya. My younger sister Kristine, who loves traveling to Japan which she calls...
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Not bad for what began as a ‘carinderia’
BAGUIO CITY — What does a Malaysian chef who has worked in five-star hotels and resorts like to eat at home? It’s pinakbet cooked by his Filipino wife. The love story of Gina Ulat (originally from La Union in the Philippines) and Alvin Emuang (of Penang, Malaysia) began in the late 1990s when they met...
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‘MaPanatag’ offers single mothers assurance and peace of mind
“Mapanatag” is a Filipino word that means “to be at peace,” or “to be assured”—a state that parents always want to be in, especially when it comes to matters concerning their children’s future. But for single mothers, it is doubly difficult to feel that assurance, knowing that they are the sole caretaker of their children....
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Deep in the mountains, giving thanks for the harvest
LUSOD, Kabayan, Benguet—On Nov. 12, my heart sank when I received word from Lilia Waclin that Supertyphoon “Uwan” had triggered landslides that wiped out not only the roads but also the crops. How different it was when I traveled to Lusod on Oct. 25. I heard the gongs long before I saw any of the...
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An abundant display of Laguna’s food and heritage at ‘Sa Pantalan 2025’
SANTA CRUZ, Laguna—The exhibition hall of Sa Pantalan 2025 at the back of Ted’s Kitchen was bustling and festive on the morning of Oct. 25, with Philippine folk songs playing in the background. At the forum at the end of the hall, a member of the audience has just asked guest speaker Socorro “Corito” Llamas...