This is my favorite story I love to tell again and again in Christmas time and I am sharing it with you. Dec. 15, 1968, Sunday: I am at the Araneta Coliseum to watch a basketball charity event featuring the FPJ All-Stars. Susan, my good friend and favorite interview subject, is around, and no one wonders why she… Read More »
It is a universal fact that sports fans will never tire of rooting for their teams. Even if the Raptors seem to miss the hometown hoop, I still believe that in the long 82-game season, a place in the playoffs is still in their sights. Konting kayod pa, .500 na. I am a never-say-die fan. Peks man! Makulam… Read More »
IN THE AFTERMATH of the “People Power” that deposed President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, the word “balimbing” became popular. The “balimbing,” or star fruit, became the mark of a turncoat. The star fruit’s cross-section is shaped like a five-sided star; thus, a person who changes political loyalty is called a “balimbing.” After Marcos was ousted from the presidency,… Read More »
“Every man is nothing more or less than the demands of the world, and that the more a man demands of the world, the bigger the magnitude of his success or failure in life.” Omar El Akkad, What Strange Paradise (2021) Creativity I have been told it must be there Within the confines of my soul. Open my… Read More »
A Christmas melody was playing over the radio in a Toronto home in 2019. Suddenly, my 87-year old mom hummed and then sang along: “Hmmmm. City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style. In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile. And on every street corner you’ll hear: Silver bells,… Read More »
The operative word for my mode and/or mood these days is nostalgia. Or perhaps retro. It started with my “stumbling” on some videos of the globally famous music artist Bruno Mars online several days ago. I say “stumble” because I never (shame on me!) really stopped to find out more about this half-Filipino performer, songwriter, producer, musician Bruno… Read More »
By Hermione Cabie-Santos, MD and Prof. Honor Blanco Cabie DIABETES (a metabolic condition in which the body has elevated blood sugar levels as a result of insulin deficiency or insulin resistance) was once a death sentence until the first score of the 20th century. It remains among the health challenges the world faces throughout the current pandemic. Thanks to… Read More »
As I tinker with my mac buttons a few minutes before I go to press, I hear this: Lloydie and Bea have finally reunited but not on the boob tube, and not on the wide screen either, but mainly to share Chicken Joy and Spaghetti! Ah, so this is where their love for each other means – munching… Read More »
“The only constant is change.” But, unfortunately, this innocuous phrase has a pace in the homeland that leaves a lot to be desired. I can’t think of a better metaphor than Rip Van Winkle’s 20-year slumber but waking up to see nothing had changed. This article will chronicle my own experiences to show how cultural impediments can obfuscate changes and retard… Read More »
AT THE VIRTUAL SUMMIT between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping last November 15, the two world leaders got themselves embroiled in some delicate matters. Xi told Biden that U.S. support for Taiwanese independence would be dangerous. “Taiwanese authorities have repeatedly tried to ‘rely on the U.S. for independence’,” Xi was quoted as saying by… Read More »