Category Archives: Philippines

Valentine Wines

Day-colored wine, night-colored wine, wine with purple feet or wine with topaz blood, wine, starry child of earth, wine, smooth as a golden sword, soft as lascivious velvet, wine, spiral-seashelled and full of wonder, amorous, marine; never has one goblet … Continue reading

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Royal Indian Curry House

India has held a place in my heart since I was a child. My father returned from a business trip to Delhi when I was about seven with an Indian doll and a glorious picture book that would inspire my … Continue reading

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Singing Carols at Christmas

I love singing, particularly at Christmas. It lightens the heart and puts a smile on my face. So when I arrived in the Philippines and discovered there was a choir I could join, I jumped at the chance. Asia Minors … Continue reading

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Hidden Treasure

Five years in Manila and somehow I had never even heard of Hidden Valley Springs. It took a friend visiting from Hawaii to show me the way, and what a blissful escape from the madding crowd created by the APEC … Continue reading

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The Scottish Ball

St. Andrew’s Day on November 30th is a day of celebration marked by Scots all over the globe, a day that serves up traditional Scottish food, bagpipes, ceilidhs and country dancing. St Andrew was first recognised as the official patron … Continue reading

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A Secret Garden

Last weekend we had a long, fume-laden trek through the traffic to the Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo. Fortunately, and to our very great joy, it turned out to be well worth the effort. Winding up through the hills above … Continue reading

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Bondi & Bourke

Bondi and Bourke arrived on the Makati restaurant scene last summer, and it already seems to have collected quite a lot of fans. The One and Only discovered it at its ‘NOT-A-Soft-Opening’ back in June, and I finally got to … Continue reading

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Café Culture

So here I sit in my favourite coffee spot in Manila, contemplating my coffee cup as palm trees flutter and spotless azure skies belie the approaching winter. I am intensely grateful for the air-conditioning that is dispersing the cloying humidity … Continue reading

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Coming Home

October. Manila. Home at last to my own bed, my own bathroom, my own aromas. My bruised and battered suitcase unpacked after weeks on the road, my portable wardrobe tossed onto the laundry floor. A glass of wine waiting. From … Continue reading

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Pomelo, Prawns and Peppercorns

I have adored Thai food since we landed in Bangkok in the early 90s. Fresh, flirty and brimming with flavour, it has long been a favoured Asian cuisine globally. People’s Palace has been our family’s favourite restaurant since we landed … Continue reading

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