Monthly Archives: August 2012

Basking in Fresh Air at Lago de Oro

Satiate your thirst for a thrilling getaway… we bring you nonstop excitement from morning to night… every corner of Lago de Oro Beach Club spells fun and adventure. You’ll never run out of breathtaking moments to savor. It was quite … Continue reading

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Reviewing the Situation

Back in Manila after a summer abroad, I was recently thumbing through a guide book on moving to the Philippines – new arrivals needed some information I didn’t have the answer to – and as I wandered through the pages … Continue reading

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A Splash of Heaven

When we left Florence this summer, I had secreted a bottle of twelve year old balsamic vinegar I had bought in the Mercato Centrale. Wrapped tightly in a pair of jeans and tucked into the bottom of my suitcase, it … Continue reading

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Gelato: a truly Italian invention

“Filipinos are not settling anymore for the commercialized, not-so-yummy, imported brands [of ice cream]” according to Filipino blogger Anton Diaz in his popular blog ‘Our Awesome Planet’. And indeed I have watched with fascination as local entrepreneurs create their own … Continue reading

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The Culinary Heritage of the Philippines

Filipino food was prepared by Malay settlers, spiced by Chinese traders, stewed in 300 years of Spanish rule and hamburgered by American influence… Monina A. Mercado  Filipina food historian Doreen Fernandez calls this culinary fusion ‘indigenization’ – the process of … Continue reading

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Jacaranda

My husband has been in Australia this week, visiting family. Daily texts and emails about walks in the parklands and along the beach were making me nostalgic and ever so slightly homesick. So when I had to do a writing … Continue reading

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An End to the Affair

I first went to Florence on a decidedly pedestrian bus tour in the mid-1980s. We struck it lucky with the most magical tour guide, however, an English expatriate who was besotted with Florentine art. Sadly, I don’t even remember her … Continue reading

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Walking in the Rain

When a new friend in Manila asked me to go walking with her at 5.30 a.m., I was aghast. Good heavens, I thought, if I am even conscious that early, I am still hunched over my English Breakfast tea,  trying … Continue reading

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Sunday Market in Legazpi Village

When my husband and I wake up early on a Sunday, with nothing much on the day’s agenda beyond a strong urge to get out of the house, we find a taxi and potter down to the Legazpi Market.  Like … Continue reading

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