Author Archives: sheg4184

Coming of Age

Posted on 25 January 2014 by sheg4184

“Life is a game… play it with a light heart.”  I often think that perfect holidays are perfectly awful to write about. When everything goes smoothly, there is no drama, no humour, no adventure to give the tale an edge. … Continue reading →

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Counting My Blessings

Posted on 19 January 2014 by sheg4184

Welcome 2014, and with it, the inevitable string of resolutions, diets, and dramatic changes. My own resolutions included the inevitable weight loss, more time to read and write, and, most importantly, to remember to count my blessings. This morning I … Continue reading →

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Creating a Cuisine from Scratch

Posted on 9 January 2014 by sheg4184

Cuisine.  As it is in the Philippines, so it is in Australia: difficult to define. And like the Philippines, it comes in two parts: Before and After Colonization.  In the beginning there was a vast southern continent on which dwelt … Continue reading →

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A Ritual of Renewal

Posted on 2 January 2014 by sheg4184

“When the old year gives way to the new, we are emotionally manic.” I can’t even remember where I read this, but after a truly manic year, full of travel and drama, we decided that we would welcome in the … Continue reading →

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‘The Heart of England’

Posted on 27 December 2013 by sheg4184

“Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.”         ~Samuel Pepys Christmas is a time for feasting, and there has certainly been plenty this year, as we have wined and dined on a daily basis with those of … Continue reading →

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The Cuisine of Korea: food as medicine

Posted on 18 December 2013 by sheg4184

Korea :  land of mountains, forests, Communism and kimchi. Korean cuisine has a history dating back centuries. Since 300BC, it has been heavily influenced by the Chinese, particularly in regards to its medicinal aspects. According to Taoist philosophy, health is … Continue reading →

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Yasmin Newman: author, chef and cultural attaché

Posted on 12 December 2013 by sheg4184

As a food writer and a foreigner in the Philippines, I have really tried to get to know the local cuisine. Quite different from any other South East Asian or pacific island cuisine I have come across, I knew very … Continue reading →

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In the Spirit of Christmas

Posted on 3 December 2013 by sheg4184

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote ‘it always snowed at Christmas.’ Maybe this was the case in northern Europe, but not in the Antipodes, where the seasons are upside down, and Christmas arrives in the height of summer.  In Australia there … Continue reading →

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Simple Pleasures

Posted on 3 December 2013 by sheg4184

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, … Continue reading →

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Growing Pains…

Posted on 27 November 2013 by sheg4184

Every parent has buckets full of stories to tell about funny moments with their children: quirky conversations, mispronunciations, misunderstandings, that make us shriek with laughter and race to share the latest tale with friends and family. My mother collects anecdotes … Continue reading →

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