Author Archives: sheg4184

Easter: More Fun in the Philippines

Posted on 24 April 2014 by sheg4184

As a Protestant child growing up in Australia, I remember Easter as a fairly dull affair. The shops were shut for days, friends went away, and my mother always insisted we went to Church on Easter Day, so she had … Continue reading →

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Just Another Manic Monday at TNK

Posted on 18 April 2014 by sheg4184

Another Monday morning in Manila, and a group of regular volunteers is en route to Tulay Ng Kabataan, a home for street kids, armed with crafts and books and merienda.  We arrive to the usual excited welcomes and so many kids … Continue reading →

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“I’ve Been to Bali Too!”

Posted on 12 April 2014 by sheg4184

In the Redgum song of my youth, Bali was a land of monkeys and mercurochrome, Bali belly and mozzie coils. Kuta Beach was full of surfers and Ubud was a hippy haven in the hills. My first trip to Bali, … Continue reading →

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Of Country Clubs and Cucumber Sandwiches

Posted on 3 April 2014 by sheg4184

Hanbury Manor, Hertfordshire, once the home of English landed gentry, then a boarding school, it has entered the 21st century as a Marriott hotel and country club. Only a few miles north of Hertford, Hanbury Manor is a magnificent chapter … Continue reading →

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Shanghai Nights

Posted on 29 March 2014 by sheg4184

Tickets had sold out before Christmas – an unprecedented occurence even for an event as popular as the ANZA Ball, and it was obvious on the night that everyone had high expectations of a great evening’s entertainment. As usual, everyone … Continue reading →

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Va Bene

Posted on 21 March 2014 by sheg4184

Va Bene has been a firm favourite with our family for some time, despite its rather quirky location above the Petron petrol station on EDSA outside the gates to Dasmarinas, so it was our first choice for a birthday dinner … Continue reading →

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The Science of Rice

Posted on 12 March 2014 by sheg4184

“The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life”  ~Bob Geldof, Do they know it’s Christmas? As an Anglo-Australian, I grew up on a diet of meat and three veg. Potatoes were my staple carbohydrate, and rice was simply Calrose. … Continue reading →

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A Fragrant Outdoor Kitchen

Posted on 6 March 2014 by sheg4184

‘An Indian kitchen is a fragrant kitchen’    ~ Ragini Dey  My favourite new Indian cookbook, ‘Spice Kitchen,’ by Indian-Australian restaurateur Ragini Dey, describes Indian food as ‘vibrant, colourful and richly flavoured… yet devilishly sly as its spices lie in wait … Continue reading →

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A Life’s Work

Posted on 26 February 2014 by sheg4184

Jeri Gunderson is a tall, slim, wiry American on a mission. Warm and enthusiastic, she talks easily about her life and work in the Philippines. Huddling in a corner of the Shiphrah Birthing Home on the rim of Metro Manila, … Continue reading →

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Mr. Ferguson: A Force in the Philippines

Posted on 19 February 2014 by sheg4184

Robbie Ferguson moved to Manila just over a year ago, with his partner Olivia and their two kids. A stocky, blond Glaswegian with merry blue eyes, a ready grin, and an accent you can cut with a knife, I occasionally … Continue reading →

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