Category Archives: Lifestyle

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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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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The Farm at San Benito: from fumes to fresh air

Posted on 20 November 2013 by sheg4184

“Today’s… choices affect your future health. Our bodies may be hardy, but recurring abuse leads to disease and illness. The good news is that it’s never too late to rejuvenate.” So who has ever spent time at a health farm? … Continue reading →

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“Que Sera Sera”

Posted on 26 September 2013 by sheg4184

My sister told me a sweet story recently about her five year old daughter, who came to her parents one evening and asked what they wanted most in the world. My brother-in-law replied that he most wanted his family to … Continue reading →

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How’s the Weather with You?

Posted on 19 September 2013 by sheg4184

So here I am, settled back in the Philippines at last, after almost three months away. I left at the end of the Filipino summer, worn down to a cranky crisp by the heat and humidity, swearing never to return. … Continue reading →

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Massages and Mayhem

Posted on 3 June 2013 by sheg4184

Somewhere on Mindoro… I am lying naked as a chicken fillet on a butcher’s block, on top of a large black plastic garbag, peering through a hole in the bed to a pile of pebbles artistically arranged on the floor … Continue reading →

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Farewell Tea

Posted on 26 May 2013 by sheg4184

The bane of expat life is the constant ebb and flow of friends. Every year, about this time, I start deleting names from my cellphone, as a clutch of my old mates disperse to new postings, and the talk revolves … Continue reading →

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Mother’s Day in Manila: saccharine or sincere?

Posted on 14 May 2013 by sheg4184

…yet though you dance in living light, I am the earth, I am the root, I am the stem that fed the fruit, the link that joins you to the night. ~ Judith Wright from ‘Woman to Child’ This year … Continue reading →

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