Category Archives: Local Culture

To Taal with TourFlair

Posted on 2 March 2013 by sheg4184

Taal: not just a volcano and a lake, but also a UNESCO heritage town in Calabarzon, overlooking Balayan Bay, about two hours south of Manila. Recently, I went on a fascinating expedition to Taal with food safari TourFlair. The drive … Continue reading →

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‘Just because we can’

Posted on 26 February 2013 by sheg4184

Hong Kong: tower blocks rising in stately splendour around the harbour as if reaching for the clouds, bedecked in brightly coloured light displays that have us craning backwards to gawp through the rear window of the taxi, mouths wide open … Continue reading →

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Shoes: the Fetish of a First Lady, or a National Passion?

Posted on 17 February 2013 by sheg4184

Imelda Marcos, wife of Filipino President Marcos, became internationally renowned in 1986, not for her charismatic personality, her movie star looks or her contribution to Filipino culture, but for her butterfly sleeves and her infamous collection of shoes. When Imelda … Continue reading →

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A Park of Remembrance

Posted on 28 January 2013 by sheg4184

A calm, peaceful escape from the endless traffic; an oasis sitting at the highest point in Fort Bonifacio, you will rarely find more than a handful of visitors at Manila’s American Cemetery and War Memorial. On a rainy day, it … Continue reading →

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A McDonald’s Christmas

Posted on 20 December 2012 by sheg4184

McDonald’s may not be everyone’s idea of a Christmas feast, but for twenty small street kids at  Tulay Ng Kabataan it is. Aged between three and fifteen, these twenty plus kids  moved earlier this year to a purpose built house with … Continue reading →

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Felice Navidad

Posted on 4 December 2012 by sheg4184

…And then, that hidden tendency in all of us to behave like peevish expat princesses over  small molehills that are part of expat life anywhere is swept away by the joy and childlike enthusiasm of the Christmas season. News of … Continue reading →

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How hard can it be?

Posted on 30 November 2012 by sheg4184

A posting to the Philippines was going to be a breeze. We had lived in SE Asia before, and loved it, so we were really excited to be moving back to the region. As an added bonus, we wouldn’t have … Continue reading →

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Christmas: a time for giving

Posted on 22 November 2012 by sheg4184

It’s mid-November and the shopping malls in Manila are filling up with Christmas trees, Santas and arctic animals, while the air vibrates with schmalzy Christmas songs. As we reach for our Christmas lists, you may think my title is stating … Continue reading →

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When the Elephants Dance

Posted on 17 November 2012 by sheg4184

It is the last weeks of World War II in the Pacific. Food is scarce, ordinary Filipinos are forced to scavenge or starve, and many have gone into hiding: in caves in the mountains; deep in the jungles, or simply … Continue reading →

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From Paddock to Plate

Posted on 10 November 2012 by sheg4184

Sandra Lyn Hataway is a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in Texas and a devotee of both Slow Food USA and iconic restaurateur Alice Waters. Slow Food proclaims it is redressing the balance of our fast food life by preserving … Continue reading →

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