Category Archives: Local Culture

Life’s A Beach

Posted on 6 April 2012 by sheg4184

‘The eye can observe nature and the mind describe it, but it is truly experienced in the soul.’ ~ Jill Murch (words and photo)   Earlier this year, I escaped to the beach for a few days R&R with my … Continue reading →

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It’s only semantics!

Posted on 2 April 2012 by sheg4184

I am a trailing spouse. I don’t find it the most flattering of titles, it makes me feel like Virginia Creeper, ivy or a loose thread on his coat tails, with a definite inference that I am dragging on his … Continue reading →

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A Japanese Tea Ceremony

Posted on 25 March 2012 by sheg4184

This week I witnessed a Japanese Tea Ceremony hosted by the Urasenke Manila Association at the Filipino Heritage Library. It was a fascinating, absorbing occasion, and one I felt honoured to attend. Tea first arrived in Japan from China in … Continue reading →

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Imelda: Rumour Has It…

Posted on 20 March 2012 by sheg4184

Much enamoured of Carlos Celdran’s Intramuros tour last year, I finally got my act together and booked a place on his long-running tour of the Cultural Centre of the Philippine complex: ‘Livin’ La Vida Imelda’. Unfortunately it turned out to … Continue reading →

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5 Things I Love about the Philippines

Posted on 18 March 2012 by sheg4184

A moment of reflection on a quiet Sunday afternoon led to five things I love about the Philippines… 1. Security In the malls, hotels, schools and apartment buildings of Manila, I love being met by security guards who scan under … Continue reading →

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A Treasure Trove of Dickens’ Women

Posted on 26 February 2012 by sheg4184

The Adelaide Festival Centre (a ‘mini-me Sydney Opera House) was completed in 1973, three months before the iconic Opera House opened in New South Wales. Lying on the banks of the River Torrens, the Festival Centre consists of three main … Continue reading →

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Delving into Manila’s Markets

Posted on 6 February 2012 by sheg4184

The first time I visited the Farmer’s Market in Cubao, Quezon City, I went too late in the morning and I thought I would keel over and die from heat exhaustion. Since then I have learned to drop in early … Continue reading →

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“The wonders of technology!”

Posted on 3 February 2012 by sheg4184

Once upon a time, when I first went overseas, I relied on snail mail to transport my weekly aerogrammes home to my parents. These inevitably crossed  over in the middle of the Indian Ocean with the most recent one from … Continue reading →

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Living in a Bubble

Posted on 28 January 2012 by sheg4184

We were asked to write a piece for the ANZA News on where we lived in Manila and why. It was a good excuse to consider and re-assess… When  we first flew into Manila, a realtor took us around Makati … Continue reading →

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Afternoon Tea with a Russian Flavour

Posted on 22 January 2012 by sheg4184

I must confess, I had never heard of the Russian Tea Room until last December. My initial plan was to organize afternoon tea at the Plaza, but unfortunately for us, Eloise, the Plaza’s most significant resident, had got in first … Continue reading →

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