Category Archives: Local Culture

The Toastmaster’s Apprentice

Posted on 19 January 2012 by sheg4184

‘Toastmasters’ is an international club that was first established in 1924, designed to create competent and confident communicators. It currently has over 270,000 members and 13,000 clubs worldwide. The Asian Development Bank in Manila has its own Toastmasters club which … Continue reading →

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The Gold Line to Old Pasadena

Posted on 15 January 2012 by sheg4184

I arrived in Los Angeles determined not to be entirely swamped by Disney, Universal Studios or any other Hollywood theme parks. I wanted just one day to absorb a little local culture, other than the virtual reality of the movie … Continue reading →

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Ahoy! All Aboard for a Food Tour in New York City

Posted on 9 January 2012 by sheg4184

New York City: The Chrysler Building and Central Park; The Empire State and the Plaza Hotel; the Met and the New York Ballet; Fifth Avenue and Broadway; the Brooklyn Bridge and Ground Zero; Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty; … Continue reading →

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Dashing Divas

Posted on 11 December 2011 by sheg4184

A report on expatriate life in Manila would not be complete without a tale about a Filipino beauty treatment. Dashing Divas is a small, girly-pink nail bar in Power Plant Mall that I visit from time to time. Manicures, pedicures … Continue reading →

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Saving Face

Posted on 19 November 2011 by sheg4184

I recently received an email that made me laugh out loud. Entitled 5 Tips to make your house appear cleaner than it is, it was based on the premise that your house is a complete rubbish tip  and you have … Continue reading →

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A Tropical Christmas

Posted on 15 November 2011 by sheg4184

Is it a little early for Christmas tales? Not in Manila, where the scent of Christmas has been in the air since late September. My guidebook says Filipinos pride themselves on having the longest Christmas in the world, and so … Continue reading →

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Manila: City of Contrasts

Posted on 5 November 2011 by sheg4184

An oxymoron is something that consists of incongruous, disparate or contradictory elements. For me, the word oxymoron describes Manila perfectly. And the first jarring disparity struck me almost the minute I stepped off the plane at Ninoy Aquino International Airport: … Continue reading →

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Housekeeping in Tondo

Posted on 9 October 2011 by sheg4184

Brigada Eskwala is an initiative designed by the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) and organized by the Head teachers, to clean up and refurbish schools for the beginning of the school year. As part of a nationwide effort to raise … Continue reading →

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Skipping the Light Fandango!

Posted on 28 September 2011 by sheg4184

I recently spent a delightful evening with a friend at the newly refurbished Diamond Hotel on Manila Bay for The Ambassadors Spouses Fashion Show and Charity Gala. Barely through the front door, we were swept up and delivered to the … Continue reading →

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A Bridge to the Future: The Tulay Ng Kabataan Foundation

Posted on 27 September 2011 by sheg4184

“There are thousands of children living in the streets of Manila who have broken all bonds with their families. Victims of violence and of drugs, they survive by begging, by stealing, by prostitution… living totally in the margins of society.” … Continue reading →

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