Category Archives: Local Culture

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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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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