This is my mom’s mom, Alice, who left us 19 years ago today. One of my personal style icons, she was always very elegant, but at the same time disliked having her photo taken, and so many of the ones I could find are candid. The first photo, as you can tell, was taken on … Continue reading From the family album
Category: Blog
What I learned from the “Style Me April” challenge
I actually felt a little lost this morning—I didn’t know what to put on! For the past 30 days, the Style Me April challenge has saved me from my morning “What do I wear?” dilemma. At first I was afraid that the daily themes would make me feel constrained, but instead they fired up my … Continue reading What I learned from the “Style Me April” challenge
Introducing my three style icons
This photo of my great-grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother was taken at my mother's high school graduation. They all went to the same school (St. Scholastica's College in Manila) so when my mom graduated, my great-grandmother received a loyalty award (the plaque she's holding in the photo). My great-grandmother Anita was remarkable in many … Continue reading Introducing my three style icons
Comfort soup
I remember the exact time my love affair with kimchi began. I'd just written a 3-hour exam, all essay questions, and I was ravenous. But on a Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver, there wasn't much choice. Finally I wandered into a Korean internet café that also served some hot dishes. I ordered the bulgogi plate … Continue reading Comfort soup
Book review
Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me by Lorina Mapa My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book made me laugh, cry and remember. How strange and marvellous to see parts of my own childhood drawn out, and to read in Mapa's clear, honest prose some of my own thoughts and feelings that I've kept locked … Continue reading Book review
Spring gardens
Sometimes I think that heaven must be like a sunny spring day in British Columbia. And if it is, then the heart of heaven must be like the Butchart Gardens. The first and only other time I visited this beautiful spot was 20-odd years ago. So I'm very grateful to my friend Maureen for taking … Continue reading Spring gardens
Children of my heart
At the start of this new year, instead of making a bunch of resolutions, I made a few lists in answer to the following questions: What should I start? What should I stop? What should I do more? What should I do less? What should I continue? What should I be grateful for? The first thing … Continue reading Children of my heart
New flavours on one of North America’s oldest streets
I was overjoyed when, in the middle of a chat about Asian cuisine, the Indonesian waiter at one of my favourite restaurants, Gado-Gado, told me that there was a new Filipino restaurant on rue Notre Dame, just a couple of blocks from where I live. But I have to admit it was a little surreal … Continue reading New flavours on one of North America’s oldest streets
Sugar shacking
When I was about eight years old, my grandparents came back to Manila from Vancouver for Christmas, and they gave me the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder as a present. I loved them — partly because they had such good eating in them, and also because they described daily life in a mileu that was totally … Continue reading Sugar shacking
