From the sea to the mountains

February 12, 2014December 31, 2020Leave a comment

I was blessed to have grown up in a house with a large yard, with lots of space for kids and pets to run around. We had two big dogs, and a chicken coop that housed my pet rooster, Charlie, and his tiny harem: a little white hen and a little black hen. We also … Continue reading From the sea to the mountains

Personal geography

February 2, 2014December 31, 2020Leave a comment

This month's National Geographic features an essay by Garrison Keillor about his personal geography. It begins,“When a man lives in one place for most of his life, he doesn’t need GPS.” I'm fascinated with people who have lived most of their life in one place, because this is not the way of my own family—a … Continue reading Personal geography

Meet my grandpa

January 26, 2014December 31, 2020Leave a comment

My maternal grandparents immigrated to Canada when I was about six or seven years old. Those were the days before the internet made such things as email and FaceTime possible. Happily, my grandfather was an excellent correspondent. How I looked forward to getting a fat letter in the mail, addressed to me, with several sheets … Continue reading Meet my grandpa

Ten thousand birds

June 6, 2013Leave a comment

"As long as you're working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge." ~ The Mayo Clinic In today's hectic world, who hasn't felt like a juggler trying to keep all the balls in play, or worse, like a tightrope walker struggling to stay on the wire? For many … Continue reading Ten thousand birds

Passing on the brush: Bert Monterona

May 30, 2013Leave a comment

Training the Trainer: photo gallery A resident of Canada since 2002, award-winning visual artist and educator Bert Monterona is looking forward to a well-deserved retirement in the Philippines. But before he makes the move back home, he’s preparing a second generation of artists to take up his cause of community mural painting. “I am an … Continue reading Passing on the brush: Bert Monterona

Filipino dance is thriving in Vancouver

May 30, 2013October 10, 2017Leave a comment

Photos by Leah Villalobos Vancouver-based performing arts group Kababayang Pilipino (KP) gave its 19th season concert on Sunday June 24, 2012 at the Shadbolt Centre’s James Cowan Theatre in Burnaby. Aptly entitled Balik Tanaw (A Look Back), the show offered both a retrospective of KP’s repertoire of folk dance and music, and a nostalgic glimpse of the rich diversity … Continue reading Filipino dance is thriving in Vancouver