To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the book that tells of her past. – Dr. José Rizal Chicago. July 5. Trying to keep my hands at ten and two, I scan the horizon: the full, green trees, the low benches, and the fencing and aluminum barriers that divide Lake … Continue reading Finding Rizal, the First Filipino
“We are talking about papers, here,” said activist and documentary filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas. I heard this emphatic, simple statement when the Pulitzer-prize winning journalist formerly of the Washington Post spoke at the University of Chicago on May 9, 2012. The Filipino-born, California-raised Vargas entitled his June 2011, New York Times Magazine-published letter, My life … Continue reading “Home is complicated”: Thoughts of returning from an undocumented Filipina
A post on the famous Muslim Filipino dance, that works for a tie-in on Eid al-Fitr, right? Maybe. Continue reading Under Construction: Roots of the Singkil, a traditional Filipino [not Muslim] dance
It’s late October and many of my friends are buying their fake blood and zombie costumes and pulling out their Michael Jackson’s Thriller long-format tracks. Oh, and of course, getting ready for the World Series. (sigh.)
But here in the Philippines, we’re already looking forward to Christmas. Soon as one of the so-called -BER months (SeptemBER, OctoBER…) takes a turn on the calendar, Filipinos dust off their parol, traditional star-shaped Christmas lanterns made of bamboo and colorful paper or capiz shell. A cartoon Pasko countdown finishes the tv evening news broadcast – seventy days na lang! In the malls, the soundtracks change from pop hits like Gangam Style to classic carols like Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Ironic, of course, because it doesn’t get colder than the high 70s in Manila. Continue reading “60 Days to Christmas! Pasko and Bibingka time!”
![Under Construction: Roots of the Singkil, a traditional Filipino [not Muslim] dance](https://sarahlynnpablo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/img_6966.jpg?w=256&h=256&crop=1)
