America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

Carlos Bulosan’s semi-autobiographical novel America is in the Heart narrates the evolution of the character of Carlos (nicknamed as Allos) in his journey to find ‘America.’  Bulosan’s search for the ever-elusive “American Dream,” is a common story for many Filipinos. Despite mostly being set in the United States, the novel reflects the Philippines’ history of [...]

North Country

Grasping the metal bars on top of the bus-like automobile, we held on for dear life as it tumbled over dirt road. The jeepney, emblazoned with images of local celebrities and “In God We Trust” logos, was fully occupied: inside, food and supplies for various villages, and on its roof, young farmhands eager to return [...]

The Boxcutters: A Wasteland for the Wild, the Wicked, and the Weird

“The Boxcutters” (www.theboxcutters.wordpress.com) is a blog dedicated to those brave enough to live life according to their own rules. Here’s what ‘The Boxcutters’ is all about: Graffiti artist Banksy once said, “Think from outside the box, collapse it, and take a fucking knife to it.”  We at Boxcutters are fueled by a desire to break [...]

New Wave Revolutionaries: The Sleepyheads

Orchestra conductor Leopold Stokowski once said, “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” While most people see music and visual art as separate entities, The Sleepyheads, often serving as the opening act in Manila’s premier galleries such as Silverlens and Mo’s space, construct their songs to serve as the [...]

Memories of a volcano

In Barrio Barretto, everything was an adventure. It was just me, my dad and my pal, Hotdog—a black-and-gray dachshund whose thunderous bark made up for his small size. Days were spent investigating tide pools, digging up sand worms, chasing the neighbor’s chickens and testing how far out into the water we could take the inflatable [...]

Soledad’s Sister by Jose Dalisay

Soledad Cabahug was returning to Manila from Jedah. Like thousands of Filipinos, she had worked overseas, first in Hong Kong then later in Saudi Arabia. Like many others, she was desperate to leave, eager to provide for her family back home (especially for her three-year old son, born out of an affair with a member [...]

A Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis

Told through the eyes of a food-loving kid, Merlinda Bobis’ A Banana Heart Summer uses traditional Filipino fare to whet the appetite and comfort the soul. Set in the 1960s, the free-spirited Nenita, whose eyes widen at the sight of Nana Dora’s deep-fried caramelized bananas, seems like any other 12 year old. Yet, her kitchen [...]

Into the Valley of the “Vigo”

Crank up the “Vigo” Volume Challenging mainstream musical conventions, Vigo combines jazz, rock, traditional pinoy balladry (kundiman), modern beats, and a dash of folk to create their own unique sound. With each artist having already forged their own reputations in the Manila soundscape, Vigo is more than just your run-of-the-mill garage band. Vigo is a [...]

Friday Finds to Get You Through This Complex Sphere of Life 05/21/2010

Hey folks! Here’s to another set of Friday Finds! It will have to be a bit of a mashup today since I’m off and running! Sorry to have missed last weeks finds. But I have a good excuse! I traveled to the “Pahiyas Festival” in Quezon. It was a feast of food, frolic and fun. [...]

A Heritage of Smallness by Nick Joaquin

“Society for the Filipino is a small rowboat: the barangay. Geography for the Filipino is a small locality: the barrio. History for the Filipino is a small vague saying: matanda pa kay mahoma; noong peacetime. Enterprise for the Filipino is a small stall: the sari-sari. Industry and production for the Filipino are the small immediate searchings of each day: isang kahig, isang tuka. And commerce for the Filipino is the smallest degree of retail: the tingi.”