Naoshima Island and Yayoi Kusama

Yellow Pumpkin. Naoshima Island. August 2012 I am fortunate to have visited the original Yellow Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama on Naoshima Island before it was swept to sea during a typhoon (I do not know if the original was ever retrieved, but I'd like to imagine an unsuspecting diver getting the surprise of his life when he sees a bright yellow pumpkin perched on the seabed). It has since been replaced in 2022 with another, sturdier, and better-anchored version. I have been to the island 3 times between 2009 and 2013, and if there's an opportunity in…

Ghost Tablet scare (or that time when I thought a parasite was living inside my body)

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have this habit of looking at my stool after taking a dump to appreciate what I have brought out into the world. You can imagine my surprise when I noticed what I thought looked like a reptilian egg floating alongside my stool. I tried to splash some water on it to separate it from the main stool, and it just floated there while the rest of the stool broke apart. I spent the rest of the following days worrying I was hosting some parasite inside me. And what kind of parasite will have an egg that size, roughl…

Father's Day Reflections

Last Sunday was Father's Day. The earliest memories I have of my late father when I was growing up were waking up on a weekend to the sound of the turntable resonating through the house. It will be a Broadway musical or some recordings of Placido Domingo or Mario Lanza. He would eagerly wake me up from sleep, so he would ask me to be his assistant for whatever project he was doing at the time. I'd be all grumpy and resentful on waking up too early on a non-school day. Thus, he'd call me teasingly his Mr. Aburido . Looking back, though, I c…

That time my parents were scammed... well, almost.

Almost more than a decade ago, I was out of the country on an overseas assignment, spending most of the day doing fieldwork. Because I worked in an environment with a risk of explosions, I couldn’t carry my mobile phone since any non-intrinsically safe electronics were strictly prohibited lest it becomes an ignition source. When I finally returned to my desk, I saw a string of missed calls from my parents. I called back immediately. The moment they answered, I could hear the panic in their voices. My mother told me that someone claiming to be from the…

Battling the Summer Fly Invasion

Every summer, like clockwork, our house becomes a battlefield swarmed by hundreds of flies. They slip past doors and windows, invading even the most guarded corners indoors. That’s when I reach for my trusty fly zapper (my weapon of choice) and imagine myself as a sword‑wielding anime hero. (Though I admit, “Fly Breathing Technique” doesn’t quite have the same ring as the ones in the anime.) Each swing of the racket‑like mesh delivers a satisfying crackle of electricity, punctuated by the unmistakable scent of singed fly flesh. The most satisfying strik…

A Legacy in Pages: My Mother’s Bookshelf and Our Shared Love for Reading

Bookshelf. Flickr/Jep I stare at the overstuffed, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in the bedroom. This used to be my mother’s bedroom. One wall is lined with a custom-built shelf she specifically requested when we were constructing this house all those years ago. Now, some of the shelves bow slightly under the weight of two tightly packed rows of books. I’ve been contemplating what to do with them. Perhaps I’ll donate them someday, but first, I feel compelled to catalog the collection. It’s a daunting task, not just because of the sheer volume, but because t…

Watch Recommendation: Takopi's Original Sin

These are not your kid’s cartoons. Takopi’s Original Sin , or simply Takopi, may visually present itself with a childish and cheerful art style, but don’t let that fool you. Rated 17+ in some regions, the series takes the familiar "magical friend" trope (think Fairly OddParents ) and subverts it with dark, emotionally charged themes. In fact, this cognitive dissonance on the art style and the type of story pretty much sums up the point of the anime. At its core, Takopi confronts the realities of bullying, depression, and self-harm, while offe…

My Chili Pepper Garden

Siling labuyo.  Jep | Flickr Siling pansigang.siling haba.  Jep | Flickr I've been expanding the varieties in my pepper plant garden. So far, I have the following in my garden. Siling labuyo ( Capsicum frutescens )  Siling pansigang or siling haba, as it is locally called ( Capsicum annuum var. longum ) Purple chili pepper (also belonging to Capsicum annuum ) Bird's eye chili peppers ( Capsicum frutescens )  Bell peppers ( Capsicum annuum , specifically the Grossum Group cultivar) My goal is to try to grow varieties belonging to  Capsicum chi…

Audiobooks: A Different Way to Enjoy Literary Works

Audiobooks: A Different Way to Enjoy Literary Works Audiobooks offer a more passive way of consuming media, making them a completely different experience from reading a physical book. They allow your imagination to run free while you engage in routine activities. I often listen while multitasking - whether on long drives, walks, or public transportation commutes. However, depending on the audiobook, it may demand your full attention, especially action-packed ones. Interestingly, I’ve found myself exploring genres I wouldn’t necessarily pick up in a book…

Rainy Season Begins: Looking Back at a Scorching Summer

Swimming Pool.  Jep | Flickr The local weather bureau officially announced last week the start of the rainy season in the Philippines. Fortunately, summer this year wasn’t too unbearable, though I was mainly concerned about the deep well drying up again, as it did last year. That, and the inconvenience of my air-conditioning unit breaking down for a few days last month. I remember the city’s social media pages issuing a formal notice last year, urging residents to refrain from watering their gardens - yes, it was that bad. Coincidentally, I spent most o…