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…

Mulberries and Mayhem: A Wasp Attack

Earlier today, my peaceful mulberry foraging in the backyard took an unexpected turn. I was happily gathering ripe fruits when I felt a sharp pain, then another, and another, on my hand. A faint buzzing sound, which I initially mistook for bees, filled my ears. Panic set in, and I bolted towards the safety of my house. It must have been quite a sight: wide-eyed, clutching my hand, which, coincidentally, was stained red-purple from the mulberries, and running like my life depended on it. It must have looked like I was in some horrific accident from anoth…

Celebrating My Late Father's Birthday and Remembering His Love for Baking

Last Saturday marked my late father's birthday. Though he is no longer with us, my siblings and I make it a point to honor these special dates, no matter where we are. Baking something from scratch would have been the most fitting tribute, considering my father’s love for baking after retirement. But at that moment, I wasn't quite up to the task. Instead, I ordered a lovely carrot cake from a local bakeshop for delivery. It arrived slightly smooshed on one side - perhaps from the box tilting during transport. I didn't mind. A slightly missha…

Mulberries in the Summer: A Journey Through Memory Lane

A mulberry fruit. Photos by Flickr/Jep . It's the height of summer, and the mulberry tree at the back of our house is filling up with succulent morsels of deep purple goodness. Every morning, I try to harvest all of the ripe ones within arm's reach and leave the ones I can't reach to the birds and to the annoying neighbor's chicken (or should that be the neighbor's annoying chicken - think I am just going to feign ignorance) when they drop to the ground. My fingers are stained purple as mulberries tend to bruise easily when ripe, and…

Hot summer days in Iloilo

I like to monitor these room temperature and humidity sensors I placed around the house. Photos by Flickr/Jep It was the Lenten season last week, and it would seem that traditional wisdom holds true for being regarded as the warmest time of the year in the Philippines. True enough, temperatures in Iloilo have been soaring to as high as 35 degrees Celsius in the afternoon over the past few weeks - and forecasts predict this trend will persist for the rest of this week. The city government has even made an announcement of a preemptive suspension of cla…

Panay's Liberation Day: Honoring Heroes and Sacrifices

The Liberation of Panay Holiday, observed every March 18, commemorates the successful liberation of Panay Island from Japanese forces during World War II. This pivotal event honors the courage and sacrifices of Filipino guerrillas and Allied forces who fought tirelessly to free Panay and its neighboring islands. The day not only marks the triumph of resistance and unity but also serves as a tribute to those who gave their lives for freedom. Panay was liberated on March 18, 1945, a victory achieved through the coordinated efforts of Filipino guerrilla fi…

I've created a SubStack account!

If you want to be able to read all of my posts conveniently delivered to your inbox, consider subscribing to my email list. For now, I am alternating between sending out my current posts and selected past posts that I think are interesting enough (I will not be sending everything). Check out my SubStack account in the following link:  Occasional Ramblings | Substack Also, what do you think of the new logo? :)

Dinagyang Festival - Iloilo City: Respectful Representation or Cultural Appropriation

Dinagyang Festival. Photo by JVTaiza via Flickr (with permission) Dinagyang Festival 2025 is finally winding down, marking the end of three exhilarating days of celebration in Iloilo City, Philippines. Running from January 24 to 26, 2025, this vibrant festival, held on the fourth weekend of January, showcases the rich cultural heritage of the region. With events like the ILOmination and Parade of Lights, the Kasadyahan Festival, and the energetic Ati Tribe Competition, Dinagyang is a feast for the senses and a heartfelt homage to the island's his…

Statues of the Sto. Niño in indigenous garb for Dinagyang 2025

Statues of the Sto. Niño in Indigenous garb for Dinagyang 2025. Photo by Jep c/o Flickr. With the Dinagyang 2025 festival fast approaching in Iloilo City, Philippines, displays such as this are common at shopping malls and other areas with heavy foot traffic.

New Year Resolutions (2025 edition)

It's the start of a brand-new year and it's the perfect time to take a bit of a pause and reflect on what to do for the rest of the year. Now is the best time to do this while you're feeling all fresh and optimistic, ready to conquer all obstacles that come your way. You've got big dreams, grand plans, and maybe even a few resolutions floating around. But here's the thing: without a plan, those dreams are just going to be blurry, unfocused images in your mind. Think of it like trying to build a house without a proper construction pla…

Pinoy Baiting

An image that is meant to represent "Pinoy Baiting" - image was generated with the assistance of Dall-E3.  Over several years, we have seen the popularity of so-called Pinoy-baiting videos. It may start innocently enough, in which certain social media influences would just happen to feature something Philippines-related in their videos and they would be surprised by the sudden surge in the number of views in their video. They would go back to their standard content type and would see that it would not perform as well as that one video so the…

Duolingo quietly got rid of community discussions on individual exercises

A green owl holding a knife while gesturing to be quiet by holding a finger to his mouth. Image generated with the assistance of Dall-E3.   In a Reddit announcement  posted about 3 months ago, Duolingo announced that they are dropping the community discussions on individual exercises. I admit that this was only brought to my attention recently and not while using the app but in a totally random algorithmically recommended video by Evan Edinger  I stumbled upon while I was browsing through YouTube. I have been an obsessive Duolingo learner for about 4 …

Undas, Todos Los Santos, Tigkalalag, All Souls Day, Day of the Dead - a deeply rooted Filipino tradition

An infrared photograph of a memorial park in the Philippines. Flickr/Jep It's that time of the year again when Filipinos all over the country return to their hometowns to visit and pay respect to their departed family and friends. It is a day of remembrance, a day for visiting grave sites, laying down flowers, offering prayers, and lighting candles. In my childhood, my aunts and uncles on my father's side, being of Chinese ancestry, would also have the tradition of offering food and lighting incense on family altars at home.  This time of the ye…