In the Philippines, most of the malls have started putting up Christmas trees and holiday ornaments in the month of September. For decades, I still can't connect what the tree, the ornaments, and the red and green colors got to do with Christmas. I've read a lot about the origins of these holiday ornaments but... Continue Reading →
Flooded Manila in the Early 1900s…
... And after a hundred years, the flood is now waist-deep! See, there is an improvement in Manila!
“The Philippine Alibata” (The Philippine Alphabet)
Unknown to many foreigners, the original Philippine Alibata (alphabet) has no C, F, J, Q, V, X, and Z. Patinig are the vowels while the Katinig are the consonants. However, the modern day "informal" Philippine alphabet now include the 7 English consonants. By the way, the letter "J" was only invented in the 17th century.... Continue Reading →
The Lady Washington
The galleon ship you see in the image is the only "living and exact' replica of the Lady Washington. "In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America. A pioneer in Pan-Pacific trade, she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan.... Continue Reading →