Manila is basically a self-improvement program disguised as a city: the endless gridlock builds your patience, natural disasters sharpen your risk assessment skills, karaoke doubles as therapy, and the air-conditioned malls keep your head cool when everything else overheats. When foreigners dream of the Philippines, they picture white sand beaches, swaying coconut palms, turquoise water,…
Tag Archives: Philippines
01
huhti
huhti
Holy Week gives everyone in the Philippines a multi-day break – a curious mix of worldly indulgence and religious traditions that are slowly fading away.The season also highlights just how far Filipino Catholicism has drifted from the more subdued, diluted version practiced in Europe. Today, about 85% of the population, most of whom belong to…
27
maalis
maalis
When the weight of social realities, irritating cultural quirks, and all the other assorted nonsense becomes heavy enough to dull the shine of your new homeland, you inevitably begin to wrestle with fundamental questions about integration. After living long enough outside the enchanted bubble of the Western world, everyone eventually experiences moments of pure frustration…
19
maalis
maalis
Today in the Philippines, people are celebrating with food and drink in earnest. Some are simply celebrating a welcome day off, while the country’s Muslim community marks the end of Ramadan. Both are perfectly valid excuses to celebrate; they also serve as a reminder that the Philippines has a significant Muslim minority. Eid al-Fitr marks…
11
maalis
maalis
For many travelers heading to Asia, food is half the reason to go. People cross oceans dreaming of Thai curries, Japanese sushi, and steaming bowls of Vietnamese pho. But the Philippines? Somehow, it rarely makes anyone’s bucket list for culinary reasons. For years, food writers and culinary commentators have predicted that Filipino cuisine will be…
01
maalis
maalis
If Metro Manila is the brain of the Philippines, then Cebu City is its heart – and the heart, as we know, sometimes does things the brain simply cannot explain. It beats, dances, loves, and sings. You can only find its rhythm when you stop searching and simply let yourself be. I have a problem…
25
helmi
helmi
Let’s take a look beyond the border, into a parallel world that is everyday reality for most Filipinos but utterly baffling to those of us perfectly comfortable inhabiting just one reality at a time. In the Philippines, all kinds of supernatural beliefs are woven into daily life and culture. Some Filipinos will firmly deny believing…
12
helmi
helmi
In the early 2000s, the Philippines made international headlines after two high-profile kidnapping cases involving Western tourists. From that moment on, the words PHILIPPINES and KIDNAPPING became inseparably linked in the global subconscious, reinforcing the image of a lawless and dangerous country. Then you arrive in Manila… One of the first things a visitor notices…
30
tammi
tammi
What is it about motorbiking that’s so addictive? At first glance, it looks suspiciously like an attempt to reach a personal tipping point between self-preservation and self-destruction. The only things arguing in favor of survival are the rider’s real – or imagined – skills, and their remarkable ability to deny reality. That said, the Philippines…
05
tammi
tammi
The Philippines is a tropical paradise where the sun always shines, where locals have smiles as serene as a yoga instructor after meditation, and where mojitos cost less than a cup of coffee back home. Everything looks picture-perfect until you realize that your trip can fluctuate between a dream and a nightmare in the blink…