Whenever someone asks me how I am doing, I tend to say “surviving,” so as to soften the blow of not knowing the answer with a self-deprecating humor of sorts. Sometimes, it really is just that. I’m alive and surviving. The beginning of this year was very positive. I was…

The grand-daughter of the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago sent me a direct message this morning on Twitter. She asked me if could take down one of my tweets against her late grand-mother’s choices in 2016 when she chose Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as her Vice President. One of the most decorated lawyers…

I sent off three friends this week alone. I thought I would have been desensitized to their departures by now. After all, it now feels like the standard to my relationships with people here— an inevitable deadline just looming, hovering over friends and lovers. A time bomb. Every last moment…

In Greek theatre, when a narrative gets trapped in its own corner of the story, storytellers would normally apply the Deus Ex Machina — god from the machine, where characters playing as gods are literally brought onto stage using a machine to resolve the impossible plot hole. …

I had just spent the last two hours building yet another fantasy with you in my head. In it, we met up for drinks, and we took back what we have already said. In it, we became good friends. In it, I left the country, and you went back to…

There is a sense of empowerment when you finally realize that self-reliance and independence are finally taking over your life. I have been an adult for a minute, but it was only until recently that I have felt more acquainted with my independence. You see, it’s an accomplishment when you…

I dreamt about you the other night; it’s been exactly 20 months since you left. Nothing has really changed. I’ll give you the advantage of the pandemic; who could have thought, right? It’s been a year since I got your last message, asking for a permission for me to be…

Five years ago, I, too, ended up writing about “How do I see myself in five years?” for my graduation essay. Some of the job interviews I had seemed very interested in knowing what I wanted to do vs who I’d want to be. Back then, I only had a…

Just before sunset, herds of Japanese black (Kuroge) cattle lined up on lush greens and banks of mud, calling it a day. The scene was surreal, almost like a painting. One must think, Kuroge cattle are one of the most expensive breeds of Japanese cow, producing high-grade Wagyu. …