What would you put on yours? — Our days have two faces — the beaming and the downcast. In between lies a space of neutrality. Within that space, there are small things that make a big difference. These things are not what we call essential but they give meaning to the hours we consume while here. I…

No wishes, no resolutions, only intentions. — Which story will you make this year? That was how I ended my open letter to 2022. This was the story I made. 2022 was that of radical change. At its beginning, the relationship that held me fell apart. In the middle, I launched like a rocket from Manila to…

Books have power in them. — 2022 was a year of change, adapting, and acceptance. I lost a lot and gained a lot. I moved to a foreign country, began teaching middle schoolers, and learned a new language. Prior to 2022, all these never ever crossed my imagination. This means the set of books I read…

Plus tips on getting there and entering Vietnam as a tourist — Hanoi is busy at any time of the day. It seems the Vietnamese are tireless, constantly running from one point to another. The lights, rush, and noise in the city can either get inspiring or tiring. Spending a few days outside the city is a great way to unplug. If…

We are being transformed, preparing ourselves for springtime. — Five to six hours of sleep — that’s not something to brag about. That was the average number of hours of sleep I used to get when I was living in the Philippines, traveling, and adjusting to my first few months here in Hanoi. Realistic and disturbing I recall having recurring nightmares of…

Chores belong to the ordinary, to the humdrum of life. — Today is Sunday in Hanoi. The season is winter. Coming from the Philippines, I should welcome and enjoy the low temperature. But lately, all I do is hide myself under the blanket with a book. Friends said it will be like this for a couple of months. I’m not desperate…

We are not ready for a leader like her. As a friend said, “We get what we tolerate.” — In the early 90s, we experienced many hours of power outages, 3 to 10 hours at a time. Without electricity, we used candles to light up our dinners and school work. Our president was Fidel V. Ramos who, they said, inherited the power problem from Corazon Aquino, the country’s 11th…

It was written simply because it had to be. — Last year, I published my first book of poetry. I worked on it during the most trying time of my life, but it was worth stressing over. That was right after I had a major surgery which I candidly wrote about here. It wasn’t the stress that a boss placed…

Not writing is an important part of writing. -Ann Patchett — The last two years have been extremely challenging for our family. We waded through serious health problems, COVID-19, the death of family members, and our messy relationships with each other. In this period, I saw writing as an activity that I did or have to do, instead of a state…