When a Filipino travels, there is often one question waiting at the end of the trip: “May pasalubong ka?”
Pasalubong refers to a gift or treat brought home for family and friends after traveling. It can be something s...
Moving from the Philippines to the United States was more than changing where I lived.
It meant leaving behind familiar people, routines, food, places, and a way of life that had always felt normal.
When people tal...
A familiar scent can bring back a memory before we even realize what is happening.
The smell of flowers may remind us of a family garden. Fresh bread may bring us back to a neighborhood bakery. A certain perfume may r...
Home is not always a specific place. Sometimes, it is a smell, a sound, a familiar meal, or a small moment that suddenly brings back memories.
For many Filipinos, the smell of rice cooking is one of those things. It may...
Before you even hear it, you see it.
A jeepney rolls down the street covered in bright colors, chrome details, painted names, religious images, route signs, and artwork that feels larger than life. It is public transp...
Moving from the Philippines to the United States is more than just changing countries. It is leaving behind everything familiar and learning how to build a new life from the beginning.
At first, everything feels excit...
Before Manila became the capital of the Spanish Philippines, before Intramuros rose behind stone walls, and before history books began their familiar story with Magellan and colonization, there was already a powerful set...