Chameleons? Why Filipinos live & work in just about every country in the world
The words “why are Filipinos like chameleons” showed up on my blog’s search engine terms recently. I did not write an article (until now) that connected the two words — Filipino and chameleon — but I...
View ArticleWordPress Photo Challenge Reflections: cactus, black oak and well cover
Here is my submission for the WordPress Photo Challenge – reflections, inspiration from Ben, whose beautiful photos are posted on his blog, Flights, Camera, Satisfaction. My three reflection photos:...
View ArticleDo you have lemons (or other citrus) with white powder or blue-green mold?
Like on this photo….and wondered WHAT IS THIS? And why did it turn my lemon into a gooey mess? View the blog post here, at The Native Leaf Market to find out more about this mold…
View ArticleOld photo and update to “Most Craved Food in the World” article
I updated the post “Most Craved Food in the World” after finding this interesting photo in a book about the Philippines, via the Gutenberg website and another old book published in digitized format...
View ArticleChampurrado to Champorado: origin of a favorite Filipino breakfast
In the Philippines, champorado is a chocolate, riced-based porridge typically eaten for breakfast. In Mexico, champurrado is a chocolate-based drink (made with masa — lime treated corn dough, or corn...
View ArticleAn encounter with a (not so scary) snake
I’m pretty sure my intense fear of snakes stems from an encounter with a huge snake when I was around 5 years old. We lived near a rice field in the province of Bulacan (Luzon island in the...
View ArticleMosquito bites and the chickungunya virus
A viral disease called chickungunya is now being spread by mosquitoes in the US. Oh great…one more thing to worry about with mosquito bites. Have you heard about chickungunya? The first outbreak of...
View ArticleYes, California is STILL in a drought emergency
It’s been over six months since California declared a drought emergency with the goal of reducing 20% of our water use. Instead, water use actually increased this year! How is this possible? Many...
View ArticleJose Antonio Vargas…and the upcoming Pistahan Festival
Jose Antonio Vargas, a well-known activist for undocumented immigrants was recently detained at a Texas airport while reporting on the onslaught of minors crossing into the U.S. from Central America. I...
View ArticleTurtle Tunes and the Giant Pacific Leatherback
There is a lot we do know about the hundreds of species of turtles living on our planet. Except that is….how they sound or vocalize. Papers published in the 1950′s claimed that turtles were deaf and...
View ArticleBlue jellyfish-like creatures (related to dangerous Portugese man o’ war)...
Earlier this week, we noticed these blue jellyfish-like creatures stranded at the Moss Landing – Salinas River State Beach (Central California coast)… We have not seen these before, and they looked...
View ArticleSea otters in the Philippines (Asian short-clawed otters)
I adore sea otters and have posted several articles / photos / videos about California sea otters on my blog. Until recently — and although I grew up in the Philippines — I did not know there were sea...
View ArticleA library with no books — and it’s at a university
I wanted to look up a recipe for quince (a type of fruit with a lovely scent that has to be cooked before eating) and I debated whether to go to the bookcase and thumb through our cookbooks… or to just...
View ArticleInternational Literacy Day
Today, Monday, September 8th is International Literacy Day. Most of us take being able to read and literacy for granted…but worldwide, there are still 781 million adults who are illiterate (more than...
View ArticlePlastic: Now available in your…beer?
Plastic trash is found even at remote locations on our planet. And now, a new study finds that little bits of plastic — perhaps remnants of our trash — can be found in beer, too! Note: The study was...
View ArticleLiberated from laundry? Humanity and my take on this week’s photo challenge
We walked to the river carrying everything we needed to do the laundry…from the bundles of clothes and wash basins balanced on top of our heads, the bars of soap, the pot of rice, bananas and other...
View ArticleIs lip-pointing a learned or inherited trait? And by the way, it’s not...
People living in areas where the index or the “pointer” finger is the norm when pointing may think that this communication method is a universal gesture….but it is not. According to the paper The...
View ArticlePhilippine President on Global Security, China and Climate Change
Climate change is a reality. The Philippines has experienced strange weather patterns over the last few years — typhoons in November / December when they normally end by September. The November, 2013...
View ArticleMonterey Bay Birding Festival and Family Day Activities September 27th and 28th
Monterey Bay is a popular destination for tourists…but did you know it is also home to one of the most spectacular birding and wildlife venues in North America? September is the best time to see...
View ArticleYes! California the first U.S. state to ban single-use plastic bags
California is the most populous state in the U.S….and its citizens use a whole lot of single-use plastic bags — about 14 billion bags yearly. Thanks to a new bill signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown...
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