Lolo’s presence in our lives, both before and after he emerged that fateful day, became like a curse on our family. To this day, I don’t know if anyone else could see him, feel him – I never built up the courage to ask – but to me his presence was like that of mga … More family curse
One quiet morning, Mami and I were rubbing butter between our fingers to make biscuits. Breaking the silence she told me – “Don’t ever let your children do something that makes you hate them.” I looked up at her form my wobbly stool, floured fingers still. She looked back at me and I felt a … More retrospect
I used to think that belonging and acceptance were found externally, that you are accepted and/ or belong somewhere based on the thoughts, feelings and actions of some external source (group, people, place). Now I’m starting to feel that acceptance and belonging are actually found internally, regardless of the external circumstances, that a person can … More on acceptance and belonging
Dear Oak, the surprise I felt at the strength of your voice illuminates the extent of humanity’s self-absorption. In many ways, before meeting you, I adopted the colonial, savior mentality, in my relationship to conservation, and how best to address the environmental crisis that we face. I felt I knew, based on my eurocentric education, … More Wisdom of the Oak part II: Voice
Dear Oak, I feel, sometimes, that stillness has elusive tendencies. My mind runs a mile a minute, focussed simultaneously on the micro and macro scales of existence. I lose myself in the tension between the conceit of individualized experience, and the societal pressures which influence our lives. Though I understand the concepts of stillness, mindfulness … More Wisdom of the Oak part I: Place
Yesterday, I went with some classmates and lecturers to visit an Oak tree. We had visited this tree over a year ago, as part of our program, and since then much has changed for us, the Oak, the program, and the university. I believe we all chose to spend time with this tree for different … More A moment of stillness
“The living and holistic bio-system that is nature cannot be dissected or resolved into its parts. Once broken down, it dies, or rather, those who break off a piece of nature lay hold of something that is dead, and, unaware that what they are examining is no longer what they think it to be, claim … More Invasive plants as teacher
As I left the Presidio Letterman YMCA, on a perfectly sunny and beautiful San Francisco Sunday, I could not contain my happiness. I grinned from ear to ear and practically skipped as I headed back to my car. My belly was full of butterflies and my heart felt lighter than it had in months. As … More How a Sexual Assault Prevention Seminar is Helping me Learn to Love Myself
I have always loved to travel, and a few years ago, would have jumped at the opportunity to start a life somewhere far away. It would have appealed to my sense of adventure. But, now that I find myself living abroad, I dream regularly of home. Thus the inception of Home Sweet Home. This blog … More Welcome to Home Sweet Home
Trigger warning: this essay deals with the death of a loved one At the time that I write this sentence, it has been two and a half years since my mom died of stage four breast cancer. If you had asked me two years ago whether I felt privileged as her caregiver, a wave of … More The Privilege of Death
Home Sweet Home 