boxing day

Boxing Day is a secular holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day. It originated in the United Kingdom, and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.

Boxing Day History

Boxing Day is on 26 December, although the attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place either on that day or two days later.

In some European countries, such as Romania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, 26 December is celebrated as a Second Christmas Day.

Oxford Street Shopping

In the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, Boxing Day is the second day of Christmastide, and also Saint Stephen's Day.

There are competing theories for the origins of the term, none of which are definitive. 

Christmas lights at the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens

It's always a whirlwind when the family comes to town. In this case we had some relatives briefly staying in Edinburgh before going home to the Philippines for Christmas, and we came up to see the sights with them for a weekend. And luckily it was Christmas at the Botanics!

mapping the heavens

The the Geminid meteor shower will be gracing our wintry sky once again this December 13 and 14.

Along with the Wirtanen Comet or Comet 49P which will be only seven million miles from Earth on December 16. Close enough to allow us to see it.

Jamieson's Celestial Atlas, 1822

The advent of these dazzling cosmic bodies are the perfect opportunity for wonder | wander | women to geek out on our love of old illustrated atlases of yore.

living with buildings

It's safe to say that wonder | wander | women like buildings.

We really, really like buildings. Especially weird little buildings.

Bukay Lagman | dynamic dynamo

Another proud family shout out! Kudos to our sister/aunt Bukay Lagman.

We dedicate today's blog to one feisty, fun and fantastic wonder | wander | woman.

Happy Birthday to you! You have touched many lives and brightened our world in countless ways.

a gloomy november - an illustrated post

Here in the Northern Hemisphere the weather is...bad.

NYC holiday season

New York! New York! Holiday season is here again. The Big Apple is dressed to her nines. All showy and sparkly in everything she's got to offer us all.

There’s so much to see and so much to do, it seems there is never a definite answer as to where exactly your time should be spent in this massive urban jungle of eye candy overload.

Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up at the V&A

"There is art that is so highly personal in nature that it becomes universal."
Carlos Philips Olmedo, Director-General, Museums Dolores Olmedo, Frida Kahlo y Diego Rivera Anahuacalli

Iconic, enigmatic, compelling... Frida Kahlo was one of the most fascinating artists, and indeed, people, who ever existed. One of the original wonder | wander | women!

Image by Nickolas Muray, courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum

life along the Hudson River

The US half of wonder | wander | women has lived in Hudson County for ten years now. We easily cross the Hudson River countless times through its bridges and tunnels to get our New York City fix. 

Autumn - On the Hudson River, 1860 by

Jasper Francis Cropsey

The proud consensus is that life along either side of the Hudson River is best highlighted in autumn - leaf peeping season in these parts. When the leaves start changing their colors in brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red the whole landscape shines in a blaze of glory. 

Discovery of the Hudson River, 1874 by Albert Bierstadt

Wellcome Library archives: buried treasures of bibliophilia

We were recently invited to a tour of the closed archives of the library at the Wellcome Collection. We've explored the library before and are perpetual visitors to the Reading Room, but who could pass up a chance to visit the stores of rare books and medical artefacts that made the historic Wellcome Institute so famous?

natural state of affairs

With the return of the Integrative Sound and Music Institute certificate program at New York Open Center, wonder | wonder | women review the year that has gone by since we graduated this June.

My SMI class certificate

We are deeply grateful to have these gifted and generous world class experts available to share their experience and expertise with us. Clear your calendars and come join us!

2017-2018 SMI Graduating Class

This is the perfect time and place to immerse ourselves in the healing vibrations of sound and develop our own deep listening.

Art sanctuary: the Met Cloisters

As we've maybe hinted at once or twice in this blog, wonder | wander | women love churches, cathedrals, and other architecture of worship that reminds us of our Catholic upbringing. In New York we found a truly sacred spot: that place of pilgrimage for medieval art lovers, the Met Cloisters.

Columbus | the past, the monument, the parade

On 8 October 2018 Manhattan's Fifth Avenue will be transformed for the Columbus Day Parade. The parade will be led by Grand Marshal Guy Chiarello, President of First Data Corporation.

Columbus Circle, New York City, circa 1907

Over 35,000 people participate in the Columbus Day Parade in New York City each year, including over 100 groups, with bands, floats, and contingents. The parade attracts nearly one million spectators and is the largest celebration of Italian-American culture in the world.

Much as New Yorkers love the festivities, communities are divided over celebrating the man and his purpose. American immigrants, many of who come from colonized countries, believe we should abandon a holiday that celebrates Columbus' crimes and perpetuates criminal colonizer behavior.

the Church aesthetic: setting the scene

Around London it's the big churches that grab the attention: Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, St. Bartholomew. But even on everyday walks we're arrested by the gorgeous architecture and looming belltowers of the hundreds of small but beautiful churches that are scattered through London.

Via 57 NYC

New York City is a favoured iconic destination for many. Bound to be featured in many a bucket list.

VIA 57 West

wonder | wander | women certainly count NYC among the top ten places close to our hearts.

September | signs & symbols

September has always been a special month for wonder | wander | women. For may reasons, both personal and more.

Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

Starting with September 1 - Mahala's birth day and Issa's labor day. We never tire of the specialness of this day for us. It truly is life changing for us both.

At the Met entrance for Heavenly Bodies

September 1 also marks the beginning of the meteorological autumn in the Northern hemisphere and the beginning of the meteorological spring in the Southern hemisphere.

39th birthday: life, love, London

The great joy of living in a big city is what writer Julia Cameron calls the 'art date': a day of wandering and gathering inspiration. After a glorious month of running around New York, I felt like I hadn't gone on a 'date' with my own adopted city in a while.  

The Shard and Southwark Cathedral

ice vice

wonder | wander | women love our ice cream. Nothing gives us more license to indulge than summer in New York City with temperatures soaring in the 90s. 

We kid you not when we claim summer in this concrete jungle is like being stuck in the armpit of hell. Hence the native New Yorker's addiction to ice cream. We feature the history of ice cream in our museums, for heaven's sake. 

Italian duchess Catherine de' Medici, credited with introducing ice cream into Europe in the 16th century

Another driving factor - NYC is a hub and mecca of diverse cultures and traditions. Self professed foodies who avidly hunt out our gastronomic delicacies and delights. 

storm watch: summer tempests

It's been a very violent summer, weather wise. wonder | wander | women love cloud gazing, and we are fanatic photographers of clouds in every mood, but Mother Nature has been especially photogenic this year. Photogenic and temperamental.

Gallery Indigena & indie art

On a recent visit to Canada, wonder | wander | women blogged about the Inuit art featured at the AGO in Toronto.

WoaWomen Urra in Stratford, Ontario

Before we even set foot at the AGO though, we had fallen in love with much of the First Nations arts and crafts exhibited in Gallery Indigena in Stratford.

Gallery Indigena - Stratford, Ontario

Tunirrusiangit: Inuit artists sharing their gifts

Our identity as Filipinos who grew up on the islands is the bright, distinguishing thread through the creative life of wonder | wander | women - our blogs, our writing, and our art. Ethnicity is not something learned.

We learned to speak English, we learned the Catholic traditions and our history as colonials. We learned how to speak and read Filipino, but Filipino is who we are; that's why we sympathise so much with other indigenous artists of colonised countries.

From the AGO exhibition

aloha nights

wonder | wander | women were at the Aloha Nights exhibit of the New York Botanical Gardens recently. 

Our selfie in front of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Doors of North America!

wonder | wander | women certainly made the most of our month together! Aside from travelling, visiting, talking and eating, we indulged ourselves in a feast of picture taking. There were so many lovely things to point our lenses at, but of course we sought out our favourite subject: doors!

divine inspiration

OMG late post. . . . again. . . .for shame. 

Manhattanhenge Summer Solstice
Grand Central Station NYC - July 13

wonder | wander | women had a good reason though. We were in the throes of packing Mahala's stuff for her return back to the UK after a glorious month of togetherness in the US. 

Last day at our NYC apartment, July 16

OK ok - on with the show then. Let us get on with the next highlight of our lives. 

majestic Niagara Falls

As we woke back in our NYC base after our late midnight return from Georgia, wonder | wander | women review our photos and realize we are two weeks behind on our stories.

Niagara Falls, Ontario

WhaAAat? How'd that happen? Easy. We have been traipsing around. All over the place. Here there and everywhere.

To catch us all up we return to our Canada trip. Appropriately timed on Canada Day weekend this year. It was Mahala's first ever trip to Canada. Of course we all had to take her around.

Happy US Independence Day!

This year wonder | wander | women celebrate our reunion and the United States Independence Day by being grateful for freedom: the freedom to speak against oppression!

Photo courtesy of Boing Boing and Jessamyn West

woawomen NYC selfies

How many selfies can one take and keep up their entertainment value and originality?

Frick Museum, NYC

Who knows really? Yet Mahala and I are determined to test our limits now that we are reunited once again.

Day 1, Hudson Market on 57th & 11th

wonder | wander | women tearing up the NYC scenery and our phones to max this out as we optimize our time together.

Together again!!!

Guess who's landed in NYC!!! Yup, the wonder | wander | women are finally in the same city!

spring flowers & summer showers

We have been enjoying our seasonal blooms as we stroll around our Weehawken neighborhood. 

Walking off a happy meal and taking the time to chat with folks lovingly tending their gardens. 

The weather these past few days reminds us of this poem by Karen Chappell - 

April showers bring May flowers,
That is what they say.
But if all the showers turned to flowers,
We’d have quite a colourful day!

primary vote

Across the United States of America, Tuesday’s primaries highlighted tensions in the Democratic Party between progressive and establishment camps.

While in many Republican primaries, the leading candidates competed to be the most Trump-like as they wooed conservatives.

silence

Our lives are full of 'one more thing'. We're always chasing something, catching up, keeping busy, keeping up. Where is the pause?

St. Pancras Old Church and Gardens

resurrecting deep forests

wonder | wander | women are currently working on a project close to our hearts and our homeland roots - the long lost mystical babaylans of Negros Island.

Concept Art by Mahala Urra

Native precolonial history is hard to confirm as the land was ancient and isolated. Original oral traditions practiced and handed down through generations by its inhabitants were systematically eradicated by a succession of colonizers.

Of particular interest to us are the Pintados and Negritos of our island home. The origins of these people is a much debated topic. The Malay term for them is orang asli, or original people.

home sweet boondocks

American soldiers, fed up with struggling through hostile jungle in the Philippine highlands, coined the term boondocks in the dawn of the 20th century to denote a backward rural area with 'connotations of bewilderment and confusion', according to Wikipedia. The English word comes from the Tagalog word bundok, or mountain - a word with very different meanings to the wonder | wander | women.

May Day

It's May and we can finally celebrate spring on May Day!

With temperatures soaring in the high 70s here in the East Coast it feels like we've bypassed spring and gone straight to summer.

Although May Day originated as a pagan practice it has long been Christianized with various May devotions dedicated to Mary the mother of Christ.

Most secular practices include dancing around a May pole and crowning a May queen.

nature in the city: beloved garden birds

Every day back in our room in the Philippines, wonder | wander | women would look out our first floor window at the bamboo thicket and foxtail palms outside, and there would always be at least one or two birds in the branches. 

sakura season

wonder | wonder | women are ecstatic to finally have the cherry blossoms making their appearance in our neighborhoods.

Whether in the UK, the US, or in Asia we love being embraced in their profusion of silky soft petals and sweet subtle scents wafting in soft clouds surrounding us on our strolls.

Wherever in the world we are their appearance bring us back home to ourselves however early or late they come and however long or short they stay.