El Anatsui at the Tate Modern

One of the most famous museums in the world, London's Tate Modern was once a massive coal power plant that supplied power to the City of London and the Southbank. Since it was turned into a museum of modern art, the Tate Modern's impressive Turbine Hall provides the perfect space for ambitious contemporary artists wanting to create monumental work.

Technicians installing El Anatsui's The World

midwinter vigil

Yule is a twelve-day festival beginning December 20th - Mother’s Night, when the celebration of Yule officially starts.

This is the day known as Mōdraniht in Old English, and Mother’s Night in modern - we honor and offer thanks to our female ancestors, those who watch over our families and help us in times of need.

Edgewater, New Jersey, 20 December 2023

The winter solstice is often seen as the pivot on which the year rotates, the shortest day followed by the longest night after which the days grow longer again. The solstice is a pause at the darkest part of the year. The power of incubation and Gaia’s darkness are gratefully honored at this festival as the Sun returns.

year end 2023

The holy days are the oasis of our soul where we ritually recalibrate ourselves - express our full spectrum of expression, our innate being, in worship and devotion. Rejoice! For the Light is birthed once more as we rediscover body and divinity are one and the same. 

There is the breath of the holy passes our lips - a kiss of renewal on every brow, a cry of awareness kindled, the fresh taste of wonder ignites awe - sparking joy within, reborn on this day.

cathedral in Imus, Cavite

Infused with joy and sublime gratitude, our choices and actions made more potent. Rites of celebration and honor open the weave - inviting all the tender ways of the sacred. The unbroken ancestral connection back to ourselves.

National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One and Two

Last October wonder | wander | women took the train up to Scotland for the second time this year to see our good friends the Milligans. They had generously offered to host me when I mentioned coming back to see the tapestries at Stirling Castle.

countryside flooding, seen from train

Of course we didn't expect when we booked the trip that I would arrive in the middle of Storm Babet, a massive rainstorm that battered the North Coast and turned the creeks and pathways of Scotland and Northumbria into rivers. 

the North Sea battering coastal villages

Half the trains running that day had been cancelled. Luckily ours wasn't, but it crept up the countryside delayed by almost an hour, advancing at a cautious pace through icy sheets of rain.

untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play at the Young Vic

One autumn day in the 90s wonder | wander | women visited the US for the first time and saw Miss Saigon  on Broadway. It was a magnificent, stirring romance, but left us feeling betrayed. The white lover saw his Asian marriage as less real than his American one. The Americans were viewed as saviours and Kim's own people as pimps and murderers. And why did Kim have to die so her son could live a better life? How could his life be better knowing his father and "new" mother didn't see him as part of their own future together?

untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, poster (2023)
Courtesy of Young Vic

That is one of the questions asked by untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, a time-warping, trope-skewering riot of a play written by Kimber Lee and directed by Roy Alexander Weise. It first appeared at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester for the Manchester International Festival in summer 2023, and migrated to London's Young Vic Theatre in the autumn.

grace & gratitude

A great people traveled from the north and west. For many, many years they moved across the land, leaving settlements in rich river valleys as others moved on. Reaching the eastern edge of the country, some of these people settled on the river later renamed the Delaware. 

Others moved north and settled in the valley of a river where the waters, like those in their original homeland, were never still. They named this river Mahicannituck and called themselves the muh-he-con-neok, the people of the waters that are never still…

Henrik Hudson Entering New York Harbor by Edward Moran

Chronicled by late-1700s Mohican historian Hendrick Aupaumut, tells the story of the people who truly discovered America, including the river valley in which we now live. 

The names of the river and valley were usurped by a man named Hudson, whose people came from the east and nearly obliterated a history that stretches back perhaps 13,000 years.

love locks

On a recent visit to Evans, Georgia wonder | wander | women had the sweet privilege to visit one of its famous nature parks - the Augusta Canal. 

The Augusta Canal

The canal and industrial district were designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2018.

The Power of Water by Reginald D. Fraser, NHA

unicorns of Scotland

When wonder | wander | women went to see Heavenly Bodies in the Met Cloisters, we checked something else off the bucket list: seeing the original Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries. Little did we know that someone had recreated them and hung them in a real Renaissance castle in Scotland.

From our Heavenly Bodies blog post

lies & love

Does true democracy stand a chance when old-school authoritarianism is disco-fied to a beat we dance to? 

Here Lies Love - whose title comes from a quote of Imelda Marcos concerning the words she hopes appear on her tombstone - plays like a coked-up cartoon. This 2010 Marcos concept album is a collaboration between David Byrne and FatBoy Slim (AKA Norman Cook). 

the new Broadway production

Though it features cameos by legends such as Florence Welsh and Natalie Merchant, as well as regular contributions from Byrne himself, it feels more parody than actual pleasure-conveyor and plays through as overzealous mental masturbation. 

London time

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is more than just an annual lunar event. It is an important celebration that brings together families, rekindles friendships, and unites communities. 

The holiday stretches back 3,000 years, when Orientals worshipped the moon as a symbol of rejuvenation and a good harvest. Today, the holiday is all about bonding and togetherness. 

Chang’e the Moon Goddess and her celestial companion the Jade Rabbit

In an intricately woven tapestry of traditions and shared experiences many around the world are captivated and celebrate along. While its origins are deeply rooted in East Asian cultures, the festival’s universal messages of family bonds, friendship, and gratitude is universal. 

Mabon, back to balance

Autumn Equinox is the start of the fall season where the day and night are equal in length. Also known as Mabon, it marks the official time where summer ends and fall begins. 

Mahala & Issa on our guided tour, London 2023

Autumn Equinox is a celebration of the harvest - the foods to sustain us through the winter months. It is considered the second harvest of fruits and vegetables. The first is the wheat harvest at Lammas (August 1), and the third harvest is for seeds and nuts at Samhain (November 1).

Fil-Am convoluted history

Each year, American renew a solemn vow to never forget what happened on September 11, 2001, or those who lost their lives.

On Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we honor every life lost that day.  We honor the first responders - firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency workers, and service members - who answered the call of duty, and the brave civilians who rushed into action to save lives that day. 

9/11 anniversary

Their courage embodies the best of our American spirit and resilience - their heroism continues to inspire generations of Americans.

To the detriment of the Philippine nation and its people Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, the 10th president of the Philippines and its lone dictator from 1966 to February 1986 - was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. An unfortunate event we all still have to recover from. 

precious child's breath

Mahala celebrates her birthday on September 1 - this year I will be with her in London to celebrate together. Can't wait to be with my one and only spawn and favorite being of my life.

Issa’s digital decoupage of Mahala’s art

Numerology charts claim being born on the first day makes you a self-starter with very innovative ways of creating opportunity. Never afraid to be the first to try something new. 

Determination and endurance are powerful and a great help to get through times of struggle to reach success. As solar systems are aligning in the Universe our planets are aligning with our sun. So too are Mahala's life years and numbers lining up - 1, 2, 3, 11.

Mahala birthday girl - Earth angel? NYC bug!

Fonab Castle and Pitlochry Dam, Scotland

In late July wonder | wander | women enjoyed a visit from family - my nephew had turned 14 earlier in the year and we were celebrating. As a present, my aunt took him and my cousin to the UK. 

Fonab Castle, with dining pod

I was excited to meet them in London and ride up with them to Scotland, where we walked our happy feet off through Edinburgh's most famous castles. 

As an extra treat, we went with some dear friends up into the beautiful and ancient Cairngorms area of the Scottish Highlands. We stayed at the Fonab Castle Hotel, a gorgeous Victorian castle with phenomenal views.

blast from the past

wonder | wander |women have been on Blogger since 2014 and only joined Medium in 2020. Separately we have been writing on other platforms since the early 2000s - when only a few of them were available. 

Many of them have since folded and given up their ghosts, yet here we remain slugging on word for word, idea for idea, interest for interest. 

mural by Carolina Ro at Kate's Paperie, Soho NYC

In the meantime lives have gotten busy once again post lockdown and we thought it would be a great time to resurrect some of our past posts that have yet to get to a wider audience. Be prepared to be roped into our latest catch up project. 

breaking bread

Lammas Day celebrated every August 1 is the first of three autumn harvest festivals that falls between summer solstice and autumn equinox. It is known as Loaf Mass Day to Christians and Lughnasadh which is the name used for one of the eight sabbats in the Neopagan Wheel of the Year. 

The other two harvest festivals are Mabon and Samhain. Lammas was historically a festival that celebrated the first wheat harvest of the year.

Lunar Lammas 2023

It was a time of gratitude and celebration for the abundance of the land and the fruits of agricultural labor. Communities would come together to harvest the crops and bake the first loaves of bread using the newly harvested grain.

travel thrills

wonder | wander | women aspire to an itinerant lifestyle surrounded by globe-trotting family and friends. Yet even the most seasoned traveler can easily succumb to boredom or weariness, worry or stress. 

Pandemics, extreme weather, over-crowded long-haul flights can easily be an aggravation. Leaching the spark and joy out of any adventure. 

view from the airport lounge before takeoff - Manila, Philippines

Determined to keep our outlook and journeys fresh, we practice beginner's mind and mindfulness to help us ease off our comfort zones and provide some new travel experiences. 

Our latest flight on Turkish Airlines has renewed our faith in traveling once more. Flying out of the Philippines and heading to New York via Istanbul we were rerouted due to a passenger emergency. 

the largest international airport in the world - Istanbul, Turkey

birthday bliss

It's been six months and this long drawn visit of wonder | wander | women finally comes to an end - all too soon. Especially as it's been a week closing with several birthday activities. Intimate one on ones, group meet ups, family gatherings. 

It's just never enough - no matter how well prepared or purposefully planned. Stormy weather, blustery winds, and hard rain all week are not the best send off at all. 

clouds clearing overhead

Good thing our little island knows best how to host a fun fiesta and have a blast of fun. Food, food, lots of incredible food. Friends, family, all our relations. At home, out and about, or out of town. Whatever, however, forever! 

Bali bliss

It seems like the whole world is back to flitting and flying - vacationing any and every where humanly possible. Taking to the air in record numbers - as pandemic fears fade and restrictions are lifted all around the world. 

Day 1 at our Bali home for the week , Manyi Village Ubud

Summer fling flung floom! A welcome boom for the travel business even if the sudden glut after three years of bare movement has caused major adjustments and problems. 

hook & purrrrl

"To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and slow. Only a woman's eyes can tell. Other times, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only women can hear the prayer." ~ LOUISE ERDRICH, Four Souls

wonder | wander | women were educated by Benedictine German nuns in a Catholic all girls campus on a tiny provincial island where ora et labora was the pervasive dictum and practice.

new dawn panganod (cumulonimbus) clouds

This largely shored up the prevalent charity approach, rather than the more expansive concept of philanthropy. Though both are directed toward humanitarianism and public spiritedness, one perpetuates more inclusivity, equality, and equity than the other.

A given on an island where sugarcane ruled long after its conquerors fled. Creating an ever growing gap between the haves and the have nots.

wwwomen homemade crochet projects

Our school also had a sister vocational school where we served in outreach and grass roots programs as part of our curriculum and improvement. We had vocational classes to enhance our skills and crafts - designed to make us better home makers or provide us with a means to earn our living.

the art of MerMay

This year Disney is bringing the live-action version of its classic The Little Mermaid to theatres! This is one of wonder | wander | women's favourite fairytales, and for a long time we have been dreaming of telling our own version, set in medieval Islamic Spain - the grand era of the Alhambra and the palaces of Seville and Cordoba.

love liberated

Attending the 2023 Nature Summit has deepened our wonder | wander | women appreciation for our early morning walks through our pocket village back home. 

There is a boundless liberation where love emerges - an expansion occurs that is all encompassing yet totally freeing. 

daylight full moon in May

We realize that love is a flexible fabric - the web of life, the atmosphere that surrounds us. Being out in nature offers us this alternative. 

what we read & how it defines our storytelling

It's summer reading list time! For bookworms and nerdy story lovers like us wonder |wander | women we share this Longreads list with you. Questioning the Stories We Hold: A Reading List Inspired by Annie Ernaux.

Illustration by Krista. Images by Getty Images.

“Annie Ernaux reminds me that sometimes things find their meaning only in hindsight.” by Bekah Waalkes - January 19, 2023.

As Sheila Heti writes in the New York Times: “Most memoirs operate as if the past were right there and can be looked at, like a painting on the wall. But Ms. Ernaux understands that one’s 18-year-old self is a stranger to one’s 70-year-old self.” 

art process: testing pens

Every illustrator has their favourite medium, and mine is pen and ink. I love the fluid colours of digital art and the temperamental, surprising whims of watercolour, but my heart belongs to the simple beauty of the ink line. 

"The Dot and the Line: A Romance in

Lower Mathematics", Chuck Jones, 1965

ceremony & celebration

EcoDeo held a sound healing session at a new venue in our home island back in the Philippines on April 14. Hosted by Silent Sage Yoga Center in the heart of Bacolod City. 

It was a treat to conduct this sonic immersion and sound bath which uses vibration and resonance of different instruments to relax both body and mind. To dissolve our awareness and restore inner harmony through rhythm, beat, and melody. 

traveling tools of sound

To effectively shut down mind chatter and clear out mental clutter - where neither exists, a state of silence is attainable. 

It was an added treat that the Sikh New Year festival of Vaisakhi or Baisakhi fell on this auspicious date. Originally a spring harvest festival celebrated in the northern Indian state of Punjab. 

the heART of Spring

It has been a hard winter and a cold, wet spring. Despite the joyful work we do on our lives every day, there are times when we feel a little resentful, heartsick and lonely.

Robin in diary

Palm Sunday at home

One of the things wonder | wander | women love about our haven in Union City NJ is its small town barrio ambiance that reminds us of our childhood home town. 

Andrew Altarejos photos for Digicast Negros  Parishioners attend Palm Sunday mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City.

Being back here in the Philippines after a four year hiatus brings this all back home to us. Alleluia! Lent and Holy Week in our native island home is yet another immersion into our childhood. 

writes of spring

The skies go grey, then bright, then grey again - British spring is not so much a season as a series of false starts. This week we're going through another cold dip after the brief period of warmth in March that is meant to get a Londoner's hopes up before the April windstorms drench our spirit again.

"real" British seasons, from Reddit

myth & malice

We celebrate Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint on March 17. Even as we consider all the tales, mysteries, unknowns, and superstitions perpetrated in his name - holy or otherwise.

Credited by myths with bringing Christianity to the Irish and driving the snakes out of Ireland - does us all a disservice.

good old St. Patrick

According to legend St. Patrick (circa 387–460 or 492 AD) banished all snakes from Ireland, chasing them into the sea after they attacked him during a 40-day fast atop a hill. 

Today we suspect that snakes never lived in Ireland, likely because Ireland is an island surrounded by a frigid ocean inhospitable to these creatures. 

home land, home sky

It was nice to be back in the Philippines! From the moment the fields and flats of Negros Island emerged from the storm clouds...

to the moment I murmured a teary goodbye to the lights of Manila...

transformation & transmutation

"Transformation comes when I'm not in charge, when I don't know what's coming next, when I can't assume I am bigger than everything around me." ~ Pico Iyer, TED Talk, 26 Feb 2023

After a recent sonic immersion - as we sat around the table to break bread together before heading off - our conversation steered toward what we carry within. In our muscle and sinew, blood and bones, DNA and cells, ancestry and history.

Prayers for Turtle Island © Dana Wheeles 2020 - We'Moon 2023

Our life is intimately interwoven with ancestors and descendants of past, present, future - gone, current, forever. All our relations - anyone and anything that contribute to our life.

Connecting with our ancestors leads to healing when we are in alignment and collaborate as allies - even when we disagree or misunderstand.

As we learn to make peace with all elements - exploring, absorbing, immersing - we get up close and personal with our ancestors. When we allow space and drop resistance healing possibilities unfold.

It's about time we start conversations that explore the centrality of ancestor work to the collective liberation of humanity. Decolonize ourselves. Declutter our perspectives and processes. We let our soul soar. We set our spirit free.

The social, political, cultural and environmental crises of these times call us to reckon with the legacy of colonization, genocide, slavery and the continued violence against the oppressed.

Our healing requires that we transform intergenerational trauma using the wisdom, perseverance and resilience of our ancestors and lineage.

Once we trust that all that we need is here for us healing can occur - what is transformed is transmuted. By acknowledging all that is, in agreement or not - it is all offered to the sacred fire, good with bad - burned pure and released to the ether purified.

Our ancestors need to be recognized, honored, acknowledged and appreciated for their contributions - whatever those were. After all we would not be where we are were it not for them.

Our ancestral blessing is the knowledge that life is here for us - supporting, loving, co-creating with and rooting for us - that is a tremendous boost that is readily available to each of us.

How we relate in life is how we are in relation with our ancestors and all living beings. All our relations indeed. A'ho!

wander for wonder

wonder | wander | women are on a month long indulgence of our happy feet after years of not traveling much at all. 

Mahala & Issa at the Hotel Okura walkway

This last week in the Philippines has been a dizzying whirlwind of errands and visits with local specialists and friends. Trips to favorite pasalubong centers and eateries we grew up with and continue to long for. 

Mimi's Cafe & pasalubong center