holiday rituals

Sunday, December 15 was the third Sunday of Advent this holiday season. It also marked the beginning of the dawn masses nine days before Christmas. In our barrios back home this is a big family tradition for many of its practitioners. 

Simbang Gabi, Misa de Aguinaldo, and Misa de Gallo are commonly interchanged to refer to these nine masses. Even when history shows that this was not originally so. 

Day 1 of Misa de Aguinaldo Novena, San Sbastian Cathedral, Bacolod City
- image by Andrew Altarejos

The novena masses held at dawn from December 15 to 24 are properly called Misas de Aguinaldo. They originated in Spain where “Aguinaldo” means a gift given during the Christmas season. 

Misa de Aguinaldo should not be confused with Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass) which in Spain referred to Mass on Christmas Eve.

cozy indoor drawing

wonder | wander | women spent the weekend hunkered down as Storm Darragh rampaged through the UK, bringing driving rain and wind speeds of up to 50kph. It brought back memories of bagyo (typhoons) back home...at least we didn't lose power here, so we spent the weekend playing cosily at home instead of our usual walks and errands.

there goes the sun...

farm food fest 2024

The 17th Negros Island Organic Festival and 2nd Terra Madre Visayas was held on Nov 19 to 23, 2024 at North Capitol Road in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Booths and stalls lined the closed off streets beside the lagoon and around the capitol drive entrance. Talks and workshops were held daily at the Negros Residences - all within walking range of the participants and event visitors. 

view of event venue at North Capitol Road - BCD PIO

We were treated to an extraordinary community of farmers and producers in and around Negros province. Participating delegates who have implemented tangible projects in their communities came to share and collaborate in this five-day fest.  Government support and representation was fully supportive, in recognition of their valuable contribution to our food systems, travel tourism and local entertainment. 

now on it's 17th year - growing & expanding

The festival aimed to promote the Visayan region as an active Slow Food central hub in Asia and the Pacific - exhibiting Philippine cuisine, culture, and arts. Daily turnout and event earnings attest to its resounding success. 

the fading light of autumn

In Pico Iyer's book Autumn Light, he writes about experiencing autumn in Japan after his Japanese father-in-law passes away. He takes up ping-pong with some elderly neighbours in Nara and visits shrines and talks about family with his wife.

weaving our web of life

In 2016, a bunch of people who'd worked in the federal government and knew where the pressure points are, came together as Indivisible - to organize and inform activists resisting the incoming administration.

With Trump back in office - again and worse, Indivisible is back - bigger and better. With a new guide for interested individuals and concerned communities.

strategies, tactics & tips to get us through this

People are gathering their networks, their toolkits, their resolve, their superpowers - fortified by a healthy dose of humor, to face what needs to be faced.

11 11 11

At the end of four years of World War I’s devastation in 1918, leaders negotiated for the guns in Europe to fall silent once and for all on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 11 11 11. 

That peace did not last, wars continue, deaths and devastation have grown much worse. Armistice Day is now Veterans Day. The world still longs for peace and goodwill. 

On November 5, to our utter shock and despair - Donald Trump won the US presidency again. As the 47th he will most likely do worse than he did as the 45th president. 

Remembrance Day observing the 105th anniversary of the end of WWI 

wonder | wonder | women are reeling and distressed at the prospect of four more years under his extremist eccentric thumb. Can we remain motivated and continue to create change and positive growth? Allow this resilience and not bow down under the arc of history as it continues to churn through errors?

Learning the secret magic of painting

wonder | wander | women love filling their hands with work and their eyes with art. That's why we love the current era where no one has to pay a fortune to learn how to paint or draw. 

Wonder Woman captures Loki over Bryant Park in NYC 

Negros farmers support

The best thing about the annual MassKara Festival is the attention and involvement it draws to Bacolod and Negros Occidental. More than the glitz and hype of all the other activities - it is the focus on local farmers and the highlight on freshly grown produce that we absolutely favor and support. 

Farmers’ markets and food fairs are a fundamental part of the urban-rural interface. They continue to grow in popularity, mostly due to the awakened consumer interest in obtaining fresh products - specially produce directly from farms close by. 

the central venue

These allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm-fresh produce, enable farmers to develop personal relationships with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grow the produce. 

The Silk Roads: blood and gold

"No man is an island." Globalism, the interconnectedness of distant cultures, is not as modern a concept as it sounds. For millennia humans have been sharing treasures, ideas, food - and other humans, which is far less spoken of when reminiscing about the romantic past. 

First part of the exhibition: China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia

We cannot forget that the brutalism of the ancient world always accompanied its greatest beauties. That is one of the threads woven into the story of Silk Roads, the new exhibition at the British Museum.

art & empire on our shores

"What are the categories in which people imagine nature, history, place, war that make these two wars, nuclear and Native, so invisible?" ~ Rebecca Solnit, Savage Dreams

Election season in my two homelands bring to the forefront two wars - between colonizer trauma and human bias. 

an exploration of two landscapes

Our political foundation was built on the Marcos declared dictatorship - a historical event that took place in the Philippines, where we grew up and where hundreds of students and unarmed civilians were disappeared, tormented, and tortured during the decades long, power hungry, thievery of the conjugal couple Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos under Martial Law from September 1972 to January 1981. 

big bad wolf book fair in bacolod

Big Bad Wolf was in SM City Bacolod on September 20 to 29 for another one of their popular book fairs. This was part of their ongoing campaign to raise a million new readers. 

Launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2009, BBW is the brainchild of BookXcess' founders, Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng. Their primary mission is to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy worldwide, and build a new generation of readers by making books more affordable and accessible to everyone. 

promotional event announcement

Yoko Ono: kindred spirit

wonder | wander | women love birthdays, especially our own. Crossing the threshold of every year gives new cause for celebration, reflection, and inspiration. And as we toast ourselves and prepare for the year ahead, we look back on our collective experiences, absorbing them and creating our new, future selves.

Entrance and Wish Trees

Virgo is a verb!

wonder | wander | women have never been conformists. We are rebel resisters of coloring within bounds. Choosing to break free of patriarchal misogynistic overlords. Where others opt for "polite" or "polished" we revolt over as restrictive and binding. 

M&I - Mother's Day 2024

Parenting styles around us were not ideal or a good fit - too authoritarian and domineering, yet lacking definition or boundaries - in our opinion. We gave up, broke free, and created our own personal option. 

Danjugan Island: precious aqua marine

During our long-awaited vacation in Punta Bulata, wonder | wander | women also took the chance to visit the nature sanctuary of Danjugan Island. We booked an outrigger trip; due to the heat, only one of us could go, but we made the most of the trip!

The island was a popular diving spot for decades but gradually became overfished and its ecosystem threatened. When it came out that one of its trees was home to a rare nesting pair of white-bellied sea eagles, a group of divers banded together to buy the island and turn it into a wildlife preserve. They founded the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, which manages and stewards Danjugan till today.

Lammas | Lughnasadh | Loaf Mass Day

The 2024 dates for Lammas | Lughnasadh | Loaf Mass Day are August 1 to 12. Many cultures celebrate Midsummer - this week we also mark 8:8:8 Lion's Gate as well as the peak of the Perseids meteor showers.

We are halfway through the summer in all its glory - with its COVID spreading county fairs, backyard barbeques, political rodeos, and Olympic upsets. 

image c/o National Today

At Lammas we honor the past with a feast of bread to celebrate grain from ancient cultures. Because of its association with Lugh - warrior, king, master craftsman, savior - it is also a traditional time of year for craft and music festivals. 

Folks gather and feast as skilled artisans showcase their workmanship and sell their creations. 

Shakespeare’s hometown: Stratford-upon-Avon

wonder | wander | women have had many visitors over the years in London, but it's always a joyful surprise when a dear friend comes into town. We love this city and it's great to share this joy with friends who love it too. 

Dinner with friends, photo from Chris Costello

As obsessed as I am with it, London isn't the only place people come to see. Recently my friend Vida, who spent the day at Hampstead Heath with me a few years ago, came back for a visit to the UK and Ireland, and wanted to visit the birthplace of Shakespeare: Stratford-upon-Avon.

audacious & vivacious Olympics 2024

The spectacular extravaganza at the opening ceremonies for the Olympics 2024 in France was wild, wonderful and wondrous. Controversial, hilarious and quite telling in how it was received and how folks perceived the audacious and flamboyant presentation and performance. 

Just like the circus of politics around the world today - reactions and sensitivities are both too close too the surface as well as often too superficial yet overblown. 

opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024,
Paris. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

Is ignorance bliss? or is it the road to hell through "good" intentions? Savior or savage? Save or salvage? Too similar and so very different. Burdened with heavy issues and concerns we all seem to be taking things too seriously yet not significantly enough. 

the art of life: character design

wonder | wander | women have a new project! It's good to get back into drawing for comics again. Of course every project, especially one that tells a story, naturally comes with a slew of research.

sacred reciprocity

How we do anything is how we do everything. In the flow and cycle of life - all is interconnected. Give and take, ebb and flow, high and low. An infinite loop of reciprocal exchange. 

Yet all too often we no longer remember this - much less prioritize it in our lives. Like all universal laws though - ignorance of the law does not exempt us from it. 

birthday bouquet

It takes incredibly little to keep the balance or shift the energy to get back on track. Often it's as simple a disrupting or distracting oneself. Walk in nature, bake a cake, take a bracing shower. 

hanging out at the British Museum

wonder | wander | women are endlessly fascinated by the British Museum. We're very aware of the dark history of the museum and how many of the objects simply state that they are "acquired" without telling the full story: captured from conquered nations, stolen from tribes, bought for a song from invading officers, or even pocketed in passing during expeditions. 

main entrance

tropic of cancer

The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) north of the Equator and marks the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. 

This event occurs at the June solstice, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent. 

1934 first edition of Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer illustrated by Maurice Kahane

The Earth's tropical zone ("the tropics") includes everything between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. 

Punta Bulata 2: native feasts

Back in London it is too cold for June: the sun comes and goes, and the weather is windy and rainy more often than clear. wonder | wander | women comfort ourselves with the recent memory of our visit to Punta Bulata, and besides the scenery and the swimming, we daydream about the food.

squid sisig

Filipino attire & attitude

Of the many celebrations of the 126th Anniversary of Philippine Independence, our attention was captured by the poster of NHCP Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo and the Municipality of Kawit event - "Mga Sáyang Pumilayláy: The Lilith Reyes-Perez Collection". 

The exhibit which opens on the 12th of June 2024, at the Aguinaldo Shrine posted this promotional pitch - an instant draw for wonder | wander | women. 

opening on Independence Day 2024

As its hemline once danced the rigodon, it now emerges gently on the floor of the House of Independence, asserting once more its role of redefining beauty and femininity to embody history and the interplay between individual expression and tradition.

Punta Bulata: shores of paradise

wonder | wander | women grew up in the ocean. Ever since our youth, we practically lived at the beach a few months out of the year. No matter how much we loved our adopted homelands, we yearned for the warm seas of home.

Punta Bulata Resort and Spa is a small strip of tropical heaven four hours' drive away from Bacolod City. The resort is owned by family friends and constructed with local materials like coconut wood, nipa thatch and salvaged driftwood, leaving the impression that you're staying in a garden and not the sterile concrete palaces that are becoming popular in other parts of the country.

medicine songs & healing circles

Our high school classmates gathered recently to celebrate our May celebrants. Being seniors and elders the talk quickly turned to the state of our health. While we were enjoying the gift of our good health, a few recent scares reminded us just how precious life is. 

shamanic wisdom from Shamans Cave

As our meal was served and we gathered together in laughter and conversation, our voices dipped and rose, joined in a cascading torrent of words. Competing to be heard, constantly interrupting challenged trains of thought, punctuated by loud howls of laughter. 

Mermay 2024

Last year wonder | wander | women jumped into the joyful ocean community that was Mermay, an art and animation competition created by Disney animator Tom Bancroft, who also created Mushu from Mulan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MerMay (@mermay_official)

planet vs plastics

Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future.

This year wonder | wander | women are in the Philippines to celebrate the dual birthdays of our oldest and youngest Taurean males in the family.

Earth Day 2024

Being in the East for Earth Day, we are forced to confront the contrast between how we deal with plastics over here versus over there. 

Cute Exhibition at Somerset House

The viral exhibition Cute was in its last week a few days ago at Somerset House. wonder | wander | women have always been fascinated by kawaii culture since Hello Kitty and FRUITS Magazine, so we joined our friends and their excited kids for a wander through Cute land.

Cute exhibition header from Somerset House, created via AI

nature | art | science

April 8 marks the end of the 2024 eclipse portal which began on March 23 with the full moon lunar eclipse in Libra.

Eclipses are always highly transformative times with this total solar eclipse is at its maximum strength level. Always falling on a new moon - this eclipse is a supercharged, super activated, super intense event. 

View Finder by Brian Fridge

Utilize this time to transform the limiting beliefs that eclipse our ability to grow and thrive. Use our power consciously and intentionally to take the lead and be courageous in pursuing what sets our souls on fire.

Ainu Stories at Japan House

The Ainu are a Japanese indigenous people living mainly in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan. They have lived for centuries in the north of Japan, not only in Hokkaido but also in northern Honshu, Karafuto (which the Ainu call Sakhalin) and the Kuril islands. Their language is unrelated to Japanese and Ainu culture is very distinct from Wajin, or ethnic Japanese.

Trailer for Ainu Stories at Japan House

sacred heART

Holy Week is the sixth and last week of Lent - beginning with Palm Sunday and concluding on Holy Saturday. Sunday to Sunday to celebrate the Christian festival of the week, culminating in Easter - here is the story explained in classic images. 

fresco of the trial and beating of Jesus - 17th century, St. John the Baptist Church 

The Passion of Christ (from Latin patior - "to suffer, bear, endure") is the short final period before the death of Jesus, described in the four canonical gospels.

hand made, heart based

Long before any arts, crafts or design movements were ever started the skill of hand work was born of necessity as well as creative enterprise. 

Hands hold, make, do, and express so much. They grasp at even more - tools, objects, people, issues, concerns, etc. 

exploring the wonder in everyday acts of manipulation

We lend a hand, shake hands, hold hands, raise our hands. Even taking matters into our own hands. Often admonished not to keep hands idle. 

"The fingers were the eyes of the heart." ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce  

planner art

wonder | wander | women love art journaling! Scrapbooking, watercolour, doodles and urban sketching, whatever it is, we want to try it. But over the past few years we noticed the trend of artistic planners, from Hobonichi to bullet journaling, and last year we finally decided to try it.

I used bullet journals for almost a decade, but aside from a single highlighter, a few stickers, and the occasional doodle when I didn't have my sketchbook, my planner was very basic. I preferred to keep art in my journals and sketchbooks. But watching others draw and paint in their planners, I really wanted to see if I would enjoy it too.

ageing well

Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in world history. Many countries honor women - giving tribute to their struggles and successes.

Every woman has a story to tell and gifts to share with the world. This month wonder | wonder | women celebrate these magnificent women of advanced ages. 

Advanced Style: Older and Wiser by Ari Seth Cohen

cozy winter comfort food

Living in multicultural cities, wonder | wander | women delight in finding all sorts of special cuisine from cultures all over the world. Still, we love to turn to a few comfort foods we've come to seek out when tiredness strikes and the cravings pop up.

Maomao and Jinshi buy street yakitori, from The Apothecary Diaries

golden gifts

What is it about class reunions and alumni homecomings that pull on our heartstrings? These tradition of welcoming back alumni are opportunities to revisit our alma mater and pay homage to the staff, mentors and peers we learned from in our formative years.

Golderitas & Class of 74evers, 3 Feb 2024

We acclaim the lessons, skills, and principles that transformed us and laid the foundation for who we are today. We make time to affirm our participation in enhancing the quality of learning in our alma mater.

presenting the Mandala Cycles coloring book onstage

botanical watercolours

The study of plants is an ancient science, and as with the oldest sciences, was tied to the mysteries of nature and the body. It was considered essential for anyone of learning to study and record plants and the way they grew. Even children in today's schools are encouraged to draw the parts of flowers and try to grow their own plants from seeds.

Botanical illustration therefore is one of the oldest uses of art. It is both art and science, a study and an appreciation of the beauty of nature. With our eyes and hands, we are analysing the structure of a living thing. Using ink and paint, we are learning to understand a growing thing from the outside in.

rune magic

The runic alphabet - similar to hieroglyphics, pictographs, and even the Native American petroglyphs - represent specific elements, animals, or gods. 

Runes had specialized purposes and were used to write Germanic languages before the Latin alphabet was adopted. A rune is a letter in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. 

our personal set of runes made out of horn

Islamic geometry: the construction of beauty

In our post about Islamic geometry, wonder | wander | women attended Samira Mian's class on drawing patterns from the palaces of Agra and the Alhambra. It's been a while but we haven't lost our love for those beautiful combinations of art, spiritualism and science.

winter wonder

wonder | wander | women find peace and solace watching the changing light over the water as we sort and pack through more of a few of our favorite things. 

neighborhood winter foliage

Preparing again to leave for an extended journey back to our island home is a complex mix of earnest excitement and worrisome weariness.