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Expat Life

in Almost Diplomatic on Print, Diplomatic Incidents, Manila, Manila Food

Cheers to Gastrodiplomacy!

September 11, 2023

Ambassadors share musings on food and culture and their favorite dining spots in Manila

This article first appeared in the 10 October, 2021 issue of The Manila Bulletin.

There’s nothing quite like food when it comes to bringing people together and even sharing cultures. It may seem trite but there’s no point denying it: Food is a universal language. Here are six ambassadors in Manila sharing their personal favorites here in the Philippines and what we all need to know about their homeland’s food.

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in Diplomatic Incidents, Expat Life, Personal Musings

Diplomatic Baggage: Brigid Keenan’s Memoir is a Timeless, Entertaining Read

August 19, 2022

I first picked up Brigid Keenan’s Diplomatic Baggage a few months after I got married and I’ve read the book quite a number of times since. Funny enough, it was my husband who told me about the book and we searched for it in almost every bookstore in Manila until I finally got my copy. It was my companion during the first few months of our posting. We were in Kuala Lumpur and I was treating it like a portable, inanimate friend until I met people who weren’t my husband’s colleagues. When we moved to Berlin, I picked it up again for another go. It’s the book I often recommend to people who want to learn more about diplomatic life at post.

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila Food, Manila What to Do, Manila Where To Go

Column: Manila is Eager to be Loved

February 28, 2022

If you’ve been following me on my social media channels like Instagram, you prolly already know that I started a column with The Manila Bulletin. It’s one of the major broadsheets in the country and I’m so happy to have space in their Lifestyle Section every Saturday. So if I haven’t been writing here much, you know where to find me. 😉 Here’s an excerpt from one of my columns – some things that I have been learning to love (again) in and about Manila.

Manila is eager to be loved

How the return to Manila from seven years of living in Kuala Lumpur and Berlin is teaching this diplomat’s wife how to find happiness wherever she finds herself

Toward the end of our time abroad for my husband’s diplomatic posting, I was often asked how I felt about going home. Whenever I said I looked forward to it, it was always met with disbelief. Surely, I must be joking. Did I not enjoy my time abroad?

I often assure people that I’ve savored every moment I get to spend in each city we move to, getting to play local for a few years. First, it was Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, then Berlin in Germany. It’s an immersion like no other but the life we chose is that of an adventure of packing and moving every few years. I guess knowing that your time in a place is limited makes you immerse yourself deeper into a place in a shorter span of time. You learn how to appreciate and live in every moment. This, so that when it’s time to leave, you don’t feel too bad or have too many regrets.

Live in the present and compare less 

“You’re always where you’re meant to be. You’re always in the best possible place,” a senior diplomatic official once told me. It’s the best way to teach someone to be truly happy wherever they are in the world. One’s happiness does rely heavily on disposition and attitude toward life. You can be in Paris, living in a fancy apartment yet still be the most miserable person if you’re someone who feels like you should be in New York instead.

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in Manila, Manila Food

Column: Tasting Notes & Menu from the Interview with Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson

December 25, 2021
1 Comment

In my recent column for The Manila Bulletin, I had the lovely opportunity to get to know Australian Ambassador to the Philippines’ Steven J. Robinson. We talked about wine and great food coming from his home country and how quality doesn’t always have to come with such a heavy price.

It was so refreshing to meet someone who truly loves wine but is also easygoing with it. There are no rules, no wrong answers – it’s about what you like, no matter the color or the price point of your drink. “So in the old days, people used to say that you could only drink white wine with chicken and fish,” he said. “And then you could only drink red wine with beef and lamb. That’s actually not true at all. You do what you want to do.”

I used to discriminate against screw-top wines. I feel like most of us have been conditioned to think that corked wines will always be better, fancier. Turns out that’s not always the case. Also, corked wines need more care when stored. We all know what happens to wine when the cork dries up – one never has that problem with screw-tops. I learned so many things that evening but I think I’ll have to save them for another post.

For now, let me fulfill my promise at the end of my column, I’m sharing the wines and the food that we had and all the details about them – from price to where they’re available. Hopefully, these will be helpful for your media noche plans!

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila Food

Samba: A taste of Peru at the Shangri-la The Fort (Manila)

October 5, 2021

It’s been a while since I raved about a restaurant and it’s never too late to get back on that horse. Last Friday wasn’t my first time at the Shangri-la in BGC nor was it my first time in its Peruvian restaurant Samba. However, it was still every bit as wonderful as the first time I went. And that’s something about a restaurant that gets people to keep coming back – consistency.

It was October 1st and Samba was reopening after a bit of rest during the latest restrictions. Finally, we can dine in restaurants again. I sat with my friend Debbie at the al fresco section, a few feet away from the hotels (gorgeous) pool. The weather was mild with a bit of wind and just a sprinkle of humidity in the air. I didn’t even get to use my humungous abanico which now goes wherever I do. It was absolutely perfect for a night out.

Dinner at Samba

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila What to Do, Uncategorized

Recycling in Manila: From Single Use Plastic to the Victims of Decluttering

September 14, 2021

By now, almost everyone has heard of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report on climate change. If you haven’t, click here to watch a quick summary. Long story short, we’re the problem. And, there’s just too many of us. For a while now, I’ve been quietly looking for and learning ways to help out by lessening my emissions. I also have some mentors who have been so helpful in this journey of sustainably lowering my carbon footprint without sacrificing too much of the lifestyle I enjoy or making it too inconvenient.

Recycling and cutting down on our plastic waste is one of the most straightforward ways to lower our emissions. While I do try to avoid single-use plastic, there are some establishments both here and abroad, that still use them for their packaging. At the same time, it’s quite difficult to give up on the convenience it brings. Let’s be honest here.

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in Manila, Manila Food, Manila What to Do

Here’s Where You Should Be Celebrating Bastille Day in Manila & Cebu in 2021

July 12, 2021

We’re two days away from Bastille Day and celebrating in Manila despite the pandemic is actually doable. True, huge parties are still quite the risk. However, there are ways for French people in Manila to honor Fête Nationale and for locals and other expats to join in on the fun. All while following pandemic protocols. This year, the French Embassy in Manila partnered with restaurants all over the Metro and in Cebu to offer special menus for Bastille Day. It’s a great way for people to learn more about French culture and for foodies to indulge.

Here’s what’s on offer:

Spiral at Sofitel

I’ve always loved Spiral’s buffet with its 21 dining ateliers. So much so that I went there for my birthday dinner last month. I admit I was a bit hesitant to go at first after my husband suggested it. A buffet during a pandemic? How are they operating? In the end, the call of the cheese room was stronger than my apprehension. I’m glad we went anyway as Spiral is handling the whole situation well. Just like before, you have servers filling up your plate but now, there are clear dividers between you and the food to keep everyone safe. Going to the ateliers also require a mask and there’s so much space in between tables. I felt safe and had such a wonderful time. I may have spent most of my tummy allocation on what’s in their cheese room but I left with no regrets.

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila Food

Le Petit Café Fleur: A Serene Brunch Spot in Poblacion

July 1, 2021

It’s been a hot minute since I shared about a café-restaurant here. As someone who loves to eat and write about food but hates making her own, I must admit that dining out is one of my favorite pleasures in life. I’ve always said that Manila has such an underrated dining scene. Moving back here after some years of being away, I find that so much has changed — more so during the pandemic. Some of the restaurants I used to frequent are no longer here. Thankfully, in a city as fast-paced as this one, you just know that there will be something new to come along pretty soon to heal your broken foodie heart. Something like Chef Sau del Rosario’s Le Petit Café Fleur.

In 2020, a daintier version of del Rosario’s Café Fleur in Pampanga opened its doors in Makati – in Poblacion, to be exact. Been going back a couple of times now so it’s pretty safe to say that it’s one of my favorite brunch spots in the Metro.

One time, I had brunch with diplomatic spouses based in Manila, another with some entrepreneur lady friends. Each visit is always a delight, with everyone in the group extremely pleased with the choice of restaurant. This, due to the ambience, the menu, and the warm and attentive staff. I’ll make this short and sweet since I feel like the pictures can do the talking for me.

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila Tips

Moving to Manila? Here are the Apps You Need For a Smoother Life

June 29, 2021

When I left Manila in 2014, the Philippines was already the social media capital of the world. So it’s no surprise that apps promising to make life easier were starting to become popular. In a megalopolis like Metro Manila, life is definitely fast-paced. So yes, we’re always looking for ways to streamline our day-to-day tasks and getting easier access to our needs. When we got back towards the end of 2020, there was practically an app for anything that comes to mind.

So if you’re moving to Manila anytime soon or if you’re already here and you’re looking to streamline your life (maybe be a good expat too and integrate better? 😉), then here are some apps your phone needs. Stat.

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in Expat Life, Manila, Manila What to Do, Manila Where To Go

Manila Shopping Guide: SM Aura

June 11, 2021
2 Comments

In each new posting, you’ll always find yourself learning everything – even day to day life – from scratch. Finding your way around is one thing and knowing where to go and who to call for certain things is definitely another. After all, it’s a new country –  a whole new place, culture, and maybe even their language is completely new to you. I remember that before I had local friends, the internet was the one that held my hand as I searched for the right grocery store to visit in Berlin or the best place to get fish head curry in KL within 30 minutes as I had a high ranking official coming over for dinner and he was craving for that particular dish. If you know me well enough, then you already know cooking something that complicated is a road I refuse to take – but I digress.

My point is, one of the more practical ways to know if – as an expat – you’ve already settled in a place is knowing where to go for one’s needs. Ranging from the basics to the things that exist purely for inducing joy. I recently had the pleasure of seeing what SM Aura has to offer along with our group of embassy ladies who are currently posted here in Manila.

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