W hen I was growing up, I never slept over at any of my friends’ houses, not that there were any invitations. It was not a thing to do back in the 1980s. Even asking permission from my parents for a weekend stay over with my cousins at Ahma’s house was like pulling teeth. I […]
People are always left dumbfounded when told I had stayed for almost a year in a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery. It was a semi-retreat setting, and although I am not disclosing my routine, one question asked by most people deserves an answer – why? If a business partner perceives Buddhism as praying monks, and he measures […]
The political, economic and socio-cultural history of the Tsinoys is closely intertwined with that of the Filipino nation. In fact, in events that shaped the Philippines as a nation and in all aspects of Philippine life, there throbs an active ethnic Chinese presence. Thus, the study of Philippine history and society inevitably leads to further […]
In 1128 AD, the Jin (晉 1115-1234) army surrounded the city of Jin Ning (晋寧) of Southern Song (1127-1279) ruled by the Han Chinese. It sent Zhe Ke Qin (折可求), one of the generals who had surrendered, to convince Xu Hui Yan (徐徽言), the leader of the city’s defenders, to also surrender. Xu was Zhe’s […]