First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 28, no. 6 (August 18-September 7, 2015): 15. White mist rises from the cardboard cup, the warmth of the coffee trickling to her palms through the khaki-grey tissue. Her hands inch their way to her lips, bringing the cup with them but then just as slowly bring themselves […]
The first thing one notices upon entering the exhibit hall are the walls lined with black and white photos of the people of Nagasaki during the Second World War. These pictures depict war efforts that probably happened all around Japan: children doing farm work, women volunteers making care packages and keeping morale up, defense task […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 25, no. 3 (July 10-23, 2012): 12. There are moments when we wish that nothing will change but realize we have to continue going forward. I have had such moments twice in four months. I had just graduated from high school: took my final exams, received my diploma […]
In West Virginia, July 1908, Grace Golden Clayton created the concept of honoring everything a father has done for his family. This tradition was a tribute to all the fathers who died in the Monongah Mining Disaster, which happened in West Virginia on Dec 6, 1907. An explosion killed hundreds of workers, making it, at […]
Lately, I’ve become unsentimental about the articles of clothing in my closet. If I haven’t worn it in a year, I like to think that I don’t really need it taking up space and gathering dust. I didn’t used to be this way, but my exploding closet has forced me to re-evaluate my hoarder tendencies, […]
My mother, like a lot of second-generation Tsinoys, was raised in a very conservative Chinese household, where one of the basic tenets of Neo-Confucian philosophy is absolute obedience to one’s parents. My mother, a dutiful daughter, followed this tradition, though it is one that was observed willingly. It is tradition after all, and to her […]
Some time in late July, my friends and I discussed which classes we planned to take for the incoming school year. Our department was rather small, so there usually weren’t a lot of classes offered (there was only one class per course number). This upped our chances of being in the same class with our […]
Most preteens feel insecure about their looks. I was no exception. However, besides the crushing weight of normal insecurities brought on during that stage, I had to deal with much more. When the thought of self-appearance came to mind, I had to deal with mixed feelings of shame, anger and self-rejection – all of which […]
“Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind and fills your life with stories to tell.” —Paula Bendfeldt I had never been to China in my entire 13 years of existence. I have only ever been to the Philippines since the day I was born. This is why I always wanted to visit China. My father, […]
Last May 28, singer-songwriter Will Jay (劉偉男), whose birth month coincides with Tulay’s 31st anniversary, released a new song entitled, “I Can Only Write My Name.” The song is in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Month. As an avid fan of Jay’s music, I quickly looked up the song. Though I personally love his […]