China’s Twenty-Four Solar Terms has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to the UN committee. China’s “24 solar terms” is a knowledge system and social practice formed through observation of the sun’s annual motion, and an understanding of a whole year’s changes of season, climate and phenology. […]
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Sinan Museum open 24/7
Since the beginning of 2017, Sinan Mansions (思南公館) has become an open-air museum featuring 51 historical buildings dating back from the early 1900s. Visitors can scan QR codes printed on building facades to read about the history of each building. They can also listen to audio clips recorded by volunteers. Unlike a regular museum, the […]
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Eat less, live more
How often have you heard someone say, “I’m so full I can’t eat another bite?” Unfortunately, although the stomach may appear satisfied, this “all-you-can-eat” habit may actually reduce one’s lifespan. Eating less may be the new secret to prolonging life. One piece of evidence comes from the people living in Okinawa Island, Japan, which boasts […]
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Music Lessons
You know you’re Tsinoy when you have a piano in your living room and had piano lessons whether you wanted to or not. We had a high-quality piano when I was growing up. My mom bought it at a hugely discounted price from a friend who was migrating to the US. With the piano came […]
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2016: Year in Review
2016 was replete with surprises, twists and turns in-country. President Duterte made the headlines around the world with his merciless stance on drugs; the Philippines woke up to the surprise burial of Marcos; and we finally won exclusive sovereign rights within its economic zones in some disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. As we […]
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2017 Year of the Rooster
This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 28, the Rooster year. Rooster is related to gold which indicates luxury, beauty and wealth. Rooster is also connected to the season of autumn or harvest time and people can experience relaxing or joyful time enjoying the fruits of their diligence. Malaysian-based spiritual feng shui practitioner Lilian […]
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A few ‘cocktails’
This year, starting on Saturday Jan. 28, the Rooster reigns, his early morning cock-a-doodle-doo proclaiming the start of a new day. The 10th animal in the Chinese Zodiac will struct through our lives for the next 12 months. The Rooster figures prominently in many cultures, as these four stories show. How the rooster got his […]
Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye. Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys. 横横梗梗 huin huin kè […]
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Saga Part 4: The path to Pambujan
Ed’s note: This is a continuation of Relative Finder’s “Saga after the storm.” Aunty Marites finally arrived in Eni and met her long lost uncles. Upon her return she gave me colored photos from Chan Bon Kheng with notes at the back describing his return home to meet his long lost family in Iligan City, […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 29, nos. 14-15 (January 17-February 6, 2017): 24,26. Since the 1970s, Seoul has seen different stages of urban expansion. Today, Seoul has three major business districts in the city: the historical city center, the island of Yeoui and Gangnam. A fourth area is in gestation around the Digital […]