Categories
History

In search of overseas relatives

Ed’s Note: The booklet is too lengthy to reproduce in full. We deleted some parts that overlapped with the main story. One old photograph, two persons’ names. In the photograph are a boy and four girls. The boy’s name is Eng Kim San (黃金山); the four girls are his younger sisters whose names we did […]

Categories
Tsinoy Beats and Bytes

Fake news: An exercise in creativity

Don’t believe everything you read. Legitimate media have long made it a point to check and double check facts before publication or broadcast. This assures readers that the news they get is credible. On the other hand, it seems anyone who has anything to say can post it on the internet, and voila! Servings of […]

Categories
History

Relative Finder: Waiting at the resting place

The UBER driver was about to arrive when, suddenly, signs of rain hovered as fierce winds whipped tan ancient acacia tree under which I took shelter. The wind scattered hundreds of leaves – a wonderful sight as the confetti flew towards the deserted street that stretched in front of me towards the paifang (牌坊 memorial […]

Categories
Parenting

It takes a village

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 […]

Categories
Life

The paradox of a Buddhist retreat

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 […]

Categories
Community News

Share a gift of knowledge, help a cause

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 […]

Categories
Soul of China

Xu Hui Yan: Loyal and steadfast until the end

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 […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Pinoy student wins silver in Australian robotics tilt

Imagine raucous, ear piercing chatter and laughter in popular restaurants and festive parties. Imagine the sounds being captured and converted into electricity. High school student James Louis de Luna has managed to do just that, harnessing enough sound to power a machine called “Sumobot.” His ingenuity won for the Philippines a silver medal in the […]

Categories
Community News

Sy, Ayala join Asia’s 50 richest

The Sys and the Zobels are among this year’s Top 50 Asia’s Richest Families, according to American business magazine Forbes. Placing ninth on the list is the family of Henry Sy, with a net worth of US$20.1 billion (P1 trillion). In 43rd place is the Zobel family with a net worth of US$6.13 billion (P311.5 […]

Categories
Tsinoy Beats and Bytes

Gov’t bloppers… oops… bloopers

The whole nation’s attention last week was riveted on the 31st ASEAN summit drama. The Philippines played host to the meeting of heads of state of member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who were joined by China Premier Li Keqiang, United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Canadian Prime […]