Ghosts of Christmas Past – a ramble of memory

I could have grown up into a depressed cynic, who lost the happiness lotto because of life experience and baggage. But, deep down in me always lived the soul of a happy child and an almost boring stability. I was not particularly brave or articulate as a child, but a child nonetheless, like all [...]

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Auntie Mary Anne writes from Cresta: The Typhoon

Guest Blogger: Mary Anne Joaquin

Hello Everybody!

Finally we have power again.  We were still reeling from Typhoon Ondoy when super  typhoon Pepeng came crashing through. Pepeng was supposed to exit through Laoag but it decided to turn around — something called the Fujiwara effect.  We had continuous rain for more than 2 days.  But, I wasn’t [...]

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The Process

This time, I am learning from my children, those veteran writers and tellers of tales. This time, I am setting aside my diminished ardor for fiction, and embracing the impossible. So how does it start? I don’t know! I’m just in this for the first time since 1976 when two of my stories were published [...]

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The Qualities of Mercy

My grandmother, Mercedes Verdote de Jesus Joaquin was born on the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, Nuestra Senora de Los Mercedes. September 24, 1911 and died on January 11, 1966.
She married my grandfather when she was 18, and I have read in my grandfather’s letters that when they were engaged, they went to [...]

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The Good Knight

My grandfather, Francisco G. Joaquin, was a knight of St. Sylvester. When I was a very little girl, I took it for granted that he was a special man. He had a sword in his bedroom, and a hat with gold braid on it, and a uniform. These things were tucked away, but I [...]

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