Ayutthaya: The Interplay of Hindu and Buddhist Creativity

Ayutthaya is located in central Thailand, about 90 km north of Bangkok, the gateway to this popular SEA destination. The city, also known as the Historic City of Ayutthaya, is home to magnificent temples and other structures that are important both historically and architecturally. As one of the world’s largest cities of its time and…

Dulaang UP’s Kung Paano Nano sa Karera si Rosang Taba: Dramaturgical Notes

ʙᴀᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴀ ᴍᴀɪᴋʟɪɴɢ ᴋᴡᴇɴᴛᴏɴɢ “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘣𝘢 𝘞𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦”ni Dean Francis Alfar ᴀᴅᴀᴘᴛᴀꜱʏᴏɴ ɴɪɴᴀ Rody Vera at Maynard Manansala ᴅɪʀᴇᴋꜱʏᴏɴ ɴɪɴᴀ José Estrella, Issa Manalo Lopez, at Mark Daniel Dalacat ɪᴛɪɴᴀᴛᴀᴍᴘᴏᴋ ꜱɪɴᴀ Kiki Baento, Peewee O’Hara, Meann Espinosa, Victor Sy, Jojo Cayabyab, Aldo Vencilao, Garnet Acala, Dyas Adarlo, Danzar Dellomas, Moi Gealogo, Lia Lilagan,…

Corregidor Island: Performance, Cultural Memory, and Heritage (Part 2 of 2)

Quoting American poet, orator and Catholic priest Abram Joseph Ryan, our tour guide pointed the significance of Corregidor as an “island-striving-in-ruins.“ He proclaimed in jest “a land without ruins is a land without memories – a land without memories is a land without history.” In relation to the quote, the tour guide also explained that…

Suomenlinna Fortress: in a Kingdom by the Sea

Eh kumusta naman ang iyong trip sa Helsinki? asked by a colleague. It took me a long time to respond. A part of me would like to say it was traumatic. I wanted to tell her that a group of pickpockets took my wallet and I lost all of my money for the trip, including…

First Day Experience in Helsinki: Escaped the Ordinary?!

Since December 2023, I anticipated the trip to Helsinki. Was I excited? Excited was an understatement. I was super, really super excited. In fact, I was tagged as the trip leader – officially, and a position that I only assume because, why not, I love to travel. Well, technically speaking, I was the official trip…

Jerusalem and its Old Walls: Site of Memory?!

It’s Holy Week 2024. To commemorate the passion, suffering and death of Jesus, the Christ for many faithful, I share my experiences and a little reflection about my visit to Jerusalem in December 2022. As mentioned in an earlier post about my travel experience to what is identified as the Holy Land (the region comprising…

Corregidor Island: Performance, Cultural Memory, and Heritage (Part 1)

Early this year, I saw an announcement on social media that the Corregidor Island and the other surrounding fortifications along Manila Bay are collectively identified as a potential World Heritage Site (WHS): Corregidor Island and Historic Fortifications of Manila Bay. Interestingly, a few years back, I was wondering why Corregidor was not even considered as…