Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo I got a chance to visit Disney World with my sisters, brothers-in-law, nephew and nieces a few months ago and I had a blast. The last time I had visited had been more than ten years earlier and I was still a teenager. … Continue reading The Happiest Place on Earth
Gone Fishing
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo I went fishing last week. Fortunately, I was with a great group of friends and so I had fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch anything. That part, was not fun. In the movies and in books, fishing is usually a scene that goes by … Continue reading Gone Fishing
The Birds of the Air
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo There are birds that live underneath the awning that covers my bedroom windows. They’ve lived there as long as I can remember. They make sharp trilling noises in the morning when it’s sunny. And they make low muted mutterings when it’s raining. At … Continue reading The Birds of the Air
Soap Operas
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo Inasmuch as I would like to believe (and I would like everyone who reads this column to also believe) that I have a very cultured and highbrow taste in arts and literature, I must admit that I really do enjoy a good telenovela/soap … Continue reading Soap Operas
Favors
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo I don't usually like begging for favors, especially ones that inconvenience people who are not close to me. I don't mind granting them, just begging for them. "Maikogon" they call it in Bisaya. I'm not even sure if that's how it's spelled. But … Continue reading Favors
Shaken
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo Earthquakes, even the not-so-intense ones, are unforgettable experiences. (And the 2012 prophecies, no matter how unlikely, don’t help either.) There is something quite terrifying about being completely out of control. About being utterly helpless against something bigger than oneself. Suddenly, the “world” we … Continue reading Shaken
Reunion
Originally written in TACKED THOUGHTS for The Freeman by Nancy Unchuan Toledo I met a former student at a bookstore the other day. He was the first batch of kids I ever taught. He and his classmates were about 16 when I met them. I had just graduated college and was only a couple or … Continue reading Reunion
Many Stories
I have yet to meet someone who did not enjoy a good story. Stories call to us, to the deepest part of ourselves where not even the blinding lights of the city and the deafening sounds of technology can penetrate. Even in the Philippines where the book sales are so low compared to the literate population (and where according to author Jessica Zafra authors are considered bestsellers if they can sell a mere 3000 books), there is great appreciation for a good story and for a story told well. The ability to tell stories, to capture a moment in lived experience or in one’s imagination and to be able to recreate it to another is something innately human. Everyone has a story and every story is precious. In fact, stories have their sacred place in the history of every culture all over the world.
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