“May ballet pala sa Pilipinas?” (Does ballet exist in the Philippines?) Such is a question often posed by Filipinos when thinking about the Philippine dance scene. And it is one that Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila founder and artistic director, hopes to answer—a barrier and a notion that she and many other local ballet enthusiasts strive…
Tag: 25 Cents’ Worth
To many people, the New Year season means a fresh start, with everyone seemingly enveloped by newness and change. Anything seems possible at this time of year, as the fireworks and horns usher in the clean slate that everyone looks forward to. A New Year’s resolution that many have in common is hitting the gym…
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The clown conundrum
When one ponders about the prospect of a clown flick, the first genre that comes to mind would be that of horror. Instead of a mascot greeting you at the door as you order a burger, or a jolly, makeup-clad man in a circus, a defining representation of clowns in many people’s minds is that…
It takes only one generation for everything to change. A lifetime is enough for a whole new world to emerge from the depths of human civilization. It is this change that separates us from the past and ourselves. It defines us, may it be a generalization or a stereotype. Such is the case for our…
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The kuwatro standard
Working on our rough edges can be quite tricky at times. We are all constantly soldiering on through life to “seek a Great Perhaps”, like Pudge in John Green’s Looking for Alaska. The best of us graduate with honors, but lack honor. Through the challenges we face in various aspects of our young lives, a…
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25 Cents’ Worth: The Mocha Uson show
Mocha Uson. No two words in recent memory have elicited such a polarizing response from the general public. On one hand, she’s a cultural behemoth that has transcended the usually impenetrable walls of standard journalism. On the other, she’s the epitome of ignorance and oversimplified thought. However, taking sides is not an issue that I…
“What is beautiful is seized.” – Lorrie Moore, Self-Help (1985) I grew up in a town with only one bookstore, a PCBS branch. Now, when people ask me what bookstores we have in our province, I just shrug and say none. But I vividly remember walking towards its glass doors on a Sunday morning, giddy…
“Atsi, tricycle!” (Older sister, tricycle!), “Ya sui, sidecar!” (Very beautiful, sidecar!), shouted two of many tricycle drivers at an informal jeepney stop near my family’s house. I threw my usual constipated look-slash-death glare at them and continued on my way, even if what just happened left me feeling disconcerted. I have been commuting on-and-off for…
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The path of many forks
It’s odd whenever someone asks me what my religion is. Quite frankly, I don’t know the answer to that myself. I was born and baptized a Catholic—and once in a while, I attend mass, enjoying the homilies and the lessons that Christ and his Church wish to impart onto their followers. But due to my…
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A new breed of candidate
It’s presidential election season again. The airwaves these days are buzzing with news about the ongoing campaigns—doubly so because our elections are happening at the same time as those of the United States. Anyone who’s even casually followed a presidential campaign should see all the telltale signs of one. There is a recurring formula: (Insert…