Maher Mohammed Al Raee spends his afternoons in calm contemplation. With a mug of tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other, he settles comfortably in his chair, surveying his idyllic neighbourhood, and taking in the afternoon breeze and figures that flit through the streets: Tricycles, cars, the occasional passerby. A look of…
Category: Menagerie
In the disarray of mindless switching tabs, you anxiously wait for a reply from just about any of the five friends you already messaged. In the sea of furniture and familiarity of your own room, nothing seems to put you at ease. You’re alone with your thoughts. Unknown to many, the country actually has a…
A burned, dilapidated house is being renovated in one of the streets of Pasay. What used to be filled with laughter, singing, and playful banters is now empty of its tenants, only occupied by the workers rebuilding the destroyed house. This used to be the home of the Golden Gays, a group of old gays…
Among the films that were shown in the 42nd Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) last December, it was the teen comedy Vince, Kath, and James that tackled the issues of sexism in the workplace head-on. In the film, Vince and Kath are both engineering students and are co-interns for an engineering company. In one…
The definition of feminism varies from context to context–what is empowering for one woman may not be for another–that the way then to make sense of feminism as a movement is to accept that, at its periphery, it changes form and shape depending on the type of women that we are magnifying. In the Philippines,…
The woman has the face of a saint. People call her a mestiza, porcelain-skinned with rosy cheeks. She is the feminine ideal: Shy, demure, modest, loyal, submissive. Her name is Maria Clara. Key to lock, she gently enters the room that changes it all. Her long dark hair is tugged and used to drag her…
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The wonder of children’s books
The illusory concept of time permits us to create a sense of a past and future self. It sets the stages of life, too: Being a child with urgent needs for comfort and warmth, an adolescent awashed in the pressure of finding an identity, an adult weighed by the demands of a society to contribute…
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EDSA Revolution revisited
Thirty-one years ago, Manila was brought to a standstill. Along Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue, the usual lines of vehicles were replaced by throngs of people as millions of Filipinos took to the streets and reclaimed the democracy that they had been deprived of, displaying their honor and courage for the whole world to see.…
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Food in review: New stalls in Animo Biz
A new year comes with new trends, new styles, and new flavors. One of the staples we bring into every new year is food. Life in the University is not in any way different; we are always on the lookout for the newest and freshest restaurants. This is why numerous stalls line the University, all…
Minimalism just might be the new black. More than just being the opposite of hoarding, the minimalist lifestyle is at once vivid and monochrome, striking and humble. In a time of luxurious imaginings and gluts of clutter, screaming the word “more” in flashing neons, still there are those who remain steadfast to the lifestyle of having few…