Lifestyle

MANILA, Philippines — After the hot air balloons of Cappadocia and the mighty Bosphorus in Istanbul, you wonder if Turkey has exhausted its wonders. Far from it! The trade focus of the ancient world and the erstwhile religious nucleus of early Christianity, Ephesus, located just three kilometers from the town of Selçuk, has a population of 30,000 and is visited by millions each year. Built in 10th Century BC, it may be considered one of the largest outdoor museums in the planet and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. Our first stop in this archaeological jungle was the Odeon, a small formerly roofed theater which housed up to 1,500 people, often utilized as an assembly hall for the Senate and, at times, the salon for plays and concerts. With columns below and embellished red granite pillars at the upper levels, it gave us a peek into the life of politics and entertainment of the early civilization. Hot air balloons in the skyline. We soon found ourselves by … [Read more...] about Enamored with ephesus

Growing up in the 1980s, pre-millennials definitely remember a dark fantasy by Jim Henson that was leagues away from Sesame Street and the Muppets. The Dark Crystal came out in 1982, set in the world of Thra, where three Gelflings try to recover The Crystal of Truth from the evil Skeksis. Impressionable minds will recall scary scenes of the Skeksis using the Crystal to drain the “vital essence” from hapless (and helpless) Podlings — then watching the Emperor chug it down like it’s Mountain Dew. With its elaborate mix of puppetry and voice talent, The Dark Crystal drew from classic fantasies like Lord of the Rings and modern sci-fi epics like Star Wars to create an entirely new world. And an entirely new look. While Hollywood was moving towards digital effects and computer animation, Henson was taking the human feel of puppetry to new levels — terraforming new worlds where evil characters occupied our imaginations, and heroes were born. Now Netflix brings … [Read more...] about Netflix brings ‘Dark crystal’ back to life

John Gokongwei was selling peanuts to his classmates, Josephine Gotianun Yap was sticking stamps to letter envelopes and Hans Sy was emptying trash cans at SM Makati. Hong Kong’s richest billionaire Li Ka Shing was 15 when he worked at a factory producing plastic watch bands for 16 hours a day. Malaysia’s No. 1 tycoon and Shangri-La hotel chain founder Robert Kuok Hock Nien started work as an office boy while still in college. China’s Alibaba.com billionaire Jack Ma first worked as a teacher. The world’s No. 1 wealthiest billionaire Jeff Bezos was 16 when his first job was flipping burgers at McDonald’s in Miami City, while world’s No. 2 wealthiest Bill Gates’ first job was as a computer programmer in senior year in high school. The world’s No. 3 richest billionaire Warren Buffett was 13 when became a newspaper delivery boy. What were the first jobs of the Philippines’ top business leaders, their unforgettable experiences and … [Read more...] about Their first jobs

My mother is a funny woman. She rocked Taipei in her duster and light strawberry blonde hair for her 75th birthday and made her first ever trip abroad very memorable. Two days before she left for Taiwan, she had her hair dyed. To the sari-sari store in front of our house she went and bought her trusted hair-coloring brand. Then to the neighboring “parlor” of Jose she brought the dye. She was excited. As Jose massaged the dye to her hair, my mother was also having mani-pedi. It was her first ever trip abroad and she made sure she was ready for the world. She achieved the color of her nails, colorless with a hint of baby pink. But when she looked at herself in the mirror, the desired black color was not apparent on her hair. Its sheen was more of a strawberry tinge. The tindera where she bought the dye gave her red instead of black dye. And my mother eventually loved it. Not the one to be easily dismayed when things don’t work her way, my mother proudly showed me her … [Read more...] about My mother’s first trip abroad

A fighting chance through education Education is the great equalizer. It empowers people, giving them the hope and courage to dream of a better life. However, poverty prevents children, especially those in the countryside, from obtaining education. What makes the situation even worse is when their fathers are soldiers who are killed in action, leaving them helpless with no means to support their studies. With (from left) Assistant Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Capt. Jesus Portiz, retired US Navy Captains Brian Buzzell and Charles Dixon, David Graling, Capt. David Jackson, Brig. Gen. Marlo Guloy and Col. Amado dela Paz. It is this kind of reality that prompted the establishment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Educational Benefit System (AFPEBS) in 2000 to provide educational scholarships and other forms of assistance to dependents of military personnel, especially soldiers who were killed in action. The morale and welfare unit of the … [Read more...] about A fighting chance through education