Philippine Culture
Journals from an Indigenous Philippine Sorcerer “Invisible II; A Visit to Xagas”
I always liked adventures with Arik, because it gave me long opportunities to talk to him during the voyage. This week would be spent visiting one of Arik’s school brothers, Xagas. (Pronounced ‘Zagas’). We would be traveling from Cebu City to Sante Fe, Bantayan where Xagas was staying. Also, it was nice to bring my…
Read MoreJournals from an Indigenous Philippine Sorcerer. ‘Invisible’
Arik, Nyle and I were having a beer at an outside bar in Minglanilla, Cebu. We had delivered some hand-carved hardwood bookshelves to a well-to-do foreigner in a subdivision nearby. Arik was a furniture maker by trade, and his work sold fairly successfully around the area. He primarily got his customers by word-of-mouth, and thru…
Read MoreJournals from an Indigenous Philippine Sorcerer. The Bell of Truth and Cave Drum.
I’m a retired psychologist and college professor. I moved to the Philippines for many reasons, among them -the incredible sweetness of essence I noticed in my Filipino students. While retired, I’ve been talking to and chronicling an indigenous Philippine sorcerer. We had been excellent friends for almost 7 years. Now, he has since left Cebu…
Read MorePasko
‘Tis The Season Do you ever get the feeling when you wake up in the morning that today is supposed to be a special day but you just can’t think why? It happened to me a couple of days ago, on September 1st to be exact. What could it be? Surely not a family birthday…
Read MoreRetirement! What Retirement? Journals from an Indigenous Philippine Sorcerer.
Retired! What? Wow, I’m still not off the hook. I’ve been ‘retired’ 8 years, and I’m still pouring over my journals of Arik’s teachings. I’m not busy grading exams or preparing lecture notes, but busy organizing my journal writings of an extraordinary indigenous Philippine teacher. For an impending book, no less! Lord, I never thought…
Read MoreStreet Vendors Lingo
Vendors in the Philippines “Isdaaa! – Moro-Moro, Bangus, at Saka Gulay!” Sound familiar? It didn’t to me until fairly recently. Let me explain. When I first retired to the Philippines I lived in West Insular Village, a pleasant and mostly clean gated community in Davao City. A bit pricey, but that’s what you expect from…
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