An Engineer in the Philippines and in the UAE, Part 1
Engineer Mike Sanders talks about bridging the gap between the Filipino worker and modern technology. He proposes setting up shops to build prototypes.
Philippines
Tago Jazz Cafe Gets a New Home
Five years ago, before my friend Ivon came to Manila for a visit, he did a computer search for jazz spots in Manila. Tago Jazz Café was the only name that came up. After he arrived he went to check it out and came back very excited. “There are all these young guys—not the old guys you might associate with jazz—who are very talented,” he said. A few nights later we checked the place out together. I took some photos, and the next day I interviewed Nelson Gonzales, the owner, cook, manager, handyman and drummer whose life’s work …
Medical (Mis)Adventures in the Philippines
An account of trying to find doctors for various ailments:, including macular degeneration, diverticulitis, sleep deprivation, osteoarthritis, and itchy scalp. And a bit on cultural differences.
A Look at Drug Rehabs in the Philippines
This is an interview with a graduate of a 12-step program who has worked in a 12-step rehab and a therapeutic community. He is now beginning a career in social work in addition to 12-step work.
Filipino Jazz and the Debonair District
The band Debonair District is committed to bringing old Filipino classics to today’s audiences as jazz arrangements,
List of Opposites, East and West
Cultural differences between the West and Asia, from the mundane to the divine.
Portrait of a Filipino Jazz Musician
I first heard Ryan play the keyboard at Tago Jazz Café in Metro Manila, where he performed with his trio and with other groups, then later at the Ayala Museum. His work made me an instant fan, I think in part because of our love of Keith Jarrett, who speaks of improvising one note at a time. Ryan and I share a common view of inspiration, or, as my favorite music critic, Alan Rich, wrote decades ago in New York magazine, “I am neither a church-goer nor an atheist, and the reason I am not the latter can be …
KMU Celebrates Six Years
This is a look at the sixth anniversary of a Filipino soup kitchen with interviews with its founder, his wife and a volunteer.
An American Husband in Filipino Court
This is an interview with an American who fell for a Filipina only to discover that she was already married and planned to take him to court for his money. This happened twice.
Jireh Calo Graduates from Berklee
This is an interview with Filipina musician Jireh Calo about her experience studying at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, one of the world’s best conservatories for jazz.