Blogging Through the Seasons

According to a popular song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, “Love and marriage… Go together like a horse and carriage.” Similarly, Norman Bunoan’s fried lumpia (from Day 8 of this blog) and pancit bihon are usually eaten together. One supplements the other....

Laise, that’s what comes to mind when I think about Christmas comfort food. There were seven, and sometimes 10, of us kids at my grandparents’ house while our parents worked all day. Most of the time Grandpa made laise (sweet rice), keke vai (Tongan pancake) and ma...

‘Tis the season to be watching Christmas movies by the dozen! There are so many silly versions of what usually turns out to be basically the same story: someone needs an attitude adjustment and gets one by learning the true meaning of Christmas. Typically this is a...

This is a dish I learned to make while living in Italy: spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chili pepper. It is always nourishing, always available, and I’ve learned something new from it each time – the parable of pastas. This is a blue Christmas for me – the...

In the shadow of the Great Depression, when the world outside was filled with uncertainty and hardship, my twin brother and I found joy in the simple things. Living in a dusty tent on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon, we shared laughter and dreams, tethered together...

My mom had gone to the American Embassy multiple times before and had been denied a visa, but this time was different. The situation carried an intensity that went far beyond a simple visa acceptance. This wasn’t about touring the country. It wasn’t about visiting...