aj4A, originally uploaded by ajay1. The pioneering e-zine by Pinoy expats is now running a previously-published article of mine entitled Notes from a Homesick Croupier in Europe. It's a must-read for my friends who want to know about that part of my past and who would like to have an idea about how it is to be alone in a foreign land.. for the first time. I was 24 and I remember clearly that my sister in the States was flabbergasted. "How could you be there? You don't know anybody there!!!" Presumably, she had heard too much about the abuses and dangers facing Pinoy ... Continue Reading...

My Pasay City immersion program has ended and now the whole family is settled in our two-bedroom apartment in Malate, the heart of Manila's tourist district.What else can I say... while I loved my own bedroom with its own spacious bathroom in Pasay, the city itself had become unbearable for me with its filth and all those kids romping around in the streets. It was in Pasay that I was suddenly transformed into a rabid supporter of the population control program. I couldn't even make a decent walk in the evening because there were all these kids -either dirty or naked - ... Continue Reading...

Definitely, it was edifying to note that Filipinos made it to the top list of countries in Asia who ranked well in terms of being happy and satisfied with their lives, despite overwhelming odds. I am referring to the World Values Survey undertaken by the University of Michigan among 82 countries last November. We are always used to the Philippines ranking first in other surveys for being one of the most corrupt, heavily-indebted, terror-stricken etc. and so it was refreshing to encounter something good to be said about us, for a change.The social scientists were quick ... Continue Reading...