Notes on a Nation

grit nation

May 31, 2020

Manila, 31 May—Just like that, we’re already at the end of May. I remember ushering in 2020 and praying that Taal Volcano’s eruption was not an indicator of...

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she-ra and the princesses of power (2020)

May 23, 2020

Manila, 23 May—I have loved this new She-Ra series on Netflix ever since it first came on with its 13-episode first season in 2018. When its final season...

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party for one

May 17, 2020

Manila, 17 May—As our areas enter their respective incarnations of the community quarantine, I’d like to start this entry off with this Very Relatable Cat.So...

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atlantis

May 10, 2020

Manila, 10 May—Happy Mother’s Day to you and yours! Whether we are quarantined with our mothers or quarantined away from them, this year’s COVID-19 affected...

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the half of it (2020)

May 2, 2020

Manila, 2 May—Where to start with Alice Wu’s new movie “The Half of It” that just got released on Netflix? Warning: Spoilers abound after trailer. Repeating...

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a fingerprint like grief

April 26, 2020

Manila, 26 April—An essay by David Kessler on Lithub makes this distinction between mourning and grief: Grief is what’s going on inside of us, while mourning...

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aries

April 19, 2020

Manila, 19 April—So we marked C’s birthday while in lockdown last week. In lieu of a party, we shared some food with our building frontliners instead. I...

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new generations

April 19, 2020

Manila, 19 April—Finally managed to finish the reboot of The L Word: Generation Q over C’s birthday weekend. I mentioned being excited about this series’...

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easter letter

April 12, 2020

Manila, 12 April—Happy Easter! What to make of this odd stretch of days masquerading as the Holy Week long weekend no? For many, it’s been the much-needed...

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summer in the time of covid-19

April 5, 2020

Manila, 5 April—Summer’s already in full swing, can you feel it? These days it feels like the heat seeps through walls. This temperature is actually par for...

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quarantine week 2

March 28, 2020

Manila, 28 March—We’re almost fourteen days into this enhanced community quarantine. How have you been, friends? The weekdays bleed into each other, and C...

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stuck in perpetual sundays

March 21, 2020

Manila, 21 March—Six days after the lockdown. Where are you? In our neck of the woods, where it is normally busy, it feels like a perpetual Sunday: Empty,...

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Notes from a quarantine

March 21, 2020

Tell me how you’re keeping sane? (Dumping quarantine resources for creatives here.)

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the exodus

March 14, 2020

Manila, 14 March—Every time I start a new entry, I make it a point to read where I left off in the last one, and trust me when I say my last post felt like...

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here comes march!

March 2, 2020

Manila, 2 March—February was short and busy! After our trip, I finally had time to focus on the last few edits of my paper for defense—which turned out to be...

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i'm seoul into you

February 15, 2020

Manila, 15 February—I sort of hurt my wrist while on vacation, holding on to heavy jackets and miscalculating my attachment to bus handles, so this...

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and then we came to the end

February 1, 2020

Manila, 1 February—To say that January felt like an entire year crammed in four weeks is an understatement. I’ve never quite been as glad to have made it to...

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the longest month of the year

January 26, 2020

Manila, 26 January—How is it still January?!? This month has been hard on everyone, and I’ve heard many comment that it already feels like an entire year has...

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pit senyor! tales from sinulog 2020

January 19, 2020

Cebu, 19 January—That time of the year again! Back in Cebu for this year’s Sinulog coverage. Sending this out on the occasion of my mother’s 61st birth...

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new year, new me: 2020 edition

January 12, 2020

Manila, 12 January—The other day, as we were winding down our Friday, I heard one of my co-workers say out loud: I can’t believe we’re only ten days into...

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