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Showing posts from February, 2014

Welcome to the family!

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I met the two newest members of the Cuevas family early in 2014. :)  Biboy married Barbara in January. I didn't attend their wedding because the date was smack between the day I arrived from Hong Kong and the day I was flying to Singapore . One of the reasons I visited over Christmas and New Year was to meet her... Before then, I hadn't talked with her yet so that was a good opportunity to get to know my brand new sister. Biboy and Barbara at the beach while the rest of us were in Bataan . Elise is Ate Grace and Kuya Nat 's daughter... and the clan's new baby. :) Their family is based in Canada so this is also the first time that many of my US-based relatives were meeting Elise. She is Tita Ising's and Tito Sibing's first granddaughter... I could just imagine how thrilled they were to meet her at the airport! Three generations: Lola Bats, Ate Grace, and Elise

my favorite paintings

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The Holy Grail 'neath ancient Rosslyn waits The blade and the chalice o'er her gates Adorned by the masters' loving art she lies As she rests beneath the starry skies. -- Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown The first time I remember seeing the huge painting was when I was in nursery school. I was---still am---amazed by the bright pinks and vibrant blues... all connected by the undulating white ribbons. Because I'd normally expect masterpieces at this level only accessible when I visit the Philippine National Museum, I always get a kick out of the thought that this is what greets me as I eat lunch at the cafeteria of the International Rice Research Institute : This painting, and its "twin" which I see on rare occasions, were created by the Philippine National Artist Vicente Manansala. These two paintings has set my bar when I look at paintings by contemporary artists in different museums I visit when I go on new adventures. I always think, "Thi

for my first no-safety-net presentation

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I can't say I haven't been warned. Last year, after my presentation at the International Rice Festival, I was told that there is a possibility that I'd do this type of presentations more often. A few months later, I found myself on a plane en route to Hong Kong to attend the Asia Society HK 's food program entitled "In a Grain of Rice: Food and Culture for South and Southeast Asia". I was one of the speakers during the morning session on January 12. I was very excited because talking about science to a non-technical audience is one of the most challenging assignments for me... it's the most enjoyable too. I dream that someday I'd be able to speak with the confidence of Al Gore and the charisma of Steve Jobs . But since I need a long time to prepare and a great graphics team to be at that caliber and I just didn't have that time or the team, I settled with not fumbling over what I was supposed to say AND a slide deck with beautiful picture