Down the Rabbit Hole

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

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...

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...