Life Between Spaces

This is where I write about life as a Filipino and a migrant—what it means to leave, to arrive, and to make sense of everything in between. From homesickness to new routines, cultural whiplash to quiet joys, these pieces reflect the emotional, ordinary, and sacred moments of living between worlds.

Where to Start With P-Pop: A Listening Guide for Filipino Readers Abroad

I wasn't always interested in P-Pop. I once thought Filipino idol groups were simply imitating K-Pop. Then BINI's *Karera* found me during my physician licensure examination review, and ALAMAT introduced me to a different side of contemporary Filipino music. From childhood cassette tapes to listening on my commutes in Edmonton, here's a personal guide to discovering P-Pop, including the artists and songs I think deserve a closer listen.
P-Pop and OPM

The Spare Key

Lena has carried Mara’s spare house key for four years without ever using it. When an emergency finally forces her inside, she finds something small that makes her question everything she thought she understood about their friendship.
Short Stories
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The Small Things That Tell Me I Live Here Now

Immigrant life does not always arrive through dramatic moments. Sometimes it arrives through an Uber ride, a Tim Hortons order, a grocery trip to T&T, or the quiet act of checking if your wife is still beside you before sleeping.
Life Between Spaces

Philippine English: Is it fair to still call it ESL?

I grew up thinking English was second nature—spoken in classrooms, churches, even cartoons. But when I migrated to Canada, I had to prove it all over again. This essay explores the quiet unfairness of being fluent but still labeled ESL, and why Filipino English deserves more recognition—both in policy and perception.
Life Between Spaces

Eight Eyes and a Bowl of Soup

It started with a growl. Not dramatic or creepy or anything. Just my stomach. I’d been walking for what felt like forever that morning, handing out...
Gindihon

Happiness in Selflessness Part 2

When I first wrote the first part of this series years ago, I had some personal issues that led me to question how I...
Life Between Spaces

Survival: The Ides of March, Colonization of the Philippines, and the Endless Quarantine

I am writing this as St. Patrick's Day is ending and filling up my head with images of snakes fleeing Ireland because of the...
Life Between Spaces

For whom is your ‘medicine’ for?

For a medical student, Facebook is an excellent place to explore other people's ideas and connect with other students and doctors who share tidbits...
Life Between Spaces

A Dignified Death for the Ill Old Persons

As a Christian, I was taught never to fear death because I have a Savior who has given His life for my sins, giving...
Health Notes

September 23 happened and the world did not end

I'm writing this article with the world still intact and no Nibiru disturbing our affairs and chaos in this world. It's safe to say...
Life Between Spaces

Happiness in Selflessness Part 1

I was planning to write on a different topic but was greatly struck by a discussion I had with a friend earlier. It came...
Life Between Spaces

What will happen 23rd of September 2017? Get Ready…and Check the Facts

It's finally September. While the Filipinos are decking their halls for their long Christmas and Green Day fans remind you to wake them up...
Life Between Spaces

Filipino Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays for Four Months

It's nearly September, and your friends might share this meme for several hours on the first. In the early days of online social media,...
Life Between Spaces

Artistic Negros Occidental Pt. 1 – Entering the “Sweet Island” through Bacolod City: Feast Upon the “Barangay sang Birhen” Chapel

NOTE: Pictures displayed in this series are taken during the blogger's Humanities class tour last year. Taken specifically on September 9, 2010, the pictures...
Life Between Spaces