I have lived in Plano for 12 years now, and I have seen this city grow. The restaurant and shopping scenes have grown tremendously, not just in sheer numbers but also the broad selection, and I love it!
Travel for Americans
To those who are thinking of traveling outside the U.S., please take a look below at the list of countries that opened up their borders to welcome U.S. travelers.
With its ever-changing international travel restrictions, we advise you to please always check with the U.S. Embassy and your destination tourism website for updates before finalizing travel plans. And, you are always welcome to send us an email to help you navigate through this strange new world.
Hawaii is Reopening
Hawaii is finally reopening (without the need for the 14-day quarantine). Yay!!! However, before we all get too excited planning a dream Hawaiian adventure, let me give you the important information you need to know.
We Listen. We Care.
As a person who grew up in the Philippines, a relatively “homogenous” population, you would think that discrimination based on skin color would be unknown to me. Yet I have seen it even in my home country. By sheer virtue of my lighter skin complexion, I was given more and better opportunities, and I am sure it allowed me to get away with some mistakes unscathed. It is a very real thing that power and privilege had, and it still has a specific “look” in the Philippines and many other countries, a look that is merely based on the color of your skin, the shape of your nose, or your natural hair.
If you have followed me in the past years, then you know that I married a white South African, someone who witnessed and experienced racism from the day he was born. He is from a country where racism was not only legal in its apartheid system but incestuously embedded in all aspects of life. As a “white” South African, he got all the “white” privileges. Why “white” you may ask…. simply put even within “white” there was a caste system too – The Afrikaans (Dutch descendants) on top, followed by the British… Northern Europeans (Germans, French, Scandanavians), then the Mediterranean Europeans (Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, Greeks); my husband being from the last caste as his parents were Portuguese immigrants. Thanks to spending most of his school life in private “Catholic” schools, which legally could be attended by people of color, apartheid didn’t stop him from having friends of color growing up (although it did implement another form of discrimination … religion; Cape Town is home to a large Muslim community, and Muslim students were forced to participate in Christian activities). Read More
Into the Roaring 20’s
Today is day 14 since we had our nerve-wracking experience in Maui. I woke up with a grateful heart, knowing we are all healthy! I said a little prayer and had breakfast with hubby. Oddly, my kids woke up earlier and made breakfast for themselves – they both love making scrambled eggs and toast with butter. I thought I should write a post about everything that has recently happened to us.
Coronavirus Outbreak: Should I stay or Should I go?
I haven’t had the chance to write for my blog for the past months since I have been busy with other projects. But lately, I have got so many inquiries about travel amid the coronavirus outbreak. Friends, clients, and colleagues have been asking the question: should I go or should I stay?
I assumed here that everyone reading this blog is familiar with the current coronavirus epidemic making its way around the world. If you have plans of traveling or have booked your trip already, please do not panic as of yet! Well… unless you are going to certain parts in China. The news can be scary, and it can be difficult to recognize between facts and misleading information or hype. However, it’s true that staying properly informed is vital in making the right decision.
And here are a few things I suggest you should do: