Four Sides

47

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 07:00:25 -0800

Dearest Gentle Reader,

It has been brought to my attention that a certain gentleman in Canada has had a remarkably eventful year. Trips overseas, an engagement, and an impending arrival. With gossip temporarily scarce here in Mayfair, I decided his affairs warranted closer inspection. He is certainly not one of us, nor is he likely to become so. Nevertheless, even a gentleman outside our circles may provide something worth discussing.

When Season 46 ended for Mr. James, according to his blog, he was in a good state of mind with a partner at home, looking after his daughter, and had a growing career working in hotels. While the Queen may look down upon someone who works with the people, I do admire someone who can put up with us on a daily basis because we can be exhausting.

What was hinted at and not clearly stated in that piece is that his Filipina princess left to go across the ocean to the Philippines. It is too bad that she did not come to Mayfair, because from what I have read and heard, she could have been the Diamond of the season and been courted by the likes of Mr. Bridgerton. But alas, she went in the opposite direction and Mr. James went to go visit her in January, his first trip outside of Canada in nearly 15 years. He was quickly whisked away after landing and they both found their way to Bangkok, Thailand. It appears to be an exotic city according to another written piece. They spent far too much time, in my opinion, exploring Song Wat Road in Chinatown, a place I would have ended up lost in. I would definitely have lost my way in ICONSIAM, one of the world's largest shopping centres. Future travels will likely bring him back to that city and country.

The Philippines was equally remarkable on that trip. There was time spent in Angeles City and northwest of Manila, plus more time in BGC within the metropolis. The variety of Filipino food and culture sounds impressive to me; steamy days of 30°C with plenty of sunshine do not. Though, they would be a nice escape from the mild winters of Kelowna.

After 2.5 weeks of being away, Mr. James returned home to Canada. Shortly afterwards, a big football game awarded a trophy to the Seattle Seahawks in a victory to celebrate his return, or perhaps that is by pure coincidence. A few weeks later, his partner returned home to reside with him once again after four long months away.

The springtime brought a renewed energy to them both as they continued to work in the hotel industry. The end of March found the two lovebirds relaxing and exploring Sparkling Hill Resort to celebrate their second anniversary and her birthday. It remains the bright and brilliant palace on the hill overlooking the valley, a suitable place for a future ball if the Ton made their way to the Okanagan. A relaxing night for them both to help prepare for the busy summer season ahead.

During the summer, two surprising events occurred. First, along the shores of Okanagan Lake, Mr. James bent the knee and proposed to his partner. And, dear reader, she declined. So concerned was Mr. James with choosing the perfect moment that he left the ring in his vehicle. His partner—quite rightly, in my opinion—would never accept a marriage proposal without a ring of some kind. So off he went and returned to repeat himself by bending the knee and offering the ring properly.

This time, she said yes, and the two of them are properly engaged.

The other event is the discovery of an unexpected guest due in December. A new son is to be brought into this world and join the McCullough household. The sixth grandchild for Mr. James' parents, and the first for hers. Both families are very excited. There has been a lot of nesting and preparing for this great event. Everyone, including myself after hearing the news, is eager to meet this new little boy. Not even I know the name of the future child.

Because of that announcement, it was quickly decided that Mr. James would move on from working outside the home and return to focusing on the consulting work from home, perhaps more permanently, to provide more support to the future mom and child. Not too surprising given the flexibility he has with this work. He left the hotel job at the end of July, shortly before a second trip overseas. Two weeks there on the first trip were doubled to 30 days this time around. There were too many memories to summarize in one piece, so he ended up writing daily ^[1] about his adventures.

Last November, James declared himself ready. One hopes he understood the scope of the announcement.

I wish him well and look forward to witnessing the coming year from afar.

Yours,
Lady Whistledown^[2]

I ended last year’s post with “I am ready.”

Today, I turn 47, am engaged, and am preparing to become a father again in December. I also left the hotel to focus on my consulting work. When I started planning my birthday post last week, my first reaction was, “There is a lot to cover.” I enlisted some assistance.

Besides bungling the engagement embarrassingly like a scene out of a romcom (Bobo Yarn^[3]), I’m happy with this direction in my life. I’ve restricted myself from trying a lot of things for one reason or another, and haven’t been very good about planning ahead. Now, I can understand and appreciate better the marriage my parents have (nearly 55 years now), and also the long marriages of my siblings and other relatives. This isn’t just a fun dance in the rain followed by a hot meal. There are a lot more discussions as we work together, create joint budgets, and manage our resources at home. We talk regularly about what each other's plans are for the day, which is not something I have been accustomed to. We aren’t married yet (date TBD) but we might as well be with the way we work with each other and not against one another. As each day goes on, the connection feels stronger, better. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

I'm going to be a father again, to a son. The more I write the words, it still doesn't feel real. It didn't feel too real with my daughter either until I arrived in Kelowna a few months before her birth. This time, I can see the progression more clearly and have daily reminders that this is real and it is happening. The growing belly on the mother is the clearest way, but all the delivery boxes from Amazon and Walmart showing up make this very real.

I told myself in the past, at least ten years now, that if I were to have another child, I would need to find a partner who really wanted a child. And that I have found in my fiancée. From the moment we discovered she was pregnant to now, she's embraced every step of the way. There are many differences between this pregnancy and the pregnancy with my daughter (who is nearly 17 now, stay tuned), but the biggest one is how information is being shared. Find a stroller you like? Search it up on TikTok and you can find parents demonstrating how it folds, moves, the pros and cons instantly.

It will be different raising a son compared to a daughter, and it will be different raising a child from two cultures rather than one. I am looking forward to the different experiences I can explore with him (my daughter had zero interest in watching sports with me) and repeating other ones (walking along Mission Creek, the kangaroo farm).

Needless to say, I'm excited for both of these changes in my life and I know my partner is too, because as I told my sister today, "She's nesting hardcore."

The shift from working in the hotel back to home was a bit of a nervous change. There is the financial security on one side, but on the other is a bet on myself. With my fiancée's hand pushing hard on that side, it was an easier decision. It felt good to work at the hotel for a few summers and help people around Kelowna. Coming along with the good moments are a lot of negative ones too which I really don't miss the further away I get from that departure.

Being able to focus on myself more, on the business a lot more, has paid dividends. The last few years, I have been stressing myself more trying to make space for meetings, find time to market my services, and do anything for myself to relax or grow. I wrote on Sunday about all the sitting and meditation I have been doing lately. It's a relaxing habit to build with a side effect of providing a lot of confidence in the other areas of my life. Doing it in the mornings shortly after waking up has helped me immensely in getting ready for work or the other things happening. It's made me more into a morning person, too. For instance, I started writing this post at 7:00 AM. Past James writing these birthday posts late at night, bourbon at hand, would be shocked and dismayed.

Building that practice has brought other habits forward. It's far easier to sustain a habit if there is something else attached to it, and in my case that has been reading. In the last few months since leaving the hotel, I've burned through 15 books (audio, Kindle or physical). The more I finish books, the more I want to read, which has also been fueling my desire to write again. It's been a long time coming and I'm glad to be working towards a more regular writing practice.

Overall, I am feeling far less stressed and have a clearer vision of what lies ahead for us. I am still a little nervous about being a father again, mainly because of how different it will be being a father of a newborn at 47 compared to 30. Changing the diapers, feeding bottles, and generally caring for a baby: no problem. Waking up at 5:00 AM to help with a crying baby after being up until 12:00 AM? Not entirely sure how my body will respond, but I will do it without complaining (thank goodness for DoorDash'ing coffee).

But like last year, I am ready.

15 posts so far, with more to come. ↩︎
The narrator from Bridgerton (Netflix or book) if one isn't familiar. ↩︎
Filipino translation: “Are you stupid or something?” To be clear, she didn’t say that to me, but I was definitely thinking it. And it’s spoken just the way it sounds, a fun phrase for your linguistic toolbox alongside schadenfreude. ↩︎

I shared this a few years ago. Still love it.

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Media Diet: Birthday Edition

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 06:00:00 -0800

Andrew Sharp wrote a piece several months ago titled Is Netflix Washed Now?.

He had lots of criticism of Netflix and how its audience drops off after the first season of a show. There is some truth to that. Several of the shows I have watched were cancelled or basically shelved after a season or two, which makes it difficult to feel invested in watching a new show. That has also happened with larger networks, as it did with Deadwood on HBO. But the bigger point that stood out to me is simple: outside its biggest hits, no one seems to talk much about the shows on Netflix.

The media and public tend to focus on HBO, AppleTV, Disney+, and, to a lesser degree, Amazon Prime. Netflix tends to get that attention when a big hit survives the first season and keeps building, like Stranger Things or Bridgerton.

One of Netflix’s strengths is how it can give international shows greater exposure around the world. Series like Money Heist (Spain) and Squid Game (South Korea) have been very successful for Netflix, with additional series branching off, including Berlin, localized versions of Money Heist, and Squid Game: The Challenge. Netflix does swing and miss often, with well-known actors starring in shows that seem rushed into production and lack the creative direction they deserve.

One example is The Woman in Cabin 10, a mystery-thriller starring Keira Knightley. We watched it over several nights and enjoyed it, but when I was looking over what we watched this year, I couldn’t recall anything about the film without looking it up, including who starred in it. Not a vote of confidence for a film.

That being said, there are some very good shows on there. Netflix still offers the best variety of shows compared to the other services, and I enjoy the international flavour you can find there. This year, I enjoyed shows based in Spain, South Korea, England, and Newfoundland (it’s like a different country to us).

It was also fun to see what was available in the Philippines versus Canada. All the Daniel Craig James Bond movies were on there, for example.

Instead of selecting only the shows you should definitely watch, I’m giving a rundown of almost everything I watched and grading it to help you decide whether to watch it or skip it.

THE BIRTHDAY EDITION / 2026

42 titles. My grades, from A++ down.

First, the big screen

The films I wanted to lead with.

Sinners

A++

Let’s start here with the movie that set the record with 16 Oscar nominations, winning four: Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw), and Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson). I didn’t know much about it going in, and I think it’s best if you don’t either. The movie takes place in the Deep South in 1932 during the Jim Crow era. The story centres on twin brothers (played by Jordan) and is heavily influenced by blues music. I loved every minute of it. Highly recommended.

Watch trailer ↗

The Odyssey

I mentioned this in a post while travelling in the Philippines. It was my first IMAX experience, and I’m glad it was. The cinematography and soundtrack were exceptional, and the visuals were very impressive. It’s surely going to win a few Oscars next year. Definitely one to watch in a theatre or on as big a screen as possible.

Watch trailer ↗

Obsession & Weapons

Two horror-adjacent movies, both very well done and progressively creepy. Obsession is about a woman taking her attraction to a guy to a whole new level. It reminded me of The Blair Witch Project because of its low budget. The production value isn’t there, but the story and style very much are. Weapons could have been an episode of The X-Files. It’s a mystery about disappearing kids in a community, told from a few different points of view. I appreciated the overlapping stories that painted a bigger picture. Both films are very entertaining and not super gruesome.

Obsession trailer ↗ / Weapons trailer ↗

Netflix

Reviews first, then the rest. Highest grades first within each group.

The Gentlemen

Season 1-2

A++

Take Succession but instead of inheriting a media empire, there is a family inheriting a large family estate in England with a large marijuana farm growing. Lots of character development with high-end gangsters and mafia members. It’s violent at times but very good. Renews for a third season.

Watch trailer ↗

Agent Kim Reactivated & Mercy for None

Season 1

A+

These two Korean series have the same lead actor. Both are very action-heavy, especially Mercy for None. Agent Kim is a story about a father searching for his missing daughter. Mercy for None is a revenge story about a man seeking the truth about his brother. Both are fast-moving. Agent Kim features more Korean comedy, which makes it very good. Start with that one, then watch Mercy for None.

Agent Kim Reactivated trailer ↗ / Mercy for None trailer ↗

Bridgerton

Season 4

It’s not normally something I’d watch, but it’s a fun series. Even better is watching my partner’s reaction to what’s happening between the couples. I’ll never forget her pacing around and trying to get the couple to have their first kiss. The soundtrack is full of great string covers of pop/rock songs from the last 30 years, all available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Watch trailer ↗

East of Eden

Season 1

A historical story based on the novel written in the 1950’s by John Steinbeck. I wasn’t familiar with the story. It takes place in rural Connecticut during the 1880’s and then progressed across the country to the California valley where Steinbeck grew up. Costumes and cinematography are great, with some memorable characters and storyline. I’m confident that it will win some Emmy’s.

Watch trailer ↗

The Diplomat

Seasons 1–4

I’ve seen this in the suggested list for a few years but kept ignoring it. I’m glad we gave it a chance because it’s a very good show. It reminds me of Succession with the character development without going to quite the extremes they did in that series. It’s centred around the new US diplomat to the United Kingdom. There’s a lot of political intrigue involving the Prime Minister, the President, and other levels of government. Bingeworthy show that was renewed for a 5th season.

Watch trailer ↗

Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine

Season 2

B+

The Spanish spinoff of Money Heist featuring the character Berlin. If you watch either of these series, make sure you watch in the original Spanish with subtitles. So much better than the dubbed version. Berlin is an expert thief, con man, romancer, and philosopher. The Spanish version of a rake. Styled the same as the original series, both seasons are very fun and easy to enjoy.

Watch trailer ↗

BEEF

Season 2

Not as good as the first season, but still enjoyable. There’s a funny moment at the beginning that misleads you about what the beef is going to be. Definitely watch the first season if you haven’t yet.

Watch trailer ↗

Below

Season 1

Filmed in Newfoundland, this series takes a big turn towards the supernatural that I didn’t really enjoy. It was fun to hear the Newfie accents, experience the culture (screeching, salted fish), and, of course, take in the breathtaking scenery. I learned something new about their history: whole communities were basically forced to move into larger communities in the 1950s–1970s. It was called the Newfoundland Settlement Program.

Watch trailer ↗

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen

Season 1

The story really grabs you and takes you on a journey I was not expecting. A lot of twists and turns in this psychological thriller about a bride-to-be meeting her fiancé’s family before the wedding.

One of my favourite shows ever. The most disgusting character, Jackson Lamb, is back for two more mysteries that are getting more entwined, bringing back some past characters, and a lot of dramatic twists. The way season 6 ends reminded me of all the talk long ago of “Who shot JR?” Lots of speculation which makes me love the show even more.

Season 5 trailer ↗ / Season 6 trailer ↗

Dark Matter

Season 2

Science fiction show involving multiple universes. It’s difficult to share the story without spoiling it. The show is based on a book for the first season, and the author was involved for the second season as well. Both are very good but definitely start with the first season.

Watch trailer ↗

Your Friends & Neighbours

Season 2

Season 1 was very good which made the expectations for the second season to be higher. I think the second season was better than the first. Less episodic and more of a grander throughline in the series. Left on a good hanger too. The characters and acting are great. I find myself wanting more of this show often.

Netflix

Joker: Folie à Deux

Netflix

B-

Mantis

Netflix

The Woman in Cabin 10

Netflix

War Machine

Netflix

Streaming services are listed for Canada. Title links open official trailers; Jo Koy links to an official sneak peek.

Room for More

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:00:54 -0800

Walking along the Mission Creek greenway with my partner for the first time in a long time, I found myself remembering earlier walks. The places where my daughter threw rocks into the creek when she was around two, where she would climb over the concrete walls to be adventurous, or where I walked along the rocks in the creek bed to get the perfect shot with my phone or camera. The viewing platform along the creek is gone, a new bridge has been built at KLO Road, and modifications have been made for spring flood control. Most of the trees are still there. Despite the changes, the creek feels familiar.

I enjoyed sharing those memories with her while we walked along the trail and watching her be amazed by the golden leaves in the sunlight. The light off the slow-running creek waters, combined with the blue skies, makes this a special place for me. It's late October, my favourite time of the year along the trail, and in the Okanagan. Leaves change colour and fall off, the kokanee salmon run up the creeks to spawn and die, and the fruit trees bear their last fruit and then rest for the winter.

Another sunny fall day walking the grounds of Mission Hill winery. Another spot I haven't been to in a long time, likely years, and usually not in the fall. Driving through the entranceway, we are greeted with deer eating grass and whatever else they are finding on the driveway. A magnificent sight with the trees lit up in yellow and green on either side. Mission Hill is relatively new. It feels like it has been here for a hundred years, out of place high up on Mount Boucherie, and yet it belongs here in the valley.

Throughout the grounds, figures appear in places you would least expect them to. Sculptures in various metals and materials are placed carefully around to invite further exploration. They are a newer addition, created and installed by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir in 2014. I remembered when they were first installed, walking around with my parents. How strange, alien-like they looked. And yet they fit in perfectly. Initially an exhibition, they ended up finding a permanent home at the winery. I am glad they did. My partner was drawn to these curiosities lazing around on the property, sitting by the fountain or sitting amongst the vineyards. The obligatory photos were taken of her standing beside the one by the fountain. Leaving the property, we took final pictures of the deer on the side, then took in the bright fall colours of the hillside vineyard.

At the end of October, we found ourselves up in the hills surrounding Vernon at Davison Orchards. It was a place I had heard about but hadn't visited before, despite it having been in the same place for almost a hundred years¹. I was pleasantly surprised at how magical this place was. It was busy with people milling around, buying carts full of pumpkins and gourds, walking around with hot coffee or cider, and others with ice cream even though the temperature was hovering around 10°C.

Music filled the air as we walked behind the storefronts to explore the backyard area. An animatronic music band was jamming out while we walked up the hill to reach the small barn. We were greeted by sheep, goats, and a bunch of little kids - the goat variety. There was even a barn cat lurking around the shadows. Off to the side, a larger goat stood on the railings bellowing out a call across the yard. That triggered the donkeys to start yelling back. It was feeding time for the animals, and our cue to head home.

I stood at the top of the hill by the barn looking down at the yard, the families still milling around the playground, and out across the valley before we headed home. I took it all in. Sunshine hitting the hillsides, starting to set, adding a glow to the surrounding area to sprinkle a little more magic this fall. Davison Orchards was a new experience for both of us. As we made our way down the hill, we looked at the old treehouse and could picture a future child running around the structure. We both knew we would return.

In the back of my mind, I also thought about the pumpkin pie, the dill scones, and the huge bag of Honeycrisp apples we were bringing home. It seemed rude to leave empty-handed.

The Country Village portion of the farm that's open to the public opened in 1985, but the farm itself was established in 1933. Five generations of the Davison family have farmed and operated it since then, which is really impressive.↩︎

Coming Back to the Cushion

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 07:00:31 -0800

I mentioned in my birthday post that I had started a meditation practice. I can appreciate why people refer to it as a practice rather than an activity. Sitting still, almost entirely quiet, with only your mind is hard. More challenging still is finding the time and the will to sit down in silence.

— A Meditation on the New Year

That post, written way back in January, has lingered on my mind through most of the year. I did well with meditation for a few more weeks before my first trip to the Philippines and Bangkok. During that trip, I didn't make the time to meditate, and then once I returned, I still didn't. It stayed like this for many months until the end of July when I made a commitment to start again.

A few things happened that month that made me start to think about it once again. I decided to put in my notice at the hotel I was working at and left at the end of July. This was in anticipation of the second trip to the Philippines and the coming birth of a new child in December. Knowing that I was going to have more time on my hands, I wanted to start doing things that I kept putting off. Meditation came to the forefront and became a priority again.

The lightbulb moment happened when I started reading Sit: 28 Days to a Rock-Solid Daily Meditation Habit that I had purchased back in May. Bodhipaksa writes:

If you want to meditate daily, success will not come from increasing the desire to meditate daily. If you’ve struggled with this for years, you already have all the desire you need. What you lack are strategies for reminding yourself to sit, for handling thoughts and feelings of resistance, for making it feel good to meditate, and for fitting the habit of sitting into an already busy schedule. When we focus on willpower instead of strategies, we’re doing something that doesn’t make a difference—and so we fail.

He might as well have reached out with a big stick and hit me behind the head. As much as I want to build a meditation practice, it's not going to happen without actually, you know, sitting. His book also gave permission to accept that meditating for 5 minutes is better than nothing. Not every session has to be 20 minutes or longer.

I started each day by sitting on my cushion for 20 minutes, followed by some light stretching to get the blood flowing again. Afterwards, I read that day's entry in the book. Each entry was only 3-4 pages long. Reading it became a nice way to reflect on what I had done, prepare for the next day, and reset my mind for the rest of the day.

The string of days started building up. I kept track within the Plum Village app¹ which gives a pop-up after a session to tell you how many days it has been in a row. Reaching 7 days felt like a highlight. 14 felt like I was getting the hang of this. The next challenge was the trans-Pacific flight to Manila in August. With my partner snoozing beside me and the majority of the plane sleeping, I closed my eyes and put my hands on my knees to focus on my breath. At home, I can hear myself breathing on the cushion, but here on the plane, I could not hear myself over the loud hum of the plane. Tuning it out was more challenging than easing my mind. I pushed through those 10-15 minutes which helped me build confidence in meditating during the rest of the trip. If I can meditate on a plane in the early hours, surely I can find time during my trip to do so.

I continued practising through the 30 day trip and was around day 50 in a row when I returned home. I ended up becoming quite sick with a fever and bad cough that lingered for three weeks. I tried to meditate after my fever had passed, but it turns out trying to meditate while coughing is not a good mix.

During that stretch, I kept looking down at the cushion in my living room and missing it. I was frustrated with not being able to speak more than a sentence without coughing and recognized that meditation on a cushion was going to be impossible. It was a trying time, the sort of challenge that mindfulness is meant to help with.

The practice helped me especially one morning during my absence from the cushion. My car wouldn't start because of a dead battery, followed by two hours in urgent care, and then more time going for X-rays at Kelowna General Hospital to confirm whether I had pneumonia or not. It's not easy to sit and wait for that length of time. There are constant irritations beyond just waiting. Others coughing, people sitting too close to you, trying to start a conversation with their neighbours (or worse, you), and watching others fail to handle their own impatience.

But there I was, sitting quietly through it all, able to not let others affect me and throw me off my own peace. I read on my phone while doing my best to ensure I didn’t have a coughing fit unexpectedly. I observed what was happening around me, and set it aside knowing I didn't need to judge the people going through the same or a worse difficulty than me. I took it slowly, letting things happen as they happened until I was ready to head home.

After three weeks, my cough subsided (it wasn't pneumonia), and I started to sit once again. Picking up the habit this time, the third time, was much easier than before. The first time sitting for 20 minutes felt like nothing had changed. I was riding the bike once again. I am approaching 30 days now, with only a few sessions under 20 minutes, and feeling happy that I was able to restart it so easily.

These two long periods of meditating have helped me in multiple ways. I don't find myself reacting the same way to frustrating situations that occur with work. In the past, I would read an email that irritated me, and then would want to write a passionate reply to rebuke that person. Now, I set it aside, stop thinking about it, and return to it with a calmer approach.

I can still overthink after those moments, but I’m finding it easier to recognize when it happens and reset my mind. Those peaceful moments of reset make me feel good and encourage me to continue this practice. A quiet reminder to me that it actually works.

As an introvert, quietness has generally been more comfortable for me. The difference now compared to June and before is that I am able to do it without my phone or TV on. I have been reading far more regularly and frequently through the day. Quickly approaching 13 books read since mid-July – far more than in previous years.

It has also made me more confident in ways and not doubting myself as much. That has shown up with writing (somewhat) more regularly on this site, but also in my paid work. Sitting on the cushion has helped me notice the importance of rhythm to my work life through current clients, networking, and developing a newsletter for the hotel industry. I also became more flexible, physically, thanks to the stretching after each session. There have been some of those dumb, surprising moments of, "Oh, so this is what it feels like to touch your toes without bending your knees that much!"

I'm not complaining, of course. It's neat to recognize those little things.

How I have been meditating over this time has shifted from guided meditations (mainly listening to Thich Nhat Hanh speak slowly and quietly every five minutes) at the beginning to doing silent meditations, starting with a morning chant. I felt antsy at first about how long the 20 minutes were going. Now, 20 minutes of silence feels like nothing.

When I started, I watched the number of days grow in the app. By the time I got sick, I had sat for about fifty days in a row. Then I spent three weeks looking at the cushion and missing it.

Some of what I had been practising stayed with me. In the waiting room, I could notice my irritation and remind myself that the other patients were having a difficult morning, too. When I could sit again, the twenty minutes felt familiar. I had lost the streak, but returning was easier than I expected.

I still overthink. I still get irritated. I’m getting better at noticing, and sometimes that gives me enough room to respond differently. I’ve been writing more, too. That matters to me. So does being able to sit down again after three weeks away.

James McCullough (Four Sides)’s Amazon Page - Mindfulness & Meditation Essentials

AmazonBodhipaksa

The Plum Village app is a free mindfulness app with guided meditations and teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community. It also includes a meditation timer for silent practice and a bell of mindfulness that can provide reminders to pause during the day.↩︎

Mabuhay, Day 14: Kicks at the IMAX

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 07:00:47 -0700

A rainy dinner in Pampanga leads to an IMAX screening of The Odyssey, where the loudest review comes from an unexpected third critic.

Mabuhay, Day 13: Rain and Matcha

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:09:37 -0700

0:00

/0:11

The rain was coming down harder than before, making it difficult to see in front of us. Tail lights and street lamps blurred red as we made our way through Clark toward the CDC area. Reaching Maison Matcha was the first test. Getting inside without getting too wet with only one umbrella was the next.

0:00

/0:06

Walking quickly up the road, we stepped over a small river of water running along the sidewalk and raced for cover. My girlfriend and her sister were dry, my back partially wet, but we had made it.

The glow from behind the large windows welcomed us inside. The interior was clean, with an NYC influenced design according to their Facebook page. High ceilings, bright lights, matcha whisks sitting on shelves and along the front counter. I loved the design.

Encouraged to try something beyond my usual Americano, I ordered a sea salt latte with oat milk. The matcha drinks the other two ordered were delicious. I made a mental note for next time.

Almost every table and chair inside was taken that afternoon. Outside, however, was nearly empty. We decided to sit there and listen to the rain instead.

Sitting on a bench, enjoying our drinks, I was captivated by the giant tree in front of us, possibly a narra, the national tree of the Philippines. A few birds danced around its branches, trying to shelter from the rain and moving like the squirrels back home.

0:00

/0:12

We eventually made our way back over the water streaming down the road and headed into Koreatown. We stopped at the least Filipino restaurant of the trip: Wendy's.

The menu still had a few surprises compared with home: spaghetti, fried chicken and nuggets, and a matcha Frosty. I ordered a plain burger, expecting at least one familiar taste from home. It disappointed me.

Outside, the rain kept falling; I was already thinking about returning to Maison Matcha another day to try the matcha.

Mabuhay, Day 12: Skewers in the Rain

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:05:59 -0700

A rainy evening of street food in the Philippines, from chicken inasal and octopus tempura to daily pandesal, isaw, and one Betamax still left to try.

Mabuhay, Day 11: Tortang Talong in Air Force City

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 07:00:02 -0700

Rain and tortang talong bring me back to a carinderia in Air Force City, where an unfamiliar meal became the quiet beginning of my life in the Philippines.

Mabuhay, Day 10: Christmas at SM Clark

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:05 -0700

Christmas starts in September at SM Clark. Crispy sisig, pickled papaya, and a shared love of gulaman win me over.

Mabuhay, Day 9: Everyone Knows the Rules

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0700

From motorcycles and tricycles to jeepneys and improvised turns, traffic in Angeles looks chaotic. Then its unwritten rules begin to emerge.

Mabuhay, Day 8: Angeles City

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:49 -0700

In the heart of Angeles, traffic gives way to charcoal smoke, purple rice cakes, and the crackle of crispy pata. A day best remembered one delicious bite at a time.

Mabuhay, Day 7: Rain and Samgyeopsal at Baboy

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0700

A rainy afternoon led us to Baboy, a crowded Korean grill in Angeles, for samgyeopsal, steamed egg, and an unexpected glimpse of what our family might look like next year.

Mabuhay, Day 6: North to Pampanga

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0700

A breakfast in BGC, a tense stoplight, and the changing landscape on the road north to Pampanga.

Mabuhay, Day 5: The Watch

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 05:01:41 -0700

We had just ordered supper at PAUL, a French restaurant, when my girlfriend and her mom stood up and beckoned me to join them. They said they wanted to check something with me. Soon, we were walking into the SM Store.

We were at SM Aura, an upscale mall outside BGC.¹ My girlfriend’s mom and sister had driven into the city that afternoon to spend the night with us before taking us back to their home the next day. After a roundabout Grab ride past the Venice Grand Canal Mall, we walked through SM Aura. Despite the holiday crowds, we found some cute baby clothes and a Filipino-designed shirt for me before stopping at PAUL for supper.

The SM Store reminded me of Hudson’s Bay (RIP), but with a wider selection and a more upscale feel. We walked straight to the watch section. Rows of shiny watches from Seiko, Citizen, Maserati, and others filled the display cases. The selection was slightly overwhelming.

Then my girlfriend and her mom told me they wanted to treat me to a watch.

It was an extravagant surprise. My girlfriend and I have been together for two and a half years, but I had only met her mom and sister in January during my first trip to the Philippines. This was only our second time together, and now they wanted to buy me a watch.

What felt like ten sales associates gathered around us as I looked through the display cases. Eventually, I chose a Maserati watch with a dark blue face and a stainless-steel bracelet.

We returned to PAUL and finished our meal. Then, with the shopping bags and my new watch, we were ready to return to BGC.

Combined with the haircut the previous day and our delicious lunch at DTF, I felt like a new man, ready for the rest of the trip. The haircut and shirt changed how I looked, but the watch was different. I knew that whenever I looked at its dark blue face, I would remember who had given it to me.

SM began in Manila in 1958 as ShoeMart, a shoe store founded by Henry Sy Sr. It expanded into a department store and eventually became the nationwide network of SM Supermalls. SM also developed the Mall of Asia, which opened in 2006 as the Philippines’ largest mall and one of the largest in the world—though not the world’s largest. SM Prime: It all started with shoes ↩

This song plays constantly when walking through SM malls

Mabuhay, Day 4: Din Tai Fung

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 07:00:09 -0700

A familiar dumpling ritual at Din Tai Fung, and why the last bite is never enough.