Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 230

When dinner conversation strays to the London Olympics this month I hope my gues...

When dinner conversation strays to the London Olympics this month I hope my guests will give my silver wine cooler a second look and discover its history. It is inscribed with “Far Eastern Olympic Association Permanent trophy Track and Field Sports Presented by The Governor general of the Philippine Islands Hon. W. Cameron Forbes 1913.” I found this from an antique dealer who saved the trophy from being melted for scrap silver.
In 1912 E.S. Brown president of the Philippine Athletic Association and Manila Carnival games proposed the creation of the Far Eastern Olympic Games to China and Japan. At the end of January 1913 the bi-annual games were inaugurated in Manila. William Cameron Forbes was the first president of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association from 1911-1913. The second games were held in Shanghai in 1915, the third in Tokyo in 1917 where the organizers dropped the word "Olympic" and gave us the Far Eastern Games.


History 2

Someone should track down all the Philippine furniture that Taft brought back to...

Someone should track down all the Philippine furniture that Taft brought back to the US. Were some of these used in the White House like this oversize bed carved from Philippine hardwood? White House entertainment was influenced by the style the Tafts brought back from Malacanang and their experience of the fabled Philippine hospitality, this too has to be researched further.


History 2

My Inquirer column today on the naming and renaming of streets.http://opinion....

My Inquirer column today on the naming and renaming of streets.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/33413/a-town-called-papaya


‘A town called Papaya’
opinion.inquirer.net
Connecting a face to a name is one of life’s simple pleasures; connecting a face to a historical name doubly so. In my Facebook Fan Page I post mug shots of p

Thanks for the "likes" of the last message, hope you can take time to click the...

Thanks for the "likes" of the last message, hope you can take time to click the link and vote for Chulalongkorn's Elephants here:
http://filipinoreadercon.wordpress.com/readers-choice-awards/online-ballot/


Online Ballot
filipinoreadercon.wordpress.com

Chulalongkorn's elephants has been nominated in the Readers Choice Awards--Essay...

Chulalongkorn's elephants has been nominated in the Readers Choice Awards--Essay anthology category. Hope you can vote for it here

http://filipinoreadercon.wordpress.com/readers-choice-awards/online-ballot/

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After serving as Governor-general in the Philippines William Howard Taft rose to...

After serving as Governor-general in the Philippines William Howard Taft rose to become President of the United States where stress led to an increase in his weight. After being stuck in a White House bathtub, another was made to order, this is the tub before it was installed in the White House. The tub has since been removed by succeeding presidents who found it oversized.

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History 2

Not all my time in Japan is focused on books and teaching. Just back from the "D...

Not all my time in Japan is focused on books and teaching. Just back from the "Dark Knight Rising" premiere in Tokyo. No movie stars live in deference to the Colorado shooting. Last Warner Brothers premiere was for Dark Shadows and I was told Johnny Depp remembered some lines in Pilipino and wanted to taste adobo again.

My Inquirer column today on Mariano Ponce's expenses.http://opinion.inquirer.n...

My Inquirer column today on Mariano Ponce's expenses.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/33315/silk-socks-for-the-president


Silk socks for the President
opinion.inquirer.net
Tracing the footsteps of our heroes abroad is easier than tracing their footsteps in the Philippines, where street names and landscapes change so often. Aside from heritage sites and structures, we should also preserve street names. We should oppose the renaming of any street over 50 years old becau...

Taft Avenue is one of Manila's famous and historical streets that has survived a...

Taft Avenue is one of Manila's famous and historical streets that has survived attempts change to Aguinaldo, Aglipay and even Diokno Avenue. To give a face to the streetname this is William Howard Taft, first Civil Governor of the Philippines, 27th U.S. President, and later 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. An inch shy of 6 feet tall and weighing over 300 lbs Taft cabled the Secretary of War from Manila saying"I feel good I just finished a 25-mile horse ride." A reply came from Washington that asked, "how is horse?" There is a picture of Taft on a pony that might not be from the Philippines, but this charming photo from the internet showing the governor on a carabao is precious Filipiniana.

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History 2

Taft Avenue, is a flood-prone Manila street named after William Howard Taft (185...

Taft Avenue, is a flood-prone Manila street named after William Howard Taft (1857-1930) who was a "big" man in Philippine History. An inch shy of 6 feet tall, he weighed 340 lbs at his heaviest. Among his many positions were: Govenor-general of the Philippines, 27th President of the United States, 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Pinoy lawmakers who don't know history have been trying to change the name of Taft Avenue for years. Why can't they leave existing street names alone and find unnamed eskinitas to deal with?

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History 2