Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 59

EXCHANGE GIFTS.My Inquirer column today is about the first contact in 1521 between Magellan and Pinoys. What he gave as gifts w...

EXCHANGE GIFTS.
My Inquirer column today is about the first contact in 1521 between Magellan and Pinoys. What he gave as gifts were mere trinkets! Ano tayo cheap?
It also gives a list of items Legazpi requested from Mexico as goods for trade with the natives and the Chinese. It seems the trade was unequal by our standards today, but not in the 16th century.



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

SMOKING IN THE SENATE.The Philippine Senate today is different from before. In the past Senators were literally elder statesmen...

SMOKING IN THE SENATE.
The Philippine Senate today is different from before. In the past Senators were literally elder statesmen, they walked, talked and dressed differently. Some still spoke in Spanish and as can be seen in this photo yhey even smoked in the august halls of the old Legislative Building now the National Museum. I guess No Smoking Legislation was not in the agenda yet.



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

70 years ago this year Queen Elizabeth was crowned and Philippine Airlines was already flying to London. In 2023 Queen Elizabet...

70 years ago this year Queen Elizabeth was crowned and Philippine Airlines was already flying to London.
In 2023 Queen Elizabeth's son Charles was crowned,PAL doesn't fly to London anymore, and if it did a roundtrip ticket would cost more. Inflation does make for hard-to-imagine prices.



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

QUEZON USING CHOPSTICKS> When we published "Quezon's Sukiyaki" (Looking Back 12) in 2016 I didn't have a photo of Quezon ea...

QUEZON USING CHOPSTICKS>
When we published "Quezon's Sukiyaki" (Looking Back 12) in 2016 I didn't have a photo of Quezon eating his favorite sukiyaki. To a photo of Quezon at table, book designer Robbie Villegas added some contemporary elements, can you spot them.
While fixing my digital files recently I found this photo of Quezon reaching for yakinuku with chopsticks.



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

Last meet and greet, Book Signing for 2023. Ayala Museum Shop on Saturday Decemberr 16 from 2-5 pm I hope you will con...

Last meet and greet, Book Signing for 2023.
Ayala Museum Shop on Saturday Decemberr 16 from 2-5 pm
I hope you will consider my book or books as Christmas gifts this year, they are cheaper than a gift basket, or even a bottle of bad imported wine :) Books can also be ordered from the Ayala Museum Shop before Saturday to be signed and personalized with your name.
It will be a pleasure to sign old books and meet readerss, Freud will be there too!



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

December 8 means different things to different people at different times. Today's feast of the Immaculate Conception provided an...

December 8 means different things to different people at different times. Today's feast of the Immaculate Conception provided an excuse to look back on Legazpi's wish list to maintain 16th century Spain's furthest territory.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/168835/d...



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

LEGAZPI'S EMPTY TOMB. On the left side of the main altar of San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the tomb of Miguel Lopez de...

LEGAZPI'S EMPTY TOMB.
On the left side of the main altar of San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, first Governor-general of the Spanish Philippines. The tomb is actually empty, because the British are said to have desecrated his grave during the invasion of Manila and scattered his remains to the winds.
My Inquirer column today is about seeing and noticing the street names in Legazpi Village, Makati.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/168776/t......

French Ambassador Marie Fontanel (Center) called on those previously conferred the Order of Arts and Letters to continue promoti...

French Ambassador Marie Fontanel (Center) called on those previously conferred the Order of Arts and Letters to continue promoting culture and Philippines-French relations. With Deanna Ongpin (Right) at the French Embassy.



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

It's time to take this delicate 18th century ivory "Niño dormido" [Bottom] out of storage, fit him with a gold helmet and belt a...

It's time to take this delicate 18th century ivory "Niño dormido" [Bottom] out of storage, fit him with a gold helmet and belt adorned with Colombian emeralds and the smallest pearls I have seen.
He used to rest by his lonesome, on a miniature teak four-poster bed I found in Hong Kong, till a Spanish friend parted with this 19th century miniature "Belen Set." [Top] Now, the niño is in good company with Philippine figures, instead of the customary angels, shepherds three Kings, donkey and ...

The First Miss Universe Philippines Candidate (1952) Teresita Sanchez.Sorry for the late posting, I planned to post this in the...

The First Miss Universe Philippines Candidate (1952) Teresita Sanchez.
Sorry for the late posting, I planned to post this in the days before the 2023 Miss Universe Pageant, but couldn't find it in my files. Someone should recommend a way for filing photos



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)