Author: Elna

Bath – Worth a Visit for its History and Architecture

Our visit to Bath in February was a welcome antidote to the creeping suspicion that we are getting a little too tired of London.  Although Jared and I endeavour to do something outdoorsy, and we go out of town on a regular basis to break the monotony, but we just wanted a real change of scenery, and the sense of being far, yet not too far away from London. We’ve chosen Bath in Somerset, England — simply because the place ticks off almost all the boxes for a brief respite from all the hustle and bustle of city life.  Continue reading “Bath – Worth a Visit for its History and Architecture” →

by Elna Categories: History & Travel

To My Dear and Loving Husband

A few years back I came across this poem To My Dear and Loving Husband and its author, Anne Bradstreet, in an old book I was reading about the Pilgrims. She was a Puritan English poet from Northampton, England, and the first woman to have her works published in America. You can read more about Anne Bradstreet here but a brief background is in order:
“Anne Bradstreet was the first woman to be recognized as an accomplished New World Poet. Her volume of poetry “The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America”  received considerable favorable attention when it was first published in London in 1650. Eight years after it appeared it was listed by William London in his Catalogue of the Most Vendible Books in England, and George III is reported to have had the volume in his library. Bradstreet’s work has endured, and she is still considered to be one of the most important early American poets.” Continue reading “To My Dear and Loving Husband” →

by Elna Categories: Up Close and Personal

Postcards from London – Winter 2018

Just as the first signs of the new season are starting to bloom, London is  blanketed in snow and the forecasted severe weather implied freezing cold temperatures until the end of the week. Snow is a fairly rare phenomenon in Britain’s capital, and the tiniest sheet of white can cause Londoners to go into a state of hysteria — flights are cancelled, roads are closed, public transportations are delayed, everything seems to shutdown, and the city goes on a panic mode. Londoners just can’t cope with the downpour of snow! While I like snow and enjoy the lovely wintery landscape, I hate being cold.  With five layers of clothing, I went out with Jared the other day to document the scene. The trees look quite breathtaking under the soft white powdery snow blanket. It was biting cold and even with leather gloves lined with cashmere, it felt like my fingers were falling off haha! I don’t think I can cope living in a place with sub-zero temperatures. Anyhow, we took loads of photos with our iPhones and I just wanted to share a few of them. For my family and friends in the tropics, these photos may cause you to dream about being in winter wonderland. 🙂  Continue reading “Postcards from London – Winter 2018” →

by Elna Categories: Uncategorized

From Ten to Twenty Eight

Last week I was reading through the sixth book of The Old Testament, and was struck with chapter 4, Joshua’s account when God prescribed the elders of Israel to take twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, so that when their children ask their fathers in time to come what these stones mean, the elders might reminisce on the faithfulness of the Lord bringing them safely across the river. I wondered how many times did the elders have to explain to their children the meaning of these stones. Or what about Rebekah? I have often wondered what evocative thoughts came flooding into her mind every time she drew water from a well after she met Abraham’s servant. Did Rebekah rejoice at the remembrance of that occasion which ultimately led to her marriage with Isaac? Or what about Moses? After God appeared to him at the burning bush that wasn’t consumed, did this great prophet pause with joyful memories every time he saw a similar bush? Or, what about Peter? Would this impulsive apostle remembered his denial of Christ afresh every time he heard a cock crow throughout the rest of his life? Did he break down in tears on each of these successive occasions? Or, what about Paul? Having persecuted the church of God prior to his conversion, what type of emotions stirred in his soul as a servant of Christ whenever he looked at the marks of the Lord Jesus he bore in his body? Were these scars in his own flesh a reminder of the scars he was responsible for inflicting upon many believers? Continue reading “From Ten to Twenty Eight” →

by Elna Categories: Up Close and Personal1 Comment

Recent Visit to the British Library

The British Library (BL) is one of my favourite places to hang out in London. I may sound eccentric to some people but hey, I make no apologies for having penchant for libraries and bookshops. 🙂 Since I moved to London, I’ve made numerous visit to the BL, mostly on my own, or sometimes with some visiting family and friends. I haven’t been there in a long time and last week I got to visit again. The highlight of the visit was meeting Patricia Lovett, a renowned English calligrapher and author (she was awarded the MBE ‘Member of the British Empire’ for services to heritage crafts and calligraphy). I have a copy of her recent book ‘The Art and History of Calligraphy’ and learned a lot from it. She happened to be conducting a workshop at the BL on Saturday, and she was very accommodating and sweet in showing me the work she was doing there. I am very much interested in attending one of her workshops soon, hopefully before the summer months. Continue reading “Recent Visit to the British Library” →

by Elna Categories: History & Travel

A Bountiful Dose of Nostalgia

With the recent passing of my 95 year-old aunt, I decided to share my diary entry dated 26 Sept 2009. On this particular day, typhoon Ondoy brought massive rainfall and caused severe flooding, death and suffering to thousands of people in Manila and neighbouring provinces. I happened to be in the Philippines at the time taking care of my mother on her deathbed. My cousin, Manay Susan, and I, along with my mother’s caretaker, and with the help of other family members, we’d take turns keeping an eye on her. There’s always someone watching her 24/7 making sure she’s alright. She passed away three weeks after I wrote this.

As I am writing this, the wind is screaming, the rain falls in torrents, thunder is rumbling, lightning is flickering in succession in the distance but seems to be moving closer. The heavy downpour, what seems like buckets of water, is pelting the windows relentlessly. When I was a little child growing up in Samar, there were thunderstorms, similar to typhoon Ondoy, that visited my hometown. In memory, there was more thunder and lightning, and I used to be so frightened of them.

Continue reading “A Bountiful Dose of Nostalgia” →

by Elna Categories: Up Close and Personal

Thoughts on New Year's Day

As the year draws to a close it seems natural, at least for myself, to reflect on the year that has been and look ahead to the one to come. I’ve been thinking about what I want to hold on to and what I need to let go of — whether beliefs, or habits, or hobbies, or dreams. I realised a necessary pruning is in order, not just of the mind but also of the heart.  Continue reading “Thoughts on New Year's Day” →

by Elna Categories: Up Close and Personal