12/1 – Sad to see such a fun season for San Diego FC end just one win shy of the MLS Cup. Hard to ask for a better inaugural year though! Loved watching this squad.
12/1 – My semi-improvised, Severance-themed Christmas musical opened last night. Chaotic but lots of fun. Three more shows this month!
12/3 – Took the NC Transit’s Holiday Express Train with the kids… and a few guest appearances on board. Love knowing that these are the years to go all-in on Christmas.
12/14 – These December weekends! Serving up another opp to go full Christmascore.
12/24 – Well that was an incredible Christmas Eve!
12/20 – Wrapped up playing in Severed at the North Pole—a Severance inspired, semi-improvised Christmas musical last night. Even got to slide into the Milchick-role (Elfchick!) for the last hurrah.
Can’t say an opportunity like that comes up too often and I had so much fun with this production.
1/1 – New Year, New Regrets
1/15 – I know it never seemed too likely, but I wish the Phillies considered bringing back Ranger more seriously, especially with different uncertainties around Wheeler, Painter, and Nola.Best playoff pitcher of the decade. Great team player.
A tribute to Ziragn and the Ethiopian Orthodox Priests.
Last summer… we did it. My wife and I took our first trip without the kids.
Our moms gave a generous anniversary present of watching them. Thus, we were able to celebrate ten years together by going to the other side of the planet.
It was a hard-earned and long-anticipated trip in so many ways. The fact that our kids are at an age where this is doable is an accomplishment in and of itself. So is hitting that ten year mark. We wanted to go somewhere big.
It so happened that New Zealand had been sitting at the top of our bucket lists for quite some time.
I mean, New Zealand is an epic place on so many levels, but here’s the thing that appealed to us the most:
Natural Beauty. We’d seen the pictures. We’d seen The Hobbit. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And my favorite depiction of the New Zealand bush: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. All this it stirred up a longing to be in those wide open spaces taking deep breaths, you know?
New Zealand’s an adventure hub. That kind of goes hand in hand with all the natural wonders. If you like to experience nature in ways that need a harness, crampons, or some other gear, it’s a spot you’ll likely enjoy. The natural beauty spans both of its islands. A lot of colder and more mountainous type adventures tend to hang out on the southern edge of South Island.
Cheeky Kiwi humour. I’ve already riffed on people’s different takes on humor around the world. In doing so, I expressed appropriate envy towards how funny everyone in New Zealand seems to be. They make it seem effortless.
It’s the edge of the world. I mean, picking a spot to be the “edge of the world” will always be pretty arbitrary. The southerness, proximity to the date line, and isolation give New Zealand an edge. As a geography buff, it tickles.
Lots of options for places to visit. Auckland’s where all the urban excitement is, and you can still drive to some gorgeous state parks. Christchurch is chill vibes. The cities to its south bring nature and adventure… especially Queenstown and Dunedin. Rotorua is the spot to go to catch more Maori experiences. Wellington is a little too easy to underestimate. You’ll leave with several spots on your “next time” list.
This was a bit of a higher-end hotel than we’d typically go for. We had a pass-through night in Auckland though. After a long flight pampering ourselves felt appropriate. The rooms were comfy and the on-site pub was good for dinner. The next morning, I got to wake up to one of the best breakfasts of my life. The hotel-restaurant, 8, represents eight different cuisines that are prominent in New Zealand. They take that approach with the most important meal of the day as well.
Another Auckland favorite. The room we had was a bit funny- a luxurious bathtub sat in the center of the room, the bed and TV relegated to a side. Almost as if the room prioritized being a bathroom. I thought it was funny. The location was great, and we could walk to the ferry terminal or into downtown Auckland.
This spot is one of my favorite hotels ever. It’s official. A converted university site with rooms that feel like home. The drawing room is one of the coziest sites ever. The whole complex sits right across from the Botanical Gardens. A very easy walk can get you into the heart of the city in less than ten minutes.
This one’s a bit more pricey, but lives up to its name with a water view. If you were aiming for a cozy day and trying to make the hotel part of the experience, this is a good bet. Queenstown lodging tends to run a bit higher than most of New Zealand anyways, so might as well lean into it.
If you do want to do Queenstown on more of a budget, the Novotel looks great and feels complete. Plus, it still gives you that lake view.
It’s a boutique hotel in a historic building. I often hear of families raving about it as a more home-style accommodation.
This site is famous for being the location where they filmed Narnia. The battle scene for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to be exact. But even if it wasn’t that… this would still be a worthwhile place to go.
Large, ancient, limestone boulders sit in the center of an otherwise open expanse. They’re surrounded of rolling golden hills. Astonishing. A Maori sacred site. I found it breathtaking.
Yes, I already mentioned this in my where-to-stay section, but I’m double dipping! I must continue to talk up The Observatory. It is in a repurposed university. You can tell by the doors that have Science or Phys Ed labeled above them. That said, they made plenty more out of the school than a hotel. The complex includes a wine bar, a paint-and-sip spot, a pub, a restaurant, and an occasional market. There’s a full-on cinema that was having a French film festival while we were there. There’s a dance studio. The top level of the hotel is a rotating exhibit. It was highlighting the Maori Creation Story at the time of our visit.
This was one of those experiences that left me thinking… wow… I get to be alive! The glowworm caves in Waitomo were an unreal experience. After stepping into the limestone caves, our guides led us on a boat ride down the river. It brought us right up close to the glowing blue worms hanging overhead. Breathtaking.
Most of New Zealand’s cities have a signature food hall. Some have more than that! We got our best taste of it in Christchurch.
Some boutiques and three dozen restaurants representing all kinds of cuisines. Some nights, I had to get two meals from here to try it all. Some of our favorites included: A dosa restaurant. A woodfired pizza spot. A Nepali momo stand, a gin bar, and the Argentine street kitchen. Apologies for not remembering any of their proper names.
It’s hard to imagine that you would even need an alternative to the Riverside Market. But there’s this! It’s got some good eats of its own. I had a great lamb shank curry from the Thai spot here.
Hangi is traditional maori cooking, where meats, staples, and veggies steamed in a pit oven.
It’s in a somewhat busy and unsuspecting part of town. It’s also one of your best bets to try Hangi when passing through Auckland.
Rotorua has the most pronounced Maori presence of New Zealand’s urban centers. The Mitai Maori Village is a full cultural center in a bush setting. People rave about their hangi.
So, this one isn’t Hangi. I included it in because it’s the invention of a winemaker who began smoking meats in aged wine barrels.
Funny enough, my hometown has a surplus of New Zealand restaurants. Most of them are gastropubs focused on burgers and beers. Turns out, that’s because New Zealand does those things quite well.
Despite me calling it OBG by mistake, it’s in a stunning building with good cocktails and pub foods.
A pub built in a literal repurposed church. This place is always lively at night.
Belgian pub in downtown Auckland. Impressive taplist.
Auckland’s got a strong Asian population and proximity to Southeast Asia. With that comes some great food.
Indonesian food is incredible and not always easy to find back in the US. Java is splendid.
Great menu with both fan favorites and deep cuts. Good location right on K-Street.
How could you not? We booked a proper wine trail which was a good way to get a more personal introduction to the winemakers
Gorgeous site, and their lunch menu comes with a wide variety of good eats.
We loved Pepper, the dog who lived on site, as well as all the Syrah. Wonderful family-ran business.
This was our official anniversary dinner, as in, what we ate the night of our proper anniversary. Inventive dishes, good cocktails, cozy space. Loved this restaurant.
The Shire is New Zealand’s most touristy thing to do… and you know what? Because this is New Zealand, it’s still way chill. I loved the Hobbit Home designed to accommodate a walkthrough. I loved the recreation of the Green Dragon Tavern. It complete with their own proprietary beers. Hope you don’t like it too much, though… this is the only place you can get it!
The Auckland Ferry works well. It can get you to some of the small islands and communities across from Auckland. We considered Rangitoto Island, which is a volcanic cone island and nature reserve. Waiheke Island would’ve also brought beaches and wineries in a scenic spot. We ended up taking the ferry to Devonport, a suburb with an awesome library and great used bookstores.
I’m no fan of left-hand driving, but I sucked it up and rented a car. It’s that easy to get to Piha Beach State Park from Auckland. Here we saw some impressive waves. Gorgeous rock formations draped a black sand beach at winter.
We did this on the same visit as Piha Beach and it ended up being one of my favorite New Zealand experiences. A two mile hike takes you through some gorgeous North Island flora to Kitekite. An impressive waterfall! Its pool works well as a swim hole.
When I studied abroad in Australia in high school, I fell in love with (and got beat up from) rugby. I still find it much more entertaining than American football. I was keen on catching an All Blacks match in Auckland. Unfortunately, the schedule didn’t quite allow for it. But there is an All Blacks Experience in town that pretty much runs year round.
Auckland has a pretty impressive offering of vintage shops. They reminded me of what thrifting used to be like. I assume other New Zealand cities do as well. I picked up a great 80s starter jacket from Smoove at St. Kevins Arcade which is a good spot to start a thrifting outing.
Home of the kea, New Zealand’s mischievous alpine parrot. We visited on a rainy day and still managed a hike up to the top of Devil’s Punchbowl. Gorgeous view.
This is a nice option for going between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass. The train comes set with a snack car. It also has a viewing car where you can get some open-air looks at the remote edges of South Island.
I loved the city’s Botanical Garden. So many different walking spots and an impressive collection of diverse plant species. When I was there, some big Pokemon Go event was happening, so glad to see that its still going strong in New Zealand. There was also an Alice in Wonderland themed scavenger hunt. It was for the kiddos that we wound up participating in.
Christchurch’s devastating 2011 earthquake and further rebuild are hard to look past. Everything is new and most locals have stories to tell. One of the closest looks we got at the whole ordeal was via the Cardboard Cathedral.
When Christchurch began its rebuild, many Maori leaders contributed to the design. They planned gathering centers around rivers. This keeps with customs, incorporating food where possible. The Avon runs by the Riverside Food Market. And the Bridge of Remembrance. And the Margaret Mahy Playground.
I heard so much about the adventures in Queenstown that are now at the top of my next-time list. One thing I’d love to do if I ever got extended time in New Zealand would be to try and hike the Te Araroa Trail. The trail spans the whole country and can take as much as 4-6 months.
Kolkata’s hand pulled rickshaws have been a source of debate for a long time now.
Flashback to when I tried out a dinner for strangers platform.
But it's a battle inside
I've never felt so far from something in my life
To fall from these heights
I need somewhere to sеttle down and find my feet
You go from being so intact to broken in a blink
All my kids had their birthdays recently and lately my oldest has been feeling… old. Grown up ish and all. So here’s a drawing I made of the six year old as a two year old.
“The illegal exploitation of resources is almost universally recognized as the underlying driver behind a civil war that has caused the deaths of over six million people. So we owe it to the people of eastern Congo to address these issues of natural resource management. That’s really what the park is about.”
“I enjoy witnessing the breathtaking nature within the Park’s boundaries. Being called a Ranger fills me with pride and commitment to protecting its precious ecosystems.”
–Emmanuel, Virunga Park Ranger
RESPECT
Last week, I got to riff on my fascination with Filipino Heritage Nights across professional sports leagues. As it turns out I have a lot of takes–especially when it comes to the design of the giveaway merch and apparel.
Some ground we’ve already covered:
I’m really ready for some teams to think beyond the sun and stars when it comes to design. It’s a cool flag, and there’s still lots of examples of teams making it look good. But give me something fresh!
Without being a huge Filipino-American hub or having any Filipino players, there hasn’t been much incentive for my Phillies to participate… but being able to play with the name could create some fun opportunities.
The NFL has been a total dud. Granted, the 16 game season doesn’t allow for as many themed games, but still. Would love to see the Niners or Cam Bynum’s Vikings take the reins here.
Anyways, this time around, let’s explore the teams doing it right. I already highlighted some well-designed items from the Golden State Valkyries, Vancouver Bandits, and Chicago Bulls.
But, there’s even more where that came from!
Going back to Griffey in ‘95 and A-Rod in ‘01, things always get interesting when these teams square off. But who has the upper hand when it comes to Filipino Heritage Night?
The Mariners have a lot going for them. I already highlighted the Verified Asian vlog declaring the Mariners to have The BEST Filipino Heritage Night in Sports. And they’ve got a good case, between the sisig nachos and rally tabo. But the thing that really seemed to seal the deal was the giveaway jacket. A classic satin-looking dugout jacket in a royal blue with red trim and the Mariners’ cap logo on top of a yellow sun. Chef’s kiss material.
But that was months ago, and later in the baseball season, the Yankees unveiled their merch.
The Yankees don’t often play the role of the underdog. But they carry a lot of disadvantages into a Filipino Heritage Night design-off. They are hands-down one of the most conservative teams when it comes to design, rarely veering from their century-old iconic styles. They’ve shunned the idea of mascots and city connect jerseys.
But when it comes to Filipino Heritage Night, they unveiled a jacket not too unlike the Mariners. The classic NY on top of the sun in the same chest position. The jacket itself was navy with a white trim, sticking with team colors rather than the Philippine flag. HOWEVER- the flag was saved for the inside. The jacket was reversible, and flipping it meant the back was an entire flag.
As someone who rarely speaks positively about the Yankees… it was pretty good.
So who comes out on top? I’m gonna cast my vote for Seattle on this one. It’s close. But the Yankees used a template that the Mariners were the ones to establish as a hit. But nicely done to both teams.
DJ Javier is a Filipino-American illustrator based in Santa Barbara, meaning most of his sports allegiances lie with LA. Thankfully, the teams love him back.
In 2024, he was the creative mind behind the LA Kings’ Filipino Heritage Night, easily establishing it as the best in the NHL. His illustrations combined his personal style with batok tattoo art and hockey. Simply put, it looked good. And the team did well in highlighting the artist’s own story.
Later, LAFC let DJ Javier do a Filipino inspired shirt design for AAPI Heritage Month, which was a similar win.
I can only imagine how hyped I’d be for these designs if I were actually a fan of these teams.
In August 2025, The Washington Nationals honored FIlipino Heritage Day for the fifth time. Previous giveaways were guilty of forcing a marriage between the Philippine flag and the team jersey, resulting in something a bit too loud and uninspired.
But this time around, they delivered.
They went with an all black-and-white bomber jacket. I guess the trend is that jackets do really well as a giveaway item. It kept the design mostly restrained except for the back, where the W logo became a canvas for a whole collage.
The back logo included FIlipino and American flags, Washington DC landmarks, tinikling dancers, jeepneys, tricycles, a carabao, and a bahay kubo. It was vibrant, brilliant, and balanced. My one and only complaint is not being a fan of the Walgreens’ W logo, but that’s not a problem meant to be solved by Filipino Heritage Night.
In my last entry, I applauded the Norfolk Tides’ one-day rebrand as the Norfolk Lumpia to honor the 44,000 Filipinos that live in its surrounding communities. Then they outdid themselves. For Filipino Heritage Night, they rebranded as the Norfolk Tandangs, to pay homage to the Filipino fighting rooster… among other things.
Their social media unveil showed that they did their homework.
The coloring and design elements honored things like the walis tingting, batok tattoos, and the barong.
Lots of great tie-in merch was also released.
My favorite Filipino Heritage Jersey of 2025 came from the US’s second soccer league– USL League One.
If you’re not paying attention to the USL, you’re missing on some of the best kits in all of football, courtesy of design partner Hummel.
I was a bit surprised when I saw that Forward Madison from Madison, Wisconsin was the team going hardest for Filipino swag as part of AAPI Heritage Month. I mean, Filipinos are everywhere, but still. Madison’s not quite a hub.
They do have some active Filipino nonprofits, like PAMANA, that aims to keep the connection between the Philippines and residents of Central Wisconsin with Filipino ancestry. They also have a goalkeeper, Bernd Schipmann, who plays on the Philippine National Team.
Forward Madison partnered with PAMANA to unveil two Filipino keeper kits. The first was a vibrant yellow, inspired by the sun. It was nice, but the one I had to purchase for myself was the mint green Sampaguita Kit, named after the Philippines’ national flower.
One of my favorite indulgences time-to-time are extremely niche soccer jerseys and this is why.
As I’ve said a few different times now, Filipino culture gives you no shortage of visual inspiration. There’s a depth of references to be used. Designers have no need to get hung up on the sun and stars.
Here are a few ideas that I’d love to see some teams indulge.
Okay, this one might be the most complicated because it requires the participation of a corporate partner… but trust me, Filipinos would absolutely rock a Jollibee parody of your teams logo.
This Knicks example is actual streetwear, a collab between Mga Bagay and Barkada. I don’t even root for the Knicks and I’ve got to admit, that’s a good look. Bonus points if the Charlotte Hornets get in on this as the team that comes closest to having a bee logo.
I came up with this idea for the Utah Jazz and the Jazz specifically.
Of all the pro-sports hubs that have Filipino populations, Salt Lake City isn’t particularly high. BUT. For many years, Jordan Clarkson balled in Utah. Filipinos love Clarkson. There were ads in the Philippines for a long time starring impressionists of LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Jordan Clarkson. It’s like that.
The Jazz throwback mountain jerseys are some of my favorites. So I decided to play with a design that turned those mountains into the Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the Philippines’ more iconic land formations.
I love the stories, traditions, and art in the Filipino art of tattooing. I’m a bit biased, I guess. I’ve been wearing a batok piece on my arm for years.
The tattoos are a deeper cut, as far as Filipino references go. But when teams have leaned into it, it’s typically worked out well! DJ Javier used the design element in both his LAFC and LA Kings pieces. The Norfolk Tandang made it work really well as a trim. I whipped up this sketch of what it might look like to play with the White Sox’ sock logo. Could work for the Red Sox dual sock logo too… but Chicago’s the bigger Filipino hub.
Meanwhile, one of the good examples I threw out last week was the San Francisco Giants’ barong jersey. What about actually stiching on a barong? Trying it out on Atlanta United to rep ATL’s Filipinos.
The traditional Filipino script is visually gorgeous. And its fluid strokes lend themselves well to the traditional athletic cursive.
In the LA area, I’ve seen some Filipino streetwear add a Baybayin Dodgers’ logo. Not gonna lie, it looks good.
I’ve already mentioned how I’m hopeful to one day see some Filipino Phillies gear, so I decided to give it a shot on their cream alternates.
If you’ve made it all the way this far… and especially if you’ve read both of my Filipino Heritage Night posts, you’re a real one! Seriously. If you did that because you share this same very niche interest, we’d probably be good friends.
Or maybe, we’re already good friends and you read all this to humor me. Either way, you’re a real one.
Philly’s Magic Garden
Solve enough problems, you get to go home
Back in June, the San Diego Padres held a Filipino Heritage Celebration. It was at their game against the Washington Nationals. They had Katriz Trinidad sing the anthem. Filipino dance troupes performed and some Filipino vendors turned out at the ballpark. They gave away some white bucket hats with baybayin script and Filipino flag colors. I would've gone if I wasn't traveling.
It was a big success. So much so that they ran it back almost right away. They hosted a second Filipino Heritage Celebration in early September. This time against the Cincinnati Reds. This time around they ran it back. The gave out similar looking basketball jerseys matching the bucket hat. You could imagine your Filipino uncle wearing it to a garage party in Paradise Hills.
To their credit the Padres have been pretty good at celebrating the diverse cultures of the city. The 2025 season had Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Portuguese nights. Puerto Rican, Irish, and Mexican heritage nights too. Early in the year they held a BCLT (Burmese-Cambodian-Lao-Thai) night. That made them the first pro sports team I know of to have such a commemoration.
These heritage themed nights sit at a unique cross-section of my interests. The stadium giveaways are only part of the fun. When a team goes all in, you also get cultural nonprofits participating. Local artists perform the national anthem or seventh inning stretch. You get special performances by DJs and dance troupes. Oh… and food.
The best example of a flourishing Filipino Heritage Night is on display. It's in a YouTube video by Asian Verified. The vlog is: The BEST Filipino Heritage Night in Sports.
According to the vlog, that distinction belongs to the Seattle Mariners. In 2025, the M's gave away blue-yellow-and-red remakes of the team’s classic jersey.
The vlog also celebrated food options like ube churros and sisig nachos. Then it dove into the rally tabo and barrelman. I don’t have time to dive into these niche Filipinoisms, so IYKYK. Filipino Heritage Night at the ballpark contains multitudes. In this post, I’m gonna focus my reflection on the swag. The giveaway jerseys and merch.
In this department, the Mariners have elevated Filipino Heritage Night to another level. The royal blue dugout jacket they gave away in 2024 can easily fetch $120… and that’s assuming you can find it in your size. Their Filipino-sun hockey-hoodie also does numbers.
Alas, not every Filipino themed item is quite so refined.
In 2023, the New York Mets gave away a hat. It featured the Philippine flag within an outline of their cap logo. It also sported blue and red side panels, yellow buttons, and a repeated map of the islands on the under-visor. There was a lot going on.
This example represents one of the most common missteps. Doing way too much. It’s a common issue that previous efforts by the Padres have been guilty of.
There's another issue that plagues a lot of Filipino heritage night designers. Not being able to go beyond the sun-and-stars. Yes… they are a great visual icon. There’s a reason they’ve made it onto so many Filipino biceps and logos. But we’ve seen it. We’ve seen it again and again. I look at examples like the Houston Rockets in 2022 and the LA Dodgers in 2023. The common pattern is not being able to imagine a tribute beyond the flag, sun, and stars.
The Philippines are 7,000 islands with a wealth of rich inspiration for visuals. They range from textiles to tattoos to nature.
That said, I’m not mad about the sun-and-stars, especially when you can pull it off. When it comes to baseball caps, less is more.
When the sun can integrate with your team logo, that kind of opens up a good opportunity to have fun with it. The Golden State Warriors are the best at this. Their logo is already circular and their team colors overlap well with the Filipino flag. Filling the sun in with the Bay Bridge feels like a natural fit. It works out well that the Bay Area’s Daly City is one of the largest Filipino communities in the United States.
Speaking of cities with a large Filipino presence... that raises expectations for Toronto. The Toronto Raptors have delivered without even trying too hard on their snapback. They’ve got the classic red dinosaur logo that we already love with the eight rays behind it.
The undervisor is a pattern inspired by textiles or tattoos. Not quite a classic batok design. It does make the hat busier. I figure that if you’re already rocking a red and purple dinosaur hat, you already weren’t going for subtle. I could do without the side logos of the flag or Raptors’ claw logo, as they’re redundant. And I could do without the huge FILIPINO colored with the flag on the back, because it’s hard to read, and also, WE GET IT.
One of the best incorporations of the sun has to come from the WNBA. Specifically the Golden State Valkyries. The Bay Area strikes again! Here, they omit the circle to get the rays to line up with the bridge lines on their triangular logo. It doesn’t hurt that on the night of its release, they had Ruby Ibarra and Jeremy Lin in attendance tor ock the gear.
Similarly, the Winnipeg Jets managed to incorporate a lot. Sun rays, the angular outline of a jet, a chevron pattern, and a Maple Leaf. Somehow they did this in a way that doesn’t feel too busy… thanks to some well-thought use of negative space. It would’ve been easy to overlook the NHL when it came to Filipino Heritage Night. I don’t follow hockey much. But there are some jersey gems.
The Clippers’ logo variation seems pretty similar, and they’re a team that gets the less is more approach. It helps that their whole brand is built on minimalism. They do find a way to reflect those vibrant Filipino patterns in a contained way.
The tricky thing about minimalism is that it can quickly veer into laziness. That's the feel I get from the Chicago Bulls, who decided to turn their hat blue, slap a flag on it, and call it a day. That said, while their hat fell short, their bobblehead more than made up for it. The giveaway of Benny the Bull in a Barong draping the flag over his shoulders is a fun one. Teams should get their mascots in on it more. I suppose a bull works very well for Filipino Heritage, being cousins with the carabao.
There are some teams that I’ve simply expected more from.
Let’s start with my beloved Phillies. Philadelphia’s Filipino population isn’t necessarily huge. Especially for the sixth largest city in the US, but it’s there. About 31,000 deep. The missed opportunity is the fact that the team name would be such a layup to work with!
Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, and Fernando Valenzuela were trailblazers for their countries. When a Filipino or Filipino American truly makes a big splash in the MLB, it'll gets things flowing.
This has happened in the NBA to some extent, with Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green, and now Dylan Harper. To be fair, the Rockets have rolled out some Filipino gear… just not very inspiring editions. But now… Jalen Green is on the SUNS, which seems like a free throw if there ever was one. Jordan Clarkson going from the Jazz to the Knicks greatly increases the odds. I would’ve loved to see the Jazz play with their classic mountain jerseys.
I’ve already shouted out some good examples from the Toronto Raptors. I’ve got to say, the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays seem to come up short. You mean to tell me we can’t be the Toronto Banana Leafs for a day? Or that the Jays’ logo doesn’t lend itself to some play?
The biggest missed opportunity, in my opinion, belongs to the NFL. The entire league. The themed games have been almost non-existent. Granted, with 16 game seasons, the NFL is probably the stingiest at themed games, but still. I especially expect more from the Niners representing the Bay. Or the Raiders representing three hubs of large Filipino Populations. Or the Vikings having Cam Bynum.
Minor League and Semi-Pro teams have never been stingy about themed games.
There's the Canadian Elite Basketball team, the Vancouver Bandits. They had one of the best logo adaptations. They rolled out pretty true-to-style batok designs on a variation of its usual fox head. The jersey patterns are also a win.
And then there’s the Norfolk Lumpia… usually the Norfolk Tides. Minor League Baseball never misses the opportunity to rebrand as a beloved food item.
Funny enough, Norfolk’s Filipino population barely hovers above 4,000. But its surrounding area of Hampton Roads has around 40,000 Filipinos thanks to being a Navy hub.
I often get tired of lumpia and adobo being the only Filipino foods non-Filipinos know.
“You’re Filipino? My friend’s mom makes some really good adobo.”
“Congrats, you’re the 99th person to deliver that exact line.”
But still, I applaud Norfolk for branching out beyond the sun and stars.
Speaking of good ways to branch out, in 2024, the San Francisco Giants gave away a barong inspired jersey. This is currently one of my hands down favorite Filipino Heritage Giveaways. Maybe some day someone takes it to the next level. Maybe they do actual patchwork on barong material, that would be a work of art. Probably way too expensive for a stadium giveaway, though.
Now… let’s talk about those Seattle Mariners again. Seattle has about 200,000 Filipinos in its surrounding area and… OH SNAP! I’ve been writing about Filipino Heritage jerseys for quite a while now. And I have like… work and life to tend to.
Okay friends, this is very clearly gonna have to be a two-parter. We haven’t even begun talking about the US Soccer League, or DJ Javier’s NHL collaborations.
I hope you’ve found my takes on Filipino Heritage jerseys amusing… because I’ve got plenty more in the tank! Stay tuned, my friends.
Halloween always goes hard around these parts. Logging this past weekend for posterity.
Rhys turned six and was a ninja.
Good times and hot pots with Daniel & Joy.
One of my most fun Optimus Rhyme shows- Halloween edition.
Dropping some bars about Vita Coco in character as Pepe Le Pew.
Trick or treating for mezcal.
Annual stock-up-for-next-year decoration run at a 50% off Spirit Halloween.
Baseball drama.
What a life.
The past six years have been the best six years of my life. Also, Rhys turns six today! Coincidence? Don’t think so.
Watching this kid grow up is wild. On one hand, pump the brakes. But on the other, it’s really cool to unlock new abilities and ways we’re able to have fun together.
Would gladly race Bowser, sample cheesesteaks, and tour haunted houses with him every day.
If you’ve seen Sinners, you know what I’m talking about when I reference *that* scene.
In case you haven’t, I’ll be able to refer to it without spoilers, as it calls back the first line of the film.
Some people are born with the gift of making music so true that it pierces the veil between life and death.
I saw the movie in April, during its theatrical release. I don’t make it out to movie theatres very often on account of having young kids, but I saw the movie was getting high praise. Specifically, one online comment that said: Coogler just dropped a vampire musical and it’ll be the best movie of the year.
Well, okay!
I made my way to the theatre after bedtime on a Monday night and was ushered in to a very rich world set in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Some people are born with the gift of making music so true that it pierces the veil between life and death.
I couldn’t hear that opening line without immediately thinking about a friend.
He was a fairly new friend, but an easy guy to talk to. Just weeks ago, he and I had been talking baseball and dad life. Out of the blue, I got a message that he had been hospitalized and it sounded pretty serious.
For about 24 hours, we were unsure how he would pull through. It was the sort of scenario where I kept checking my phone for updates throughout the day. By the time that Monday came around, things looked much more promising. But for a good while, he kept us in a state of uncertainty.
When the movie’s opening line referenced “the veil between life and death” it felt like way more than a metaphor or Biblical allusion. It was a very real thing people could brush up against.
In the past week, I’ve lost a couple family members. They lived full lives; in fact, the number of years they got on earth would make many envious. It’s always sad to say goodbye, but also comforting to know they lived long, lived fully, and at the end found relief from a number of physical discomforts.
I have an old family. Both my parents were on the young end of a chain of siblings, and both of them had me rather late in life. This means that I have plenty of aunts and uncles who are old enough to be my grandparents. Some who felt more like grandparents. I only had enough overlapping years with one of my grandparents to know her well. Thankfully, it was because she kept going for 98 years.
I appreciate my older family. Perhaps some of those longevity genes floated my way. Knock on wood. But it also means that at this stage of my life, in my mid-30s, there will be a lot of funerals to go to.
This week, perhaps even this year, I’ve been a little more conscious of that veil between than typical, and I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.
My kid’s Spanish kindergarten class has been making ofrendas for Dia de los Muertos, and so I’ve sent him to school with several photos of deceased relatives. I got to spend a bit of time in Oaxaca a few years ago, and it was enough to make me appreciate the local perspective on death. Framing it as a part of life, rather than as a hard stop. It’s made me appreciate cultures that keep conscious of death, rather than trying to keep it out of mind.
Losing my dad as a child, growing up in a very religious setting, and having an old family meant I was probably more aware of my mortality than most kids my age. And I think that propelled me towards living life differently. I was more motivated by the idea of building a legacy or having stories to tell than advancement or financial security. And to be honest, I don’t think that’s changed too drastically. I’m thankful I’ve lived this way as I think it’s taken me down some of the roads I’m most thankful for.
These days, I try to let this consciousness be my reminder to go slow. To not take myself too seriously. To deal with setbacks and unpleasant surprises with a deep breath and a sense that some day they’ll be a distant memory.
To spend as much time as I can with people. With loved ones. Especially those getting up there in years.
And to spend more time doing things that feel eternal.
Some people are born with the gift of making music so true that it pierces the veil between life and death.
Unfortunately, I was not born with that gift. But I do wonder if each of us perhaps has some sort of gift that can make that puncture.
I know I can tell stories. I’ve experienced swinging a room between tears and laughter before by painting a picture with words. That’s a good feeling. I’ve been told that one of my stories made someone momentarily forget about a bunch of political drama that had been hounding her lately, and that made me want to try and create that for more people. Not for the sake of escapism, but to go even deeper than the noise on the surface.
I also think that some people might be born with a veil-piercing gift that doesn’t take the form of what we usually think of as art or performance. The gift of deep listening. The gift of making somebody feel like they belong. The gift of lovingly challenging others to be better versions of themselves.
I’m probably not saying anything new here. Memento Mori is as ancient of a reminder as it gets. But I know I still benefit from having that reminder. The reminder that time is passing, but sometimes it can stand still. That there’s a lot of good to be done while we’re here. And that making a visit to an older loved one is something you never regret.
