Alliah Czarielle,  —

Recently, my husband, Jared, and I stumbled upon a local shoemakers’ trade bazaar at the city hall. We just moved to a new home in a brand-new city at the start of the year, and Marikina just so happens to be the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines“!…

Climate change has been a hot topic in our circles lately. We feel it very much in the Philippines, where hot summers in the months of April and May have quickly turned into a season of strong typhoons and dangerous floods. Recently, a major typhoon hit the province of…

Managing money is an essential skill every couple must learn. From the moment they decide to live together, and especially after they decide to walk down the aisle, the health of their finances will always be a huge determinant of their happiness. This is true even if one (or…

“Demi-normal.” It’s a term I’ve coined to describe how my husband, Jared, and I both live with chronic illness. Most people are familiar with the prefix “demi-,” meaning “halfway,” “almost but not quite,” or “to an inferior degree.” For instance, a demigod‘s status is above man’s, but…

Last week, my husband, Jared, and I booked a visit to our trusted dentist. We hadn’t had our regular teeth cleaning for over a year because of pandemic restrictions. Alarmed by the amount of tartar on our teeth and frequent toothaches, we thought we’d better go in for dental…

Meaningful connections with other people are of incredible value to people with chronic illnesses. My husband, Jared, and I can both attest to this, as he lives with severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder, while I am newly diagnosed with both bipolar II disorder and the inattentive…

Tuesday morning, March 8. Bright rays of sun had already passed through our floor-length bedroom windows, but my sleep-deprived brain was fighting to keep my eyes shut for a few more minutes. The day before I had worked myself into a mental breakdown, which had zapped my energy completely. “Wake…

I recently started seeing a psychiatrist again to confirm the state of my mental health. Though I haven’t been experiencing any serious symptoms lately, I thought it might be good to stay on track with my checkups. Thankfully, my new doctor offered me flexible payment terms, which encouraged me even…

It’s election season here in the Philippines, and two presidential candidates, both with large bases of support, are going head-to-head. In light of this, I came across a social media post reminding people to get out of their “echo chambers” and make their voices heard during this election cycle. The…

“It’s nothing.” That phrase is often associated with women. Many have argued that women tend to obscure their feelings to avoid hurting other people, especially their partners. As a woman and a wife, I question this generalization, mostly because my husband says the phrase more than I do.