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Diplomat’s Wife

in Almost Diplomatic on Print, Diplomatic Incidents, Uncategorized

Column: How did I even get here? And other questions I often ask myself

If you’ve been following me on my social media channels like Instagram, you prolly already know that I started a column with The Manila BulletinIt’s one of the major broadsheets in the country and I’m so happy to have space in their Lifestyle Section every Saturday. So if I haven’t been writing here much, you know where to find me. 😉 Here’s an excerpt from the first column I wrote for the paper – an introduction to Almost Diplomatic and how I ended up here. 

A diplomat’s wife and her stories from this world of envoys and their spouses or their dogs

“This fork is for your salad course, this one’s for dessert,” I found myself telling a woman not much younger than I was at one of Kuala Lumpur’s swanky restaurants. We were invited to have afternoon tea and the waitstaff were kind enough to bring out more cutlery than necessary when we asked for them. Their sole purpose was to enrich our discussion. It was 2016 and I’d been abroad for two years as a diplomat’s wife. My companion, a fellow freelance journalist, was interested in things that I should know for my said role. It’s how our conversation on proper dining started. She looked at me inquisitively. “How do you know all these? Do you eat like this at home? Do they teach you these in school?”

At home in Berlin with Juancho (@juanchothecorgi)

I admitted that I merely picked them up along the way, that I only brought out all manner of cutlery when we would host people at home and that no–they didn’t teach you these things in journ school.

While protocol and etiquette have always been interesting, they’re things you have to either learn extensively or pick up along the way. Goodness knows I only learned the difference between wine glasses three years prior to that conversation. I studied to be a journalist and while learning the difference between writing for print and broadcast, cutlery for formal dinners was never mentioned. Not all students end up in the diplomatic beat, after all.

Having a beer in one of Prague’s monasteries.

I grew up middle class and attended university to become a journalist. It’s all I ever wanted to be while growing up, watching TV with a hairbrush in my hand as my microphone, imitating Christiane Amanpour. “I’ll be her but with better hair,” eight-year-old me once said. I wasn’t brought up to be overly polite, you see. I was brought up to be competitive and do well in the career I would eventually choose. Classic Asian-tiger parenting.

I’ve been lucky to meet people from all walks of life and learn from them as a journalist, as a diplomat’s wife, and even as just a woman with her dog, waiting for the train from Charlottenburg to Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin.

A year after graduating, I found myself covering foreign affairs for a local English news channel. I’d interview diplomats about their time and work here as well as senior foreign ministry officials, usually about our country’s maritime and territorial disputes—hot topics during that time. At night, I attended diplomatic events with my fellow reporters where I learned through observation. Things like the difference between appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, why I shouldn’t have offered my hand to the Iranian ambassador, and the acceptable volume of one’s laugh. Spoiler alert: Mine went way over than what was pleasant to the ears.
8 Myths About the Life of a Diplomatic Spouse

There are fun events but that’s NOT the ONLY thing we do.

A former foreign minister loved to tell me to take the Foreign Service Officers’ (FSO) exam and his deputies often echoed his sentiments. I did toy with the idea but never got around to it, knowing that leaving journalism would be rather heartbreaking for me. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t. Goodness knows how much trouble I’d cause as I had this terrible habit of not knowing when to stop talking. Thank goodness that’s under control now.

Continue reading Almost Diplomatic over at The Manila Bulletin

in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Fashion, Fashion Tips, How-Tos, OOTD

Modern Filipiniana: Mix and Match Terno Top

One of the things I often get asked about is my Modern Filipiniana wardrobe. For real and not just that thing influencers on Instagram say to justify an overshare. A Filipiniana section in my wardrobe is something that I’ve started building back in 2014. This was when my husband got assigned abroad.

I continue to build said wardrobe as we do need to attend a lot of events where wearing Filipiniana is actually a good way to go. This isn’t just to follow the dress code but to make sure I also get to do my part in promoting a really interesting bit of our culture.

One of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my terno top. It’s so versatile that it makes mixing and matching it with different pieces a breeze.

In this video, I share some tips on how to build your own modern Filipiniana wardrobe. I also show how I style my custom-made terno top with different modern pieces that I already own.

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. If you did, please do share it! It would really make my day. Here’s a Pinterest-friendly graphic to make it easier!

More later.

Afternoon Tea: The Complete Guide
in Diplomatic Incidents, Etiquette, How-Tos

Afternoon Tea: The Complete Guide

I love me some tea. Even more when it comes with scones, finger sandwiches, and tiny pastries served on elegant, tiered serving stands. Afternoon Tea is something I simply adore doing with my girlfriends. So much so that one of my first articles for Forbes was about it. There’s just something so attractive with this dainty tradition that goes all the way back to the 1800s. It’s so feminine and quintessentially British.

With that said, let me walk you through this tradition based on what I’ve learned through experience as well as research. From its history and the modern-day adaptation that was started by the Mrs. Caroline Astor of the St. Regis in New York.

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A Day in Romantic Heidelberg
in Europe, Germany, Heidelberg, Travel

A Day in Romantic Heidelberg

I don’t think there’s any way for me to truly describe how beautiful Heidelberg is. Just a full day in this city and I was smitten.

If your idea of Germany somehow looks like a scene that came straight out of a fairytale, then this city would be a perfect fit for you. To me, Germany has always been a little more about sexy, gritty Berlin. Heidelberg, however, brought me back to the Grimm Brothers stories I read as a child.

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Kraków's Old Town: Where to Stay, Eat, & Some Things to Do
in Kraków, Poland, Travel

Kraków’s Old Town: Stay, Eat, & Some Things to Do

So my last post on our first trip to Poland is finally here! It was our first summer here in Europe when we rented a small car and took the eight-hour drive to Kraków. It was the perfect base if you’re also visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Auschwitz.

To say that I fell in love with Poland is quite the understatement. True, it’s not the poshest destination in Europe so it doesn’t make it to people’s bucket lists quite often. However, Poland is a country that has a lot to offer when it comes to history and culture. Oh, and the people are so sweet and helpful!

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8 Myths About Life as a Diplomatic Spouse
in Diplomatic Incidents, Personal Musings

8 Myths About Life as a Diplomatic Spouse

Everyone seems to have an idea of what a diplomat’s wife – or diplomatic spouse – does on the daily. Most of it is usually a lot more fancy and dull than what it really is. Only three years in and two countries later, I think I’ve heard everything – from “Aww, too bad you lost your career.” to “I envy your life of leisure!”

While a lot of people may mean well, I thought that it would be great if one of us diplowives sets the record straight. I have received e-mails and even have some friends asking what is it exactly that we do. While it’s fun having some sort of mystery and having a unicorn-like appeal, I thought I’d share some insights.

So, I’ve listed some of these common myths and misconceptions. I’ll also be debunking them here by telling you what’s the real deal. Ready? Here we go.

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in Berlin, Diplomatic Incidents, Personal Musings

5 Major Adjustments When Moving From Asia to Berlin

It’s been two months (!!) since we moved to Berlin and I thought I’d share an update on how it’s been. We’re slowly settling in and getting to know the city. So far so good! But I thought I’d share with you some adjustments we had to face when we first arrived.

No complaints in being this city since I’m now really enjoying it. However, I want to share some realities with you in case you’re thinking of moving here or to some other city in Europe as some bits may be applicable. Just to avoid a teeny bit of shock and hopefully, help you adjust faster. 😉

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in Berlin, Diplomatic Incidents, Expat Life, Personal Musings

We’ve Moved!

In case you’re a personal friend, a relative, or if you’ve been following me on social media, you may have noticed that we’ve moved posts. Yes, my treatment of this personal space of mine online has been quite appalling the past few… Err… Weeks? Months? But between packing, tying loose ends (freelance work wise), saying goodbye to dear friends, and moving from one continent to another, there just wasn’t enough time to actually sit down and pen something down.

So where in the world am I?

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Diplomacy, Protocol, Diplomat, Diplomat's Wife, Making Introductions, Introducing Yourself
in Diplomatic Incidents, Etiquette, How-Tos

Diplomatic Incidents: Making Proper Introductions

**I’m finally starting an Etiquette Series! That took a while – like everything else that I promise, come to think of it. It’s not you guys – I’m sorry! It’s me and my workload. But here it is finally! Hope you enjoy this and find it helpful as well! xx**

So as not to commit a grave faux pas back when I was a diplomatic journalist, I read up on some of these topics. It turns out that proper introductions are sort of an art among certain crowds – I kid you not. Mix it in with protocol and then you get rules.

Back when I was a young(er) and cocky reporter, I scoffed at the thought of having rules for such seemingly minor things. Later on, however, I noticed the importance of it at formal events and made it to a point to remember how to do it properly – especially when I’m doing it for other people. We all want to be respectful, don’t we?

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