Happy to report that I cooked a big pot of soup that can be considered a success. I've been enjoying it for three meals now, and I still have leftovers. Despite having lived in North America for close to 15 years, I have not made anything with butternut squash until last weekend. In my head,… Continue reading Butternut Squash Soup
Author: Leah Ranada
My short story in On Spec Magazine
Short and sweet for today: my story, Self-Segmenter, is on the latest edition of On Spec Magazine. In this story, I blend folklore with history by tying the origin of the manananggal to a dark event in Philippine history. Speculative fiction is beyond my comfort zone, so I'm pleased that one of my rare attempts… Continue reading My short story in On Spec Magazine
Throwback
Google digs up photos you took with your phone, say, five years ago, so you can look back at your memories. Facebook does this too. They brighten my day. They bother me too. Are our devices and cloud storage becoming the more reliable curator of our past? Sunset captured during a commute. A brunch date… Continue reading Throwback
Of Resolutions and Weird Writing Spaces
My new writing space is the top of my intimates' drawer. I know, I have a completely decent desk with a view (featured here), but after several unproductive writing hours I realised I can't be creative in the same space I do my day jobs. My resolutions (not New Year's because I came up with… Continue reading Of Resolutions and Weird Writing Spaces
Story from a Mall Long Gone
Notes on my short story, Almeda Plaza (Eastlit, July 2014) Boxing Day evening news showed queues at shopping centres, despite the pandemic that kept us home for most of 2020. Old habits die hard, I guess. I stayed home on Boxing Day myself; the idea of standing in line while bundled up in winter wear… Continue reading Story from a Mall Long Gone
I’m Bad at Making Simple Soups.
Many would agree they're the easiest to make but I end up with broth that is either bland or has too much of a certain spice or seasoning (I was overzealous with black pepper in the featured soup above.) Or with a pot of waterlogged ingredients that don't look appealing once reheated. Otherwise, I consider… Continue reading I’m Bad at Making Simple Soups.
Hide and Seek
Children may like the idea of a never ending game. Only we are not children Though we weep and ask pointless questions about the doll tilting to its side, that whiff of jasmine at nine AM, the icy grip of a mellow song. Who left the light on last night? Dreams? Oh, but we don't… Continue reading Hide and Seek
Writing Desk: Postcard from a Lazy November
As if to make up for my hectic October, I'm having an unproductive November. I missed the registration for the next PM course. I signed up for Nanowrimo and as of today, I only have 400+ words to show for it. One would think I should be inspired. There is hope in the air, with… Continue reading Writing Desk: Postcard from a Lazy November
Autumn Busybody’s Pandemic Poem
I surprised myself this fall by enrolling in a Project Management course. The original plan had been to attend a TESOL program, but admissions required my transcripts from Manila, as well as proof of my English language fluency (smirks). I couldn't take the TOEFL test in time for fall registration and the only way to… Continue reading Autumn Busybody’s Pandemic Poem
Mrs. B
With the pandemic pushing our wedding to the following year, I find myself with more time to contemplate about changing my last name. I used to think that it's a straightforward decision. When I was a little girl, innocent of coverture laws and the administrative pain of amending legal documents, I thought it was boring… Continue reading Mrs. B
