Rink (2008?) We loop round and roundTo fuzzy disco and the chatter of skatesSome somehow danceI stumble in rhythm.
Author:
Rolling (poem)
rolling rik panganiban june 1997 Strangers insist on telling me horror storiesabout broken arms, fractured skulls,knees that never healed rightwhen they see me on my rollerblades. “There’s this one fella got draggedfifty feet under a truck, skatingtoo close to traffic. Had two kids.” This is not welcome information. “You’ll never catch me deadOn those silly…
“stringing and unstringing my instrument…” (quote)
“I have spent many days stringing and unstringing my instrumentwhile the song I came to sing remains unsung.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
There is no such thing as a “safe space” (poem)
There is no such thing as a “safe space” — We exist in the real world. We all carry scars and have caused wounds. This space seeks to turn down the volume of the world outside, and amplify voices that have to fight to be heard elsewhere, This space will not be perfect. It will…
Poor and Alone in Geneva
The year was 2003. I was in my thirties, trying to figure out the next step in my career. The obvious way to do that was to move to Geneva, Switzlerland. You know, like everybody does. Even at the time, I didn’t feel super confident in the move. I loved living in New York City…
I Bought the 1982 EPCOT Map (print)
Cue nerdgasm! I just received yesterday from Ebay a print of the 1982 map of the Disney EPCOT theme park. Just $24 (plus shipping) for theme park bliss! Well worth the price. EPCOT officially opened on October 1, 1982, so this is the initial set of offerings in the park, with a few still pending….
Yummiest Things I Ate in 2022
I’m a little addicted to making these lists for some reason this. Whatever, I’m going with it. Here’s all the yummiest foods I ate in 2022: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Riki Panganiban (@rikomatic) BEST PASTRY: Hands down, this has to go to the creme brulé kouign amann from Jane the…
The Way to Prevent Alzheimer’s Is Right in Front of Us
My mom had a rich and successful life. A high achieving student in Manila, she graduated from medical school with high marks. She moved to America in her 20s, worked as a doctor in several states, then settled down in the SF Bay Area. She traveled all over the world, from Hong Kong to Paris…
2022 in Review: Cake Bakes, Feeding the ‘Gram, Flexing My Diet, Disney with a Kid!
The year 2022 was a return to “normal” post-Pandemic life, which was wonderful. There were no major life changes, but there were a lot of wonderful moments to remember. Health I feel blessed to be in my 50s and able to do all that I do, from skating to dancing to biking everywhere. The biggest…
My Favorite Books of 2022
My favorite books I read in 2023: Light from Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki: This book broke me completely. I can’t imagine a more perfect scifi novel for me, combining music, aliens, demons, food, and Amer-Asian cultures so perfectly. The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman: Just a perfect fable for our times. Indescribably beautiful and sweet and…