Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo began her career as a journalist when she was still an undergraduate at the University of Santo Tomas. After getting her Bachelor of Philosophy, magna cum laude, she also became an English teacher. Her husband, Tony's decision to join UNICEF, and become an international civil servant, seemed likely to put an end to both careers. In fact, she has continued to write and teach in Thailand, Lebanon, Korea, Burma (now Myanmar), and New York. ...Back in Manila now, after fifteen years of life as an expatriate Ms. Hidalgo is teaching at the University of the Philippines, finishing her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, and working on what she thinks might perhaps be a novel.