Writing
Maida has been writing for over a decade now, often inspired by food, travel and culture. From stalking the exotic balut (duck embryos) vendors in Manila's streets to partaking the fine art of High Tea at the Oriental Bangkok's Author's Lounge to traveling for days to discover the best remote island in the Philippines for surfing to living the old world glamor of the Orient Express, to finding the best hawker cuisine in Singapore, she captures all these golden moments on paper.
Books
“What begins as an innocent food trip to partake of roti pratas, Hainanese chicken rice, and oyster omelettes turns into a life changing decision. International food and travel writer Maida Pineda captures the thrills, quirks, and adjustments of her big move to Singapore. Her candid and honest story covers everything from the inescapable conversations with cab drivers, to finding a place to rent, and even the arof saving a seat at hawker centres. Through her everyday adventures in this small island, she encounters a diverse mix of expatriates from all over the world, including a photographer, a linguist who speaks eight languages, and a meditation teacher. She tells the story of their lives in this compact country, closely interconnected, where everyone seems to be linked in less than six degrees of separation.” -from the back cover of the book:
Six Degrees of Expatriation: Uncovering the Lives of Expats in Singapore
Read my adventure along with the stories of other fascinating expats from the US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Italy, France, New Zealand, India, Australia and the Philippines in the book. Released in Singapore, November 2009 and in Manila in 2010.
It has the special honor of being the first book to be sold in all Starbucks cafes in Singapore last July 2010.
Arguably Singapore's most famous ex-expatriate, Neil Humphreys gives his take on Six Degrees of Expatriation:
"Whereas many of the expats stories in the book cover common ground,Pineda takes on Singapore itself in all its exuberant, flawed glory. Her nuanced take on the quirks and foibles of this wonderful country are both balanced and entertaining.
The other expats’ anecdotes will probably be enjoyed by other expats, but Pineda’s Singapore story is one for all Singaporeans." an excerpt from his review on Singapore Kopitiam.
Glowing reviews from total strangers who emailed, expats and non-expats who enjoyed the book:
Just need to say thank you for a refreshing and unmistakably honest account of the eclectic life in the Red Dot! Well done!
- Nancy
Hi Maida, I bought your book (six degrees) at the Manila Book Fair. Nice read! :) - Aisa
...Overall, I find the book an enjoyable read and I am glad that my decision to buy the book (without being able to browse through the contents) was right. - Gary
I'm a Brazilian, married to an American and I just moved from Philadelphia to Singapore! Your book (six degrees) came to my hands by coincidence... (as i believe books should come to one, the right book just comes to you, at the right time) I read it in 2 days! Loved it!! Probably you get lots of emails of expats who read it, but I felt i needed to connect and say thank you!! You have inspired me!!I hope I get to know lovely people here in Singapore as you have! - Paula
I just wanted to with you about my chanced encounter with your book, and how I am rather inspired by what you wrote, the way you weaved the feel of your stories together, and most of all, your bubbly personality, outlook and perspective of life which is evident in your writing.- Seow Ser, Singaporean
View a TV interview on ANC lifestyle show City Scape about Six Degrees of Expatriation:
Six Degrees of Expatriation: Uncovering the Lives of Expats in Singapore
Read my adventure along with the stories of other fascinating expats from the US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Italy, France, New Zealand, India, Australia and the Philippines in the book. Released in Singapore, November 2009 and in Manila in 2010.
It has the special honor of being the first book to be sold in all Starbucks cafes in Singapore last July 2010.
Arguably Singapore's most famous ex-expatriate, Neil Humphreys gives his take on Six Degrees of Expatriation:
"Whereas many of the expats stories in the book cover common ground,Pineda takes on Singapore itself in all its exuberant, flawed glory. Her nuanced take on the quirks and foibles of this wonderful country are both balanced and entertaining.
The other expats’ anecdotes will probably be enjoyed by other expats, but Pineda’s Singapore story is one for all Singaporeans." an excerpt from his review on Singapore Kopitiam.
Glowing reviews from total strangers who emailed, expats and non-expats who enjoyed the book:
Just need to say thank you for a refreshing and unmistakably honest account of the eclectic life in the Red Dot! Well done!
- Nancy
Hi Maida, I bought your book (six degrees) at the Manila Book Fair. Nice read! :) - Aisa
...Overall, I find the book an enjoyable read and I am glad that my decision to buy the book (without being able to browse through the contents) was right. - Gary
I'm a Brazilian, married to an American and I just moved from Philadelphia to Singapore! Your book (six degrees) came to my hands by coincidence... (as i believe books should come to one, the right book just comes to you, at the right time) I read it in 2 days! Loved it!! Probably you get lots of emails of expats who read it, but I felt i needed to connect and say thank you!! You have inspired me!!I hope I get to know lovely people here in Singapore as you have! - Paula
I just wanted to with you about my chanced encounter with your book, and how I am rather inspired by what you wrote, the way you weaved the feel of your stories together, and most of all, your bubbly personality, outlook and perspective of life which is evident in your writing.- Seow Ser, Singaporean
View a TV interview on ANC lifestyle show City Scape about Six Degrees of Expatriation:
Do's & Don'ts in the Philippines
A Cultural Etiquette guide on the Philippines covering everything from eating adidas in the street (chicken feet, not the shoes) to figuring out where the C.R. is, or why rich socialites need D.I's to make them stand out in the dancefloor, or how to get directions from Filipinos pointing with their mouths, or just understand the complex sublteties of this extremely warm and welcoming culture.
Writing Samples:
2011 Published Clips:
PERSONALITIES:
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA - TRAVELS: THOMAS KELLER
MAIDA PINEDA catches up with the only American chef with six Michelin stars for his thoughts on travel, most memorable meals abroad, and his secret to travelling light.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: KENNETH COBONPUE
MAIDA PINEDA caught up with this jet-setting, world-class furniture designer as he returned home to Cebu from Milan, with his suitcase barely unpacked.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: INTHY DEUANSAVANH
MAIDA PINEDA connects with this fitness and nature lover at his latest offering, Tree Top Explorer in a small farming village in Paksong, Laos.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: BOBBY CHINN
Despite being in the thick of preparations for his new restaurant and a new TLC TV series called Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia, he made time to catch up with Maida Pineda during his recent trip to Laos.
DESTINATIONS:
Hit the Road in the Greater Mekong (Indochina)
Redang and its Riches (Malaysia)
Culion-A Paradise in Waiting (Philippines)
Same Same, But Different : Spice up your usual trip to Southeast Asia with these three new destinations guaranteed to get you out of your travel rut (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
ON FILIPINOS:
Finding Hope on Orchard Road (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)
A Filipina's Circle of Life (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)
FOOD:
In Search of Culion's Native Cuisine
PERSONALITIES:
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA - TRAVELS: THOMAS KELLER
MAIDA PINEDA catches up with the only American chef with six Michelin stars for his thoughts on travel, most memorable meals abroad, and his secret to travelling light.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: KENNETH COBONPUE
MAIDA PINEDA caught up with this jet-setting, world-class furniture designer as he returned home to Cebu from Milan, with his suitcase barely unpacked.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: INTHY DEUANSAVANH
MAIDA PINEDA connects with this fitness and nature lover at his latest offering, Tree Top Explorer in a small farming village in Paksong, Laos.
BUSINESS TRAVELER ASIA- TRAVELS: BOBBY CHINN
Despite being in the thick of preparations for his new restaurant and a new TLC TV series called Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia, he made time to catch up with Maida Pineda during his recent trip to Laos.
DESTINATIONS:
Hit the Road in the Greater Mekong (Indochina)
Redang and its Riches (Malaysia)
Culion-A Paradise in Waiting (Philippines)
Same Same, But Different : Spice up your usual trip to Southeast Asia with these three new destinations guaranteed to get you out of your travel rut (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
ON FILIPINOS:
Finding Hope on Orchard Road (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)
A Filipina's Circle of Life (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)
FOOD:
In Search of Culion's Native Cuisine
| charice.pdf |
| malacca.pdf |
| going_vegetarian.pdf |
| eo.pdf |
| mapping_the_world-pdf.pdf |
| smile_magazine-sugarbeach.pdf |
| female_magazine-fword.pdf |
| exotic_food.pdf |
| appetiteasia_bibingka.pdf |
| appetiteasia_balut.pdf |
| appetiteasia_insidermanila.pdf |
Articles published in these magazines:
