TU at BU

Just by looking at the picture above brought back fond memories. In the good 'ol days, my kuya "BU" and I would catch some dragonflies "TUtubi" and sometimes salagubang just outside our house. There was a nearby creek and an isolated piece of land (other vacant lots nearby) with all sorts of grass (mga damong ligaw) and some Ipil trees. There we would play taguan(hide and seek), patintero, luksong tinik, lusong baka, sprite seven-up, unguy-unguyan, tumbang preso, piko, agawan base and shato (shaaaaaaaaaaaaaah to). Our neighbors were our playmates. When it was already 6pm we should be heading home otherwise the "pamalong sintoron" would be waiting for us. Today, there is no vacant lot in our neighborhood instead you will find houses converted to apartments, our playmates our now living abroad--my kuya included, and it is just unsafe for the kids to be playing outside. It's a pity that my son is unable to experience the things we enjoyed doing while we were growing up. My son got to see the tutubi only when we visited his great grandpa in Antipolo last summer.

Bubuka ang bulaklak, sasara ang bulaklak

Dadaan ang reyna, ang saya-saya

Bumtiyaya bumtiyaya bumyeye

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Monkey, monkey anabel

How many the monkey did you see?

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Pagbilang kong sampu nakatago na kayo

isa, dalawa...sampu

In the eyes of a child

In the eyes of a child there is joy, there is laughter
There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future
For the lessons of life there is no better teacher
Than the look in the eyes of a child (lyrics courtesy of lyricsfreak.com)

For two consecutive nights I was humming "Have yourself a merry little christmas" inside our bathroom (of all places). Time flies really fast. July is almost over and because of typhoon Glenda, the cold weather only reminds me that Christmas is just 'round the corner.

Speaking of the Typhoon, here are some things you can do when you can't go out to play:

1. blog
2. clean the house, fix what's inside your closet
3. sing with your child
4. cook and enjoy champorado with chicharon
5. play wrestling until you get tired then sleep (or you may totally skip the first part)
6. play dynomite or bookworm in your PC, lookup your cable program listing for the day
7. read a book
8. plan the next out-of-town trip (browsing the net would be useful)

Or if you insist getting wet:

1. bathe your pet dogs
2. clean the car/garage
3. trim those plants in your garden

Disclaimer: only if you're unemployed and DECS declares "no classes" in all levels.

Memory verse: Luke 14:11

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

"Behind" the scene...

While waiting for our son to finish with his Creative music class, Man and I decided to enjoy the "clean and green" scenery one fine Saturday morning in UP Diliman.

"the slingshot"

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"Why is it that you think people get married? Because we need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet, I mean what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything...the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mondane things...all of it, all the time, every day. You're saying... Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness.
Words to inspire those who are engaged or those about to propose, did I mention Ruel Albener? nah don't think so....ooops"

- Susan Sarandon in the movie Shall we dance

Stairway to heaven

I recently saw this picture taken at the La Mesa Ecopark in Quezon City in our files. According to the tour guide, this is called the Stairway to heaven because from below you cannot see where the stairs end instead it shows that it is touching the sky. My son had their field trip there and he enjoyed reaching the top with his classmates and teacher and wanted to go back again. No worries of knee and chest pains yet for him.

Another attraction at the ecopark was the boatride. See how neatly the boats are lined awaiting for eager passengers to come aboard.

Happy Feet

This photo taken last December of daddy man and son "Hansy" (32 & 4 years old respectively).
Today is also Tito Ronnie's bday. May God bless you always.

Signs of the times

I chanced upon these two signages last weekend and even the pawnshop business has expanded. From the classic jewelry and land titles, now even laptops, cellphones and motorcycles can be pawned. This might encourage more "robbery" in the streets.

Big meal err deal

Respect for cultural diversity was the outcry. We enjoy our meals while using both spoon and fork.

Word for the day: Fortissimo

My 5-year old son was asking me what "fortissimo" meant and I was clueless. I asked him where he heard the word and said "in Little Einsteins". So I said to myself I need to discover what the word means not only for the benefit of my son but for my own. It is an Italian word which means very loud or to play a music piece very loudly. [Source: about.com]

It's nice to discover and learn something new everyday. Just like this picture of a castle in the heart of the busy streets of Quezon City, Philippines. It's a haven for chocolate lovers where you get to purchase all sorts of chocolates (white, dark, bittersweet, semi-sweet) name it, they have it.

On humility...
"The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again"

On living life to the fullest...
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. "
- Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios)

Read the Labels & Live Longer

I was watching Oprah last night and Dr. Oz, a heart surgeon was sharing with the viewers how heart problems can be prevented. It's as simple as reading the labels of the food we consume. It's like reading the doctor's prescription to make the body well....

Things you don't want to see in those food labels:

• sugar
• high fructose corn syrup
• enriched flour
• hydrogenated and saturated fat
• trans fat

He also suggested 30 minutes of walking daily, yoga, water instead of soda, 45 bent push-ups if you are or over age 30. He also mentioned that if you have a waistline above 34 inches then you're at a higher risk to have heart disease.

He also performed bypass operation wherein a 65-year old lady who was a smoker for 40 years and without exercise or proper diet was put under the knife. The video showed that the heart was stopped and was relying on a machine until the operation was completed. This topic is very relevant to me since my dad also underwent this "Triple by-pass operation" wherein Dr. Garcia took a vein from his leg and placed it on his heart. A pacemaker was used to make the heart pump again. If it did not beat again then the patient is not likely to survive.

It's truly an eye-opener for me and it's never too late to start.

Indeed, health is wealth.

Feeling blue...must be the weather

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." by Karen Ravn

"Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope" - Anonymous

The bird is not really a bird

The beauty of nature as seen in this flower. It is usually unnoticed in the busy street where the school of my son is situated. But sometimes it's advisable to relax and appreciate the beauty around us.

when the school kids are still in their classrooms, the playground is tranquil and you can actually do some soul searching here.

lovenote from my 5-year old son. It reminds me of how life can be complicated and complete at the same time.

March.28.2006

No this is not the easter bunny nor the playboy bunny. Picture taken at the Cybergate office in Mandaluyong with my model/sistah Taweng. Please note that this was taken early morning. I miss my office pals.

Greenwich...world-class

tsalap ...(Filipino slang for "Delicious")...indulge

Six in the City

Celebrating 6 wonderful years of our married life. Congrats and thanks to my wonderful husband, Man. When we look back at how we spent this day (july 9), Superman's Brandon Routh was part of it. Also, we always had rain on our special day, a shower of blessings from above.