MAMA FE IS DEAD

Today, we said goodbye to a dear aunt - a sister of my mother, the one she is closest the most… I know she had her faults and made some mistakes against my mother countless times but knowing my mother…she was quick to forgive. Whenever, Mama had her problems, it was to Mama Fe that she ran to, even back to the days when they were still young teeners. It was her that she confided in with all her problems, her dreams, her ambitions…but now she’s gone, my mother did not just lose a sister, but she also lost a best friend.

The hubby and I visited her wake earlier in the week which was held at their house in Luzon. Looking at her face, she looked old and a bit withered with age and I guess with many problems in her life. I never knew she was sick with anything and her children said she probably kept her pains to herself so as not to burden them…which was why most of her relatives were surprised with her sudden passing. She had some problems with her children, well most mothers do… but I wasn’t sure it was enough to keep her depressed.

And so as she was laid down to her final resting place at Holy Cross Memorial Park, most of her children cried …maybe in regret for not loving her the way she should be loved… maybe for not being able to ask for forgiveness for all the mistakes they have made…maybe for their loneliness for losing the mother they loved. I cried, too, because I regret not being able to know her more, as my aunt and my mother’s sister and best friend…and for not being able to show my appreciation for what she has done for my mom…I cried too for my mother…since I feel her loss and desolation. I just wish she would get over Mama Fe’s death soon and learn to accept her passing no matter how difficult.

KIDS GOING ON A FIELDTRIP

Before, I have always felt hesitant to allow my kids to join their school fieldtrips. In fact, as far as I can remember I never allowed Keith to join any of their fieldtrips either at Ebenezer or Academia…not because I don’t trust the school officials to take care of my kid (well, partly na din!) but also because I don’t trust my kid to behave himself during such occasions so there’s always a danger that he might get lost or destroy something or even hurt someone…just accidentally of course, for I have never known my son to be of the violent type…

This time, however, when they moved to their new school at VMS I began to relent a bit and have allowed them to join their class field trip. After all, Keith is already in high school and I knew he’d be able to behave properly and join his friends wherever they go so he won’t get lost…my problem now is my little daughter who is currently in Grade 1…I am sure she would insist on joining their field trip, too, especially since her Kuya is joining. So I had no choice but to allow her to join but with a companion…so that makes it doubly expensive! Nonetheless, I knew they would both savor the experience of joining fieldtrips since it truly is enjoyable being with friends and going beyond the four walls of the school campus. Sometimes, it may even be educational too especially if the school chooses places of historical interest where the students may learn a lesson or two from our nation’s past.

Here are some pics of the fun times they both spent, Keith had their field trip last September 27 at the Ocean Park, the National Museum (I think?) and the Aerospace Museum near the airport. While Kaye went with a cousin last November 21 to the Marikina Science World (where she saw Tolits), and also the Aerospace Museum and the Ocean Park …

Wish I could blog more often

This post is not intended to explain my infrequent posts in this blog…well not quite…?!? You see, I have noticed that during the beginning of the year, I have blogged a bit more regularly like once a week and at times even 2x a week. These past few months, however, I have noticed myself putting together an entry once every two weeks na lang...And I wonder why??? Most of the time when I have finished all my regular tasks in the office (usually this is around three or four pm), I browse my fave blogs and whenever I read other people’s blogs I feel a sense of regret that I am not able to write as often as they could… or say the words I want to say like the way they do.

There are even times that I wish I could just stay at home more often so I could just write and write to my heart’s content. But in truth, even if I am home, I still am not able to write. There are times when I feel too tired… like when I am at home during weekends, it gets too taxing doing mommy chores like cooking, washing and ironing clothes(especially the kids’ uniforms), cleaning house, etc. etc ( because our yaya goes home every Saturday morning and only comes back on Monday before we go off to work) so I am left to do everything by myself during weekends.

And when there are rare times that I am able to get some precious time for myself… I do not find the inspiration nor the inclination to write. I would just be staring at my blank computer screen for a few agonizing minutes then I would end up turning it off altogether… which is why I would often wonder where these ‘professional bloggers’ find the inspiration to write about anything and everything under the sun… I wish I could be more like them. I wish I would find the inspiration to write every time I face the monitor…I wish I would have more time to blog…I also wish I’d have permanent internet access at home because even if I do have a laptop or desktop to use, I still can’t post or browse as much as I wanted to…I’d have to save my work in a flash drive and find the time and opportunity to post only when I get to the office…I wish too that I could someday find for myself a true-blue genie in a bottle to make all these blogging wishes of mine come true…

SUBIC FOR SOME R AND R

One of the nearest conferences we have conducted is the one that was held in Subic, Zambales and yet unexpectedly we spent a longer period here, not because the conference itself lasted long…it was just the regular three days that we regularly spend (one pre-conference day for the preps, the workshop day and then the PGMA day). The last two days were spent touring Subic and savoring the treats it had to offer…after all this may be the last LPSA we’d have this year so we might as well take advantage of the opportunity right??? (P.S. In fact, this turned out to be the last LPSA that the office held)









The conference/workshop and presentation to PGMA went smoothly. It was the treats afterward that we looked forward to – the chocolates, shopping at the duty-free stores, pic- taking near the baywalk/pier since the Legenda Hotel is near it and we even saw a huge ship (with Americans on R and R for Balikatan) and of course, swimming at All Hands beach and visiting the Zoobic Safari. It was also the hubby’s birthday weekend and so our extended stay was made even more special since we celebrated that occasion with him there. We also visited JEST Camp though we did not partake anymore the activities they offered but just ate a hearty lunch there. Next time when we get the chance to return we intend to visit the Ocean Adventure park…

BUYING TICKETS TO PALAWAN

Today, I was finally able to fulfill my promise to the kids that we would take them to Palawan someday. You see ever since the hubby and I visited Palawan last March (yes! By ourselves!!!), we made a promise to also take them there…and now with the Piso fares promo being offered by Cebu Pacific, I was able to book four tickets for our family for next year February 2009…and the kids are just so excited to learn about it! But I told them, I would need to capture their money from their Christmas gifts this year in order to finance our expenses for the Palawan trip coz surely we will need a whole lot of money to be able to tour all the places we want to go to – like the Underground river (which costs PhP1500 per pax) and the Honda Bay tour (another PhP1500 for the entire boat excluding snorkel rentals) – plus of course, our daily meals, hotel accommodations and transport for the day/city tour. Whew… getting the tickets was the easy part… I could easily use my bonus to pay for the almost 6K for our air fares. I guess I need to put aside about 20K for our expenses for the 4-day stay in Palawan…well, anyway I still have four months to save up for it… so wish me luck!

A WORKING VISIT TO MINDORO

Mindoro will always hold a special place in my heart - because many of my childhood summers were spent there…back in the early eighties, when Puerto Galera was yet unknown. So every time an opportunity arises, I had hoped to go back and relive my childhood memories. But the last time I went there for a visit (with officemates for an outing) I was thoroughly disappointed. Well, for starters the Puerto Galera that we visited did not resemble at all the Puerto Galera of my childhood days. It was way too crowded and too commercial already that one cannot hope to swim in peace just like the old days…well, I guess that’s what you may call progress.

This time around, however, our office will be holding a conference at Calapan, Mindoro – quite far from the province’s pristine white beaches but still, I had hoped to catch even a glimpse of the place we frequent so long ago. But alas, to no avail. We stayed mostly inside our hotel at the Filipiniana Resort and though we stayed behind for one more day (since the others decided to leave immediately after the event) we were not able to go around and see a beach, even the pool of the resort was left untouched!

We had fun though because we crossed to Mindoro via a ferry boat and during the two-hour ride, most of us got busy doing all sorts of things – reading, sleeping, chatting, eating…and playing cards! The hotel rooms were very nice and clean. We even saw that the VIP rooms had their own kitchen and sala for entertaining. Their pool was also quite big, it was just the weather that wasn’t so great at the time…I think it was raining a bit on the last day of the conference so we weren’t able to take advantage of the pool…sayang!













What was surprisingly good was their food! We totally enjoyed the free breakfast that the hotel offered…and though I wanted sana to stay away from rice, I wasn’t able to do so because the rice they served was so aromatic and enticing. We even bought some cavans to bring home…











What was also surprising was the chance I had to meet up with old friends and acquaintances – some reporters from Manila coz the place is just near, an old photographer friend from Crame and a former boss who is now the COP of Mindoro – small world indeed! I even had my picture taken with a celebrity politico – Patrick dela Rosa who is now a councilor or mayor of some town or city of PRO4. The one place we did get to visit was the butterfly shop across the street where they sold lots of pretty colorful butterflies mounted on frames of all sizes. It had a steep price though so I wasn’t able to buy any…I just contented myself taking pictures.








On the ferry boat ride back to Manila, there were only a few of us so we weren’t as raucous as before…so we contented ourselves taking pictures of islands, seascapes and even the clouds. In all, it was also a fun trip though we weren’t able to go out that much (just to eat!) and so we didn’t get to see the sights around Calapan or even nearby Puerto Galera…maybe next time!

MY GIRL IS NUMBER ONE!

Today we received a very pleasant surprise when we got my daughter, Kaye’s card from her new school at VMS… she got top honors for her class…hurrah! Hurrah! I knew she would do well in class considering that she was a valedictorian in her previous school in Kindergarten but I never had hoped she would become the top in her class…I guess the fact that she was a newcomer and was placed in the third level section this Grade One contributed to that fact, too. But even if she was top one, she failed to make it to the entire batch Top Ten…I guess most of the top students would belong to the cream section. I think her standing was only 14th or 15th for the entire Grade One…nonetheless, I am just so proud that my daughter did so well. Now, we would have to strive harder to make it to the Top Ten circle…but at least, I guess I can be assured that my daughter would belong to the Cream Section next year.

LINGGO NG WIKA @ VMS

It’s the first time for us to celebrate Linggo ng Wika with VMS and for the past few weeks I had scrambled for an appropriate attire for her to wear. I was able to finally borrow one from an officemate whose daughter was the same age and built as mine. And since they already had their celebration earlier, she willingly lent the dress so that I don’t have to buy a new one for something that my daughter would just wear for a day…

I went on leave for work today so I would be able to dress her up and put on some make-up on her. Then, we proceeded to the school for the Linggo ng Wika program. The place was small and expectedly cramped with so many stage mommies jostling for space to watch over their kids. I was content sitting at a corner and only went out front when her turn to dance arrived. My daughter looked so pretty in her yellow terno…she looked like a real dalagang Pilipina of old times.

KUMON ORIENTATION WITH KIT

Today, Keith and I had an orientation for Kumon… Last week kasi I saw a tarpaulin announcing the opening of a Kumon center near our residence and I got excited because I have long wanted to enroll him in a Kumon class in order to improve his skills in Math and in English. But I was sorry to hear that the Kumon center that they put up near us did not have an English tutor yet so I just have to make do with Math lessons for him na lang…it’s better than nothing. At least, I can take care of his English tutorial pa naman, it’s the Math that I really hate!




I first learned about Kumon while browsing the internet and saw how it not only teaches math techniques to the students but also instills discipline and proper learning methods. And I guess this is what Kit lacks…he doesn’t have the motivation to learn his lessons well. If I don’t ask about his assignments, he won’t do anything at all. So even if I knew these Kumon lessons would make a serious dent in our monthly budget, I went ahead and enrolled him coz I knew it would do him good in the long run, especially when he proceeds to high school and even college.

Why did I choose Kumon? Well, because I like the way the students are not lumped together in a class but rather they are taught individually by their tutor, at their own pace. They are not in competition with anyone but themselves. The program starts with as assessment test so that the Kumon tutor can determine at what level Keith can start. Then he can move up to the next level when the tutor deems he has already mastered the concepts and has passed another test.

I just hope my son, Keith, would be able to learn much from this program that we have embarked on…I feel he is willing to go undergo through it naman since he volunteered to go to the center for three days after his classes at VMS. I just hope too that he would find the motivation to finish the program until the end…or that I would be able to sustain the budget for him to continue his classes…

JUSTIN’S BIRTHDAY

Today, we celebrated the birthday of one of our favorite pamangkins…favorite because he lived with us when he was barely a year old and grew up with us because his parents were busy with their jobs as vendors in Divisoria and so he fell under the care of his lola who was then staying with us. He was our dear little baby for more than a year and his parents only come once or twice in a month to visit him and bring him milk and diapers. Those other moments when they could not provide for his needs, we more than willingly gave him. And so it is not a surprise that we would hold this birthday party for him…anyway, it’s nothing really spectacular – just some spaghetti and menudo (that Ditse cooked), lechon manok and a cake (that we bought), of course!

DEVCOMNET MEETING AT PNP

Today, an officemate and I attended another Devcomnet meeting held at PNP and of course, I was more than willing to attend because it would allow me to visit old friends and see my old haunts once again at the PNP. The meeting itself was held at the PNP conference room at the third floor – I saw it has been improved considerably and they had many LCD screens now placed all over the conference room. I had hoped to meet some of my old PIO friends but only a few of them went up to cover the event. But I guess I should be just glad to meet my old bosses here… both former PIOs and now DPCR Director and PCRG Director (Gen. Bataoil and Gen. Bartolome) so I had pics taken with them…who knows this may be the last pic I would have with them before they both retire so might as well… thanks so much sirs for enriching my experience with the PNP and making my stay there memorable and insightful.

SPELUNKING AT CAGAYAN… BUT OF COURSE WORK MUNA!

The office went on another land trip this time to a region that not many people get to see because one had to travel like twelve hours just to get there by land…then if one wants to go by plane, there are available flights naman but the usual flights are made by just small planes that can easily maneuver the region’s mountainous terrain. And so we opted to go by land and rented a bus so that the entire Secretariat of the office can be easily accommodated. We left at around 1pm and only stopped to eat (at Chowking) and for some short pit stops along the way so we arrived at Hotel Roma of Cagayan by 1AM.






The first day was spent on preparations lang muna… the food that the hotel served was great and plentiful! Even the rooms were clean and new. It’s just too bad the hubby and I weren’t together in a room this time, but that’s OK since I roomed with Del and Che in a new wing of the hotel…I just get lost often because of the too many twists and turns.














The two days of the LPSA went well without much of a hitch …after all this is our umpteenth time to hold such kind of gathering so it is expected that we have mastered all the moves already. The people and places change but the process remains the same. We just keep ourselves entertained by posing for pictures(sometimes with known personalities) every time we get the chance.














But, of course, the main highlight of our trip is the visit to the different places of interest in the places that we hold conferences in… this time around, we went to Our Lady of Piat church and the Callao caves. The only problem was that the tour bus conked out just as we were going to Callao so we had to be brought there by the Victory Liner bus we hired to take us home. Expectedly it was dark na by the time we got to the caves…just too bad because we can’t see anything much na! Not even the bats which the locals say is a sight to behold when one sees them going out of the caves like a huge black cloud…well, maybe next time!

LAST HURRAH AT SOFITEL


We spent the eve of father’s day at Sofitel… yup that swanky five-star hotel with the breathtaking sunset view of Manila bay. In fact, this is not our first time to spend special occasions at the hotel… not because we’re ultra-rich folks who frequent such places… no, we don’t have that much money to throw away. It was only because my step-mom (yes my dad’s second wife) ‘worked’ as a personnel manager of the hotel and often our overnight stays were discounted(??? by how much I really have no idea) I highlighted ‘worked’ because this is now a thing of the past --- she’s leaving for Dubai at the end of the month so this weekend here at the hotel would be our last – hence this piece’s title…

We arrived at around 4 pm on Saturday via a taxicab… we had to wait a bit for our rooms to be ready. In less than an hour we already went up to our room on the 6th floor… it had a huge queen-sized bed and they added 2 single beds for my 2 other boys. The huge bed was for me, the hubby and our little princess. My dad and his wife stayed in another suite with a receiving room – it had two plasma screens, one in the bedroom and another in the receiving room/sala. The sofa in the sala converts into a bed and this is where my half-sister and her family spent the night. My dad’s bathroom had a bathtub while ours didn’t have one, but it was still quite cool with all those glass doors and amazing shower spray that my kid and I just went crazy over and wished we had something like that in our own bathroom.


We were a bit hungry so the hubby and I went over to Star City to buy some grub. By the time we got back the kids have already grown tired of watching TV and being cooped inside the room so they checked out the pool with my half-sister’s husband, Jon. I followed them down to the pool in a little while and brought them some food to snack on. I would have wanted to take a dip in the pool but the sky was overcast and I didn’t want to get wet in such cool weather so I contented myself watching the kids frolic in the pool and gazed at the other guests swimming.




And as luck would have it, who should we run into swimming at the hotel pool but Ms. Claudine Barretto, her adopted daughter Sabrina, her son Santino and husband Raymart (whom I almost didn’t recognize though I was already standing beside him as I waited to take a pic of the sunset)… she was truly very pretty even without much make-up on and was quite accommodating because she relented to have a pic taken with my daughter and my half-niece. I told her, my daughter’s a fan because she watched her in her latest soap “Maligno” and she smiled and told the kids not to be afraid because that was just an on-screen role. The kids would have played longer with her daughter Sabina in the pool but the rain suddenly fell in such huge drops that they all left in a fluff – yayas, kids and all with a brief promise to meet up and play again at the poolside tomorrow morning.















My hubby took his own sweet time going down from the room so by the time he got to where I was lazily lounging, it was already raining and so he failed to get a glimpse of Claudine… too bad for him, huh? After a while, we all went up to the room so the kids can take their baths and get ready for dinner. We had dinner at past seven at the Spiral restaurant of Sofitel and I was literally overwhelmed by the buffet spread that the resto offered. So much so that I was totally unable to get any pictures at all of all the good things I savored…there was Filipino cuisine with the usual fiesta fare like lechon, kaldereta, etc; they had Japanese food like sashimi, tempura and sushi (my favorite!); Italian fare like pasta and pizza; American food like salads (with so many dressings to choose from), hams, steaks which they cook according to your wishes, and different kinds of bread/rolls. But the real winner was their dessert table ---- I have never seen so many cakes (even mini ones) laid out on a buffet, there were even candies, ice cream, and different flavored crepes wherein you can choose any filling and topping you want ( I had mango with chocolate syrup). I was so full that it was only after I was through eating that I realized I haven’t taken any pictures at all… too bad! This may be the first and last time I would have eaten here at Spiral…oh well…at least I’ll have sweet memories of this dinner that could last me a lifetime.


























The next day, we had breakfast served in our room (talk about having all the indulgences!!!) Well, after all this may be the last day we spend here at Sofitel so we might as well take advantage of it huh!?! This time I took pictures of everything we ordered and it was all so delicious... and the prices quite steep - but what the heck we're not paying for it anyway!!! I ordered a healthy breakfast and was quite surprised that the breakfast was big enough for two people – it had a fruit bowl, oatmeal, egg-white-only omelette, hashbrowns and some yogurt. Good thing I shared my breakfast with my daughter. My husband and other son had the Filipino style breakfast with sinangag, eggs, tapa and longganisa. My eldest son had his favorite food (even if it was still breakfast and too early for it, but thankfully the hotel already served it) - carbonara.

After eating, we all took our bath, got dressed and checked out of the room to leave. We dropped by Papa’s suite and learned that he has already left so we also took our leave after a brief kiss to and a thank you to my stepmom for our peaceful overnight stay at Sofitel (although my husband said he wasn’t at all able to sleep very well because he could hear our two sons snoring loudly)Well anyway, it was a brief and welcome respite from our normal weekends at home and truly an unforgettable experience for our family, especially for the kids... one which I hope I would be able to replicate with them --- at a place truly far away - like Bohol or Palawan - a true blue vacation for our entire family... well, it's not too bad to dream huh??? who knows, one of these days, it may just come true...

First day of school jitters

Today I took a leave of absence to bring my little girl to her new school. I know, I know it’s highly unusual coz she had been to school before, for an entire year without a hitch but this time it’s a big new school and I just wanted to be sure she’d do okay. You see this entire week I was busy trying to convince her that it will be fun to enter a new school…I was a tad fearful she would not want to be left alone in her new school – surrounded by strangers, unknowing if her teachers will be kind to her, totally unsure of her place in the sun – I guess, she’s having what we could call first day of school jitters.

I made it a point to take her with me to the different schools that I inquired in since I wanted her to have a say in our choice of a new school. And after visiting three schools we finally settled on one that is not really far from our place but the rate is fine, well within our budget and the place looked clean and safe. With the choice of school over, we followed the standard procedure – entrance exams before enrolling, buying books and then school things and uniforms.

And then all of a sudden, about a week before school will finally open she began to have some misgivings about her capability. She kept on asking me what if she couldn’t cope up…what if the classmates were all smarter than she was. There were also times I even started to doubt our decision to enter her immediately in grade one. But then again, even the guidance counselor was willing to accept her because she scored high in the entrance tests for grade one. Besides, just thinking about the added financial burden of another year in pre-school makes me cringe and use all my convincing powers all the more.

Another concern that she had was the fact that she didn’t know anybody in the school…you see our neighbor, who was her classmate at the kindergarten she used to attend located within the village, will be remaining in the same school to enter preparatory level. But because she was the class valedictorian and knew how to read, she was accelerated ahead of her classmates and was thus entering grade one. I guess this is one main reason why she kept asking me why she needs to transfer to another school while the others stayed on… I had to repeatedly tell her that her high grades made her eligible to enter grade one. Besides, I told her that she would be able to make friends easily…who knows she may just end up meeting her best friend there like what happened to me and my best friend whom I also met on our first day of school. But she remained adamant and refused to go to school altogether.

Hence, I came to the decision to be absent from work for a day and hold her hand as she enters this strange and unfamiliar place. As usual, we were quite late coz I failed to correctly gauge the time we would spend eating breakfast and dressing up. Plus, my elder son also went with us so we had to take turns using the bathroom. By the time we got to the school there was already quite a ruckus with so many kids and their moms milling about trying to check out which sections and rooms the kids will go to.

As we entered the gate, I felt my daughter’s eyes on me and we plodded straight on to find her room, unmindful of the melee. We finally reached her classroom and with a regretful tug of her hand, she let go, took her stroller bag and entered the room. I smiled at her and signaled to her that I will just be outside waiting for her near the window. I watched her as she listened intently to what the teacher is saying and I felt proud when I saw her walk confidently up to the front of the class to talk about something she drew on a piece of paper.

Later on our way home, she’d tell me the teacher asked them to draw what they want to be when they grew up and she drew a nurse and proudly told her classmates she want to take care of sick people that’s why she want to be a nurse. Gently, I probed to ask how her classmates were and she seemed to have totally forgotten her apprehensions about not being able to meet someone she knew because she proudly proclaimed that she made friends with her seatmate who also happened to live in the same village as ours. And by then …I felt a heavy cloud lifting; the skies have opened to reveal that the misgivings and worries that both and I and my daughter had were all for naught. I’m glad she liked her first day in school… I just hope I can make the rest of the school year as smooth and fun-filled. But even if they’re not I guess I’ll just be here to pick her up and give her a hug whenever something or someone has disheartened her spirit…after all, that’s what moms are for…

FAREWELL TO A FORMER BOSS




Today we said goodbye to one of the very few good bosses here at the office…well, I haven’t really been here that long to be able to compare ex-bosses since I have just been two years in this office but from what I have gained from the chats with officemates, VAM has been one of the few who have been good to them. You see VAM has always been on the lookout for the employee’s welfare – under his watch, we have always had a health card (of course, it helped that he was also a prolific user of it having so many sickness and all!) But still, with a boss like VAM, you never need to wonder whether the office would be giving out its regular mid-year and pre-Christmas bonus…you just have to ask when and how much…he has always been someone you can go to and rely on to seek intercession to the ‘big boss’ in case of any personal or professional problem.

I guess, that’s also why among the three deputies in the office, he is considered the most senior and also the most loved…which is why many were saddened with his sudden passing…the last time we were with him was during preparations/meetings for another out of town trip just a week or two ago and we were all quite surprised that he was unable to join us during that fateful trip to Bacolod. In fact, he was brought to the hospital on the day before our departure but since the preps have already been made we pushed through with the event without him…little did we know that we would not be able to see him alive… when we returned to the office he was still in the hospital and a few days after, he was already dead…

The entire office joined the family last night during his necrological services at Forbes Park church where his wake has been held for a week. I texted my uncle about his mistah’s death and he just sent some flowers…I guess he can’t make it to Manila this time, or maybe he’s just too busy. And today, we likewise came in full force to see him finally laid to rest at the Libingan ng Bayani. After all, being a former general he deserves to be given his rightful place in this place reserved for heroes…but more than all his military accolades and accomplishments, he is also a true hero and savior for us employees... farewell Sir VAM, may you rest in peace and continue to watch over us there in heaven…

School hunting

June's here and summer's already finished but I still haven’t found the perfect school for my kids…no I’m not yet in panic mode but I am sincerely hoping that this time around I would be able to find them a school that would fit their needs and of course, my criteria. You see my 11-year old boy shifted from the previous school that we enrolled him in when he was in 1st grade because it was a Christian school and I was fearful he may not be able to undergo first Communion so I transferred him to a Catholic school which is also near our subdivision in Bulacan. Turns out to be a wrong decision though because that school, despite being Catholic, had sports as its main thrust and when my son joined the taekwondo, basketball and volleyball teams in grade four, five and six, respectively he and his teammates would sometimes ‘waste’ two weeks even three weeks on practice sessions and actual school and inter-school competitions. I don’t want to deny my kid the chance to play sports and be fit and active but I wish they would do it in moderation and not take up too much time from what could have been time well spent studying their academic lessons…

Besides, I was a bit fearful that my son is not into reading much because the two schools he was previously in did not enjoin them to read which is why my son despite being an incoming first year student still does not have a good grasp of the English language. Sure he could understand some English words and can even construct simple sentences but he finds it difficult to converse well in the language and even construct simple essays with it… Although, sometimes I try to complement by tutoring him in English in my spare time but still it’s never enough.

Thus, when I started to make inquiries into two schools that were not quite so near to our place of residence (about 15-20 minutes away) one of the few things I asked the guidance counselor was their medium of instruction. I would prefer if the teachers can speak and teach the students in English although of course, it would be understandable if they would also teach in Tagalog. Aside from that I also ask if the school had a Reading and Speech class and what do the kids do during such sessions… I remember in my elementary days, I love reading classes because we get to read stories and afterwards answer questions regarding the story we just read. Sometimes we were brought to the school library and allowed to read any book that we wanted for an entire hour. Hence, another criteria that I look for is the school library – if they have an extensive collection of books and if the kids are allowed to enter anytime.

I believe that my love of books was the one that taught me how to write… and someday I wish to impart the same love for books to both my kids. This is why I am hoping that the school can also help me in this endeavor. Because aside from making a person well-versed in the English language, it will also expand his knowledge of the world (especially if the books that he or she reads are not limited to the fictional kind) And most especially now that recent reports stated that 95-97 out of 100 applicants to call centers are being rejected due to poor English! I wonder what has happened to our country which used to have the highest number of English speakers in Asia in the 1970s. Well, even if my children would not be entering a call center job in the future, the report says a lot about the English proficiency level of our schools nowadays…

Aside from wanting English as medium of instruction (I’m sure I would get much flak from nationalists with this but hey… it’s the way I want to raise my kids so just let me be. Besides, I do not believe that love of country arises from something as simple as teaching the kids in the national language. I do intend to teach my kids such virtue but in different ways) and wanting a good school library, I would also want to ask about the batting average of the school graduates being accepted in illustrious schools in college like UP, Ateneo, UST and Lasalle. Of course, every mother would dream that their kids be accepted in such institutions when they get to college so that they may be at least somehow assured that they are getting quality education and ensure a good future for them.

Another consideration is safety. Is the school environment conducive to learning? Are the rooms air-conditioned? Are the playgrounds safe to play in? I would prefer if I am able to visit the classrooms and other school facilities to see if the rooms provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for the kids to enjoy their stay in school. After all, they would be in school for more than half of their waking hours – about seven hours. One of the schools we recently visited had a rickety playground wherein the swings and seesaws were in such a state of decay it would be dangerous for the kids to play in it… although the guidance counselor assured that the kids weren’t allowed there anymore to use the facilities, I would wish they would throw the ragged things away altogether since there is still the risk that some kid might use them and the guards might not see them and who knows, what accidents may happen…

One other question that I often ask is the student-teacher ratio. The best would be to have less number of students per class so that the teacher would have enough time to answer the needs of each and every student thus I would prefer it if the classes would not be more than thirty kids. Of course, it would be best if I could also talk to the teachers and ask them individually their qualifications and views on teaching but this isn’t the usual practice here in the country so I would often just ask the guidance counselor the normal age range of teachers and ask if they are given continuous training to ensure their modes of teaching are constantly updated.

Also, I would prefer it if there would be more teacher-parent interaction so I can actively monitor the progress of my children. My son’s previous school severely lacked such because they would often just give the students the report cards to bring home to their parents. Unlike in other schools where such times would bring the parent and teacher together (at least quarterly) to discuss any problems or successes the child may have.

Finally, the last consideration would be the budget. Admittedly, it is another factor which has severely hindered my choices. Of course, I want the best schools but alas the best also cost the most and so I would often had to make do with the second best choice because we could very well not afford the tuition in the best schools. But still I continue to hope… that the school I would eventually find would be the best one for my child. There is no perfect school, just as there are no perfect parents and perfect teachers… what we just need is to play a constant monitoring role so that we are able to provide the best legacy we ever could for our children – education.

AN ADVANCED ANNIVERSARY DATE


Next week we will be celebrating our 8th year anniversary but it so happens that the hubby will be out of town to drive for another unit’s team-building …he wasn’t sure what time he’d be able to go home so rather than risk waiting for him to come home so we could spend some time together, we decided to just have our ‘date’ in advance. We started with a bit of shopping at Bench (for undies and perfume…hmmnn…?) then we had dinner at Kenny Rogers – someplace we can afford to eat only during special occasions like this (because its prices are really steep but worth it naman!) Then we watched a movie – Indiana Jones – where we saw an aging Harrison Ford still trying to swashbuckle his way against aliens this time. The movie was OK…not spectacular, not boring either, full of action despite the main actor’s age (hehehe)…truly a good way to spend our bonding time together…I just hope we’d have more moments like this …just like the old times!

Food tripping in Tagaytay

On the last week of May, our unit this time (coz the last one at Ocean Park was my husband’s unit outing) had our team-building or maybe I should say 'food tripping' in Tagaytay. It was originally planned to be held in Boracay, in consonance with the office working trip to Bacolod but there were problems with the scheduled return flight from Boracay to Manila… well, I wasn’t really too keen on going after I learned that we had to take a one-hour ferry to Iloilo, a three hour road trip (by van or bus) to Aklan and another 30-minute boat ride to Kalibo; and besides, I didn’t want to go if my husband wasn’t coming with me so I opted not to join the outing. But when plans for the return flight became awry, they decided to just scrap it altogether.

And so a week after we got back from Bacolod, we decided to just have our outing at Tagaytay. Still, the hubby wasn’t able to go with me because they had an important basketball game to win that day so I took my son, Keith. Besides, I knew it would all be just one big food trip and who better to take with me than someone who has an appetite big enough for the two of us… and so off we went that rainy Wednesday morning for a trip to that cool city which proudly boasts the smallest active volcano in the world.

First stop was coffee and breakfast at Bag of Beans. We left the office at around 8 and I offered that we take the shortcut via the Southwoods route since it is what we usually take when our family goes to Tagaytay. But our driver apparently did not know the way so we ended up not taking the shortcut but the regular route even passing by the towns of Dasma and Silang; oh, well I guess it’s my fault for not remembering the exact directions…

We reached Tagaytay at around 11, a bit late for breakfast but still way too early for lunch so we decided to just eat light. We only ordered bottomless kapeng barako and a few kids’ meals like pancakes and kiddie cheeseburger. While the others, including me, just ordered pie (shepherd’s pie, beef and mushroom pie and apple pie) Little did we know that their servings would turn out to be quite humongous or that the pie (even if a bit on the small side) – was totally filling and delish! (just check out the pics!) Even the place was so cool – the resto was set in a garden and there were wooden tables and metal ones with an umbrella canopy. There were also huts/cottages for diners who may opt for a little privacy. There was also a completely covered and screened dining area that can be closed off for gatherings/seminars when the need arises. We left the resto after a few pic taking, totally satiated and raring to walk off all the gorgeous food we just consumed.

I recommended the trip to Paradizoo – after having visited the place just last March, it was truly a sight to behold, one I wouldn’t mind going to again. Besides, the one-hour tour would surely be enough for us to shake off all the fat and carbs from our previous meal and make enough room for the next scrumptious lunch we had planned. And so off we went to the sleepy town of Mendez. We only paid a hundred each for the Paradizoo tour since we decided to forego a visit to their other zoo, at the Residence Inn.

We had a different tour guide this time – a girl and she seemed a bit tame or not so energetic like our last tour guide (whose name I completely forgot!) Or maybe she just got so overwhelmed by the kind of questions the guys in our group asked --- you know the totally inane ones that guys just ask for the sake of asking… I guess she may be a bit pissed but just didn’t show it.

Well, anyway the tour started with the dromedary camels with single humps and we took pics feeding the camels. There were also some deer, sheep, ostriches and the five-legged bull (Bulltes five, I think it’s name was) in nearby cages. There was also a funny-looking zebra – a brown one with white stripes… turns out to be a horse they painted with white! Next stop was the goat/sheep cage where the last time the kids were able to bottle-feed baby kids and try for themselves how to milk a goat but the guide told us that this time this wasn’t allowed – only during weekends… tough luck huh? They should have given us a discount if some parts of the zoo were not totally functional…well, at least we got to see some goats though not all because some of them, even the big one named Sid was out at pasture.

Next were the llamas and alpacas which the guide warned us not to get too near to because they tend to spit on people whenever they’re angry. So we kept our distance and moved on to the gardens. There were lotsa pretty flowers and organic vegetables, enough to make a salad but as always we didn’t get to buy any (budgetary constraints!) We also saw some pretty orchids before going down to the fishing pond… I remember also visiting a mushroom growing facility near the gardens (the last time I was here) so I knew our guide didn’t really take us to all the areas we needed to see but I didn’t push her na…maybe she has her reasons for not taking us there, I also didn’t want the others to know we were shortchanged…

After the ponds, we passed by a campsite (which they rent out to those who want to stay overnight) on our way to the butterfly farm. There were only a few butterflies, the guide said because it was already rainy season. We also got to visit the honey factory with many bees. This time around they were offering us honey but at 120per bottle so we declined. Anyway, I still have some honey left from our trip to Abra just last month. Next stop was the pet cemetery then the piggery. Once again, we took another shortcut because the guide said we can’t go see the racing dogs because some of them got exposed to viruses and may in turn cause other people it comes in contact with to acquire the said virus. I’m not sure if she was just pulling our leg or truly wanted to cut our field trip short so off we went to the canteen to rest and have some drinks. The kids bought some trinkets at the souvenir shop but I didn’t buy any because the prices were a bit steep and I was still mad at the guide for taking shortcuts and not giving us the entire tour.

We left after a while to eat lunch at Leslie’s Diner. The place was nice and it had a breathtaking view of Taal volcano. The interiors of the resto were quite inviting and made of native materials and they also had small huts for small groups who want to eat and drink in private. We feasted on bulalo, sisig, ensaladang talong, and fried tawilis. The fish was fried so crisply that we were able to eat almost everything even heads and bones. The sisig wasn’t so spectacular but it was spicy and had a nice zing to it that would remove the ‘sawa’ or ‘umay’ that one would get from eating too much bulalo. But the bulalo wasn’t also all that magnificent. It tasted pretty much like the regular bulalo we have tasted the last few times we were in Tagaytay so it’s not something I would rave about. If you would notice the soup leftover was a bit brown as if too much patis was already added to the dish which made it a tad salty. Still and all, we had a satisfying lunch.

Next on our itinerary was a visit to Mahogany market to buy beef and pineapples. After that we visited Mushroomburger… no! not to eat again but to take out some burgers for pasalubong… and also eat as snacks on our way back home. It was 5 pm already and I wanted to go home na but the group said it was still too early. So off we went to visit the People’s Park in the Sky… yeah it’s someplace I’ve already been to also but what the heck! I took the hike with them, bought some souvenirs for my boy and posed for pics. It was almost 6 when we finally made the return trip back to Manila and though we didn’t encounter much traffic, we were still able to get home at past 9…I’m glad I brought my son with me. Not only was he a big help when it came to carrying our pasalubongs, it also gave us a chance to bond - just the two of us – no whining little sister or a bully of a big brother grabbing my attention away from this moment with him. I just hope he enjoyed it as much as I did…