On My 26th :)

Yey! I'm so done with being 25 :) Oh no no.. Don't get me wrong. It isn't that I didn't enjoy my being 25. It's just that I'm more excited to be 26. :)

I told myself 2 years ago that on my 26th, I would want to get married. So now you think I'm getting married this year huh?! No, not that again. I actually set aside that idea and postponed my marrying age until I'm 28. Haha! I don't feel like marrying just yet. My plans have changed. My pursuits have gone to a detour. :)

Let me first say that I had a blast when I was 25. I always say that I just had the best year of my life and the coming year will even be better. So, 26 here I am!!! Embrace me with all the courage and happiness and love in the world.

This is my first birthday that I did not go out. I usually take a moment of solitude the whole day and celebrate with family during the night. But today, I only stayed home for reflection. I let my brothers buy the things needed for dinner. I love giving birthday treats for family but I want mine to be the simplest. I haven't thrown out a party. I only want solemn moments with family.

This year is extra special because our family has gone bigger because my sister got married. My once little brothers have grown into responsible and wonderful men. It's my mother's joy to see the ladies in my brothers' lives joining us on special occasions. :) It is a happy "extended" family. Minus papa because he was at work.

Oh Goldilocks! You forgot to give a candle for my cake.



But I didn't feel like having a birthday without blowing my candle. So my mother got me a candlestick instead just so I could make a wish. Yey! I made a wish. And I know it's coming true soon. After long years! Excited much!



Mama got a surprise for me! Tadahh!



Yey! Purple slippers. Love it! Well, I have few things of my own at home. Most of my things were left in BQ. And so I had to borrow almost everything from anybody. Thus, it was really a surprise when Mama gave me the slippers. And oh! Another thing! It didn't' please her when I painted my room purple. She doesn't like the color. But I think I'm beginning to make her love it :) I got purple placemats for the dining table from the mint green that she had. But hey she smiled pleasingly when she saw them.



"Haha! I'm slowly transforming the whole house into an Ube!" --Purple Monster. The purple slippers are the proof that she's beginning to forgive me for the purple painted room :)

Aunt Daisy gave me a handy travel bag. How I love bags. And how I love travels. It seems that I'm ready for another adventure. Hmmmm...



Thank you everyone for making my birthday a special one! I actually thanked everyone who greeted me on Facebook. Why not! I love the thought of being thought of :)

Thank you to my family for still loving me even if I'm soooo me!

Thank You Lord for my year that was. And I pray for an even bountiful year in all aspects of my life! :)

Babies Naming A Baby

Our little angel is due in 3 months. My sister will give birth to a baby girl. Everyone is excited even our little cousins. I don't know if they fully understand what's going on but they are told that "Ate Lenlen has a baby inside her tummy."

Revson and Heart are the youngest people who visit our home. They have been the apples of our eyes ever since they were born. We've witnessed their growth. I became a some sort of a nursery-rhyme-teacher, playmate, story teller, nanny on some days. I love the thought of being part of their growth. Now, they're big boy and girl already. They are already going to school. It's seldom that we see them and so we're so excited for another baby to come.


They are excited to be kuya and ate. They actually thought of what names to give the baby. Everytime they visit, they have something new to suggest. Revson said that when it's a boy, Carlo would be the name. If girl, Carla. And we asked if he had anything else in mind. And he said, "Uhmmm.. Myrna!" Haha! How I burst into laughters. I didn't know where he got that Myrna.

Heart, on the other hand, hugged me from behind when she saw me in church and whispered to me that she came up with a better idea. If boy, Michael. If girl, Mikaella. Well, not bad. She had a better choice than Revson.

I find it sweet that they think about the baby. That they somehow have a concept of being kuya and ate. How I wish they'd just remain cute little angels so we could play and sing forever but they're not babies anymore. They have grown into wonderful kiddos. :)

Little Pieces of Love

I had my Moment of Solitude after work last Wednesday. I take myself somewhere deeper within when I have this moment. Since I had to go to groceries for some errands, it wasn't the usual peaceful moments. But still, I found tranquility. I looked at things and people in a different perspective. Instead of rushing to get all the things I needed, I took time and breathed every moment.

On my way home, life fed my heart even more with love that I needed to be reminded of.

1) Dancing Traffic Enforcer
These men are unsung heroes. It isn't a joke to be standing under the heat (at times, under the heavy rains) for long hours. How much more dancing? It was seldom that I pass by that intersection. There was once that I saw a dancing enforcer but haven't seen a single smile on his face. It was as if he wasn't glad about what he was doing. Or maybe he got tired of smiling already. Or maybe he was worried about his next steps :P

But that Wednesday afternoon, I was glad that the officer was dancing and smiling at the same time. It takes dedication and passion to enjoy the work that we do everyday. I wanna go out of the cab and give him a handshake and thank him for doing a great job, not just for himself, but most especially for giving people a great service!

(photo from gensantos.gov.ph)

2) Father Fetching His Kid From School
I love looking at a picture of a father's love. I saw a man on his motorcycle with his son hugging him from behind and his son's big stroller bag in front. It painted a big smile on face. How sweet the father was of taking his time to show that kind of love. That child was very lucky. It wasn't really about the fetching but more of the power of the hugs that the child gives everytime they spend even just few minutes riding home.

Couldn't search for a picture of dad and child. So just please imagine the two sacks of rice in front to be the big bag. And the 4 sacks to be the child hugging his dad. :P

3) A Man Wiping His Girl's Forehead
I find cute little gestures sooo sweet and gentlemanly. I observed them to be waiting for a ride. The man has glanced on his girl and maybe found something on his girl's forehead and wiped that something away using his palm. Ahhhhhhh... Sooo sweet. Little gestures = Big love. I just find these things romantic and sweet. When a man does even the simplest things for his girl, there's a big love hidden in the heart.


(photo from Google search. They're supposed to be standing on the street. :P)

I, too, had my own share of little pieces of love that day.

I received a smile of approval from a person I greatly admire. His eyes were as if saying that I can climb mountains higher than where I am now. Thank you, Sir. You may never know this but you made me believe in greater things again. :)

Drew said, "Thank you." I asked, "What for?" He answered back, "..for everything." Omg! I wanted to sob on my pillows for joy. How could he do this to me? How could he be so kind in words that night? It made my heart so overjoyed.




There's actually a funny story about that line "Thank you for everything." I use that as my favorite break-up line when my mood swings to its highest peak of not wanting him to be in my life anymore... Just because of nothingness. Girl thing... The moods and all. The first time I said that, he got into his ok-let's-fix-this mode. But I've used it several times already that eventually, it became ineffective anymore. I have to think of another line :)

Ok! As I was saying, he said that before we were about to say goodnight..in his gentlest voice. My heart flew away to the clouds. It sounded different coming from him than from me. I wish I were on his side to lean on his shoulder. Just feeling his presence because I actually, as far as i could remember, haven't done him any favor that day. I did not ask for specifics anymore. Him thanking me for everything was the best affirmation that I'm doing a great job as his girl. Yey! How I felt sooo loved! My heart was full.

Love love love!

I Wanna Be A Billionaire

On a sunny morning on my way to work, I soooo wished I were a billionaire. But unlike Bruno Mars, I didn't think of being on the cover of Forbes magazine. I also didn't wish for my name to appear as shining lights.



I was on a public jeepney listening to a man talking to his friend about his two children in the hospital. His one month old baby was already recovering when suddenly his 13-year-old child started to have high fever and all. He was to go to the barangay to get a certification for a foundation which he deeply hoped would be answering their hospital bills. He was frequently looking at his phone reading messages from his wife telling him that his 13-year-old was not breathing properly anymore and needed an oxygen. I silently hoped that the hospital would take care of the life of the child first before asking for a downpayment.

I did not hear the rest of the story. I was left looking at the man's eyes and found my heart crying. I was so incapable of anything. All I could do was look at him. How useless was I! If only I were a billionaire, I could have helped the man. If only I were a billionaire, I would have helped every family in the hospital who cannot afford to pay their bills.

But as my thoughts deepened, just to lighten up my heart, if I were a billionaire, I would have not heard that story of the man because I would not be on the jeepney. I maybe riding on my own car.

I pray that the child lived.

Happy 1st Anniversary :)

My blog has just turned a year older! Yey!



Congratulations to me, myself, and I and to "all" the 3 people reading this. (Me, Drew and Ate My). :)

Thank you so much for all "our" support :P

Interesting Finds

We were strolling around Mall of Asia and found things which left me in awe even up to now. :P

(1) The chocolates

They are Belgian chocolates named "Plejaden". The J pronounced as H according to the saleslady.

Math lovers, aren't you in awe? It's such a beauty! How clever the people who thought of placing the integrals on the chocolates. :P People can chew Math! Literally. Look, my friend Harvey enjoyed the integrals. :)




I did not take a bite of it though. I can't bear eating my beloved integrals :P.

(2) American-Filipina Couples
It still may seem to be an unusual couple in my part of the world. But in Manila, it was a normal sight to behold. :) And thus, I observed some. And found this:



Americans tanning themselves while the Filipinas, after being asked by their partners to join them under the sun, chose to stay under the shades. It was pretty interesting to me. :)

This third one I saw in Manila Oceanpark.

(3) Spotted garden eel



Eels which seem to look like weeds! I never thought this kind of creature exists. How odd! Are they like this for the rest of their lives? Did they just sprout from underneath the sand and voila! became an eel like how plants grow? Aren't they supposed to be swimming and maybe dancing with one another. Amazing, aren't they!


Simple things can turn out to be so amazing in my eyes! :)

Girlfriends Reunited

We met again! :)


Last year was a big change for us. In June, Ate My transferred workplace. In November, Laiza started her Masters in Manila. The last time we were together was in June so it was a big event when we met again! :)

Ate My and I flew to Manila. She, coming from Davao and I, coming from Gensan. There was no definite plan beforehand. I was to attend a conference in Camsur the next day. Laiza had to attend class in the evening. Ate My had a document to process at CHED. We only had a day so we made the most out of it. We took another 2-hour ride to Laguna for Enchanted Kingdom! Yehey! :)







And as it always has been, we had the best laughters and updates.

I miss you girlfriends! It was a blast! 'Til next time in another part of the world :P

She's Married

Look at us then...

That's me on the left. My sister Len-len on the right. I was I guess 3 and she was 4.

I call her Ating. Ating is 11 months and 3 weeks older than me. :) The close age gap had advantages and disadvantages. When we were still so much younger, I always got jealous of her. The sibling rivalry was always present in my heart but Ating was the kindest and most patient sister so it was so hard looking for reasons to get angry of her. :P

When we got a little older, we became closer. No more rivalry. She was my best girl buddy. From school and heart matters, she was the best. She made my school projects extra beautiful because she had a creative mind and artistic hands. She listened to my every cry and infinitely repeating stories.

My sister had the kindest and most genuine heart.

She got married recently...



How beautiful a woman she has become. As she starts her own family, I could never be happier because she has a lot of love to give. She has loved us well and I'm confident that she'll even be a more loving wife and mother.

I'm proud of who you've become Ting! :)

Goodbye 2010!!!

It took me a while to think of something to post. I usually had a written yearend evaluation but I didn't for 2010 :) Let's just say, I didn't want to recall the pains. :)

But of course, there were greater things than pain like...

Family



It was last quarter when I decided to go back staying at home. It was in 2008 when I thought of leaving home to experience having a life on my own. I stayed in a quarter in school. Though I came to visit during weekends, it was still different. I missed being at home. I was at my happiest when I was with family. :)

Friendship



My two greatest girlfriends took different roads. This was one of the pains that 2010 brought me but the great thing about it was that, we knew how much we loved each other. There were more affirmations of how much love had been planted and will remain in our hearts.


2010 brought lots of surprises which beckons a greater 2011! :)

Wedding Bells Again

Am I hearing wedding bells?!? I'm such a big fan of weddings!!!!!! Are the exclamation points making it obvious? It was just a month ago when I became a bridesmaid for the first time. And soon, I would be a maid of honor for the first time at my sister's wedding! Yahooooo!!!! :)

Me and and my girlfriends often talk about weddings. Even years ago, we have made our pledges for each other's weddings.

I pledged to give wedding shoes for Nenskie.

Shoes also for Norline.

Video coverage and photography for Ate My. And I'll be her maid of honor.


And Laiza will be my maid of honor. Laiz, was it also a pair of shoes? Or was it lechon? Or was it a honeymoon package? Hehe...

We were planning our wedding years before it would actually happen. We even had partial list of ninongs and ninangs. Not kidding! Few of our officemates already volunteered themselves. :) Insane? Nope... We just wanted everything to be so organized by that time. Ok... Insane as it may seem but there's no harm in wishful thinking. :)

It almost slipped my mind that I had an elder sister. Actually sisters but I wasn't able to attend my eldest sister's wedding. (Ne and Kuya Rey, please get married again :P ) So this is a big thing for me. I offered to make the invitations and the bouquets. I didn't want to give this task to just anybody. I wanted the flowers and the invitations to have a touch of a sister's love.

It would be a white wedding with a touch of violet. Ahh... One of my favorite colors. Here are a few of what I found...






How do you like them?

So many choices! I can't make up my mind! Ahhh... Everyone's excited!

Wish No.3

And the third wish! It was lunch at The Farm.

I've been reading about this place and seeing its pictures so I was really dying to go there. And there we went indeed! Yey!

It was a quiet noon feeling the Christmas spirit in the well-decorated restaurant. We were alone(except for the waiter who was always refilling our glasses with water. Hehe.. ) And there was a wedding held in the convention area which was a little bit far from us so it was still almost serene. And because we were alone, Drew had all the freedom to consume everything. :)



We noticed several sinks all over the place and indulged ourselves on washing our hands in each one. :P



There were ponds, function rooms, gardens, playgrounds, a Japanese gazeebo, etc. They have everything!



In the garden: Drew insisted to be a flower! How odd! :P I enjoyed my being a butterfly, however. Fly fly fly like a butterfly! Ahhhh...



Another great, happy moment!

Just One Of Those Good Times

It was the day before Christmas last year when my younger brother was busy taking pictures of my mothers' green thumb's wonderful fruits.

The flowers...







The leaves...






And God's beautiful creation.. The skies...



And then I woke up from a very restful sleep. And well.. you know, when I had good sleep, I felt extra beautiful upon waking up. And wanting to feel even better, I decided to go outside and meet the sun, have a feel of some of its gentle morning rays.

Ahhhh... What a wonderful day... The skies were so blue. The clouds seemed so friendly. I felt the most beautiful creature in the world. And I wanted that the peace and the joy that I felt that moment be captured on cam.

So I asked my brother to take a picture of me. I gave it my sweetest smile and my most gentle pose.

And taddddaaaaah!!!



OMG! What happened?!? He didn't tell me I forgot to comb my hair. :P Nevertheless, this picture still said about the peace and the joy in my heart, right? Look at my eyes. They're sparkling. It showed the joy. Look at how I hold the twigs. It showed the peace.

Ok ok! It's still my hair that destroyed it all. :P

Wish No.1 and Wish No.2 Checked

Drew and I listed the things we wished to do before the year ends. Actually, it's more of a to-do list.:)

Wish No.1 - Lunch in Sarangani Highlands



This place, in my opinion, is the best place in General Santos City. Considering the nature-lover that I am, this has the best views Gensan has to offer. It's so refreshing to be eating with the blue waters and the skies surrounding us. Plus the excellent landscapes and the perfect food and service. :)




I truly recommend Sarangani Highlands for any occassion even little ones. In fact, we went there on a Sunday and I saw many family get togethers. I love SH! We swore to be back there. :)

For the budget conscious:
Jeepney ride from the city - P 25
Habal ride to Sarangani Highlands - P10
Good meal for two - P300 - P500

It's open at lunch to dinner.





Wish No.2 - Veggie Pizza

I love pizza and Drew does, too but only veggie pizza. And so, I set aside my meat cravings to be on the same wavelength with what he liked this time. (Because actually, it has always been what I like and what I want. so, ok. His like for now. Just this once. Well, uhhmmm.. Up until I'll be convinced to give way again. Hehe.)

So there we went to Giacomino's. I love Giaco but only next to Greenwich. Because Greenwich has the pearl coolers but Giaco has none. And the lasagna! Oh my lasagna. When I saw the lasagna on the menu, I almost forgot we were there for the pizza. But I coudn't resist it. I'm a pasta girl. But it's still more delicious in Greenwich.


Going back... These little things are ways to snap out from the usual. Weekends are more exciting because we have things to look forward to. :)

Failed to full charge my cam-bat though so we had limited pictures. So glad there was still left for a pizza souvenir. :)



Thank you for the great things Drew. So with the little things which I won't ever consider simple because everything seems to be grand when I'm with you :)

More wishes coming true. Aja!!!

General Santos City's Lifestyle Magazine

Magandang Gensan! :)

I was at Coffee Dream in KCC waiting for someone. Got some magazines to kill the time and I was in complete awe when I got hold of GENSAN GAZER.

It said on the cover, Gensan's First Lifestyle, Trades, and Travel Magazine. And I got so excited! It was just recently when I wished that there would be something which talks about Gensan. And I never thought that this kind is already existing for quite sometime. Yey!

I'm so glad that Gensan Gazer is now available for the Generals and people at nearby provinces. Gensan's tourism must be improved and having this kind of publication will be a sure help.

Gensan Gazer magazine is published monthly. It's not for sale. It said on the magazine that it's only distributed at affiliate establishments and organizations. I don't know if schools are also given this. I haven't gone to MSU library but I hope that sooner, it would be readily available for all the Generals and for others who would want to visit our city. :)

I've learned so much about Gensan as I was reading through it. And I couldn't help but be excited to visit the places which were highlighted there.

Hey all Generals! Let's salute all the people behind this endeavor!

We can also check out all the issues at www.gensangazer.com.

Enjoy reading! And feel the pride of being a General!

P.S. I've also been following Bariles' gensantos.com. :)

Go For Raisins!

I've only known raisins in my macaroni salad, in my buko salad, maja blanca, valenciana, in a some sort pork or chicken dish. It's considered to be a special ingredient so it was as if a sin at home to eat it as it was. When my mother prepared her dessert, the last to be put were the raisins. My brothers and I would sometimes act like crying, begging our mother to give us some before she'd allow the raisins to dive down to the sea of other fruits.



With my eyes in a slow-mo mode, I would watch the raisins fell down from the plastic container to the bowl of already white-covered fruits and watch them giving beauty to the whole dessert. My mother would then stir up everything and the black raisins would gradually be unseen. It had become white. Ahhh... No excitement anymore but then, when I started to eat the salad, I would search through the fruits in my mouth and when I tasted the raisins, I would shout. "I'm eating raisins! Yey! I have raisins!" Hehe... That's how it was when we were young.

Recently, I started shifting to raisins as a snack. I always craved for it. It's so delicious that I could't get enough of it. It's like Pringles ( a potato chip snack) "Once you pop, you can't stop." :) I heard that it was healthy. So before I got worried of having too much sweets, I searched for the benefits of eating raisins. And voila!!! I'm so glad I was addicted to it. :) Here's an excerpt from an article:

Antioxidants: Raisins are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect our bodies against free radical damage.

Energy: Raisins contain many B vitamins known for boasting energy. I personally eat raisins for this very reason. Raisins are also high in calories, which is important for athletes.

Fiber: Raisins are a good source of fiber, which is important for your body to stay regular.

Healthy teeth: Don't let the sticky and sweetness of the raisin fool you. Raisins do not cause cavities and gum disease, and rather promote oral health because of the oleanolic acid found within them. This acid is very effective in killing the bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal dental disease.

Eyesight: Raisins are also a preventative measure for Macular Degeneration, which is the health of your eyesight.

Bone Health: Raisins contain Calcium which in known for causing bone health.

On top of all the other wonderful health benefits raisins are fat free, cholesterol free, and low in sodium.


How can something be so delicious and so healthy at the same time! Ohhh... I so love raisins! Go raisins! Go raisins! :)

Teaching Is Not Checking

Yeah! Definitely not! I do not become a teacher just to check! I dont want to spend my nights and my weekends bringing all my students' papers and checking them all at home. I dont want to watch my favorite tv shows with bunch of papers by my side and some on my lap using the commercial breaks to attend to the papers. I dont want to skip from my girlfriends' dates just to check papers. No! I dont ever want to make checking an excuse to attend to more important things. No!!!!! (Omg! Excuse me.I was sleep talking! I had this dream when I was still a thread away of being a teacher.)

That was such a nightmare! But hey, that's part of my life as a teacher. A Math teacher! And sad to say, my biggest nightmare is happening. Checking! Checking! Checking! When will I ever be spared of checking? I only wanted to teach! I never wanted to check! Huhu!

But that was when I haven't figured out the beauty in checking. Ahuh! It does have a beauty. ( Just agree with me, ok. I'm also trying to convince myself here. :P) Seriously, as years went by, I had learned to appreciate checking. It's just a matter of acceptance. It's part of the profession that I'd chosen and so I had learned to embrace checking whole-heartedly. Hmmmmmmmm... Ahhhh.... Checking! I love checking! More papers there? Let me have them. :P

I have learned some strategies to lighten up things for me. And I'm so loving every bit of learning I gain.

1. If possible, give short quizzes and assignments - just enough to evaluate the learning.
2. Seatworks can be done in pairs or small groups. This also promotes cooperative learning. (This was what I discovered in my classes - When students do things in group, they learn more because they discuss answers and solicit ideas. Sometimes, when they do things alone, it's either they depend solely on themselves or on others if they don't know the answers.) Cooperative learning works!
3. Give other forms of evaluation instead of just in writing. Try individual recitation or group reporting. It not only makes them express everything they know, it also develops their confidence.
4. Give multiple choice questions during exams. It can serve as a training ground. Board exams are given in multiple choice. Train them early.

The above not only makes things easier for me, it also improves students' learning and classroom experience is more enjoyable.

And another tip, by the way... Check with a group of checkers. I mean, group of teachers. :) That's what we do in the office every after final exam. We stay in the office for a day to check! It may be impossible to finish everything but as the day ends, we'll be more than half way of all the papers. Because, we motivate each other. We laugh together, we eat together, we tease each other, we compete playfully. And everything would just seem to be a play!

I never imagined checking could be so fun after all. Thank God! I would have quitted teaching. Hehe..

Final exams for this semester were done. Here's a view of a busy checking office :)