my daughter's story

on my way home today,  my daughter was telling me stories about her classmates in her third grade class,  as she normally does.   She would sometimes be talking about a girl who is so kind that she considers that classmate as her new bestfriend;     Or about a boy who is so noisy in class that his name is always listed in the noisy list written on the blackboard.    Today was another story which, tugged me a bit.    She spoke about this boy named Enrique. 

daughter:     "you know mommy,  Enrique is a special boy."
 mom:         "why is that?"
daughter:     "well,  he uses his sister's schoolbag,   even if it is for girls.  they don't have much money to buy a new schoolbag,   and instead they used their money to pay for tuition fee."

i was touched by my daughter's story.  i'm glad she has such a classmate,  and i'm glad that this will make her value what she has instead of looking for what she doesn't have.

Corner of the Sky from PIPPIN

 I love this song,   i love the lyrics,  i can so relate to being lost at times ..... many times.....

Everything has its season

Everything has its time

Show me a reason and I'll soon show you a rhyme

Cats fit on the windowsill

Children fit in the snow

Why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go

then i would come to my senses and realize that i will just have to look for that special place,   that place where i should be....  that place where i can ramble if i'm a river,   or soar if i'm an eagle.....

Rivers belong where they can ramble

Eagles belong where they can fly

I've got to be where my spirit can run free

Got to find my corner of the sky

and this is not just for me but for every single creature.....  

Every man has his daydreams

Every man has his goal

People like the way dreams have

Of sticking to the soul

Thunderclouds have their lightning

Nightingales have their song

And don't you see I want my life to be 

Something more than long....

Everyone can find, their corner in the sky....

Rivers belong where they can ramble
Eagles belong where they can fly
I've got to be where my spirit can run free
Got to find my corner of the sky

Thank you Stephen Schwartz for this very beautiful song  with the fantastic melody.    I have not seen Pippin yet  and i am grateful to Youtube for making some of the songs and performances accessible.

Why i love fridays. . .

Magic 89.9 which plays 80s music all day long . . . Friday Magic Madness . . . Real feel-good music. They just finished playing Joe Jackson's Breaking us in Two . . . Coming up, Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed!!!

my little mermaid

This weekend was very tiring BUT very fulfilling for me and the whole family.   My 8 year old daughter, Sam,   participated in a swim meet organized by the Lozada Swim School  where she trained this summer.   Yesterday,  she participated in 4 individual events, viz,   freestyle,  backstroke, breast stroke and butterfly,  all 25m.   For her age category,  there must have been around 25 participants that they had to be divided into 3 heats (batches).  Well, i must admit that yesterday, i just brought her, daddy and the yaya to the event because i had to attend my french class (remember?)  and had to bring kuya to his college entrance exam review class.    Got back in time for the awarding and was ecstatic to find out that my dear daughter got gold in all her 4 events!!!

Today was Day 2 of the meet and again,   she participated in the same 4 events,  this time competing against more experienced swimmers .....   and guess what,   she got 2 golds and 2 silvers.    I got to see and record all events this time and i am one proud mama,  considering that i do not even know how to swim :)     Daddy and Kuya were equally ecstatic,  almost losing their voice as they cheered Sam.  

Sam has really become very interested in swimming.  Her hard work and training (plus Daddy's hard work also)  during the summer has paid off and it looks like she will really take this sport seriously.   And, as any parent would do,   we will fully support her.  

The temperature soared today,   but my family more than made up for the heat and humidity this weekend :)

The TODAY Show

I love this show;  i love how genuine the rapport among its anchors is;    i love how they can all be serious if needed,   and really funny and natural a moment later.

This used to be shown at 7 in the morning Philippine time,  that means it's 12 hours delayed;   even then,  i enjoyed watching it as it gave me the feeling that it was happening live (fooling myself eh...);   but then it would get a bit disappointing when i have to leave for work and couldn't finish the whole show.  

Then sometime ago,   when SkyCable rearranged its channels  (the way they do every so often - maybe to accommodate new channels or cover for channels whose contracts were not renewed),    The Today Show got lost.   But a new channel was born -  Ch. 16,  Talk TV.   Lo and behold,   they show The Today Show at night already,   i do not know if it was a live telecast,  i doubt it,  but what i'm sure of is that the delay is just a few hours at most.

Wow,  that was perfect for me,   i now have all the time in the world to watch the full show,   and yes,  i get to see Hoda and Kathie Lee do their funny antics too.    Okay,  i can actually catch snippets of the show on the net,   but watching it on the tube is different.  

This is such a feel-good show for me,  i can't really explain why.   I'm sure you all have something like this.

And today,  Meredith Vieira just announced she's leaving the show after about 5 years.  Didn't realize that it has been 5 years since Katie Couric left and Meredith took over.   One can see how hard a decision it was for her because it was obvious that she also enjoyed being on the show.   She wants to spend time with her husband (who i understand has MS but is now in good health) and kids,  one of whom is graduating from college,  the other one from high school  (lest you think i know her so well,   i just read those in the Today website articles).    Anyway,  what more can you say to someone who wants to be with her family - go girl!

From The Today Show website / Peter Kramer / NBC Universal

And so,  she will be missed.  Glad to know though that Ann Curry is taking her place.  Like Matt, Al and Natalie,   Ann  also possesses a bright personality perfect for a morning show like Today.  

With their bright and sunny personalities,   i do not really  mind watching them  at night. 

The Sound of Music

Was watching a rerun of Oprah on Diva Channel last night -  since it's the farewell season,  they've been showing back to back episodes and i luckily stumbled on two special episodes,  first was the one where Portia de Rossi was guest,   the second one was the one celebrating  The Sound of Music's  45th anniversary.     I read about that episode last year,  but never got to check out the actual episode since i can't seem to catch Oprah on a regular basis here in Manila.

Twas such a treat to see the cast,  Julie Andrews (who is very beautiful then and now),  Christopher Plummer (despite his being 80,  still has that regal bearing)  and the actors and actresses who played the Von Trapp children,  who are now, at least aged 50.    

They showed clips of the movie,  and in the interviews, they talked about several trivia during the shoot,  and what the cast is up to now.  

The Sound of Music is such a feel-good movie,  which provides values focusing on families,  loyalty to one's country and most importantly,  hope.     Seeing the opening scene where Julie Andrews would make the famous turn while on top of the Alps with such a magnificent view makes one really fill how alive the hills are.     I have seen the movie several times,   i thank my folks for introducing me and my brother to this movie,  and i now realize that my kids have not seen this movie yet.  I am sure they will also like it,  so i better go get the digitally mastered DVD right away.

kudos to Oprah who knows how to bring back memories like this . . . no wonder,  she is where she is and what she is now. . .

my french lessons are a bit late. .. .

My trip to Paris late last year was so enjoyable.   I initially wanted to go to as many European countries but twas a good thing my travel agent warned me that  i may be on the move all the time considering the very brief period (7 days) i had so my husband and i just decided to visit Paris and Rome and i'm glad we did.

Paris has a certain appeal - one gets to see the old and the new in this city of lights.  Here are some of the places i had fun in. . . 

Musee d' Louvre

One day is not enough for this repository of great works of art.  Two,  maybe three days would allow one to leisurely go through this museum and absorb the different stories behind some of the great works.

A visit to the Louvre will not be complete without dropping by to check in on her.  If the Eiffel Tower was larger than life,   i was surprised to see that La Gioconda's photo was not as big as i thought it would be.     Tip to would-be visitors:  Go there in time for the opening of the museum, then make her your first stop,  so that you can really go near  (as far as the cordon will allow)  and her visitors would still be manageable.

We also went to see the Palace of Versailles,   this used to be the seat of power when King Louis XIV moved to this place from Paris. Suffice it to say that this place is SOOOOO HUGE!   Not only that,  the palace grounds  includes the humongous Garden of Versailles.  It will take a village of gardeners to tend to that place.

We dropped by the  Basilique du Sacre Couer (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) where one can see the Parisian skyline from the steps of the Basilica.

A few blocks from the Basilica,  we had our first taste of French coffee,  in this market-like square full of small coffeeshops,   and in the middle,  there are stalls selling souvenirs and dainty paintings and drawings of Parisian life.

So you see,   my french lessons would have been put to good use,  if only i took it before my trip last year.  Oh well,  i'm sure i can still use it when i go back with the fam,  which i hope will be real soon.

Will blog about Rome next. . .

patati patata. . .

i started french language class.  i've always wanted to learn a third language,  in fact i finished the first module of  Spanish for beginners many years ago,  but wasn't able to continue as Instituto de Cervantes moved to a farther location.  this year, i felt the need to take up french when my daughter egged me for her to enroll in a french class for kids - and to make sure she can make the most out of it,  i plunged into the adult class so she can have someone to talk to - in French  :)

my knowledge of french is close to zilch - i didn't even know that excusez-moi  was a legitimate french phrase.  Our professor was a young pleasant Filipino gentleman named Robert - when he entered the room,  he started talking to us in French -  i knew that was their style,  to sort of force students to get used to listening to the spoken language.   My Spanish teacher did the same thing.   The students all had blank faces,   including myself.     3 hours of  french class for beginners caused major overload.  But Robert  patiently taught us.   i began to comfortably respond to questions answerable by oui (yes),  non  (no),  d'accord (okay)  or ca va  ( pronounced as sa va, it has multiple uses, but generally means okay) .    I went for a second session and the interest has been building up.  i even got myself a small phrasebook and i've been going thru the various sites available that offer free tutorials in French,  thank God for the internet.

I'm looking forward to my third 3-hour session,   but  i don't think i will be ready to blog in French anytime in the near century. i don't even know how long it will take for one to comfortably converse.   In the meantime, i am just enjoying learning the language.    by the way,  my title is the french version of blah blah blah. . . .

Jusqu' a mon prochain blog. . .

i fell for Eiffel. . .

the first time my husband and i laid our eyes on this unmistakeable French landmark,  we were so awed,  and in the hubby's words,  "it took my  breath away".    I am sure part of that is due to the fact that we  couldn't believe that we were actually in Paris.   And the bigger part is how the Eiffel Tower is so larger (literally and figuratively)  than life.   It has a whole lot of history attached to it being 121 years old.  Hence,  in our short stay,   we managed to drop by a number of times and we couldn't resist taking photos each and every time.  We had photos taken  amidst a morning drizzle . .

.

and on one lazy afternoon . .

and at night  where  the sight was simply unbelievable

Oh,  we also had a shot from under the tower,  while on queue to go up. . .

and while on the second level (too bad that's the highest point we were allowed to go to),  

with a view of the River Seine,   and the shadow of the mighty Eiffel.

While we were on the queue,   we saw slices of Paris society,   like a diorama  -  

There are tourists from various countries  (including European countries)  and  there are also locals accompanying their visitor-friends,  Eiffel being a mandatory stop for sightseeing .  France, specifically Paris  has such a large Tourism industry.

I also noticed a group of women,  who do not look like locals,   dressed uniformly in long skirts and layered tops,  some of them have veils,  and they would approach people  as they say "Speak English?" and if someone acknowledges,  they would show a piece of paper with something written on it.   I actually don't know what they wanted  as i also did not acknowledge them -  my friends who visited Paris in the past have given me a lot of reminders,   and that was one of them.     

I also saw a number of street vendors selling a multitude of souvenir items,    laid out on a blanket and it included all sizes of the miniature Eiffel Tower;   apparently,  they were unauthorized to do so,  as a French policeman would later chase them away . . hmm, so like Manila.     

All these just added to the mystique that is Eiffel.     My visits were  certainly not enough,  hence i hope to be able to do a Douglas MacArthur soon.

magazine addict

What's with magazines. . .  i love mags. . . i love seeing a lot of color,  both in the ads and in the articles.  I love the feel of a glossy . . .  not to mention the smell of a brand new one,  hahaha.  They're bulky,  all right,   especially if you subscribe to a number of them.  I have pondered many times on subscribing to a number of titles  simultaneously, it's a good thing i didn't give in.   I decided to subscribe to one title at a time and i realize that one should only subscribe to a title that  he/she absolutely loves,  whatever the issue is about,  whether it be thick or thin,  whether one likes the cover or not. . .

there were titles i subscribed to where,  after the second or third issue,  i suddenly found myself  accumulating unopened  (yes, still sealed in their plastic) mags.    And i remembered feeling so harassed as i felt i had a growing backlog of stuff to read,  that's real pressure huh.

So now,  i just subscribe to one title which i absolutely adore. . . i.e., In Style.   It has a little of everything, fashion,  celebrities,  home, and lifestyle in general.  The articles are well written,  the font and layout  are so friendly to the reader  (yes,  i notice even that).  

InStyle is unlike other titles which contain very long  articles,   small fonts at that.    There are also other titles where there are just too many pictures and not much written content anymore.    You see,  i believe a magazine should be able to say and show enough  but not too much that the readers lose interest.   Each of us has a favorite title,  as we look at it as educational,  entertaining and,  more importantly for me,   relaxing.

i tried buying a couple of e-magazines for my ipad.   Let's just say it may be sexier than the printed version,   what with all those extra features loaded on each issue,  but i must say i still prefer the printed one.    Nothing can beat the touch and feel of a glossy, and the sound as i turn each page is music to my ears.  So,  i'm staying with the  bulkier version  to rid me of stress at the end of a day's work.   Now i have to do some spring cleaning and discard my old magazines to give space to the newer ones.

20:20

i enjoy playing with the features of this blog engine (is that even what this is called?);  you will notice  that i even revised the font.  i made my first blog on my iPad;  that's good if you're on the go and suddenly had a eureka moment that you wanna put in writing pronto,  but i now realize that it is best to do it on the laptop or desktop because some functions just do not work on the ipad.  

talking about fonts,   just the other day,   while i was in an office meeting,   i was discretely checking my blackberry when a seatmate nudged me as he was so surprised at the size of the fonts in my blackberry (hmpph,  eavesdropping at my BB) -  he wondered if font size was probably 20 ish. . .  that's Mr Exaggerated for you!  it was probably 12 or 14. Standard size is around 10. 




okay, the fonts may be gigantic, by blackberry standards

 I revised the font settings of my blackberry 4 years ago when,   during an overseas seminar, i noticed that i was having difficulty reading the materials given to me -  it seemed i was reading the book while underwater - literally,  there seemed to be some sort of a film stuck in my eye. 

So when i came back to Manila,  i trooped to Sarabia Optical in Greenbelt 1 - apart from the fact that i knew their head optician,  i found the staff generally very pleasant and welcoming  (okay,  so i had a not so good experience there a couple of years after,  but that could be material for another blog, woohoo).  The verdict was,  my vision was still 20:20  (read as,  i can recognize people from afar and still read signages, etc)   but i need reading glasses already -  huh,  reading glasses?  so there, they had me fit this eyeglass-like contraption which is  then fitted with various grades of lenses to determine what my reading glass "prescription grade"  would be.   Then they had me walk around the store,  just to see if my eyes will adjust to the chosen grade.    

The next step was my favorite -  choosing the frame.  I equate this to shopping for clothes as i have to find one that will fit my face shape and even skintone best.   Sarabia has a quite a big collection, from the budget ones to the branded ones.  As this would be my first pair,  i wouldn't want to make a mistake but i knew i wanted something lightweight and of course,  topmost of which,  it should make me look good and not nerdy or something.   I found this semi-rimless pair,  whose temples are pink (wow!);  but what probably did it for me was the picture of a model wearing it -  it looked soooo good on her -  and maybe,  a little part of me thought i would look like her if i wore the glasses,   hahaha. .. . so it was done for me!  i'm such a sucker for ads  :) 

Okay,  the picture does not do justice, but i like the fact that it is lightweight
and has pink temples, which do not look too obvious, oh well. . .  

Before i forget,   i also had progressive lenses fitted in it as i didn't want to wear a "doble vista" pair -  progressive ones are just more expensive but at least,  i wouldn't need to take off my glasses everytime i am not reading.    It was amazing how i compare looking at the same newspaper text with and without the glasses -  it's simply magic  how the letters became incredibly clearer as i looked thru the glasses.


It took sometime for me to totally get used to my new pair.   For one,  i was on denial for a couple of months -  couldn't and wouldn't believe that my eyesight was no longer perfect.  I just couldn't fathom.  During one of my annual check-ups,  the doctor said that when one reaches the age of 40,   the eyesight really deteriorates;   In time though,  i got used to it.  i've come to accept that i do not have super eyesight contrary to what i thought a couple of years back.   I am now saving up for my next pair :)