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. . .