Hello Blogging, I missed you

Why have I been absent for the longest time?

Life had been really busy for the past few months and I think this trend is going to continue for quite a while. Tight daily schedules are getting tighter, responsibilities are getting deeper and heavier, and if I am fortunate enough to have a few minutes gap or break, I try to utilize it to update my different life lists (really I have a lot) ~ more and more I realise that time is really unforgiving, it will never wait for anyone, even for just one second! Hence, writing was pushed to the back seat, until finally (thank goodness) I had the time to pull it out from the pile of stuff that covered it for months!

Lately, most of my students are complaining about being so tired. I suspect it has something to do with the weather, it was reported that March 2015 was the hottest March since record keeping began in 1880. Ugh, I really hate to think that it will get hotter but common sense suggests that it will be the trend as it is just the beginning of summer season, so I have to bring more water every single day to rehydrate! Most importantly I have to recycle and conserve water and be more active in doing recycling.

Busy April

Right after Holy Week my brother and my sister-in-law had a thanksgiving buffet for their coming baby! So here are some pictures from the event.

My big family

Dad, me, mom, Tita Beth and Tito Ding

Mom, kuya, me and dad

Mom, me, dad, kuya and Ashley

As for volunteering ~

I have been spending my Sundays in Helping Land Tondo, Manila to teach kids in Project Pearls' summer program. I have cute kids here and they are very sweet.

Meet my students:

Kids at work

John-John, Dannyboy and Angelica

Lovely

Creating characters with clay

Kids and teachers

I am planning to spend my Sundays with them until the end of May :)

And yes, we were warned that life changes every single moment and nothing is permanent. But sometimes these warnings were just a bunch of words until we stop and really think about the changes we've been going through in our journey in life. Personally, I never know that teaching will really make a big impact in my life. And a very positive impact. I used to think that I will spend my life video editing and writing articles or making digital presentations but now I believe I found another trail that opens to more possibilities of serving and helping people. Must love teaching!

Preparing for (breathing deeply) SpEd. 

Sound bites 101

Sound bites
Situation: We had a discussion about the word 'belong'

Me: (Introducing an example sentence using the word belong) "This eraser belongs to me."
Student: Mmm, I belong to (the) eraser.
Me: No, the eraser belongs to you not the other way around.
Student: But why?
Me: Because you bought the eraser, you have power over the eraser. You own the eraser. The eraser has no power to own, it has no power over you. Is it clear?
Student: Yes, clear.
Me: Ok, please use belong in a sentence.
Student: I belong to the eraser.

Thought bubble: Is it another one of those existential statements? Why do I have a feeling that it is beginning to be a Philosophy class.

Changes and revisions

Inumpisahan ko ang linggo na nakaplanong dalhin sila mami at dadi sa Cafe Mediterranean, kasi nag-request sila to eat out on family lunch this Sunday. Eh, my tendency is to spoil parents kapag gusto nilang lumabas, oh well paminsan-minsang request lang naman nila ito, so why not bring them to some healthy and yummy place. Pero pagkatanggap ko ng allowance from my work, naku, mukhang i need to revise my plan.

Haha! So I have to rethink things again. Mmmmm.

So, by the way, am enjoying my life here in my tiny little dorm. Habang rush hour sa Makati last night, I looked out my window and marveled at these skyscrapers mushrooming around.

Para kay Ekay

Ang post na ito ay para sa 'yo Ekay ^^

At ang link na ito ay para rin sa iyo Ekay ^^

Sana magustuhan mo.

ParakayE

Mga repleksyon habang hinahabi ang panibagong kabanata

Anim na araw na ang nakakaraan nung magbigay ako ng Graduation Speech sa mga elementary graduates ng aking Elem Alma Mater. Nung una kinabahan ako kasi maliban sa maraming bata ang makikinig, iba ang pakiramdam na ang mga dati kong guro na dun ko lang ulit nakita ay makikinig din sa aking speech, yaiks. Mas lalong tumindi ang kaba ko nung pagdating ko sa school ay isa-isa silang lumapit sa akin at nagpa-selfie pa. Maraming nagsabi na parang walang nagbago, ganun pa rin ang hitsura ko (big grin). Meron ding nangumusta, nagtanong at ngumiti. Iba pala talaga kapag bumalik sa mga taong nakilala natin during childhood - dati ang tatangkad nila, dati sila ang may di nababaling otoridad, dati sila ang mga nakakatakot magalit kasi maraming mga misadventures at curiosities nung childhood days na mabilis nilang sinusuway o nabibisto.

Sila rin ang unang mga mentors ko.

Alam kong napakalakas ng kaba ko nung nag-speech ako. Madaming bulol moments, patigil-tigil at minsan ako lang ang natatawa sa jokes ko pero mukhang naappreciate naman nila.

Isa sa mga napansin ko, kailangan pala ng seamless na pag-co-combine ng sensibilidad ng mga bata (na gagraduate) at sensibilidad ng mga adults (teachers, parents, guests). Kasi di naman pwedeng magsalita ako sa harap nila ng hindi naiiintindihan ng mga bata - dapat pinapagana ko pa rin ang mga imaginations nila habang binibitawan ang mga salita ng aking naratibo/speech.

So ayun, mukha naman naitawid ko ng maluwalhati ang obligasyong ibinigay nila sa akin.

Masaya at nagpapasalamat ako sa oportunidad na makasama ko ulit ang aking mga dating guro pati na rin ang mga bagong graduates ng aking paaralan.

Deep beautiful melancholy

I want you to get into the deep beautiful melancholy of everything that's happened.

- Elizabethtown
Cameron Crowe

Cats in the morning

Meet Grey, the cat

This morning while looking outside our lawn, I spotted Grey (our cat) having her usual morning ritual

She loves lying on leaves as she gets her morning sun

Her eyes are as green as a freshly fallen leaf

After a while, she walked up the terrace and occupied her favorite spot! The glass table.

And Grey has many friends, Orange and Kuting-Kuting

And Lyka. We suspect that Lyka is Kuting-Kuting's mom, well she kept mum about it.

So, we've come to the end of a story of one cat morning. Furry-well everyone til' next time.