Have you ever been to a place where you felt like you weren’t welcome or where the people make you feel like you’re up to no good? This is exactly what happens to me each time I enter Fully Booked Bookstore at Gateway Mall in Cubao.
I actually do not choose to go there. My children love being surrounded by books and my 6-year old son has made it a routine to drop by this bookstore after taking a roundtrip on the LRT-3 which we do every so often.
What’s the point of having a Kid’s Section with hundreds of colorful books nicely arranged but NOT to be browsed by kids? Imagine the children’s frustration and the parents’ disappointment the moment they discover that the books here are sealed. I mean, unlike with books for grown-ups, the decision to purchase a book for our children hinges a lot on whether they are attracted to what’s written or drawn on the pages or not. Uhhm, this is impossible when the book is all wrapped up in plastic. I mean, even Amazon.com, in spite of being an online store, does not have this challenge, having made it possible electronically for customers to take a peek at the inside pages of the books they sell. Read the rest of this entry »
Azarenka came home with the title today in her first ever attempt at a grand slam singles championship. As if that weren’t enough, the win also catapults her to world number 1 come Monday.
Viktoria Azarenka
She conceded only 3 games, all in the first set, to former world no. 1 Sharapova before she finally shook off her nerves and found her game, beating Sharapova 6-3, 6-0.
Azarenka loooked disoriented and ill at ease in the beginning of the match. But once she found her range, she began to play clean and solid tennis. And that was enough to defeat the Russian who then started making a lot of errors. Too many, in fact, that she virtually handed Azarenka the match by making 30 unforced errors as against the Belarusian’s 12.
A win for the Russian would have been sweet, and I would attempt to guess that the majority of the crowd was actually rooting for her, including Australia’s Prime Minister…
After being out for a while due to a shoulder surgery and dropping in the rankings in 2008, she has steadily worked her way up to reach world number 4. We would have wanted to see her win another grand slam title as a reward for all the hard work that she has done and as a statement that she is at the top of her game again. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: australian open 2012, australian open women's singles, maria sharapova, viktoria azarenka
We found ourselves again at Museo Pambata last Tuesday, January 17, 2012. My son had been asking for another visit to the museum for several months already but I wanted him to discover the other attractions in the Manila area so I brought them to Manila Zoo instead the last time. He was somewhat fascinated by the zoo. However, he still asked to go to his favorite museum afterwards. I did not oblige.
Last January 17, luck was on his side. We were heading to the City of Manila again and I planned on taking them to the Manila Orchidarium. (I honestly wanted to see something new as well and was trying to do everything to keep us from going to Museo Pambata again!) While on the road, I kept looking up to the skies which foreboded rain. With my son’s request to visit the museum echoing in my husband’s ears, he inquired if I could, – or more like, pleaded with me – to accede to my son’s request.
I said, weather permitting, it would be good for them to be introduced to other places in the area.
Our ambivalence was ended by my four-year old daughter when, upon reaching the City of Manila, she vomited her lunch of french fries and milk. Thereafter, the skies suddenly darkened, as if to tell me, “Just go to Museo Pambata. There is a roof, a wash room and benches”.
This afternoon, I was heading home from the Cubao area when a police man stopped me. I was exiting Ermin Garcia and merging into EDSA southbound. I had to stay on the rightmost lane as I was going to make a U-turn before EDSA corner Aurora Blvd. He said I was on the wrong lane and that the rightmost is only for public utility vehicles. I had to explain that I was going to make a U-turn up ahead. I added that I had been here several times before and was never flagged down.
After asking for my driver’s license which I readily gave to the first cop, a second police man came up to ask where I was headed. He told me that I should have taken the second lane upon making the right turn from E. Garcia. The first cop then asked the other one whether he wanted to give me a ticket or not.
Tags: police
Watch this video and reflect on how the school system, in spite of its best intentions, sometimes unwittingly limits a child’s potentials by failing to recognize each one’s uniqueness.
Conventionalism and predictability are encouraged in the desire to create harmony and productivity in society.
We found ourselves heading for Ateneo High School yesterday to watch my nephew’s the football match against HEDCen. HEDCEn is a school in Taytay, Rizal where, according to my nephew, only football is taught in physical education classes. (please feel free to correct me if this is not accurate.)
That’s why my nephew did not want us to watch their match. He said they didn’t stand a chance against this school.
We were just so itching to watch him after being disappointed about two Saturdays ago when we all trooped to Claret School (yes, the small ones included) for the match against De La Salle Canlubang, only to find out that La Salle defaulted. (That sucked! Good thing I didn’t bring my fan horn…:-)
My nephew told me he would rather that we watch a match where they have the upperhand. But then I said. You never know, your team might pull off a surprise.
And they nearly did.
They made 3 goals in the early part of the first half, 2 of them from my nephew, the other was made possible by his assist. Read the rest of this entry »
The Jones Cup ended today with Iran taking home the championship for the third straight year. Though the Koreans gave Iran a run for their money, Iran were heavily favored to win owing mostly to the presence of 7-foot-2-inch NBA player Haddadi in the team.
Photo: FIBA Asia
Philippine team coach Toroman remarked that Haddadi had improved immensely, making it hard for the Philippines to contain him when the two teams met yesterday in the semifinal round. Toroman was formerly Iran’s national team coach.
In spite of its reputation as the most offensive team in the league, Korea were outgunned by the Iranians when it mattered most. The Koreans held the lead for most of the first half but lost control of the game in the second half. Several times, they came close to tying the match or taking the lead, but did not succeed.
Moon, a naturalized Korean and the team’s versatile scorer, had to be taken out in the first half due to foul trouble. When he was fielded back in during the second half, he could could not find his mark and did not deliver the points for his team. Adding to Korea’s woes is the fouling out of center Ha who was the closest Korea ever got to containing Haddadi. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2011 jones cup, haddadi, iran vs. korea, taiyo jones cup
What’s all the hoot about Senator Zubiri’s resignation being an honorable act?
He’s vacating the senate seat four years after he won by way of fraud. Let’s not be too naïve to believe that he was only a beneficiary of the 2007 electoral fraud and that he had no knowledge that it was taking place.
Now that Koko Pimentel has come out winner in the recount, Unsenator Zubiri has resigned from the Senate. Very smooth move indeed, as it will qualify him for a fresh two terms when he runs as senator in the next elections, and the next (assuming he wins the first attempt through honest means).
It’s like he never assumed office in 2007.
Good that you did not pursue a counterprotest. Remember, Filipinos hate kontrabidas. We love underdogs. That is why Marimar soaps are eternal winners here. And as they say that the lines separating politics and showbiz often become blurred, with Mr. Zubiri’s movie star looks, it is not unthinkable for show business circles to start talking about him. Since he now has more time in his hands, Mother Lily might invite him to star in a movie or two, either to capitalize on his newfound disrepute or to help him recover his cute and charming pretty boy image harking back to his days as congressman.
Tags: koko pimentel, migs zubiri, senator zubiri, zubiri resignation
Finally, our questions have been answered, the anticipation of the first leg over. Will we draw 1-1, 0-0? Will we even score against this Asian powerhouse?
In fairness to the Azkals, we nearly did score in the first half, thanks to Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado, who played a highly physical game and spent a good deal of time rolling over on the pitch. Don’t worry Angel, I’m pretty sure the powers that be on this part of the globe have noticed your skill and hard work. Though what impresses me most about you, apart from your football skills, is the fact that you know Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, by heart! Hope the other foreign-based Azkals take your lead…
Thursday will be a big day. With tattooed Stefan Schrock and Aly Borromeo back, we will be expecting a better showing from the Azkals. Let’s hope the defense will be much tighter and the ball possessions better managed.
Tags: angel guirado, azkals, neil etheridge, phil younghusband, philippine azkals, philippine national football team
As a homeschooling parent, I have accepted the fact that I will be encountering people who will ask, “Are you not depriving you child of socialization?”
Image from Photobucket
That was one of the first questions I asked about homeschooling as well. I guess it is a valid point and the lack of familiarity with homeschooling often drives people to ask this question. To the uninitiated, the term homeschooling could trigger images of a child studying alone and playing by himself. No classmates to chat or interact with and no one to share a snack with at break time…
I’m sure these were the images in this person’s head when she told me recently that I should not have pursued homeschooling.
I’m sure she meant well but…
Tags: homeschooling, reasons for homeschooling, why we homeschool
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