Tidbit 010

When I was young and full of hope.....

One of my favorite accessories was this pair of glow in the dark eyeglasses that I enjoyed wearing. I'd wear them on normal days and be in awe that it really did glow in the dark. This was a particular accessory I used for my Arthur Read costume one Halloween about a decade ago. And again some years later for my Harry Potter costume.

And now I really do wear glasses. Go figure. xD

Thoughtful Kids

Last January 23, I went to go to my NSTP insertion at Lagros and got to see my four kids Gaile, Joyce, Honeymae and Novelyn. What was endearing was that when me and my classmates got to the area and they arrived, they all ran up to me and gave me these cute flowers. 8DDD

The tips light up~

Just goes to show how thoughtful your tutees can be. ^__^b

Tidbit 009

When I was young and full of hope.....

I spent time with my siblings and engaged in a number of different games with them. You could say my imaginative and adventurous spirit started with running around the house with my brother and sister playing a possible contender to Global Guts or American Gladiator; as if running from one room to another switching on and off electric fans was such a great relay race. xD

Oh the days when we were young, wild and silly.

Tidbit 008

When I was young and full of hope.....

I never had any particular inclination to learn to play any instruments. But somewhere along the line, I found a little nifty woodwind instrument; the recorder. I think I owned two - a wooden one given to me by a relative from Venezuela, and the other was a cheap store-bought one care of my dad.

I learned the basic fingering technique to play it and found several occasions where I could play a song - mostly nursery songs and the like. xDD

Recently I've pulled my recorder back out from its hiding place and learning to play Bratja (English translation: Brothers) from Fullmetal Alchemist~ ^___^b

College Results

I remember my fourth year of high school with all the hustle and bustle of preparing for the entrance exam into college quite well. I distinctly remember browsing through the courses through my sister's application form two years prior to that already in search of the course I would be interested in. And as early as then I already had a mentality to try out BS Computer Science as a possible selection.

So that's what I stuck with. To be honest, there was a small reason why I chose to take up this course, and that was because of my interest in computers back in my grade school days (and not to mention the teachers I had). xDD So to carry on with that, I wanted to take up something that would keep me in line with what I like and to learn more along the way.

The whole process of filling up the application form, running around and bugging teachers for recommendation letters (at least for my ADMU application) and the whole nerves of taking the exam and then awaiting the results was definitely something to remember. ^___^

Tidbit 007

When I was young and full of hope.....
I used to eat ice cream in the messiest manner possible. My mouth would be smeared with ice cream since I don't think I was briefed on the proper and conservative manner of consuming the frozen treat until much later. xDD

Another thing to note is that my favorite flavor was (and forever will be) Chocolate, so you'd often see my mouth smeared with brown-colored stuff and actually grin about it when a camera was pointed my way.

Don't you just love ice cream? Mmmmmm. Now I'm hungry. DD8

All service lines are busy now....

Cellphones or mobile phones are convenient among people who have one. The basic functions a standard phone has to send messages or call makes contacting other people so much easier and accessible. Of course, there's always going to be a downside to it.

Think of the phone as a lifeline. What you hold in your hand is quite powerful.... and perhaps daunting at the same time. I say this because it serves as your connection to other people, especially to people close to you for instance. So in that manner, you only develop a sense of truth that the person sending you text messages is really your boyfriend/girlfriend if their messages look and sound a particular way. There's also the fact to consider with concerns to habits.

When are the times your significant other doesn't reply to your message? Either they're taking too long to think of a reply, they didn't receive it, they chose to ignore it and not type up a reply, they don't have any more load to send it, their battery is dead, there's no signal, their phone got lost, broken or stolen, and perhaps other insane reasons. How about the times your significant other doesn't answer your calls? Fairly the same reasons above, right?

Some may not think too much of this, but the phone in your hand is a device that can cause you as much stress as too much work in school or at work. And based on personal experience, it's no laughing matter.

I'm the kind of person who easily worries when I don't get confirmation about something concerning Kai. I often overlook having to overspend on my postpaid just to give her a call that costs around Php6.50/min, to hear her voice and make sure that things are really okay. Whenever I don't receive a reply to my messages or she doesn't answer her phone is enough to get me worried. At some points I would try and call several times and hope that she picks up, and that nothing bad's happened to her.

It's a pretty scary experience that only becomes comforting when you finally get that reply or when they pick up your call..... The time you wait for that one pick-up or reply is, I kid you not, nerve-wrecking to the core.....

I guess I worry too much or over-analyze things sometimes to not consider a few possible reasons as to why she's not replying or answering her phone, but I guess that's a testimony to how much I love and care for her to make sure that she's okay when I'm not around.

^___^

Family Dreams

While I'm not one to put much stock in the dreams I have when I go to sleep every night, and remember them once I wake up the following morning, what sticks to me is the fact that lately I've been having dreams involving the members of my family - immediate and extended alike.

It's a crazy phenomenon, but I don't quite understand why that is, either. Usually when I want to dream about a certain set-up it happens for a while but then shifts to an entirely new setting.

The one that I can remember concerns me driving along somewhere with my grandpa in the front passenger seat. And if memory serves me correctly I had that dream before I actually got my driver's license soooooooo. Yeah. Weird.

Now that makes me curious. What am I going to dream about tonight, I wonder?

Tidbit 006

When I was young and full of hope.....

I enjoyed the idea of camping in a tent. Whether it was out in the backyard or even just in the room (yes, there was enough space in my room to put the tent in), I liked the sense of pretending to be out in the woods (of course that wasn't the case) and being able to bond with my siblings (and sometimes parents) and cousins who I slept with during those days. The silly things we thought of when we were kids, huh?

I wonder where our tent is now? Or if we even still have one.... *strokes chin*

Tidbit 005

When I was young and full of hope.....

I was a big fan of Tintin and Asterix, acquiring a basic understanding of the stories from the pictures instead of reading the exchange of dialogues among the characters. My dad often came home with those big, thin copies of the comic versions of both, which was one of the reading materials we really enjoyed having around the household.

Our collection mysteriously depleted, though... >___>

Tidbit 004

When I was young and full of hope.....
I, along with my siblings, was (and are) a big fan of 3 Ninjas, a story about three brothers Samuel (Rocky - "solid and cool as granite rock"), Jeffrey (Colt - "fast and free, a spirit of a young wild horse") and Michael (Tum Tum - "ambition begins and ends with his tummy") Douglas who visit their Japanese grandfather Mori Shintaro every summer to learn the ways of being a ninja.

We quickly associated ourselves with the brothers and from then on referred ourselves as such; my brother as Rocky, my sister as Colt and yours truly as Tum Tum. There was even one Halloween (my sister's birthday) that we all dressed up as the three ninjas to emphasize the point.

Hai-ya! (or as my younger self would say: Boink!)

Tidbit 003

When I was young and full of hope.....

I was a fan of two particular cartoons in my younger years. One of which was Duck Tales, which followed the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his great-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie when their uncle Donald joins the navy. My parents often brought up that my siblings and I loved it so much that just hearing the opening song got us rushing to the television and started dancing. Oy vey. xD

The other when I was a little bit older was Arthur, that aardvark you read and watch that we know today as the one wearing the yellow sweater, blue jeans, red and white sneakers and big round glasses. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia page of its TV series.

Arthur Read, the series' titular character, is an eight-year-old brown aardvark who lives in the fictional town of Elwood City. He is a third-grade student at Lakewood Elementary School. Arthur's family includes two home-working parents, his father David (a chef) and his mother Jane (an accountant), his two younger sisters, Dora Winifred (D.W.), who is in preschool, and Kate, who is still an infant, and his dog Pal. Arthur also has several friends who come from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and he also occasionally meets with members of his extended family as well. Source: (Wiki)

100 ways to show children you care

We were talking about children's rights during our NSTP session, and our facilitator brought up this video I thought I'd share with you guys. thanks to buddythefrog for uploading it on YouTube. I tabulated the 100 ways below the video and share my insights on some of them. I'll put in bold the ones I agree with and in italics for those I want to provide insights.

1. Pay attention

2. Smile - I really think this is important as a sign of reassurance for them

3. Recognize

4. Ask about them

5. Listen

6. Set limits that protect them

7. Say a lot of "yes"

8. Let them show their feelings

9. Play with them

10. Be honest

11. Give them undivided attention

12. Laugh at their jokes

13. Hug

14. Notice when they act differently

15. Show options when they seek advice - if they come to you for advice, don't shun them!

16. Notice when they are absent-minded

17. Read with them

18. Stay with them when they are scared

19. Share their discoveries

20. Share their joys

21. Send letters or postcards

22. Surprise - it's always a good way to keep them interested

23. Call just to say "hello"

24. Give them space when needed

25. Contribute to their collections

26. Talk about their dreams

27. Hold hands - reassurance by gesture ^__^b

28. Talk to them at their height

29. Tell them how great they are

30. Develop traditions

31. Listen to their favorite song together

32. Let them teach you something

33. Cherish family meals

34. Be available - I cannot stress how this will make them happy; they have your time.

35. Compliment

36. Thank

37. Hang their art work

38. Apologize

39. Keep your promises - they will remember the promise you made until you fulfill it

40. Wave and smile when saying goodbye

41. Have fun!

42. Ask for their opinions

43. Show interesting books

44. Talk about yourself

45. Encourage

46. Play sports together

47. Praise moe, criticize less

48. Be curious together

49. Introduce them to family and friends

50. Play outside

51. Help them become an expert in something

52. Admit when wrong

53. Give them a special nickname - it will make them realize how important they are to you

54. Ask for their help

55. Applaude accomplishments

56. Say you are proud

57. Always support

58. Deal with problems and conflicts

59. Trust them

60. Find a common interest

61. Be flexible

62. Value their uniquenesses

63. Let them make mistakes - they ARE humans, after all

64. Let them join in conversations

65. Nourish

66. Understand when they have a hard day

67. Respect their choices

68. Accept them as they are

69. Share adventures

70. Tolerate their interruptions

71. Inspire creativity

72. Speak openly

73. Be silly together

74. Accept their suggestions

75. Make decisions together

76. Celebrate small accomplishments, like the first day of school

77. Build something together

78. Record a message

79. Help them learn from mistakes

80. Encourage them to help others

81. Share secrets

82. Introduce them to important people

83. Tell them your expectations

84. Expect the best, not perfection

85. Respect

86. Kiss

87. Be spontaneous

88. Share a meal

89. Hide surprises

90. Tell bedtime stories

91. Visit when they are sick

92. Be consistent

93. Encourage them to be themselves

94. Dream together

95. Go to events, games and recitals

96. Visit their school

97. Help learn something new

98. Meet their friends

99. Look inside their eyes

100. Love. No matter what. Love.

Tidbit 002

When I was young and full of hope.....

there was no internet to speak of, so I indulged myself in my mother's hobby of doing cross-stitch of pictures to pass the time (however girly you classify the hobby), as I found it quite exhilarating when I could form things like that out of a special sewing method. The first picture I completed was a Pokemon-themed work of Ash and Pikachu that I finished in August 2002 which my mother framed for me and now hangs on the wall of my room. The second one I did was of Harry Potter completed in December 2004 but until now, remains unframed and cluttered somewhere in my drawers.

^_______^v

Pictures of them to follow. xD

Tidbit 001

Inspired by my Physics professor last semester (Sir Clint), I decided to start these short entries to cater to my past dreams and wishes back when I was a child. These series will be in a fill-in-the-blanks format, using the words said professor often used when he jokingly told us stories about his younger days. xD So let's begin~

When I was young and full of hope.....

I wanted to become a baker. I enjoyed eating different kinds of bread and had a dream of being able to bake bread and eat my own creations as well~

^____^b

Week 1 Report

The past week has been tiring, even though it's just the first week back from Christmas break. ~__~ And this entry will tell you why.

The primary reason is because of PE, Phys Ed or however you want to phrase it. If you've been following my entries, you'd know I'm taking futsal as my final PE for my college life. But yeah, the whole reason I'm drained of energy (but somehow pumped in that hour-long class) is really because of running around aimlessly for the ball. Of course you can't blame us for running on instinct - get the ball, get the ball get the ball - since most of us don't really know squat about the rules.

At the same time, though, I enjoy that hour to its fullest because I get caught in the fuel of the game~ If I think about it, soccer in itself is intriguing for me, so I enjoy watching and playing it in its various forms. (No wonder I enjoyed Hungry Heart and Captain Tsubasa and play FIFA on the PS2 with my cousin)

Buuuuuuuuuuut that's beside the point! Back to my report.

Also a highlight for this week, Kai and I went out for lunch for Tuesday and Thursday at two different - not so different - restaurants during our one and a half hour break. Actually, I get out at 12nn while she gets out at 1:30, so while having nothing else to do, I walk off to the MC Lanai to wait out the one and a half hour. That actually heightens my starvation. xDDDD So for Tuesday, we went to Greenwich, and Thursday, our ever favorite Teriyaki Boy. ^___________^b Ah, to spend time with your girlfriend is just so priceless.

And finally, there was the Block N Movie-watching earlier this afternoon at Gateway. We had the great fun of watching Sherlock Holmes and I must say that Robert Downey Jr. did a fantastic rendition of the detective, as did Jude Law of Dr. Watson. ^________^b

So the week isn't over yet, as I have a scheduled NSTP classroom session tomorrow morning (I despise Saturday classes like this). And then, the afternoon and evening will be just as eventful~

Family Gatherings

For me, it's always the case that I don't expect much out of family gatherings, but end up surprised and pleased with the entire thing once it's done and over with.

Take the recently concluded annual bingo tournament we have every start of the year. I see cousins from my mom's side of the family I rarely see to add to the usual bunch of first cousins we always celebrate parties with. What's different about this particular gathering was that I was able to attend it - even though it was just at our place - with my girlfriend Kai. ^___________^v

And to be quite honest, I enjoyed myself just a bit more because she was there with me. She and I won a handful of games each (mostly whiteout games), so we each got some nifty prizes for the trouble. Ain't bingo great? 8DDD

On a not-so-related note, I've had this tendency lately to disseminate my money between Kai and myself to use for our dates, for her commuting troubles and even for material things that she would like that I wouldn't mind spending for. Just recently, I went to Fully Booked at The Block and purchased another manga (Junjou Romantica vol. 10) for myself that cost Php585, as well as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself book that cost Php460. On most occasions, I wouldn't even consider spending more than Php200 for anybody unless I absolutely needed to, but Kai is apparently a different case for many, many reasons. ^_______________^v So she can be spoiled when she can be.

I also ordered another CompSAt Geek Shirt for the two of us; both Plants vs. Zombies (which I ironically do not play) designs. Now, despite the fact that I had purchased her one of the two designs while a blockmate of mine purchased the other design for me as a Christmas gift, I wanted to get us both the other design we didn't have because a friend of ours pointed out that I was supposed to have the peashooter shirt design while Kai had the sunflower shirt design. xDD And he had a valid point, so I decided to save us the trouble of debating and just got reprints that I hope to get by this week. ^___________^b