Singing in the Rain!

Tabby's first time to splash and dash in the rain! She was so excited and happy that she kept singing and humming while in the rain. The umbrella was pretty much a piece of decoration as she kept on throwing it away every now and then. In the end, I had to give her a bath as she was soaked anyway. The joys of childhood... priceless...

D2's "Dura-Dura" Gang Saga

Alabang-Zapote Road is a long stretch of oftentimes congested roadway that links Zapote, Las Piñas to Alabang, Muntinglupa. One is inclined to think that traversing Zapote-Alabang Road is safe enough since it’s quite a busy road with policemen, traffic aids and barangay tanod peppering the route.  On the contrary.

I was busy preparing dinner when D2 called at around 4:33 P.M yesterday.  She said that she was victimized on the jeep en route to Zapote. She was fine et al  but lost her pouch of chargers, USBs and other laptop/iPhone paraphernalia. That she was currently on board a police mobile car with the suspect in tow. Huh? Rewind please.

D2 got off from work at 4:00 P.M. Wanting to beat the afternoon rush hour; she opted to ride an empty jeepney near West Gate, Alabang going to Zapote, Las Piñas.  Near Alabang Hills, a group of passengers flagged down the jeepney and boarded.

D2 was sitting by the jeepney’s rear entry point.  Seated directly in front of her was a fat guy and beside that fat guy was a man wearing black shirt. Let’s tag the black-shirted man as Guy 1. On D2’s right side was Guy 2 then Guy 3.  The moment Guy 3 seated himself, he started belching and heaving, ready to vomit. After a hundred meters or so, Guy 3 decided to alight since he was about to vomit (allegedly). He made a big show of gagging on his own vomit in front of D2 then got off at Toyota Alabang. The fat guy alighted too so Guy 1 was now sitting directly in front of D2. 

Guy 1 quipped: “Miss, may suka po kayo”. To which D2 replied “anong suka?” as she thought there was no way Guy 3 could have vomited on her. To D2’s horror, she realized that her shoulders, hair and bag had saliva (vomit?!) all over!  Guy 1 was very solicitous in trying to wipe off the “vomit” from D2’s bag. D2, on the other hand, kept on telling Guy 1 to stop helping her as she was starting to have this nagging feeling that something was amiss.  Guy 2, the one sitting beside D2, was seemingly fidgeting and fiddling as D2's bag was being purposely and forcefully pushed towards Guy 2.  Guy 1 was trying to flip over D2’s bag and kept on saying that there was still spit on the bag’s back. 

Guy 1 then got off near Pilar Village, less than 200 meters from Toyota Alabang where Guy 3 and fat guy got off.  Guy 2 got off right after SM Southmall. Little did D2 know that the whole scenario was being scrutinized by two high school students. At the Moonwalk Junction, D2 noticed that her bag suddenly became lighter. She took a look inside and exclaimed that she lost her pouch! The two high-schoolers exclaimed: “sabi na nga ba e! Dura-Dura gang ang mga yon!” (dura is spit)

The high school students pointed out to D2 a mobile car parked along the road. D2 got off near Lozada and ran to the mobile car to tell her story. The very efficient policemen quickly asked D2 to get on the police car hoping to spot any of the cohorts along the road. A few meters away, D2 spotted Guy 2 riding another jeepney. She quickly told one of the policemen and they raced to cut-off the jeepney. 

This  is  Guy 2

Guy 2 is Arnold

 To cut  short Guy 2 was apprehended. He called his cohorts and told them to give back D2’s pouch. The accomplices left D2’s pouch in the restroom of Jollibee Casimiro so D2 was able to recover it.

By the time my son and I reached the sub-station, I was quite decided to tell D2 not file a formal complaint against the culprit. I even talked to the suspect and was quietly “sermonizing” him on the demerits of what he has done. The commanding officer of the sub-station encouraged us to lodge a complaint  against the suspect since the so called Dura-Dura gang has been terrorizing commuters in and around Las Piñas for some time now. 

  

After 5 hours, we were finally able to go home - tired but wiser about double-word-entry MOs: budol-budol; dugo-dugo and dura-dura.

  

Folded Clothes No More!

My maids decided to go on a loooong vacation which means to say, they  have decided to seek "greener" pastures. I would not have mind IF I didn't have to work for a living, attend to numerous church activities and ministries AND take care of a budding "tornado" of a little girl. Look at the photo above. I spent an hour dutifully folding clothes. I just had to go check something and in less than a minute, this is what greeted me! Noooooooo!!!....

Monday Blues

It is a lazy, rainy, gloomy, Monday. As usual I woke up before my alarm clock was set to ring at 5:30 A.M. Monday mornings are just hectic for me. My son is off for the week and I have to make sure everything is ready and packed. Daughter #1 is on duty today until tomorrow. Daughter #2 has to be in school real early - she has been elevated to senior level teacher and IB teacher. Daughter #3 has a patient at 8 A.M.- a child of 5 is to have multiple teeth extraction and has to be sedated. Daughter #4 is all toxic for today is the start of her midterm exams. Ethan added to the hullabaloo by waking up earlier than usual and demanding to be fed ASAP.

By 6:30 A.M everyone's out of the house. I was left with Ethan and was tasked to take him to school later. As I was seeing my kids off I noticed that the sidewalk gutter at the front is filled with mud. Instead of assigning the job to the maid, I got the shovel and started to dig up the mud. Oh, this is hard. Just then a neighbor passed by and shouted "hoy! bakit ikaw gumagawa nyan?" ( why are you the one doing that?). I just put down the shovel -mind you it's the rectangular biggie shovel- and smiled and waved at her. I continued with my work. The mud was pretty thick and smelly. I started to sweat and swear. If my mother could see me now she'd die!

I tried to hasten my work for several neighbors ( going to work) are coming out of their houses now. I got the broomstick and dustpan and started sweeping the remaining dirt. I was able to clean up the front sidewalk pretty well. The stinking mud is gone and I am left with the thought that for the rest of the day "I have nothing better and of consequence to do."

I felt sad.











picture courtesy

Stage Parents

You see him in the soccer field - arguing loudly with the coach
that his son should play forward.

You see her in the classroom, during parent-teacher-orientation,
arguing with the teacher regarding her daughter's grade.

You see him at basketball games or practice-
forcibly making his son do that crucial shot.

You see her huddled in front of the computer
editing her son's essay. (ouch!)

You see them everywhere: Stage Parents

Why?- Because parents today are going to extremes - determined to do anything to make a better life for their children - a perfect childhood for their children. Afraid that their children will make mistakes, most parents today simply refuse to let their children develop at their own paces. They push too hard in terms of academics, sports and the arts.

Oh, my two-and-half-year old son can read phonetically.

Ah!, my three-year old daughter can do double digits addition.

I enrolled my 5 year old daughter in ballet and jazz. I just hope it does not conflict with her piano lessons.

Too much too soon . Your kids might be burned out even before even reaching middle school. I have a few tested-suggestions.

Take a real interest in your kids' lives- do not let them be extensions of yourselves. Let them develop at their own pace. Guide them but do not strangle them. Listen to what they have to say. Be firm, not hard, in handling your kids.Teach them good values and morals for their moral compass. Let them climb the ladder of life - but make sure you're right behind them ready to catch them less they fall.