Preparing for the Debutante's Big Day

Its almost summer! Uh-oh. I think I just lost myself there in a dream.

My niece Bianca Celine

Summer will be here in a few months' time. Soon we will be saying bye-bye to the cold nippy weather and welcoming the warm (or hot) sunshine. I am excited for the summer this year, not because of the beach or the bright blue skies, but because my beautiful niece Bianca will be celebrating her 18th birthday. 

The whole family is planning a big party for her. She's my sister's only child and she wants it to be really special. I have been thinking of something to contribute for Bianca's once in a lifetime event. My youngest sister will be the one to take care of the audio-visual presentation and my brother is currently looking for a good live band to perform during the event. I was thinking of taking charge of the party favors. I have two months to plan carefully for a small memorabilia to give her friends who will attend her party.

I have always been on the practical side and I want my party favors to be something her guests can find useful and not just sit on the shelf collecting dust. Walking out at noon one day gave me answer I have been looking for. I will purchase caps! The summer sun would be at its peak during the month of May and a good baseball or cadet cap would provide protection from the glare and heat. I started looking around for dealers of wholesale caps in various designs. All those hours I put in searching online turned out to be fruitful. Shopforbags Inc. had such a wide selection of cadet caps to suit anyone's taste. After looking through their website, I have decided on these two designs - one for the girls and one for the boys. 

For Bianca's girl friends, this cadet cap with a beaded pink bow applique is practical with a girly bling. Keeps the sun out of the eyes and protects the hair from drying out in the harsh sun. Perfect for walking to the mall, going to theme parks or strolling along the beach.

This baseball cap would be best for Bianca's male friends. The perfect accessory for attending sporting events, or for doing outdoor sports - biking, hiking, or playing tennis. The unique eagle design is sure to stand out. 

Reasonably priced and ultra stylish, this is the party favor I have decided on. I am positive Bianca will love this and I am sure her guests will too.

8 Things My Parents Forgot to Teach Me

When I was growing up, I resented my parents' strict rules. Their constant push for me to learn a musical instrument annoyed me. They wanted me to appreciate the finer things in life like art, sculpture, dance and classical music. They gave me these privileges that children my age could only dream of. 

Despite my desire to just go out and play, I had to abide by their rules which were as clear as the light of day. After school, I had to clean up and then do homework. After homework was piano lessons. After piano lessons, my mom would take me to dance class. By the time dance class was over, it was almost time for dinner. Bedtime would be at 7:00. Dad would start to play classical music on the stereo - Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, occasionally there would be Mozart. Those were the last sounds I heard until I fell asleep.

Mom and Dad were the best parents anyone could ever have. My first teachers. My role models. My only regret was that they forgot to impart their wisdom on the following things:

1. My parents forgot to teach me how to kiss ass and how to be an effective brown noser.











2. My parents forgot to tell me that there will always be one major meritricious person in every organization.

3. They did not teach me to be impervious.











4. They forgot to warn me that speaking my mind can backfire.

5. My mom and dad did not teach me to favor deceit in exchange for career advancement or personal gain.

6. They forgot to warn me about people who fall into the Nugatory, Pecksniffian, Puerile and Autocratic category.

7. They did not give me instructions on how to deal with people who fall under the categories stated above.

8. Lastly, they never told me that some people never grow out of kindergarten. Mom and Dad forgot to warn me about people with a weird gait - one step forward and one mile backward.

I am forever thankful for having been born to such wonderful, mature adults who took their responsibilities as parents to heart. The only drawback was that they thought the world is all good.

I have learned to cope on my own. Life gives valuable lessons. 

The cycle ends here. 

The Rich, The Poor and The River

One early morning at work, I stood up from my desk and decided to take a quick stroll outside. I had my camera with me, as always. I walked to the property line of Eastwood City where I work. I wanted to see what was beyond the fence, across the river. Why wasn't I surprised? It was a shanty town. Collectively known as "informal settlers" or "urban poor," these people live in poorly constructed, flimsy shelters they call home. Families whose lives are in constant danger of natural disasters. In a downpour, the river could immediately swell and reclaim its banks, sweeping away their houses, their meager belongings, their dreams, their lives. 

After I took a shot of the shanty town, I swiveled my camera 90 degrees to capture the high rise apartments and office buildings that make up Eastwood City.

Below is a picture of the area (Source: Wikimapia). I was standing on the point marked "X," where I captured the two pictures shown above.

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the 2012 Full Year Official Poverty Statistics revealed that there are 4.2 million poor families in the Philippines. That figure equates to 19.7% of the entire population. In simple terms, it means one out of every five Filipino families was estimated to be poor. The study also revealed that an extremely poor family of five would need to have a monthly income of Php 5,513.00 (~US$ 123.25) to buy the minimum basic food needs. 

It is such a sad reality to have to live with this inequality. To see so much suffering and hopelessness, to see the children begging and crying for food. 

The government can only do so much to address this issue of rising poverty in the country. However, if I had some kind of power, I would relocate these people in a place complete with housing, employment opportunities, and access to primary health care, churches and recreational facilities and invest in their tenacity to survive by initiating small scale enterprise, similar to the NACIDA (National Cottage Industry) project during the Marcos' time. 

I may just be dreaming to make myself believe that there is an end to poverty. 

As I walked back to the office, I could not get the thought out of my mind. I have witnessed both affluence and poverty in a financial/monetary perspective. 

The river symbolizes the division between rich and poor, however the perception of "richness" and "poorness" would depend on which side of the river you're standing on. 

Open your mind.

Photo Walk: A Day in the Life of a Night Shift Worker

Sharing with you photos of a day in the life of a night shift worker - that's me!

My "day" begins in the late afternoon. 

Today I aimed my camera up to capture the airplane flying overhead.

As dusk creeps in, I start making dinner for my family.

Their "dinner" is my "breakfast"

I take a short walk to the corner store/bakery to buy a few things.

Freshly baked buns, half a dozen eggs, maybe a bottle of ketchup or a bag of potato chips. 

It is 9 pm. 

My last task for the day is to take the garbage out, then its bedtime for me.

3-4 hours is enough.

It is now 1:30 am. I leave for work.

No need to put on sunscreen. 

No need for shades.

This creature of the night just wishes for one thing...

To go back to bed and sleep.

This is how our street looks like in the wee hours of the morning. 

I have to do a 50 meter walk to the main road where I get a cab to take me to my workplace.

It only take 10-12 minutes to get there.

I have almost forgotten how it is like to get stuck in traffic.

And then I spend the next 9 hours of my life sitting on a desk, staring at a computer screen.

9 hours of listening to the agents' calls, and trying to stay awake.

It is 11 am. 

Another work day is done.

I do my grocery tasks and start the journey home.

This is the best part of the day.

The next two steps I need to make to get in the house.

Happiness.

I'm home!

"There is no other feeling comparable to the warmth of being with family."

The Beat of a Drummer's Heart

Whenever I get to see a live band performance, the one that catches my attention is always the drummer. I have always been enthralled about percussion instruments, and a good drummer sweeps me off my feet. 

Drummers have an innate ability to recognize various rhythmic patterns and tempos. They have a keen ear that recognizes different timbres and enables them to hone in to that and groove to the beat. My son receives a full academic scholarship in the university he attends because of his service to the band and pep squad. He had held the post of Head Drummer for two years in a row. He is now the Vice President of the organization. I would say he has a talent for music, specially percussion instruments. In two years time, my son will graduate and I have been looking for a gift that he would really enjoy and probably make a living out of. 

As a parent, it is my duty to provide for his needs and support his talent to take it to the next level. With this goal in mind, I have decided to get him a drum set. Him and his friends have already tried playing music together so why not get him his own set? Budget wise, it would be better than having to pay rental rates in a music studio. 

I have secretly been searching for a good set and I have decided on the affordable tama imperialstar drum. It is beautiful! It is a handsome 8 piece drum set in midnight mist color, with high quality brass cymbals. Perfect for my little drummer boy! I am absolutely positive that this is the right gift for him. 

In a few years time, I envision myself in the front row of a big concert venue watching my son. I will be his biggest fan.. maybe I could be the president of his fan club! Unless of course, a bunch of screaming young girls beat me to it.   

Parent Talk: Priceless Advice the Lasts a Lifetime

If I were to name one piece of advice that my parents taught me that still sticks today, I would name one for each parent.

My dad' advice: 

"When you marry, you will have to learn that there will be very little left to be called your own. You will share everything with your husband. Yours and his will be called "ours." There is only one thing that you should keep away from. Leave your husband's wallet alone. In a marriage, that is the only thing that a man is allowed to kept private."

Many many years have passed, and even I have parted ways with the father of my children, I still follow this piece of advice. I now have a new love of my life and I keep my Dad's advice in mind. I have always wanted to know the reason for my Dad's advice. Now I understand. It is not so much as to knowing what's in there. Its the trust you give your spouse that there should NOT be anything in there that would hurt you.

My mom's advice: 

"In a relationship, you will learn that giving is everything, but remember to always save some of yourself for you. You should also love yourself. Get a haircut, pamper your self with a new blouse, or a new pair of shoes once in a while. Take part in decision making. Do not depend on your husband for this. A partnership cannot be called such if it is only one person who does the planning and decision making. Spend a few quiet times to appreciate what you have and to thank God for the blessings. When you learn to love yourself, you will be more effective in spreading that love."

My mom had such a hard time recovering after Dad passed away. My father spoiled her to death, providing and attending to everything including paying the bills, insurances and the like. Mama was his Queen. When Dad died, we were all at a loss. We did not know how to move on. Mama learned the hard way that a woman must be given some responsibility in running the household, other than just "motherly" tasks. She learned to do things on her own. Although she misses Dad's pampering, Mama is now happy in the company of her friends. I look up to her as my source of strength. 

My Mom and Dad. This picture was taken during their 25th wedding anniversary

How about you? What priceless piece of advice did you get from your parents?

His Heart of Gold

My youngest son has always been the thoughtful one. Ever since he was little, he always made sure he had a little something for me when he got home from school. He'd give me a little wildflower he picked on his way home, a candy bar or lollipop that he bought out of his allowance. 

My son's gift to me on Mother's Day 1999

A few days before Mother's Day in 1999, I still vividly remember my son counting change and putting it in a little cloth pouch. I even teased him and said "Oooh, lookity-lookity! You're rich!" He was 6 years old then. I got the surprise of my life the following Sunday. He woke me up and handed me a little envelope, saying "Happy Mama Day, Mama!" I opened the envelope and found a little gold-colored plastic heart necklace! The chain was made of gold-colored garter thread with the plastic heart pendant. So that was what he was saving up for! It brought me to tears! I have kept that gift. It was that precious to me. 

My gift to my son for his 21st birthday

Now that my son is a grown man, working hard to earn his college degree, he has never changed. He is still the thoughtful one. He helps a lot around the house and sits beside me on the couch to watch TV or pull a joke on me. In a few month's time, he will turn 21 and I have found the perfect gift for him. I will give him something like the necklace he gave me 15 years ago - this time it will be real gold. I looked at Reeds necklaces and I found the perfect one! The Teeny Tiny 10kt Yellow Gold Heart Necklace is made of 10kt yellow gold, a 17 inch chain and a gold heart! 

It will be a token of my appreciation for him being such a good, thoughtful son. It is only a small gift but to make it more meaningful, I would show him the necklace he gave me when he was a kid and I know he'd be surprised that I kept it all these years. The price is reasonable enough, so I will buy it tomorrow and wait for his special day. I am so happy and excited! 

10 Amazing Body Facts That Made Me Go "Wow! I didn't know that!"

There are amazing things about the human body that are worthy of the "Wow! I didn't know that!" reaction. Here are some of the few:

1. Your forearm and your foot are the same length. Try measuring the length of your forearm (from the crook of your elbow to your wrist) and compare it with the length of your foot. You'll be surprised that they are the same length.

2. Our eyes see images upside down. The physics of light refraction causes the upside down impression on our retina. However, these sensory images travel through the optic nerve into the brain and flip the image to its actual upright position. The first time I learned about this, I had this crazy idea that the world is really upside down.

3. Dimples are anatomical defects.These facial depressions, visible when a person smiles, adds to a person's attractiveness. However, dimples are actually an anatomical defect, caused by shortened facial muscles that cause the depression ("dimple") when a person smiles.

4. We have our own unique tongue prints. Just like fingerprints, we have our own unique tongue print. From now on, I would refrain from sticking my tongue out to protect my identity.

5. Our wingspan is more or less equal to our height. More often than not, the length of our wingspan is equal to our height. There may be an inch or two difference but this is still an amazing discovery.

6. Babies see clearly at 8 months. Babies have poor vision at birth because their sense of sight is still in its developmental stage. At six months, they have clear vision at a distance of 12 inches. Their visual acuity reaches 20/20 at eight months.

7. We were born with about 300 bones in our body, and as we grow into adults, we will only have 206. We have more bones at birth than we have during our adult years. When we are born the bones in our head are not yet fused to enable us to traverse the birth canal. The bones in our wrists and ankles are the same. Complete fusion of the bones in the head are achieved at age 2, while the bones in the wrists and ankles are stable and completely fused at age 17. 

8. Our body is made up of 65% water. 
We need to maintain this amount of hydration for our bodies to function properly down to the cellular level. Once we lose 1% of our total body water, we start to have the sensation of thirstiness.

9. Of the 5 senses, the only one that does not totally dim out during sleep is the sense of hearing. Our ears continue to receive sound waves during sleep, however, we do not "hear" these sounds because the brain does not process it during certain sleep phases. But seeing as your ears are on the clock 24/7, they’re also the most likely of your senses to get damaged. Visit a local audiologist if you feel your hearing level isn’t quite what it was. 

10 . In a normal anatomical position, our true waist is on the same transverse line with the crook of our elbow. Waistlines are usually measured around the "narrowest" part of the body. However, this would be difficult for individuals who do not have an hour-glass figure. A better way is to use this method.

Are there any other body facts you can add to this list? Share in the comments below.

Michael Christian Martinez: An Inspiration for Filipinos to Dream Big

Photo credits: AP/Ivan Sekretarev

The Philippines has earned its place in world news once again. This time its not about the rebels, the insurgents, the dirty politics. Its about a 17 year old boy, Michael Christian Martinez - our very first figure skater who wowed the judges in the #2014WinterOlympics in Sochi, Russia.

Oh yes, you read it right. A figure skater from a country without snow! Southeast Asia's very first! 

This young man, Michael learned ice skating by practicing in a mall ice skating rink. He came from a middle class family, and paying for use of the ice skating rink is considered a luxury. Nevertheless, his parents found ways to support him in achieving his dream and they have never looked back since then.

Michael is an inspiration to Filipinos. At his young age, he showed his countrymen that nothing is impossible. He showed us how to focus on our dreams and how to work hard for it. Failures are strategically occurring "road bumps" designed to make us plan, rethink our options, and carry on. 

He may not have brought home an Olympic Medal this time, however, to be able to finish 19th out of 24 competitors is an achievement in itself. 

Michael Christian Martinez. 17 years old. Proudly Filipino.

Sharing with you a video of one of his performances.

Video credits: HerculeanBreed
http://www.youtube.com/user/HerculeanBreed

Helping You to Help Others with #GlobeProjectWonderful2014

Sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and its entire eastern coastline facing the vast Pacific Ocean, the Philippines has seen the worst calamities in recorded human history. However, we are a resilient race, never bowing down to nature's fury. We come together and rebuild, hoping for the best to come out of each and every disaster.

This year, Globe has initiated a program called #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014. This telecommunications giant has joined hands with the government, non profit humanitarian groups and volunteers to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, a Category 5 Super Typhoon that left the Visayas in a pile of rubble. 

In their efforts to create a better world for our less fortunate brothers, Globe has given me the chance to send them ideas on how they can extend more help. They'd choose the best idea and turn it into a reality. The task is simple. All I have to do is to answer one question... 

"If there is one thing you can give to the Philippines, what is that gift?"

I was in deep thought for several days. I listed things like stop the wars, better people in government, better textbooks for public schools, etc. etc. I asked the same question to family and friends. I got responses like money, money and more money. Oh my, are we that desperate for money? We can only be good until we have spent the last centavo. So I scratched out money from the list. 

Sometimes, ideas come to you in the most unusual time and place. Mine did. I was in the toilet doing my morning duties when it dawned upon me. 

I would want to give latrines/toilets and access to clean drinking water for the entire Philippines! I want them constructed in the far flung baranggays and tribal lands, in the poorest neighborhoods and rural areas, along provincial highways, and in evacuation sites.  

In the Philippines, an estimated 26% of Filipinos do not have improved sanitation, translating to more than 24 million people (UNICEF WHO Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation 2012 Update).  Almost 8 million Filipinos are openly defecating, which is the third highest total in the Asia Pacific Region. 

“Under the leadership of the Department of Health, the Philippines has made significant advances in sanitation over the last 20 years, however we are in jeopardy of not reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goal on Sanitation because the poorest 20% of the population is sliding,” says Tim Grieve, Chief of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene in UNICEF Philippines.

Over the last 20 years, the poorest 20% of the rural population went from 36% open defecation to a staggering 48% open defecation.  Poor sanitation and poverty go hand in hand, and the rural poor are four times more likely to practice open defecation than in urban areas.   Sanitation coverage in poor provinces such as Masbate and Maguindanao is as low as 38% and 30% respectively (FIES 2009).

It is alarming to know that despite the economic growth, millions upon millions are still living in dire conditions. No toilets, no clean drinking water.

Children in the poor rural areas are tasked with fetching water from a well or an open pit to use for household purposes - cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing clothes, and yes, drinking. In worse case scenarios when the well dries up, these people get along with water from a pond or stream. 

Without proper sanitation and clean drinking water, we are putting our brothers' lives at risk. Water borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, intestinal parasites and other infections abound and directly affect children under the age of five. 

Latrines/toilets constructed in these areas must be accessible, safe from flood and sturdy enough to withstand an earthquake. The same should be with the water supply. A perfectly engineered reservoir to store water  would be best to ensure every household would still get clean drinking water if a calamity would strike. Maintaining these facilities should be addressed by the local government and by the collective effort of the beneficiaries. One successful project by UNICEF similar to this has been put in place and it is my wish to have more of them. Adult education and aggressive campaign to push the importance of sanitation and frequent hand washing should go hand in hand with the construction of these facilities.

I wish to see this dream fulfilled. I have no financial capacity to do this on my own. However, with Globe's Project Wonderful 2014, I am confident that the people behind this campaign would hear my plea. Should my idea be chosen among the millions of entries, Globe would make this dream into a reality. 

Let's do it for the sake of the future of this nation - our children.

If you were to be asked the same question, What gift would you give to the Philippines? (If my "gift" gets chosen, Globe will also choose the most creative reader comment on this post and award them with an iPad mini.) 

Share your thoughts. Support #GlobeProjectWonderful 2014 and let's all work towards achieving a better Philippines.