The Heat is On

I usually watch the 6:30 evening news on T.V. and I am just amazed by the sheer volume of political ads on TV! Imagine politicians having to spend millions of pesos just to be aired for a few seconds on TV during the campaign period. And for what? For a position that pays not more than 70 thousand pesos- subtract 30% taxes to that and other fees- you just get less than 50,000.00 pesos. How do you equate hundreds of millions spent during the campaign period versus the less than a million salary for a 3 year senate term? True, service to people might be their number one reason on running for the senate- but aren’t you beholden to the businessmen and friends who helped you run for the office? They say that the best and most effective media in propelling candidates to the consciousness of millions of voters is through TV ads. But one cannot stop thinking why they have to spend so much in order to battle hunger, poverty, and lack of educational opportunities, homelessness and the list could go on and on. Cannot one instead channel all these money to directly serve the poor and the needy, help in the nation building without the brouhaha and politicking?

I believe that anything in excess is evil. The wild spending of these senator wannabes just isn’t right. My one vote counts and I would not want to waste it to those who garnered many string attachments on their way to the senate.

Watching Brainy Baby videos with Danielle

Most nights are spent watching educational videos with danielle. She stares at the screen and seems to understand what is going on inside the video. She hates it if her father sings along with the ABCs in her left brain baby video- she would shout and kick her feet to remind her father that she is concentrating. Just tonight, she sat infront of the computer sitting in her high chair for an hour while I was feeding her.

I marveled at how much technology is used now to educate little children. 30 years ago, teaching was done with a personal touch. While personal teaching is augmented by technology today, I still long for the days where there is little tv and more playing around with real kids. Today, you can read in the news that children in richer countries are getting obese because of little physical activity- add to that that injury caused by falls from trees are significantly reduced among children while there is a big increase in injuries caused by repetitive action done during computer gaming. Meaning, hands of these children are attacked by cramps, tendinitis and etc. because they stay too long playing computer games. And I couldn’t just believe it when I read it in the news! Computer-related ”injuries”? What’s next in 10 or 20 years from now?

  I appreciated how much the videos helped danielle this early. She can focus for an hour- even to the extent of not responding when we call her. But I still believed that nothing could compare to “personal” teaching. I don’t want danielle to grow up with most of her life hooked in computers. I know that it wouldn’t be impossible in the near future that everything will be digitalized, let alone scenes in Star Wars come to life- but for Danielle- I want her to grow up living a balanced life between real and virtual life. Just enough so that when she grows up, we can still spend time together not in the net but in real life too.

chocolate-induced headache?

I just had a really terrible headache. I was wondering if it was chocolate-induced with the number of cadburry I just ate. It’s really tasty if it’s given free! hehehe- and because it was a gift, I ate and ate and ate to my heart’s content. Who can’t resist dark brown, creamy, heavenly, delicious milk chocolates melting in your mouth with every bite?! I was about to point to the chocolates as the culprit when my hubby told me that I must have forgotten to eat my ritual 4:00 PM snacks. Because I still breastfeed Danielle, I have to eat regularly “bulky” food to keep the milk flow strong. Finally, I understood this headache episode!

And oh, I forgot all about eating because I was so engrossed in making a pinoy delicacy made up of ground glutinous rice with ube, sweet potato, ripe banana, sago, sugar and coconut milk. With the unbearable sumer heat, I kept on drinking cold water- giving me the feeling that I am full. Plus, I kept on tasting and tasting the delicacy while cooking it.

To this minute, I’m afraid this pinoy dish might be wasted because there’s just plenty of it… binignit anyone?

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy easter everyone! My family and I spent this Sunday as usual- we went to church to hear the delayed telecast through satellite of our church’s semi-annual general conference. The proceedings are viewed worldwide to an estimated audience of more than a million.

In the spirit of the lenten season I’ll take some liberty to express little personal thoughts:

In commemoration of the Savior’s atonement and sacrifices for us, I got to ponder and think how I am today, if I have been a better daughter, friend, wife and mother- or if I have followed God’s example.  I remember a phrase that God gave us the gift of life and what we do with that life is our gift to him.  In our christian world- as everyone pauses to remember the Savior, I believe that the best gift we can give to him- is treating our hubby, sons or daughters, friends, parents, siblings, colleagues- and yes- even our enemies, the way God would treat them. I know it is better said than done especially if we harbor ill feelings towards any of them or if they hurt us in ways that we know and think are irreconciliable. But I think the best gift we can give to ourselves is to let go of the burden- not immediately- but slowly until wounds heal.

End of thoughts

Just this minute Danielle bumped her head on the wall. Joseph was playing with her just 2 meters away from me. We put ice on her forehead. Poor girl! Joseph is still cuddling and soothing her to this minute.

A lazy day in the resort

My hubby and I received an invitation from a family friend to spend the wholeday of Thursday on a mountain resort. It must be our fourth or fifth time to visit the place and danielle’s first. Because it’s holy week here in the Philippines, Thursdays and Fridays  were holidays.

With the very hot weather, finding ourselves in a resort 30 minutes from home was a very welcome respite. The resort is huge, complete with a cold spring swimming pool, a dipping swimming pool (yes- steaming water), a wall climbing and rapelling amenity, boating lagoon and 7 waterfalls. You have to trek 300 meters to get to the first waterfall, another 100 meter to view the second water fall, 50 meters to the third waterfall, 40 meters to the fourth waterfall and if it doesn’t drizzle- which could make the trail really wet and slippery- you can reach the fifth to the last waterfall with ease. 

There are plenty of cottages surrounding the resort- with the rate doubling this peak season from 1000-2000 Php to 2-4000. If you will just stay for one whole day, you can rent a gazebo for 300.

Because Negros is blessed with springs, waterfalls- Mambukal resort could easily be dwarfed by numerous tourist attractions in this island! Something that I got to appreciate more now compared to more than a year ago.

The first time I came here to join my hubby, all I noticed was the vast sugarcane plantation. Everywhere we go ( from the City to Negros Oriental)- we are always greeted with endless sugarcanes. Even in the heart of the city, you can still see patches of sugarcanes! 300 meters from our home, beside the Coca-cola plantation is a 5 hectare plantation. I just can’t believe what I’m seeing. Wasn’t plantations supposed to be relegated to the countryside?

But the city that was then to me so sleepy is actually teeming with a lot of life. Albeit, almost all stores close at 8:00 in the evening- their food restos don’t close until 10 or 11 in the evening. Once, I asked my husband why their streets look desserted after 6, he explained that there are many access roads and people don’t tend to linger in the streets after work. Or so we thought, until we got to visit and eat in Mimays, in their Pala-Palas, Aida’s – cars are parked everywhere, that one have to wait to get a parking space! Then I understand that here in Bacolod- all roads lead to restos.

I don’t have to ask why when I got to taste their delectable delicacies, their inasals, tasty sizzling fishes and I could go on and on… and oh- their homemade dishes is also a gourmet delight! Once again, this was reaffirmed to the dishes of our family friend during our holiday in the resort. I really think that Ilonggos have magical hands when it comes to cooking.