Aside from the knee and lower back problems I’ve been carrying for years now and the ‘I forgot’ episodes, there is another sign that really tells me I’m O-L-D.

I was born in 1977. This just means I was already so much alive and kicking during the New Wave era and in the 90’s. My favorite band was and is The Cure. And let me also mention the great Metallica. There were also Guns n’ Roses, Fra Lippo Lippi, Madonna, Culture Club, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith and so much more. In the local scene were The Wuds, The Youth, Grin Department, Alamid, etc. The 80’s and 90’s music were really great and they still are being played up to now. What I’m trying to say here is I was a fan of loud music – heavy metal, rock, grunge. And until now, whenever I hear the songs of these people, which is very seldom, I sing along. But when Jeff plays his favorite CDs – Maroon5, Linkin Park and I don’t know what else, I always feel like my head is being hit by hundreds of drum sticks - all at once. He also likes playing Red Hot Chili Peppers. One time when he was channel surfing, I caught a glimpse of a music video of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. I immediately told him to let me watch it until it finished. Then he started asking questions like ‘Who are they?’, ‘What’s the title of the song?’ ‘Are they famous?’, etc. And guess what? When he asked me to help him download some songs for him, the song ‘Fuel’ of Metallica was on the list he gave me. I don’t know how he knew about it. For quite some time now, I keep discovering that he knows so many songs and artists that I don’t know exist.  Most of them are loud.  Though I love listening to ‘old times’, Jeff’s choice of music is noise pollution to me!  Now that is one surest sign . . . . .

What are your signs?

The competition for the Best in Talent this year are among the girl participants only.  Last year, the boys were the ones who wowed the audience and the judges.  This is in connection with the UN Day celebration on Friday.  Participants from the Kindergarten to High School performed.  Some did a solo act, while others performed in group.  Sam, Jeff’s partner and the Ms. Greece candidate, danced to the tune of ‘Bleeding Love’.

That’s Jeff with his UN partner, Sam.  Please note the arm band

And this is him with one of his friends.  

Here’s the whole dancing group with Jeff seated wearing his ever famous arm band which was given by his father.

And the video I took of Sam’s group (of course, with my very reliable phone, Asus V-75).  Jeff is easy to spot.  Just look for the white arm band

The school called this the ‘pre-talent’.  They are choosing which candidates are best to compete for the title ‘Best in Talent’.  Chosen candidates will be announced tomorrow and will perform again on Friday.  That’s when the judges will pick the winner.  I hope Sam gets in

OOOPS:  I don’t know why the audio won’t play.  It’s playing here in my computer, but it doesn’t make a sound when uploaded.  Go ahead, throw tomatoes at me.  I deserve it

Here are some shots I took during the photo shoot this morning.  They were just taken using my camera phone, so please put your faces closer to your monitors to see clearly.  Translation:  Pa, I really need a new camera (that’s for my husband who always reads this blog). I was so close to taking home the photographer’s camera just to let my grandma and the others here at home see Jeff

Here is Jeff together with his partner, Sam.  She’s half-Filipino, half-American.

And this one was just before we leave the studio

And that’s it for the casual wear!

I am going out today to check the costume stores for anything Greek. I’m looking for a Greece traditional/national costume for Jeff. He is representing Greece in the UN celebration the school is holding on Oct24. We already bought the clothes he will wear for the photo shoot tomorrow for the casual wear. After the truck load of school projects, this is next. Plus the rehearsal on Saturday, which happens to be my laundry day. Plus the field trip on Oct18 – another Saturday, another laundry day. Plus the exams the week after that. Then the UN. Oh! And there’s also the baptismal of a friend’s baby on the 26th where I am going to be the oddparent godparent. Aaarrrggghh! What an October! I can’t wait for the sem break on the last week of this month.

Anyway, I have to get going now because I promised Jeff to bring him his lunch to school today. We agreed that I will just wait for him at the lobby to hand over his lunch box then I’m off to the costume shops. No, there’s no need for eyeglasses. Just hoping to find something today. Good luck to me! Bye for now, people!

And speaking of eyeglasses, here’s a great find from Zenni Optical.  They have a huge selection of prescription eyeglasses for as low as $8.  Cool, isn’t it?  I found this one at their ‘New Arrivals’ section.  And there are more new frame designs available.  Go see for yourself!

And while I’m out, you may want to check this one out

October is the month when the school holds its yearly field trip for students.  This year, it will be on Oct18.  Then the following week will be the exam week.

And now it’s official.  After weeks of eeny meeny mini mo-ing between Spain and Italy, the teacher finally decided that Jeff and the girl from his class are representing Greece in the school’s UN celebration on Oct24.  So I’m now googling for Greece’s national/traditional costumes.  Later, people! I still have one more project to do

image from: UN.org for UN logo and MapsofWorld.com for the Greece flag (which I cannot upload properly)

I’m talking about Jeff’s school projects.  This is why I haven’t been here for a while except to reply to your messages.  We’re done with everything else except for one.

The project in Filipino is about Philippines’ most beautiful places.  Students are to compile 7 photos of our country’s most beautiful places and write a short paragraph telling why they like them.  I have the photos ready.  The thing is I haven’t had the urge to get my fingers do the googling to find out more about the places in the photos we have here.  Translation:  I-A-M-T-O-O-L-A-Z-Y-T-O-D-O-I-T.

These photos are in the envelope where all the other old (and reusable/recyclable) school projects are.  They are:

Hinulugang Taktak in Antipolo, Rizal

Miag-ao Church in Ilo-ilo (thanks to JMonreal)

Century Old Houses in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Magellan’s Cross in Cebu

Hundered Islands in Pangasinan

White Sand Beach in Boracay, Kalibo, Aklan

The Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Muslim Mosque in Marawi City

San Juanico Bridge in Samar, Leyte

I know there are so many other breathtaking places here in the Philippines, but these are the only photos available on hand.  Maybe I should go out and check out the local bookstore for more, but haven’t you read?  I-A-M-T-O-O-L-A-Z-Y-T-O-D-O-I-T.

I am a province-less person, literally.  My mother and her siblings were born and raised in Manila.  My grandfather was from Manila, too, and while my grandma was from the province of Bulacan, she went to live with my Lolo (grandpa) in Manila after they got married.  And I, the first grandchild, was born in Manila too, and grew up here in this very house in Quezon City.

I don’t travel and know very little of the Philippines.  So help, anyone?

For some months now, I’ve been ‘checking’ our son for any underarm and facial hair, in a funny manner. I would say something like, ‘You were out of my sight for 2 minutes. Let me see if you have grown some hair’, ‘Oh, you’re sleepy! Let me see if some hair makes you sleepy’, ‘I haven’t looked at those underarms for a day. I have to check it again’. Every time I say things like these, he voluntarily raises his hands and laughs.

Jeff is ten years old now, turning 11 on January. At school, they already have discussed about puberty, reproduction and sex – topics that I am not yet ready to talk about with him. Before, when he asks the ‘difficult questions’, I would quickly change the topic by asking him to get something for me or by pretending to be busy and about to loose my temper. But now, I am left with no other choice but answer all his questions.

Once, he asked, ‘Ma, ano ibig sabihin ng sex?’ (‘Ma, what does ‘sex’ mean?’). My answer was, ‘Ibig sabihin nun is ‘gender’. Pag sinabing ‘gender’, lalake or babae. Tulad sa mga forms na pini-fill up-an natin sa school, may nakalagay na ‘sex’. Dun mo isusulat kung male or female ka’ (It means ‘gender’. By ‘gender’, it means male or female. Like the forms we fill up at school, you’ll find a section there where ‘sex’ is written. That is where you write if you’re a male or a female’. That scholarly answer that may have given me a standing ovation in a Mrs. Universe pageant was bought, until few months later when I picked him up at school . . . . .

‘Mama, alam ko na kung paano nagbubuntis ang babae!’ (Ma, I now know how a woman gets pregnant!’. Shocked, I just nodded my head without looking at him. Then he proceeded, ‘Tawag po dun is sex!’ (It’s called sex!). Nodding my head and looking at the different direction, he continued, ‘Bakit ka po nagsinungaling sa’kin?’ (‘Why did you lie to me?’).

Embarrassed, I answered, ‘Anak, hindi ako nagsinungaling sa’yo. Totoo na ‘gender’ din ang meaning ng sex’ (Son, I did not lie to you. It is also true that ‘sex’ means ‘gender’). ‘E bakit hindi mo po sinabi sa’kin?’ (‘Why didn’t you tell me so?’). ‘Kasi, anak, may mga bagay na dapat nalalaman lang sa tamang panahon. Tulad nung nagsimula kang mag-aral. Diba ang turo lang sa inyo noon was colors, shapes, alphabets and numbers? Tignan mo ngayon. Meron na kayong fractions, decimal points, kinds of sentences, kinds of letters, history, etc.’ (It’s because there are things that have to be discussed at the right time. Like when you started schooling. You were only taught about colors, shapes, alphabets and numbers, right? But now, you already have fractions, decimal points, kinds of sentences, kinds of letters, history, etc.’). He stopped. ‘Good’, I said to myself with a sigh of relief.

Or not . . . . .

Because as soon as we got home, what I thought was a closed issue, wasn’t closed at all! ‘Mama, nagse-sex po ba kayo ni Papa?’ (‘Mama, do you and Papa have sex?’). I felt my tongue slipped down to my stomach for a few seconds before I was able to say, ‘Yes, so you can have a baby brother or sister’. His answer? A very loud, ‘Yes!’, then went out and played.

I suddenly remember one time when we were at the mall and he saw Kids at Work (a playground for kids) and announced that he will not play there anymore because he’s grown already. Instead, he’ll play at Puberty at Work because he’s at his puberty stage now, then asked ‘Is there such, Ma?’

Our son is no longer a baby. As he always says, ‘I am a TEN-ager already because I am 10 years old!’ Soon, the body and the facial hairs that are not visible yet will be there. For so many times he told me, even his other hairs grow, he will still love me and his dad forever . . . . .

Do you have similar, though not as hairy, story about your kids?

And speaking of hair, if you’re a woman and you or someone you know have unwanted facial hair, you are sure to find some help, don’t you? Check out and learn more about Trienelle’s Reductase-5 and see how this latest and natural approach to women’s unwanted facial hair, which is also recommended by some women’s health professionals, may help you.

1. my own website (done on Feb02)

2. digital camera (I’m crossing this one out now because my husband and I agreed that we will buy this next year)

3. new pair of pants (at least 2) (done on June11)

4. a pair of sandals/shoes

5. pairs of shorts (at least 2) - (I already bought one last Aug31 together with 2 tops, so to keep my promise to myself, I need to buy one more)

6. skirt (done on Feb01)

7. TV rack (done on Apr30)

8. office table (to replace our PC table) (I don’t think I’ll be needing this for now; we already had an alternative)

9. computer monitor (to replace the one I am using now which is having near death experience)

Because I was so busy and tired last Saturday, I only got to check Jeff’s notes for any homework last night.  As I was browsing through his notebooks, I saw one of them with this yellow sticky note:

What it reads?

And he always does that - leaving little ‘I love you’ notes on the computer monitor after using our PC, typing it in MSWord when he knows I’m using the PC after him, there will also be something when I open my cabinet door, sometimes written on our little white board where reminders are also written and many, many other times.  Sometimes he goes home and surprises me with cotton candy, my fave.  Or a plastic flower, or just any thing he knows I really like.  Sweet, isn’t it?

Like father, like son . . . . .

Btw, for some odd reason, I am not receiving any email notifying me that I have new comments.  The last notification I received was on Sept05.  I wonder why . . . . .