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  • Big Ben, not!

    Every time I look at these pictures I can’t help but smile because I really did asked Gary if the clock at the background is already the Big Ben. Hahaha! Silly me. (*blush*) Pictures taken at Kings Cross, London. First day of our 9-day stay.

  • Eat.Pray.Love.FLY

    mentioned too many times in this blog how I love to travel. I don’t know when it started. All I remember was that my father would always bring us to his company outings and even official business trips (not including international though because we can’t afford it), while my mom would bring us with her when she visits her home town in Cagayan de Oro or visit her sister in Cebu. Most of the time we would ride a military plane, C130, so that we’ll enjoy free round trip.

    I’ve wanted to have a job that would require me to travel. I was blessed to be an auditor at Phil. National Oil Company – Energy Dev’t Corp. They’ve sent me to different parts of the Philippines. But again, no international trips.

    I transferred to International Container Terminal Services Inc. They have subsidiaries outside the country. I’ll be auditing one of them if I’ve waited long enough. But a year after, I decided to resign and help my husband with our business.

    To cut the story short, it was only in 2009 that my family and I had the chance to go out of the country, Hong Kong to be specific.

    It takes a lot of patience to wait for the perfect time, especially when all the members of my family have secured their US visas and were able to leave the country as tourists. We don’t have enough money at that time, I don’t like pushing things to the point of loaning our travel expenses.

    Now, after seeing a couple of countries in Europe, including my childhood dream Venice, I still want to go out of the country soon. Well, we could pack our bags anytime and leave, especially with budget fares and accommodation, but again I don’t like pushing things. It is wiser to use our money for investment than spending it again this soon. Don’t get me wrong, I feel blessed already, I just want to share my passion for travel and it takes a lot of discipline to stop myself from giving in. I am not sure if anyone feels the same way, I feel weird.

    I pray that God would finance our ‘yearly’ travel. Then again, I am blessed already, I couldn’t ask for more.

  • When kids travel

    I’ve read somewhere that one of the qualities that define great leaders is that they are well travelled. Keeping that in mind, I made sure that I bring our kids to all our travels and kept it as a family goal and tradition. On my very first international travel, Gary’s first time too, we brought with us an infant, a 4 year old and a 10 year old to HK. Two years later, we thought we were ready to see Europe as a family, so we did for a month! Parents have been asking me how do we do it. Looking back, I don’t have all the answers but two words pop into my mind, patience and preparation .

    Anyway, I just thought of sharing some of my observations when we travel with kids. They most of the time;

    1. Enjoy the traveling part more than the destination, except of course if you’re going to Disneyland (or the like).
    2. Get hungry and thirsty every minute. But do not want to eat when it’s time to.
    3. Get bored easily. So they either do or say the silliest things one could imagine and most of the time you just end up laughing.
    4. Are super-hyper. Or maybe not, it’s just that you lack enough rest or sleep and too tired to look after them.
    5. Need to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient time and place. And ‘Wait’ is not an option.
    6. Prefer to stay inside the hotel than go out. (Again, except if you’re going to a place that interest them)
    7. Think they need to buy something, just anything. Like clothes, food, candy, souvenir, books… but most of the time TOYS. (Well, adults do feel that way too)
    8. Will find a way to PLAY. And run. And climb. And hide. 
    9. Can find all the reasons to fight (with sibling/s) or complain.
    10. Can be easily pleased… for a short time.
    11. Can’t be forced to MOVE when they’re sleepy. You’ll end up carrying them, on top of your hand-carries.
    12. Will talk nonstop. (Traveling or not)

    In short, kids will be kids. I am not discouraging anyone though. It’s fulfilling to travel as a family.  You just need to be well informed so that you’ll expect for the worst, come prepared and make the most of it. As they say, ‘Knowing is winning half the battle.’

  • Clumsy Smurf

    Have you seen the Smurfs Movie? If so, it would be difficult to miss Clumsy Smurf. And if you’ve spent time with my son, Zach, it would be equally difficult not to see their similaries. Haha! We’re not making fun of my little boy but it’s just really funny to see how similar they are (whatever!). I used to be bothered about Zach’s clumsiness. He would fall all by himself just walking or running, without anything to cause him to slip or tip over. When he eats, his food is everywhere and he usually spills his drink. Marcus and Lia developed their physical skills and became independent faster than Zach. But then I realized that Zach must be ‘taking his time’ growing up and I don’t want to push things. Besides, intellectual ability wise, he belongs to the cream of the crop. So now what we do is to continually motivate him to keep up the good work and help him overcome his weaknesses with practice. Again, if you have seen the Smurfs movie, Clumsy smurf turned out to be the hero in the end. It may be too big for Zach to digest the overcoming-your-weakness idea, but I know he understood that you don’t need to be perfect to be the best. (Or something to that effect). Btw, Lia claims she’s smurfette. Strong-willed and papa’s girl she is, why not? La la lalalala… sing a happy song. :)

     

  • TRUST is a big word

    My son and nephew enjoy our spelling game. They usually spell the words correctly while I correct those they missed. Sometimes my nephew would say, ‘I can’t spell it, it’s a BIG word for me.’ So I’ll just give him another one to spell.

    When I started reading the ‘Secrets of the Millionaire Mind’ I realized that I have my own set of big words as well. It’s not about spelling of course (though I’m not really fond of it hehe), but words that seems so hard for me to handle. TRUST for one. It’s the main reason why I want to be in control of things and doesn’t want to entrust my life to anybody 100%. I finished my education, got a job and did good with my profession because I want to have a fall back whatever happens. I don’t think it’s wrong of course, but I realized that I did it for the wrong reason. Fear (of the future) is my strong motivation which should be/have been happiness and fulfillment. Even the time I quit my job, I know the business can sustain us or else I wouldn’t risk it. I can talk endless about my trust issues but I guess I have to deal with it myself.

    I just want to share a story from the book I’m reading because it made me smile.

    It’s about a man who is walking along a cliff and all of a sudden loses his balance, slips and falls off. Fortunately, he has the presence of mind to grab on to the ledge and he’s hanging there for dear life. He hangs and hangs and finally yells out,”Is there anybody up there who can help me?” There’s no answer. He keeps calling and calling, “Is there anybody up there who can help me?” Finally this big bellowing voice calls back, “This is God. I can help you. Just let go and trust. Next thing you hear: “Is there anybody else up there who can help me?”

    Wapak! Hit me big time. With this, I want to remove worry and fear from my vocabulary and replace it with risk, growth and more faith. They’re equally big words but I am willing to learn.

  • Getting what I want

    Oprah_World tweets “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.”

    I agree. I remember Gary telling me in Venice that my dreams have been fulfilled already. Those dreams don’t have to be big dreams, they can be simple and ordinary to some but fulfilling for me. I told him with wide grin that it only means one thing, I have to create another set.

    Just recently I was thinking that it would be nice to spend a birthday or holiday in one of Discovery Suites’ big rooms. I did not push the idea. Days after, an agent called me up offering me Discovery Suite membership with numerous perks. I prayed, “Oh God, that was fast!” It was simple yet sweet.

    Big or small, I encounter these answered prayers everyday. Of course I won’t see them if I let worries, fear and problems overcome me. I count my blessings. Contrary to what Gary said, I still have a number of dreams waiting to be fulfilled, not to mention those I’ve added on the list. Just a reminder, when an answered prayer comes, it doesn’t usually come in the form you’re expecting. In those times, also pray for wisdom and understanding.

    So how do I get what I want, here’s a list.

    1. When I ask God, I’m specific.
    2. I hold on to my dreams because, unimaginable as it is today, it can really happen in the future. I don’t know how, but God makes it happen.
    3. I always remind myself to be generous, kind, considerate, humble and thankful.
    4. I pray wherever and whenever I feel the urge… for whatever reason.
    5. Despite all the negative things happening around… I keep the faith.

    The rest is up to Him. God will either answer it immediately, delay it for the perfect time or give me something better. What more can I ask for?

  • Paris in my eyes

    For me, Paris is overrated. I really don’t understand why a lot of people rave about seeing Paris over and over. I mean, yes it’s still one of the places you should include in your bucket list because of its tourist spots but to go back and see it again, for me, maybe not. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve seen London first or Paris’ hot weather when we’re there or most probably its dirty, full of vandalism, populated and ‘smelly’ streets. I have to be honest, I was disappointed with Paris as a whole. Sometimes I wonder if people talk with pride about seeing Paris because other people do, like the Emperor’s New clothes kind of thing.

    To be fair, walking through Avenue des Champs-Élysées is an experience one should never miss especially if you have bucks (lots of it) to spend. There you will see Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon Bonaparte to honour his victories. A bit far from champs but still walking distance are  Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Louvre Museum. When I saw The Louvre from afar all I was able to say was, WOW! Other famous tourist attractions we’ve seen are the Pantheon, Notre Dame, River Seine, Opera house, Statue of Liberty replica, Galeries Lafayette and of course Eiffel Tower.

    Situated several kilometres Southwest of Paris, Chateau de Versailles is one I would REALLY recommend. The location is MUCH better than the heart of Paris… clean, cold, wider streets. The Palace (both in and out) should not be missed so don’t stop from Versailles gate, pay your way inside and see for yourself.

    All in all, Paris is a must see but maybe you don’t have to set your expectation too high.

    Here are the pictures of; Champs-Élysées with Arc de Triomphe at the center, me having dinner at one of the restaurants along Champs, one of the train stations and Chateau de Versailles.

  • The story behind zero LV

    When we went to Paris I was almost 100% sure that I’ll buy myself a Louis Vuitton bag. Well, why not? It’s really a lot cheaper there plus I believe I deserve one. And mind you, Gary was even PUSHING me to it. But when I was at the shop already, guess what? (don’t hate me for this) I decided not to buy anything at all. I realized that I may have saved a couple of bucks but still I’m going to spend at least 1,500 euros. For that amount I really have to WANT that thing for myself. So I asked myself, why would I want an LV bag? Is it to have my picture taken in front of an LV store holding an LV paper bag? To wear that one-and-only precious bag on special occassions and show other people that I can afford an LV bag? To be able to buy something from the trip. Ahhh too shallow for a reason.

    Unlike travelling which may have cost us a fortune (with a not-so-decent savings), but we did it because it gave us fulfillment plus we really want our kids to be exposed to different cultures because it would give them an edge. We don’t travel to give an impression that we can afford a european trip and we’re living an easy life.

    So I told myself that I’ll only buy LV if I reached the social status that would allow me to buy 2-3 LV bags at the same time without batting an eyelash. If I wouldn’t reach that lifestyle, I wouldn’t mind not owning one at all.

    An LV replica is neither an option. I’d better use something nobody knows yet people would be wondering about.

  • Be Still

    Do you remember the time when you were asked to sit still or stand in the corner because you’ve been a handful all day? When we were kids, we don’t understand why our parents would give us time-outs when all we could think about is to run all over the place, jump, scatter toys, draw, ask questions, laugh boisterously… endless.

    At 33, I feel that way. It feels like God is asking me to stay still when all I could think about is move. I want to take up programming, learn something new, finish work and do more, visit our satellite office, go to places, travel more, gym, facial… endless.

    What’s stopping me is for one Lia doesn’t have yaya. I have to baby sit all day. In between I would fetch the kids from school, do errands, help kids with homework and prepare food. It wouldn’t be too hard if I don’t have work to do. Another thing, since we just came from a vacation, it’s not feasible to just plan for another travel even if I want to. But you see, travel for me is addicting. Not shopping but travel. If money is not an issue, I would love to go to Singapore-Thailand-Malaysia and Australia this year. Then next year we’ll be back to Europe to perhaps visit London again (Zach and Lia’s first time) or another Euro trip to Amsterdam, Spain and Greece. Dream… dream… dream.

    As of now, not that I’m naughty, I decided to be a good child and follow what God wants me to do… stay still, relax, think, wait and enjoy the company of my family full time.

  • In good hands

    I am slowly getting over the bad feeling I had with Colegio San Agustin and some of its educators. They recommended Marcus to be transferred to another school because of his behavior. It pains me because some students would repeat grade level several times or attend classes every summer while Marcus who doesn’t study much never gets a failing mark. He even gets very good grades in major subjects like math and science and yet he was ‘kicked-out’. I must admit he’s really a handful but we never tolerated all those bad actions that he did. I just thought that my efforts in explaining to concerned personnel that Marcus was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD wouldn’t turn out to be a futile attempt. The teacher was telling me that I could ask the Principal (a foreigner priest) for a reconsideration. What for? For me and my son to make promises to him and make my son feel that he is a terrible child. Never mind.

    I know that one factor that made matters worse was when a parent wrote a letter to the Principal and PTA Officers to petition Marcus out of the school, treating my son like a monster. The adviser admitted that the parent was a bit over-acting. I humbly asked the adviser that I am open to a discussion so that the parents could hear my and my son’s side of the story. They didn’t ask for one which made me more convinced that those parents didn’t care a bit about my son.

    I would have wanted to pull-out Zach as well but Zach was doing good and he likes the school so I cannot really sacrifice that just because I had a bad experience with my other son. But given the chance, I really would.

    I just have a few message to those parents and concerned CSA educators;

    1. I thank you because you made me realize that I shouldn’t have entrusted my son to CSA in the first place. I just thought that I enrolled my son to the best school within the vicinity. I was so wrong. Australian International School (previously Esteban school) is way way better than your curriculum and more importantly in how they handle children like Marcus. Marcus’ class is composed of less than 15 students. In Grade Six they are taught World History (instead of repeating Philippine history every year), Spanish or Mandarin, computer programming and advanced lessons in major subjects. They offer clubs without additional fee so now Marcus plays soccer and basketball on top of his PE. They believe in Marcus and they never branded him.

    2. To the parents. You may have succeeded your way of protecting your child from one bully (which is what they think of Marcus), without thinking about my child’s future. Let me just remind you that there will always be a bully around your child, even after school. Protecting him/her that way will make your child weak and dependent. My child is not a monster. ‘Bullies’ need help not judgement from people like you. Besides, we’re doing something about Marcus’ condition. He doesn’t want to be like that.

    3. To CSA, what about your anti-bully campaign? Is it to kick those bullies out instead of helping them? Or are you just scared of letting the ‘more powerful parents’ down. Letting them ‘bully’ you.

    I don’t say Marcus has changed a lot already. It will be a process. But I can see that AIS family loves him. I pray that it will finally be Marcus’ second home.