kinder

teacher: goodbye children.

danielle: goodbye teacher!
thank you for loving us and the Philippines!

every day is like no other.
when the children are happy it makes my day!

:-)

Sampaguita (Dolores Paterno, 1879)

Sampaguita
(Tagalog version by Levi Celerio)

Sampaguita ng aming lipi,
bulaklak na sakdal ng yumi
Ikaw ang mutyang pinili
Na sagisag ng aming lahi,

At ang kulay mong binusilak
Ay diwa ng aming pangarap,
Ang iyong bango't halimuyak
Sa tuwina'y aming nilalanghap.

O bulaklak, na nagbibigay ligaya,
O! paraluman, mutyang Sampaguita,
Larawang mistula ng mga dalaga;
Ikaw ang tanging bituin
Hiraman ng kanilang ganda.

Ang iyong talulot
Ang siyang tunay na sagisag
Ng sa dalagang puso'y wagas,
Kayumian at pagkamatapat.


The Flower of Manila
(English version)

Lovely bloom of the Sampaguita
By my Philippine maid beloved,
Not a flow'r in the world is sweeter
As you circle her lovely brow!

In the daintiest collar clinging,
With one bud like a pendant swinging,
Round the neck of the gentle and beautiful one,
How happy and fortunate now!

Beautiful flow'r Enchantment of fair Manila
With happiness fill her,
O bright Sampaguita Beautiful flow'r
O rest on her hair so lightly!

Softly caressing, touch her with blessing
Dear Sampaguita flow'r Green of the Garden!
Beloved symbol of my dear maiden,
Pure Sampaguita, Entreat her to smile again
My flow'r of flow'rs

Education in Today's Flat World: The Implications of Globalization and the Action Philippine Schools Can Take

July 8, 2011

"teach the children to learn how to learn."

"take courage!"

It's a long long journey
Till I know where I'm supposed to be
It's a long long journey
And I don't know if I can believe
When shadows fall and block my eyes
I am lost and know that I must hide
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you

Many days I've spent
Drifting on through empty shores
Wondering what's my purpose
Wondering how to make me strong

I know I will falter
I know I will cry
I know you'll be standing by my side
It's a long long journey
And I need to be close to you

Sometimes it feels no one understands
I don't even know why
I do the things I do
When pride builds me up till I can't see my soul
Will you break down these walls and pull me through

Cause it's a long long journey
Till I feel that I am worth the price
You paid for me on Calvary
Beneath those stormy skies

When Satan mocks and friends turn to foes
It feels like everything is out to make me lose control
Cause it's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you
To you

(Corrine May-Fly Away album 2001)

The World is Flat, lah!

the highlight for me was in the last chapter.


for educators, parents, business leaders, and young adults.


shifting sand. noodles and curry vs. mcdonald's


:-)

Awesomeness Part 2!

"Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be…"
--Soothsayer

27 Years and Counting

My most cherished and extraordinary childhood days were spent mostly with these two amazing girls.

:-)

Growing Up

(a chunk of tita pretty and rafael's conversation today.)


Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
hello there
hi

Rafael Padua
hi

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
still up?
wheres hannah
what are you doing

Rafael Padua
hannah is in the room watching

.....

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
tell hannah i said kamusta

Rafael Padua
okay
and thank you (for the package)

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
have you seen Kung Fu Panda already?

Rafael Padua
not yet

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
watch it! very nice :-)

Rafael Padua
yah i will
i heard its nice

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
by the way, were you able to form the wooden puzzle?
hehe :-) challenging, huh? :-)

Rafael Padua
yes i was able to fix it
it took awhile

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
wow! really? did all the pieces fit exactly together inside the square board?
amazing!

Rafael Padua
yah

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
you'll get another reward from tita pretty for completing it!!! :-)

Rafael Padua
YAY!!!

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
hmm...ill tell you about it next time. by the way, how's school?
are you now preparing for the state test?

Rafael Padua
um...

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
AP TEST, right?

Rafael Padua
yah its good
thts for highschool
3 more weeks of school
and then im going to highschool
freshmen

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
wow! are you excited or what?
it will be a totally different world.
more challenges. more learning

Rafael Padua
yup

Tita Pretty Ni Hannah
zo, i want you to know that tita pretty will always be here for you and hannah. you may tell me anything, as in anything about school, your life, crushes, anything. even if we are miles away from each other, know that you and hannah are always in my heart and prayers. E-MAIL ME ANYTIME!
is that cool?

Rafael Padua
cool:-)
thxs tita pretty
love u



Photo by Kuya Ron :-)

JM and KG Walkabout with Ninang Pretty :-)

"Ninang Pretty, ito yung pinakamasayang bakasyon ko!"
- KG

Frisbee, Rafting and Lunch By the Falls :-)

"learning the art of letting go."

Teach. Inspire :-)

Musmos

walang araw na di ko naaalala ang nanay, inang at tatang ko.

sa kwento ng kanilang buhay at pangaral natutunan ko

ang maraming bagay.

saya.

lumbay.

kung paano maging payak.

kung paano magbigay at maghintay.

sa lilim ng kanilang karunungan

natuto akong tumangan.

dalisay ang kanilang puso

na ang tanging hangad lamang ay

ang makapagdulot ng sigla

sa aking musmos at nangungulilang mga mata.

:-)

Up to this day, I can still vividly recall how our moments together were like.
Small talks. Big laughter. Tatang’s hilarity was incredible. Afternoon coffee.
More talks. More laughter. More coffee.

"Uncommon thoughts on common things"

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN by Robert Fulghum
(excerpt from the book)

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Fighter in the Wind

Sublime.

:-)

"World of Color"

"At any given moment, no matter where you are, there are hundreds of things around you that are interesting and worth documenting."
--HOW TO BE AN EXPLORER OF THE WORLD by Keri Smith

Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need—and What We Can Do About It

Tony Wagner's 7 SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY:

1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
2. Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence
3. Agility and Adaptability
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurship
5. Effective Oral and Written Communication
6. Accessing and Analyzing Information
7. Curiosity and Imagination

a tranquil morning

"Teach your children what we have taught ours, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."



:-)

Aidanic Moment

Yesterday's delight was when I met for the first time one of the most adorable tots on the planet and Facebook. My nephew from Irvine who happened to be just as awesomely cute as Hannah (yes, it's the genes) finally set foot on brown soils. We just played and laughed and giggled the whole afternoon. We're crazy teasing and tickling each other and unfortunately, there was no single indication that he'll run out of serotonin. Haha. He has no idea that I was also geared up that day with "Tita Pretty-I Can Make You Laugh the Whole Day-Powers!"
(wink!)
Then we had a nice and sweet storytelling time which he really loved. I initially tried to push him a little to read but the texts are written in Filipino, quite a foreigh language to him. But I'm pretty sure he'll learn it well soon.

I can't wait to see him again and tell him about The Rich Island.
We had a pinky promise (a promise made between very close friends by entwining their pinky fingers) that he'll call me and we'll meet again in winter break.

For now, I'll just dream of beautifully created gardens of love and laughter for my dearest pamangkins.


"Tita Pretty, you're the best tita in the whole...
(cover your ears mom!)...WORLD!"

:-)

All is well for Bollywood and Aamir

Incredible India.

:-)

My Little Sunshine

all I can remember were our galactic laughters and earsplitting screams as we play and jump and run and sing and dance and eat together.
I can't wait to see you.

love always,

tita pretty :-)

Symphony of Greens, Reds and Wild Honey

CakeLand rocks!

Fluffy.

Buttery.

Cheesy

and bursting with unpredictable richness.

A subtle blend of icing and all its goodness that

befriends your palate right before you know it.

A box of taisan from CakeLand will promise you

THE taisan experience of your afternoon!

Happy eating!

:-)


Edna's Cakeland is at
#1 Don Manuel Ave., Kapt. Pepe Subd.,
Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija

(More Than Dish: A Culinary Journey is Carmela's official food blog)

More Than Dish

coming soon..
hmm...i mean
cooking soon!
:-)

Bagong Taon

bagong hamon.

bagong bahay.

bagong buhay.

Bagoong Club

sa morato.

must try.



Location
122 Scout Dr. Lazcano, Sacred Heart,
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: 929-5450 • 929-0544
Hours: Mon - Sun 11:00 am - 3:00 pm • 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm


:-)

this time it's ANGELO and the BEE :)

even when the finals have not started yet, Angelo was already a winner to me.

:)

:)

Rain.

Stars.

Smiles.

Dreams.

Life.

Sunshine.

Sunset.

Food.

Music.

Laughter.

More laughter.

Tears.

Words.

Reasons.

People.

Seasons.

Prayers.

Love.

Smiles.

:)

abot-tanaw...

ang daming nangyari talaga nitong nakalipas na dekada...
ating balikan ang ilan...

next post :)

SpED graduation :)

sa wakas! :)

more kwento next post :)

tHe tALe Of ThE SuN aNd tHe mOoN :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoWFJ690U6E

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back. There are some things that time can not mend. Some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold.”

A LifEtiMe wOrth Of Life LeSsOnS...

akala mo panaginip.
in just a matter of minutes
hanggang leeg na ang baha sa kalsada.
walang nagawa ang mga tao.
maraming bata karga ng kanilang
magulang.
nanginginig sa ginaw.
mga three or four meters lang ang
distance ng mala-ilog na baha
mula sa kinatatayuan ko.
grabe talaga.



“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

tag-araw man o tag-ulan...

paboritos:)
nai charap! (my own version of milk tea)
panalo! at may kapartner na
makapangyarihang iSkAyPLeYks!
winner talaga!
peanut butter-banana or apple sandwich.
tiger energy biscuit.
cHaMp-O-rAdO!
sinangag at adobo.
sinigang (tsk.tsk.tsarap!)
french toast (my recipe)
mcDo fries (unsalted)
nice ng UP movie!

All They See Is Possibility :)

Every moment I spent at RBI is something that I will forever treasure.
They’re no different to other kids. They are fun loving, makulit, and they also throw tantrums at times. I guess kids are kids, blind or not.
Before, I used to wonder if they can at least see anything even if they are totally blind. I mean could they see even a slight trace of light or a blur vision of anything or could they really not see anything at all. It was only when I met the kids at RBI that I realized how silly my questions were. I was literally and figuratively taught about so many lessons in life just by being with them and for such a short period of time. And ironically, the people I intend to “teach” have been in a very special way became my “teachers.”

There are no accidents in life.

As the last day of my practicum at RBI approaches, one question keeps on coming in my mind: can they really not see? Finally I came to the conclusion: Yes they may be blind, incapable of looking at the beauty of nature, the colors of the rainbow, the setting of the sun, or the subtle blossoming of a flower but amidst the “disability,” one thing is certain, they can see beyond the physical and ALL THEY SEE IS POSSIBILITY.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
-- The Little Prince; Chapter XXI

busy mode :)

ilang araw na lang...
pasukan na! mas excited ako this year kasi:
mas busy.
practicum ko na sa SpEd! 3rd module na! yahooo!!! :)
mas maraming reading requirements.
gising aga, tulog aga :)
may SpEd kid ako for mainstreaming :)

On balik-tanaw mode :)

Last year for me at the preschool was a year of
extraordinary firsts.

Im here in my SpEd class, sitting and waiting for
my classmates for almost two hours now.
I was absent last Saturday because its preschool graduation day.
Im super early today kasi im excited to submit my final papers
for this module :)
umuulan sa labas. Malapit na rin maubos ang hot choco na take-out
ko kanina with pandesal...tsarap! :)
Im thinking now of my greatest moments with the kids.
While im trying to organize their photos the other day,
my heart just cant help but smile seeing them grow from cute cocoons into
fearless dinosaurs! este butterflies pala :)
hmm…
Meeting these kids led me to the path of self discovery
and a world of infinite possibilities! naks! Hahaha!
Ive listed a few. Lets see if Jason bourne can beat this :)
Fairy.princess.wondermom (sure I can fix anything.
from a broken pencil case to a broken arm! Ouch!)
teacher.bestfriend.beastfriend.storyteller.magician.
ventriloquist.director.actress.photographer.singer.
dancer.listener.chef.doctor.patient.painter.hero.villain.
cheerleader.bully.bullied.“toy engineer." detective(who hid my eraser?!!)
newscaster.Elmo.Oscar.Mulan.BenTen.kung fu panda.masterOogway.
girlscout.referee.coach.“mommywhere’smymilk-baby”
(every time they’d ask me to wear my bib and
display a childish rage of temper have always been a real
blockbuster of joy for them.
whenever i do that,they would all laugh their hearts and saliva out!!!)
whew! Their laughter is my super bonus :)