Posts from — April 2009

Today is day one of Term 2 in my kid’s school. A common question thrown out by teachers on days immediately following a holiday is… ‘what did you do during the holidays?’ So let me do my homework here. Well, we did do a few things which are different than a typical weekend. One activity which the kids definitely enjoyed is an apple picking session done at Bilpin, NSW. For somebody who came from an Asian country, walking through aisles of apple trees is definitely a treat. I can’t wait to go for picking up the next fruit in season. Strawberries?

We were watching the 2009 Biggest Loser Finale yesterday. So it’s easy to say we spent 3 hours watching it (as there was a one hour ‘last episode’ before they showed a 2-hour ‘Finale’). Anyway, it sure was a lot of firsts as the eldest contestant Bob won the title by losing over half of his original weight. It sure is nice to see the success stories in this season. The show mentioned they hope that it would rub off other people. Though it may be popular knowledge that some quickly think of the best weight loss supplements to get that much desired weight loss. The fact that some of the contestants from previous seasons do promote different means to get to the goal only confirms the fact yes, help is available.

Have you ever paused to think of the value kids get out of toys and playing? Toys tend to be typically seen as mere entertainment for children. But if we look back at our own childhood, our toys, and our child games, a lot of us will probably realize how we picked up one or two learnings through these. A seemingly useless toy can potentially nurture imagination and creativity in some children. So the next time you see a playhouse, think that it as more than just a small building. It is a potential tool for character building.

Tagalog Translation:
Napatigil ka na ba minsan para isipin kung ano ang halaga na nakukuha ng mga bata sa mga laruan o paglalaro? Ang mga laruan ay madaling isipin biling simpleng kaaliwan lamang para sa mga bata. Pero kung babalikan natin ang ating kabataan, ang ating mga laruan, at ang ating paglalaro bilang bata, marami siguro sa atin ang makakaisip kung paano tayo nakapulot ng isa o dalawang mahalagang natutunan sa pamamagitan ng mga ito. Ang isang mukhang walang katuturang laruan ay may potensyal na magpalago ng imahinasyon at pagkamalikhain sa ilang mga bata. Kaya sa susunod na makakakita kayo ng isang bahay-bahayan, isipin ninyo na ito ay hindi lamang maliit na gusali. Ito ay may potensyal sa pagtatayo ng karakter.

Asbestos once again made the news recently here in Australia. News indicated that some shops at Cooleman Court shopping centre in Canberra were closed as a result of asbestos being found in an airconditioning duct. It is known that asbestos exposure increases the risk of Mesothelioma cancer and other related diseases. Anyway, I learned that the shops already reopened after the suspected areas were decontaminated.

I’ve got two playful children who find some ‘play’ whatever the activity may be. Whether it’s sleeping or eating, they are creative enough to craft a play in one way or another. To some extent, this fact becomes literal as it is easy to find a toy or two in every nook in our house. While I take the effort to try to contain things in one room, it just does not happen like magic.

Bath time is not an exception. At one of the corners of the bath tub, a couple of toys lie waiting for their master to take a dip in warm water. And even if I take out these toys for ‘maintenance’, a shampoo bottle will readily transform into a floating toy. Sometimes they do take a bit of time in the bathroom because of play. With that I tend to miss our previous apartment where we had a a couple of bathrooms. Having that in mind, I will surely be reminded that, when the time comes for us to have our own house, the bathroom design is important. Well, whether it is for child’s play or not, I guess anybody would love to have a good relaxing time in a bathroom suite. Besides, it offers one of those times when we can literally have time on our own.

It’s been on the news for few months now. And it looks like the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t there yet. I’m referring to the financial crisis affecting practically everybody in the world. Families are probably one of the more vulnerable groups. I guess the key is planning well on how to face the uncertainties. Reviewing the situation to get better savings and investment returns or a debt consolidation are only some strategies that may be considered. Simple belt-tightening measures will definitely help, too. That includes, making smart choices when going through the grocery aisles.

My eldest daugther won 1st Place in Public Speaking Competition Stage Level in her school. Let me share with you her winning piece.

The Best Things In Life Are Free
By RDA

I believe that the best things in life are free. I know this may sound strange for some. But in a few minutes, let me share with you my thoughts why money cannot buy some of the greatest things to have in life. I will talk about three things that most if not all of us would agree as the best things one can ever have: FAMLY, FRIENDS, and of course, GOD.

First free thing that I can think of is: FAMILY. All of us definitely did not have to spend a single cent to have one. But would anyone say their family is worthless? Probably not. Someone’s family is probably the best ‘insurance’ money cannot buy. They encourage us in everything we do. They also take care of us whatever the situation may be.

Second free thing: FRIENDS. A good example are people who move to another country. Well, my family is one. When we moved to Australia three years ago, we know we do not have other family here. But as we met people, we began to develop friends. And believe it or not, these friends are our family here. In fact, I have come to realize that some really good friends here in Northcross are close to being part of my family. Now isn’t that a great thing to have?

Lastly, having GOD in our life is the ultimate unbeatable ‘free’ item to have. And as we have Him, He gives us other free things. Don’t you agree? As He loves us so much, He God gave His only Son Jesus to save us from sin. Now that’s free! If we have believed in Him and have let Him into our heart and our lives, then we get another free bonus: Eternal Life! Now if we don’t have this free gift of eternal life, then all the other things in life will become useless. The bible says: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

There is a song which says ‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold!’ I think that presents a clear statement how great it is to have God on our side. Having him is better than having all the riches in life. And if we think about it, as we have Him, we gain the first two ‘free things’ which I have mentioned. GOD calls us to be in his family and he also calls us His friend.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND GOD. These are just some of the best things in life that are free. It is difficult to imagine a world without these. So we should cherish all of these. With open arms, we can embrace these best things in life… after all, they are free!

I have two daughters so one could probably be quick to imagine the set of toys that we have at home. While there is definitely a pattern, it is not at all leaning towards the stereotype of what little girls have. Yes we do have dolls and little soft toys. But I guess children nowadays have gone out of the ‘typical’. We don’t really have a lot of slot cars and robots, but we certainly have other toys which are not too girly.

Storage used to be only associated with containers of varying sizes, mainly to store a variety of household goods. That would probably include a lot of a mom’s ‘tools’ such as baskets, boxes, cupboards, cabinets and the like. Nowadays, the definition has included things which store a new member of ‘household goods’. I am referring to using the term ’storage’ for optical disks or hard disks for storing digital assets. The term ‘digital assets’ is really quite interesting. But I guess it does give a good description to these documents, photos and other documents which we keep.

Of course these storage are not fool proof. Much as we would like these digital storage to last a lifetime, in several cases, they don’t. You may have heard of massive loss of these digital assets due to hardware failure. With storage sizes really growing to massive proportions, it also equates to the possible data loss one may experience should disaster strike.

Doing frequent backups is highly encouraged. But if you’d do a web search, a good backup plan would include having data stored ‘offsite’ or to a place other than your normal location. Sometimes though, it is impractical or expensive, or both. An alternative may be to get a fast and reliable web hosting provider with good storage allowance (and backup plan, too!). There are other companies offering data backup solutions but the option I mentioned seem to be a cheap but viable option. I have not tried it myself, even though I probably have a huge unused storage allowance.

On the last day of the Hillsong Colour Conference 2009, they gave out knitting kits to all participants. It was a nice remembrance as ‘knitting’ may have a lot of meaning in real life. Well, in my case, it wasn’t really sisterhood… probably more of motherhood.

The moment I got the kit, I immediately had my daughter RD in mind. She loves crafts and I know this one will not be an exception. I was correct. That evening itself, RD went on to try learning this craft. The following day, she progressed quite a bit and was able to construct something a mom can be proud of.

Colour Your World 2009
Conference One

Here’s an account of what happened during the recent Hillsong Colour Conference which I attended. In the opening, the delegates/participants were welcomed by people happily cheering and clapping while entering on a red carpeted entrance. Feels like a celebrity… how special huh!? Printed programs and diaries were distributed as people come in. The program started with a heavenly mood, a very gifted singer humming a beautiful sound while another dances on to it in a stage filled with cloud like smoke. Then praise and worship followed after. The guests speakers were introduced one by one by Bobby Houston who also delivered the very first message for the conference. Then ‘Made with Love’ ice creams were given after at the end of the program.

All women were pampered. We literally never go hungry! Aside from the spiritual and emotional feeding from messages delivered by gifted speakers, yummy snacks were also provided to feed the body. Time outs are also great for there are booths for personal pampering. Imagine having a break with someone massaging you. Is’nt that awesome? Not only that, booths for manicure and make-up session are also available for you and your girlfriends to enjoy.

I really had great fun. I certainly look forward to next year’s conference!

This past week, the news about the earthquake in Italy has made the headlines almost everyday. The loss was massive as described in statistics and as shown on photos. I think the photos give a better idea of how difficult the situation is as it gives more than just numbers. It shows the emotions of the people involved.

While these natural calamities strike without warning, there are still a few things that people or families can do to prepare. Some may say they are more relevant for people in countries more prone to earthquakes. But really, I guess it doesn’t hurt to know a few things that may make things a little bit better when earthquake strikes.

Some industries are probably more equipped as they have the ability to really fortify structures with some special metals. While such may not be available for a typical home, people should not miss out on the availability of different literature discussing tips on surviving in this type of calamity. Knowing how to react can possibly make a difference.

Watching television is somewhat part of our daily family routine. Of course, the shows which come out earlier in the evening are more suitable for family viewing as they mostly bear a G or PG rating. There are some days which are really good, making programme selection a bit of a challenge. Of course, there are days where there is hardly anything worth watching. Well, my kids know which days these are and would be quick to plan out slipping in a DVD movie. Mondays are one of those days. So right after the Biggest Loser, it’s likely to be declared as ‘movie time’. We watch the Biggest Loser because of its ‘light’ theme. Perhaps I see its worth in trying to reinforce the idea to my children. that eating healthy is important. There may be other options such as Fenphedra. But I guess the best approach is illustrated clearly in a slogan which says “the more you gain, the more you have to lose.”

It’s the first anniversary of Litratong Pinoy. It sure is a great place to share not only pictures but also stories with different photo-enthusiast from all over the world. This week’s theme is about favorite photos. In keeping with the anniversary theme as well, I decided to re-post a couple of some shots I have shared in the past year. These are photos which were taken at the spur of the moment. Sometimes, one can be only lucky once in being at that right place at the right time.

The first one was posted under the theme LP: Water (Tubig). After that, I haven’t got a chance a speeding boat on its own.

The second one was posted under the theme LP: Did You Say West?. I had fun with the outcome of this photo as it gives an illusion of me flying just behind this bird.

Anyway, for me, one of the primary reasons I take photos is to capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments for my family. These moments are definitly worth more than any photo I can take. And definitely, my real favorites!

Tagalog Translation
Unang anibersaryo ng Litratong Pinoy ngayon. Talagang nagdadala ito ng magandang pagkakataon na makapagbahagi di lang ng mga larawan kundi pati mga istorya sa iba’t-ibang potograpo mula sa buong mundo. Ang tema ngayong linggo ay tungkol sa paboritong litrato. Para di akma sa tema ng anibersaryo, napagpasyahan ko na ilathala muli ang dalawang kuha ko nitong nakaraang taon. Ito ay mga litratong kuha sa ’spur of the momnt’. Minsan, ang isa ay nagiging swerte lamang minsan para maging nasa tamang lugar sa tamang oras.

Para sa akin, isa sa malaking dahilan kaya ako kumukuha ng larawan ay para makuha ang mga minsan lang sa buhay na sandali sa aking pamily. Ang mga sandaling ito ay tiyak na mahalaga kaysa ano pa mang litrato na aking makukunan. At syempre, ito ang mga tunay kong paborito!

There is this common saying that ‘health is wealth’. I am sure that most, if not all, would agree to the truth of this statement. For a parent like me, we could only be thankful to God as each member of the family is blessed with good health.

Though in today’s times when there are a lot of factors which potentially promote ill health, trying to keep healthy does come with a price. Just recently, we received a letter from our health insurer that our monthly premiums will rise. And if my memory serves me well, we have been getting this letter quite consistently over the past few years. I tried comparing across several options but I guess it is not surprising for me to look first at the benefits/services over the costs or (small) savings when selecting another health care provider.

Everything relating to health does seem to increase in price. Apparently, this is the same reason for which the health funds increase health insurance premiums. The increasing cost of keeping ones health extend to both services and products. One does not need to keep a log to notice the price of medicines (or simply that bottle of vitamins) go up. Though in terms of pharmaceutical products, retail competition somewhat help in getting some sanity on the sky rocketing prices. It is interesting how in the past few weeks I have seen several chemist shops advertising that they are they have the lowest price in Sydney. Online options (like canadian pharmacy) are able to get some wins since they are able to flex their competitive prices. Of course, the promotion of generic medicine also keep health more affordable.

The bottom line is that everyone is simply trying all available means to be health. All of these attest to the fact that health is priceless.