Posts from — August 2009

There seems to be something really special about this bread. People born and raised in the Philippines would almost surely have this type of bread as (almost literally) part of their life. And even as we move out to other countries, having another taste of pandesal during snacks would bring memories of home. It therefore becomes less of a surprise to find pandesal baking in several Filipino homes across the globe. My home in Sydney is not an exception. And with that, my kids get a taste of home, too!

Tagalog Translation
Mayroon talagang espesyal na bagay dito sa ganitong tinapay. Para sa mga taong pinanganak at lumaki sa Pilipinas ito ay halos tiyak na naging bahagi ng kanilang buhay. At kahit na nangibang-bansa, ang pagkain ng pandesal sa mirienda ay magbabalik ng mga alalala sa pinanggalingan. Kaya nga naman hindi na nakakagulat na makakita ng nilulutong pandesal sa mga tahanang Pinoy sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo. Ang aming tahanan sa Sydney ay kasali dito. At dahil dito, nakakatikim din ng buhay Pinoy ang aking mga anak!

This is becoming a frequent question I ask my kids. Even my 4 year old daughter CN gets a good share of computer time at home. I guess that’s just about kids nowadays. As time goes on, it becomes less surprising to find really young children who have already developed computing skills. It is good that cost of owning one becomes easier with some wholesale computers or specialized shops. And as I was ending this blog post, my kid just asked ‘are you finished with the computer?’

I drop off and pick up my children from school everytime. I sometimes find it quite amusing to watch moms queue up in their cars. The ’school buses’ come in different shapes and sizes. There are those in huge people movers (well, to pick up neighbor’s kids, too) while there are some in more sporty SUVs or maybe cool cars adorned with a spoiler. But whatever type these vehicles are on the pick-up queue, I am almost sure that inside them are mom drivers (or even dad drivers) with eager hearts to see the smile or hear the voices of their children.

For young and single people, it may be more understandable to be rather hesitant on getting life insurance. But for parents, dealing with the question to get or not to get one takes on another level. There are views that this may be one good ‘investment’ for the kids in the family. Several companies have now made things a bit easier such that to get a life insurance no medical exams may be required. To get or not to get. That is the question. You have the answer.

Kids are kids only while they are kids. It is one thought that encourages us parents to do things for our children while they are young. A more obvious point is providing for their education not only in school but also learnings at home. On a more material sense, we probably want to provide as much as we can to enrich their experiences in their childhood. For example, if we were to plan for orlando vacations, I would admit that a great deal of the fulfillment would be coming from being able to give this experience to my kids. Yes, while they are kids.

Perhaps most of us have come across stories of parents trying to ‘give’ their kids some talent. I am referring to situations where some children are engaged in not one but several extra curricular activities all at the same time. In some cases, it may be activities that the child is really inclined to do but is something that the parents want their child to have or do. I think that such efforts would be challenged in reaching the best outcome. I could imagine it is difficult to teach a boy to play piano when his inclination is on say, soccer. So for parents thinking of following their (own) heart, it may be a good idea to think again.