Paydays are usually good days. These are times when we actually feel like we have some dough to spare even if we really don’t. Haha! At least that’s what we used to think. This time, however, it wasn’t the case. That’s because andrea and i both got a large deduction courtesy of canteen expenses. Apparently, we either ate too much or paid too little attention to how much we’ve spent on snacks and other meals.

I guess having mateo and his nanny eat with us at school is now taking a toll on our canteen expenses. But what else can we do? Having mateo at school with us is the best way to make sure he’s well taken cared of - that he eats well; that he gets enough interaction and stimulation; and that his yaya doesn’t take him for granted when they’re at home.

The only solution I could think of is to cook enough food during breakfast to last us till dinner - that is to bring some food to school to suffice for lunch. We should try going back to casserole recipes and some fried stuff for breakfast so we’ll have enough for lunch (in order to cut down on canteen expenditures.)

The way I see it: it’s either this or mateo stays home with his yaya. If it was just me, I’d choose option 2!

I can’t remember exactly when I started wearing shades. All I know is that ever since I was young, I was always fascinated with them. I liked the sporty types, the formal navigator-type of shades, Wayfarer sunglasses, and even the shiny fully reflective ones (although andrea doesn’t approve of the last type very much). Maybe it was because I was already insecure about the way my eyes looked even when I was still young that’s why I subconsciously wanted something to cover them up. I don’t know.

One thing I’m sure of is that I like them and I always make sure I have a pair in my bag wherever I go.

Unfortunately, however, putting them in the bag was the very reason I broke my favorite pair last week. You see, I forgot to tell andrea where the shades were and when I saw her leaning against my bag, I just knew I’ve seen the last of my favorite shades. When I took them out of the bag, I already had a feeling that they were destroyed. It turned out, the damage was beyond repair so andrea just promised to replace the shades with any pair of my choice. Oh well, I guess I just have to go looking for a new pair!

When I accepted the responsibilities of being a coordinator, I never realized I that I was saying yes to a whole lot of headaches. Yup, that’s right - a great load of headaches.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about nor regretting the decision. What I’m trying to say is that I wasn’t aware of how much responsibilities I was actually saying yes to when I accepted the position. It wasn’t until last week that I got a good taste of the actual extent of work I’m supposed to handle.

You see, our principal has now shared with me the task of going through the exams, the activity sheets and even the lesson plans. And upon going through the admission tests, delegated me the role of revising the said tests to come up with more reliable and up to date admission exams. On top of these I had to make and finish my own set of exams for my 4 classes. And if this is not enough, I had to study for my finals on that Saturday - three final examinations (for the extra units I’m taking up this semester in UP)! It’s insane.

Heck with all the things that I have to do, I don’t think I don’t think there’s no need for me to look for the best diet pills out there. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be lean and mean in no time. Hahaha! Cheers!

I have most of my work in my laptop - my visual aids, my lessons, exams, and plans. But I still manage to squeeze in loads of pictures of andrea and mateo inside it. This is what makes it such an essential accessory for me. And as much as possible, I’d like to bring it with me everywhere I go.

This is why I’ve been thinking seriously about replacing it with a significantly smaller, handier model. In fact, there are several models out in the market right now which I’m currently considering. There’s the MSI Wind U100, the Acer Aspire One, and now even a Lenovo contender by the name of Ideapad S10. All three are sporting 10″ LCDs, 160 Gb of hard disk storage, and of course, the new Intel wonder processor - the Atom. All models are also at least 3 times lighter than my present notebook and cost at least twice as much now (after 4 years of depreciation).

Lately I’ve been thinking of the idea so much that I can’t help but browse the latest promotional products out there every once and a while just to check if any of these models would be on sale. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these cute little netbooks.

Although the rain brings a welcome relief from the heat, it brings its own set of woes too. For one, because the classrooms in our school are not found in a single building, teachers and students have to go walk some distance to get to other function rooms like the laboratory, music room, canteen, etc. And with the rain constantly wetting the floor and the walkways, the whole transferring from one room to the next has become an elaborate obstacle course. Second, because acoustic was not the most significant consideration during the creation of the classrooms. the classrooms suffer from instant background rumbles and noises from the rain especially when it is pouring down really hard. Teachers valiantly fight but often end up losing their voices, during these times. Third, because teachers still have to constantly instruct, demonstrate, and transfer from one room to another every 45 minutes, we can’t help but sweat (sometimes even profusely) despite the cold brought about by the rain. The oil, which stays because of the low temperature, traps dirt, chalk, and other things in the skin from the air, thereby promoting acne and other skin infections related to oil accumulation.

I know the rainy days have their ups (coldness, no classes, etc.), but rainy days sure have their downs too.

Oh I can’t wait for Christmas! Hehehe!

While getting thin because of stress is true for some people, it is quite the opposite for me. Because you see, when I’m stressed, I eat. That’s how I cope with conflicts. The problem is with the level of stress I’m feeling right now, I think I just might need to purchase some fat burners before it’s too late. Well, either that or I start regularly engaging in sports again to get back in shape.

With the card-giving day, final exams, and a wedding to attend to all on the same day (this Saturday), who wouldn’t feel stressed? Juggling several things simultaneously is stressful enough, but the PCTC and a final exam, with a wedding on the side, isn’t this just a bit too crazy?

Of course I would prefer the second option. It’s cheaper, healthier, and actually more fun but the problem is finding the time for it. And right now, that’s one thing I’m kinda short in (amongst other things).

Anyway, I’m just hoping that things will smoothen themselves out before Saturday. I’m so looking forward to the end of Saturday!

I’ve been teaching children for almost 5 years already. I know it doesn’t seem that long. But I was just reminded of how long that really is when I realized how different things are now from before when I was still a student.

You see, this Saturday, as part of the requirement for the extra education units I’m currently taking, I’m scheduled to take an exam (as in actually answer one instead of proctoring one), but it’s been excruciatingly difficult to prepare for it. I’ve been reading and reading these past few days (after UP called to inform me about the test schedule) but I can’t seem to perfectly recall everything I read. It’s like my brain is refusing to remember too many details (or more correctly, trivial information).

It’s so different from when I was back in college. I mean coming from a BS. course that heavily relies on memorization (Biology), my battering average lately in retention is squat. That’s how different things are right now for me. That’s why I realized it’s been quite a while… a real long while since I knew how it felt to cram for an exam, since I last panicked for a test, since I last forced myself to concentrate this much, since I last felt what it feels like to be a student. Five years!

In these past five years my brain has switched preference to memorizing other details such as car specifications, laptop configurations, best vacation spots, Caribbean villa rentals, infant apparels, infant milk formula brands, etc. Jogging it to remember how to remember the way it used to is frustratingly very difficult. And with only a day more to go before the test, the pressure mounts even more. Huhu! I hope my brain remembers how to think like a student again before Saturday or I’m really screwed.

One of the things that made me stay and fall in love with teaching is the feeling I get (a mixture of pride, wonder, appreciation and accomplishment) whenever I see my students appreciate a topic that I just taught them.

It’s a very uplifting and addicting feeling – one that I actually depended on for the past 5 years. But it’s not something that is easy to come by. Continue reading »

I’ve never had any problems with the house we’ve been renting for the past year even though it’s more than 12 years old already. So far, there have been no leaks, no tears, no cracks whatsoever. At least for the past 12 months…

Recently, however, I’ve been having some trouble but I can’t exactly pinpoint if the cause is connected to the house or to something else. You see, I’ve been experiencing these localized rashes on my skin, mostly on my arm. The funny thing is, since I’m sure I haven’t ingested anything I’m remotely allergic to, I reckon it has something to do with the air inside the house. Funny, isn’t it?

Even though the house remains intact, it can’t keep out some of the things that shouldn’t go in. I guess it’s a pretty fair tradeoff considering it’s an old house already. At least we’re still dry and safe no matter what the weather is. We just need to get ourselves some Austin Air air purifiers to keep the allergens in the air in control.

Even before getting married, andrea and i have often imagined ourselves owning a business of our own - more specifically a small coffee shop of our own. You see, even though we’re quite content with our work now, we’ve always seen ourselves spending the lazy afternoons of our grey years talking to each other over coffee from our own coffee shop.

Why? Why the heck not?

We both love coffee and we both dream of becoming our own bosses someday. Actually, if we had the money right now, this dream coffee shop would cease to be a dream already. The only reason it remains to be so is because the whole thing costs a bit. I mean, aside from the structure (shop) itself, we’d have to buy a capresso, an assortment of flavorings, coffee beans, and, on top of all that, hire a legitimate barista.

I don’t aim on competing against Starbucks or Figarro. Heck, I don’t want to compete with anyone at all. I just wanna spend my lazy afternoons with my wife in conversations over coffee - our coffee.