The Yellow Family

The Aquino family was bound for fame (or in other words, for the spotlight). Not only because Kris Aquino is part of that family, but because their family has been given a rare duty by God: that is to serve the Filipinos "with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength" (as put into words by Ninoy Aquino).

First (1960s, 1970s), there was Ninoy Aquino's fight for democracy. He was well-loved by the Filipinos, that's why when he was assassinated, the whole Philippines united as he was laid to rest. 

Next, there was People Power (1980s, 1990s) that again proved the love of the Filipinos for their country. Cory Aquino led this revolution and defeated Marcos as she became the first woman president. She was a good mother to our nation and she loved the Filipinos more than any of our presidents did. Because of her, yellow became the new black and white. When she died last year, the Filipinos were there again to see their president for the very last time. 

 The Aquino family did not only fight for democracy, but also for unity. Up to their last breath, they reminded the Filipinos the importance of prayer and of family. The Filipinos never stopped praying for them, and were all united as they joined Ninoy and Cory from people power to their very own burial. 

And I am very hopeful that Noynoy Aquino, our new president, will have the same love for our country. As he is put into power today, June 30, we join the Filipinos all over the world praying that our new president will be able to solve the problems of our country. It would be hard to do that in just a matter of six years, but seeing the support of all the people who gathered today to hear what our new president has to say only means one thing - the people are ready for change and the people are ready for a new president. So for now, we thank God for the peaceful transition of power and we can only hope for a better Philippines by trusting the new government that we are blessed with. 

 

Tomorrow I start work, which also marks President Noynoy's first day in office. We'll both be welcoming changes, and I hope we can both be successful in the path we have taken. Congratulations President Noynoy Aquino! It's not only you who won this day, but all of the Filipinos as well! ☺

All about Sandy and Bowie

Ohhhhh... I can't believe I almost forgot to introduce you to the newest addition to our family...

Meet Sandy! She's already 9 months old, and she's a Lhasa Apso dog. We got her last Friday, and she's been nothing but nice and gentle to all of us. She was named after little orphan Annie's dog, Sandy. ✔

She may look like a Shih tzu to all of you. Well yes, Lhasa Apso dogs and Shih Tzu dogs belong to the same family, but you should notice that a Shih tzu's nose is more "pango". And I'm also very proud to say that my Lhasa Apso dog doesn't need grooming to maintain her long straight hair. Whether you comb it or not, she has naturally straight hair (but this isn't true for all Lhasa Apsos ha, just for Sandy ☺).

Honestly, I am no dog lover who would let a dog sleep beside me on my bed, but over the past few months I have learned to appreciate dogs. I'm just not a fan of very playful dogs though. I used to always wish I had my very own yorkie because I like the way they look, but after researching and finding out that terriers are considered to be really aggressive and playful, I had to think of another kind of dog. So what I'm trying to say here is that Sandy is perfect for me. She's so much more mature than other dogs already (she's already 9 months) and she doesn't run around the house just to get my attention. When I'm sitting down, she just sits down on the floor too. She doesn't bark so much and she's not too papansin. I think Sandy's perfect for our family! ♧

As for our other dog Bowie (short for Ba-wa-wow), she's slowly getting used to Sandy. Although you'll notice that she's sometimes jealous of her, she's also happy that she has a new playmate. Bowie can be really rowdy and giddy when we let her and Sandy play inside the house, but what usually happens is that Sandy will lie down on the floor just looking at Bowie... and Bowie will run around wanting Sandy to run after her. But because Sandy's on heat (and has her period now), I think Bowie has to play with Cara first. After all, sila naman talaga yung mag-bestfriend. hahaha. Even if I shout at Bowie most of the time (because of how she equates biting with playing), I still don't want her to get jealous of the new dog so I'm posting pictures of her too para lang equal sila. Haha.

Who knows... In a month or so, my dad just might get another dog. It's really been his past time lately. 

And no one's complaining... ☻

Oh my pretty pretty boy...

Look... I never had the chance to watch this season's Pinoy Big Brother. But because I was home the whole day yesterday, I had the chance to watch the big night. ☻

And my eyes were particularly glued to these two boys... 

I'm sure they'll be big stars without even having to win this show!!! HEHE. Gawd, I sound like a high school girl, but I have to admit they have pretty faces. I know you'll agree with me! 

Omigod you guys!

Just finished watching Legally Blonde the Musical todaaaay!!! ☻

I'd like to say that I enjoyed the whole production, but it can do so much better.

Thanks to NIKKI GIL, she was the only person who made the play interesting and lively. 

She knew how to make people laugh the whole time. Even though it was her first experience in a musical production, it felt like she had the most experience on that stage. She knew how to be Elle Woods. She was given the perfect role. It was just too bad that some of the casts seemed to not jive with their role. As expected, Nyoy Volante didn't have chemistry with Nikki Gil. Sorry for the word, pero sobrang sablay eh.

Over all, I'd still recommend you to watch Legally Blonde! After all it's a feel good story that will make you laugh 'til you can't take it anymore! ❀

Too Cute!

IN CHINA: Dogs dressed up as their other animal friends! 

Chinese people never run out of ideas! Just look at these dogs... They may not be liking what their owners have done to them, but people definitely like and love it! :D 

I honestly want to buy a Chow dog right now and paint and groom him to be a panda cub. HAHAHA and I'll be walking around Eastwood with a "panda cub"!!! Saktong matatakot lang mga tao dun. :))

GOOD JOB PET LOVERS! Now it's time to reward your dogs after the so many hours of grooming they've been through! :)

Forever Young, I wanna be!

You know what they say that the sequel of movies never do justice to the first movie. It might be true to a lot of movies with sequels, but this is never true with Toy Story. Be it Toy Story 2 or 3, the sequels of this movie is as good as its first one. It never fails to bring each one of us back to our childhood. I would have to agree with Toy Story 3's current rating in Rotten Tomatoes (with a whooooping 98%). 

Of course, Cara's favorite was Woody. She never stops talking about the whole film.

I'm hoping she learns how to take care of her toys and appreciate them ... and stop buying more.

Because Cara's body clock is as screwed up as mine, we watched the last full show at the movie house of Shangri-La Plaza (with Papa, Mama and Klaire). Because Cara has watched two 3D movies already (How to train your dragon & Shrek) and was always scared to put on her glasses, we decided not to watch Toy Story 3 in 3D. Aw aw aw... I want to watch it again in 3D! I'm sure sobrang gandaaaaaa!!! Especially Pixar uses really high technology. So for those who haven't watched it, it's a really great film and it's really worth it to watch it in 3D (even I haven't seen it in 3D myself...haha).

I think Barbie (as in the company) invested their money in a good advertisement. Toy Story 3 will definitely bring back Barbie's charm! So young girls, start enjoying Barbie items again! Few months from now, toy stores will be full of Kens and Barbies again, but will definitely be dominated by Woody and Buzz!!! You'll be earning big time Disney Pixar! ✩

Ken, I love Barbie's leg warmers too.

If you miss everything about being a kid, you better watch this movie (just watch it)! It's either you'll want to buy your kids more toys (to actually get to play with them too) or you'll end up almost crying like me at the end of the movie (because of how I wished I took care of my toys so I won't have to spend for new ones when I have children na). HAHAHA! Either way, it's going to make you remember how everything was so easy for you when you were just playing with those toys! ooohhhh... I'm going to make sure my kids get the kind of childhood Andy and I got! ☺

✂ -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, talking about childhood... I miss college! I never thought I'd say this but college is actually way better and easier than the stage I am in right now. Once in awhile, acting like we were students again helps to make me feel relaxed and comfortable (especially if I'm with my "comfort zone group"). So it was nice to spend time with my Sec-C girls last Saturday in Izakaya. I missed you girls so much! We will definitely be doing this more often. During these depressing times, we can only be there for each other (and everything makes sense again).

I ♥ you forever!

Thanks to Ekay for the photo! 

Thanks to Donna of Fashion Department Store for the very nice dress (I'll blog about this soon...promise)!

Time to say goodnight and 

let my melatonin vitamins do its job.

Elle Woods has arrived!!!

I'm definitely going to watch this! It's an early birthday treat for myself :) 

Especially it's starring Nikki Gil, one of the most angelic voices I've heard.

I'm just not so sure if Nyoy Volante fits the role of Elle Woods' other half. Parang hindi sila bagay ni Nikki Gil eh. And isn't Emmett Forrest supposed to be a pretty boy kind of guy? Hmmm... Does Nyoy fit that description? Well, we'll see how it works out for the production very soon!!! :)

If you plan on watching this too, visit their multiply site for more info: http://manilablonde.multiply.com/

Happy Independence Day!

Today was THIS craaaaazy!!!

 

But I'm ending the night having...

✌ Peace

Love ♥

and ☺Happiness

*SIDE NOTE: Okay, today's not exactly independence day. But today was what our president declared as holiday. So my blog entry title makes sense. Haha.

Facing Crossroads and Changes

Lately, I've been a confused girl. I probably know what your reaction would be after reading the next paragraph of this blog entry --- "WHAAAAT?!?!" ... Well, that's why I'm LITTLE MISS UNPREDICTABLE. You never know what to expect from me.

So what exactly happened? I didn't complete my registration for graduate studies and I resigned from work just after working for a week. ------ WHAAAAT?!?!

✔Why did I decide to stop working?

       I've always wanted to become a teacher. My whole life, I've been dreaming of my own school and being able to work in an environment where I also get to enjoy kids. Teachers have always been an inspiration to me because they make me work harder and they make me feel better about myself. 

       This past week I felt like I just thought of wanting this my whole life, well in fact I only wanted it because it was my childhood dream. It's like someone wanting to be a doctor, but when he gets older, it's not what he's destined to be. Well what happened to me is I shut my doors to the other possible career paths for me because of wanting to become a teacher when I was young. I never opened my idea to trying out other things before actually becoming that person I thought I wanted to be.

       And so I worked for a week as a preschool teacher plus I worked for a month as a preschool teacher last year for my OJT. I realized it was a really fulfilling job because of the smiles you get from the kids everyday. But I don't think I have that patience to actually teach a child who's starting from scratch that you would actually create ways for him/her to understand you and make him/her respond to you. First of all, I'm not creative, so it's so hard for me to actually think of activities for kids. And second, I don't think I'm ready yet to have my own class. I think I need to learn a lot more things before I actually become that kind of teacher these kids need. 

       I've always seen myself very close to kids. But it doesn't mean that just because I love them and they easily love me back, I'm already destined to become a preschool teacher. I want to be able to explore the other career opportunities for me while I'm still young to be able to know what I really want to do. In the end, I still might want to become a teacher, but I want to decide on things when I've already tried doing other things and I'm already sure of what I want to be.

✔Why I won't pursue my graduate studies?

       I won't pursue my graduate studies FOR THE MEAN TIME. I've always been a lover of learning and studying, but I want to be sure of what I really want to study so as not to waste time and money on something I'm not going to use. What really happened is when I finished my registration, assessment, and all that was left was paying for my tuition fee - I decided I won't pay first and pay the next day to be able to decide on things. Through prayer and counseling sessions with my parents, I never finished the whole enrollment process. I decided to put on hold my status with the graduate studies program in Ateneo.

       I was supposed to take up Develeopmental Psychology as the track of my MA studies this coming sem (which starts tomorrow by the way). It mainly focuses on early childhood education. They train you in teaching, caring and assessing skills in preschool environments. It's actually a perfect program for those who are really sure of becoming a preschool teacher. But as for my situation, it would really be risky to take this up if as of the moment, I am not really sure if I want to become a preschool teacher.

       The program is focused in just one career path - and that's teaching kids. If I learn to love the corporate setting, I can't really use what I've learned from my MA in Dev.Psych. So, I'm taking a year or two to work in a non-preschool setting, and be able to know if I really want to teach or it's just what I've always thought of doing that I'm just forcing myself to do it.

       Being able to work in another kind of setting, like the corporate world, will help me get to know myself better. If in a year or two, I'm still thinking of becoming a preschool teacher, then probably that's what I really want to become. I just want to welcome change now and to explore the different opportunities for a fresh graduate. Once I am able to have a job that I already love, then that's probably where studying comes in. When I know what it is I really want to be forever, then I'm going to study more about it. I can probably take MA or MBA. Whichever. At least by then, I'll know for sure that I'm not wasting money and time, because that's exactly what I want to do. 

SO THERE YOU GO. I've shared my story. No more WHAAAATs. I know I made the right decision. And I'm going to start looking for work (since I've already declined all the offers because I thought I was going to study) this week. Pray for me! ♡

P.S. It's so weird. Just last week, I was writing about how I want to make a difference as a teacher, and this week, I'm totally confused! Well, I still want to make a difference. Maybe I can try out other ways to.

☻

Rare Find!

I finally got the pink lips I've been trying to achieve (see picture below)!!!

Sobrang sakto lang yung lipstick - not too pale, but not too red too! :)

And guess how much it is? P150!!! Yes, one hundred fifty pesos! I've spent on a lot of lipstick and I get really disappointed after buying one and trying it on. The colors just won't fit me. But the lipstick I got today was the cheapest one I bought so far, and it was perfect!!! :) Sarap talaga sa department stores!!! Hulaan nyo anong brand nung lipstick!!!

Too Much On My Mind

It's all a blur. ☹

I've chosen a path. Did I choose the right one?

 

Image Source: http://i-voix.over-blog.com/article-31520427.html

 

GOODNIGHT ✰

HK Choi & My Craving for Roast Duck

I hate to admit it but my boyfriend exactly knows where to take me out on our random dates. When I'd suggest a place to try out, almost always "palpak"!!! And when he'd choose the place, I always end up enjoying the food. And today's restaurant choice was his, and as expected, I ended up loving the food! 

I've been craving for Roast Duck ever since my Shanghai trip. I thought I'd get to eat duck during my whole trip, but I didn't know roast duck was so hard to find in Shanghai. It's more popular in HongKong. So I've been craving for so long! 

 

Fortunately, roast duck was all over HK Choi's menu! The restaurant we went to today is located in the new annex building of SM Megamall. It's also surprising that it only costs P180 to get the Roast Duck meal (with rice and soup). Teban ordered noodle soup but I forgot the name of his meal and I never had the chance to taste his meal 'coz I was already full. We ordered taro puff too, and it tasted as good as Gloria Maris'. 

I just had to blog about finally getting to eat Roast Duck again!!! :D Craving no more! Hmmm actually... I'm craving for some more!!!!

Getting a Free Dress Through Blogging

The most amazing thing happened to me today!!! 

So, I was always a fan of this online shop in Multiply and in Facebook: 

FASHION DEPARTMENT ONLINE SHOP

We have the same taste for dresses, so I regularly check out this online shop. Prices are affordable too! ANYWAY. . .Despite the nice dresses and affordable prices, I know there was no way for me to order yet because it was either I did not know how to go about Globe G-Cash or I was simply tamad to go to a BPI branch. I was just having fun looking through the clothes while hoping I can purchase a lot of their items soon.

Yesterday, I couldn't help myself. The site uploaded a lot of albums and I had plenty of time to look through all of the albums. I ended up saving 4 pictures of their pre-order dresses and made sure I checked out the FAQs of the Globe G-Cash site to know the best way I could pay for these items if ever I do order them. Instead of ordering these pieces at once, I randomly messaged the Facebook site of the shop first to know if the pair of gloves the model in the picture was wearing was included when you purchase the little black dress. Unfortunately, it wasn't. BUT...

Instead of still getting the dress without the gloves, I got the dress for free!!! Yes, F-R-E-E!!! The shop owner messaged me right after I asked her about the gloves,

"Hi Klaudine, I'm the owner of this shop. The one who replied to you previously was my manager. 

Anyway, if you want this dress I can give this one to you for free. :) 

I read your blog and I enjoyed it hehe. Just give me your shipping details so I can ship this directly to your house :) 

No hidden charges or what. I just want to give it to you as a gift since you look very nice naman :)"

She was reading my blog (Yes, this blog!). Oh, how good it felt knowing someone actually appreciated everything I was writing and sharing! That was so random and awesome!!!

The shop owner's name is Donna. Thank You Donna!!! Aw aw aw... You made my "summer ender" a big KA-BOOM! Binroadcast ko sa buong bahay namin yung effect ng blog ko ha! HAHA. Kahit two days palang ata 'to, at least I know someone's reading it kahit walang comments dito!

So this is the least I can do for you Donna! GO VISIT FASHION ONLINE DEPARTMENT ONLINE SHOP in Multiply or in Facebook. Their clothes are so nice and they don't cost too much. :) But please don't expect free clothes. Mine was totally unexpected. HEHE. And I probably already deserve to own at least a piece of their clothing line after constantly visiting their site since Multiply days pa. 

P.S. I'll be posting pictures of the items once I get hold of them. :)

Birthday Wishlist

Exactly a month and a day from now, I'll be celebrating my 22nd birthday.

And even though I'm not going to have everything in this list, it still feels nice to wish :)

These items are arranged in order - #1 being my "top wish"! HAHA

1) NOKIA C3 - this tops my list! It's about to change my HTC phone and make things simpler and easier for me :) I hope Nokia releases the unit before my birthday! 

2) CANON POWERSHOT SD1400 IS - I can still go to Sony right now and have my camera repaired. But it would be so much more practical to get a new one than have my old camera repaired for the same price!!!

3) PINK LIPSTICK - I've been buying lipsticks from different brands. I never got the shade I'm trying to achieve. It's hard to buy the perfect one 'coz you can't try it on. Oh well, so I'm just waiting for someone to give me one 'coz they're so expensive. I hope someone gets the right shade for me! Haha.

4) OCEAN ADVENTURE SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS - Grabeeee. This, I've been wanting to do!!! But it's so hassle to ask my parents to take me there knowing they don't want to do it naman. So who wants to do it with me? Let's go please!!! I'm treating dinner! 

5) WALK-IN CLOSET - Dahil nagsisiksikan na damit ko sa cabinet ko, hindi ko namamalayan ang rami ko palang 'di nagagamit! I want a walk-in closet where every piece has its own hanger! Gusto ko isang tingin palang, nakikita ko na yung feel ko gamitin na damit for the day.

6) IPAD - I think everyone wants one! So yah, I'm joining the bandwagon. It's not on top of my list though! Apple's going to continuously upgrade this for the next month or so... Let's wait for the best one with the best price!

7) ROOM MAKE-OVER - My room looks like a 4-year old's bedroom. It's too pink and yellow. Too much flowery, girly stuff too. So I think I need to start making it look mature. I still want it to have a hint of pink though :) Who wants to become an interior designer and make my room her project? 

8) GUYLIAN LA TRUFFLINA - I don't remember who gave me a piece of this, but I blame you for making me crave for more! If only they weren't expensive, I'd binge on them all the time. Can I spend for myself on my birthday and eat a whole box of LA Trufflina?

9) GUIANDUIA CARA MIA GELATO - Yes, Amici's ice cream! It's really the best. I've never been a fan of ice cream, until I tasted this brand. Their Guianduia flavor in particular! I want more than one cup for my birthday! Haha. 

10) GUYLIAN SEASHELLS - Whenever my dad would go on business trips, we'd ask him to buy this for us. Back then, it wasn't available here yet. I stopped buying this seashells brand since last year when I found out Goya had something really similar (if not exactly the same) that was a lot cheaper.

After writing my wishlist for the year, I feel like it's impossible to get any of my top 7 for my birthday!!! So I just might give myself top 8-10 next month. Hmmm... Let's see how many I can check from this list in a month! :)

Nate Does "A Little J"

Chace Crawford arrested for marijuana possession??? 

 Eh bakit sobrang hot ng mugshot mo??? 

I still love you Nate! <3

Lesson Learned Today

Do not watch Romantic flicks so you won't expect your special someone doing the same thing for you then ending up disappointed when they don't. :( 

Expect them not to show up when you cancel something. They're never going to be there to surprise you. I should know, I studied the word "ego" for eight semesters of Psychology. HAHA.

AND SO... That was summer! At least for me... I had no way to go out today which was my last Saturday (without someone who was more than willing to drive for me), so I had no choice but to stay home. I hope you had a better ending to your summer than mine. Good thing, Haley's birthday is tomorrow and I promise myself that it'll make my "summer ender" so much better :)

Mood: 

Rain, rain, go away!

 Ang raming langgam! 

Which means... rainy season and my birthday coming up.

Rainy season isn't as bad when you're also celebrating your birthday... but the thought of going through Ondoy again doesn't make rainy season good at all despite turning a year older!

So my only wish this year is ...

Dear God, please don't let 

the Filipino people suffer 

from another Ondoy EVER again. 

Is that too much to ask for?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random

Klau wants to watch... 

  What do you think about it?

Want to watch it with me?

Women vs. Men

I don't get it why they say women are so difficult to understand.

Aren't men more difficult??? 

They think they know everything.

They are so insensitive.

They don't like going home before 12.

They try so hard not to cry when it's really okay to.

They feel like all their opinions are right.

BASTA.

Worst is... they can get away with just about everything!!!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Happily Ever After

Quotes from Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen's Chicken Soup for the Soul: Happily Ever After :) A must read!!!

 

If you don't like something, change it. 

If you can't change it, change the way 

you think about it. -Mary Engelbreit

Anywhere is paradise; it's up to you. -Author Unknown

Love is the condition in which the happiness of another is essential to your own. -Robert Heinlein

Make your optimism come true. -Author Unknown

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, 

destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. -Author Unknown

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. -David Viscott, M.D.

Age does not protect you from love, but love to some

extent protects you from age. -Jeanne Moreau

Small deeds are done better 

than great deeds planned. -Peter Marshall

Challenges make you discover things about

yourself that you never really knew. -Cicely Tyson

When the world says, "Give up," 

Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." 

 -Author Unknown

We must be willing to 

get rid of the life we've planned, 

so as to have the life that is waiting for us. 

 -Joseph Campbell

True love stories never have endings. -Richard Bach

Forgiveness does not change the past, 

but it does enlarge the future. -Paul Boese

Soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. 

They are not perfect but are always perfect for you. -Author Unknown

See everything; 

overlook a great deal; 

correct a little. 

 -Pope John XXIII

To get to a woman's heart, 

a man must first use his own. 

 -Mike Dobbertin

The first duty of love is to listen. -Paul Tillich

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 

Out of a misty dream, our path emerges for a while, 

then closes within a dream. 

 -Ernest Dowson

We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, 

as best to remove the weeds of anger, 

avarice, envy and doubt. -Dorothy Day

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. -Emma Goldman

Flowers are love's truest language. -Park Benjamin

You give but little when you give of your possessions. 

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. -Kahlil Gibran

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, 

you gotta put up with the rain. -Dolly Parton

Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn't permanent. -Jean Kerr

Let your love be stronger than you hate or anger. 

Learn the wisdom of compromise, 

for it is better to bend a little than to break. -H.G. Wells

We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh. -Agnes Repplier

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play 

than in a year of conversation. -Plato

Kindness is the greatest wisdom. -Author Unknown

A hundred men may make an encampment,
but it takes a woman to make a home. -Chinese Proverb

We love because it's 

the only true adventure. -Nikki Giovanni

If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances. -Julia Sorel

A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover 

as the love of the giver. -Thomas a Kempis

Do I love you because you're beautiful, 

or are you beautiful because I love you? 

-Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Remember, we all stumble, every one of us, 

that's why it's comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough

The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have. -Leonard Nimoy

I like not only to be loved, but to be told I am loved. -George Eliot

It's not where you go or what you do, it's who you take along with you. -Anonymous

You can finally stop asking me why I want to teach kids...

A coursemate and a co-teacher sent me this poem about what teachers make (or what teachers are all about)... So for those who are wondering why I decided to become a teacher despite the "supposedly" better opportunities offered to me, then you can definitely stop wondering and read this poem.

Link: What Teachers Make (in YouTube)

What Teachers Make
or Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you? 

I remember growing up when I'd always ask my mom to buy me a blackboard and I'd pretend I had students around who were listening to me. There was no specific subject I would constantly pretend teaching, but I remember that Math was one of the easiest to teach. I don't know why, I guess I just had really good Math teachers who were worth remembering and imitating. Remembering the best teachers I had makes me wonder if I can be as influential as them 5 years from now. I can only hope...

And the next thing you might ask me is "why a PRESCHOOL teacher?" ... Well, I already wrote about this in my OJT journal entries, and here's why...

I like the lifestyle that a teacher lives. I could not imagine myself behind a desk all day; I love to be around children and to be a part of their maturation. Children are so uncanny and naïve that it helps me to remember that life does not have to be completely serious. I cannot imagine another job that would keep me young at heart. Not only do I like the fact that children keep you young, but a career in teaching does not end your education.

A New Beginning

Just because I'm going to have so little time left for myself, for my family and for my friends, I'm going to try to let you know everything that's going on with my life through this blog. :)

Next Tuesday, I'm going to start working with Kids on Focus. Despite the many opportunities that came in the whole summer from big companies, my heart was never fully attracted to working full time with them even with the good compensation and benefits. I guess I just can't see myself working on a desk the whole day.

So I decided I'll be studying full time instead to finally start getting myself equipped with all the things I need to learn about building my own preschool. Fortunately, just this week, my professor in Ateneo contacted me offering me a part-time job in her own preschool. Even though my mind was already set in studying full time, my heart skipped a beat upon hearing this great opportunity. Without even knowing what exactly my job description was or how much I'm going to get paid for doing what I love doing, I knew I was going to accept the job offer one way or another!!! My heart was finally beating for the perfect job opportunity, and there's no way I'm going to let go of this.

So... I guess I'm no longer a bum. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be busy more than any of you are! Starting work this coming Tuesday makes me scared in a way. Knowing that I'm going to be the "new one" there tells me I have so much to learn and I have so much to prove. But guess what... I'm up for the challenge!

I'm going to start grad school too next next Tuesday. So that's an 8AM-3PM job on weekdays plus 6PM-9PM classes after work. I pray to the Lord that it's not going to be as hard as I'm expecting it to be. I'm hoping that I learn as much as I can from this new chapter in my life, and that it'll help me be a step closer to that one big dream I have - to be able to put up my own school and to be able to be part of the education of young minds. :)

I have nothing much to say at this point. Next week, I'll probably have one million things to say. I'm just so excited that I've finally decided on something that fits perfectly on just about every aspect of my life. :) LIFE IS GOOD.