Sunday, April 30, 2006

Ref Door Project

I used to have a lot of magnets on my fridge. But when we shifted house late February this year, I discarded some old ones and retained those pieces that I really like. One thing, my fridge now is smaller. My previous fridge suddenly retired and could not even make a cold glass of water for us. My daughter even joked that it got so irritated by the long drive from Woodlands to Yew Tee. So we got no choice but to buy a smaller and cheaper one.

If you come to visit my place and enter my modest dwelling, my dining room is seen when you turn left. If you turn right, you’ll see the door which is open most of the times, and you’ll see my fridge especially its side. As it is the one seen as you enter, I displayed my magnets and photos on it. Come take a peep…


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Now, come a little bit closer....
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And now in full view...
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As you can see, the guitar and jeepney wooden magnets are from the Philippines and the 2 flower baskets on frames are from Malaysia. The rest are from USA. The Chinese charms are from here.
All the other photos/cards on display are all dear to me, which I want to see every time. The postcard from Guam was sent by my eldest where she conceived the twins after 2 years of marriage. The twins photos and theirbaby sister's birth announcement, my sojourn in Thailand with my husband as it was the only time we took holiday without our kids, my photo with my 3 daughters which they said we just look like sisters (at naniwala naman ako!!! LOL!) are all a must for me to look at everytime. And the fridge is just the convenient place to display them.
I thought I was the only one who display photos and things on the fridge aside from the magnets. I was totally wrong. When I visited Jo's site, I found out about her Ref Door Project and asked her if I could join them.
So do join the Ref Door Project now and have some fun too!!!

Saturday, April 29, 2006

And now, happy at work...

When I was in Williamsburg, I was tempted to decide to apply for a pre-school teaching job there. Of course, I was not yet sure if I would be accepted or needed to take some certification exam. My daughter informed me that with the qualifications as mine, it would be an easy attempt for me. So I got a little bit confident and prepared my papers to apply to that world brand organization. But then, my husband called and pleaded with me to go home to Singapore.

It was a painful decision for me,also leaving the twins, Kyllenne & Darrielle behind. But the fact that my eldest understood my decision eased the pain I was feeling then.

As it was my goal to teach in that organization when it is time for my whole family to stay in the USA for good and be with my eldest (though I am not sure of the future; if my 2 daughters prefer Singapore over USA) , I decided that I better work in that branded organization here in Singapore. So there and then, I contacted Ms. W and asked if I could work with her again. She gladly said yes. After ten months, few small things that accumulated happened along the way, and I decided to quit.

How’s my plan to work in that branded organization in Williamsburg? Ahhh, I could still work there or I could apply in other schools. And what’s important is my work experience, not the place where I worked before.

I surfed the internet and looked for job openings. I came across this job posting stating their organization’s reputation of being a centre of excellence as they provide the best learning experiences to pre-schoolers and children with special needs. As I am so much interested in Applied Behaviour Approach, I sent my application and was scheduled for interview. I was then asked to report for a 3 days training, as the Managing Director stated that it was a company policy. Since I was impressed of their approach even though it is a small organization and I was not in a hurry yet to get a full time job, I agreed and started 3rd of April.

On my 3rd day, the Managing Director who is a she told me that the training was actually for 3 months as and at the same time I would be attending the British Council’s Public Speaking Programme. What??? That was an insult to the max! She reckoned that since they have Western children, they would never speak Singlish. She added that since I came in a neighbourhood centre, we all speak Singlish over there. She said that they will never ever speak Singlish in their centre. I found it so disturbing to hear a Singaporean who studied in NUS and who took her Masters in UK, to say that. Of course, we should speak grammatically correct English. We should refrain speaking Singlish to the children especially during lesson time. But then I still believe that her elite Singaporean children will still mingle with the neighbourhood children when they grow up in the future. They cannot avoid conversing with these neighbourhood children who speak Singlish. And yeah, her opinion was hers. I could not agree with her. Maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong. All I could say then was “Goodbye!!!” to her so called elite school.

Immediately I looked at the newspaper ads. I saw this posting from an innovative centre also in CBD. I started working there on the 10th April. I teach younger children in the morning and in the afternoon I teach primary children from P1 to P4.

So far, I am happy with my work. There are also Western children in the centre. My colleagues who are mostly Singaporeans also speak Singlish and there’s no problem.
And yesterday I received my pay cheque. That makes me happier. I can go shopping. Wow!!!

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Heavenly Food

There are so many heavenly food around. I just did food blog hopping and here's my find for the moment. Visit these food blog sites and you'll agree with me that the food are heavenly not only in looks but mostly in taste.

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Friday, April 21, 2006

Gamut Of Emotions


This is the entertainment area/place in Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. And as you can see, there's the big roller coaster. My husband and I were given free tickets here as part of our accomodation in the hotel.

Why am I writing about the roller coaster? Well, I just realized that it represents or makes us feel those different emotions when we are on a roller coaster ride. We feel happy, we feel sad,
we feel excited, we feel scared, and at times we feel pain, also at times we feel victorious. There's the gamut of emotions in a roller coaster ride.

Just like life. Just like how I feel. If given the choice, I only want positive emotions. But I know life is not like that. I know I have to experience negative emotions too. Just like on a roller coaster ride. Ohh, I am scared for the future. I am scared of pain. Mostly, pain in relationships. How I wish my life, my rollercoaster ride, is always going up. Up there, where I will always be happy and feel loved. But then, my roller coaster ride also goes down. And I have to accept that.


Thursday, April 20, 2006

Belated 28th

Belated Happy 28th birthday to my son-in-law David. May you have many more birthdays to come. We wish you the best of everything . From Singapore with love!!!

Sunday, April 16, 2006

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

One of the peculiar custom of Easter time is the Easter Egg. And in the centre on the last day of the week before Sunday which is Friday, we usually give all the children boiled eggs for them to paint with different colours. They will then bring their easter eggs home.

Here's an explanation why we have easter eggs :

"Because the use of eggs was forbidden during Lent, they were brought to the table on Easter Day, coloured red to symbolize the Easter joy. This custom is found not only in the Latin but also in the Oriental Churches. The symbolic meaning of a new creation of mankind by Jesus risen from the dead was probably an invention of later times. The custom may have its origin in paganism, for a great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring. Easter eggs, the children are told, come from Rome with the bells which on Thursday go to Rome and return Saturday morning. The sponsors in some countries give Easter eggs to their god-children. Coloured eggs are used by children at Easter in a sort of game which consists in testing the strength of the shells (Kraus, Real-Encyklop die, s. v. Ei). Both coloured and uncoloured eggs are used in some parts of the United States for this game, known as "egg-picking". Another practice is the "egg-rolling" by children on Easter Monday on the lawn of the White House in Washington. "


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HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYBODY!!!!!

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Chasing Like Crazy

On 3rd of March, I tendered my resignation from my previous centre due to personal reasons which I’d like to keep to myself. I don’t believe on discussing other people’s faults and misdeeds. I should have stated the real reasons, but nothing good would happen nor would benefit anybody. And I am not perfect. So I left it that way. I was so ready to serve my one month notice. But along the way, as I wrote in my previous posts, I got sick of tonsillitis. That fateful day of 25th, I still went to work even though I was so weak. Since I could not bear it, I told them I’d go home and see my doctor. That Ms. told me why not to shorten my notice of cessation of employment and write a letter before I go to state a request for a shortened notice that would make my last day as the 24th. Imagine that! I was so weak and still she asked me to write a letter. I agreed and immediately wrote a letter. I don’t have anything personal against that Ms., but surely, she lacks management skills.

On the 29th, she SMS me and asked when would I submit my Exit Forms, my IHP card (card for medical consultation), keys, diskettes, CDs and other things. I replied that I would be returning all those items the next day which was the 30th. So there I went and returned all those things. Hey, she even gave me a present. I appreciated that. She told me that HR would send me a letter regarding my salary.

Then, after 7 days I received a call, I could say a rude call from a woman informing that she was calling from the head office and asked when my last day was and my new address. Whoa, I informed that Ms the month before of my new address. And my last day? Were they not liaising with each other? I answered that lady but she got difficulty in spelling. I found it so funny for somebody who is a resident who could not spell Choa Chu Kang nor understand why my address doesn’t have a Block before the number. It is a common knowledge here in Singapore that if a residential building doesn’t have a block, it means it is a condo or private house. She seemed to project that I was bluffing with my address. Why should I do that??? I almost lost my temper for I was on my way to my interview in a so called foreign school near CBD. That was a chance I did not want to spoil of course. So I told her that I got no more time, she could email me or write me at my address.

When I went home and opened my mailbox, I received my DBS transaction details. It was then that I found out that my previous centre credited my month’s salary without deduction. That was the reason why that lady was speaking like that, like crazy. They wanted to chase me for that money they mistakenly credited to my account. Aiyah!!! I am an honest person and that small amount of money would not make me rich either. So I immediately sent HR an email stating that surely I would return the money and asked them how much and how should I do that.

The next Wednesday, 11th April, I received a letter from HR informing me of their acceptance of resignation (sooooo late acknowledgement!!!) and attached was a computation of how much should I pay them back. Since I was working already since the 10th in that so called international school near Newton area, I got no time to mail my cheque to them. And being new in my new school/place of employment, I always place my hand phone in my bag inside my cubby hole. There was no time for me to answer calls. To my disgust, HR kept on calling me which was all missed calls. When I called back, the person who answered didn’t know who the person who wanted to speak to me was. So lousy system!! And what they wanted from me for heaven’s sake!!!

This morning,15th April, I wrote a cheque to pay my previous centre and prepared to mail it. But then I received another call from HR and that lady told me that the amount I should pay should be more than what they stated in the letter they sent me. In short, they made a mistake in computation. That was the reason why last Thursday, I received a total of 5 missed calls from them. They were chasing me like crazy!!! And I could not understand why these people would not double check what they were doing before sending any letter what with detailed computation only to be considered void in the end.

They wrote a letter stating the amount of how much should I pay. Now, they are informing me that the computation was wrong. Ahhhh, can you blame me if I resigned from my post even though I love my children in the centre very much?

Tsk, tsk, tsk. They should not chase me like crazy for surely, I will pay them considering it was their mistake all along.



Friday, April 14, 2006

Today Is Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. This was the day when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.

From the New Testament The Gospel according to Luke:

The Death of Jesus
It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father! In your hands, I place my spirit!" He said this and died.
Luke23: 45-47
If you are wondering why today is called Good Friday when we know for a fact that Jesus died on this day. Here's an answer worth noting as answered by Ken Collins.
" But I think we call it Good Friday because, in pious retrospect, all that tragedy brought about the greatest good there could be. "
"But we call it Good Friday, as in English, we are confessing the Christian hope that no tragedy-not even death- can overwhelm God's providence, love and grace."
You can visit Ken Collins here
And just in case you've heard about the Gospel Of Judas, you can visit the National Geographic site to know more about it. I already visited the site and though the said gospel is not included in The New Testament, I don't see anything wrong on the writings which highlighted that it was Jesus who asked Judas to betray him so the prophecy would happen.
I remember during my high school days in Maryknoll over there in Laguna, one of the nuns told us that we should not condemn Judas for in the end he was ridden with guilt and that he asked forgiveness for his betrayal. She even mentioned that without Judas, Jesus death on the cross would not happen and therefore there would be no redemption. So, Judas really played an important part.
I even heard people say "Hudas ka talaga!!!" when they were angry or even betrayed. But for me, I never ever said those words. I grew up learning that it was a sin to say bad words. And saying "hudas ka" had not been part of my vocabulary. It was also because I believed Sister on her interpretation of Judas in Jesus' life and death.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

A Bright New Day

We are now commemorating the passion of Jesus Christ as it is now Holy Week. We know for a fact that after all those hardships and after He died on the cross, our Lord has risen and ascended to Heaven.

In our daily lives, we also encounter a lot of pain and hardships. But after all those dark days, for sure a new bright day will come.

Seeing this photo just reminds me of that. Yes Virginia, life is full of bright days.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Renewed Comfort

I was not able to speak to my eldest last night. The phone was passed from my youngest to my second daughter and then to my husband. They talked of a lot of things from the twins, baby Karllisse, the weather, their life over there and our life over here, and then of a new faith. This evening, it must be my turn to speak to her.

Ahhh, how I wish my eldest and her family are all here with us and that we are physically together! How I know that could not be possible this time. Maybe in the near future. And in the mean time, I should just be comfortable with what technology could provide us.

As far as my husband and I are concerned, we provided my eldest daughter the best environment we could give her. We sent her to the best exclusive school for girls in the Philippines. We gave her the warmth, the understanding and the freedom that were due her. Though of course, we are not perfect. We may have made wrong decisions in our roles as parents, for at the same time we also did our roles as siblings to our own and as children to our own parents. But then we know in our heart that we made my daughter realized that there is that great bonding and love among us as one family and that she is particularly loved for I know in my heart that she acknowledged that since the beginning which made her a loving woman today. And so, I am really proud of what my eldest turned out to be; a young woman, a young wife and mother doing it fine in America without us by her side and spreading her loving being to one and all.

My husband and I fully support my eldest in all her decisions in life. Though she spoke of a new faith, we are trying to understand her. How I just wish that she find renewed comfort in her born faith.

Ohh, there is comfort in looking at my goldfishes. Watching them as they move makes my day a better one. Makes me understand that this is life. There is simple joy and simple comfort in seeing what we are used to see.

So for my eldest Krizelle, this photo is for all of you. I wish you all the best!!!

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Monday, April 03, 2006

A Minute For God

This was emailed to my husband by his Filipino friend. I decided to post it here for I am sure this can help all of us in relations to our spiritual growth.
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Saturday, April 01, 2006

Achievements and Humility

It is just normal for all of us to be proud of all our achievements especially about obtaining an education and then landing on a prestigious job overseas. If we are that proud of ourselves, our dear parents are more proud of us. They are the one who even disseminate information on us.

Being a parent myself, of course, I am proud of my children too. But for me I am not only proud of what they have achieved education wise and with pertains to their jobs, I am also proud of what they become. I am proud that they were able to make it here, considering the Singapore education system is entirely different from the Philippines. I am proud that they landed good jobs in prestigious companies here. But then I am more proud that they know who they are. That if they achieve something, they are fully aware that in their life, they may be better compared to others, but there are always people who are better than them. I am proud that they have their feet on the ground.

And that perhaps differentiate me from other parents. I taught my children how to be humble. Because for me successful people are those who are humble.

Why I am writing this? Because I am so fed up of parents who shout to high heavens how their children are doing good, ignoring that the world is big and round and that there are more people who are high flyers than their own. They are just proud of their own children? For heaven’s sake, if you hear her son’s tales of achievements since pre- school up to now when she calls, you’ll get irritated too. Or you’ll think of something, she’s obsessed. She’s obsessed of her son’s achievements.

How I pity her. If only she equates achievements with humility, maybe then, we’ll all be happy for her and her son. Oh, why I am saying this. I really don’t know the real score. Maybe, that is her life. She is happy with projecting to one and all that her son is a great achiever. I will not take that away from her.


But I do hope she also listens to other people’s stories