by rossanahead | Jun 4, 2011 | children, family, parenting, Rossana Llenado, woman
By Rossana Llenado
What I like about traveling is that I get to discover so many things. And by that, I don’t just mean all the unique characteristics of a particular destination, but all those charming characteristics that travel brings out in my children.
Last week, we were finally able to take a trip to Korea. We’ve wanted to go for the longest time, but work and my kids’ equally hectic schedule interfered with our plans.
For four glorious days, we found ourselves in the land of kimchi and cherry blossoms. Incheon Airport did not disappoint. One of the most efficient airports in the world, it is state-of-the-art serving some 15 million passengers every year. So efficient is this airport that we were able to get out of there in just 15 minutes! How’s that for a good first impression?
We did a lot of walking during those four days, which wasn’t such a hassle as their sidewalks were not only wide, they were also pretty! The sidewalks were landscaped so there were many flowers and trees and greens, very picturesque.
I am so happy that my kids like the museums and parks more than the malls and amusement parks. The garden outside the National Museum of Korea had all these sculptures and benches. There was also a beautiful playground with exercise equipments all around. We ended up trying all of them. It was fun!
We also visited the six-acre Biwon (Secret Garden), which is located inside the Changdeokgung Palace. It was a magnificent garden filled with woodland paths, lotus ponds, and pleasure pavilions. We just walked and walked and walked, taking in the scenery and the fresh air.
I love it as well that my kids were adventurous when it came time to eat. We ate Korean food every day. We couldn’t get enough of it!
That’s why I love taking my Nicolo, Paolo, Darla, and Meg on trips abroad. They make for the best travel companions because they’re always open to new adventures and experiences. Till the next trip, kiddos!
by rossanahead | Jun 2, 2011 | children, family, Karen Galarpe, parenting, woman
By Karen Galarpe
As I write this, my mom is intently watching a teleserye, squinting through her glasses. At the next commercial break, I know what she’ll do: pick up her crochet kit and resume crocheting something–a bag, a coaster, or a tablecloth–until the teleserye comes back on TV.
Every night, she would do this for as far back as I can remember.
Sometimes I would ask her what crochet project she’s working on. And so she would tell me. But at other times she herself doesn’t know what would come out of it. She’d continue crocheting just the same, much like an abstract artist would continue painting with no idea where it would lead, and be thrilled (or dismayed) at the end result.
I have always wondered why I never took to doing crochet. Just looking at the repetitive motions seems to bore me, and really, I would just rather read, or watch NatGeo or the news.
In the same way, I have always wondered why I never liked mahjong, which my mom has been playing almost every day since I was old enough to go to preschool. I remember playing patintero and tumbang preso at someone’s front yard or backyard while our moms were inside the house, playing their own game.
While my mom follows every teleserye on her favorite TV channel, I can’t stand watching Pinoy drama on TV. After a day of working hard, I really prefer to relax and not delve into the problems of some drama princess on TV.
Clearly, my mom and I are so different.
But we are also so alike.
We both like to eat out, are both morning persons, and like fried rice and salted dried fish for breakfast. We both enjoy sweets and coffee, and like discovering new places. We’re not good swimmers and neither are we good cooks. But we both like Michael Buble, and strongly believe family should always come first.
Some years back, my mom and I would take turns picking up my son from school. Rain or shine, she would be there to make sure my son sees a familiar face at dismissal time on days I’m tied up with work.
Last month, she turned 80. Those years of making sundo from school are long past, with my son in high school and her gait not as strong as before. Her hands may tremble a bit while working on her current crochet project, but she’d continue just the same.
She’s still the same mom I’ve known all these years.
Moms are God’s blessings, don’t you agree?
by rossanahead | May 31, 2011 | career, children, Education, Gina Abuyuan, woman
By Regina Abuyuan
Even as kids, she was clearly the artist among us, even as her sister was equally talented in music, even when I, too, wrote poems and stories and wasn’t so shabby with the paints and charcoals. She seemed to move in a world of her own, unaware of her own beauty and power. Weird? Of course she was weird. But she was also kind and sincere and naïve and all those other things that tend to get one into the saddest kinds of trouble.
I’m talking of my cousin, C, who now goes by another name; the name that now graces her album cover: Kulay by Tricia Garcia. She’s even got a spankin’ new music video of her first single, “Tabing Ilog.” Watch it here.
Tricia is almost my age—way past the prime of other musicians who get their big break while they’re in their 20s, or earlier. It’s not that she didn’t start early enough–for a time she was the lead vocalist of Pretty In Pink, that bubblegum pop group that came up with “Cool Ka Lang” in the early ‘90s. It was that she was held back.
Now, I’m going to stop right here lest I get anyone into trouble, but I will say that one of the most tragic things that can happen to an artist, or one full of God-given talents, is to be held back and suppressed. It doesn’t matter if the suppression was done “for your own good.” It’s like murder to deprive someone of their fullest potential—and to deprive others of experiencing that gift.
For several years, Tricia had to bury her love of song and art to please other people, to fit into their expectations of what she should be and how she should behave. She would have to hide her easels in the closet. She would have to hide who she was, period. It ate into her soul. Whenever we saw each other, I would see that the light had dimmed ever so imperceptibly in her eyes. She would try to justify it, saying it was for the better, but I—wild Water Rat that I am, who would rather die than be caged—would see she was only trying to convince herself.
And then, one day, the unthinkable happened. Tricia broke free.
She confessed to me her biggest fear two Christmases ago, that she might not be able to make it on her own, now that she was past youth, now that she had to start from scratch. What would people say? How would they react?
My reply (which is undoubtedly how the rest of the superwomen on this blog would reply, too): Don’t think of what other people will say. Just forge on. Do what you love. Do what you do best. Their words mean nothing. Your happiness means everything!
Something amazing happens when someone is set free and made to, finally, bask in his true purpose. It’s like the universe comes together, calls upon all its mighty gears and wheels, and everything locks into place. Mere months after Tricia let go, she inked a deal with MCA Universal. Less than a year later, she started recording her album. Around six weeks ago, her album was launched. Last week, this video was released.
When my daughter—or my sons, for that matter—get married, or have their first sweethearts, I’d like to direct them to this lesson learned from their Auntie Tricia: Stay true to yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you who or how you should be. Don’t allow your dreams to die. And if you’ve really got some gold inside you, it will shine, even if it’s been kept in darkness for years.
by rossanahead | May 28, 2011 | Education, family, Mari-an Santos
By Mari-An Santos
In school, Math was not my strongest subject. Somehow, I did very well at English, Filipino, and Social Studies–and good enough at Science, but I was terrible at Math! This is ironic for someone whose father is excellent at Math.
My father can mentally compute at lightning speed. And it must have been disappointing for him to have a daughter who was moved to tears by complex equations–if only there were more established tutorial services when I was in school. Instead, my father spent many late nights trying to explain to me why x’s and y’s could be relevant to real life.
I begged my Math whiz friends to help me understand the lessons every week. Every time we had a quiz, a long test, or an exam, however, my pulse would race. I would get light-headed and sweat profusely. I was literally terrified! I just barely passed—but never failed—Math every single quarter.
Though my choice of course in college depended largely on my passion, one other factor was the fact that I just needed to take three units of Math. Sold!
When I was thinking of pursuing a second degree, I considered another interest: engineering. But when I saw the list of prerequisite subjects—a lot of them, complex Maths–I backed down. I knew myself well enough to know my limits. And besides, I am no masochist.
In the real world, however, I encountered Math on a daily basis: computing the division of a meal with friends, making sure I got the exact change, and figuring out if I had enough money to commute home. Soon, I was no longer nervous when I mentally computed how much money I should hand over. I developed my own system so that I never missed a beat.
I get by. I don’t shy away from Math anymore–just don’t make me go through Calculus again.
by rossanahead | May 26, 2011 | children, parenting, Ruth M. Floresca, woman
By Ruth Manimtim-Floresca
For the past couple of days, I have encountered several ungentlemanly men who seem to have no regard whatsoever for women. For instance, I rode a service van provided for event attendees by a very considerate PR company. After most of the passengers have gotten off, the last guy left forcefully “suggested” to the driver to drop him off at his office first despite the place being farther than my destination.
When he got out, he immediately walked away and left the van door open for me to close. I had to laugh when the driver said, “Buti sana kung gwapo, pwede pa sigurong maging bastos. Kaso, hindi!” It may be a little thing to some, not worthy of attention, but the action spoke volumes about the guy’s character. And I haven’t even told you the other things he did that irritated other passengers earlier.
Then there’s the waiter who kept serving food and drinks first to my male friend who’s seated beside me at a media event. There we were, two women at the table, and we had to wait for five minutes or more before the waiter came back to serve us.
It’s also sad to see women giving up their seats on a bus so that a pregnant lady, a mom with a small child, someone with a disability, or a really old person could sit while dozens of uncaring men stay put, pretending not to notice.
On the other hand, the past two days also found me in the company of considerate guys who opened doors for me, assisted me in getting on and off a boat, and insisted I get in line first at the buffet table. Those are the kind of men I want my sons to be like when they grow up! The kind of man their dad is to women he interacts with every day.
I hope that the good examples they see and the frequent reminders they’re given on practicing gentlemanly ways all the time will stick in my boys’ heads. I pray that those would help mold them into men whom women would be proud to know.
Chivalry is not yet dead. There are still a handful of boys and men who know how to pay respect to women. I just wish there are more of them.
