Posing for Asiong32

Photography is one of the things I like to pursue as the many silhouettes and figures captured by each frame carries a story worthy to tell. They may also be subjects of a painting or a poem, but mostly, a memory of what transpired during a certain point of our existence.

I went to Baguio because I wanted to meet someone whom I respect much in the field of photography. Learning later that he is a man of all trades as well as creative in many forms of art. Hailing from Pangasinan, he chose Baguio to be his home. Asiong32 is one fine person and my almost three days meet with him gave me an opportunity to reflect on my present bearing, and make amends of what had been rattling my emotional core.

I will remember Asiong32 for his stories and struggles in life. I cried as he laid his hardships and how he survived them all. I am one big whiner but I was reminded once again, that others have bigger problems to conquer.

Asiong32 is not the typical person you will meet on the street. His story is the most fascinating and I gave myself time to listen and weaved them in my mind not as fragments but as a complete perspective of a man worth emulating. He is selfless, very introspective and respectful of his surroundings. Though driven by challenges and lacking of moral support, he walks through his own effort and dares not fail in his endeavour. He is a true fighter!

Allow me to show you some shots of me, pardon the subject for not being photogenic (that's me), taken from my camera by Asiong32. Whilst you might think that they are amateurish, visit his blog and be amazed.

The Botanical Garden

Wright Park

The Pool of Pines

Massage Bench

Bencab Eco Museum

The Infamous Asiong32 "talikodgenic"

Asiong32 can be contacted through his e-mail if you wanted to visit Baguio as he gives eco tour. I didn't avail of one since he suggested hiking, trekking and ghost hunting. Ahmmm, how about just eating? And we did!

       Dear Asiong32,

       I am very fortunate to have met you and known you on a 

       personal basis. Now, I understand the reason for your blogging 

       while giving more thoughts about everything you shared. Please 

       be strong and continue to be positive. Your stories will touch many 

       lives as God became an instrument to your new visions. If ever you 

       fall, you can continue sharing your stories through blogging and we 

       will be here to support you. Be an inspiration to many and thank you 

       so much for your friendship. 

       Sincerely yours,

       Jonathan

Starstruck in Tarlac

Arriving Tarlac City at noontime gave me an ample opportunity to roam around the city. The city is no different from other provincial places. The wide roads were filled with cars and trikes while the houses and small establishments line up the city proper.

San Sebastian Cathedral

First stop was the San Sebastian Cathedral and the Corazon C. Aquino Monument. Two famous sites favoured by many tourists for its history and significance to the city.

Tarlac Capitol

I hopped on a jeep and took a photo of the Tarlac Capitol and saw the expansive Maria Cristina Park right opposite. It was walking and walking all throughout, but I wasn't lost.

Refuelling Station

However, I am not to stay at the city proper as I need to meet one more friend I met through blogging. I took a bus and arrived a very rustic barangay and waited for my friend to pick me up. While waiting I noticed tons of students coming in and out and in groups later learning that they merge together at certain times to catch a ride together on a three wheeled tricycle as it was cheaper to chip in for the fare.

My friend came. “Cezar Montano, is that you?” I hopped on his bike as we traversed the wide and green landscape that is typical of any province. It was the most green I have ever seen, a cacophony of colours brightly enhanced by the crops and trees planted along the road and fields. The trip was quite long but in my eyes, it was a bursting imagery of many hues of green from the lightest to the darkest.

The Expansive Vegetable Field

When I reached his house, he gave me the opportunity to feel at home by accepting me as a special guest of the household. It was humbling! When it was time to eat dinner, the food served were straight from the field and it was the most delicious meal ever. It was filling! When we conversed about work and personal lives, our bond became stronger. It was encouraging!

The cups of coffee became the extra listeners to our plights and joyful sharings. The dim light coming from the living room gave drama to our emo stories. The silence around the house made our laughters more crisp and infectious. We were speaking not just as bloggers, we were building friendships.

Bring Me the Ax!

Aboutambot will remain anonymous to those who wish to see his face and know his name. But to me, meeting the writer had given me an opportunity to widen my scope about life and issues of living. His many stories are uplifting so is his pursuit to excellence. His trust to house a complete stranger will be one of the many highlights of my stay in the Philippines.

Rustic Beauty

I became one with nature, one with simplicity, one 

with myself. Leaving Tarlac gave me sadness but a reassurance that one day I will live a life inspired by him. I appreciate his kindness to me, many thanks aboutambot!

Meeting Ms. Balut

The Mall of Asia Philippines is one huge mall and on that particular Sunday, the 21st of July, it was teeming with people. It was a crowded place what with families enjoying their walk and food, teens with their friends jubilantly joking and laughing and lovebirds holding hands and smiling unmindful of strangers around them.

While waiting, I caught a glimpse of what was going on one of the halls. It was Miss World Philippines general screening. There were mostly men surrounding the vicinity of the venue holding their cameras and mobile phones to take photographs. I was just there to look and they are lovely to look at. I was actually mentally asking myself what if I have a beauty queen as a companion, would it change my life?

(All photos were taken from the web, not the author's properties. OPMB Worldwide/Facebook)

Should it be candidate one, two or three, or should be it all of them? Anyway, dreaming is free and so is waking up from all these woman watching. I have a goal that day and that is to meet someone I admire in the blogging world.

me - Hi, I am already here waiting in front of the bowling alley right next to Accesorize.

I know that place, wait I am almost there!

Am wearing black shirt. Yours? LOL this is sooo funny!

me- I am wearing dark green shirt and shorts. I am also wearing red glasses.

Got it!

me- I will stand in front of the store so you will see me.

And there she was, the Ms. Balut everybody's been talking about, in the flesh, I mean wearing her shirt and shorts, right before my eyes. I was actually forewarned that she hides herself through her dark glasses. After an exchange of some formal greetings, she escorted me to a coffee shop so that we can have some time to know each other, blind date style.

Ms. Balut is an epitome of talent and beauty (sipsip lungs!) When she spoke about herself and her work, I couldn't but be a good listener as she has volumes of knowledge to share. I told her that it was her writing style that made me a fan of her blog. She is very descriptive and as I read her many posts, I cannot but place the events and characters in my mind so vividly because she made them so clear with her words. 

One thing that stuck in my mind was when she mentioned about teaching as Ms. Balut was also in the education field. That teaching is not just a classroom matter, that it is ever evolving. As a teacher, our work can be defined by our ethics of patience and skills thus, we can work in many sectors of society. Being a teacher is also akin to being a trainer in a multinational company. Our many talents as a teacher and as a person build different persona significantly developing our core as a contributing member of the world we live in. In other words, we are great!

Meeting Ms. Balut is like winning a pageant though I was the one taking the crown and scepter. The crown being the wisdom of her thoughts and the scepter as her belief in me as a blogger. She may not be Ms. World but she can be the world to many. 

Metaphorically Speaking Meets Balut Manila

Senyor y Yu

I visited the Yuchengco Museum when I was at RCBC Plaza along Ayala and Senato Gil Puyat corners in Makati Ciy, the Philippines. I was enthralled by the number of great masterpieces displayed prominently at the ground floor of the museum as well as those found on the different levels.

Don Enrique and Dona Maria Yuchengco
by
Carlos "Botong" Francisco

Crucifix No. 6
by
Ang Kiukok

Three Women with Baskets
by
Anita Magsaysay-Ho

Kambal (Twins)
by
Benedicto "Bencab" Cabrera

Woman Cooking
by
Fernando Amorsolo

Camote Eaters
by
Carlos "Botong" Francisco

Suspended Garden
by
Tony Gonzales and Tes Pasola

Senyor y Yu
by
 Mr. and Mrs. Senyor Iskwater
and
Mr. and Mrs. Yu

I tumbled upon Senyor Iskwater's blog when he wrote something about BFF qualities and I became a regular visitor of his home. He writes with much gusto and in the Filipino vernacular. There are times I have to read and re-read the posting up to three times since I just cannot get the meaning of words unfamiliar to me. Mind you, I have grown well in using the language when I started visiting blogs since early December.

My initial feeling about this writer is that he is very straight forward and finds himself challenging readers and other social figures as well. His topics are sometimes alien to me especially when it is about politics but I still give some time to read them, though I don't comment as much. He has a sense of humour that surfaces through the words and phrases he uses tickling the brains of his readers.

A man with a big heart, my short conversation with him during our meet gave me a new perspective on how I should be with my father. Coming from a man who have issues with his, he presented a viewpoint that I reflected within these few days. When one speaks from the heart, it touches even the inner core of my shelved feelings, thus the renewal. I thank Senyor for his wonderful sharing and camaraderie during my visit at RCBC.  

Maraming salamat! It was an honour!

Storms

They always say that things come in three. When we meet a misfortune, expect that there will be two more to come. I wanted to ignore this but I had been seeing a pattern in mine and in my friends' lives.

When a storm comes, we dread the consequences it brings to life. The loss of our home, the havoc it might wreak on properties and crops.

The coming of a storm shows strength and the magnitude of its power comes as no surprise. Some may bring heavy rains but others create tornadoes.

When I was still a student, the coming of a storm was a celebratory event since we knew that the stronger the wind and rains were, the chances of having no school was likely. I also remembered my mom's and dad's faces when a storm was about to come, worried and forlorn, since the storm was and still is a serious matter.

The presence of a storm makes us prepare. We seek for shelter. We run for safety. We look for help. We pray incessantly. We feel threatened at that moment and hoping that the storm will bring less destruction. In life, problems arise from our own wrongdoing or from outside. It is the now that we feel threatened rather than the before, but it is the aftermath that we hope for less destruction.

We always have flooding in our house during a big typhoon. Our store is right at the ground floor of our house so for every foreseen flooding, we are then lifting heavy things to higher grounds. I remember lining the stairs with boxes and boxes of metal things from our hardware shop. After the storm, the clean up is a drag and so does putting the things back to their places. 

The presence of a storm shows the resilience in us. Whether we will take it as a curse or as a challenge to continue with our journey. The presence is a manifestation of something stronger which is a test. Only those who prepare can battle such foe.

With the coming of a storm, we make sure that we have dry food in our house. We make sure that we have safe drinking water. There had been many instances that we all huddle together to pray, to reconnect, to reconcile our indifferences with stories and genial conversations. The presence of the storm gave us something to bond. Our property might be beaten up by the battle but not the relationship we have for each other.

The passing of the storm is simply a reminder that things do not go on forever. It is constant change. It's here and gone tomorrow. In life, we feel down at times but with some support, we will continue to see tomorrow and live.

And as we go on with our everyday dealings after the storm, its passing is like a paintbrush that made colours and lines to our simple vivacity. A bit of distress was felt but it became an assurance. A rattling noise was made but it became our toiled bells for action. A chaos was encountered but it became a way to see and do things and do them as a family. 

Ang Pagbabalik

Yes, you are not lost! This is going to be the very first Filipino entry in this blog world of mine. I was asked to speak in Filipino in celebration of my high school's 96th year founding anniversary this morning so I am here to share the entire speech.

Ang Pagbabalik

Isang Pagpupugay sa Aking Pinanggalingan

Naaalala ko pa nuong nakababata pa ako nang sabihan ako ng aking ina.

“O hindi ka na muna mag aaral anak, wala kasi tayong pera.”

"Inay, bakit naman po?"

“Wala kasi tayong perang pantustos ng matrikula, pasensiya na anak.”

Subalit hindi ako nagmukmok, nasaktan oo, dahil hindi na nga ako mag-aaral sa susunod na taon pero hindi ako sumuko.

Lumapit ako sa aking lola at sa kanya humingi ng tulong.

Salamat naman at pinaunlakan ako ni lola, at sa tulong nila ni lolo, ako ay nakapag aral muli sa St. Stephen's.

Isang karanasang nais kong ibahagi sa lahat. Gusto ko kasing mag-aral, ayokong tumambay o lumaking mangmang. Gusto ko nang maraming bagay at alam kong sa edukasyon ko makukuha ang nais ko sa darating na panahon.

Gusto ko ng piano nung ako ay bata bata pa. Gusto kong magkaroon ng mamahaling damit o kaya sapatos. Hindi kami mayaman pero dahil binigyan ko ng importansya ang mga leksyon ni Bb. Liwanag, Gng. Era, Gng. Altavano at nang aking mga naging guro dito sa paaralang ito kung kaya't ako ay yumaman sa karunungan.

Madaming magandang alaala ang pagiging mag-aaral ko sa St. Stephen. Madami akong gusto sa pagtuntong ko dito. Malawak ang kapaligiran. Madami akong naging kaibigan. Madami akong naging inspirasyon. Mababait ang aking naging guro. Higit sa lahat, dito ko nalaman ang pagiging maka- Diyos.

Siyamnapu't anim na taon na ang nakararaan at hanggang ngayon ang St. Stephen ay naririto pa rin para magbigay gabay sa mga kabataan. Ako ay naging apo na ng paaralang ito. Kayo naman ay mga apo sa tuhod or marahil apo sa talampakan.

Bakit ba tayo naririto? Naririto tayo dahil nais kong malaman ninyo na ang paaralan ay ang inyong tahanan, parang bahay niyo na rin. Kaming mga guro ay ang inyong mga magulang. Ang mga kamag-aral ninyo ay mga kapatid o mga pinsan. Sama sama tayo. May kasayahan man o wala, tayo ay magkakasama. Kapag nagkaroon ng problema ang inyong kapatid, damayan mo. Kaya naman kailangan nating magtulungan.  Hindi tayo dapat maging makasarili.

Subalit ikaw, ikaw at tayong lahat ay may mga responsibilidad sa ating bahay. Kaming mga guro ay magiging mas makatarungan at pahahalagahan ang inyong kinabukasan. Kayo namang mga mag aaral, 

1. Bigyan ninyo ng kahalagahan ang inyong pag-aaral.
2. Magkaroon kayo ng kumpyansa bilang mag-aaral. 
3. Magkaroon kayo ng kumpyansa sa sarili.

Dahil sa oportunidad na ibinibigay sa inyo, kayo ay magiging aktibong kalahok sa sarili ninyong edukasyon. Yan ang aming maibabahagi sa inyo bilang mga guro,at bilang magulang ninyo sa bahay na ito.

Mayroong mga pangit sa ating tahanan. Ano ba ang mga bagay na hindi ninyo gusto sa isang paaralan?

Marahil, hindi ninyo gusto ang

1. tumayo tuwing umaga para sa pambansang awit at panatang makabayan
    “ mainit, ang tagal na nakatayo, dah,dah,dah,dah..."

2. uniporme
   “hindi ko gusto ang kulay, ang baduy, ang haba naman, ang init, ang kati sa katawan.”
3. mga araling bahay
   “ hindi ko maintindihan, hindi ako makapanood ng kartoon, nakakatamad”
4. mga mapang uyam na guro
   “ ayaw ko nang pumasok, lagi akong pinahihiya ni ser o ni maam”
   “ ano ka ba naman Juan, hindi mo alam ang Pythagorean Theorem?”
5. mga kaibigang naging kaaway
   “ayan na naman si Juan, magtatago muna ako sa banyo”

Huwag na nating tignan ang mga pangit na bagay, mas bigyang halaga natin ang mga magaganda tungkol sa paaralan. Ano ba ang mga ito? Maaaring ang...

1. mga kaibigan
   “ tara, sabay na tayong kumain sa kantina, pakopya naman ng homework”
2. mga mababait na guro
   “ love ko si maam, galing magturo; nakakatawa si sir, laging masaya sa klase”
3. mga magagawa sa palaruan
   “ luksong lubid tayo, kuwentuhan tayo mamaya”
4. mga perang pabaon ni ama o ina
   “ ma, paki-dagdagan naman, tumaas na po ang siopao sa Ha Yuan”
   “ ketchup na nga lang ulam ko sa araw araw para makabili ako ng iTouch”
5. makita mo si 'crush'
   “ ayan na siya, hello!, ganda ganda mo naman ngayon.”
   “ shy naman ako, ikaw na lang magbigay”
6. mga bagay na importanteng matutunan
   “ magaling ako sa Chemistry, siyensiya ang kukunin ko sa kolehiyo.”
   “ gustong gusto kong gumuhit, arkitektura ang aaralin ko.”
   “ magnenegosyo ako, magaling yata ako sa Math!”

Ang St. Stephen ay hindi isang gusali, ito ay isang pamayanan. Naglalayon ang paaralang ito na gamitin ang kanyang kakayahan upang mapabuti ang mga batang pumapasok sa kanyang tahanan. Isang bahay ng karunungan, ng kagalakan, ng pag-asa at ng pagtitiwala sa Diyos at mga taong nakapaligid sa inyong lahat.

Kaya mga kabataan, tandaan po lamang ang aking mga sasabihin:

Mahalin ninyo ang inyong mga magulang

Mag-aral kayong mabuti

Gawin ninyo ang inyong mga gawaing bahay

Maging matiyaga

Ipagmalaki ninyo ang inyong pinanggalingan

Mahalin ninyo ang inyong mga guro

At isiping ang paaralang St. Stephen ay nagpupugay sa inyong kakayahan bilang mabubuting mag- aaral.

Hindi ako umalis ng ating tahanan, dahil ako'y nagbalik upang magbigay karangalan at pananampalataya sa kanyang kakayahan.

Mabuhay ang St. Stephen's!

All My Bags Are Packed!

I'm a light traveller, really!
Faster than sound, lol!

I always bicker about the distance from my house to the new airport compared to when it was situated a few kilometres away from my house some years ago. I have to endure traffic and the long distance if ever I wanted to travel out of the country. My flight to Siem Reap was even shorter than my land travel in bangkok. 

Then there are these three hours waiting before boarding a plane. I am often baffled how the plane is already half full when I get in when the land crew just announced only those with infants and small children can board. Does having big tummies count?

I like the people I sit with. There was once this nanny and we were chatting like we were long lost friends. "My madam, she is so stingy but the children are so cute!" There was one Greek guy whose request for beer and wine were always ignored and so I ordered for him in another language. "If you come to Greece, I show you around, my friend!" There was this Korean man, who blurted out, "This is so cheap!" and we both giggled since we were looking at the flight attendant and we became best pals for some hours. There were three Filipinos worried that their relatives will have to wait for a long time since we were stranded so I lend them my mobile phone. "You are very kind!" 

I don't eat the food served during flights but I do like their bread and butter. I always offer my share to my seat mate if he or she still wants some. I do not drink either. I prefer to drink a wee bit of water or I ask for a cup of soda at times, politely. 

Once I arrive my destination, I am in a hurry to pass all those tourists and locals dragging their carry on baggage as big as my checked in one. Walking with them through the channel is like enacting the story of The Hare and the Tortoise, and I am the hare. I like to be first not because I am competitive but because I don't like waiting. However after being first at the immigration, the baggage claim area is my biggest hurdle.

Since I do arrive early at the airport, I am assuming all the time that I will be the last to leave my country of destination since my bag will be the last on the carousel. See I am the hare! I am learning a lesson here, not to be late, but to tell them there is something fragile inside my bag. (wink, wink)

Queueing at the wrong taxi counter is also a mess. I was once a victim of being in line and then being told that the cab fare is fixed depending on zones. I immediately left and went to the other line. If I am not carrying a load, I just leave the airport and find a cab outside. The best thing about this is that I don't need to tell the driver where I came from and why I went away. It is just ride and go.

All my bags are packed and I am ready to go. And busy will I be, what with reunions, school talks, meeting friends and a bit of travelling.

The Flower and Me

Looking for some inspirations, I went for a walk in my garden to see what changes unfolded during the time I wasn't able to tend it. With all the rain, I am sure that there is, if not one or two, something to spark my writing juices.

I happened to see the fallen petal of this climber of mine and I knew that the petal will be swept by the wind to fall into the ground.

The bud is my youth. The climber is not prone to flowering annually. It took some time from the last flowering season to today. It was the environment. I moved it to a sunny part so that's why it started to flourish. I wasn't growing as a person when I was back home. I live in insecurities and my relationship with my dad doesn't help as well. I was a sore thumb. I don't belong so I left. If I stayed further, like the bud, I won't open up and be what I want to be.

The flower is me. Nestled at the back of this large tree, my climber delivers its flowers timidly as it is hidden behind. As the branches cascade and droops with three flowers each, the cycle of blooming takes it part. I am a very quiet person, and very shy as well. I dislike parties but I thrive in small meetings of one or two individuals. I like learning from people so I am always attentive to what they say. I do not like limelight yet I am a showoff when it comes to teaching.

The petals are my learnings. The delicate petals make the flowers look good but they do fall. One by one, whether naturally or accidentally, the flower loses its grip and the flower becomes history, but the petals of my life, though they had fallen, were spread out in the minds and behaviour of the children whom I had the privileged to teach. The petals of my life were built upon through time and when they took flight, I knew that I had made inspirations and motivations among the young children. 

I was the bud.
I am the flower.
I am the petals.
I am me.

(My teaching anniversary entry for this year.)

Thy Heavy Load

One of the things that fascinates me are these things that hang from trees. I often see them in parks with overgrown trees or under the bridges obviously neglected by gardeners. When I first saw them, they looked like alien tongues scooping water from the pond. They are actually roots from host plants hoisted on the main tree.

Life is like that. When we are filled with blessings and rich in material things, there is a sudden increase in the number of friends and acquaintances. When we open our door once with our generosity, knocks can be heard every now and then. We are more inclined to associate ourselves with those that are in power for our own sake.

When we live a life of constant struggles, we look in many directions so as to escape. When we are in doubt, we summon the help of those whom we think are far better off in our decision making skills. When we are ignorant of things, we tend to make approving nods as if saying that we know everything. When we fall in the same trap of incompetence because we did not believe in ourselves, we simply become futile. When we know we can do something about certain situations yet we make do with shrugs and cold shoulders, we become vapid.

Be the tree. Constant struggles, then look at the main source and question the cycle. In doubt, seek for deep reflection and study all angles of our personal choices and decisions before acting them up. In ignorance we seek not bliss, so we need to find time to increase our knowledge and be humble in accepting and learning new knowledge. Our incompetence is not an excuse for greater glory. It becomes a stepping stone to challenge our will to be of the same level with everyone if not higher. If we ignore things, we cannot make changes.

Be the tree. When people create havoc we simply hold on to our firm belief. That this cycle of life is never going to be always under, that we will find time to be on top. Whether we can have a stronghold of what is remaining of us, or let go of what is suffocating us.

Be the tree. Some might be stronger than others but still we stand even when rife are abundant. When we are tested by time, whether natural or uncommon, we must focus on what we have rather than what we don't have. Our thoughts should not that of what will bother us in our everyday affairs and sleep but our thoughts should be of those who believe, care and love us. Finding ourselves within the support and gentleness of people around us carries much importance than dwelling in the negativity of others. When someone pulls you down, pull them up. You may never know.

The tree symbolizes strength and growth, 

be one, 

and let no one pull you down.

First Week Off

Sangklaburi, Thailand

It is now vacation time. After a grueling last few months of school, it is now time for a break. So I left the city and travelled six hours away and ended up along the river banks of Khao Laem.  The weather was great and with a little mist from the sky, it was the prefect day to start my vacation. The scene was breathtaking just outside my hotel room. Nestled atop a hill, one is offered an awesome masterpiece created by nature. A place rich with history, as the lake was shaped by the flow and ebbs of the water. It was like a postcard and I am included in it. 

Sangklaburi is in the border of Thailand. It is populated by Burmese, Mon, Karen, Thai and a small group of Lao. The Khao Laem Dam is fed by three reservoirs and it is in this watery patch where the people settled as one community.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

After staying for a night, I left Sangklaburi and travelled another two hours to see the majestic River Kwai. I went again to my fave spot, a rustic abode to let where the oldness of the place must be now teeming with stories and memories. I slept in a boathouse and this awesomeness greeted me in the morning. A mountain laden with fog while the clam coldness of the water was silhouetted by the green colour of the trees. It was like a painting and I am part of the subject.

Kanchanaburi is a town in the west of Thailand. Although the main attraction are the Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai, it is the waterfalls along with its river ways that are the most interesting to me.

And some more photos and facts:

The Mon Bridge was built entirely by hand 442 meters long,
 linking the Mon Village to Sangklaburi. 

The Buddhakaya Chedi shines like gold early in the morning
as the sun rises, giving it an enlightening glow.

Hindad Hot Springs are three different pools can be used
but one of them is reserved for monks only.

Krasae Bridge/ Railway is still used for travelling via train
but mostly for scenic viewing. The original trestle construction is still intact and of good use.

Bridge Over River Kwai was built by allied prisoner of war spanning  258 miles.
 There were about a hundred thousand conscripted Asian labourers and
 16, 000 prisoners of war who died building this structure.

And so begins new places and adventures for the next five weeks. Life is short so I have to be happy. May these coming weeks bring forth vigour and positive vibes wherever my feet takes me (with my shoes, of course). Have a great day!

Same Photograph, Different Interpretations

www.redbubble.com

I used the image of a rainbow flower as part of our study on raindrops. The children looked at the projected image on the wall and gave their own interpretation by illustrating their own flower on a piece of blank paper. The images were then transferred on canvas and the children chose the paints to mix to highlight the flowers they created. The raindrops are not visible but they are there. 

The following art works were done by three different ages, from the young fours to the older fives. I arranged the images from the youngest member of my vertical class to the oldest. Enjoy their perspectives and how their interpretations show the differences among ages and outlook in art. One is painted by a boy, can you guess which one? The other two boys in my summer class did not do flowers, they opted for the branches with raindrops.

4 years and 3 months

4 years and 3 months

4 years and 5 months

4 years and 6 months

4 years and 6 months

5 years and 6 months

A Part of Me 2

Digging from the many boxes stored in my house, I came upon all these old things of mine. They reminded me of my younger days, primary grades to be exact with one exception, and how once in my youth, I was a proud owner of these wonderful things.

I bet this is no longer in fashion nowadays. I would look like an owl but I guess it fits my persona as a teacher. I will definitely look wiser or a weirdo, whatever.

I was mighty proud having this water bottle hanging around my shoulders for show off. I was one if not the only one who spotted this kind in my school. Guess being a show off is already a part of me since my early years. I wonder why 90, must be the number of years I need to keep this as a souvenir of the past. Let me count how many more...

Love this, love this. In its pristine condition, I probably used this pencil case just for storage since it is still clean inside. We always have this proud moments of having the coolest pencil cases around. I am grateful I didn't keep a Hello Kitty one. 

I used to collect matchboxes, not of sports cars, but of construction vehicles. These four are the remaining ones since somebody's been sneaking in my cupboards. They don't make them anymore since I went scouting for some a few years back.

These coloring books are all in good condition. I do not have an active childhood and I was often at home doing my school work (in three languages and one dialect) and coloring. Not that I am studious, I was just a nerd.

And lastly, a good friend from high school gave this to me as a present. Would you know what this one is and how to use it? I will let you guess. 

This is a part of me, cannot be taken away, but had been a source of many memories. The first Part of Me, was posted last January.