Today I went to CAP (College Assurance Plan) main office in Makati. I was browsing the internet yesterday when I chanced on CAP's website and read that daughter #4's SY 2005-2006 first trimester tuition fee check is now available. Whoopdeedoo! Scholars of CAP have not been paid nor reimbursed for the last four years due to the company's lack of funds.

I checked my old file and found that I filed a refund for 32,890 Php. Ka-ching! Moolah! So daughter #4 and I went to collect.

Excuse me; I am here to collect the check for daughter #4, I said.

The clerk checked his monitor and told me that I should go to window 10 for the update. I did and found out that the 32,890 Php that I filed for claim three years ago is now a measly 11,890 Php. I asked why and the lady said all claims have been re-computed. Fine! Just as long as I get a refund.

Back to window 2. I presented the clerk with the new amount due me. Once again the clerk checked his monitor and quietly said that daughter #4's name is not on the list of recipients. I argued that I did see my daughter's name and then he challenged me to present to him a printed screen shot of my claim.

Hah! I immediately went out of the building, looked for an internet cafe, browsed and printed what I needed. I then presented the printed screen shot to the clerk. He took it and was gone for about 5 minutes. When he came back, he had the check.

Oh wow! I now have an extra 11,890 pup, I thought as I signed for the check's release. I took the check while daughter #4 was happily watching. She asked if she could use some of the money for a new pair of rubber shoes. Umm... why not?! I looked at the check making sure everything is all right. Huh? Whadda? The check was for 594.50 Php!!!!

It turned out that the 11,890 Php due me was to be paid in 20 installments. With the next installment not even in the offing - with eight more trimesters unfiled and uncollected - I may never ever be reimbursed in this lifetime!

I have been an active internet savvy for the past five years. Mostly I got involved in quick-money-making-scheme programs (for lack of better information) and affiliate marketing that actually made me some money but then folded up as quickly. After three years of extensive online marketing, I finally hung-up my gloves, so to speak, on the making money aspect on the internet. I started to blog.

Ah!, the joy of blogging is quite liberating. I get to express my thoughts, rants and raves and musings. Blogging has been therapeutic! I have met some very interesting bloggers most of whom are mommies: stay-at-home-mommies or work-at-home-mommies. Um?! What is the difference between SAHM and WAHM? Well, the SAHM actually stays at home and blogs while the WAHM stays at home, blogs and earns money doing it... and I didn't even know.

I joined SocialSpark in my quest to start making that extra money by blogging and the company has been good to me. Good in the sense that I have been given the opportunity to interact with other mommy bloggers and have been given the opportunity to earn money by doing my passion, blogging! Social Spark is different from other companies of the same genre. How so? For starters, the company cares for both its advertisers and bloggers. It is a social marketing network where the advertisers and bloggers connect.

Are you a mommy? Do you want to earn legitimate extra cash by blogging? Join Social Spark.com and be one of its treasured mommy bloggers.

Japan has always had problems with spaces, especially in the urban areas. This space dilemma goes all the way to shelve spaces in grocery stores. Where one can see mega malls and super-duper markets in most western and eastern countries, the Japanese grocer had problems in stacking watermelons. Watermelons are round and big and consume so much space. What are we to do?, laments the Japanese grocer. So the Japanese farmer thought of growing square watermelons. Impossible! said the rest of the world. Not so as the picture indicates.

Back when the gas price was still outrageously cheap, my husband and I used to frequent video arcades just to play. I remember playing my first ever arcade game which was Space Invaders. Over the years, arcades transformed into higher technology and mind-boggling games. When portable gaming consoles were invented, I became a video game addict. There were nights that I don't get to sleep at all because I just have to finish the level, pass through the last hurdle or kill the last monster or eliminate the last warrior. Now, my son is the online game addict. I've changed keyboards so many times for the letters A and S were always blurry or totally erased from his constant playing.

His passion now is Dungeon Runners. Yup! Basically it is an online multiplayer action role-playing game that transports you to an exciting realm of magic, adventure, giant monsters, and icky things. As a dungeon runner, you get to explore the dangerous dungeon, fight with mutants and at the same time acquire skills and powers, artifacts and loots. Sounds like a lot of work for one Fighter, Mage or Ranger. Worry not! Bling Gnome will be your basic side-kick! It may have a bit of an attitude problem but it will follow you around and save you time. How? The Bling Gnome will pick up all the gold dropped in the ground and even convert dropped trash into gold.




I dressed up Ethan as a Bling Gnome- a quite healthy one too! The site has a PIMP Your Gnome contest where a $350 Best Buy Gift Card is at stake. I had a blast pimping up Ethan. You can join too if you're a blogger. Go check Social Spark for specifics.

While my mom and I were fixing things at the US embassy last week, Ethan and the dentist thought of going to Museo Pambata. It is located at the edifice corner T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Blvd., right beside the US embassy. From Ethan's enthusiastic story, I gathered that he had a blast at the museum. Established in 1994, Museo Pambata is an interactive museum where children can use their total senses and learn various concepts at their own pace. It establishes the concept that learning should excite the minds of the young, inspires them to learn more, and make fun and exciting! See some of the photos....

I set my alarm to ring at 5:45 A.M. Is this early enough? Maybe I should set it to go off at 5:30 A.M.? No, 5:45 A.M. is fine. I went to bed jittery with anticipation. I tossed and turned. Maybe I should just stay up a while and just wait? I am not good with the waiting game. I hate to wait and I hate late!

I finally fell asleep for the next thing I knew it was 5:20 A.M. I woke up even before the alarm went off. I went straight to the kitchen and told the surprised Jean (for I usually get up at 6:45 am) what to cook for breakfast and what to pack for snacks. Having done the morning instructions I proceeded to my little nook and turned on the computer.

Now the actual wait begins.

I started to hear movements and voices indicating that the rest of the household is waking up too. I was so tempted to leave my fort and go see what is happening. No. I have to maintain my position ready to pounce anytime now. I stayed glued. Refreshing my view every now and then. Anytime now. I can do this. I know I can. My right hand was steady. My left hand fidgety. It does not matter. I only need one steady hand.

"Mom? We're leaving" chorused my four out of five kids. What am I to do? Do I leave my fort to bid my kids good bye or do I stay and continue my watch? I have to see them off. My son won't be back until Friday night.

I hurriedly left my stance and sprinted to the dining room to say bye-bye to my kids. Goodbye, bye-bye, see-you-friday-pleasechangeyourbeddings-tc! I was off my post for not more than 5 minutes. Hurriedly I went back in front of my computer, held the mouse and clicked on the refresh icon. Crap! Gray areas! I just missed five freaking opportunities again!

The wait begins... anew.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

The past week, I've been constantly Googling weather sites, both local and international to give me a better grasp of the weather condition. Why? Relatives are coming over from the US and they have asked me to plan their itinerary. They want to go somewhere North and South of the country and one short Asian overseas trip. In my quest for online weather sites I came upon a weather toolbar that is FREE to download.

Entrecard users: be warned! EC is having a field day dropping all blogs that are not in English. One of my online buddies whose blog is in Hungarian was dropped without much ado by EC. This afternoon I received an email from EC informing all Entrecard members that effective July 1, 2008, Entrecard will be purging from its system the accounts of all members currently operating "Quick Drop Pages". EC admin said they now have a massive list of all violators.

Today is the day that I promised to accompany my mother. Ethan did not go to school for the allocated driver (me) was not available. I had to take my mother to the US embassy to make adjustments on her SSS. With us was my cousin (the one who underwent breast surgery) to ask SSA if her Medicare could follow her here in the Philippines. Ethan and daughter # 3 also tagged along.

What hit me as we went inside the embassy was the seemingly empty chairs in the non-immigrant visa section. Where is the throng of applicants? How come there are no super-duper snaking lines outside? Ah. Yes. Non-immigrant visa applications are by appointment now. My company and I proceeded deep into the complex to the SSS department. We got number 1048. The number currently in process was 1033. Not bad. It was 10:45 am and I was worried that we might not make it before the lunch break. Right along side the SSS is the Veterans Section. I can't believe that there are actual WW II veterans still around. I saw about 4 old US-Filipino veterans. Two were in wheelchairs and seem oblivious to the world and the other 2 were ambulatory but still seem oblivious to the world. There were a couple of Caucasians applying for a change of addresses for their SSS for they are now living in the Philippines with their new wives.

What really caught my attention was an old widow (80 yrs old maybe) imploring the officer in the VA window to give her husband (dead already) the veteran's benefits - of course with her as the beneficiary. As I listened intently to her ramblings - and the answer of the officer- I learned that indeed her husband does not deserve a veteran's benefit for the dead-husband-who once fought along side US GI's also deserted the army before WW II was over. The old lady's last statement made me want to laugh. She said: Bakit yong mga namatay lang ang may benepisyo? Pano naman yong mga lumaban sandali pero natauhan sa bandang huli kaya umalis? ( Why are the dead the only ones with benefits? What about those who fought at first but thought it better to desert the army later?)

It was 12:15 pm when our number was called. Staggered lunch break for the embassy's employees is being practiced now. I told my mother to leave the talking and explaining to the SSS officer to me. Our business was done in less than 2 minutes. My cousin asked her question regarding Medicare benefits. Sad to say, she has to be back in US soil for her to enjoy the benefits.

Having taken a look at the immigrant visa section on our way out, I realized that the American Dream is still around if not stronger. Many Filipinos still consider living and working in America the ultimate goal of their lives. Who can blame them? Living and working in America is hard but the pay is worth the pain. In America, having a steady job means you can basically buy everything that you need and more. In America, you pay taxes and the larger beneficiary is the public. In America, you can live your dream.

When my parents and brother migrated to the US, I chose to stay in the Philippines. My reasons for staying are not important. Recently I asked my doctor and dentist daughters if they wanted to pursue further studies in the US. They asked if I could afford it. I said no. They have to look for residencies. They said why not? , then did nothing. I then asked my teacher daughter if she has plans of teaching abroad. She said why not?, then did nothing further.

My three daughters are pliable to furthering their studies abroad and maybe work a bit there too but their ultimate goal is to serve the Filipino people. Doctor said, if every doctor and nurse chose to work abroad, who will be left here to tend to the Filipinos? Teacher said that if every qualified teachers teach abroad, who will teach the Filipino children?

Indeed. Indeed.

I grew up in a time where magic means flowers and rabbits popping out of top hats; rolls of scarves coming out of the magician's pocket; deck of cards dealt in more ways know to a naive audience like me. Sure I have heard of David Copperfield and even watched a show or two of him. I was impressed by the seemingly magical illusions that he did. However, the illusions or tricks were done a great distance from the audience.

Now comes a highly innovative modern illusionist named Criss Angel. He is not your ordinary illusionist as he performs up close and personal. Criss is the one who boggled our minds when he walked on water. He is the one who defied all laws of physics by levitating himself between two buildings. What about the time he walked through solid glass? Unbelievable!

Catch Criss Angel perform with Cirque du Soleil in CRISS ANGEL Believe. Cirque du Soleil is the new circus in town in terms of new and innovative concept and techniques used in their shows. What better way to experience Criss and Cirque? The incredible duo-performance is currently showing at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. For free tickets text 'Believe' to 22122 to win 2 tickets to 'CRISS ANGEL Believe.

Typhoon Frank, with a sustained wind of 120 mph, hit the Philippines, specifically the Visayas and Southern Luzon, Metro Manila included, over the weekend. A reported 229 people are confirmed dead while 700 are missing - passengers of the ill-fated ferry M/V Princess of the Stars that capsized somewhere in Romblon. Iloilo was reportedly under 6 feet of water and landslides occurred affecting 300,000+ people. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) in hand with other government agencies and NGO are busy helping out the needy.





Sunday dawned dark and stormy. I was awakened at 4:00 am when the hum of the air-conditioner went off. Brownout! The wind outside was howling with a vengeance while I heard Ethan's plaintive cry of Oh My God! Where is everybody? He too was awakened by the complete silence and woke up traumatically to a pitch black bedroom. I called out his name and groped for him. We were awake - listening to the sound of the storm. By 5:30 am the worst had passed and we were ready to great the stormy morning.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. We were stranded as the streets surrounding our village was flooded. Later, the village itself was flooded. By evening, the Department of Education declared that classes are suspended at all levels. There was much hullabaloo because daughter # 4 said she still needs confirmation from her own university before she believes of the suspension. Son said he is not sure if his state university is under DepEd and since his Monday class is a once a week class, he might as well attend.. Daughter #2, the teacher, said since it's no longer signal #3, teachers are supposed to go to school.

I did not say anything. I just looked at the window and estimated how deep the flood will be come morning.

It's 9:30 am, Monday. There is no more rain. The three who can't wait to go to school went back to bed. The motorboat can't take them to school.

I've been running a fever since Thursday night. I felt so lethargic that I fell asleep inside the car while waiting for daughter #2 last Thursday. When I came home, I felt feverish so I took my temperature. It read 38.5 Celsius. I was officially sick.

Friday morning daughter #1, the doctor, came home to look me over and take Ethan to school. I was having stomach spams - maybe a bout of gastro - the doctor said. I browsed the internet and checked my email and blog for a short time. I had a terrible headache, a grumbling-spasmodic tummy, and an aching body. I wanted to eat but my stomach won't take in food! By evening, I just wanted to be left alone. Ethan was in my bed (of all places) playing and watching TV. He kept on singing, and talking - stressing me out.

Ethan, can you please go to Kux's room. You're stressing me out.

What's stressing?

Just go and stress Kux!

Off Ethan went and brought Kux back.

What is it mom? Do you need anything? daughter #3 asked.

I explained what happened and that brought another strain of stress making my tummy spasm more. I waved Ethan and daughter #3 to get out of my bedroom. After a few minutes, Ethan came back.

Mom, can I just stay in your room. Kux said she does not like stress. I'll take care of you because you're sick, said Ethan.

I agreed for the sake of agreeing. I so wanted to tune out.

Mom, can you get me water? I'm thirsty.

But I'm sick and you said you'll take care of me.

Oh I forgot. Then Ethan continued to watch TV. Thirst forgotten. A moment later he asked,

Mom, can we watch Narnia?

I agreed and changed the channel. As Ethan was watching I commented that we have not watched Narnia 2 yet.

But we are watching Narnia now, Ethan said.

That's Narnia 1. The one that's showing in cinemas is Narnia 2, I commented.

You mean there are many Narnia? What about Narnia 3?

I don't know if and when Narnia 3 will be!

Or what about Narnia 4, 5, or 17! His eyes were all a glow, brimming with excitement.

I turned my back on Ethan and closed my eyes. My tummy's churning again.

For tennis fanatics worldwide, mark June 23 to July 6, 2008. The Wimbledon Championships opens on June 23 and hopefully will end on July 6. Who will be the 2008 Men's Singles Champion? Women's Singles Champion? The Wimbledon seeding has been announced and here are the top seed in both men's and women's division.

Sticker Pic Family Picture Circa 1999