Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Death of Halloween


Last year, our family officially retired from celebrating Halloween. 

Our youngest child had turned into a teen-ager. In the last few years, she'd gone trick or treating in a black shirt. Choosing not to wear costumes made the fun wear off as well.

Her friends had moved to the States. The rest of the neighbors had grown up.

Our Halloween decor had gathered real cobwebs in its storage. 

Our trick-or-treaters' drink station had gone dry. We're out of deathly-cold Vampire Juice. 

The spirit of Halloween is dead.


Original image from www.hgtv.com; retouched via iPhoto

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Finding X

When God showered Math skills over Planet Earth, my kids were up early and were able to gather more than a handful. (I was home solving a crossword puzzle :-) This diligence saved me from headaches, screaming sessions and major tutoring fees. 

But after choosing a social science course for college, Josh was left twiddling his thumbs, itching to find x, y and z. 

Frustrated over a no-Math curriculum yet aware of the credits needed to shift to a serious science course on his third year, he persisted and eventually convinced his department adviser to allow him to take up Math 11 and Math 14. He attacked these classes with enthusiasm, willingly spending time with friends and strangers who sought his help.

Without a higher Math subject this semester, he had to content himself with guiding his sister in her own advanced Math section.

Now if you have read this far, you are about to realize that this is actually a Classified Ad masquerading as a blog post.

A few weeks ago, Josh actually began something he had long contemplated on doing – Math tutoring. For a couple of hours once or twice a week, he sits down with a cousin to sort out visual theories in Geometry – earning professional, industry tutorial rates in the process. 

Prepping himself for this new role, he dug out his old notes, and gave them a quick but thorough once over. Barely two years out of high school, he is reaping the rewards of his love for numbers while being a Math-man for others. Finding x has never been this cool. 

If your child (grade school to early college) needs a hand in Math from a young, soft-spoken and patient Kuya, just let his manager, este, mother know, and she will link you up with Tutor Josh. Potential students from the eastern QC area preferred. 

Josh's credentials (updated!):
3-time University Scholar (1st sem 2007-08; 2nd sem 2007-08; 1st sem 2008-2009), University of the Philippines Diliman 
 • Math 11 grade - 1.0;  Math 14 grade - 1.0; finals exemption
2nd Honors, Ateneo de Manila High School
 • Math grade - A; finals exemption


 

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Bomb

Spending over four hours walking and poking around Greenbelt, Glorietta and SM allows one to discover a few fabulous things: 

Like this gigantic snow cone at the ground floor right outside SM Supermarket. The signage, the stall and the poster all  grossly underestimate the ginormosity of it all.

I had to wait for my daughter to arrive before I could sample it. Holding it on one hand while scanning the bench for an empty seat so we can enjoy this iced monster together, a woman I passed couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! Sa'n mo kinuha 'yan?!?!"

"Doon, o! Twenty five pesos lang!" I replied. The price is an even bigger bomb. Of course, it's nothing but solidified water later shaven into snowy soft ice, generous amount of food colored syrup and a drizzling of condensed milk but this is THE BOMB.


I'll surely be coming back to try the other artificial flavors (hey, the ice is natural, so that evens it up, duh). Maybe next time, I don't have to share.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I want to cry


OMG. My three-month-old MacBook is now officially OLD :-(