A friend told me about Aguinaldo International School in Manila. She said a friend's kid goes there and mentioned to her of the very affordable tuition fee. She knows I may transfer my kid/s.
Aside from having a multi-culture exposure, sports include soccer and swimming. Mandarin is being offered along with other languages.
After a quick Google search, I landed on the home page of Aguinaldo International School. The website has a detail as to how much the yearly tuition fee for 2012-2013 was. I called to inquire about transferring kids and here's what I found out:
Incoming grade schooler needs to take a written exam
Papers required include clearance from previous school
Interview with the school principal
P10k off for early enrollment (P38,800 for Pre school, P58,500 for Grade School) and miscellaneous fees included already
While trying out a new game on the computer, our 6-year old asked her dad: "What's the next step?"
Dad: "It says there press any key."
6-year old: "Where's ANYKEY?"
Naughty by nature
Grabbing the chance to teach my kids about life lessons, I immediately veered our conversation to drive home a point: parents should be respected and not hurt.
Mommy: "You came from inside my tummy, that's why I am your mother. Mothers shouldn't be shouted at."
6-year old: "But you get mad at us too." (Caught than taught, eh?)
Not giving in, mommy answered: "That's because you are naughty."
6-year old: "Kids are really naughty, mommy!"
:D
Kids are kids. :)
Playing with past tense
Excited to share his latest triumph, my 4-year old announced:
"I lock-ted the auto rotate, dad!"
God's heart
While on a long road trip, the kids with their cousins were looking for ways to entertain themselves. It came to a point when they did questions and answers.
4-year old: "Does God have a heart?"
8-year old: "Yes!" enthused his cousin.
4-year old: "Where is it? I know, we are all inside of God's heart."
Swimming outing list
Summer in the Philippines means vacation time and swimming time. Packing well means a better swimming outing, so here's my default list:
Waterproof bag or any plastic container to put all those wet swim wear
Set of clothes to wear after swimming
Shampoo and conditioner - if swimming in pools, it is best to wash away the chlorine in your hair. Ideal is to wear swimming cap.
Towels - bringing extra never hurts
Comb or hairbrush
Deodorant - sun will make you sweat, better be protected
Body splash or moisturizer - more common here, lotion
Water - bring back the loss water from perspiration and swimming by drinking lots of fluid
My brother learned about Adventure Resort while watching a GMA-7 morning TV show. They say it gathers swimming, rapelling, zip lining and wall climbing all in one destination.
Since we're taal Bulakenyo, the place may be a closer summer destination. Sharing with you the rates of their facilities as of March 2012.
Daytime Rates and Other Charges
Entrance:
Adult Php125
Kids Php100
Cottage for 15 persons+ - Php500
Package promo per head: Swim - zip - rapelling - wall climbing - Php300
Per facility rate:
Php120 - zip line
Php85 - wall climb
Php75 - rapelling
Some guidelines: white shirt only, no maong bottoms. Food may be brought inside, but there's a cafeteria serving short orders. No alcoholic drinks allowed inside, even Emperador Lite.
You may want to also check these links for photos and other details about the resort:
How do you turn a treasure of games and entertainment tools into something beneficial? Allow use after a chose has been finished. That has been my rule in letting my kids use the iPad.
They love the gadget so much, even more than the old version because of the built-in cameras. They go crazy taking funny pictures of themselves through Photo Booth and recording video narrations.
However, to limit their use, mommy has to give the go before they can use it. I may get it back from too if the time is up, or if what they're doing isn't nice anymore. Most usual conditions I give my 5-year old is to write her complete name in a whole sheet of bond paper. I interchange this with having her read a book, and she chooses the small picture books with just less than 30 words on them.
Living my dream
I have always carried this desire in my heart to be an entrepreneur. I am living the dream now, being a freelance web/graphics designer and an all-around raket-eer. Yet I am still not satisfied.
It could perhaps be because my business pursuits haven't taken off. My projects are fine, yet I am not literally running a profitable business with regular employees. My closest shot with being an entrepreneur is leaving the corporate world and exiting the rat race.
Perhaps a more compelling reason is the fact that, like Bill Gates, I would like to pursue more humanely projects. Money-generating activities that don't solely exist to collect paychecks but more importantly, to give back to those who have no idea how to make it.
Explaining what the coat is, as quoted from Veronika Scott, the designer:
"self-heated, waterproof, and transforms into a sleeping bag at night. It is made by a group of homeless women who are paid minimum wage, fed and housed while creating these coats made for those living on the streets. The focus is on the humanitarian system to create jobs for those that desire them and coats for those that need them at no cost. The goal is to empower, employ, educate, and instill pride. The importance is not with the product but with the people.
Stools, bags, pillows and more woven from water hyacinth in Cambodia, by people living in that community. This is not just green, it is also community-friendly.
These invasive plants thrive and choke waterways causing floods and loss of agricultural produce. I have seen them floating over lots of Metro Manila's rivers and they are nuisance, to say the least. I laud what these designers have done and wish that more efforts towards this same direction be taken in different countries.
I came across this ingenious invention through Tumblr and research how this seemingly simple trick is done:
In 2002, during a long electrical shortage, at Uberaba, São Paulo, Brasil, Mr Alfredo Moser discovered a way to gather sun light in the house through plastic bottles hanging from the roof. First shown at the Globo Reporter in the 25th May 2007.
Now, I am pleased to know that a lot of Filipino families have benefitted from the sun through the Isang Litrong Liwanag, a non-governmental agency which promotes this innovation that help empower poor families.
Sorry, Captain Hook
Avoiding the 'yes-no' response, we've been rephrasing our remarks with the kids. One day, daddy was asking little boy what would the crocodile say to Captain Hook when it gets near him.
Carlos: He'd say sorry.
Daddy: Why sorry?
Carlos: Because he bit his hand.
I didn't think of that.
Want tobacco? Have Silicon
Craving for something? Beat your taste buds with these healthier options.
Want cool drinks? Have manganese. This is abundant in walnuts, almonds, blueberries.
Want salty foods? Have chloride. This is abundant in fish, unrefined sea salt.
Want soda or carbonated drink? Have calcium. This is abundant in broccoli, kale, legumes.
Update on Enopi and wushu classes
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ~ Albert Einstein
My kids' school offered after-school tutorials with actual preschool teachers giving the lessons. I enrolled my 3-year old to academic tutorial there. Our schedule is thrice a week for 45 minutes per session. The fee is P2600/month.
I let my 5-year old girl do wushu for body exercise and peer interactions. However, she cried on our way to her trial session. I had to really beg her to just try. She obliged me but told me and the coordinator after the one-hour workout that she doesn't want to come back.
Singapore made history when it hosted the first Youth Olympics August 16-18, 2010. A small country that could, yes, they've come a long way.
Some Grade 7 students from Maya's school were sent to experience it and had a unique learning experience. I hope when it is time for Maya to be exposed to these kinds of trips, Daddy Paul and I have saved up.
"Spend money to make memories, not to acquire stuff."
Barbs Hermanson
Learning to swim
Maya has always loved the water, so we decided that for this year, she will learn swimming. It is only Carlos who hasn't enrolled in any class this year. It is our goal to learn something new each year. I took up graphic design lessons, Daddy Paul is enrolled at the University of the Philippines Open University learning teaching.
As expected, my daughter enjoyed her lessons. Though not the waking up early part, we're still adjusting our routine to cover more day times. :) She cannot swim from both ends of the pool yet, which I thought was the goal of the program, but she's learned the basics of breathing with the nose, bubbles.
Young novelist
I once read about a 12 year-old novelist who is now taking Medicine at UP. She's 16 now. She started writing novels inspired by her friends and family. Then she chanced upon online publications and got her stories printed. Her parents helped her look for local publishers and now, she's juggling schooling with writing - though the creative part only serves as a hobby.
I think we will be the same kind of parents to our two kids. Supportive, empowering. Right now, we've been making sure that they are started with house chores. Once again, we are nanny-less. Our last, who's the 10th already, was fetched by her mom when she passed out after an overnight day-off. She's been wanting to return after more than a week's rest, but it's fortunate that my mother in law needs someone to be with them and that could be her.
So I guess, we're really starting them young. Not when Carlos is 7, as I hoped it would be.
Unique terms
Well, like Ms. Venus Raz in the Miss Universe pageant, we still think in Filipino that's why when we speak, though the words are in English, the concepts are still very Pinoy.
Maya talking with her Ninang Rachelle: "You are so tired, you will sleep while stand upping?"
Maya saying good night to us: "I am so sleepy, I can sleep so hard."
Little talker
With age comes greater word power for my little boy. We can talk sensibly to him now, when he's in the mood! Sometimes too, if we're lucky, we are served funny conversations with our little Carlos. Oh, kids, why are they so endearing?!
Husband, sister in law and I talking about forgetting to bring a camera. Carlos joined in, matter of factly, "Daddy uses the iPhone as camera." Yes, and he brings it with him anywhere. :)
Husband and I talking about something while the kids were playing nearby. Husband asked me something, with perfect timing again, darling son replied, "Me? Are you talking to me?"
