Since childhood, the old folks have been telling us – like a broken record, in some cases – that bananas are good for us. And a lot of us probably have not questioned the wisdom of such words. Well, for one, the old folks were right. Here are eight of the reasons why: 1. Bananas […]
Understanding Swimmer’s Ear
Saturday morning, my daughter had to go to school for her Intramurals. By lunchtime, she was home, feeling feverish. When I asked what happened, she told me her left ear was painful. Three months earlier, I took her to the nearest hospital because the same ear was experiencing some episodes of faint hearing and/or pain. […]
The Cat, the Dog and the Mayor
I am not a cat person, but I don’t hate cats. I’m afraid of cats, but every time I see a stray cat alone and crying, my heart goes out to the poor thing. My fear, if indeed that is fear, of cats started when I accidentally stepped on one while doing the laundry one […]
My Typhoon Ondoy Story
Two years had come and gone since the wrath of typhoon Ondoy was witnessed and felt by the Greater Manila Area, most especially Marikina, Cainta, Pasig and the surrounding cities. My family and I were residing in Pasig when this all happened. I was on vacation leave the day before the tragedy struck, to prepare […]
Conversations with an Eight-Year Old: Racing
I’ve been manning the graveyard shift for sometime now that even during my off days, I normally am awake at night and asleep during the day. Last night, however, I managed to sleep at 10 p.m. But at about 2 a.m., I woke up to distant clapping. My husband was awakened, too. And when I […]
Conversations With An Eight-Year Old: Cosmetic Surgery
“Mama, do pigs have extracts?” That was kind of difficult to answer as it was. I was thinking along the lines of blood and tissue extracts, so I had to ask back, hoping he meant something else. “What do you mean extracts?” “Extracts, you know. Extracts.” He was literally wracking his brain to come up […]
10 Things Children Should Know About Money
One day, from out of the blue, my daughter, an eleven-year old, asked how much money I was making from my full-time job. I wasn’t willing to share that information with her, so I told her I was making enough to fund some of our needs. The answer proved inadequate, so wanting to get to […]
On Kids and School
Finally, the week that was the first periodical exams is over. The verdict is in. Kurt managed to scrape … drum roll, please … top 1! No surprises there, really. Somehow, I already knew. A tale of two brothers Even back then, at a very young age of two years, Kurt had been demonstrating a […]
Reading and Children
Just like a lot of folks out there, I read a lot. I read when I’m bored. I read when I’m not bored. I read to while away time. I read to feed my mind. I read to satisfy my curiosity. I read just for the fun of it. And if there’s no book or […]
Life According to Kurt: Inheritance
The following is a story related to me by my daughter. Before we proceed though, let me tell you that my husband’s family is a typical Filipino family that lives by some sort of a “code” that says the parental house will be bequeathed to the youngest son for care-taking when the old folks pass […]