Once again, reporting for duty

It has been a long, long time. So I come back here, a day after the new year began. I will once again try to journal/blog as much as I can. One reason is to stop posting more of my personal photos on Facebook. I am not sure though if it is any better posting my photos here. But I supposed with the net, nothing is ever safe. Still, it is the way I keep in touch with family and friends in other parts of the world, so I guess I have to live with it.

We arrived back from Baler earlier this evening. Trip wasn't so bad, we only hit a few slowdowns on the road. I don't like leaving Baler though. The older I get, the more I just want to go home and stay there. Not feasible at the moment, but gunning for it in the future.

We were home for about a week. Spent Christmas in Metro Manila, the headed home a couple of days after. I was hoping to start the new year with an early morning trip to the beach to watch the first sunrise of 2019. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. It was raining practically the whole time we were there. Still, I wouldn't exchange the few days spent there with time in the city.

Baler has changed so much in just a short time. So many visitors now especially during holidays and weekends. Businesses to cater to them are increasing. I'm a bit weird about this. I'm glad there's been progress, but I yearn for the good old days when I knew almost everyone in town, many of whom are my relatives. Today, I don't know most of the people I meet on the streets. Pops said many are what we call 'dayo' and many of the locals have gone away.

I'm tired. I've got loads of work to get done and time is tight. I will post pics later. But definitely a goal this year: journal more.

Early Father's Day celebration

While it's Independence Day (Philippines is 116 years old), with the Pops wanting to go home to Baler asap and Kuya Toti wanting to avoid the crowds on the actual Father's Day celebration on Sunday, we decided to celebrate a bit early this year. Lunch was at Hai Chix & Steaks in Ortigas Center. Food was yummy, and I particularly like the garlic butter shrimp and the porterhouse steak. Was so hungry I didn't get to instagram the photos of the food ;). After lunch, Kuya Toti decided to treat the family to ice cream. At first we were to go to a cheap, but good ice cream place in San Juan, but changed our minds and decided to go to Magnolia Flavor House which is at the old site of the Magnolia plant in Aurora Blvd. Now has a big Robinson's Mall and more Robinson Land condos, but place is still quaint. Used to love going on field trips to the old Magnolia plant, because afterwards we always get free ice cream. Anyway, sharing some pics. Days like this though, I miss Irip, Girlie, Pau and Enzo...here's wishing we could be complete again soon.

Junior High

Ben starts Grade 7 today, marking his first day in junior high (to last until Grade 10). They only had orientation today, and tomorrow just a session with their moderator. Here's hoping this year things will run smoother than they did last year, which means Ben will take studying more seriously and gaming a little less seriously. I am very hopeful. My son is growing up!

In the running

Ben has made good his plan to run for class officer. He nominated himself for the Seargent-at-Arms position.   I am encouraging him, but reminding him also that if earning a position like this comes with responsibility and has nothing to do with having power. He's really excited about it though. Here he is working on a campaign poster:

The poster he made though was too complicated, so I decided to help him out. This is what we came up with:

Win or not, it'll be a good experience for him.

Happy Father's Day

I wasn't able to post Friday up to last night because something went wrong with the internet, so just to try and make it a photo a day as much as possible, here are the shots I took over the weekend.

This one was from Friday. He was reading (again) one of his Wimpy Kid books. I do not understand why he loves these books so much, but if they get him to read, then it's ok.

Then Saturday, I got myself a new phone, so I checked out the camera just as he was getting ready to go to sleep.

Sunday was Father's Day. So to celebrate two fathers and one fatherly uncle, we went and had lunch at Muang Thai in Pinyahan. Here are the boys with their lolo.

Not much excitement in our lives at the moment...kid went to school today with serious plans to run for class officer though. I'm encouraging him. :-)

Early to bed

Internet was shot last night so I couldn't post my end of the day post (ha ha). It was supposed to be:

After not going to sleep last early last night (for which I lost patience again), Ben went to bed early tonight.

Holiday

It's the 115th year of independence for the Philippines today, but other than enjoying the Google doodle for the day, I really didn't do much celebrating. Ben didn't have school, so he spent most of the day just lounging around. He did do his homework this morning though, plus even went through some additional math exercises without being difficult.

Hoping for a change

Kid just showed me just how much work we need to do to get him to start taking his studies seriously...sigh...

First full day

It was the first full day of Grade 6 for Ben today, and it was capped off by an orientation on the co-curricular activities for this year. Apparently, the kid is thinking of joining Eaglet rather than i-Rock this year. Eaglet is the official school newspaper of Ateneo GS. I told him if that's what he wants to join, then its great.

I was very late in picking him up from school today, so he was finished with his homework (or so he said) when I finally did get him from school. So here he is now, ready for bed and another school day tomorrow.

My poster boy 2

Last Thursday, Ben volunteered to be one of the poster boys for this year's Co-Curricular activities poster/tarp. Well this morning the tarps are up. Two of them actually. One on the bulletin boards just outside the cafeteria, the picture of which follows:

That's him on 3rd from left on top, for the i-Rock (Science) Club.

The other bigger tarp is hanging up in front of the main entrance to the Grade School. I'll take a picture of it later today when I pick him up from after school. Even Mang Ron, the lobby guard, called my attention to it. This year, I'm encouraging Ben to take more part in school activities. I'm hoping these volunteering efforts he's been making are just a start.

Bonfive...long overdue post

This post was originally supposed to be published last October. Apparently, afer saving it, I forgot to publish it. Anyway, I thought I'd post it rather than let it lay waste in the drafts folder.

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Last Thursday, Oct 11, the Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball team made history by winning five consecutive UAAP championships. Of course, Ben was ecstatic. The school officials scrambled to get the Bonfire celebration (with photo and autograph signing session) organized for Saturday Oct 13, for which mother and son hastily left the house on that particular morning.

We arrived early enough (if two hours ahead of time isn't pushing early) so we were among the first to line up for the photo and autograph signing session. Although we did this last year, after ADMU won their 4th, I thought I'd take Ben again as (bad as this may sound) I have a feeling that this might be the last Bonfire celebration for a while (I would love to be proved wrong about this next October).

So here are the kid's pics with the players. Not all of them because 1) for Lim, the photo is awfully blurry. I couldn't take another shot because the organisers where rushing us through to get through all the people who wanted to get photos and autographs; 2) Sumalinog, I wasn't even able to take a shot because the organiser had pushed Ben forward to Ravena.

Anyway, photos from the celebration follow: