class picture Originally uploaded by annalyn. My favorite at the moment is this one of my twins hamming it up for their class picture (even though Dianne the other one seems oblivious to the moment)As a single mom, it is a source of pride for me to be enrolling them in a good kindergarten school, despite the odds. So far, they've been loving every minute of it and I couldn't ask for more. ... Continue Reading...

For the first time in my life, I was a victim of food poisoning. This happened to me early dawn of Saturday when I suddenly woke up with painful cramps on my tummy (like labor pains), vomiting and diarrhea. Indeed, I was too weak and too dazed that I could not even get myself to go to the toilet. I was thinking of the events of the night before when I went to the gym and had a KFC chicken fillet sandwich for dinner. But the culprit turned out to be the tahong (mussels) I ate 16 hours before which also downed more than a dozen people in our office. Apparently, someone ... Continue Reading...

The reason why I put a disclaimer in my "commercial" post below is because I was asked not too long ago if I was hired by the cellphone companies to "endorse" their products in my blog and out of it. No, I didn't take it against this person who claims to dutifully compile my newspaper columns every week and put them in a folder. He was just curious if I could actually earn money from blogging. I had to tell him that this blog is a labor of love for now and the extra money I get for writing my articles is barely enough to cover my phone bills/ internet connection, ... Continue Reading...

Last week's encounter with Obscure Blogger (O.B.) has once again reinforced my conviction that getting an expensive education is not all that matters. What good is it studying in the country's premier convent school and university if you have little respect for the beliefs of others and much more resort to calling people names, in an extreme manifestation of low-life bigotry? These days getting "good, top-quality education" in the Philippines has been reduced to the level of a cult status. It's either you're Red, Blue or Green. Parents will do everything, even ... Continue Reading...

If you notice, I have distanced myself from the turbulent goings-on now rocking the Philippines. Politics is after all not my business. But it doesn't mean that I do not feel for the rest of my countrymen who must once again suffer the follies of their duly-elected leaders.The painful fact is that life has not become better for those of us who chose to stick it out in our country of birth, pay our taxes and obey the laws . I don't know who is to blame more: our officials who flaunt their power (and abuse of it) with impunity, or the people who never to learn their ... Continue Reading...