11 days and counting

For those asking (complaining?) about the lack of new posts in this blog, I didn’t die. And I’m not sick either. I’m working real hard, believe me, although you won’t see the results until the 19th and thereafter. These days, there are only three parts of the house that I spend a lot of time ... (more)

Opinions on excessive consumerism

You may or may not know it but I write for a magazine called Code Red. Unlike most magazines in the market that cater to the consumer in us, Code Red articles are about family values written from the point of view of both parents and children. I love it for its lack of crass ... (more)

Kids and money

piggy-bankYesterday, Sam walked into my study with coin banks in her hands, a smile on her face and a suggestion that they were “bloggable.” I thought so too because a few minutes later, I was taking photos of the red piggy bank with hearts all over its body and the green dinosaur that look like it saw something quite shocking because its eyes are popping out of their sockets, all the while thinking about a coin bank I had as a child, shaped like a house and, on the roof, the message that “A coin a day will build a house someday.”

Play to win

[Note: The following article was published in Code Red magazine. I wrote it a couple of months ago and I wasn't really planning on republishing it here, but I am in the midst of making yet another tough career decision and it just seems relevant, for me at least, to be reminded of what I ... (more)

Science used to be my favorite subject

People are different. And it shows in every aspect of life. How we dress, how we choose our friends, what kind of work we like to do… Even as early as grade school, differences between pupils are apparent. Some enjoy language and literature; others, science and math. It might have a lot to do with ... (more)

Koi hiding in the tree

For the past several days, I have been answering e-mailed interview questions. Some, food-related; others, not. One particular question was memorable: “How do you find something interesting enough to write about everyday?” I’m afraid I gave the interviewer a very short answer. Sorry, but that happened when my DSL connection was down and I was ... (more)

The birds of prey and Batjay

Amado V. Hernandez’s novel “Mga Ibong Mandaragit” (Birds of Prey) is required reading for third year students in the school that my daughters go to. When my younger daughter first brought home a library copy of the book, the author’s name struck me as familiar. I did a little research and found out that the ... (more)