a very long March

This March finds me working hard, finishing my tasks in school:
1. Going over all the notebooks and work texts of the kids, pasting all remaining quizzes,  finishing remaining exercises, computing all the grades, getting the weighted percentages   etc etc
2. Preparing finals test papers - I make lively test papers with lots of picture clues. I enjoy  making good looking test papers though. hehehe
3. Signing pertinent papers and records as department head.
4. Deliberation of honors
5. Graduation rehearsals ( lots of issues here )
6. Graduation Day
7. Recognition day for undergraduate honor pupils ( many issues from the parents )
8. Parties, parties and parties
9. Reports and clearances
10. and everything is not over yet....hehehe...more eating engagements to come

To add to all of these physical activities ....is an emotional concern for my family in Manila....... Two weeks ago, a house maid in Manila got sick. After an on and off recurrence of fever, she was confined at St. Luke Hospital. The doctors there would not admit her in the ward but rather put her instead in a private room for suspicion of infectious disease. After undergoing several blood testing, she was diagnosed to be sick of german measles. Angel, my daughter-in-law who attended to the sick helper while at home was six months pregnant and this really got us all worried that she may get contaminated with rubella. For the boys,  Tom and Emil had either contracted or was vaccinated with the disease but the girls, nobody could recall. Angel went to see her OB and the twins, their pediatrician. They went through certain blood testing to determine whether they had the illness before. While waiting for the results which took days, I asked all of them to pray. We were most concerned about Angel and the baby in her womb. (The sickness is most critical to the unborn child.) During those few days, I think my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. I prayed really hard... I added my call for help to the Blessed Mother who is a mother to us all, to St. Joseph - protector of our homes, to St. Therese of the Child Jesus to intercede... and finally Angel's test result came and lo, I was so happy for she had been exposed to the illness before and is immune from it already. I am really really very thankful for her protection. I love you my God for loving us.
Updating the blood results, the twins had negative indications and so they went for their vaccinations last Saturday. After which they celebrated their birthday with their high school peer group at trinoma.
And Tom has renovated and repainted the children's room this March. I saw the pictures from Tom"s site. What a long March :) Done so many things and the month is not over yet. hahaha

cci finals

CCI is having its final examination week. All testing must end this Friday, yet today March 10 is already my last day of finals in English Communication. But there is no relief yet. There are still test papers to correct and grades to compute and deliberation of honors and faillures too. Infact a lot of parents came to school this morning: those who were fetching their children to bring them home earlier after the exam, those who came in behalf of their children to ask for special consideration due to illness, some parents came to see me to discuss about a kiddie graduation party in the premise; and a lot more parents I saw in the administrative building discussing with teachers and department heads regarding their children behavioral and academic problems. (By the way the principal was not around the whole day through). There was this one unreasonable mother crying. She was angry at a certain teacher. She couldn't believe her daughter would lie to her and blame it all on the teacher. Then as if things were not chaotic enough, we were informed of a faculty meeting at 10AM. I left all my uncorrected papers hurriedly to attend the meeting. The faculty meeting was conducted by the president of the faculty organization. It was about our forth coming teacher's excursion in April and the sewing of new sets of uniform for the next school year. Hahaha Surely, I'm going to miss the hullabaloos at cci next school year. hahaha!

35th year wedding anniversary

Our 35th wedding anniverary was happily celebrated with with friends and relatives. Sister Jeannette gifted us with an anniversary cake and it was fun eating it and drinking our champagne too :) hahaha! Enjoy our pictures. ( I just realized that I wore the same outfit as I did during the Chinese New Year) hehehe. What a happy prosperous coincidence!!!

Chinese New Year Pics

The three senior Tan brothers were present this year namely Lucio, Luna and Lucas. Conchita was out of town, Tina was around and I did most of the preparations at home. Lucio came in early. Eugene and family were late, so there was no picture of them. Lucas took few pictures only. I think he was busy drinking beer with Lucio :) hahaha

Happy February

Congratulation! My daughter-in-law Angel graduated MS Chemistry from De La Salle University last February 7. We were very happy for her for achieving that academic milestone. Congratulation Angel!!! She was and is really brilliant. She passed all her comprehensive examinations despite her being in that difficult early stage of pregnacy. ( I could hardly imagine myself passing inorganic chemistry in college! hahaha! ) Although we were not in Manila to celebrate with her, yet we were truly happy and proud.
In Cotabato on February 17, Lucas and I celebrated our 35 year wedding anniversary. Our children were not present to celebrate with us but it didn't matter, because although we are widely dispersed, yet the family continues to grow and remain one in God's favor. Lucas and I celebrated the special day with a small circle of friends and relatives, eating and singing karaoke music at Connies Restaurant Diamond room. It was a memorable evening. There were sharing of cake and toasting of champagne. Hehehe I'll post some pictures later.
And hurrah! as a mother I am proud to say that my daughter Martha hurdled with flying colors all her papers and thesis competitions in Industrial Engineering. Both taking first place from last week February 22 inter-university competition in Pampanga; and yesterday, February 28 hosted at De La Salle University. Yesterday was really unimaginable, for her two competitors were both from the University of the Philippines. And if anybody knows my Martha, she is really kind of shy. Yehey! I am so proud of you Tet! Congratulations!
I am ever thankful to God for his kindness! Thank You !!!

murder and kidnap in Cotabato

Cotabato City is a good place to live in despite the war and atrocities perpetuated by evil and wicked men. This little town where people know each other by their first and nicknames. This city where everybody is either a relative or a friend. I was born in Cotabato, so was my mother, grandmother, great grandmother and their ancestors before them. I can go to a store, forget to bring money yet come home with the merchandise I want to purchase. I can even return the merchandise if I don't like them. That's how close and trusting are the people here.
But there are incidents that stain the good and simple life here - Violent murders and atrocious kidnappings for reasons of greed and lust. These deeds perpetuated by  evil and monstrous people give an ugly mark to the good name of their faith. What kind of culture do they really have?!

I am angered by two incidents recently:
One was the murder of my kumpadre Bert Padlan. Everybody knew him as a jolly and kind hearted man. And he was kind of sick lately in 2008 but he was summarily executed, shot in the head while driving home in broad day light by two hired killers on a motorcyle for some reason nobody knew. There were wild speculations but one could not think of any other  reason at all for that senseless cold blooded murder.
And the most recent one was the kidnapping of businessman Mr.Wilson Tan. There were tips already as early as December that they were going to kidnap one from the Tan family. But which Tan family? There were many Tans in the city. Some even mentioned about kidnapping a girl studying at CCI, but there were many students in CCI. Everybody had to be careful just the same.
Then last Wednesday was it, Wilson Tan or Kokok as he was known to many was driving his family home from school. Two of his children were sick, so only two went to school; a 12 year old boy Regan and a ten year old girl Jennifer. The wife Janet was also in the car as both were hands on parents to their children. Unknown to them, 7 men in big arms were waiting for their arrival at the gate's premise. When they reached the gate, the armed men pointed their guns at the security gate keeper. They broke the car windows with their arms and forcibly took their daughter Jennifer. The mother hysterically hugged the girl tightly but she was hit at the nape with a gun. (The boy Regan was quick enough to ran away from the kidnappers and hid at some near by places.) Jennifer resisted to be taken away but she was dragged and kicked into another van by the thugs. When the father saw that his girl was going to be taken away, he meekly submitted himself to go with his daughter. And so both father and daughter were taken to the Tamontaka (not Kakar) river to go to the monsters' lair. They are still being held by the kidnappers as of this moment.
All of Kokok and Janet's children were my pupils at St. Martha School. (We have now all transfered to CCI.) Infact their youngest daughter Janelle is currently one of my pupils in Kinder II and she has been absent from school for a week now due to sickness. I really prayed for them when I heard the bad news. At the same time, I was touched by the gallantry of the father. Something very noble came out from a bad situation. I hope his gallantry will have shamed the evil hearted people.

A Good January

January 2009 was a good month, a good start of the year for me. First of all, I didn't get sick. I used to get sick in January, maybe because of the binge eating in December. I usually had sore throat and upper respiratory infection. My bodily resistance must be low at this  particular month. But thank God, despite the erratic, sometimes cold; sometimes hot weather this January in Cotabato City, I am still okay and hey, it's February already. Infact I have gained the weight I lost before I went to Manila, but I need to do some dancing exercise again. hahaha!
Secondly, the perennial problem of househelps leaving after the Christmas season to find new employers. Thank God, this year my helpers are better.
This January had me attending fiestas and parties. I have been a party goer continuously every weekend. I have to beg off however during week days due to some homework preparations for the school kids. hahaha!
This January, I am in a happy disposition. My lessons are going fast and the pupils are improving much. They are now more well behaved and academically progressing in language and written skills. Even the kiddie Chinese head Ms. Jalen Jao comes to school earlier before the morning assembly time now. Hehehe!
I hope this February keeps up with what last January had started. I know it will because we are right now celebrating the MS graduation of my daughter-in-law Angel. Congratulatiion Angel! I guess 2009 is going to be a good year despite the poor economic prognosis. Well... next weekend will be Valentines day and I just want to say.... I love you everybody!!!