Stage Nanay ka ba?

Sabi ni Urban Dictionary, ang Stage Mom daw ay:

"Pushy, obnoxious, crazy mothers who force their kids to act, model, or enter beauty contests. Usually turning them into emotionally scared adults who hate their parents."


Malayo naman ako dito. (Except dun sa word na "crazy")

Hindi naman sa nagububuhat ako ng bangko, pero marami ang nagkakagusto kay Kamote at marami ring nagsasabing pwede syang maging model.  At dahil alam kong gusto rin naman ni Kamote maging model, sinubukan ko isang araw na magpictorial kami. May mga modeling agencies kasi akong nakita na tumatanggap ng online application.  So, picture lang at stats ang isasubmit mo, at pag nakursunadahan ka nila, ay kokontakin ka nila at ii-schedule for a vtr.  At ayun nga, nagpictorial kami hanggang si Kamote na mismo ang sumuko.   Na-realize nya na mahirap din pala ang maging isang model.  Kahit pagod ka na kaka-pose, kailangang maganda pa rin ang tindig at porma mo sa harap ng camera.  In short, na pack-up ang photoshoot at hindi na nasundan pa.

Kung stage mom siguro ako, napalo na at nakurot sa singit si Kamote.  Pero hindi ako stage mom, at hinding-hindi ako magiging stage mom ever.  

Maliban na lang kung 10 milyon ang usapan.  

Mangingitim ang singit ni Kamote pag di sya tumigil sa pag-iinarte. ;P

South Carolina UMVIM ERT Disaster Response to North Carolina

While the South Carolina Annual Conference’s Disaster Response Team helped their neighbors to the north clean up following historic tornadoes, they heard many stories of people saved by the grace of God, and saw evidence such as this of the devastation. Photo: Billy Robinson

By Billy Robinson*

From April 21 to 23, ten members of South Carolina United Methodist Volunteers In Mission’s Disaster Response Team (Early Response Team – ERT) responded to the call to aid people in need following the devastating tornadoes that hit across North Carolina on April 16, 2011. That was the worst single-day outbreak of tornadoes in North Carolina history; 24 people were killed.

When we arrived on Thursday, April 21, at the town of Rowland, we were amazed at the amount of destruction a tornado had ravaged there. We placed a tarp on one damaged roof and preformed chainsaw work at three homes, clearing trees from roofs, driveways, and yards. We spent the night at a nearby Baptist Missions camp.

Friday and Saturday, we were directed on to Fayetteville, NC, where we saw a massive amount of destruction from an EF3 tornado. Some believed it became an even more powerful EF4 tornado along part of its devastating path. It left many homes destroyed, several people injured, and one dead in Fayetteville. It launched a minivan up into a tree.

Friday, it rained all day on us, but our dedicated volunteers continued to work right through the cool, pouring rain. We were called to be “God’s hands and feet” to hurting and devastated people who were in dire need of love, compassion, hope, and a sense of normalcy. We placed tarps on three roofs and preformed chainsaw work at seven homes.

Survivors told a lot of amazing stories of how they were spared by the grace of God. There was also the story of two 4x6-foot construction company signs found near Raleigh, 49 and 54 miles, respectively, from their original locations. We saw a minivan sitting in huge forked branches that had broken off of a big oak tree when the van landed in it and then fell on top of two other vehicles. It was an amazing sight to behold, as were the splinters of wood that pierced through homes and roofs.

We saw an awful lot of devastation and, also, a wonderful amount of good being done by volunteers, including Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Mennonites; people from Samaritan’s Purse, various faith-based and civic organizations, and the Red Cross. It is always so wonderful and uplifting to see so many good-hearted people come together for a common cause. You see the best of people, as they give their all to help others in need. Unfortunately, you can also see the worst of people, when some try to take advantage of others who already are in deep, emotional distress.

We experienced and also heard of how Jesus was ever present in both the storms and the response to them. When a tire and rim of one of our disaster-response trailers was destroyed on I-95, team members stopped to help us. Relief workers included a father and son on their first out-of-state mission together; people from all walks of life who worked together in perfect harmony; and neighbors who came together as never before. We learned of a mother who stretched herself over her children to protect them from harm during the tornadoes. And we experienced God’s protective hand of safety over all of the relief and recovery workers who had come to North Carolina to help.

*Billy Robinson is the South Carolina Annual Conference’s UMVIM Disaster Coordinator

World Malaria Day

By Nyamah Dunbar*


For the United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria (INM) campaign, every day is World Malaria Day. In the East African nation of Mozambique, where the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) will commemorate World Malaria Day this year, every 45 seconds marks the unwritten inscription of another life lost to this deadly disease.

INM is the denomination’s global health initiative to create awareness of malaria and build support for its eradication. April 25 is internationally recognized as World Malaria Day, a day to remember the millions of people whose lives are lost or affected by this preventable disease. Children are among the most vulnerable, and in Mozambique, about 36,000 children die annually of the disease.

This spring, UMCOR is partnering with the United Methodist Church in Mozambique, the Missouri Annual Conference, United Methodist Communications, and the Mozambique Ministry of Health’s Malaria Control Program to launch the National Malaria Nets Campaign in Mozambique on May 14.

The campaign kicks off in Golo, Homoine District, where Bishop Thomas Bickerton, Western Pennsylvania Conference, will join Bishop Joaquina Nhanala, Mozambique Annual Conference, along with several local and national authorities for a festive celebration.

After the celebration, 100,000 long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets, provided by the Global Fund through the Government of Mozambique, will be distributed to residents of Homoine and Panda districts. UMCOR is coordinating and funding the logistics of the net distribution, with additional support from NetsforLife and Nothing But Nets.

In cooperation with the Government of Mozambique, 550 trained community workers will provide ongoing malaria-prevention education and treatment to the districts’ more than 200,000 residents.

The net distribution serves as the first major health program to be executed through Center of Hope (CESPE), a community-based health center located on the grounds of Chicuque Rural Hospital, which is supported by UMCOR. CESPE offers community-based health workers training and education on malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health. The volunteer health workers then bring life-saving education and preventative measures to remote communities.

*Nyamah Dunbar is the INM executive for Grant Management, UMCOR Health

Reaching Out to Vulnerable Communities after the Storm

Stony Brook Mobile Home Park was one of the places hardest hit by April 16 tornadoes in North Carolina. Photo: Barbara Tripp/UMCOR

Driving around the town I have lived in all my life, I realize how very much things have changed. Hundreds of thousands more people live in Raleigh, North Carolina, than did when I was small. The city has spread its boundaries way into the former countryside. But no amount of year-in, year-out change compares to the sudden changes a tornado—like the one that blew through here on April 16—can make!

Take my favorite seafood shop for example: the roof now resides in a neighbor’s yard. The historical African-American University closed up before the end of the semester, the windows blown out of all the dorm rooms. And homes, thousands of homes, damaged or destroyed in a jagged line that cuts across the heart of Wake County.

Where does one begin? We begin with prayer and then with hard work — work that will continue for a long time for many people all across North Carolina.

But there is much hope and help available. One of the extremely hard-hit areas in Raleigh was the Stony Brook Mobile Home Park. Rev. Heather Rodrigues is an associate pastor at Millbrook United Methodist Church, one of those churches originally established in the country, but now located deep within the city limits. Heather’s church works with a local nonprofit ministry, Centro Internacional Raleigh (CIR), which helps the local Latino immigrant population.

“John Fasion of CIR and I met a month ago,” she says. “He walked me into the woods across the street from our church to meet the homeless people living there. Many of them are Latinos, and John works with them out of his home church and CIR. That first meeting, to me, was a ‘God-Thing,’ providential,” Heather says, “as now, after the tornadoes, we have been able to connect concerning support for Stony Brook,” where many Spanish-speaking, Latino immigrants also live.

“Our church has the added bonus of having a Latino Outreach pastor on our staff,” she continues. “Rev. Leo Reich is heavily involved in the effort to assist people at the Stony Brook Mobile Home Park, and his Spanish-speaking gift is coming in handy.

“And yet our non-Spanish-speaking members are also out there doing good work” Heather says. “This morning one of them told me, ‘I don't speak Spanish, but that's OK—the people understand the words God, food, drink, and they understand my hugs and my tears.’ What a testimony to the Spirit's ability to overcome language barriers!” Heather remarked.

We, as United Methodists are connected not only to our own multitude of churches, but also to the communities in which we serve. This is one of the blessings of our church and of our training to respond to emergency situations, which encourage and guide us to reach out.

By Barbara Tripp, UMCOR disaster response consultant, and a native of Raleigh, North Carolina

oh thank goodness

I am beyond relieved that we begin a four day holiday tomorrow.  This week has been intense and frustrating.  A month's downward slide has culminated a steep dive into the most miserable four days that I can remember.  I have had to exert great effort in biting my tongue and not telling someone what I really thought of his patronizing sneer that has usually followed a not-so-subtle attempt at making me feel ignorant.

I did have my own moment of schadenfreude this afternoon when our client raked the source of my misery over the coals for wasting all of our time critiquing  the foreign partner's design for code compliance rather than looking at the larger picture and noticing that the design wasn't close to ideal by Hong Kong building standards (something that was fairly obvious even to a foreigner like me).  Instead my miserable coworker made a list of small, inconsequential items that needed further review which was correctly seen as an attempt to underline how much he knew instead of offering any kind of help to our partner.  And so I hunched down in my chair so as not to draw attention to myself as I thoroughly enjoyed the set down.

The rest of the day was spent in a mad rush to clear items on my desk so that I can spend these next few days conscience free.  Oh how good it feels to be free!

Thai Stir-fried Beef with Oyster Sauce

Ito ang hapunan namin kagabi.  Isang simple at madaling recipe na nakita ko sa internet na nilagyan ng kaunting twist.  Hindi naman ako chef wannabe, gusto ko lang talagang matutong magluto.  At bilang isang self-help homemaker, lahat ng gawaing bahay na alam ko ay natutunan kong mag-isa.  Konting research, konting common sense at maraming lakas ng loob, ayos na ang buto-buto. 

Mukha bang masarap?

Wala na yatang sasarap pa sa pakiramdam na tapos na ako sa kabanata ng buhay ko

kung saan ang simpleng pritong itlog ay nasusunog ko.

Vavagina monologue:

"Gusto nyo ng recipe nito?

Hindi ako madamot. ;)"

we need another hobby

Rugby playing season ended last month and my rugby coaching season ended last week.  SB has a few more weeks of ice hockey and then he will be completely free.  Other than one hour per weekend for dragon boat training I have nothing to do.  It has been refreshing in some ways because I was getting burned out on the rugby season and personal time is good for me.  I have been able to go hiking and spend more time with friends.  I can even lay around all day and do nothing.

SB and I have been able to actually have leisurely conversations instead of catching up en route to a match or appointment.  This has been wonderful but there is such thing as too much of a good thing. We are spending so much time together that we have run out of new material and are now debating over imaginary situations. 

This morning on the way to breakfast SB told me that he had a dream that I was yelling at him.  In the dream we were house sitting for our friend T in Shek O and I told him that no, he could not take T's convertible car for another spin because he had just driven it to the China border.  SB was trying to argue that this time he would only drive around the neighborhood.

Of course I had to pipe up that if the situation were real I certainly would not let him drive T's car to China and back while he argued that T drives his car everywhere and it's a really fun car to drive.  And so the conversation went on throughout breakfast and on the way to the beach.  We almost forgot that none of this had actually occurred.

We need new material in a hurry or we'll be spending next weekend debating on the best way to watch paint dry.

Chicken a la Happinay

Dahil wala pa rin akong alalay at hindi pa nakakapamalengke,

naghanap ako ng recipe online

para sa kung anong meron sa ref at cupboard namin:

manok, toyo, dahon ng laurel at gatas.

At ito ang kinalabasan: 

not bad at all. ;)

at first light

SB left the windows open last night so the sound of heavy construction woke me up early in the morning.  I lay there next to him listening to his soft snores and watching the pulse on his neck.  I like watching him like this, finally still and peaceful.  I discover new things about him like how long his eyelashes are and how those laughter crinkles at his eyes don't go away anymore.  I also notice how well he rolls up in the sheets like a little sausage roll.  Since the weather is heating up and I don't really need the sheets I can think it is adorable.  And I do.

Love letters for Willie

Willie, I have 3 letters for you: 

BLT

(unfortunately, I don't mean the sandwich, honey.) 

Babayu. Layas. Tsupi.

Pwede rin: 

BLTB 

(unfortunately again, not the bus company either, sweetie.).
Babayu. Layas. Tsupi. Bilis! ;D

**Ang larawang idinikit ay kinulimbat mula sa yahoonews.com.   Ang sinumang nagmamayari ng naturang larawan ay mananatiling may-ari nito. Busisiin ang Patakaran para sa karagdagang impormasyon.

you might meddle with such hifalut'n foolishness, hey?

As a young boy Anthony Smith  dreamed of sailing a raft across the Atlantic.  At 85 years of age, he has finally achieved his childhood dream in 66 days and 2800 miles.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42467925/ns/world_news-americas/

This gives me hope that one day I will accomplish my own dream of launching balloons of water at my loud, drunk, always fighting neighbors with my custom built trebuchet.  It is not quite as lofty  a goal, but I imagine it to be thoroughly satisfying.

(source)

unreality

The movie Thor is coming out soon and there are a few critics who are unhappy with the casting of African-American actor Idris Elba as Heimdall.  Apparently they don't think a black man is the right choice to depict a Marvel comic book character of a Nordic god.  Riiight.

In case you are not a comic reader this is what Heimdall looks like:

Historically accurate I imagine, with no room for artistic interpretation or creative license whatsoever.  Let me add some other depictions of the MYTHICAL Heimdall for reference:

Now here is Elba's Heimdall, a fierce and vengeful god :

Even better, I will include Elba's response to the strict historians:
"It's so ridiculous. We have a man [Thor] who has a flying hammer and wears horns on his head. And yet me being an actor of African descent playing a Norse god is unbelievable? I mean, Cleopatra was played by Elizabeth Taylor, and Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley." (emphasis mine) (source)

Game, set, match.

DFA for dummies

Si Kamote matapos pagkaguluhan ng mga bekimon sa DFA

Hindi pa naman expired ang passport ko, pero kinailangan kong magpa-appointment sa DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) para ipa-update ang pangalan ko at para na rin i-apply ng passport si Kirov.  


Nadiskubre ko na may ilang makulit na pagbabago sa pagpoproseso ng passport ngayon.  Sa mga may balak mag-apply or mag-renew ng kanilang passport, narito ang pinakasariwang impormasyon at ilang walang kwentang tips tungkol sa nasabing proseso:

1)  Bagong new look - Mula noong March 8, ang passport services ng DFA ay nalipat na sa gwapong-gwapong building nila sa Bradco corner Macapagal Avenue sa Aseana Business Park, malapit sa MOA (Mall of Asia).  Nakaka-miss man ang nakasanayan na nating basketball court, pero ngayon ay totoong opisina na ang inyong daratnan doon kung saan makikita ang pinakabagong teknolohiya tulad ng fibre optic lines at electronic records system.  Pero, syempre, nandoon pa rin sila manong guard at ilan pang mga DFA personnel bilang palatandaan ng kadalasa'y baliktad na pagusad ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.  Narito ang mapa ng bago nilang opisina: DFA New Office Map.


2)  Bagong mga contact numbers - (02)737-1000, (02) 831-8971, (02) 551-4437, (02) 551-4402, (02)834-4855 and (02) 834-4424.  Tandaan na ang mga numerong nabanggit ay para lamang sa mga gustong mag-apply ng passport at hindi sa mga kailangan ng EB.  Kung hindi makontak ang mga nasabing numero, maari rin namang magpa-appointment via http://www.passport.com.ph/.  May bago silang patakaran na ang may mga confirmed appointments lang ang i-a-accommodate nila sa bagong facility.  Bawal ang escorts, nanay, tatay, kuya, ate, lolo, lola, tita, tito, yaya, driver, alalay, kapitbahay, bf, bff, ff o sinumang hindi naman mag-aaply o magrerenew ng passport, maliban na lang kung ang aplikante ay menor de edad, may kapansanan o sadya lang tanga.  

3)  Wag na magpa-FOTO ME - Isipin mo na lang na para kang pupunta sa isang pictorial o photoshoot ng FHM o Cosmo na may photographer na at po-pose ka na lang sa harap ng camera.  Yun nga lang, bawal ilabas ang maseselang bahagi ng katawan tulad ng ngipin lalo kung bulok, manilaw-nilaw o kulang-kulang.  Bawal din ang alahas at bangs kaya kung pasaway ang buhok mo, tadtarin mo na lang ng gel o basain ng baon mong "mineral" water para kumapit ng husto sa iyong anit.  Wag na wag gagamitan ng laway ang buhok.  Mangangamoy.

4) Maging handa para hindi maging kawawa - Bago mag-apply or magpa-renew, siguruhin munang kumpleto ang iyong mga papeles para hindi kung kelan nasa DFA ka na, saka ka magngangawa.  Para sa listahan ng mga requirements, basahin ng mabuti ito: Passport Application Requirements

5)  Isabay sa pagpaplano ng kasal ang pagplano ng pagkuha ng passport - Pinakamadali at pinakasigurado ang pagpapa-appointment online ngayon kesa mag-walk-in.  Ang kagandahan pa nito ay makakapili ka ng araw kung kailan mo gustong magtungo sa DFA.  Ang catch?  Sa dami ng aplikante, inaabot ng isa o dalawang buwan (o higit pa) bago makakuha ng libreng araw.  Para ka na ring nagpa-reserve sa simbahan o reception sa kasal, kaya isabay mo na  ring planuhin si passport, di ba.

6)  Padaliin ang buhay - Bisitahin lang ang site na ito: http://www.passport.com.ph/ at mag-fill-up ng online form para sa ePassport appointment system.   Yan na ring form na yan mismo ang gagamitin bilang application form na dadalhin sa DFA sa araw ng pag-aaply.  Makakatanggap ka ng email confirmation para sa iyong appointment at link sa accomplished application form na parehong kailangan mong i-print.  Ang dalawang papeles na ito ang unang hahanapin sa iyo ni manong guard sa pagpasok pa lang sa gate ng DFA kaya kalimutan mo na ang pustiso mo, wag lang ang dalawang ito.

7)  Iwasan ang DOTA, Facebook, Starbucks o gimik bago ang araw ng iyong appointment -  Ito ay upang makasiguro na nasa DFA ka na 30 minutes empunto bago ang scheduled appointment mo dahil ide-dedma to the world ka nila kung  late ka o di kaya ay sobrang aga.

8)  Tumulong sa pagpuksa sa mga mapagsamantalang kapitalista - Siguruhing may dalang black bolpen para hindi ka mapilitang bumili ng Bic ballpen sa presyo ng isang Parker pen (Well, in-exaggerate ko lang ng konti so you get the picture) sa mga buwayang naka-abang sa tatanga-tangang mga aplikante na kanilang mabibiktima.

And last but not the least,

9)  Wag patanga-tanga -  May kasabihan po tayo na "Ang kalabasa ay pampalinaw ng mata, ngunit sa duling ay wala nang pagasa."  Kung hindi marunong magbasa, gamitin ang bibig at tenga.  Kung walang bibig at tenga, gamitin ang pera.  "Money talks", ika nga.  At kung wala namang pera, para saan pa ang passport mo bakla?  ;D

good times, good friends, good grief

It has taken a week but I have survived the end of most of my rugby season.  For me it all hit the apex last weekend when I tucked away my playing kit and went into full fledged supporter gear.  The US women's team flew in for the HK women's sevens which I took time from work to attend.  It was my first time seeing them in action here because they didn't attend for the last couple of years.  A couple of the women from the world cup 15's play for the sevens team and there a a few old timers that are my age although they don't look like me.  These women are fit!  I have seen one of the ladies on the national scene for what may now be a decade and she is still one of the fastest runners and hardest tacklers on the pitch.

The women suffer from the misfortune of limited funding and support.  They had only trained together once in the past four months which may have hurt them in their match against Canada, who they had beat in Vegas, but this time Canada took a convincing victory and went on the win the tournament.  I was very sad about this having lost my own domestic grand final in double overtime. It would have been nice to see my team win everything but seeing them at all made me happy.  I find that I miss fellow Americans the most when it comes to sports.  Three seasons later I still struggle with the way my HK teammates think it is perfectly normal to scream at each other and engage in nasty behavior toward the opposition.  Off the pitch they are a warm and close knit group of friends but on the pitch is another story.  I believe I am just as competitive but I just don't feel the need to make enemies with all the other teams when beating them is plenty good.  It was nice to spend time with a group of elite athletes who support each other in a positive way.

 

The ladies get into the spirit.

 BTW she caught that ball and managed to pass it

Sino si Ser?

Madami ang nagtatanong kung sino daw ba itong si Ser a.k.a. Hun na madalas kong banggitin sa mga posts ko.  Well, handa na ba kayong malaman?

Yan si Ser.

Ang kagalang-galang kong asawa

na hindi ko ipagpapalit sa kahit anumang yaman o karangyaan sa mundo.

Bihira kaya ang ganyang mukha.

Endangered species, ika nga.

Lalo pa ngayon uso ang takutan tungkol sa end of the world,

dapat lang alagaan ang mga katulad nyang nilalang.

Ako na ang mag-uumpisa.

At sisimulan ko ito kay Ser.

Labyu, Ser. ;D