Watching the 2014 Christmas Show at Greenhills

It's now part of our family Christmas tradition to go to Greenhills Shopping Center and watch the live puppet / animation show. Every year, the shopping center sets up a part of its open parking space for a free puppet show - complete with moving mannikins, bright colorful lights, and loud music. The fifteen minute show starts at six pm and plays every thirty minutes.

This year's show was a re-enactment of the nativity play, with the birth of the baby Jesus and the arrival of the three kinds. It was better compared to the shows from the previous years. The kids loved the entire presentation - from the large stage, moving animals, and beautiful songs.

The entire show was free for the public, but the mall cleverly placed a dozen food stalls and small tiangge bazaars around the perimeter of the parking space. I bought some German franks, ice tea, and Shawarma sandwiches for the kids. The entire viewing area was filled with the aroma of grilled meat and fried street food. By the end of the show, we were coughing from the barrage of overpowering scents.

Awkward Apologies

My gut feeling told me to ignore the messages and the invites, but I didn't listen. I attended another reunion organized by my high school friends. This time it was a smaller venue with around twenty people. People I swore I'd never meet or talk to again in this lifetime.

No I wasn't forced or pressured into the situation. It would have been easier if I decided to stay inside my comfort zone, made some lame excuse and not go. But I realized that I have been staying inside my comfort zone for a long time. Someone said that you have to push yourself in situations that make your hands sweat, your heart beat with panic and apprehension. That's the only time when you grow more as a person and learn more about yourself.

So I smiled and shook the hands of my high school classmates, talked about the significant milestones that happened in my life - getting married, having kids, and all that usual stuff. It felt good for a while, until one of them made a casual joke, recalling the time I was being bullied.

I kept smiling and waited for the conversation to shift to something more interesting. Part of me wondered if they still look at me as that weird pale-skinned sissy boy who got a lot of flak for being the most physically inept kid in PE class. I thought I made a terrible mistake coming to this reunion.

We continued talking after dinner. One of my classmates brought up the bullying issue again. He asked me if he ever did bully me and if he did, he was asking for forgiveness. Honestly I was not sure if he was one of those boys who made fun of me (there were so many I could not remember). I didn't want to make a big issue out of the situation so I said it was okay and it was no big deal.

I was grateful for the apology. It sounded sincere and I knew he felt bad about things that happened to me back in school. The truth was that he was not the worst bully in the room. There was another person in the reunion who made my school life totally unbearable. I wanted to confront him and tell him how his words haunted me for many years, and how I had to spend several more years trying to fix the damage he did to my self-worth and my self-image. But that never happened.

The reunion ended on a good note, with everyone feeling full and happy. Despite the apology and the talks, I doubt if I will ever come back to these kind of events. It felt like re-living a past that you wish never happened. I completely understand why some of my friends and classmates refuse to attend these homecoming dinners. They still hold on to past hurts and grudges like some glorious battle wound or priceless family heirloom. Perhaps these hurts are the only memories they have left. Perhaps they fear the scorn and judgement of people, as if they were still the same boy in school facing the same bullies in those empty corridors.

I have no regrets attending the reunion. I did come to the realization that some people do change for the better, some people still remain the same, and I should take whatever apologizes given to me. I would be lying to myself if I said I found closure to my "sad" high school life, but I think I have made some measure of peace with my past.

Drawings with the kids

I spent some time with the kids, drawing over the doodles they made.

Designing a Book/Magazine Cover

This is my first attempt to create a digital illustration for a magazine or book cover. I followed an online Photoshop tutorial, using free stock photos and vector art.

I was inspired to create this book cover from the Chinese factory worker who recently committed suicide. Apparently he was an accomplished writer who wrote poems about the struggles and isolation he felt while working in the factory.

His translated works are available online for everyone to read. I can only imagine the emotional pain and the hardship that he endured, working in that wretched place. Unfortunately, this is the struggle of most migrant workers earning a meager living in Mainland China. I pray and hope that things change, and perhaps their lives improve for the better.

Driven Over the Edge

A few hours ago, my son's school issued an announcement online, informing parents of an incident that happened yesterday. Apparently a high school student attempted to take his own life, stepping out into the ledge of the building's fifth floor. After talking and praying with his friends and teachers, the boy came back inside.

The school administrators decided to inform everyone about the incident, probably to prevent any rumor-mongering and to offer prayers for the boy and his family. I appreciate the school's effort of reaching out to the community, reminding parents to take extra care of their children's emotional well being.

There were a lot of comments, mostly prayers of support for the boy and his family. Some parents think the boy was neglected or he had some problems with his parents. Others were asking that the school do more to reach out to the boy and other students who might be struggling with the same issues.

Unless the school gives out more details, people can only guess what's going on inside the boy's head as he was standing out in the ledge. I can only imagine the kind of struggle and pressure he must have been facing. As someone who faced his own share of depression and abuse, I can understand why he made the decision to step on to that ledge. One thing I learned about suicide is that people who attempt to kill themselves just want to end the pain. This wasn't something he thought on a whim, it was probably simmering in his head for a long time. His problems must have pushed him to the breaking point, to the point of wanting to stop the hurt and end his life.

I think the school and the local government's disaster response unit did an excellent job in saving the boy. But the real challenge is to help the boy with his issues, and that takes a lot more time and commitment. Personally I think the traditional school system still lack the tools to help students cope with their personal problems. Teachers can teach morals and dogma about the sins of taking one's own life, but these lessons offer little comfort students who struggle with problems like bullying or abandonment.

I wish the best for the boy and his family. I hope he finds the strength and the support he needs to fight his inner demons. The best we could do, as a community of parents, is to stop judging these students, reach out to our own kids, and teach them to be better human beings.

DIY Mint Extract

Now that I have three large pots of Citrus mint and Peppermint plants growing at home, I started to do some research as to what I can do with them. I already brewed some mint tea for me and my parents a few months ago, I thought there must be other things I can do with the leaves.

So after some thought, I decided to find a way to make our own mint extract. Mint oil extract has medicinal properties and adds a cool minty flavor to drinks. I did some research and found several sites that talk about the DIY process of making peppermint extract.

The prairehomestead.com has an article that discusses the step-by-step process of making peppermint extract. I am looking forward to making my own batch of mint extracts to use on our tea and coffee drinks.

Excited for SyFy's Ascension

I like the premise of the show, specially the way they created a 1960s time capsule ship traveling in space. What makes Ascension even wonderful is that Tricia Helfer (from BattleStar Galactica) is in it.

New Lego Toys from Shell

Looks like I will be buying gasoline from Shell for the next few months. Despite Greenpeace's campaign, Shell has launched its last collectable Lego Ferari car sets.

This year's collection includes four Ferari cars and two play sets (with minifigs). I was hoping they'd add more minifigs this year, but I guess two is better than none. I am planning to get the two play sets and probably the blue and red Ferrari cars.

Faces

Cat and Dragon Paper Toys

Some of the best things in life are still free. Thanks to Google, I was able to assemble some free paper toys for the kids. I managed to download some Hello Kitty cut outs and also a cut out of Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon).

With help from the kids, we were able to cut out and assemble the pieces. Here are the finished toys in all their paper glory.

Urban Sketches

My first attempt at urban sketching. I need to practice more.

Portrait

Reading X-Men Noir

It's been ages since I last posted something a book review, but I want to write something about the latest comic book series that I read. The X-Men Noir mini-series was something I discovered by accident a few years back, I wanted to read something similar to what Neil Gaiman wrote with Marvel 1602.

I was amazed that Marvel came up with an entire line of alternate settings, similar to what DC comics did with its Elseworld franchise. The X-Men Noir mini series is set in the late 1930s / early 1940s, presented like a work of pulp fiction and crime drama.

In this storyline, none of the main characters are mutants. Instead, they are psychopathic criminals who were recruited and trained by Professor Xavier, further honing their criminal talents. Despite their lack of mutant powers, they possess their own talents and histories that are quite similar to their official counterparts. We have Scott Summers as a master sharpshooter, Jean Grey as a grifter, and Captain Logan as a bootlegger. The series begin with the X-Men on the run shortly after the arrest of Professor Xavier. Much of the story revolves around the search for Anne-Marie and solving the mystery behind Jean Grey's murder.

Other familiar antagonist also appear in the series, populating the city's criminal underworld. Eric Lensherr plays the official antagonist of the series. He is the chief detective of the local police department with connection to the city's crime lords. Remy LeBeau is a gambler and casino owner with ties to Unus the Untouchable.

After the series was published, Marvel immediately released a sequel to X-Men Noir. Mark of Cain tells the story of the surviving X-Men, still running from the Law and preparing for a new heist. Their target is the mystical Gem of Cyttorak. What makes the story more interesting is that Professor Xavier has been released from prison and he has assembled a new team of criminals to "bring back" his former students.

The reason why I loved X-Men Noir is because it reminded me of Leverage, which was a television series that I loved. I like that each member of the X-Men team had a special criminal talent, which Professor Xavier and Eric Lensherr working as the masterminds for their respective teams.

Overall I'd consider X-Men Noir to be a worthwhile read. I wished that Marvel would make X-Men Noir into a regular series. I think all the characters have potential for something great. There are a lot of stories and ideas that can still be explored and worked into the X-Men Noir world. I would have loved to see Professor Xavier leading his team of X-Men in a scam and see each of his students in action.

Can't Wait for August 2014

Honestly, I am more excited with Paizo's upcoming Adventure Path than the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. Personally I think Paizo made a lot more contribution to the D&D product with its innovative Adventure Paths, Mythic options, and supplemental rules.

When Rico told me that Pathfinder will be coming out with its own version of Spelljammer, I thought that Paizo made the right move. Some people might get turned off with playing "space fantasy adventures", but the old Spelljammer setting had its own special allure. I had a lot of memorable Spelljammer adventures with my friends. I think it was the perfect compromise for some of my friends who wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons with the feel of Star Wars / Star Trek. 



The new Paizo book is called "People of the Stars". It contains new rules for playing Pathfinder alien races, information on the celestial bodies around Golarion, new traits/spells, and a whole lot more. I hope that Paizo make an adventure path for this setting, but I don't know if that will sell.



While I eagerly wait for the release of the book, I am moderating my own expectations for the product. I would be disappointed if the book fails to include iconic space-faring races like the Neogi and the Drow. I know that WOTC has licenses over the beholders and mindflayers, forcing Paizo to create their own stellar races. I am curious on how they explain the "science" of spelljamming. Would they be using helms to power their ships? Would they have complicated rules on gravity and air supply? I guess we will find out by August 2014.

Some Stuff I Drew...

I finally got to use the Starbuck planner that I got early this year.

Death by Slow Radiation

Nothing much has been said about the Fukushima Daiichi tragedy. Most people have forgotten about the terrible earthquake that struck Japan last 2011, as well as the horrible tsunami that crippled the Daiichi power plant. It's like mainstream media has intentionally left out things that are happening in that area. I mean, unless you are actively looking for news about the tragedy, you would think that the nuclear meltdown has been contained and its business as usual.

Then there are news about Fukushima kids dying and the nuclear company hiring homeless men to clean up the radioactive waste that keep popping out. Shouldn't these problems be resolved by the international community, particularly those countries surrounding the Pacific ocean?




Its frustrating hear about these kind of news, knowing that such a horrible catastrophe is unfolding and people are just pretending that it never happened. My immediate concern is that the radiation might somehow make its way to the Philippines. But are there still any safe place left on the planet?

While all of these things are happening, people here are happy that Japan further relaxes visa application rules for Filipinos. I'm sure a lot more Pinoys will be visiting Japan soon. The Japanese government claims that this is way to promote tourism. I think they need additional money to help fix this growing radiation problem.

Honestly, I don't think I'd want to step foot in that country. There are reports saying that particles of the broken nuclear cores are scattered all over Tokyo. Don't get me wrong, I love Japan and Japanese culture. What I don't like is how the Japanese government is keeping silent about the whole issue, relying on an inept company to fix the problem, lying to their own people, and refusing to ask for help from other countries.

2014 McDonalds Kidde Crew Graduation @ World Trade Center

This summer we decided to send the kids to "work" at the nearby McDonalds restaurant. "Work" was actually a few hours of hanging out in McDo. The kids learned things like taking orders, cleaning tables, cooking burgers, playing games, and having fun with new friends.

It was an interesting experience and we ended up with two "brain-washed" kids who now prefer McDonald food over Jollibee or KFC.  We might enroll them over at the Jollibee kiddie camp next summer to find out if things are better with the bee.

To cap off the summer, McDonalds decided to hold a Kiddie Crew Grand Graduation ceremony over at the World Trade Center. It was a morning of fun activities (loaded with more McDonald food).

We got to take home some goodies (most of which we paid) and the kids got to meet Ronald McDonald and his crazy team.

Recent Sketchbook Drawings

New Seedlings from the Hidden Glen

Some new plants growing in our backyard. I am thinking of developing my own gravity-feed system for watering the plants. 

Cherry tomato sprouts...

Sili labuyo...

Tumeric...

Art Project with the Kids

Got the idea from Sir Mots and Ben Heine's art brilliant works. You can check out their drawings here:

http://motsmots.blogspot.com/2011/07/raffy-is-man.html

http://benjaminheine.blogspot.com/

Summer Reading for the Kids

Here are some of the books I plan to read with the kids over the summer vacation. I hope they like it.

Self Watering Soda Bottle Garden

Now that I have a small garden, I am often faced with the problem of watering my plants whenever I need to leave the house for a long period of time. I had the experience of coming home and discovering that some of citrus basil, mint, and garlic plants have dried up because no one watered them. I did some research and found a way to create a self watering garden using recycled two-liter soda bottles. There are a lot of videos about this topic, but I think this is the best video out there:




Before I can proceed with this type of gardening, I need to collect as much two-liter soda bottles as I can. Unfortunately no one at home drinks soda anymore. I have to look elsewhere for used soda bottles.

Dealing with Dengue

It was a challenging week for the family. Ahiya was diagnosed with dengue and had to be confined at the hospital. His fever started on February 12 and continued for five days. We first thought it was roseola and felt relieved when pinkish rashes appeared on his skin. Unfortunately he continued to have high fever, around 39.8 degrees.

We finally decided to take him to the hospital on the third day, with the intention of getting a blood test. It was a grueling experience for all of us. He screamed and kicked as we struggled to extract his blood. We waited for another hour in the emergency room, waiting for the results. In the end the doctors told the bad news. Our son tested positive for dengue.

Ahiya's pedia had him confined in the hospital. The ER doctors suspected that he was probably infected at school, since they reported a lot of students getting dengue a couple of months ago.

We stayed at the hospital for six days and the entire family's routine was disrupted. I had to skip work just to stay with him in the hospital. Good thing the hospital has WIFI and it helped me get some of my office work done.


I never imagined how dengue can be so deadly. The only treatment was to keep the patient hydrated and drink paracetamol to manage the fever. Good thing Ahiya's fever subsided on the third day at the hospital, but we had to monitor his platelet count and wait till it reached a healthy level. We tried giving him some herbal concotion (tawa-tawa and camote leaves) to raise his platelet level, but he hated it.

We were finally able to leave the hospital on Friday. Ahiya's latest blood test showed improved results. The entire ordeal cost around twenty-seven thousand pesos. Good thing PhilHealth and my company's HMO package shouldered all the expenses.

A Trip to the Quezon City Circle Garden

I dropped by the QC Circle Garden to check out the plants they are selling. Most of the stalls are selling ornamental plants but a few offer edible and medicinal seedlings.

Honestly I prefer the old Manila seedling bank. It had a lot more stalls and more plant selections. I heard there is also a garden center in Cubao. I might visit that area soon.

Random Sketch

Made a drawing a few hours ago... might change the background...

Spending a day with dad at work

Ahiya's school gave him an assignment, instructing him to spend a day with me at work. The teacher gave him a small notebook filled with boxes. Each box describes what Ahiya should do and what picture (or drawing) should be pasted on the page.

The aim of the exercise is to expose students to their parent's jobs, things like what they do and how they make a living, and to teach them the importance of an honest work.

We went to the office on January 31, which was a National holiday. Everyone was away celebrating Chinese new year. Ahiya and I were able to complete the assignment without bothering anyone at work.

 

I took pictures of myself, pretending to do some office work. I also took pictures of Ahiya pretending to help me clean my workplace and organize my books.

It was a pleasant experience for both of us. I explained to him what I do at work, trying to show the documents and files I create for clients. But he preferred running around, exploring the empty cubicles, looking out the window, and checking out the pantry.

 

Some Technical Drawings I Made

Here are some technical drawings I used illustrator to create these vector drawings. It could have been better, given the deadline and the requirements, but I think it was satisfactory.



 

 

 

Garden at Home

I started a garden six months back, with some basil and peppermint seedlings I bought from the Quezon City Seedling Bank Foundation. With some trial and error, I manage to let these plants grow and thrive in our backyard.

After a few more months, I tried growing some garlic, ginger and potatoes. Unfortunately the potatoes died off a few weeks after they sprouted. I had better luck with the ginger and the garlic plants though.

So why the sudden interest in gardening and growing herbs? I have been reading a lot about "eating local" and the "trying to grow your own food" movement. I think this is the perfect solution to fighting global warming - not only are your growing your own edible plants, you are also reducing the amount of carbon emissions use to transport food from far away places.

Another reason would be to prepare and train myself to become a skilled gardener. I am hoping to gain enough gardening skills to be able to grow my own food in the future. I think having a garden filled with edible food like potatoes, tomatoes, and other herbs can help reduce cost of food. It is also part of my retirement plan -- to be able to cut cost and live a healthier life.

Our calamansi plant starting to bear fruits.

Lagundi leaves for coughs.

 
Some ginger and citrus basil.


Garlic plants.


Oregano to keep away mosquitoes.


Citrus mint for tea.