I've Conquered Video Games

A major breakthrough I have done very lately is conquering the world of video games.

Six years ago, Joshua at the age of 3 was first exposed to the world of video games when one night his dad installed Warcraft in our computer (without my permission!). At four he was already playing R-18 video games in the computer. Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, name it, he's probably played it. Although, he also had educational games like Jumpstart, his preference was on the excitement provided by the violent games.

And maybe you would ask why I allowed it? Because I played them too. Dad oftentimes played with Josh and it seemed like everyone's enjoying, so who would resist. It didn't bother me then as Josh was doing well in school, really doing well to make it to the honors list.

But things started to change when his dad was assigned an overseas work and has gotten the money and opportunity to buy our first game console - The XBOX 360. Don't get it wrong, I objected to the idea of buying any game console but heck, what can I do when he just came home with the console already in his luggage.

However, it didn't end there. Next came PS2, soon there's Sony PSP and Nintendo DS Lite.

As most video games does, Josh got hooked with video games buying cd's after cd's. Back in the Philippines it is very easy to get addicted to video games as there are thousands of PIRATED games sold anywhere at just 5-10% the price of original video games, how convenient! Imagine buying a pirated version of Gears of War for just P150.00 (US$3.00) than buying the original CD for almost a hundred bucks and still get the same fun.

Looking back, I regretted every moment that I wasn't able to take control of my son's playing habit. A busy schedule sometimes necessitates parents to let their kids play video games to keep them busy too and avoid interfering with the parents busy schedule. In short, letting the video games or tv do the baby sitting. How bad of me! This has taken a toll on Joshua's studies. He was playing more than he was studying and his attention span affected.

But one day, the breakthrough happened. Our moved to Singapore provided me the big opportunity to finally put almost everything behind, literally. The Xbox which was due for repair was left in Manila while the PS2 went to the custody of my nephew.



Yes, I am proud to say that Jehu and my son Josh has finally accepted the reality (with a heavy heart) that there will be NO MORE game console in our living room and yesterday while we were at the mall, they tried to sweet talk me to allow them to have even just a Wii. NO, NO, NO! My answer is final and I'm not going to give in.

Since we had given up those addictions, Josh is into drawing again. Now, he's into animation. I wouldn't mind. Just no violent and addicting games.

First the meat, now the meds

As I was about to let Joshua have his meds this early night, I noticed that the medicines I bought were not in my bunch of grocery plastic bags. I was sure I did not forget to take it from the pharmacy and I could clearly remember putting the plastic in the shopping cart. My hunches tell me I left it at the taxi and it could have gone under the front passenger seat that I did not notice it when I alighted and removed the bags from the cab. To make sure, I went back to Metro to ask the guy who assisted me. He was sure there was nothing left in the cart.

This isn't the first time I lost a grocery bag in a cab. The last time, sometime in January, I left a bag of meat in the trunk. It was a week's supply and I was hoping the driver found it before it contacted salmonella LOL!

I felt bad especially that budget is hanging on the edge. I allowed myself to feel bad for a few minutes and decided to let it go and just think that it happens for a reason, to serve a higher purpose. I just bought a new set of medicine. Joshua's dental surgery now costs a total of 10000 because of the double price I have to pay for the medicine hehehe!

To God be the glory!

Mosquitos

Why are you here again? You know you are unwanted in my house and yet you keep coming back. There is really a time of the year when they are a plenty. I refuse to use pesticides to drive them away anymore.

Is Adding a Year to College Really a Solution?

Lawmakers are debating. College students are complaining. Parents are protesting. Is it really a solution to improve the quality of education in the Philippines? I hope CHED will use their common sense as for me answer is NO!

This is just a waste of time and resources. If they want to improve the quality of education here, here's a one difficult but surely more effective alternative though:

STOP CORRUPTION and instead get those billions out of the corrupt officials' bank accounts and add them to the budget for basic education which would include:

>> RETRAINING OF TEACHERS especially those handling basic education (primary to high school).

>> IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF TEACHERS by raising their SALARY. This will attract more qualified teachers. Good teachers are a few to find as most of them had shifted to more rewarding careers or had gone abroad for better pay. I am one of them.

The list could go on and adding additional year to college wouldn't be necessary anymore if the problem that lies in the lower level of education is addressed. The best quality of education should be given to children and not adult.

I once taught a group of college students in STI and was disgusted to find out several students who do not even know how to spell simple words correctly nor read properly. Disgusting, isn't it? Those kids were suppose to become computer engineers. Will adding one more year in college help them? No, right?

Again, the list of factors affecting the poor quality of education could go on. This couldn't be addresssed by sacrificing the already worn budget of parents.

The Evolution of the Electric Meter

Noon ang mga metro ng kuryente ay ikinakabit sa labas mismo ng mga bahay.... pero, dahil sa dami ng mga magnanakaw ng kuryente, inilipat eto ng meralco sa labas ng kalye na magkasama sama.

Ngayon.... dahil sa madami pa din ang magnanakaw nililipat na eto ng Meralco sa taas ng poste. Sa tingin nyo nababawasan ang mga magnanakaw ng kuryente sa ginawa nilang to?


(taken 08 April 2007 at C5, Taguig)


Ngayon ang mga magri-reading ng metro ay naka teleskopyo na!

(Saan na naman kaya nila ililipat to sa susunod no?)

Incident, not Accident

Traffic was a bit heavy near our place on the evening of January 17. This was really unusual as C5 is a big highway and there is rarely traffic near our place unless there is an accident on the road. So I presumed there was a collision again. Upon reaching the overpass just right across our guardhouse, there were shattered glasses right under the overpass. A neighbor said there was an accident. A man was badly hit by a taxi so strong an impact that the front panel was shattered into pieces.

I wouldn't want to know whether he came out alive in that INCIDENT. I searched for the word accident and here is what I got from wikipedia:

An accident is a disaster which is specific, identifiable, unexpected, unusual and unintended external event which occurs in a particular time and place, without apparent or deliberate cause but with marked effects. It implies a generally negative probabilistic outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its occurrence.

Experts in the field of injury prevention avoid use of the term 'accident' to describe events that cause injury in an attempt to highlight the predictable and preventable nature of most injuries. Such incidents are viewed from the perspective of epidemiology - predictable and preventable.

This is why I wouldn't want to call it ACCIDENT because it never was.


These were the words of the MMDA billboard before it was stolen by highway thieves in our place. Even without those warnings, COMMON SENSE tells us all that it is PROHIBITED to cross C5 especially when there is an overpass in that area.

There are countless, IRRESPONSIBLE people in our neighborhood (and across the Philippine island) who refuse to use the overpass and would rather take their risk of dying and many got what they wish for. The incidents of death right below our overpass were countless. I don't know if I should pity them for they are irresponsible and lazy, never thinking of the little ones who will grow up without a father or mother and wives or husbands taking the burden in raising their kids alone because their partners were too lazy to go up and down the overpass. Many Filipinos lack the discipline to carry out simple task like this and yet we wonder why many Filipinos are poor. Tsk!

Being poor doesn't happen by accident. Sorry for the rant.