from the bennu's ashes

everyday renewal

2010-11-11T04:47:00.002-05:00

It's Veteran's Day. And again, for me, no school. My kids may not know that I am more excited than they when it comes to days off school.My enemy has came back to haunt me the past couple of months, but with Jesus' help, I shall beat it down, one day at a time.I am beginning to feel comfortable with my morning drives. I still stay away from car transporters and fuel tanks. Those big bad boys

awake

2010-10-11T06:27:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile indeed. I am celebrating Columbus Day in the warm comfort of our home, in my robe, waiting to dry my hair. I love my new school. I am getting better at driving on the turnpike. I love my husband. I love my students, tutees and colleagues. I love my friends. I miss my family. I love my God, I AM.

little boxes

2010-02-20T21:11:00.002-05:00

i just found out that my downstairs neighbor passed. i never even wrote about her. she and the other small lady downstairs used to sit in the coop during the warm weather. she reminded me of my maternal great grand aunt who was a staunchy little lady who smoked like a kapre. i hope she received Christ as her Lord and Saviour before her last breath.

newly weds

2010-01-30T03:44:00.002-05:00

hubby and i have been adjusting to living together very well. the other day, as i was playing with my rings while waiting for the light to turn green, i noticed that i have a tan line on my ring finger. i smiled and thanked my Boss. it feels great to be married to an awesome man.

day 1

2010-01-01T22:09:00.003-05:00

it's 10:10 pm on the first day of 2010. happy new year. this friday i am sitting on my couch, watching law and order SVU and trying to digest the other half of my yummy late lunch shared with friends. i would say it would almost be perfect if hubby is sitting next to me giving me a foot massage as i blog away, or maybe just quietly watching from the other side of the couch, but oh well. as

i'm back

2009-10-27T18:05:00.003-04:00

i almost wept when i saw that my last post was more than two months ago. i totally skipped most of april and the whole month of september. but what da heck, it's been crazy busy from my bird post. i went back to the middle school. back to the rigorous work of reading and writing strategies, practice, and the time consuming grading of papers. there's finishing my grad school work, thesis,

dry run

2009-08-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

scales starting to grow...

2009-07-24T23:12:00.002-04:00

this has been a stressful month for me. classwork in grad school is much more demanding and can get frustrating sometimes. my stress levels with grad school and wedding planning has driven me to sabotage my figure. today is the first day that i am cake free. for the last month i have been stuffing myself with red velvet cupcakes. i am happy to say tha i have been good with non-smoking.

Vacation Bible School

2009-07-06T21:49:00.003-04:00

i just came from day 1 of vacation bible school at my church. i volunteered to help out, but ended up being one of the teachers since, hey, i do it for a living. :) it's a new adventure, to say the least. i feel weird being there being a teacher and all, when i know i have a lot of learning to do when it comes to the bible. but y heart is in the right place. it was a joy to see little

Getting an A

2009-06-29T00:52:00.003-04:00

Dear Mr. J.B., I got my A because I am a more passionate "showgirl" in my classroom. I have learned to manage my time, resources and energy to come up with a bag of tricks i have designed for the entertainment, enjoyment and growth of my students. I am a teacher reformed by my experience in teaching Special Ed. I smile more openly to my students and colleagues. I welcome each

oh the drama

2009-06-29T00:29:00.002-04:00

there are times when i can do with a little drama, and then of course there are times when I wish I can be spared of it. a few days ago, i have been approached by my co-teachers about my transfer back to the middle school. when they asked me how i felt about being transferred, i said, it was okay, it was like coming back home. i'm not overjoyed and leaping and dancing, but i welcome the

lighting a spark

2009-06-28T23:47:00.003-04:00

Roz and Ben Zanders shared stories in a world of possibilities when someone entertains, or even embrace the possibility in an otherwise hopeless situation.I'm sure you've all had teachers who have lit a spark in your life, one way or another. They have left a warm ember in your heart that you kept within you, and before you know it, it had lit up inside of you and have resided in there, with a

scratch that...

2009-06-28T23:16:00.002-04:00

i'm one of those kids who get very excited about new things. a new kin d of shampoo, new seasoning mix, a new candy flavor, new book. a new program to create games.... hmmmm. and so last year in my mythology class, i thought of using scratch. We didn't really get too far with it. I was a bat frustrated because I felt like an idiot most of the time. But then again, I wasn't a student

Here's Showing you what I Know

2009-06-28T19:24:00.005-04:00

Wow, This is it, the last day. Unbelievable. No bull, I didn't think I would like this course as much as I do. I love this course, I've learned so much about different aspects of Media Presentation, and I am embarrassed to say that I haven't even seen all of the tech advice my teacher has prepared for us. No excuses, Sir B. I do want to take your course, (I mean audit it) because I think I

gym happy

2009-06-26T05:58:00.003-04:00

i went back to gym after, oh two months. it took me long enough, huh? i have so many excuses i don't even know where to begin. today was quite difficult, but the endorphons kicked in. i feel that i have ,melted a bite out of the cupcake i just ate yesterday. 48 thousand more calories to go. 48 red velvet cupcakes to go 5 cream puffs. 5 pieces of party puto. huff huff huff. i can

Stick-'em!

2009-06-24T17:30:00.002-04:00

Last night, the numero uno team chupacabras prime and our dear instructor for MAC got together last night for a session in skype and stickam. We are so high-tech, I feel like a Jetson, I kid you not! It never fails to bring me joy and excitemetn to talk about technology and its application to my everyday life and in the classroom, I really feel like a walking talking advertisement for

Wk3 Ron Smith Interview Interactive Q & As

2009-06-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

1. What is the name of the school where Mr. Ron Smith teaches? Media Academy in Hollywood High School, Hollywood California2. What is the specialization of the Media Academy in terms of training students? Mr. Smith teachers the students anything related to media as a training for the media industry in Hollywood. 3. According to Mr. Smith, what type of media do

First thoughts on The Art of Possibility

2009-06-20T15:20:00.003-04:00

photo from : www.coverbrowser.com The Art of Possibility - Stepping Into A Universe of Possibilities Let me just start that had this book could not have come to me, (even as a required reading) ata better time. I used to be one of those “too cool to care, or too cool to be kind” people, and I was too cool to be caught with an inspirational book. Fast forward to June 2009, and I am

Neil Gaiman-topia

2009-06-17T22:40:00.003-04:00

I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan. my favorite book is American Gods. As soon as I finished the book, I became obsessed with the idea of putting up my dream cast for the movie version that I wish they would make. Of course there is no movie version. Yet. I am hopeful that some Hollywood execs might pick it up and make thousands of fan like moi, very mvery happy. The premise of AMerican Gods is

33

2009-06-17T19:39:00.003-04:00

I turned 33 today. and like birthdays past, I spent a few minutes thinking of my mother. at how things were with her life when she was my age. it always amazes me how simlilar and different we are. at 33, she has three kids aged 16, 15, and 11. She was a single mom earning a living for 3 kids. as for me, i am thousands of miles away from my mom and brothers. this is my 8th birthday away

MAC Class Wimba Week 3

2009-06-17T11:01:00.003-04:00

Post 1I've forgotten how I first felt about Wimba. Man, it's been 9 mos. We are almost there.When i tell people about my online courses at FSO, most of them are amazed and awed at how "hi-tech" my classes must be. Last month, Dr. Siegel used the video/webcam feature of Wimba so we can actually see each other as we talk and ask questions, and discuss the week's topics. I had so much fun seeing my

On Being Christian and Harry Potter

2009-06-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

I became a born again Christian on January 27, 2007. It was literally and figuratively being a new person. I am a new Christian, a toddler if you can call it, so I have a lot more learning to do. As I walk with Lord, I have come to face my past. One of my past is being quite the Harry Potter fan. I remember getting involved in heated discussions with "narrow-minded" parents who have

THE STAR WARS SAGA

2009-06-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

I have mixed emotions about Quentin Terentino’s StarWars Chapter (Jenkins, 2006). For one thing, Jenkin’s discussion illuminated both the fans and the creator/artists side of creative convergence on the whole Star Wars universe. I definitely gained insights from both sides. At first, I sided with the Star Wars fan in their battle against Lucas and his big guns. This is why I recall

On Being A Potterhead

2009-06-14T06:22:00.005-04:00

I am a Harry Potter Fan. I am such a huge fan I attended two midnight parties just so I can get my shaking and caffeine powered hands on the book as soon as it is released to the muggle world. These pictures were taken on July 16, 2005. The pretty lady I am with in the picture, sporting the same Griffyndor rugby shirt is my partner in crime and bestfriend, Charly.We had so much fun that

The American idol Phenom

2009-06-07T22:40:00.003-04:00

Yes, I also used to watch American Idol. Yes, I have, at one point called the 1866 or 1800 to cast my vote. I love Kelly Clarkson. The chapter on American Idol brought back memories of eagerly making it home in time to plop myself in front of the TV and yell out loud to it, either in glee or indignation at the talents and/or lack thereof on the contestants. The cattiness of Simon

Spoilers and Survivor

2009-06-07T22:23:00.003-04:00

I admit. I was a survivor fan. Had I been a hardcore one, I would've really enjoyed visiting the spoiler sites. At some degree, I can understand the obsession and the mind play that came along with unraveling the mysteries of location, casting and order of contestants being booted off. The whole angle about ChillOne's real identity and the speculations that ChillOne may be Mark Burnett

What I know

2009-06-07T21:03:00.003-04:00

learning is not an individual endeavor. im m experience with my classes in FSO, i learn ed most from the experience and knowledge of my selfless and super helpful classmates. I have discovered this shortcut to upload slides into iphoto, which i can then use for imovie.

week 1 videos

2009-06-07T16:50:00.004-04:00

this new class is a great tool for us to streamline our media projects and polish some rough ends on the skills and knowledge we have acquired in the past several months. i like how organized my professor is. his videos are also short, to the point and easy to understand. so far the book we have on convergence culture has been interesting, but i don't find it as engaging. maybe chapter 3

It's about time

2009-06-05T22:20:00.005-04:00

background music : it's about time by the lemonheadsOh bo, by george, can you believe it, it's month 9 already!!! agrh!!!!unfortunately, all the grad school work has kept me from blogging about mindfarts and the like.and to continue with the whining... i just realized that neil gaiman has two books i haven't read yet, and i'm buggin out about it. in fact, rick riordan's last book of tbhe

engaged

2009-05-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

was caught off guard, to say the least.there had been days when i've been a bit impatient with how things are going with our relationship. several times, Z would make playful references to our married life, but the proposal never came. i mean, honestly. i went halfway around the world to meet his family (and i fell in love with them) check that. what do you think is next? maybe it is too

NO DOUBT i had fun this weekend.

2009-05-04T05:29:00.002-04:00

bruce and i zipped down to AC this weekend for some fun. the objective was to spend part of the day with Z, and spend most of my evening to see No Doubt in concert at The Borgata. unfortunately, mother nature kinda ruined my plans so i slept most of the afternoon in pain. I went to the concert with D, Z's housemate who has a great taste in music, fun, and a total player. we also

easter treats

2009-04-14T11:06:00.001-04:00

my lolo used to say that the most joyful and most important christian celebration is easter. he said it should be bigger than christmas. me : why lolo? lolo : because anybody can be born, but only Jesus rose from the dead. and so, this year, true to my lolo's advice (one of the many) i went all out for easter celebration. by all out, i mean i cooked. Z came over Saturday evening so we

Hall of Justice

2009-03-31T07:22:00.000-04:00

I had an encounter with a rude regular ed kid. my kids put her straight. at the end of period 2, i stood by my doorway to shoo away my period 3 students as i got ready for period 3. a couple of sophomore girls stood a couple of feet in front of me and one of them was giggling and pointing at the kids in my class room. see, i have a special ed classroom, and i have very few students in

like a deer in headlights

2009-03-30T07:17:00.003-04:00

yesterday, in the midst of two major grad school projects, i prepped myself for church. this timei went solo, as Z is in his own house. so i got to church early enough to get a parking spot on the street. as usual, it was a great service. i had thought of joining the church's theater ministry, but with this week's sched, and with my looming midnight deadline, i couldn't stay another hour

springing in

2009-03-24T07:12:00.000-04:00

and now it's spring. it has been quite a long winter and i have had enough of it, honestly. incidentally, spring also marks the last and third trimester of this school year. i am teaching writing strategies to my high school classes and we are well under way into finishing their 5 paragraph essays. if you ask me, i am a bit impatient or unsatisfied with the slow pace and the decrease

gym face

2009-02-26T05:37:00.000-05:00

i've been going to my real gym for more than a month now, and it amuses me to note how rich in wiritng material possibilities this place is. before i got serious in changing my lifestyle, i went to an all women's gym. the arrangement worked out pretty well, but i foud myself looking for a more rigorous workout. cut to my NYSC. this gym is serious. for a considerable amount of money, i signed

jane's shopping spree, and my weekend of sorts.

2009-02-09T09:43:00.000-05:00

< despite starting week1 of my Digital Media and Educational Applications class this month, the weekend proved to be a great one. Of course the sunny weather and a slightly less cold temperature helped in pepping up the weekend in the jersey area. i tortured as usual. we're learning about africa these days. i can't complain because i never really had the chance to study much

simple joys

2009-02-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

i had a great weekend. much better than the previous one when i spent most of it in bed, asleep most of the time. my system seems to beat this virus that gripped me drowsy most of last week. i guess it was also a relief that another graduate class is finished, and the new one begins today. wow, this is already my 5th class. 7 more to go and i'm done, together with all my wonderful

vertigo-vanity

2009-01-26T12:41:00.003-05:00

don't blow your nose too hard. you just might find everything in sight spinning like crazy. it would be nice if you were on a ride or something, but it isn't so when you're all alone in the bathroom at 6 in the morning.i've been feeling under the weather since wednesday of last week. i thought it was just my allergy, so i didn't think anything of it. i forgtd on with my routine, even going to

wistful wednesday

2009-01-21T06:26:00.000-05:00

i am sitting here in my quiet classroom, being lulled to sleep by the hum of the heater. it is bright and sunny outside, but cold. when i woke up at 3:30 AM, i was excited to go to work and welcome the kids to a new day, for this is the first day that our OIC sits in his office. a lot of teachers were moved to tears watching Mr. Obama take his oath. I fought them back because I didn't want

defrosting my behind

2009-01-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

in this freezing temps can be a challenge, so i decided to post and chronicle the goings on the past few weeks. grad school is still taking up a lot of my time. my classmates and teachers are the best part of school. i'm doing a course called corporate training and motivational development. so far we had to create a survey for a training class and produce a prodcast interview. i'm still a

2008 in less than 365 words

2009-01-01T06:50:00.001-05:00

(inspired by Steve and Liza Hards) It has been a year of blessings for me and my loved ones.The last Sunday of January was a pivotal day in my life. I have come home to Jesus and I have accepted him as my Lord and savior. Things have never been the same again.The rest of the winter months winded down with much warmth. With a new full-time job as a Special Ed English teacher at DMHS, indeed

just keep swimming

2008-12-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

wow, 'tis been a while.the only reason that keeps me from writing on this blog is my school.the past few days i feel i am more of a student than i am of a teacher. honestly, i remember what i have to do for "work" when i'm the shower, i'll have one of those lit light bulb moments of what i can possibly do with my students today to keep them from killing each other.as a tutor, i've been very

2008-12-16T06:39:00.001-05:00

disyembre na

2008-12-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

*ikatlong buwan ko na sa grad school, at wala pa rin akong ideya tungkol sa thesis ko. * malapit nang mag-isang taon mula ng nagbukas loob ako sa Diyos at araw raw nagdarsal na sana maging mabait na ako. * malapit na ang kaarawan ni pilar, moonshine, mahal, at ni eva. * dadagsa ang balakubak mula sa langit. ihahanda ko na ang aking pala at botas. * lilipad ako papunta sa europa, por de beri

noo-ni-noo-ni-noo

2008-11-30T01:24:00.000-05:00

just a quick one. Z gifted me wth a czech phrase book. for christmas. with his family.

i gedit

2008-11-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

i really do. i was on the phone with my mom last night, letting her know of my plan to visit Z's family and spending Christmas with them. whew. M's trip, it seems, have put so many things in perspective. i'm ready. hopeful. excited. but most of all, thankful for all the blessings God has given me. Yes Lord, I get it.

a little bit of black

2008-11-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

it seems timely that the topic of this post happened this historic day.i've been having trouble staying awake at night. usually, i would have dinner and then i almost immediately fall asleep. i would intend to nap for a few hours and wake up around midnight and resume reading. i would wake up at 3am, go to the gym by 5:15 and prep for another workday.in short, i have been unsuccessful with my

suplada

2008-10-31T14:23:00.000-04:00

I am not a touchy feely type of person. I am not averse to PDA per se. scratch that, i think i am, but this does not mean i am cold and unfeeling. I just feel shy or uncomfortable with certain body cues.Working in the high school, I've noticed, to my slight dismay, that youngsters hug and kiss each other as casually as we Filipinos raise our eyebrows as a form of greeting. Some of my former

whew 2

2008-10-29T11:30:00.000-04:00

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn!!!! my final grade in my first online grad class is an A+! yey! i wanna call my mom now. tee-hee. free candy for my students on Halloween. more dancing at home tonight as i clean the apartment. yey!!!

whew

2008-10-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

and just like that, my first course in grad school is over. sigh. talk about baptism of fire. but knowing me, i'm grinnin' ear to ear after all the chaos and the cramming. not really. i just realized, at this age that i do not like group work. scrap that, i think i disliked group work way back in college. i was just reminded by how much i disliked it when i had to do a group project for my

another early monday

2008-10-20T01:52:00.000-04:00

and so i survived week 3 of my first month in grad school. i have 2 more porjects due this week and one group project. yesterday i had my first group webconference where i saw a groupmate from japan, philly and dallas. sweet.last week too, slim and celebrated our first anniversary. wow, we were both stumped when we realized that it has been a year since we first met. tomorrow is the

busy as a bee

2008-10-12T20:52:00.001-04:00

i know i'm gonna be crazy busy. there had been moments this week when i wanted to to run to 7/11 and buy a pack of ciggys, but i didn't and just chew gum. for the most part, my jaws hurt and i've gotten gas. oh well. stress my eye. in other news, i had a de javu experience as i frantically tried to beat the deadline for my project in grad school this week. the deadline was 11:45pm, and

two timing

2008-10-09T02:44:00.000-04:00

i'm alive alert awake enthusiastic!!!ching!!!!!so, i am awake now and invigorated thanks to my cinnamon-laced cup of joe fro m 7/11. incidentally, diane and i spotted a cutie clerk there with a hint of will smith aura going on. pero pinoy 'to. very cute.anyway, so i now i am rearing to actively participate in my class discussion this week and kick some overachievers' asses! my three day

random rants and gripes with a side of friendship

2008-10-08T18:03:00.000-04:00

background music ; yeah by usher (it's what's playing on my pandora station, ya feel me?)diane's visit was a hoot. NYC with her was twice as good and exciting all over again. and added bonus was a face to face with Z on our second day out. heart stopping barbecue and RUB, a walk in central park, coffee at columbus circle and seeing clinton kelly at borders? what more can a girl ask for?

bananas in pajamas at ba pa

2008-10-05T01:46:00.000-04:00

diane and i called each other B1 and B2 after those pajama-ed bananas on TV (why oh why we started dressing up fruits and veggies, i do not know). college sisses, we shared a passion for literature, great friends and putah-red lipstick.diane is on va-cay with me for the next few days. off we go to AC today to paint the town our very own potah red.incidentally, i went to watch football last

MARIANG KALABASA

2008-09-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

screee!!!! i am gonna watch the smashing pumpkins in november!!!! yey! yey! yey! this is first concert of the year. i'll be going with Z's housemate who's a rocker type dude so i won't lok like a sorry sap all by my lonesome there. rock-rockan na 'to!!!!

gnarly

2008-09-29T07:19:00.000-04:00

something rells me this whole online class is. my university is not playing. snap. part of the overachiever in me (yes, that's jane) wants to undo all the mistakes in my past attempts at grad school. i want to do well. very well. i told bipolar burr and i psyched about going back to school. and s, at 4 am, i opened up Max (that's my new powerbook's name) and we set down to work. i

sunday in the big (wet) apple

2008-09-28T19:06:00.000-04:00

i met up with former student dave. he's on his vacation, and bless his heart, he found time to meet up with his old high school teacher. that would be me.dave is one of my beloved first batch of students, way back in 1997. who would've thought 11 years later he and i would catch up in times square nyc? ain't it grand?dave is now a nurse, a grad of hunter college. did i mention he's very

birthday

2008-09-26T05:00:00.001-04:00

and just like that. another year has passed. it's your birthday once again, dad. i know you peek in my blog every now and then. may this year bring you peace, love and happiness. i miss you and i love you.

tight

2008-09-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

my schedule is awesome. i get the two difficult classes in the first two hours of school, and it's just a sweet ride from there. true, i know it's really stressful no matter what, but at least i can face the rest of the day looking forward to my three other classes.my sophomores, who are a funny bunch, but can really test the patience of saints, have a tendency to rip each other apart.

the fat ass awakes

2008-09-23T01:01:00.001-04:00

i just logged back in my online fitness journal. weeks of guiltless eating of pansit, turon, rice and ulam... are now biting me back on my fat ass. it's time to get serious with getting back in shape. i'm actually going to the gym after this post. apparently, the cuckoo club at my local curves all went AWOL about the same time i stopped going in the summer. and now we're back in full force.

a student made me cry

2008-09-20T07:16:00.001-04:00

blasted journal writing prompt. it's a good thing i wore my water proof mascara today.i try to improve my kids' writing skills by making them write short periods of time everyday. and at least twice a week, i ask them to respond to a journal writing prompt.yesterday, i asked them to write at least 10 sentences on the topic "I love hanging out with _______ "while sophomores made it seem like

now I know my ABC...

2008-09-10T01:55:00.000-04:00

it's day 3 of season 11 titser, titser : the adventures and ms. adventures of ms. baril. so far, i love my classes. love the schedule. love my students. i have three classes straight from 1st to 3rd period, prep and lunch break from 10:40- 1:00 pm and then two classes from 1:00-2:50. number of students so far : 8,4,6,4 and 3. wow, pwede ba itong itaya sa lotto?i feel excited to plan

prayer in the square

2008-09-07T17:38:00.001-04:00

there is nothing more fitting than to spend my 8th year anniversary of coming to america in an afternoon of prayer for thanksgiving, peace, hope and renewal with about 20,000 brothers and sisters in Christ, right smack in the middle of times square.and so for our final summer date Z and i met at port authority and went our way to times square with a side trip to toys r us to say hi to bumblebee

my place in this world

2008-09-07T02:04:00.000-04:00

background music: the mesopotamians by they might be giantswhile discussing a chapter on gilgamesh, and the underworld as part of her lessons in mesopotamia...olivia: so enkidu went to hell?me : no, he went to the underworld...and on and on we went about the different beliefs on the afterlife of different cultures...olivia : sighs. i'm creeped out.me : why cutie, it's just a

a suit story

2008-09-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

background music : teenage love affair by alicia keys i did it. i bought my first ever adult power suit. i said something about looking the part of a serious educator right? well at least le's get the "look" like a serious educator right. i think there's something psychological with wearing clothes that look good on you and clothes that exude a certain aura or purpose. costume/props it

the calm before the storm

2008-08-28T14:44:00.001-04:00

i'm still spinning like a top on caffeine to the google power.i know i've said a couple of times that i don't like having long periods of "vacation." i don't like it because i get lazier by the day.but lookie now. i'm stressed out because i feel like i'm about to hit a whole mess of stress and work.thank goodness for karen. she is my organic happy pill. she keeps me grounded and she slaps me

iscurred

2008-08-26T03:30:00.000-04:00

gah.i finished my FAFSA application for grad school on sunday morning. i submitted my application online on the same day. now the admissions reps have been calling me. i still need to mail my scholarship application today.i need ultra mega vitamins, because at night, all i do is read and sleep.maybe i need gummiberry juice.toink.toink.toink.bleh. i'm going to the city with cleo today.

three day round up

2008-08-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

1. dallied into bestbuy to finally get a replacement battery for click. salivated over an Asus Eee pc. mura lang, $449 lang. but no, i think i'll have to wait for my Mac book that comes with my new course in grad school.2. cleo invited me over for dinner. yummy green bean in tomato sauce dish. salad and lots of coversation. walked off the calories after that.3. watched The Cho Show with

two week countdown

2008-08-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

i'm back from a week's hiatus of some sorts. i don't usually like vacations because i tend to be idle instead of doing productive things. i need some sort of work to keep me going.thank goodness J called me and scheduled a back to school daily torturing sessions with my two favorite korean-american kids. what a sweet reunion.my richard is already 12. he's already two inches taller than me,

tagged : nicknames

2008-08-17T08:40:00.000-04:00

since i am taking a break from my summer reading, patulan na nga ang tag ni timmi. List ALL the names you were called by and the people/person who called you that. Tag at least 5 members of your contacts and give a comment on their site for them to know they've been tagged.Joffin-Mari = my real name. my mom's name is maria josefina. o di ba, mini me talaga.Joffin-Mari Therese = my baptismal

summer holiday

2008-08-12T08:23:00.000-04:00

background music : hey mama by BEP i finally made it down in south jersey after slumming it out this weekend and keeping in touch with slim on the phone during the weekend. it's abnormally cold and windy down here i've had enough of my hair slapping my face. don't even get me started on the long and painful process of brushing out the tangle mess. ayan kasi,pahaba-haba ka pa kasi ng buhok.

independence day

2008-08-07T14:43:00.000-04:00

background music : last goodbye by jeff buckleyi got divorced today.i am single now.i even got to reclaim by birth name.name changeof course i was very tempted to change it to wonderwoman, or maybe jane gunne, but i kept the name my parents gave me. for a while i even wanted my name to be durga. but today of all days i just happy to be back to ol' me : JM(T)PB.men in black and i'm not

on a sunday afternoon

2008-08-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

background music : on a sunday afternoon by a lighter shade of brownyesterday was a picture perfect day in the city. i took full advantage of the beautiful weather and spent most of it in the city with Z.we met up in port authority and made our made to times square church in time for the 3pm service. i always have a great time attending sunday service at TSC. the music is awesome and pastor

TGIF

2008-08-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

today concludes week 5 of summer camp. one more week and i say goodbye to these cute and lovable 10-12 year olds. sniff. gosh. pretty soon it's gonna be back to school again.gah.this afternoon we had the yearly camp talent show. i was asked to dress up to be a "judge." since i taught a comic book writing class, a suggestion came up that maybe i should try coming in as a comic book/

of denim jeans and what else? -- shoes

2008-07-31T19:04:00.001-04:00

i haven't been blogging as often as i normally do. mostly because i've been glued to the tv watching TLC's jon and kate plus eight, what not to wear ; travel channel's china series and NYC channel's cool in your code, ladidadida.i managed to break my slacking off in the exercise area. though i cut belly dancing class because i had started a monster load of laundry. but i have more than a month

just for kicks...

2008-07-25T16:16:00.000-04:00

i borrowed some cds from the libraryonhowto speakczech.as if spanish is not difficult enough to learn. czech is very stingy with vowels.so far i can say (i wrote the czech phrases phonetically, so don't complain, okay? i'm no spelling bee champien) dobri den = hello/good dayprominte = excuse medyekuyi = thank younerozumim cheski = i don't understand czechne vim = i don't know.ye sem

guess who's turning five?

2008-07-25T16:08:00.000-04:00

it's my favorite car in the whole wide world.....yup, tomorrow, my automated bestfriend turns five years old. i will treat him to a nice car wash tomorrow. and to celebrate, maybe he and i can go to mitsuwa for some green tea ice crean and he can also hang out with his japanese buddies at the supermarket's parking lot.cheers to my speedy, dependable and super guapo car.haluvsyah.

jane's ass kicking update

2008-07-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

background music : play your part by girl talki went out with cleo and we trekked up and down my camp area for an hour. man, whatta workout. i just finished ironing on t-shirt designs for my comic book writing class. we're such dorks. tomorrow is lesson two of belly dancing.let's see what time i wake up tomorrow and find out if i can get up and jog for at least halk an hour...iggy, may the

jane should kick my ass already

2008-07-16T19:36:00.000-04:00

because the past week i've been caught in a rut. i have not been to curves at all, and i only started walking again yesterday. and i've been waking up late -- 5:30-6:00 in the mornings. and i've been drinking too much coconut and vanilla flavored iced coffee (no sugar, just milk) from dunkin donutsand i've been eating their turkey, bacon and cheddar flatbread sandwich for breakfast for the

my hips don't lie aka my first ever dance lessons

2008-07-13T20:33:00.001-04:00

i am rhythmically challenged. my arms and feet are not friends at all. since a wee urchin i was what you called "matigas ang katawan" (stiff-bodied ; graceless). in many family gatherings where the little kids are forced to do a song/dance number in front of relatives from other cities, i would always do the song number. the evil twins, charry and jocel would always do the dance number.

movie date weekend

2008-07-10T02:45:00.000-04:00

i have a huge crush on will smith, so when hancock opened last week i made to see it. i spent the 4th of july weekend with Z and i persuaded him to see hancock with me. Z likes documentaries, old western movies and mostly true to life stories so superhero flicks aren't exactly his choice. because i didn't make him see iron man and the hulk, (two movies i have not seen yet) he went with me.and

the rainbow came first, then the rain...

2008-06-29T19:57:00.000-04:00

it's gay pride time!!!this is year two of me volunteering for Heritage of Pride. i got up the usual time and made it to NYC by 8:00 am. i thought i was late, but the truck with our supplies wasn't there yet. friends from last year were there. greg and ronald were present. our task is to make six rainbow balloon arches. they're very pretty, but quite tough to make. i was the speedy glue

i heart my nj frens

2008-06-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

i just got home from a fairly busy day today, and the title of this post tells it all. i hung out with bespren and bespren's other bespren kim. their kids, jonah and hollie were with them. kim wants a girl's night out soon. charly suggested we go to a tranny resto in the city. kim wants to go dancing. me? i dunno, but it sounds like fun. after lunch i went back with charly to their place

home again, naturally

2008-06-26T01:56:00.000-04:00

my little trip down the shore was cut a day early. i got bored there being by myself waiting for Z to finish work. i can get a bit bratty sometimes when it gets to me that not everybody share the same teacher sched as i do. i also think we just had our first little spat. bratty pinay vs. serious czech. but all is good. i miss slim already.i left 5:45 am yesterday thinking that i'll be

This is more like it....

2008-06-23T05:55:00.002-04:00

one whole week without work. a monday without having to worry about school. and a few days of the sun and the beach. as a mountain girl,i was never really attracted to the beach. well, i think viewing orca the killer whale at age four might have something more to do with it than anything, but i never really got any desire to hang out by the beach when i was in my teens or twenties. i never

friday night with the foleys

2008-06-20T04:07:00.000-04:00

i met up with good friend and college sis Sandy after two years. i had no idea she was so close to me and that her plans of studying her pushed through. not that i doubted that she would have a hard getting into NYU anyway. it was a sweet reunion punctuated by her signature "aww, ay punyeta!" many of my gurgling laughter.Smart,talented, funny and very very hard core sincere person,Sandy is

the day after

2008-06-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

music : cruise control by mariah carey and so it goes, i spent my first two days being 32 and it was ... oh well A-okay. i went to work as usual yesterday. most of the kids didn't show up in class, a few said their greetings. a few scored some candy. we saw some of the last few scenes of "freedom writers." did some paperwork then headed home. Z made it to my place 10 minutes after

sa letrang N (today is brought to you by the letter N)

2008-06-16T23:28:00.001-04:00

that's it folks. In the exciting game of BINGO my age can no longer be included within the limits and bounds of the letter I.i am officially within the number family of the letter N.gaahhh.today i turned 32.bow.and today for the first time in 11 years, i am going to work because i want to say a proper farewell to my kids. thank goodness for half days.i do not know what today and the rest of

(hopefully) new adventures

2008-06-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

the other night, i went out with my librarian friend lynn to finally catch up on things. we had a cup of coffee at the newly opened neighborhood bakery. i ordered and tasted my first ever red velvet cake.i didn't like it.give me mernel's chocolate cake anytime.or cappucino's tiramisu.i found out that lynn takes belly dancing classes at the community high school. i was interested of

just another day in the edd box

2008-06-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

it is an understatement to say that it is a tough job to teach special ed kids. most of special ed kids are seen as trouble makers. it takes a lot of will and heart to begin and finish each school day with one's sanity intact.there had been days when i was this close to tears; tears of frustration at how unkind my kids can be to each other. their unkindness towards me, i have learned to

it's getting hot in hurrr

2008-06-10T10:11:00.001-04:00

this is day two of half day school days for us here in northeasternjersey. schools have opted to have abbreviated school days becauseof the extreme heat. it makes me kinda giggle a couple of timesthinking maybe we're preserving what little brain cells we have leftbefore they melt.meanwhile, clothes in my high school seem to get shorter, tighter, andtinier to the point of covering nothing,much to

jenny lewis and popelka

2008-06-05T18:25:00.001-04:00

i meant to post last night, but i was so exhausted from gym, i almost fell asleep talking to Z. here is a mish mash of the happenings past and not so distant past. so on sunday, amy crossed the hudson to visit ma hood. i took the day off and we basically just vegged out the morning into afternoon. we went back to the city to catch rilo kiley in concert at level 5. too bad like

welcome june!

2008-06-02T03:37:00.000-04:00

i just came back from my morning workout at curves. i am nursing a cup of coffee as i wait for amy to wake up. yesterday, we went to costco to pick up a few things for her to take home. i got my supply of soymilk, carrot juice and this naked green concoction that's supposed to be very good for you.after costco i drove to white castle to introduce their soft square burgers to amy's palate. we

another sunday morning

2008-06-01T06:29:00.001-04:00

background music : middle of my life by sun 60it has been a quiet weekend. mostly boring, but the calm and idleness is well-deserved given tomorrow will be the start of another school week. our high school students are becoming more and more restless. more fights. more kids being sent to detention. less work from them, ladidadida.yesterday afternoon i watched the film coach carter. it's

in a pickle

2008-05-31T02:19:00.000-04:00

background music : should i stay or should i go by the ramones"don't be too good up there, they might not want to let you go."i laughed off my former boss's remark and said, "yeah, right." boy i did not know those words would be prophetic. i found out yesterday that although there is a place for me back in my "home." the family in my new home are not really happy to let me go.wow. in a way

a lesson on dating vocabulary

2008-05-30T18:25:00.000-04:00

my first period class are all boys. they're a great bunch. they come in, they sit. they work. everyone's happy. in between work we talk about , oh stuff. the other day they were talking about, oh girls. and then for some reason the conversation got to lil ol' me. they found out that i live by myself. student 1 : but why?me : because.student 1 : BUT WHY? are you single?me : oh, i've