My New Love

Meet my new running partner

This is new - and correct - running shoes.

After getting a gait analysis, I surfed the Internet non-stop for the best (and okay, most eye-candy) stability running shoes.

And here it is - New Balance 870.

I hope that, as of this post's publication, I have logged longer miles with it.

Child's Play

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44115070@N00/247871593

I wrote this last March 18, 2010

I was privileged to teach the brightest third grade students in Southville International School and Colleges from 2007 to 2010. I never thought I would get the chance to teach our students – not even the excellent ones. The idea of me being inside the classroom was a nightmare that I hesitated to get the offer when handed to me. Well, it was not offered, to tell the truth; it was assigned (if you’re in Southville, you’ll understand what it means). “It’ll be fun; it will be a good experience for you,” our Principal BRY then said.

And fun it was.

Here are some of the most memorable anecdotes, situations and moments that I have been through as a Vision and Task Circle facilitator. They are proofs that they didn’t only learn from me (well, I hope); I learned a lot from them as well. (NOTE: Names of students were changed.)

1.    My one boy student introduced himself like this: “Hi, I’m Paolo. I’m Scottish!”

2.    During one of the activities, I asked my students to list down the things they will do if they get to do to   the United States. One girl student, Susie, wrote, ‘I’d like to meet boys and get to know them.’ Kind of surprise to get that answer from a nine-year-old, I asked her why. ”I want them to like me,” she said.

3.    One girl student, Carla, came in late for the class and started looking for a seat. Ryan, one of my boys, immediately stood up and said, “Oh, I’ll get a chair for you.”

4.    The Quote of the Week that I shared was posted on the board. It says “I believe I am someone who can do my best.” As I started to briefly discuss the quote, everyone except Sam, believed in it. “I don’t think of it that way. I think I will fail,” he said with a sad face. Stephen, his classmate, said without battling an eyelash, “That’s stupid. You should never give up at all times.” When I asked further, everybody said that they could always ask help from others.

With that, I didn’t need further explanation.

5.    On my very first day of teaching, I gave a getting-to-know-you activity which everybody enjoyed. The group conversation led to playing PSPs (Play Station). Almost everybody in the class admitted that they are using ‘cheats’ to win games. With the word ‘cheat’ implied, I asked them, “Why are you using cheats? Isn’t that bad?” They said in chorus, “So that we could go to the next level!”

I do hope they won’t have to resort to real-life cheating in the future.

6.    On the brief discussion on Compromise, the example that I gave was giving way to their younger sibling in watching a TV show. Gian, with hands rose, said, “Oh yeah, there’s another TV in the room anyway.” To add, Stephanie said, “We also have a TV in the kitchen.”

Moral lesson I learned: compromise is not the way I thought it was.

7.    For them, sacrifice means losing your life for somebody else. Because of this, they don’t find the value appealing.

8.    In one activity that taught about respect for each other, they were able to identify and remember the times when they were hurt or ignored by their classmates or friends. “I know how it feels to be hurt or be ignored by a classmate or a friend, especially if you did not do anything bad against them,” I said. “But it is not good either to hurt them back.”

The class fell silent.

I guess the Golden Rule did its job.

9.    In one activity about Multiple Intelligences, I instructed them to choose any activity posted in the board (it caters to all intelligences). One student, Brian, got up from his seat and showed me his work. “This is a nice drawing,” I said to him. “Would you like to color this?” Brian’s eyes lit; he went back to his seat to put color in his work. By then I realized that he likes working alone.

That was the first time I saw him smile.

10.    On my last day as a facilitator, I told the class that I will be doing a lot of tasks in the next few weeks. It meant that I won’t get to meet them anymore (I had to do a white lie; they will not understand what resigning means, anyway) A big resounding “WHY?” was in their faces as well as in their mouths. But I told them that I will be catching up on them through the new facilitator.

I felt my chest became a bit heavier as my students said goodbye and left the classroom one by one.

Yep, fun it was.

Missing the Normal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82483656@N00/365288893

I wrote this last September 5, 2010

I am stuck in the house, conscious of the thought that I need to blink my eyes every now and then. I still check if the right side of the back of my neck is still aching due to a possible higher eye grade. At long last, though, that my cough is gone after a week.

I just got out of flu two weeks ago, but due to the eyes strain that I’m having right now, I still feel sick. This is the second week that I did nothing but rest. To tell everyone frankly, I don’t find it good anymore.

The sick week that I experienced is one for the record. Aside from I was the last one standing in the family before everybody succumbed to the fad flu, it was a fact that I had cough and colds two months before. Although I could say I’m luckier than my family members because unlike them, I only had a slight fever.

Being sick makes you weak; makes you stay in bed for a day or two. It also makes the food tasteless. It also makes you drop everything that you have planned. It also makes you miss the things that you do every day, making you wish that you’re well by tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t want to stop and rest. I do want to stop and rest, but not because I’m sick. That’s not my type of vacation.

I want to get back on track because I have a lot of things to do.

-    I will still read a lot of books that will make my brains work;
-    I will still look at Manila Bay during travel to and from work, because I have fallen in love with it;
-    I will finish my two master’s degree subjects, and I want to finish it with dignity at least, before I say good
              bye to the whole course;
-    I will still make a lot of blog posts and promote it until my fingers give up on typing;
-    I will still run a lot of fun runs;
-    I will still pray a lot;
-    I will still make my dream come true, one by one;
-    I will still make a lot of memories with my family and friends;
-    I will still do what is needed of me in my work;
-    I will still write a lot of stuff, the ones inside my head that needs to be released.

So please, don’t judge me when I say I’m tired of resting. I want to get up from the bed and get back on track.

I miss the normal.

It's February 27, and I'm missing the Backstreet Boys

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124473769@N01/82434062

I wrote this last February 27, 2010.

It’s February 27, the scheduled concert of the Backstreet Boys. Every one who knew me would have envisioned this: I’m standing in line outside the Big Dome (the venue), my camera very well kept in my bag (to prevent security from getting it). I’m speaking excitedly to Jecy (my friend who is also a fan) while looking at my watch (what time will they let us in?). My precious ticket is in my hands, held closely to my heart. And I’m wearing a personalized BSB Forever shirt that I asked my brother to do and print for me.

WRONG. I’m tucked in my room instead, listening to my BSB cassette tapes and CDs. Jecy and I are sending SMS each other, wondering what they are singing this time.

Believe me, I would have been there. But circumstances didn’t permit me – I just got a new job (money had been scarce since January) and my Jecy is more concerned of saving money for a second-hand car. We also planned to go to Bohol this year – so that means we need to save more money for that.

So who’s to blame for missing BSB? It’s them and me. It’s me because I didn’t foresee them coming (I should have been religiously checking their website). It’s them, on the other hand, because they didn’t even bother to call and inform me.

As I listen to their songs, it was though I was time-warped. I remembered ho I became a fan (it was through Murielle, a high school friend). And a fan I was! I’m one of those who patiently (and deliberately) defended their talent (and their looks) to non-believers, particularly ‘N Sync fans. I also somehow had less respect on our Media Club adviser in high school for dissecting the meaning of “As Long As You Love Me” (“Sure the song is good. But you wouldn’t care even if you don’t know a person well? What if he’s a criminal?”).

I bought their albums during the week of its release (the only time I bought on the first day of release was in 2000, when Black and Blue album was released. I bought the album in the morning, but had to go back to the music store in the afternoon to check if there’s really something wrong with the printing of the album cover. The sales girl said it’s really like that, but I got a calendar, anyway.

I memorized their name, birthdays, songs and the number of awards they got (I can’t believe they haven’t had a Grammy). I collected posters, pin-ups, and read every BSB article I could get. I also watched every interview and music videos I could get my eyes on.

When they came here in 2006 for a concert, Jecy and I bought ticket a month before the event, and heaven knew how I prepared myself to scream my heart and lungs out. It was the first time I screamed “Marry me!” to five guys who barely knew me. And I didn’t care.

Years have passed. When I saw Murielle months ago, we laughed about our high school BSB craziness. I learned to forgive my Media Club adviser. I mourned for weeks when one BSB member left the group. I got to learn and accept that BSB and ‘N Sync are nothing but creations of boy band mania and pop culture (I would admit, now, that I would drop everything if Justin Timberlake would ask me to be his girlfriend).

I am still a fan. I content myself to the fact that I am capable of sticking to what I want (and who) I choose to love. I am capable of loving people – the good and the bad – about them. I am capable of being me – focusing on my goal and doing it.

Yes, I am not ashamed to tell that I am (and will always be) a Backstreet Boys fan. And since I couldn’t join the other fans that might be singing “Backstreet’s Back, alright!” right now, I am sad.

I’m missing them.

Giving 'Em Away

My would-have-been comeback runs. My 143Go Run (Feb. 27) and Run United1 (Mar. 6). Yep, I gave 'em away.

My comeback runs were delayed. Thanks to my acute rhinitis that tagged along vertigo.

But instead of fretting, I did what I had to do: follow the doctor's advice. So I took a deep breath and surrendered my fate.

The next thing I did: contacted my runner friends with a breaking news - I'm giving away my 3K and 5K slots. NO CHARGE.

After a day of SMS and Facebook marketing, I was able to give 'em away.

Call me crazy for giving away my running slots for free.

But I think I will be crazier if I continued to hold on to my singlets - and cry for the comeback runs that never were.

And so with a smile, I really gave 'em away.

My comeback run may not be now, but it will happen soon. Or sooner than you think.