butterflies ain't in the tummy

When Edwin and I turned up at Cerise's school assembly early this year, we thought it was an opportunity to check out what they've been doing inside the classroom. So there we were indulging in the children's work proudly displayed all around the room. We noted that in one corner where artworks of butterflies hung, Cerise's one was not on display. We thought it was odd.

At the assembly inside the school hall, as we sat and watched, we were pleasantly surprised to see Cerise's butterfly hanging on the wall for everyone to see!

Hers is the peach coloured butterfly. Another proud moment. I couldn't help but take a picture of it... secretly.

art school

Inky Fingers. That's where Cerise goes to learn painting and drawing and mingle with budding artists of all ages. But more importantly, it is where she gets to unwind after school and let her creative juice come out while listening to classical music. It's her favourite time of the day.


She loves butterflies!


A drawing/painting of a lizard on canvass. She says she used the colour green because it is mummy's favourite colour.


And finally, a face of a jaguar. This one she made out of clay. Hers was the biggest in the class but certainly not the scariest. Come on, wouldn't you pet a jaguar with that face?

go vertical

Bungy Trampoline is a favourite of thrill seeker Cerise. This is the highlight for her when she goes to fairs and theme parks.

You can imagine how devastated she was when we queued for a turn at Six Flags America in Chicago and she was told she was too short and too light for it (she was 3 years old at the time). No amount of but-she-does-this-all-the-time-in-New-Zealand-she'll-be-absolutely-fine-I-give-my-consent-and-you-won't-be-liable explanation could change her fate. I didn't have the heart to tell her she wasn't getting any of it so I demanded the man who sealed her fate to go tell Cerise himself. The truth is, I doubted she'd believe me and I was afraid she might throw some unwanted tantrums. Sadness was written all over her face. She was breathing deep and hard as she fought tears from falling down her cheeks, her button nose went as red as rudolph's. We walked away from it quietly, as if she knew there were no words to say to each other, and never looked back.

I envy her when I watch her. I wish I had the courage or even the nerve to do it myself. I always wonder why only kids dare do this when really, it's for all ages. I doubt that adults think it's scary at all. I bet, like me, they think they'd look ridiculous jumping up and down and flipping over. But wouldn't it be fun? Of course! Imagine the adrenalin rush and the sensation of bouncing so high up in the air. Sadly, ageing can strip you off of your sense of adventure and taint you with pointless self-consciousness.

Seriously, people should consider having one of these in their backyard or even inside the office building where anyone who is stressed out or is having a nervous breakdown can get on it and bounce their stresses away. It could possibly save marriages, enhance parent and child relationships and eliminate out-of-control workmates.

Do you think if I just go ahead and do it, other parents might in fact follow suit then I won't look as silly and eveyone gets to have some fun? Or would I just be embarrassing myself AND my daughter AND my husband? Nah... too risky. Where is the fun in me gone?

music to my ears

Last Sunday was Cerise's piano recital. Her second since she started learning in October. She played two pieces this time, "Lightly Row" and "Once Upon a Time", both of which were her personal choices; each lasting about a minute. She did perfectly well. I was amazed at how calm she was. I just don't think nervousness is in her vocabulary.

Two other girls impressed the audience. A six year old who played the violin (serious sa career) and a 10 year old who played the piano. I almost didn't want her to stop.

Cerise's special guest was her friend Abby.

Did you know???...
The word piano is a shortened form of the word pianoforte, which is seldom used except in formal language and derived from the original Italian name for the instrument, gravicèmbalo col piano e forte (literally harpischord with soft and loud). This refers to the ability of the piano to produce notes at different volumes depending on how the keys are pressed.

Although there were various crude earlier attempts to make stringed keyboard instruments with struck strings, it is widely considered that the piano was invented by a single individual: Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano, but an inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s.

Jingco-Clarin wedding 21 January 2006 - just photos

more flashback

Two weeks into our holiday in Manila back in January, Cerise once again found herself walking down the aisle as a flower girl for my two very good friends' wedding. This time, she wasn't famished like she was at her uncle's wedding the previous week. Instead, she was tired and could have used a good dose of caffeine. The bride and groom held their wedding at 6am which meant that the entourage was up by 3am to glam up. I give Cerise credit for excellent behaviour in such a chaotic atmosphere... you know how it is just before the event. I did remember to feed her so no crime committed there. Without any form of rehearsals but only a last minute briefing, her mission was to balance the head dress that wouldn't wrap around her forehead, walk on the red carpet and scatter petals from her basket while doing so. Her performance was superb. I couldn't have been more proud.

And here I am, the Matron of Honour. Adrenalin rush. I remember thinking "Oh wow! The fairy lights go well with the colour of dawn. Love the effect! How do you actually walk as Matron of Honour? Do I look straight or acknowledge guests I walk passed? Do I smile or keep my teeth out of sight? Edwin had better be filming me right now and he'd better not miss Cerise's walk down the aisle either. Uhmmm.... where do I go again?" Our roles had been reversed on this occasion you see. He was the camera man and I was a member of the entourage.

Lack of sleep can do your head much damage and my speech said it all. I think I went on and on and on about random things when all I had to do was give a toast. I would have remembered that if I was holding a glass of champagne in my hand and not a microphone while the camera rolled in front of me. Oh yes, we were having breakfast so alcohol was out of the question.

I just remembered the funniest thing. At the reception, over breakfast, I had to have my caffeine fix. So I ordered coffee from this man who was maybe in his late 40's. I wasn't sure if he was a waiter but I assumed anyway. The black coffee came. A confirmation, thank goodness, that the man was indeed a waiter. Being a flat white and caramel macchiato addict that I am, I politely clarified with the waiter that I actually wanted milk with my coffee. Seconds later, the waiter came back with would you believe... a half opened tin can of Carnation evaporated milk! The waiter casually handed it to me like it's the most normal thing to do in this social event. The can was even dripping so that I had to hold it with only my thumb and forefinger. I didn't think he was serious at all... "surely he was kidding", I thought.... "this must be some kind of a practical joke"... "I must be being punked".... until the waiter walked away, leaving me dumbfounded and confused as to what to do. Edwin and I looked at each other in disbelief then laughed until our belly ached and no sound came out of our mouth. I poured my milk into my coffee with a tear of joy escaping my eye. Oh that was just classic! When in Manila, it is imperative to carry with you a good sense of humour.

The YUMULs with the newlyweds, Wowell and Pia - the couple that launched my matchmaking career. When I hooked them up on a blind date in 1998, I honestly didn't think for one second they'd make it this far. Wowell, my work colleague at the time, needed a date to go see a stage play so he asked me. I refused because I was dating a jealous guy at the time. Wowell said that was a lame excuse and therefore I had to find him a date. He bugged and bugged me when suddenly it crossed my mind that I had just phone my friend Pia (way back from my highschool days) minutes earlier who clearly needed a break from her stressful job. Before hanging up, I reminded Pia to take it easy, take a break and get out for her own sake. I thought it nice to follow through that. So the date was set purely for the convenience of all parties --- Wowell got a date, an intelligent one as per his requirement and who was into live theatre so his purchase on an extra ticket didn't go to waste; Pia could no longer make her busy work schedule an excuse for not going out; I got Wowell off of my back and felt better knowing that my girlfriend was finally getting a much needed break. I knew too well they wouldn't be able to stand each other but "it's only one night. a one-off date", I thought. Evidently, Mr. Cupid was determined to meet his quota of love struck couples that night. Seven years on and this couple is stronger than ever. The wedding was beautiful. Who would have thought we'd be posing for a photo like the above. Oh, and there's sleep-deprived Cerise who'd become grumpy by this time she was in no mood for photoshoot.

Here's the entourage. With their help and that of a few others, I managed to pull off a successful bridal shower for Pia that also involved Wowell. Based on the format of my favourite reality TV show "The Amazing Race" the couple went running and driving around town to places of significance to their relationship, finding clues, performing tasks and getting rewards. Hard work but fun fun fun.

Here are my dearest friends I grew up with who are part of the reason why coming home to Manila is always worthwhile and worth the airfaires.

PJ's and Cuddly Toys

No, Cerise didn't forget to get dressed for school.... (Shirley, that Tigger she's holding was your present for her at age 6 months during your 2001 trip to New Zealand!)

And none of these kids sleep walked to school. A pyjama party was one of their activities during their Book Week last Term.

That morning, I found out that Cerise is the reigning champion of the Memory Game. All her classmates were telling me how good she is at it. Of course, she just had to show off to Mummy.

loads of fun and amusement

Work hard. Play hard.
... one of those things I hope for Cerise to learn to do growing up.

The last two weeks kept us busy going to the cinema, kids fair, play dates, golfing, swimming, and rock climbing. Over the Hedge was alright but it still doesn't beat:
Toy Story
Bug's Life
Shrek
Monster's Inc

Superman Returns... or does he? There was really nothing spectacular about the movie, much to my disappointment. I mean come on, it had been what?... two decades?... since the Man of Steel left a lasting impression on me and all they could come up now is for Superman to have a biological son(Superboy???), a secret only known to him and the mother, Lois (typical), while the rest of the movie centered on the same story of bad guys attempting to kill Superman with kryptonite blah blah blah yada yada yada. To me, the movie didn't live up to its title. If anything, the movie represented the end of an era. The Superhero that I knew is long gone. Left me wondering too whether or not the role would still be Christopher Reeve's had he been alive and physically able today. And if so, would I have been more kind with my comments on the movie?
Curious George... well, suffice it to say that this is the first kids movie in a long time that made me doze off.

My first set of swimming lessons went well. I've graduated from basic swimming class and will soon move to ADVANCED swimming class. Now THAT is quite an achievement for me. Pretty soon, I just might take rock climbing more seriously. I never realised how much exhilaration you can get doing it. Okay, so I didn't actually climb. I pulled the rope for Cerise and my niece Karla to support them while THEY did the climbing. But hey, pulling that rope was harder than it looked. Besides, I had to make them guinea pigs first. I must say they have motivated me indeed. Heck, if Cerise can do it, so can I!
I have gained a little more understanding of the sport called golf and its rules. It is pretty cool now that I know more about it than just putting balls into holes. But am I really the kind of person who would get up in the morning and say "I wanna put some balls into holes today! Walk around for miles in the heat, bend over to retrieve balls and burn my already tanned skin"? Don't think so. I'm sticking to indoor putting.

In between all these, I managed to finish reading Memoirs of a Geisha which I found substandard really. The style of writing was tiresome what with the endless analogies. I'm now keen to see the movie hoping that it is waaaaay better.

Come Monday, Cerise goes back to serious work... school. I, on the other hand, have some SERIOUS career plotting and future planning to do.