Raising Boys

Fine dining at the Waterfront September 20, 2005

I was at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City last night for a “fine dining” experience. The dinner was in line with the Cebu Press Freedom Week Celebration and was “by invitation only”. I did not have any invitation–I’m a journalist in a medium that has still to gain acceptance in a third world country like the Philippines–but my husband, a newspaperman, had one and he gave it to me because he was busy with work and was unsure if he could make it.

So off I went. What was I thinking? I almost starved in the midst of all that food. My taste buds, so used to the uncomplicated taste of the bland and ordinary, protested at the riot of sensations from the night’s six-course haute cuisine.

For salad, we had spiced beef tenderloin marinated in lemon juice, shoyu sauce, olive oil and made into rolls with ripe mango, celery, oven dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and green peas as filling. One ingredient at a time, please, I almost begged. The only thing complicated I ever had to eat before this was pizza.
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Tribute to goodness September 12, 2005

Dylan asked me why I would not bring him and his brother to work anymore. He missed those Sundays when I’d bring him and Lennon to the office and we’d pass by SM on our way there to eat or buy stuff.

I told him why and he was gracious and forgiving even in the face of such duplicity.

I told myself I wanted to tell him the truth because I did not want to paint a picture of a beautiful world where he can always expect patience, understanding, and love. I told myself I wanted him to learn there is cruelty here, too, and from the most unexpected of sources.

In reality, my reason for telling him the truth was not so innocent. I wanted an ally, of sorts, against deceitfulness and dishonesty. We could talk about them, laugh about their many failings, dissect their miserable lives that turned them into what they are now.

Thankfully, he’s none of the things I am.
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Oats improve schoolkids’ performance September 5, 2005

Undecided whether to feed your children oatmeal or cereal for breakfast? This LA Times article may make choosing what food to put in your child’s diet easier.

The article quoted results of experiments conducted by a group of psychologists on 60 schoolchildren that suggested they learned more and retained knowledge better when fed with Quaker oatmeal made with milk than when they ate Cap’n Crunch cereal with milk for breakfast. The study was funded by Quaker Oats and used both cereal and oat products of the company.

After eating a bowl of oatmeal, boys and girls ages 9 to 11 showed enhanced spatial memory, a skill that helps with drawing and doing puzzles. Spatial memory can help not only with art, but also with geography as well as some technical skills used in math and science. Girls, but not boys, also displayed improved short-term memory after eating oatmeal.

Children ages 6 to 8 listened better after eating oatmeal than after a breakfast of Cap’n Crunch. And, like their older counterparts, they also scored higher on spatial memory. Younger girls also showed improvements in short-term memory similar to that seen in their older counterparts.

Noisy outside, empty inside September 1, 2005

A Sun.Star Davao columnist writes this about loud and obnoxious persons.

Some of the shallowest persons you will meet are loud and obnoxious. They laugh loud, dress loud, and are just plain loud. They have to be, otherwise no one will notice them. They find their worth in things rather than in thoughts. They have empty minds with hollow hearts. They seem to be at a loss when confronted with the profound. They are as deep as a coin. They will pretend that they are humble, but soon they will show their true colors.

I wholeheartedly agree. I know someone who fits this description to a tee. Aside from being shallow, this person is mediocre and either does not know it or pretends not to know it.