Raising Boys

Math contest winners February 26, 2006

My son and his teammate Christ Ian placed second in the Math Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) contest held on Friday last week at the Basak Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City.

They competed against 12 other schools in the first grade level during the contest, which is initiated by the Department of Education and Metrobank. Unfortunately for my son, though, this was the first time since the start of the contest that Metrobank was not giving out medals to winners. My son and his teammate had to be content with a generic certificate, only one for the two of them, with no name and I was told wrong date.

My son, disappointed that he was not getting a medal, insisted we go home before the awarding could take place. The result: no medal, no certificate, and no picture as well. His teammate, though, said he would be bringing the certificate to school on Monday.

Might as well take a picture of that and include it in this post later.

Dreading tomorrow February 23, 2006

My son is going to compete in a math contest tomorrow and I’m the one who’s a nervous wreck. My hands are clammy, my stomach is queasy, and I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing.

So far, his preparations for the contest went well. He was able to answer most of the review questions given by the teacher. Since the questions are timed, the teacher had prepared him and a teammate by asking them to solve problems and timing them. He was always able to answer the questions before the teacher rang the bell for each question. This does not help me, though.

I’m really just scared for him. What if they lose and he can’t handle the disappointment. What if he cries on stage; he’s only seven years old after all. I know I’d love him forever even if he does not get a single question right but how would he feel.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’ll be there for him, putting on a calm front even though I’d be panic-stricken inside, and I’d be praying that he’d just make it through the day.

Side trip to the fort February 17, 2006

I have for so long wanted to take pictures of Fort San Pedro, oldest triangular bastion fort of the Philippines, in Cebu City. The opportunity came today at last when my husband and I had to pick something up at a nearby place.

The fort, at present, has been converted into a park and entrance fee is 20 pesos per person. One of the famous historical landmarks in Cebu, the structure is a tourist attraction and is mentioned in Philippine travel brochures.

The fort that stands near the wharf area is not the original structure that was built in 1565 by the Spanish government and completed close to 200 years later or in 1748. By 1968, the original structures of the fort were so obliterated that only the two towers were recognizable. Restoration of the fort was a slow process and restorers had to haul coral stones from under the sea to make the restored fort as close to the original as possible.

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Everyday love February 14, 2006

I’m not big on flowers. They wither. You enjoy them for one or two days and then disappointingly they shrivel and leave this mess of dried leaves and petals.

But my husband brought me flowers–chrysanthemums–for Valentine’s Day today and they’re among the most beautiful things I’ve ever been given in my lifetime.

This gift of flowers and because it is Valentine’s Day made me think about the song “This Everyday Love” by Rascal Flatts, who sang about “ordinary plain and simple” love. This is exactly the love that my husband and I share–it’s “typical” and “nothing too peculiar”.
Further goes the song:

Wouldn’t change one single thing about it
No, it’s run-of-the-mill, still I can’t live without it

Neither would I. Neither can I.

The sun, at last February 13, 2006

Finally, the sun shone today after what seemed to be days and days (only 4 days really) of rain. I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to come out from behind stormy grey clouds.

To celebrate the return of sunny days, I took this picture of the horizon, from the old bridge that connects the island of Mactan to mainland Cebu, specifically Mandaue City. In the distance, beyond the new Mandaue-Mactan bridge, the glorious sky comes down to kiss the somber sea.

I pass by the bridge everyday on my way to work and I get to look at this view everytime but it never fails to take my breath away.

Afternoon trip to Cordova February 5, 2006

No. I don’t mean that city in Spain. I’m referring to the only other local government unit in Mactan, an island east of Cebu, aside from Lapu-Lapu City.
I live in Lapu-Lapu City and I work in a company that is located three cities away. Cordova is less than 30 minutes travel from my home yet the last time I remembered going there was some eight years ago.

So yesterday, out of the blue, I told my husband that we should go there. So off we went.

Because it was late in the afternoon already, we decided to go directly to the town center, which we had trouble finding because the town has sprouted several roads that branch off in various directions. There used to be only one main road that led to the town hall.

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