A Poem in Loving Memory of Sandy Brook Children

Photo Credits: Tim Tebow's twitter

GOODBYE FOR NOW

Oh, precious little ones!

How can we say goodbye?

The thought of never seeing you

Bring waves and waves of pain

How can we live like this?

When we will miss everything

Your innocent smile and energy

Even the naughty glint of your eyes

Who would have thought?

That fateful day was the last

Never again to hear your voice

And kiss you goodbye for school

No more birthdays to celebrate

Or grad ceremonies to attend
Not even a wedding to witness

You were a blessing 

A bundle of joy to behold

You taught us to live and love

How did we deserve such a gift?

If we can steal a day from death

Or even an hour will do

We will hug you one last time

And tell you, "We love you so!"

God wants you by His side

So we'll say goodbye for now

Go on and soar towards heaven

Where everything's happy and beautiful

No demanding moms nor angry dads

One day we'll be together again

Today, we live with your memories

We will miss you everyday.

We will love you forever.

VIDEO: Little Girl Afraid of Her Own Shadow

The cutest little girl ever. Under the blazing heat of the sun while chowing down on her ice candy, all of a sudden the existence of her shadow which is not always there was in stark presence right before her eyes. She was pointing at it while sobbing at the same time. She was like saying, "What the heck is that thing doing? Following my every move and wouldn't go away!"

Poor little thing! She was trying her earnest to dodge her shadow but there's nothing much to do really. Even her mom was not helping in her predicament.

If Peter Pan, in the famous Disney fairy tale, left Neverland to look for his shadow, this girl would rather go to Neverland so she can live without her scary shadow.

Aaaah. The ironies of life! And her mom was right, "It wouldn't go away you know." In many ways, we are like the little girl who is afraid of her own shadow. At least, the little girl's fear was born out of ignorance and innocence. In the meantime, she does not know why shadows even exist but when she grows up she'll only laugh the incident off. On one hand, our fears are much more real and gripping. We fear all sorts of shadows. The shadow of our past, present and the uncertainty of our future. As C.S. Lewis profoundly puts it:

Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.

Sometimes, it is the very shadow of our fears that hinders us to live the full life. We should learn from the little girl. We can cry, scream and point at those shadows. We need not go to Neverland so we can live happily ever after. Just accept the fact that those shadows will never go away but we can always rise above them. We need to recognize that these fears exist and at the end of the day, the sun will set and the shadows fade away. The next day is a new beginning.  

Photo courtesy of http://www.panhala.net 

Rachel Crow: "All the kids out there, you can because I did!"

The adorable Rachel Crow sung I Believe by Yolanda Adams for the top 9 live performance on X Factor USA last night. She dedicated her performance for her mom and dad who adopted her when she was still a few months old.

I couldn't even imagine where and who Rachel would be if she was not lovingly cared by her foster parents. Rachel was born to a crack cocaine addicted mother. She has suffered abused and trauma living in a crack house and consequently, becoming addicted to crack. What an awful start in life for any kid.

Rachel Crow is 13-year-old today and looking at her and her genuine, innocent smile, you would never guess that she went through that when she was younger. She is such a ray of sunshine! When she smiles, she brightens up the place. When she sings, she captivates and tugs at your heart. She is a young, adorable, happy girl with an old soul.

I included the lyrics of I Believe below for some inspiration.

They said you wouldn't make it so far a a
And ever since they've said it its been hard
But never mind that night'cha had to cry
Cause you had never let it go inside
And you can never give up
You can reach your goals
Just talk to your soul and say

[Chorus:]
I believe i can
I believe i will
I believe i know my dreams are real
I believe i can
I believe i will
I believe i hold it soon man
That is what i do believe

Your fools are justes singing, your soul aha
And you know that your moves will let them show
You keep creating pictures in your mind
So just believe they will come true in time
It will be fine leave all of your cares and stress behind and
Just let it go
Let the music go inside again the pain
It just start to believe
 At third my yet what people say
Hold your head high and turn away
With all my hopes and dreams I will believe
Even though it seems it's not for me
I won't give up, i'll keep it up
Looking to the sky
I will achieve on my knees
I will always believe

At the end of her performance, Rachel said, "And I wanna tell all the kids out there that you really can because I did!"  

Could you adore this girl even more? And I hope that thousands more or even millions more would be inspired with her story. It was a bleak past for Rachel but I can see that she will have a bright, exciting future ahead. Rachel Crow, I do believe. =)

Pinoy TV Gems: Junior Masterchef Pinoy Edition

Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition Hosts 

I've given up TV a long time ago. I can't be bothered with the news and Pinoy teleseryes are way too cheesy and dramatic which doesn't suit my taste anymore. Why should I agonize sitting through dozens of tv advertisements when I could simply skip them and go right ahead google and stream the shows? But as I've said, for me television has lost it's appeal altogether.  

Until Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition lured me back. It is a tv cooking show that promotes healthy competition among youngsters ages 8 to 12. It is also a venue for the kids to showcase their cooking skills, team spirit and creativity. They are taught how to handle pressure especially that challenges are with time constraints. 

And Junior Master Chef is currently my stress buster. It's the only show I couldn't miss.   

Five reasons why I looooooooove the show:

1. It keeps stress at bay which means I spare myself from the mercy of sugar overdose.

2. It is always pure joy watching kids at a very young age spin off their own recipes. AMAy-zing!

3. It gives me hope that if the kids can, I can too.    

4. I love their kitchen and the plethora of ingredients? WOW. I want one in our house too! 

5. Lastly, it sets a good example for the young and old alike. 

I think we need more shows such as the Junior Master Chef on our television. It's not only a pleasure to watch but it encourages the young generation that age does not matter. They may be young but they can and they should start chasing their dreams. 

Meet the super 12 of Junio Master Chef Pinoy Edition! 

Super 12 Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition

Danielle Mangabat: "I Am...Filipino American" Winner

Photo Courtesy of thefilam.net

A smiling 10-year old Filipino-American girl from New Jersey, Danielle Mangabat, accepts her award for winning the "I am...Filipino American." contest as announced by the Filipino School of New York and New Jersey.

All students of Filipino descent from grades 1-12 were invited to participate in the contest. They were asked to answer some questions with regards to their pride as a Filipino-American.  

Danielle Mangabat wrote an essay and she shares, "Every chance I get to showcase my Philippine roots, I seize. I participate in my school’s cultural shows wearing a “baro at saya,” which is a Filipina’s dress. I truly enjoy our Philippine cuisine and delicacies which I expose my friends to. “Pansit” and “polvoron” are my favorites. I bring back stories punctuated by pictures of my travels to the Philippines, always stating the fact that our 7,100 islands are full of adventure and diversity."


I read her essay and I knew why she won. It was short but sincere, innocent, heartfelt and truthful. She was unabashedly proud to be a Filipino that every moment she grabs as an opportunity to share about the Philippines.

She ended her piece with a declaration, "I am proud to be who I am. An American by birth, but with a strong and steadily beating Filipino heart."

She may be miles away from home but her heartbeat rings loud and clear from across the globe. We should all learn from this young lady. Let us carry the colors of our Motherland proudly and unashamed.


Read Danielle Mangabat's full essay here.

Filipino Young Mathematicians Bring Honor to Country

A group of young math geniuses from the Philippines snagged the honor of placing second in the Asia Inter-Cities Teenagers Mathematics Olympiad (AITMO) held in Kavre, Nepal. Among the participants are South Korea, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.

The kids brought home 5 gold medals, 7 silvers and 4 bronzes.  

Competing against 32 other teams, to place second just behind Thailand who topped the competition, it is quite an achievement. Bulgaria took home the 3rd place honor.

I am Pinay and proud indeed especially that two among the medalists were from my high school alma mater.  

Photo Courtesy of NTG

Here are the list of the medalists (Source: abs-cbnnews.com): 

Dr. Simon Chua has said, "With proper training and guidance, Filipino students proved that they can compete with students from other countries in international math competitions such as this [AITMO]." 

Congratulations Team Philippines!

VIDEO: Sophia Grace Brownlee Singing Nicki Minaj's Superbass

I love children. All children. But what I love more are precocious little girls and boys. When I saw this video last September 2011, I was instantly a fan of these two adorable girls who sung Nicki Minaj's Superbass like superstars. Their Youtube video currently has more than 21 million hits.

It was Sophia, the 8-year old girl who did the performing and Rosie, her cousin, was her hype girl. Sophia said when Rosie is beside while performing it boosts her confidence. These kids were simply sensational. Sophia has swag, she's got the talent and the attitude. She might be a star in the making.

It's always amazing to see kids with so much confidence. I think every kid should be reared in such a way. If every kid has healthy self-image and high self-esteem they will not be afraid to do what they want and eventually achieve their dreams. Then the world will be a better place. Because the children... they are the future.

A few weeks later, these two girls wearing their favorite pink, fluffy dresses brought their British accent to the Ellen Degeneres' show and won everyone's heart with their cuteness.

Check out Sophia and Rosie on the Ellen Show. And surprise, surprise! Nicki Minaj in the house. She even sung a duet with the two girls.

A few days ago, they were invited back to the Ellen show. This time, they performed a cover of one of my favorite songs, Rolling in the Deep by Adele.

Note: 


I must add though that I have reservations with kids singing pop songs of today. They may not know what the meaning behind the songs just yet but you know how it works. The music, the lyrics and the videos have tons of subliminal messages and sexual innuendos that we need to be extra careful when it comes to exposing our kids to such materials.    

Thomas Suarez: The Next Steve Jobs in the Making?

I listen to this kid talk and I couldn't help but wish I was as confident and sure of myself when I was 12.

This 6th grader from Los Angeles gave a talk about "Transforming Learning" last October 22 at the TEDxManhattanBeach showcasing his two apps, the Earth Fortune and the Bustin Jieber. He even elicited some laughs from the audience when he introduced his favorite and most successful app, the Bustin Jieber.

Thomas Suarez at the TEDxManhattan

Thomas Suarez, 12 years old, might be the next Steve Jobs in the making. Not a big surprise if it happens because Steve Jobs is in fact his inspiration. He holds his iPad, conquered the stage and talks about his experiences and what he wants.

He'd "like to create more apps, more games, and working with a third-party company to make an app. I'd like to get into Android programming and development. And I'd like to continue my app club and find other ways to share knowledge with others."     

He is very charismatic, he knows how to spot for opportunities, how to market his ideas and he is quite a visionary too. He was able to convince his parents to pay the $99 fee so he can put his app in the Apple Store. A lot of his friends at school disliked Justin Bieber then he came up with Bustin Jieber. He asks the right questions and say the wisest things.

Let's be honest. He was right on when he said, "These days, students usually know a little bit more than teachers...." The audience laughs of course. He added, "with the technology. So...Sorry." And more laughs.

In today's age, young talents and precocious minds will be technologies' next generation revolutionaries. We need to nurture them. We need to provide avenues for these young minds where they can grow and do what they want. He was right. If you want to learn soccer, you join a soccer team. If you want to play the violin then get into a violin class. But if you want to make apps, where do you go?  

This is the question that parents, teachers, schools should provide an answer to.