Back to ballet

"Once a dancer, always a dancer" I always say. I taught my first official ballet class today after more than ten years of being out of the dance studio because the hubby has been sick the past few days. I sub'd for him. Having stopped for many years has taken its toll on me. I'm not as agile as I used to be not to mention not as light as well. hahaha Maybe I need to check out 'apidexin' to see if it will solve the "lightness" issue. But if you have that "gotta dance" genes flowing thru your veins, the desire to dance just doesn't go away. It just hibernates for a while but it's always there. Our defunct dance ministry group got another invite to dance in a couple of weeks and although most of us have taken on a "mommy" shape already, it is feels so good to know that it's not about the outside form that matters when you are doing it for God. It's an issue of what's in the heart and God's eyes roam to and fro seeking those whose hearts are turned towards Him. My prayer is that when He sees my heart He will find what He is seeking for.

Have a wonderful week, folks!

Satellite Radios

Move over MP3s, satellite radios are in! Check out these cool features you wouldn't get on a regular music player. It's not just songs you can listen to but also comedy, talk radio, sports and news to your heart's content. Take it wherever you go plus here's the cool thing... it's 100% Commercial freeeeee music! Unfortunately, it's only available in Canada. Darn! Oh well, if you are in Canada, then might as well check it out. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Some tidbits you might like to know before you buy:

What are the benefits of Satellite Radio?

• Coast-to-coast digital coverage across North America
• Digital quality sound
• 100+ full time channels of whatever you’re into
• Exclusive content you won’t find on traditional radio
• All the comedy, talk, sports and news you can handle plus 100% commercial free music
• Alerts – find out when your favourite artist, song or sports team is playing
• Easy installation, plug-in, activate, and play, it's that easy
• Compact, portable and versatile
• No downloading or PC required
• See the song title/artist name on your display

A sampling of the programming selection you’ll find on Satellite Radio in Canada:

• Decades (Hit music from the 40s through to the 90s)
• Top Hits of Today
• Sports – NHL, MLB, NBA, PGA
• Canadian Content (The Verge, Laugh Attack, ATN – Asian Radio, NHL Home Ice, Radio Paralelle)
• Country ( 60s/70s, Willie Nelson, New country)
• Rock (Classic, Alternative, Hard, Heavy, Emerging, 70s/80s)
• Hip Hop & R&B
• Dance
• Jazz, Blues & Standards
• Classical
• French & The World
• Christian & Gospel
• Comedy (Laugh Attack, Laugh USA, The Foxxhole)
• Talk & Entertainment (Oprah, Cosmo Radio, CNN, FoxNews, BBC)
• Kids (Radio Disney)

Medical Malpractice

Our son wasn't feeling yesterday. He was fine in the morning prior to ballet class but later on he felt warm to the touch and it became a full-grade fever late last night. This morning his temperature hit 39 degrees so dh and I decided that he needed to be brought to the doctor. With increasing reports of Influenza A H1N1 in the city, I think it's better to be safe than sorry.

Our family pediatrician's clinic is more than 20 kms away and although it is quite far, we've learned our lesson well not to sacrifice the convenience of nearby clinics for expertise. Our little girl was misdiagnosed last year at a nearby hospital and we were so stressed with how they handled her case. After more than four-days without improvement, we pulled her out and transferred her to our family pedia in the middle of the night even if his clinic was so far away. We just trust him to take care of our kids so much that hiring a high-caliber Rochester medical malpractice attorney is highly unlikely. Not all doctors are created equal and I am not going to risk my kids' safety no matter what. Makes me wonder what really went on in Michael Jackson's last few days...

Simple ways to prevent the spread of H1N1

Recent cases of H1N1 in the Philippines have led to the closure of schools in Metro Manila. The first was De La Salle University, where an International student manifested symptoms leading to the schools closure. This was then followed by the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde. This week other schools had their own closures.

So what happens when a closure is declared? As per the Philippine DOH, the school closes for 10 days to monitor the outbreak. It then reopens with communication to students about the necessary behaviour in their school. Specifically, they ask to do 5 simple things to prevent the spread of the disease ( and probably keep you from using your Blue Cross North Carolina plan) as listed below:

1.) Wash your hands - simple but a lot of people don't know how to do this. I was impressed to see DLSU posting proper handwashing procedures in a restroom.

2.) Cover when you cough - common sense but often neglected
3.) Cover when you sneeze - same
4.) Stay home when you're sick - a challenge when you have students from east asia, who culturally go to work or school even when they have the sniffles.
5.) Clean hands with alcohol

Again simple things we were taught to do when we were kids but neglect to do as adults.

Media Pressure on Kids

My son came to me today telling me that he was afraid of becoming a teenager. After overcoming my bewilderment, I asked why? Apparently he was working on his Kumon reading worksheet which talked about the pressure on teens to be thin. It mentioned how for a lot of them, the diet pill seemed to be the quickest way to acceptance. Everyday our kids are bombarded with conflicting messages from the media. We see commercials about delicious food pushing us to indulge. On the other hand, we get the impression that being thin or muscular is the ideal body. How do kids survive in this day and age? They have to grow up strong and secure. They have to know who they are and how God made them. They have to be know that we parents love them. I ended the conversation with my son saying that he has 4 more years before he becomes a teenager. By then I would have built security in his life with God's help.

Odd Weather

We've been experiencing odd weather lately in the Manila area. Today we had strong rains that would come and go in minutes. It seemed typical of Irish rains in the spring except that the droplets were bigger. It was a challenge to dry the laundry under these conditions. Later in the afternoon, as we were driving the highway, we saw clouds circling above. It was like watching a weather satellite feed from below. Winds came and went and threatened billboards ( perhaps cell towers also). Classes were suspended in some schools. A friend even reported that seaspray reached about 200 meters from the shoreline in the Manila area.

Is this Climate Change? Will we still ignore it?

University Life part Deux

After years of being in Industry, I have gone back to my academic roots. I recently returned to my teaching position at the De La Salle University - Manila Physics Department. So far the experience has been rejuvenating. Teaching 2nd year Eng'g students laboratory courses forces you to keep in touch with the youth's psyche. As you help them face their fear of being electrocuted, it makes you reminisce about the time when you were in their shoes. The constant climbing up and down stairs definitely beats the use of ellipticals. This daily regimen has likely helped me maintain my weight in the last few weeks though I have not been able to exercise. I guess teaching could be a "fountain of youth"

It's KRIS ALLEN!!!! - the GOKEY factor

The greatest upset (?) in Idol history after more than 100 million votes! KRIS ALLEN is the new American Idol!!!!!! I have no doubt in my mind that both Adam and Kris are extremely talented artists but I think what came into play here is the Gokey factor. Fans of Danny Gokey probably rallied behind Kris and gave him the more than enough boost he needed to win the title. I'm a Gokey fan but I have to admit that an Allen-Lambert face off would have been much more interesting. And so it was. Kris has this amazing ability (God-given, IMHO) to stir up one's soul. Adam, on the other hand, is a catalyst, challenging the status quo and raising the artistic bar each and every performance. Either way, both have proven themselves worthy of the top 2. The results show was good with some memorable performances from veteran artists. I was quite surprised to see KISS perform. I kept looking for Gene Simmons after watching him in Celebrity Apprentice to see how he looked in those high-heeled stripper shoes. Overall, the show was an adrenalin rush you could pass off as a fat burner supplement. LOL Congratulations, Kris Allen and all Season 8 finalists. Best AI season yet!!!!!

Idol News-Mandisa Transformation

I listen to internet radio via iTunes when I do my computer stuff. Most of the time I listen to The Healing Streams but the other day I tried to switch stations just to break the monotony. So I tried K-love and at that time they had Mandisa on, an American Idol contestant in one of the previous seasons of AI. She was sharing her experiences about her struggle with weight loss and how she started overcoming it. If I remember correctly, she said she had lost around 80 lbs. already. That's a lot! It takes a whole lot more than the best weight loss pills to keep that off and it's inspiring how she continues to overcome her weight challenge. I probably should read more about her story to find out how she did it.

Idol 2009 Finale

In just a few hours we'll find out who the next American Idol is. I'm sure a lot of establishments will take advantage of this event to boost their sales. All they need is a sturdy rackmount lcd to hang an uber widescreen tv and tune in to the Finale Results while serving a hearty breakfast (Philippine time) or dinner (elsewhere in the world) to hungry patrons just like what happened during the Pacquiao-Hatton match. Of course, you can always stay home and get your Idol fix there but there's always something exciting when you are with friends and you share those "victory" moments with them, don't you think? Mas masaya di ba?

okay... five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes and counting... or maybe less till reveal day! LOL