a matter of teys.t

With the death of our friends’ mom, we have been traveling back and forth to the Sta. Mesa, Manila area.  As it is our tradition in the Philippines, we stayed up late during this wake to support our friends.  We would then travel home to Sta. Rosa, Laguna past midnight. It was quite stressful for my wife because of all the trucks that were traveling during this time of night  They were practically kings of the road. This makes you want to get additional low cost car insurance plans because of the risk you are taking as you travel with these monsters.  Anyway, we got the Jesus insurance plan which is more than enough to get us home safely.

Here are some tips for those travelling past midnight along the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX)

• 1. Don’t go beyond 80 km/h.  This is especially true southbound before Alabang.  The construction of the Skyway extension has some lanes closed between Alabang and Sucat.
• 2. Don’t take the service road.  Trucks usually take this route. With elections coming, last minute road work is going on.  Half the road is closed between Bicutan and Sucat.
• 3. Frequently look far ahead.  With lanes closed, you’ll have to watch for arrows indicating lane merges.  You’ll see this near Carmona.
• 4. Don’t challenge trucks and buses.  They are just too big and can hurt you seriously.

Hope this helps. Have a safe trip

Tags: howto travel SLEX, SLEX southbound

Last Sunday, the mom of two of our dear friends was rushed to the hospital. The 84 year old lady was eating her food when she suddenly slumped.  It was later found that she had aspirated food.  This is the condition wherein the victim gets gastric contents into his/her respiratory tract. We then got into prayer for this dear old lady.  She went into cardiac arrest but was later revived.  A private  hospital room with a heart monitor, under the care of a private nurse, was her home during the last hours of her earthly life.  Finally, less than 24 hours after the incident, her blood pressure dropped signifying her return to her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

While it was sad to see her go, it was indeed a joy to see someone to finally go home to the Lord.  In her earthly life this lady was an excellent mother and a passionate artist. As an artist, the ballet costumes she did looked splendid on stage and were unparelled in elegance, functionality and artistry.  Her wedding gowns were truly works of art.  My wife was a radiant sight during our wedding day when she wore a golden dress with a matching peacock train.  As a mother, she constantly supported her daughters during their ballet dancing and teaching careers. She also cared for us dancers. She was the type of lady who would tell you if you needed a nose lift or have your eczema treated.  She will be dearly missed.

As I was driving this past few days I whispered a prayer in her native Ilonggo “Tita, madamo gid nga salamat”. It was just assuring that the Lord reminded us of this word, ” To be absent in the body is to be present with the LORD”.  Thank you Lord for this wonderful lady who has blessed us so much with her life and talent.

Its summer in the Philippines and you have found a good place for your child to start training ballet ( or any other dance for that matter).  Have you ever thought about what you should be doing in preparation for the 1st class?  First order of business is to get your kid in the right attire.  Before the 1st class, you should ask the teacher about the attire.  In ACTS Manila ballet schools we have a prescribed uniform ( fuschia sleeveless leotard and a skirt of specified length ) so it would be a waste to buy something other than what is called for.  You should also ask about how the hair should be done.  Second item would be teacher’s gender. I’ve had some kids refuse to join my class because I was male! (As if they didn’t have any fathers!) If you know before hand that the teacher is of opposite gender to your child, you may want to prep the him/her.  Thirdly, be ready with food and water.  Kids can get really hungry and thirsty after class.  Fourth, make sure your child has gone to the bathroom prior to class.  Lastly, prepare for things that need to be paid for. Uniforms, tuition, registration, etc.  Don’t forget promotional items or coupons giving you discounts or free classes.

Ballet is a wonderful experience for little girls and boys.  They get to dance out fairy tales instead of just reading them. I wish you and your child the best in your ballet experience.  If you live in the Sta. Rosa, Laguna area, you can reach me at 09083020319 for ballet classes.  Mention this blog for a free class.

Tags: ACTS Manila, ballet class, Ballet Sta. Rosa Laguna, teaching ballet

In my last entry, I blogged about our recent ballet pictorial.  As my wife does the post production part of the shoot, we have been staring at all the student’s photos for quite a while now.  In so doing we noticed a few more items worth some attention.  First and foremost, would be the smiles.  As I stated in my previous entry, we had to constantly remind kids to smile.  It was not a surprise to see good shots getting archived because the kids were not smiling.  Second would be jewelry. Just because your kid has a pictorial, doesn’t mean that you have her wear all your loose diamonds.  You have to follow the artisitic direction of the producer.  Its funny if your kid has the role of a simple village girl and her ears sparkle.  Lastly, the weight! Please STOP your children from always going to McDonalds or eating  chips and chocolates.  If you don’t think their fat, look at their pictures. It even gets worse when they get on stage.  The worst thing that could happen is if they won’t fit in their costumes come recital time.  Give them real, nutricious, high quality food.

Tags: ballet, Ballet pictorials, teaching ballet

The weekend was quite busy for us.  It was the pictorial of ACTS Manila ballet schools.  While Saturday was not so bad as it only involved my wife, Sunday engaged all four of us.  We woke up very early to be at the pictorial site at 730am.  The shoot started around 830am, with my daughter’s ballet class. About an hour later, it was my son’s ballet class. At around 10:30am,  it was the turn of my students to be photographed.  The whole morning was practically a family affair.  After lunch, it was back to my wife’s monopoly of things to do.

Perhaps your kid is about to have look into that Canon camera in a ballet pictorial setting. Here are some practical tips:

• 1.) Come early! - In a production pictorial setting, you have to put on a costume or wear special make up.  For this reason, call time is usually 1hr before the scheduled shoot.  By coming late, you run the risk of not wearing the costume properly or putting on the best make-up.   In some cases, you may even damage the costume.
• 2.) Wear make-up before getting to the site. - If your circumstances permit and no special make-up is required, you should have your kid wear make-up before arriving at the photoshoot.  This way, you can focus on his/her costume.
• 3.) Keep the kids busy. -  Do what you can to keep your kid preoccupied while sitting down.  Bring books or games that will keep him/her from running around and destroying his/her costume. Pictorials usually take long because of the number of kids to be shot, so you have to bring quite a number of books and games.
• 4.) Bring food. - Because of the long wait time, bring along some snacks.  However, don’t let your kid eat brownies or other dark colored stuff unless you want his/her teeth to have stains.  You should also stay away from messy stuff like cream pies as they may spill on the costume.
• 5.) Bring a good container for the costume. - Bring a container that keeps the costume from being damaged during transport or storage.
• 6.) Practice your child’s smile. -  It’s interesting that we had to nag kids to smile. Have your child practice smiling the night before. It would even be better if you have a mock pictorial!

Hopefully this makes your pictorial experience more memorable in a positive way. Smile!

Tags: ACTS Manila, ballet, Ballet pictorial, ballet recital, summer ballet, teaching ballet

Its that time of the year, when school is about to end and parents are scrambling to get their kids into activities.    A lot of parents would try to get their kids into dance.  What style should they get into? Where do they train? The answers really depend on what your goals are for your kids.

When choosing a style for your child you should consider the what of the following aspects you want to develop:

1.) Musicality

2.) Acting/Character on Stage

3.) Expression and creativity

4.) Physical control/flexibility

5.) Physical strength

If you want musicality, then jazz, tap and hip-hop. The dependency of these styles on beats and syncopation makes them ideal for this goal.  For character and acting, the classical is the best.  It teaches you to carry yourself like a prince or princess.  If you want to foster creativity and expression, then nothing beats contemporary.

As far as physical training is concerned,  Classical Ballet and Contemporary develop great control over muscle groups.  Classical leg battements and port de bras define peripheral muscles.  Arabesques and pirouettes develop the back and abdominals.  Contemporary contractions and releases develop the core. Think about contemporary dancers rolling like on the floor like rugs.   Hip-hop is known for exposive moves.  Jazz is notable for pelvic and hip isolations.

Among the styles, contemporary appears to confuse some people.  A co-teacher of mine in ballet commented that contemporary is like jazz.  They are actually not.  To understand what contemporary, we go back to its roots.  In the early part of the 20th century,  dancers hated the “fairy tale” like quality of ballet so they developed a more realist, earthy style known as Modern Dance.  In this style, dancers would use the floor and contract their bodies.  In the 60’s some dancers emphasized that natural movement was dance.  Improvisation and natural movement marked what is known as post-modern dance. The combination of Modern and Post-Modern  is now called Contemporary.

After choosing the style, you then consider the teacher.  Is the teacher really a dancer? How long did he/she dance? Where did he/she get the training? Is he/she part of a guild or network of teachers that oversees the quality of instruction? Are the rates reasonable? In my case, I danced for about 3 years before working in industry for 15 years.  After that I returned to ballet as a teacher.  I am part of the Christ centered  ACTS Manila consortium of teachers and ballet schools.  You can call me to compare my rates with other teachers in my area.

Only after considering the teacher should you consider the studio. I have taught ballet in small kindergarten classrooms.  A good teacher should be able to improvise teaching methods to meet the needs of the students.  I teach in 60 sq. m. church hall at Laguna Bel Air 2, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines.  You can call me at 09083020319 for a free ballet or contemporary class.

Tags: ballet sta. rosa, contemporary dance sta. rosa, howto choose dance lessons

If you are looking for a place to stay in Makati that’s priced reasonably, one of the options you might consider is staying at the BSA Towers along Legaspi St. right across Greenbelt 5. We’ve had the opportunity to stay there a couple of times and so far our experiences have been pleasant. I’ve read mixed reviews about the place so I’d like to add my 2 cents worth to help you decide whether you want to stay there or not.

CONVENIENT LOCATION

One of the major factors we took into consideration was convenience - mainly for my in-laws’ sake. They are senior citizens and not quite as mobile as before so having Greenbelt 5 directly across the condotel is a big plus. No need to get caught in traffic and wait for hours just to get to a mall.

This is the view from the balcony of Room 1208.

we can see Greenbelt 5 and beyond…

the entrance to Greenbelt 5…

PARKING

This factor might not be important if you are a business traveler flying in from a province or another country. However, if you live in and around NCR (National Capital Region) and you have your own vehicle, having your own parking slot is a big plus. Some condotels do not provide secure parking spaces, unlike BSA Towers, where we were alloted a parking slot within the building. If you are not ready to risk your car being “chop-chopped” or if you haven’t said yes to that auto insurance quote you’ve been offered, then you might want to consider staying at BSA.

STAFF PERFORMANCE

We had a problem with one of the bathroom faucets in Rm. 1208. There was just hot water coming out of the faucet and no cold water to mix it with. Having two kids with us, this was not safe at all. I called the front desk to have the Maintenance check it and shortly after, they sent someone to fix it. It turned out that the cleaning guys forgot to turn on the cold water valve under the sink. Problem fixed. I also called in a couple other requests which I’ve forgotten already but overall, the staff were courteous and polite.

Here’s how the bathroom looks like in the Master’s bedroom:

HOTEL CONDITION/CLEANLINESS

Generally, the building is old. The lobby is small and looks more like the hallway of an office building rather than the lobby of a hotel, so don’t expect something grand. The room we stayed in was decent. No broken furnitures etc.  I’m not quite sure about the other rooms, though. All I can say is, if you stay in Room 1208, then you’re good.  Housekeeping is daily and the sheets are changed everyday. Our room package did not include breakfast but I wouldn’t miss it anyway. Last time we stayed at BSA, they served breakfast in bento boxes. It was probably good while hot but mine was already cold when I woke up so I didn’t really enjoy it.

ROOMS/ACCOMODATIONS

There was nothing glaringly wrong with the room we stayed in. The living area was spacious. The kitchen was small but adequate. I did have to switch a few appliances around to make the work area more efficient but overall, it was ok. The dining table was a bit small for us because it could only accommodate 4 people. We ended up taking turns during our meals. The balcony doors were locked, for safety reasons probably. The beds were comfortable. Our room was a bit small and they had to configure the beds in such a way as to fit 2 twin beds, a cabinet and a mirror as well. The bottomline: the room met our needs and so we were quite satisfied with it. Again, I can only speak for us and our experiences in the room we stayed in.

Here’s the kitchen…

… the kitchen, one of the bedrooms and one of the bathrooms…

… our bedroom

VALUE FOR MONEY

I think if you’re not looking for a resort hotel, but something more practical, affordable, and accessible then, BSA Towers is worth the stay. It may not have the other amenities of the larger hotels like a pool, a gym etc. etc., but  it makes up for all that in many other ways.

***BSA TOWERS is managed by Quantum Hotels and Resorts

One little note, I just want to commend the security guards of Greenbelt 5 for helping out with the wheelchair. When my in-laws go to a mall, I usually get a wheelchair for my father-in-law to use around the mall. Some malls allow you to use and keep the wheelchair while you are there. Greenbelt 5 has a different procedure. They don’t allow you to keep the wheelchair with you. Instead, they bring you to your destination and you can just inform the guards to let them know you need to go somewhere else. What was really nice about them is that when we were done malling and called security for the wheelchair, they even brought my father-in-law right up to the doorstep of the BSA Towers. Kudos, to you!!!!

Tags: BSA Towers Makati, condotel review, Greenbelt 5, Greenbelt hotels, place in makati

I survived! I took another trip to Divisoria a few days ago and I can now say to myself I won’t get lost anymore in this jungle of a marketplace. This time I even have pictures to boot! I planned to get to Divisoria early but unfortunately, I got too excited planning my trip the night before and ended up leaving late the next day. I left the house around 9am and expected to arrive at around 10:30am but I got caught in a monstrous traffic jam. I ended up in Divi past 12 noon. Tsk tsk! BUT all things work together for good so I guess it was all for a reason.

My entry route to Divisoria was through Binondo where the you see the famous Chinatown arch landmark after passing the Jones Bridge and the original Savory restaurant. The next landmark you will find is the rotonda where you will see the Binondo Church. Traffic was so bad, I got off at Starbucks and began my hunt in Juan Luna St. Take a look at where I got off.

This is where Juan Luna St. starts coming from Binondo.

**JUAN LUNA STREET

WHAT YOU WILL FIND: t-shirts (wholesale), t-shirt printing, commercial paper, printing and binding supplies, office equipment and supplies and a lot of banks in

Juan Luna Bridge - On the left side of the bridge, you will find  Ilaya and Tabora, New Divisoria Mall, M. de Santos etc.. On the right, you will find Juan Luna Plaza, Meisic Mall and 168 Mall. If you go straight up, you’ll end up on C.M. Recto Ave. where you will find Tutuban Mall.

** I turned left 2 streets after the bridge and bought 2 packs of jewelry foam from this lady who didn’t mind my taking a picture of her.

**COMMONER’S COMMERCIAL

This is how Commoner’s Commercial looks like. These guys were sport enough to “candidly” pose for me. Ü

WHAT YOU WILL FIND: acrylic boxes (be sure to bring a sample of the item you want to box so you can choose your size), plastic bags, sando bags, plastic bags with adhesive, kraft paper bags, round magnets, french fries boxes, plastic containers, cups and boxes for food or baked stuff, acrylic sheets, bubble wrap, cling wrap, colored wire, jewelry tags, paper and other packaging stuff.

** MORNING GLORY

Not quite sure if this is Morning Glory or Good Morning but nevertheless they’re both on the same street and both of these store sell sewing stuff.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND: all kinds of beads, thread, glitter, ric rac, lace, fabric flowers, sequins, buttons, ribbons and all kinds of jewelry and sewing stuff that you can imagine.

**WELLMANSON SEWING NOTIONS

I don’t have a picture of the store, but yes, there is a Wellmanson store in Divisoria.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND: jewelry making materials, findings, beads, jewelry tools, glitter, feathers, ric rac, lace, swarovski crystals, little wire tie twisties,

**TUTUBAN MALL COMPLEX

I just discovered that Tutuban Mall was divided into three buildings - am not quite sure if this is how they’re called : 1) Prime (where National bookstore is)  2) Block (the building with the escalator 3) and Cluster (the one parallel to Recto)

99 Slice and Dice Steak resto - So far this is where we always eat when we are in Divisoria.  We usually have the beef salpicao and kangkong. Affordable and tasty.

I discovered that there were other interesting places to eat just outside Tutuban Prime, near the parking lot. Maybe we’ll try them next time:

This is where we parked. This is directly behind Tutuban Prime.

I asked the security guard to pose for me (feeling John L. hahaha) Ü

Finally, this is what happens when the malls close. NIGHT MARKET!!!!!!! Pardon the blur. I was trying to shoot while in a moving car. Ü I just wanted to show how the shopping is still relentless even at night.

If you’ll notice, my pictures start out bright under the heat of the summer sun and end with  street lights and headlights galore. That’s how long it took us in Divisoria. I think I’ve walked my feet to death. It felt like walking on a treadmill that you can’t get off from. aaaaack.

Overall, despite all the hassles and difficulties of shopping here, Divisoria is still the mother of all markets hands down.

Check out the first post I did on Divisoria here—> http://teystirol.com/2009/11/17/decoding-divisoria/

Hope this post helps someone. HAPPY SHOPPING EVERYONE!!!!!

Tags: Divisoria, Divisoria directions, divisoria suppliers

Food pics for foodies out there! These are some of the food escapades we did with the grandparents during their stay with us early Feb. this year. The kids love it when the grandparents come because part of the fun is finding new places to eat around town.

First stop, TRAVEL CAFE PHILIPPINES - Greenbelt 5

Kids are the best sales people you  can find. We had tried Travel Cafe for a quick snack of pandesal and tsokolate é a couple of years ago so when we passed by the resto with the grandparents, they enthusiastically recommended the place to them. Of course, how could the old folks decline with two persuasive adorable little sales tots. Ü Lunch it is!

My son ordered the tomato soup in a bread bowl…

… while the old folks ordered this deconstructed kare-kare dish. In contrast to kare-kare being served stew-style, the meat and veggies were served on a plate with the kare-kare sauce poured on top like gravy. Quite interesting. I liked the flavor although I would have preferred it to be drenched with more sauce.

Aside from the above we also sampled their adobo and beef ( I forgot the name of the dish but it was yummy and it was gone before I could take a pic). The old folks ended the meal with a hot mug of Cordillera Coffee served in a clay mug with a cute little “pitsel” for the milk- extremely hot and a bit pricey. I’m no coffee drinker but I  sipped a little bit just to taste and boy! it was a like a shot of nicotine straight to my veins! (barako sa tapang! very brave - joke Ü hehehe)

Next stop, MINI SHABU-SHABU - Bonifacio Hi Street

I took a shot of the interiors, nope, these are not cardboard displays…

… this geisha was directly above me Ü

Finally, the food… healthy and guilt-free…

…. a little bit guilty

Über guilty!!!!!!

… prepare to meet thy maker!

awww…

The kids had fun cooking their own food, although the little one had more fun cooking than eating.

You can almost smell it right?

One last look before they go into the hot pot!

Happy and satisfied! Ü

Tags: Bonifacio hi street, Chin chin shabu shabu, food trip, Greenbelt 5, mini shabu-shabu, restaurant review, restaurants, Travel Cafe

The old second hand 8-cylinder “bat-mobile” is gone. The red-plated Minica is no longer. The Mitsubishi lancer was sacrificially sold to pay for attorney’s fees to settle a sibling’s case. I remember these cars my father drove while I was growing up. I can still recall how big the “bat-mobile” was and how I would sink into the backseat and become nauseous. I could barely look out the window because it was too high. Or was I too small? One day it was no longer in our garage. Some time later, my father brought home a smaller car - a red-plated Minica. I remember my dad taking a picture of me in front of the car right before he drove me to PICC for my college graduation. Later on, he gave it back to the office when he retired and our garage was empty again. Finally, my father brought home a Mitsubishi Lancer. A car he bought with his retirement money. He lovingly took care of it. This car was his prized reward from all the years he had been working as a government employee. He would drive more than 40 kilometers just to fetch me and my dirty laundry from my dorm and then bring me back the following day. It didn’t matter even if it was already late in the night. I clearly remember those moments with him in the car. Everything was safe when I was with him. Unfortunately, there came a time that he had to sell it for a greater need. Without a thought he gave it up sacrificially to shoulder the legal fees of someone so dear to him. Our garage was empty once again. My father has since passed. I miss him terribly and though I’ve accepted the fact that he is in a better place, the pain is as real today as the day he left me.  Life is not the same.

Today, I have a family of my own - a husband, two kids. We have our own car, but it was just the other day that I realized something missing from it. I received an email that reminded me what it was. I quickly rummaged through our house to find it and when I finally did, tears welled up in my eyes. My childhood came flooding back to me and the little memento I found was the only witness to all those years of riding with my father. This little memento had been hanging in every car that we had. They are my old and tattered little red shoes that I wore when I was a baby. My father kept and preserved them and hung them on the rearview mirror in each and every car we ever had. Maybe my father wanted to remember me whenever he saw my shoes hanging on the mirror. Maybe he wanted me to be close by… to be within reach… to be his little baby even if he knew I was pursuing my own career. When we sold the Mitsubishi Lancer, I forgot all about those shoes. I got married, moved house and had kids. There was no place to hang them… until today. Thanks to that email, I can now hang my little red shoes once again. This time it’s to remind me of my father and how much he is still a part of my life. Hopefully, I can do the same for my own children - that they too will have many, many fond memories of riding with mom and dad in the car. Thank you, daddy. I love you and miss you.

(here are my little red shoes hanging in our car today)

Thank you Nuffnang for emailing me about this contest.

Tags: Nuffnang, Red shoes

My wife has mentioned previously an event where she saw digital images printed on canvas.  She was astonished at the price our friend paid for this product.  She mentioned that she could do the job if she had poster printing capability.  All she had to do was to print her art on poster size canvas to achieve to the look of the product she saw.  As she said, our friend would have gotten a better deal from her.  She might even have given one item away for free on our friend’s birthday.   A lot of times, it’s about being diligent in learning your craft and investing in the equipment you need.  A new printer is likely one of our next projects to augment Tes’ capability.

I’m still awake trying to finish blogs for Tes as she joins her webinar.  As I’m doing this, I get an email inquiry about the ballet lessons we offer here in Laguna Bel Air.  The lady seemed to beg for her daughter to be enrolled. So I send of the logistics for the trial class.  It’s amazing to see parents who are really committed to give their children what they need or desire.    For a lot of folks, ballet is a luxury. But for those who understand that it is a very good way to develop a child’s disciple and self-esteem, it is a necessity.  Kudos to the parent who sent this message at 2am.  I guess it’s worth my while to stay up with regards to the acne spot treatment I’ll need.

Tags: Ballet Laguna Bel Air, Ballet LBA2, Ballet Sta. Rosa Laguna

My wife has been going in and out of the  bathroom in the last couple of hours.  She attributes it to corn we had for dinner which she has a hard time digesting.  She has a very sensitive gastrointestinal system.  Things that normally makes her system go haywire are cream salads and raw fish.  These things likely cause her to have diarrhea.  At times she also experiences constipation.  When she was pregnant, she frequently sought relief for hemorrhoids.  I guess this motivates us to plan our meals better or be careful in our food preparation. All part of our lives as a members of one family.

As I write this, my wife is preparing to join her webinar, scheduled at 2am Philippine time.  Obviously, I’m also awake at this odd hour.  This is our typical routine. Last night, I decided to sleep early for a change.  It’s really good to have enough sleep to recharge your body.   It seem like my body realized that I needed sleep as it tried to get more rest throughout the day.     Rest really does something to you.  As you complete your rest, you seem to have extra energy as you do things.   It also ensures that you live a longer healthy life.  I was acquainted with a guy who eventually died of a heart attack because of complications of a 2 hour a day sleep time.  Consider that the next time you buy dark circle eye cream.

It’s about a year now since I started to return to ballet as a teacher.  Prior to that my life was pretty much sedentary.  I was stressed since most of my work was cerebral.  Now, I have the physcial and social aspects of a ballet teacher life to balance the analysis I do to correct my students.  From a 208 lbs weight to 182lbs, I’d like to say that I’m getting closer to becoming a weight loss success story.  The most important thing is that I feel that I am fulfilling God’s call in my life and that I enjoy the job so much.

Tags: teaching ballet