Who remembers Piko, Tumbang Preso, Harangan Tubig and Luksong Tinik? I bet those born in the 70's or 80's will say yes. I really miss playing those games and I wish I could still at my age. The energy and excitement makes me want to turn back the time. Laughter and sweat are the results of doing those kinds of activities plus the chance to mingle with friends and siblings. Interaction allows every child to develop their social skills and physical health benefits from those games.

Slowly every year, new games were introduced. Game boards, Game and Watches, Atari, Family Computer, Brick Games and Tamagochi are some of those games that eventually replaced the Chinese Garter.

Now comes the digital age. The dawn of cellular phones triggered the influx of modern games tough computers were accessible but were mainly used for study and work. PlayStation, Xbox and Wii quickly evolved and made constant upgrades that left people wanting for more. The mobile technology adopted the features of computers and created tablets and phones with Android and Windows applications. The prices decreased as the number of gaming products multiplied, which allowed people from all walks of life; young or old, rich or poor, educated or not; gained access to these gadgets.

This just shows that playing is not restricted to a person’s status. It may have evolved from physical to mental and mental to eye-hand coordination challenges, same satisfaction is achieved.

Each person will remember the games depending on the generation they belong to. What matters is the experience and the skills developed through it. Always remember the main purpose and idea of the game. Be it a physical challenge, mental or I.Q. test, strategy building and tactics, response/reaction test and so on. Just play, enjoy and let us see what’s coming next.

In the Philippines, if you need to process papers regarding land titles, most likely you will hire someone to do it for you though it will cost you a lot of money compared to doing it on your own. The payment is not just for the expenses incurred like the transportation, fees and sad to say; bribe to make the process expedited but also the hassles you will encounter from going back and forth to the government agencies you need to transact with.

My first experience doing the task gave me a handful of frustrations and effort. The job was originally assigned to an agent but unfortunately, he was not able to do it though we already paid his service. Waiting for a long time, I was asked by my father to try it since the first tasks were accomplished by me. Hesitant and all, I followed. I know that it’s going to be hard but I need to do it because the documents at hand will be expired and will not be honored anymore. For more than 5 years, I’ve been able to do the same even for just a minimal fee. I try not to be like other document specialists or so called ‘agents’ who ask for a big price in exchange for their services. I fully understand the situation of clients like us who experienced paying an agent but unable to complete the job for a high price.

I would like to share the general steps for transferring a land title for reference.

·        -  Secure the documentary requirements at the Registry of Deeds and Municipal or Provincial Assessor’s Office.

·         - Secure assessment of transfer taxes at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Municipal or City Treasurer’s Office.

·         - File documents at the BIR for the issuance of Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) or BIR Clearance.

·         - Pay the Transfer Taxes and secure the Tax Clearance.

·         - File documents at the Registry of Deeds for the issuance of new land title.

·         - File documents at the Municipal or Provincial Assessor’s Office for the issuance of new Tax Declaration.

Some steps may differ depending on the type of title you will transfer, e.g. CLOA or Certificate of Land Ownership Award which requires more documentation than regular land titles.

September 17, 2010

I consider it the hardest but the most rewarding experience of my life. Giving birth and caring for my own child.

I used to think that I will stay single forever and being a mom is the least that I can be. It’s not that I don’t like children. In fact, I used to take care of my nieces and nephews. I also went to Singapore to help my uncle and aunt take care of their daughter. I even thought looking after other people’s children (relatives or not) will be my fate.

Now I know that it is just a preparation for me as a mother. I married late. It took almost 2 years before I got pregnant. When the day I knew that I have a baby inside of me, there were mixed emotions that lingered in my heart. I don’t know if I’m happy or not; worried or excited; shocked or amazed.

After 8 months of nurturing a soul inside my body (my baby was premature and I suffered preeclampsia on the 7^th month of pregnancy), I finally saw my child. It was painful on the first strike of labor (which lasted for 2 days) but when he was finally out, I felt so much joy and gratitude that we both survived. 

My husband was not around when I gave birth. He needed to work overseas on the second month of conception in order to give us a better future. Though he is not with us physically, he always checked on us whenever he had the time. 

I wondered where I got my strength in taking care of my baby full time, without having a reliever or household help. Maybe mothers like me naturally have this skill in managing time and joggling duties without compromising the attention and care for her children. Thanks to the experiences I had in taking care of children at a young age.

second trimester

September 17, 2010

Mye Jerico 

4 Months Old 

Happy Baby

Are you feeling stressed out? It may be due to work, family, finances or relationship? Whatever the reason, we can’t help but feel it.

We have different coping mechanisms toward stress. Some people turn to eating comfort food; shopping; watching TV shows, movies or videos on YouTube; playing games like badminton or chess; running, biking or hiking; and singing your heart out in a Videoke bar. However you like to do it, there is only one goal: Relax and Take a Break.

I have my fair share of stressors around me. I often feel numb and helpless every time it comes around. I tried different approaches in dealing with stress. Playing games on a tablet, watching Korean TV series, cross-stitching, writing poems and even trying to cook any recipe I saw on the internet. I often neglect everything around me. I only focus on my daily routine: waking up, eating, taking care of my child, doing household chores, marketing, looking after my small store, sleeping and thinking about my problems. It is really boring and monotonous. I don’t even know if I have a social life. I seldom meet friends (I only have a few) and not really comfortable of small talks with people I don’t know.

Then recently, I came across a post on Facebook, where a friend of mine shared her journey to Alaska by posting pictures of nature (flowers, fruits, fish, streams and mountains). I felt so relieved and thought of going outside the house and checked our very own garden. I took a camera and started taking pictures of plants and flowers. I never thought that nature itself is therapeutic and suddenly cleared all worries in my mind. I was able to at least stop for a while, breath and see how beautiful the world is. All creations complement each other. It made me understand that life should be lived by the day. Other living creatures does not worry too much about what to do or even what to eat on the coming days because it will be provided. What matters is today and how we make the most from it.