Finding Math Solutions Online

Many of the kids I work with struggle with math. Heck, even I struggled with the same thing all through school. Just this morning, I got word that one of my former students who is a fourth grader now is looking for a tutor to help her with her math problems. Finding a good tutor, especially this late in the school year, is a little difficult because most teachers I know are fully booked already. Whether its for statistics help, Precalculus help or chemistry help, tutors are in big demand.

So I suggested checking out online tutoring services. Online math tutoring can be a good alternative for her problems, especially since she's pretty competent with her studies anyway. She just needs the extra support and someone to check on her math answers for her homework. Also, I think that having this kind of supervision is sufficient enough for this girl's needs.

Perhaps if I were a student of today with the conveniences of modern technology, I would not have struggled as much. Who knows, with enough of this help, I could have graduated with honors instead.

...click to continue reading...

Cinema Peeves

Watching movies are supposed to be pleasurable experiences, right? Not so long ago, however, as I watched a film in Robinsons Place, I got so frustrated because of two very uncouth and disrespectful girls. For a good part of the movie, one of them was on a cellphone. And take note: she was on loudspeaker. Genius right? If I weren't so far away, I would have told her off. When she wasn't on the phone, she and her companion laughed and talked loudly.

I remember before when I was younger, there were ushers in movie houses right? I was hoping one would show up today and shush those girls up, or better yet, ask them to leave. In general I let those who chit chat during a movie go. I understand that it's almost human nature to do so. But to completely disregard rules of etiquette and consideration? Oh please.

...click to continue reading...

Celebrating 50 Years of Art with the Lopez Museum and Library

The Philippines has been blessed not only with wonderful natural resources like beaches and tourist destinations but also with an abundance of talented individuals. For fifty years now, the Lopez Museum and Library has housed amazing artworks and Filipiniana treasures such as paintings from National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Botong Fransisco. This year, the Lopez Museum celebrates 50th anniversary on February 18. In celebration, a series of events and launches are lined up, starting with the Unfolding book launch and opening of Threads exhibit which will be held at the Rockwell Tent.

"Unfolding Half a Century: The Lopez Memorial Museum" is a coffee table book that will surely of great interest to all art lovers out there. Alongside the book launch is the opening of the Threads: The Museum as Site for the Weaving of Tales. Threads is an exhibit that will feature the works of artists Jean Marie Syjuco, Ann Wizer,  Myra Beltran, Jef Carnay, Ann Pamintuan,  Leo Abaya and Kiri Dalena, each of whom were invited to craft a work or come up with a "cosplay" of a character found in the iconic works in the museum, essentially weaving their own tales based on the museum collection. These pieces will be exhibited at from February 19 to 25 at the Rockwell Power Plant Mall North Court.

Rounding out the Lopez Museum's 50th year celebration is it's anniversary exhibition at the museum premises which is located at the Ortigas Center in Pasig. Entitled After the Fact, the exhibition will feature the works of Gaston Damag, Antipas Delotavo, Imelda  Cajipe-Endaya and Keith Sicat, as well as key works from the museum collection.



Just last week I was talking to a friend and I remember saying one thing that is missing in the Philippines is a good venue for the appreciation for the arts. Apparently I was wrong. Sad to say, if not for the Lopez Museum and Library Facebook Page, I wouldn't have been aware of all of these! It's nice to know that our country has such an impressive musuem and library that actually now ranks as one of the finest in Asia. This is definitely something I have to check out soon!

...click to continue reading...

Happy Birthday Bubba!

 

Happy Birthday, Bubba

Happy Birthday, Bubba

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Bubba!

My little boy is 5 today :-) okay...he's not a little boy anymore. Its amazing how quickly time flies and he's grown so much. Just see the changes!

...click to continue reading...

Quick and Easy Photo Effects!

I am so jealous of my friend Janine's photoshopping skills. Try as I might, I can never get what she does! All I can manage to do is adjust lighting and brightness, but to do fun photoshop effects like making it seem that you are in another place or even better, in a drawing or big screen, is an impossibility for me. Much as I try, I can't seem to master the fine art of photo shop! Well, to be fair, I think if I really tried hard enough, I'd get it, but I don't really have the time or patience to do so.

Good thing I came across an online funny photo effects site which allows me to upload photos and in an instant, my photos are transformed! Take a look at these:

thanks Iris for the nice photo that I was able to transform!

I picked these effects because I always liked sketches but I'm too shy to pose for a portrait.Through this online program, I have what I wanted :-) There are lots of other funny pictures effects available, such as making your photo a tattoo, appear next to a white tiger, in a Rubik's cube and lots more. In fact, new effects are added daily.

Beat that Photoshop!  Granted that I am limited to the uploaded effects, the fact that there are so many effects to choose from definitely trumps that. Plus all the time I get to save from editing a photo over and over to get an effect that I want is a big bonus!

Here's another one I liked a lot! 

This is a nice treatment for one of my very favorite photos. I love how the sepia tones bring an old feeling to the photo. I used the same effect for other photos but this ended up being the best. Why don't you give it a try too? Take my word for it: trying out these effects can be addicting!

...click to continue reading...

Apple's Baaaack!!!!

After suffering through months of the wheel of death, I finally sent off Apple to a good friend who suggested that reformatting her would at least help with her spinning condition. True enough, Apple's back to normal. Even better I must say....she got a RAM upgrade too! Imagine, she was running at 512mb...no wonder! And I was ragging on those little Asus lappies  that only used to have 1gb. mwahahaha! Oops, my bad!!!

...click to continue reading...

Give Your Skin Some Flavor!

One of the things I noticed when I first lost weight (which unfortunately I've gained back since then!) is how I loose my skin had gotten, especially around the triceps area. Now that I'm getting older, I have also began to feel that my skin is not as firm and supple as it used to be. I've tried a myriad of firming lotions that promised results but I've always hated the feel of lotion especially in our hot weather so when I came across a toning soap that can help tone and tighten skin, I gave it a try.

I've been using this organic seaweed soap (seaweed and molasses with tea tree organic body bar to be exact) for about a week now. I like the somewhat minty smell the soap has and I was quite surprised at how easy it is to get the soap to lather. My previous experiences with organic soaps were quite different. Also, the bar remains firm up to now, unlike in the past where if I hold it too tight, the soap kind of gets squished. The first night I used it, I felt like my skin was a little bit too tight and itchy, especially in my legs, but upon looking at it, I saw that the old dead skin cells from my recent beach trip had started to fall out. Because the seaweed and molasses exfoliates the dead skin cells, I had started to (for lack of a better word!) shed off the dried and sunburnt skin. The next morning, I used the soap again and it felt nice. The minty smell, I guess coming from the tea tree oil and organic essences, made me feel refreshed. I also felt like my skin was scrubbed clean without the over-dried feeling I get from some harsher soaps. I have also read that tea tree oil acts as a cleanser and astringent. Perhaps this can also be a good anti-pimple soap because of that. I've been having break-outs recently due to hormones that are acting up so I guess I can see if this will be effective.

Body Flavors Enterprises is the brainchild of founder and CEO Azenith C. Badana who is, like me, a beach lover. She also is an advocate for Mother Nature, thus her desire to come up with products that are eco-friendly. Her soaps are purely organic, 100% natural  and safe on the skin. It is based on VCO or Virgin Coconut Oil which has a lot of very good anti-aging qualities, plus it is truly very Pinoy. The soaps come in different variants so you can definitely give your skin the flavor it deserves.

Body Flavors Seaweed and Molasses Organic Body Bar retails for Php 100.00. See more Body Flavors here: http://bodyflavors.smilds.com. Body Flavors is also available at the Health Buff Wellness Shop, Unit 212 (2nd level) Doña Anita Building, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City (across St. Luke's Medical Center/ Burger King).

...click to continue reading...

Only in the Philippines.

Every day as I drive home, I see countless campaign streamers from those promising change to those that claim they have a solution to the ills of our nation. However, every time I see these ads, I think to myself, only in the Philippines.

It still baffles me how our political system works. Okay, granted I am not one who really gets deeply ingrained in the system, but I still find it amazing how people in power can stay in power almost forever. It's interesting to see how even those convicted of crimes are able to still be part of the political system. What's sad about our political system, I think, is that despite the fact that many want to make a difference, the deeply rooted problems of graft and corruption are still overpowering.

At the end of the day, I guess the one thing I can do in hopefully making a change is by empowering myself and arming myself with information, especially now that the elections are coming up. I haven't really made a solid decision as to who to support and why I would support them, but for now, I will explore the options and make sure I don't make my vote go to waste.

...click to continue reading...

Homeowner Dreams and No More Rental Wishes.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

If there is one dream that is true to most people, it's the dream of owning your own home. It goes beyond just the quintessential American dream. When you own place of your own, it gives you more than just a house to live in, but for all intents and purposes, a HOME. For many Filipinos, whether here or abroad, owning a home can be an elusive dream. While we may have loans available such as that with Pag-ibig, or the government run housing loan system, the costs can be way beyond what a typical family makes. Unlike in the US, especially nowadays, there are a lot of incentives to purchasing a home now. In fact, applying for the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits  has been extended until April 30, 2010. This would be valid so long as the closing date of the contract is on or before June 30, 2010.

This gives potential homeowners, even first time buyers, an opportunity to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits. Learn more by browsing through the Coldwell Banker website. As an added bonus, looking for a home is made even more accessible as you can start looking for your dream home right. Through this tax credit deal, more people can not only make the most of their hard earned buck, but they can  make their homeowner dreams and no more rental wishes come true!

...click to continue reading...

The Benefits of a Foreign Education.

I never really gave studying abroad much thought before. To be honest, even my application for graduate school was not given much thought in the beginning. I actually enrolled on a whim. At the end of the day, I realize it was a great spur of the moment decision. It has made a big difference in my life and how things have fallen into place for me. If I were to do it over, I probably would have thought more about my decision and considered the many options out there for those who want further education. Perhaps, I would have considered going abroad to study.

Last night, I was invited to an event hosted by the British Council that highlighted many education opportunities for Filipinos in the UK. During the dinner, we heard from two Filipinos, both of whom were granted scholarships by the British Council to schools in the UK, such as the London School of Economics. Both students stressed one thing about their British education: more than just being "taught", they learned. They learned to ask the right questions, they learned to think and they learned to live life more fully. From their perspectives, I got to see how getting a foreign education can really broaden one's way of thinking and open one's eyes to a world beyond just imagination.

Getting an education in the UK is easier than one would think. As part of the British Council's GO: Know More, Do More, Live More campaign, a series of Education UK events will be held across the metro where anyone can come by and find out how they can pursue higher education in the fields of Technology, Beauty and Fashion, and Business and Entrepreneurship. Interesting courses include a masters degree in F1 Engineering, clay pottery, and Women's Wear. If I'm not mistaken, even the kapamilya star Angel Locsin enrolled in a short course in one of UK's prestigious schools.

Admission to all the Education UK events are free.

Education UK events will be held on the following dates at the following venues:
Alumni Counselling Session, January 29, 2010 at the Makati Shangri-la
Funding Options Seminar, February 19, 2010 at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street
Education UK Exhibition, March 5-6, 2010 at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel

...click to continue reading...

It's A Boy...and a Girl!

I got the most exciting news from one of  my best friend Kai.....she and her hubby are finally expecting! And yes...they're having twins!!! I am so happy for her, the only downside to her whole pregnancy and upcoming motherhood is the fact that she is doing it all the way in Florida. Hopefully I get to see more than just pictures of the babies when they come. Unlike most best friends, Kai and I can't go shopping for baby stuff together because of the fact that we live so far apart. However, we get to browse online and check out stuff she would need for their arrival. I definitely would not be around for her baby shower, but if I were, I would probably get her the strollers she would need for the babies as a baby shower gift. I like the fact that this would be a gift that grows along with the kids as they could use this for at least the first year of their lives right?

But again, given our limitations, we just exchange links and communicate online as much as we can.  In as much as I can, I try to help her out with researching about products, techniques, and the like that would really help make welcoming the twins easier for her. Since she and her hubby are quite active people, I suggested to her she check out those double strollers that are designed for jogging or running. I honestly would never have thought of that on my own, but as I browsed a websites of strollers I came across how these strollers are designed for the fitness conscious parent. Not only is the stroller streamlined and designed to accommodate the parents, it also has a suspension system that acts like a shock absorber so that the babies are snug and comfy. Cool huh? And all this time all I really thought of was the importance of choosing good umbrella strollers, especially since we all know the importance of protecting our skin from the sun's harmful rays. While she may not need the stroller right away, I guess it wouldn't hurt to canvass for the best option as early as now right?

...click to continue reading...

I ♥ Studio 23 FUSE!

Random, I know, but it has to be said: I LOVE STUDIO 23's Fresh US Episodes!!! I particularly love the fact that I don't have to wait so long to be able to watch Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice episodes. It's a few weeks delayed from the US airdate (approximately two weeks give or take) but compared to before where it would be MONTHS before I could catch an episode, this is fabulous! Wala lang, yun lang!

...click to continue reading...