Please visit my new self hosted site

To all my readers and friend I moved this blog to www.filipinamom.com

or  www.filipina.dk

Please bear with me since I’m still trying to figure out this new world of blogging.

My new post is Twin delight about my new twin nephews baby Javier and baby Antonio.

See you all there

My son’s first date

Today we went to visit a little girl who really likes my son.  Her parent told me that she always talking about my son almost everyday so they think they can spent some time playing.  Her father actually told last year’s christmas party that they alway refer to my son as their daughter’s boyfriend.  We planned several times to meet but we we’re so busy.  But now it happened and it was so nice and cozy and I think they had so much fun.  They hugged and kissed when they first saw each other and can not believed their eyes that they meet again. The little girl had already stopped going to the day care for a month now because she will start in the kindergarden.

Well I can not blame this little girl (the second one on the right) why he can not forget my son,just look at my son he  is so charming.

It was a nice  day,  we sat down in their backyard while watching these two kids playing and catching up.

And the proud parents,  we were ecstatic that these precious kids can run as fast as lightning while we just can’t believe how time flies so quickly.   2 years ago they’re just lying on their stomach in the day care now they already running and talking.

Hello Philippines!!!

After 6 years I will be back in my beloved country together with my hubby and my son.
I remember the excitement whenever my parents (yes I’m one of the millions Filipino global families) or my aunts and uncles go home to the Philippines. Anticipating what it’s in for me when they open their suitcases and wonder what resorts we’re going to visit.

But now it’s my turn. I’ve been crazy hunting anything in my closet and all the malls scouting for anything I can bring home. My nieces and nephew are teenagers now so it took me a long time to find out something that they will like. Good thing we still have the summer sale going on. I can’t afford to buy expensive gifts since I’m only a student but I already filled 2 suit cases. My sister asked me where do I get my money since don’t work. Well thanks to a very understanding husband my money is my own except I pay for my son’s day care, but the rest is mine and I’m good in saving because I know this moment will come then I don’t have ask him to buy those pasalubongs which he will have the hard time understanding.

25 days is very short time for a visit and I don’t know if I can visit all my friends and visit a lot of places but definately I will spent some time with my family my nieces, cousins and uncle and not to forget my grandmothers who are in their 90’s I hope they still can remember me but I’m sure they are glad that now I’m happily married and did not end up as a old maid.

It’s not a good time to visit the Philippines because it is a wet season but I don’t any choice it the summer vacation here in Europe so I have to make the most of it and pray that there will not come any typhoon or floods. Or we just stay on the beach everyday.

10 days more……and we will be there…

The Joy of Blogging

Since 2002 when I discover blogging, I was just a reader or what they call a blog hopper . I discovered it when I was homesick and I goggled anything about the Philippines. Back then I enjoy reading other blogs most were through Pinoyblog.com get to know some who were pioneer i pinoy blogging. Then I started to blog but I don’t know what to write about. But I was a perfectionist I want to write like the big timers but I’m not a writer and i also got scared on what I read in some comments or in the forums where even the slightest grammatical error were commented. I thought I can not take that.

Just like learning the a new language at first I was so hesitant to speak even I got a grade of 10 (B)in writing and grammar but I’m still poor in communication because everybody was correcting me and I don’t want to be corrected even with good or bad intentions. But then somebody told me just speak so that you learn, it’s their problem if they can’t understand you, she told me. So I did, even my tongue got twisted I tried and now they can not sell me anymore.

The lesson is I don’t care if my writing is not peerfect but maybe in a year or so I will improve so just I write to my hearts content. And for the first time, 2 weeks ago my stats counter plummeted from just less than 100 to now 442 hits wow and someone commented. I felt the excitement especially when there’s some comments waiting to be moderated and wow it’s nice to be noticed especially some of the fellow mommy bloggers like Brownpinay, pinaymommyonline, and desperateblogger cared to visit my site and commented and linked my site to them. I felt ecstatic, I thought star bloggers are snob but not all. All I need to do is to interact not just a reader then you’ll get a response.

So to all who those who read my blog thank you for your time and I try my best to come up with something. I read a tip that you just act yourself so I going to blog about what I like and care about and I will publish some posts that’s been lying on my draft for along time.

I new to this so just hang on there I’m still in the process of learning if you have any corrections, tips or comments I would surely welcome it.

Happy blogging!!!

Free 50 GB storage

Filipinos are crazy about taking pictures and I’m no exception. Ever since I became mom I already out of the picture, it’s always my son or my nephew. With the new mobile phone and digital cameras there’s nothing to stop you taking pictures. I think we already accumulated 10-12,000 pictures not including pictures in my telephone.

Hard disk are getting cheaper each day same with the usb memory card with 16 GB but if you taking a lot of pictures and you have a lot mp3s and movies even 2000 GB oh hard disk will soon be over flooded. I read one blogger I forgot his site but he said that you should have a back up at home, somewhere at a web hosting or those you can find on the net. Don’t just rely on the your harddrive and cd or dvd because sometimes accidents happens. I always carry my 8 GB usb memory key but sometimes I forget it so it’s also not reliable if your like me who always forgetting something.

I’m working with computers most of the times so it is also important for me to store my files somewhere where I can access it whenever or wherever I am. Even we have a server at school but sometimes theres some problem like now they are resetting our servers I lost all my files and emails. I own a 17″ laptop but its too heavy to carry so I seldom bring it with me. Another reason is that they forbid connecting private laptop with the school servers for security reasons.

I tried to avail of these free storage but they require you to download the program and offering only 2 or 5 GB. Because I work with computer most of the times I have some 8GB of usb memory key but sometimes I forgot so it is not reliable. We also made copies by burning to a dvd but it will not last.

Now it is a not problem anymore there’s free 50 GB a free storage and you don’t need to download any program. Just sign in and you ready to back up your files. You can upload by batch if you have java but it’s a little bit slow when you upload more than a hundred the same time. You can also share with family and friends. I don’t get paid for blogging about them but I think it’s my way of thanking them for giving us a free storage. You can click the logo to sign up or go to www.adrive.com

Plurk timeline

Plurk.com

I love my Bicycle

My son today cycle all the way to the day care around 300m. We crossed some streets and two stoplights. It went smooth but of course I have to be very fast. We bought a 2 wheeled without support bicycle for him because the 3 wheeled bicycle was too easy for him. It will improve his balancing ability which will prepare him when he will use the real cycle when he turns 4 or 5 years old. It will also train him to use the brake and the important thing

This is actually good choice because it is too light only 3.1 kilos so when I can carry it anytime when he’s tired or carry it home in the 4th floor. There is also a pedal kit that you can install when he’s older enough to use the pedal but unfortunately the dealer don’t have any stocks. It took me while to choose between two different German made bicycle which is around 1200 DKK (@220 US$) but this one I chose was cheaper only 600 DKK but it looks more like small version bicycle and I like the color.

He’s very proud of it and every time he meet somebody he just say “See my new bike I love my bike”.

Biting toddlers-

Update on my earlier post about my son’s biting habits. We met with the personnel on the day care for the second time 4 months after the first meeting because they were very worried about my son’s biting other children. He wants to play but he don’t know how to respect other children borders. They gave us a month to observe him and suggested that we seek help and find a child psychologist to help him because they think he’s socially way behind. This keeps me worried and look back what I have done wrong but according to his doctor he will outgrow it he’s totally normal he said.

One month passed we did not heard from the day care because he was sick for 3 weeks so it was forgotten or maybe he just changed his habits. He also learned to push and hit that but I think slowly he learned how to behave with other children. But still I watch him carefully whenever he’s in the playground because he might push other children when he don’t get what he wants.

Two months had passed I can see that he’s playing fine with his cousin but now it’s the other way around my son always tells me “Mother He bites me”. Now he’s on the other side he’s now getting bite marks as often from his cousin same as he given him before.

It’s the same reasons why my nephew bites because he can not express what he wants. But the problem is my sister can not speak danish so she speaks to him in Filipino and English and of course danish. Last Friday their pedagog spoke to us because they don’t know what to do with our children because my son was bitten by the cousin and they also hit each other once in a while. Note that they are in the same team or room in the day care.

Are we filipinamoms are different in upbringing our children? But some wiser parents told us that it’s normal because they are like pseudo twins and we are live right next to each other. There is sometimes jealousy and fighting to their way for our attention.n At home of course it happens sometimes but they easily forgot the episode say I’m sorry and hug each other and everything will be fine. It’s funny though that my son can say you should not bite other children, you should not hit other children, you should not push other children and so forth when his cousin did something.

The pedagog said that they going crazy with our children they even think of separating them but of course it will can’t be. I think they just have energy than most danish children. I have a classmate who studed something about genetics said that a product of two races inherit the strong character from both sides. I don’t know if that’s true but our boys are surely energetic but they also sweet as angels.

Helicopter Parents

I just read an article today from Søndagavisen, a free weekly newspaper about this Helicopter parents. It is funny word but I think this is a special danish word for parents who control or steers their children life. This  article is about the increasing numbers of parents who keeps calling the universities or other educational institutions regarding their children’s university’s applications. Note that July 5 is the last day of sending nationwide college application.

Many parents takes care of almost all of their children problems like just like this sending the application on time while their children are in Roskilde festival or traveling.  The authorities in the some universities are busier than ever answering queries and complaints from than from applicants.

They also said that this phenomenon’s is widely known known in the USA where parents form a union,  I think it is College of Parents America.  Some of the experts they interview were quite alarm by this parents controlling their children’s affair.  They said that children will become so dependent of their parents and children will totally be crushed when their parents gone, since they will not live forever.

If they only how is it in the Philippines. It so natural for the Filipino parents  to decide their children’s course in the  future.  Some wanted their children to be in the same profession as the parents for example doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. but some also dreams that their children will be someone in the future. Most parent are so protective that they even deliver and fetch them in school even they are already in college.

Here in Denmark where children moves out when they turn 18 and decide to study. They have to find and pay their own apartment and just  live with their SU, the state’s stipend.  They have to work part time if their expenses can not be suppoted by their stipend.

But back in the Philippines parents shoulder everything form tuition fees to board and lodging and allowances.  That is why children just have to concentrate studying.

But I think I will be a part time Helicopter parent because I’m a Filipina mom.  I want the best for my son and I will always guide him continue studying but I will not dictate him what I want him to be but what he wanted to be.  I will see to it that he will go to college because here in Denmark only  half from the high school graduates  go to college.  Most of them don’t know what course to take, some don’t get accepted,  some don’t have place in the college so they work after that they take a detour forgot about college.  Of course it’s doesn’t make then lesser person because here everybody is equal whoever you are garbage man or member of the parliament has same rights and privileges in their social welfare.  But they have free education and stipend which I think is a privilege just imagine in the Philippines we have to pay everything.

How about you are you gonna be a Helicopter Parent?

Bicycle keeps yourself physically fit and our environment

My son is already 2 1/2 year old but I still have the same weight after I give birth. It’s been a off and on affair with the weigh scale. I lost 10 kilos while I worked for a few months but when I went back to school as so my 10 kilos.

A month ago I decided to bike to school but how about my son that I have to deliver to the daycare. We just bought child seat. We chose to buy this model from Bo Bike from Holland, it’s expensive but reliable. It’s fast and I feel fresh and energized whenever I arrive in school. Then I have at least 50 us $ extra per month and don’t need to go fitness center. In this time of high oil prices it will be a big help both financially and for the environment.

At first my son was afraid but two days after he’s already so ecstatic riding with me. I also noticed that he became matured when we ‘re going out, he takes his cycle helmet and go direct to my bicycle and wait for me. Before he runs straight to the playground or and doesn’t want to sit on his stroller. Maybe he feels thats he’s already became one of the big boys when he’s able to ride the bicycle. Another plus, we can just go anywhere except that he won’t fall asleep, then its hard to balance while his head is hanging sideways or in my back. Another disadvantage is I can’t shop while his with me unlike using the stroller theres a shopping net underneath. Or maybe it is good for me to control my shopping or buying sprees.

I read somewhere I think last year fromTv2 about a research with most obese women in Europe that Denmark lies No.3 among the least obese. This is due to the bicycle culture and the healthy eating habits of the danish women.

Heres a link to the UNECE.ORG STATISTICAL DATA ABOUT OBESITY

This statistics form UNECE includes men and women and Sweden which just 30minutes away from here are the least obese women in Europe. While USA and Uk are in the bottom.

Holland and Denmark are the biggest cycling nations in the world wherein the infrasture system includes the bicycle lanes. Maybe because these two countries are almost flat which is makes cycling nice and easy. In this country there a still a lot of old people in their 80’s still using the bicycle. I hope I can still manage to do it when I turn 80.

My first bicycle I was a mountain bike with 24 gears until I was 7months pregnant but my husband bought me a lower geared old lady bike the one in the pictured above and used it until 3 days before I gave birth. I miss my mountain bike which drives faster but this present one is much easier to use. And I love my bicycle and so is my son.