2009 Manila International Auto Show

Ever since Patrick took up that writer's position for Top Gear Online Digital Magazine, our weekends have often been spent at car shows. Last April 2-5, the 2009 Manila International Auto Show was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City and we spent both Saturday and Sunday there LOL

Trip to Go Soc and Wilcon Builders Depot

One of the best parts about renovating or reconstructing a house is buying the materials.. Since we're fixing our bathroom and the connecting bedroom, it's been very exciting to see it all come together. So last April 2nd, Lolo Ben, Den, the kids and I went to Balintawak to browse the numerous shops there for ceramic tiles, sanitary wares, plumbing fixtures etc.

Since I didn't have any idea what color the bathroom would be, I decided going to a shop with a showroom may be a good idea. At least they have all the fixtures laid out and it's simply a matter of replicating them in your own bathroom. So that's what we did. I asked my Dad to drive us around since he had a bigger car hehe

We finally saw what we liked at GO SOC & SONS SY GUI HUAT, INC. . The big plus was that they were on sale too! Who could pass up a deal like that?! hahaha So we simply went around the huge warehouse until we were directed to the showroom in the next building. Here we went crazy looking at the different designs. You can even feel free to grave the tiles off the shelves and mix and match your own. The staff was pretty helpful and tolerant (whew! they were really nice to speak with!) and the service was pretty fast. We bought all of the tiles we needed from here because they were

Next, we went to Wilcon Builders Depot for our sanitary wares. It was also nearby, just a few minutes away. I was floored when I saw how big it was!! Man, I was in heaven hahahaha The first building we went to was their showroom and it was so fun and exciting to be roaming it LOL When I asked about a particular package they directed us to their "warehouse" type of building where all the other products were located. It was awesome and immense!!


I've always had my eye on a dual-flush toilet. First, it's economical and second it looks cool hahaha but given my budget I wasn't too sure I could afford it. But when I got there, the first thing I asked our salesclerk was to show me the low-cost packages of dual flush toilets. Well, fortuntely for me, they were on sale! woohoo!! From the original price of P8790, it was down to P7,032. I was staggered because usually dual flush toilets were in the range of P10K and above. I settled for the Royal Tern brand because we had the same brand in our house and it never broke down. Patronize Filipino products I say LOL Plus, the toilet bowl was bigger compared to some and that was a consideration Patrick raised before when we were looking at toilets LOL His big butt needed to fit in it LOL Together with this, we also bought a telephone shower, a bathroom mirror, a handheld bidet, a towel rack, a glass shelf and floor drains :)

The drive home was funny.. We were moving so slow because my Dad's van was a little lowered at the back from the weight of all those tiles and sanitary wares LOL I did give him some money for the day for the wear and tear and for the service LOL

It was a fun and exciting day! Good day of bonding for Lolo Ben and the kids :)

In search of a school

April 1st - Happy April Fool's Day!

What a great day to look for a school or so I thought. School has been on my mind since my daughter, Dana, turned 3. I knew kids as young as 1 were already put in preschool/day care/nursery or whatever you call it. Though I didn't put her in school, I did teach her at home and by 2 she already knew her alphabet, her numbers, her colors and shapes. She can even express herself in clear, concise sentences. Though that's probably normal for other kids :)

Well, now that she's 5, I thought that's the right time to put a child in school. So we, my aunt and I and the 2 kids, went to nearby schools to check for their admission requirements and to check whether Dana liked the school.

The first school we went to don't admit kids her age if they haven't been to a preschool. They preferred that the children who are enrolling in their school are already adjusted to the school scenario.. well hooray for them (and I mean this sarcastically) Just because a kid didn't go to school yet doesn't mean he can't adjust to school life.. and if he can't yet, then shouldn't the school do everything in its power to help him adjust???!!!

And the funny thing was when they said that if Dana hasn't been to school maybe she'll have a hard time with the mode of instruction, which was English! Well helloooo.. news flash!! my kid speaks English because it's her first language!!! To cut may rant short.. that school was out!!

Next school. They accepted kids without having previous school experience. Great!! but there was a catch. She'll be demoted !!! I was like, you're not even going to test her? No. They said. They placed kids based on age and not intelligence.. well, needless to say, that school was out...

Talk about frustration!!Where have all the good schools gone? I remember it was just Kinder and then Grade 1 when I was young. When Den went to school, she had to go through Kinder 1 and Kinder 2 before Grade 1. Now, it's becoming a requirement to go through all 3 stages - Nursery, Kinder, Preparatory, before you reach Grade 1. Imagine the cost of education for parents!! We're talking P15K at the least and some even go as high as P60K for these preschool years. Won't kids get tired of all this schooling??? I wonder..

Now, I'm looking at schools that will test your child and then make the determination for which grade level she should be in. They may cost a little more than other schools but it's better to start right, right?