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It’s Never Too Late to be a Better Me with the SoMoms

It’s never too late to reinvent or better one’s self.

I’m a golden girl who has been out of corporate life since the mid 90s. It was not a very difficult decision. I almost lost my 4th child while working on a very critical joint venture. The incident made me rethink my previously busy and stressful life and made me exchange it for a homemaker’s hat.

In 2006, I discovered the joys of blogging and began my yoga practice. In 2009, the opportunity to become a citizen advocate opened up to me when I became part of Blog Watch, a citizen watchdog made up of bloggers who pursued social, economic, civic and political issues in order to be catalysts for change. As social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, among others, mushroomed, I found myself engaging netizens more and more on these platforms. With my kids all grown up and half of them out of school and working already, I had more time to pursue activities that were not just personal passions (I should have done these ages ago!) but advocacies that I hope would shape the future for my kids,their kids and everyone else’s kids.

It was a good feeling to see myself transform from 1) this career-driven, corporate woman whose wardrobe consisted of mostly office suits to 2) homemaker who spent a good decade just raising kids and being active in school and once more to 3) an active citizen in the arena of social change through blogging and social media.

What I did not realize was that I was to go through another transformation. One that is still a work-in-progress up to now.

The opportunity first presented itself when Noemi and I joined a group called the #SoMoms (short for Social Media Moms).

Read about how I joined the #SoMoms here.

Soon after I became part of SoMoms, I attended a life coaching talk by Coach Pia Nazareno-Acevedo of OneCORE with the mommies.

Coach Pia

You’d think that at my age, I would have all the experience and know-how I need for the rest of my life. But no. Coach Pia opened my eyes to even more possibilities and opportunities to make the rest of that life more meaningful, not just for me but for my family too. Another chance to be a “Better Me”.

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Forever a Mom and proud to be part of Mommy Mundo SoMoms, a network of moms on social media

Once a Mom, always a Mom….

This is so true. I remember my own late Mom who fussed over me even when I was already an adult. She sent me off to graduate studies in the U.S. with a thick wad of index cards on which she lovingly wrote recipes I could whip up in a short time. She worried I would not eat well and wanted me to have some of her home recipes to bring with me. Even when I got married and had one child after another, I could always count on her advice and years of wisdom to see me through difficult parenting phases.

But unlike my Mom who chose to give up her music career early on in her motherhood days, I continued on my very career-driven, stressful corporate life till our fourth child was born. A threatened abortion was my wake-up call that made me assess what was truly important in life – my job or family. The latter won out. I left behind a promising career, an executive position and a comfortable salary to stay home and raise my kids.

Continue reading “Forever a Mom and proud to be part of Mommy Mundo SoMoms, a network of moms on social media”

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Watching the 2012 U.S. Elections and the role of social media

Tomorrow, the United States will choose their President for the next 4 years. Will it still be Pres. Barack Obama for a second term? Or will the next President be Gov. Mitt Romney?

Together with a few other blogger friends, Noemi and Juned, I got a sampling of activities and issues in the run-up to the November 6 U.S. elections when we attended the “Kapihan sa Embahada”, the second in a series of coffee talk and open fora organized by the U.S. Embassy of Manila.

U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. opened the Kapihan by describing this election as something you would not have seen in his childhood days. He specifically said that back when he was a child, no one would ever have imagined someone from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints going up against an African-American for the Presidency. He calls this a “positive change” and wished his father was still alive to see the state of U.S. elections.

Another change, Amb. Thomas said, is that there are many Filipino-Americans in California and Hawaii who are running for office. In fact in Nevada, where there are very large Filipino communities, he said you can find ballots in Tagalog (a major Philippine national dialect)! Filipinos are the 2nd largest Asian-American group in the U.S. Imagine the kind of influence they wield!

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“Not in Our School” anti-bullying campaign launches

Is your kid reluctant to go to school every day? Does he/she feign illness at times?

Do you find missing school stuff, broken pencils or damaged school items?

Does your child come home always hungry or always asking you for more pocket money?

Watch out because your child might be the victim of bullying in school.

I was always told, in my younger days: “Sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words will never hurt me”. Never has a cliche been so wrong because spiteful words CAN hurt. Glaring looks can hurt. Destruction of one’s property can hurt. A person’s self-esteem can be impaired for life.

Bullying has long existed but I think it has gotten worse, judging from the growing number of bullying-related suicides whose victims are growing younger and younger. What makes matters worse, I think, is the almost dismissive, non-serious attention given to reported bullying incidents. Guidance counselors in schools don’t seem trained to handle these kinds of situations.

“Boys will be boys” (Bullying is NOT normal boys’ play)

“Just tell your child to avoid the bully” (You can’t avoid a bully who chooses to come up to you even if you try to stay away)

“Don’t worry. I will speak with him/her (the bully)” (Most times this strategy doesn’t really resolve the issue and the bullying sometimes gets even worse.)

Bullying is a reflection, I think, of the ills of society. The bully himself is a victim. Oftentimes, he is bullied at home and his only outlet is to turn into one himself with hapless victims in school. But of course, the real victims are the bullied children. Oftentimes, they choose to keep this to themselves, ashamed to let others know they are being subjected to abuse and harassment daily in school. Parents are oftentimes the last to know. And in some cases, the only time they find out is when their child takes the ultimate escape from the torture – suicide.

Well, I am finally happy that bullying in schools is getting its well-deserved attention with an anti-bullying campaign that is about to go nationwide and I hope it is eventually going to be nipped for good.

“Bully” the Movie

The Jesuit Basic Education Commission (JBEC) in cooperation with Solar Entertainment, is bringing in an acclaimed documentary film “Bully” to the Philippines. The film features actual experiences of bully victims in high schools in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Two of the boys featured, Tyler Long and Ty Smalley), committed suicide after enduring taunts and physical assault.

Alex, one of the 5 bullied kids in the movie
What looks like an innocent bus ride became a torturous experience for Alex

A by-invitation premiere of “Bully” will happen at Robinsons Galleria Cinema 4 on November 13, 2012 at 6:30pm. That will be followed by a theatrical run, also in November, through several Saturday block screenings in Robinsons Galleria for schools that want to show the film for their communities. Campus screenings can also be arranged for a minimal fee. Teachers and parents will be provided with discussion guides to properly process the movie’s message.

Directed by Sundance and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, Bully documents the real stories of 5 bullied kids and their families. Filmed over the course of schoolyears 2009/2010, Bully shows us the painful experiences of bullied American kids, revealing problems that cross geographical, racial, ethnic and economic borders. The movie also shows how the affected parents began a growing movement to change how incidents of bullying are handled in their schools, communities and society as a whole.

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HSBC Recognizes 5 Outstanding High School Principals

I am one who believes that education is so important to lifting those below and right at the poverty levels from their unfortunate circumstances. That is why, despite often busy schedules, I always try to make time to support causes related to academe.

Recently, HSBC invited me to witness their awarding ceremonies for 5 outstanding public high school principals who had effectively transformed their elementary schools through the HSBC Principals Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) Program (PLP).

Brief Background on HSBC’s PLP

HSBC PLP is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It is an undertaking taken with SAS, a non-government organization (NGO) whose aim is to bridge the education gap. SAS was founded in 2001 by philanthropist Lizzie Zobel and Margarita Delgado.

In 2009, SAS and HSBC launched PLP in response to Republic Act 9155 which gave principals full authority and responsibility for effectively managing their schools. PLP helps principals identify the needs and problems of their schools and community and equips them with necessary tools to revise the standard curriculum to address such needs/problems.

After a 3-year educator training program, HSBC chose five outstanding principals who, in their own ways, transformed their elementary schools.

Since its inception PLP has already trained about 200 principals nationwide. Through this progoram, a Principal’s Handbook was developed by SAS and distributed to guide principals in their daily work as leaders in their own communities.

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A Recycled Computer Table

I have this beautiful computer table made of synthetic wood. When I bought it, it was just perfect for me. It had a pullout drawer for the keyboard and mouse, a recessed stand for my CRT monitor, and an eye-level shelf for the printer. On the left side was a small area where CD covers could be slotted in and on the lower right side was space for the CPU. Directly below the keyboard area was another shelf for other stuff like my CDs.

But when I moved to a laptop, there was no need for the table. And yet I needed a decent work area instead of my bed converted into my working table. Of course there are days when I opt to sit on my floor and work from a collapsible low table (sitting on the floor is a great yoga hip-opener). But on other days, I want to sit properly. After all, right over my computer table is a very bright fluorescent light and a computer chair that had not been used in ages.

I was thinking of donating the table but the thought of plunking down money to buy yet another table did not really appeal to me. So today, I tried something different. I decided to recycle the computer table.

This is how it looks now.

 

The printer was moved to the top of my filing cabinet. A scanner used to be there but it was no longer compatible with my Macbook so it moved out. Where the printer used to be, I placed my pen holders, memo and post-it-note holder. Also put a small electric fan there.

The keyboard area became an area for storing press kits and papers that I needed to write about. The mouse area still served its purpose. Where the CPU used to be is a free space so for now, I drop the bag I regularly use there so that I can just pick it up when I leave to go out (I do not change bag often). And the lowest shelf near my feet houses my external hard drives, a UPS and a few folders.

My next move is to rearrange some stuff so I do not have too many wires and cables going here and there. But that requires a trip to CD-R King to check on their cable organizers. And I still do not know what to do with the recessed stand for the CRT monitor since it is slanted. I have to check to see if I can raise it so that instead of being slanted, it is level with the floor. That can become another place for my papers and stuff.

There, I saved myself some money and put to use a space that has remained unusable for some time now.

How do you like my recycling attempt? Got any other ideas to reuse what seems to be obsolete stuff around your home?