Weekend was a whirlwind, literally. We braced ourselves by getting ready just in case the electricity goes kaput because of Frank. It did go kaput and we were glad that it was only for a few hours. We were also doubly glad that the trees on the side of the house didn’t fall or anything. For now. Sigh.

Frank is an unwelcome visitor, he who wrecked havoc to our country, took so many lives and destroyed not just properties but spirits. Here is a mug shot, I mean screen shot as I am writing this at 7pm:

See that red thing at the right side? Its another weather disturbance forming if its one. Sigh…

Below was what I saw when I opened the front door this Sunday morning:

Minor inconvenience, if you ask me. I can ask Manang Salve, the yard cleaning-lady to clean this up. This is yes, minor inconvenience…

compared to the several hundreds of fellow Filipinos who were in a ship that capsized. This ship had been on the sea before the warning against traveling was given but figured into an accident. There have been several who survived but there were also hundreds more, seven hundred plus, that still have to be rescued or worse, retrieved from the sea. I hope that many of them survived. Oil spill has also been reported somewhere south of Manila, not really sure where.

Please take a moment of prayer or a few seconds of silence for these people and other more who also suffered a lot during these times.

Have a great week everyone.

One of the most disturbing things that parents fear most is when substance abuse is being done by their children.

As a special education teacher, I have read articles and studies that in not so few words tell that with children or adolescents who have been diagnosed with ADHD is that they are vulnerable to be involved with people who may influence them to do drugs. Why? Because of the behavior characteristics that go with their diagnosis: impulsivity, social skills problems, problems with compliance including those with the authority, and the tendency to associate with others who do not do well in school.

These children have difficulty dealing with frustrations and they have a short frustration tolerance. They are more likely to have outbursts just to cover up their inability to do well on certain tasks that they are supposed to do.

I am not saying that all of them will be addicted to drugs but that they are vulnerable to abuse substances for several reasons like for them to be able to feel accepted, more able, and to somehow lessen their feelings of inadequacy. There are several reasons why they may abuse substances but these can probably be prevented with the proper steps in order to prevent this from happening.

Parents wouldn’t want to subject their child through the substance abuse, experiencing its ugly symptoms, subjecting their child to drug rehab and trying to start a new life.

So what should parents do while their children are still young so that they will not even consider doing this thing that they fear for their child?

Parents, caregivers, therapists as well as doctors should maintain an open communication with the children about risky behavior and its consequences. Those who seem aggressive and who break rules, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are said to be at risk.

Considering to have intensive family and/or individual therapy to develop good and appropriate behavioral patterns and to develop skills for better productivity can help a lot. It helps that parents become role models for the child to look up to.

(I have written about Behavior Management for ADHD for more information and it is included in the trackback.)

As I have written in a post entitled “What Keeps Him Busy?” pertaining to my husband’s consultancy work, I will write about one of the companies he is connected with: GlobalSafe Philippines.

GlobalSafe Philippines is a company that specializes in floor safety solutions which include Anti-Slip Treatment for floors and Clean Step which is a multipurpose cleaner, degreaser, and sanitizer. These are very handy products not just for commercial spaces but for home use.

Imagine mopping the floor wet and your child or a family member suddenly walks or runs on it and slips. Or imagine slipping on wet floor on a restaurant, usually a fast food chain where the crew mops the floor even if there are patrons walking to and fro. Or slipping while walking on a wet floor in a pool area.

The Anti-Slip Treatment is currently being used by several hotels, fast food chains, government offices and even the Light Rail Transit Authority.

GlobalSafe Philippines has an online site where one can put a purchase order online but they still haven’t gotten an online payment system like authorize.net. For now.

As I have written a few times over, times are hard, times are tough. If we think these things are just temporary, we may be wrong. These tough times will surely last for a long time, we may be in for the long haul.

I have once read this saying that goes “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping” Oops, that not it. Its this one: “Tough times never last but tough people do”. There, that’s more like it.

So what do we do when times are tough?

We save. We take advantage of sales situations that would make life feel easier, not just during these tough times but during the times ahead.  We prepare for what the future might or might not bring us. We work hard today  to enjoy the fruits of our labors not just today but to have the chance the enjoy these too in the future.

I for one am paying for plans I got for my children. If we could afford it, I would even get term life insurance for me and my husband. Seriously, I definitely would but for now, I would make do with what I can afford.

As what my agent told me before I got the children’s plans:

Dream grand, yes, but also try to see if you can afford the dream.

Makes sense to me.

Every Saturday, participants post photos based on a theme. The heme for this Saturday, June 21, 3008 is WATER.

I live in an archipelago of 7,107 islands whose number varies if it is a low tide or a high tide. I haven’t been around the different islands although I have many, many photos that tell stories about water and how it is being polluted and how is scarce here in our country even if we are surrounded by so much water. By scarce I mean we only have water flowing out of our faucets from 2pm – 9pm daily and only from the faucet outside and not from those in the bathrooms inside the house. Pathetic.

My homeschooling children blowing paper boats for a Science lesson.

That is my daughter Tania, looking at Subic Bay. I can’t for the life of me appreciate the view with those towering steels up ahead. To say that the water is now polluted is an understatement. The Americans who helped develop this place must be turning in their graves if they could see what has been done to the waters and decades-old trees that they helped preserved when they still had naval facilities here. My father used to work here with the SRF, Ship Repair Facilities and they were called the SRF Tigers

Blue starfish that can be seen through clear waters from this dive site called Dive Solana. Have been here twice.

We sometimes pass by this place on the way to my parents house, 201 kilometers away, one way, whenever we get the chance to visit.

Photo above is in Baclayon, Bohol, one of the finest tourist destinations here in the Philippines. Bike in the background is hubby’s. Boats on the other side will take you to see dolphins and whale sharks playing in the waters.

This is a tribal group (which I am not sure from what tribe) whose small boats ran alongside big barges and ships to beg for money. How? People will throw money and they will either catch it using the woven sacks they are holding or dive and retrieve it under water. What is it? Most of the times, coins.Yes, such is their lives.

photohunt

Another round of gas price increase happened last night. We can only sigh or pull our hair with exasperation because however we look at things, this seem to be a upward spiral gas price increase with whirlwind effects on everything else we use on a day-to-day basis. I know there aren’t so many options with regards to tightening the belt. The belt has been tightened and tightened over and over again, there is no more room to breathe. Even first world countries are reeling from these conditions, how much more with us? who belong to a poor nation with corrupt officials.

I have written in my other blog several ways to save. Some of these are fairly easy to do for us who have been scrimping, saving, budgeting, prioritizing on important expenditures and whatever form we can use to be able to budget whatever little purchase power we have in our hands. If this trend continues, I might even resort using a budgeting software just so I can put a rein on things. Oh, the things one does when life is really difficult. Better really to save than try to do things that will compromise one’s priorities.

Here are some of the tips I have written on how we try to, kinda try to, save:

1. Instead of frying the chicken pieces, cook these with vegetables and sauce, that way, we have more servings. Same goes with fish and other food products. No need to buy expensive ingredients if one knows how to cook well. If not, learn to cook and avoid, asmuch as possible, eating out.
2. Turn off all electrical appliances that are not in use.
3. Buying of toys and other unnecessary things that become junk is not allowed.
4. Stick to the budget. The what? Yes, the budget, especially during Christmas holidays, even if you don’t really have a budget to speak of
5. Bring food to work, instead of buying from the nearest convenience store whose prices on things they sell are very high.
6. Take care of your things so these can last long. Or maybe, buy things that are durable, even if these cost more.
7. Eat at home before going anywhere. As much as possible, bring packed food and drinks.
8. Ask yourself first if you really, really need this new bag or this trendy pair of shoes before purchasing. Be honest.
9. Wait for your favorite items to go on sale, even if it means a loooong wait. Who knows, you might change your mind and not buy that thing anymore.
10. Be simple. Feel joy and happiness without spending a dime by appreciating the wonderful things around you. In other words, no malling, just stay in and bond with the family.

Yes, I know we can only do so much but if we try, we can probably survive this. We are in for the long run and all hope of having the gas prices go back to a lower price should not be thought of at all. Yes, its that bad.