Chino Explores The World

Back To The Past

2011-11-19T18:22:00.001+08:00

Last October 28, 2011, my family andI went on a vacation in Bataan. But first, we went to San Marcelino, Zambalesto celebrate SuperLolo’s 99^thbirthday.

It was a long trip, starting when weleft the house at 5:30 AM. It took a few hours to get there, and by the time wearrived at SuperLolo’s house, it was already late morning (around 10:00). Wewere greeted by Lola and Lola Alice. They even served us lemonade, which reallyquenched our thirst. We spent most of the time talking or watching TV. However,we weren’t able to stay long and had to leave early in the afternoon, since westill had to drive to Bataan. Before we left though, Lola Alice gave us somechocolates she brought from the US. After our good-byes, we hit the road onceagain.

After a while, we got to Bataan. Ourfirst stop was the Pawikan Conservation Center. There, we were able to see andtake pictures with the pawikans they had.

From there, we headed to the BataanNuclear Power Plant, but we were not allowed to go in because there was nobodywho could tour us. So we proceeded to our destination, Las Casas Filipinas deAcuzar.

This wasn’t like any other resortI’ve been to. They used old houses from the Spanish era and used them as hotelrooms. Once we were checked in, we went to our hotel room. Our room had a cleanbed, a shining bathroom and a loft with a second bed.

Then,we went swimming in the pool that looked like a stream, complete with rocks ofvarious sizes.

Whenit got late, we dressed up and had dinner in their restaurant, where we wereable to watch some performers dance to and sing Philippine music. After we hadfilled ourselves with adobo and leche flan, we went back to our room and slept.

The next day, we had breakfast inCasa Unisan, their breakfast and lunch restaurant.

Thenwe went on a tour of the resort and got to know each house’s history andorigin.

Duringthe tour, we saw many different houses. Each house was named after its originallocation. We saw the Casa Unisan (which was also the restaurant), the CasaHidalgo (which was the first campus of the UP School of Fine Arts) and the CasaCagayan which was the simplest of the houses there. My favorite was the CasaLuna because instead of simply roaming around, we passed through the corridorsused by the “alipin sagigilid”.

After the tour around Las Casas, wewent to Dambana ng Kagitingan, where we were able to go to the top of thecross. It was so high up because it was a 100-meter tall building on top of Mt.Samat.

Wealso saw World War II weapons and battle maps of Bataan battles in the museum.

Thenwe went back and just played ping-pong for a couple of minutes to unwind andrelax, because we were busy the whole morning (not that I’m complaining). Wealso played at the beach, and we made an awesome sand wall and castle.

Whenwe got tired, we went to our room to clean up and refresh, then we ate dinnerearly because we had to leave early the following day. I felt sad at thisbecause I really liked our hotel. However, I know that we will be able to comeback someday. Maybe, it might even be more fun.

My Great Baguio Adventure Part II

2011-04-27T07:03:00.000+08:00

The next day, we ate breakfast at the Le Chef buffet. The food there was so delicious! I had peaches, cereal, bananas, baked potatoes and omelet. After eating, we headed out to La Trinidad Valley to see the Strawberry Fields. The fields were so big! There were also many strawberry vendors. Their products came straight from the farm. After we bought some strawberries and souvenirs, we went back to Baguio and visited the Easter Weaving School.
There, we saw many intricate creations. We also got a chance to watch them weave. Their work looked so complex, but they did it with ease. Trixi wasn't feeling well so we skipped Burnham Park.

We then had lunch in SM City Baguio. The first thing I noticed was that there was no airconditioning. They had open areas that let in the cold air. After filling ourselves, we went back to our hotel. When we got back, I was surprised to see a kid from my school. He was my batchmate Gio and he invited me to join their Nerf war. Trixi joined too and we had so much fun.
After playing, we went to Mario's for dinner. The manager there was Mama's friend from high school, Tita Dol. The food there was excellent. But the dessert was the best! We had the banana jubilee which was prepared beside our table. It was cool to see the fire coming out of the pan. It was delicious!
The following day, we went home already. I was sad to leave Baguio. But at least I enjoyed our stay there. Hopefully I will be able to come back there soon.

My Great Baguio Adventure

2011-03-25T16:41:00.000+08:00

Last March 22, my family and I went to Baguio. It was a very long car ride, around 6 hours long. But when we got there, it was worth the wait. The first thing we saw was a giant lion's head. This marked the entrance to Baguio. It looked amazing!
Then we drove to Little John's restaurant inside Camp John Hay for lunch. The food there was delicious! And the banana jubilee was very good. It had warm bananas and vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup on it. We really enjoyed it.
After that, we dropped off our things at our room at the Manor and went mini-golfing. It was a lot of fun. I even got a hole-in-one!
Next, we went to the picnic area. It was unique because there were so many pine trees. Papa, Trixi and I played with our Nerf guns. It was really awesome! But it was quite tiring as well.
We then headed to Chocolate de Batirol for dinner. I thought their caldereta was scrumptious!
After dinner, we had dessert at Strawberries and Ice Cream. There, I ordered a chocolate parfait. It was super delicious! It had 3 scoops of ice cream, bananas and chocolate syrup.
After that, we drove back to the hotel. The first thing I noted was that there was no aircon in the room. The wind was so cold that they didn't need airconditioning. Tired from our first day, we went to bed early. I felt excited for our next adventure the following day.

Difficult Times

2009-10-03T09:03:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, there was a storm while we were in school for the salu-salo. It rained really hard, which ruined our chances of going on the fair rides. Papa, Mama, Trixi and I hoped that the rain would stop. But it didn't. Some of my classmates and their families tried to go home, but the rain had caused a large flood, so some people came back. I was worried. If the flood entered our house, a lot will be lost. The TV, Wii and refrigerator would be destroyed. And my school stuff would get soaked. We prayed that the house would be safe. Eventually, we were able to leave. But we couldn't go home because of the floods and all the hotels were full! So we went to Tito John and Tita Tintin's condo. They kept us safe and cozy for three days. When we went back home, we were so happy. The house was dry and safe! We were really grateful to God for keeping us and our house safe through the storm.

An Imagination Stretcher

2009-09-02T11:28:00.000+08:00

Last month, my godsister Karina gave me a book called "Thumb Doodles", where you can put fingerprints and draw on them to make them something creative. It is so cool! There are instructions on how to draw different figures. There are many different themes, like underwater and wrestling. I liked the "Intergalactic Thumb Aliens" page. I made a UFO and a 3-headed, 8-armed alien. I really enjoyed doing this activity. I would recommend it for kids with a big imagination. I had so much fun!

A Party of L.I.F.E.

2009-05-28T10:14:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, Mama brought Trixi and me to a party for some children in the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center who had leukemia. The party was sponsored by L.I.F.E. (Leukemic Indigent Fund Endowment), of which Tita Tinnette, Mama's former classmate, is a member. Another classmate of theirs, Tita Chona, brought along her son Jose. It was his birthday too.

Before the party started, Tita Tinnette brought us to a boy named Wilbert who was one of the birthday celebrants. He couldn't join the party because he was confined in one of the wards. He had a disease called thalassemia. But even before I was told of that, I could tell he was very sick because he had needles injecting fluids in his arm, he was bloated and yellowish, he was small even if he was 10 years old, and he was very weak. I felt so sorry for him so I gave him my food.

At the party, I noticed that it was just like any party I've been to, except that the other kids were sick and had masks. We played many games and ate some chocolate cupcakes. Jollibee was there and played around with us. Everyone had a lot of fun.

Afterwards, all the patients received toys and books as party give-aways. One of the kids, Phoebe, a lupus patient, got a lot of books because she is not able to play outside anymore because of her sickness.

I hope all these kids get better soon and I hope we see them again at the next LIFE party.

A Blast In Bohol

2009-05-12T10:44:00.000+08:00

Last month, Papa had a convention in Bohol and Mama, Trixi and I came along. It was boring in the airport but soon we boarded the plane. When we arrived in Bohol, we checked in at Amorita Resort to spend a night there. We swam in their infinity pool. An attentive lifeguard named Edward lent me a pair of goggles since I left mine at home. He also lent Trixi a floatie. After swimming, we ate a banana split in their snack bar. Instead of a room, we stayed in a villa. Each villa had a private pool with bubbles, a giant bed, an awesome 40-inch TV, and an outdoor shower! When I swam in the private pool, the water was so cold! But Trixi and I had a lot of fun playing.
The following day, we moved to Bohol Beach Club. Compared to Amorita, the room there was so small. But there, we had some friends, Kuya Carl and Kitkat, who were the children of Papa's friend. We took a ride on a glass-bottom boat. I was amazed to see so many fish. After the ride, we played in the beach and later in the pool.
We went on a tour around Bohol the next day. We climbed 214 steps to see the famous Chocolate Hills.
We also went to see the tarsiers. They were so small and frightened. Some people did not obey the rule of not using the flash when taking pictures. We also saw some monkeys that wrestled over a little piece of bread and a couple of flying lemurs (or rather, sleeping lemurs, hehe). We had lunch at Bohol Bee Farm where we learned more about the production of honey. I even got a picture with a queen bee.
There was also a hanging bridge which we crossed while it was raining. It was so scary! We had a picture taken with a 23 feet long python.
We also went to the Baclayon Church and the Blood Compact monument. To end the day, we had dinner in a cruise along Loboc River. Everything was cool - the food, the view, and there was a stop to see a choir sing.

I enjoyed our stay in Bohol. I wish we could go back there again someday.

A Trip To The Province

2009-05-03T22:47:00.002+08:00

Last Holy Week, my family and I went to San Marcelino, Zambales to visit my great-grandfather. Super Lolo has a farm with a fish pond. We had lots of fun there. We caught some fish . It was hard to walk because it was muddy. I caught a shrimp but it got away.

After fishing, I looked for a place to clean up. Master Phonie led us to a river. The water was so clear! Trixi and I went for a swim. It was very refreshing, especially because it was such a hot day.

When Papa said we had to go, I didn't want to leave yet. But Mama said that maybe next time, Trixi and I can stay with Super Lolo for a week. I can't wait to go back!

Update on Primary School Essay

2009-03-06T12:26:00.001+08:00

This afternoon, I was informed by my teacher that my essay was chosen and that I will be the one to speak during the Crossing Over ceremony. I had a hard time writing that essay but my working on it paid off!

My Life In Primary School

2009-02-25T20:44:00.000+08:00

* Some students in my batch were asked to write about our memorable experiences from Prep to Gr. 3. Here's what I submitted:

Four years ago, when I entered Prep, I was nervous and a little scared because it was my first time in a big school. It was frightening because everything was new. I thought to myself, "Will my teacher be kind? Will I make many friends?" But as weeks passed, I got used to my surroundings. I met new friends and I felt more comfortable here. I had a lot of fun in the Salu-Salo. I was surprised at how big the rides were in the fair. I enjoyed Prep very much and I looked forward to the next year.

The following year, I had already settled in. My favorite experience from Gr. 1 was the field trip where we went to the Air Force Museum. There we saw fighter jets and travel planes. I even looked through infrared goggles. We also went to Greenwich. I had lots of fun there. We played many games. We made our own pizzas. They even gave us souvenir aprons afterwards. I enjoyed that field trip a lot. I couldn't wait to have more exciting trips like it.

A lot of changes occurred in Gr. 2. We stayed in school longer and ate our lunch here. We also became Kab Scouts. I was so happy when I became a real Kab Scout. I liked Weaning Night because I had never slept away from home before. I also learned to write in script in Gr. 2. I had a hard time learning it though. Another memorable experience was our First Holy Communion. I was so glad to receive Christ in my heart. But what stands out most was winning the gold medal in the Pagbigkas contest. My parents were very proud. By the end of Gr. 2, I was happy because I had accomplished a lot. But I was a little sad because I would soon be leaving the Primary School.

Grade 3 was the best year for me, firstly because we were allowed to choose our own club for CoCA. I joined Kartunista because I like drawing and comics. Our adviser, Mr. Riofrio, taught us how to make good comics. He showed us many techniques on how to make our comic strips more interesting. My other favorite activity this year was Kite Flying Day. It was a totally fantastic experience! I bought a big snake kite that had a cobra design. I even got the chance to fly our class guryon! It was a little hard because the kite seemed to tug at me. I was so scared that I might fly away with the kite. Luckily, that didn't happen.

My years here in the Primary School were truly enjoyable. And now, as I enter Middle School, I know that I am ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

Dinner at Bigby's

2009-02-23T11:08:00.001+08:00

Last night, we tried a new restaurant for dinner. Bigby's is one of the new restaurants in the Megamall Atrium. It was pretty crowded when we got there. But we got seated right away. Trixi and I had the Chicken in a Basket for dinner. The chicken was really delicious. Service was good - the food was served quickly and I was given catsup even before I could ask for some. For dessert, I had Fudgy Sensation. It was a brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It tasted very good. After eating, I filled up the guest comment card and gave them excellent marks. On the way out, they asked me to come back again and I hope I will, soon.

The Best New Year Ever

2009-01-08T17:14:00.003+08:00

Last December 30, my family went to Hong Kong to celebrate the New Year. It was the first time for Trixi and me to go out of the country so we were really excited. While waiting in the airport, I was so bored. I couldn't wait to get to Hong Kong.

Tita Reena met us at the Hong Kong airport. Their airport is so huge! We had to use several walkalators to get across.

We ate lunch first at the Spaghetti House. I liked their fried chicken. It was delicious! The chicken looked like they were on steroids - the pieces were so big! I wanted to have a banana split for dessert, but they ran out of bananas. So we took a taxi to the hotel and Lolo and Lola went with Tita Reena to her condo.

It was cold when we got to the Disney Hollywood Hotel. I wanted to go to Disneyland already but we had to leave our luggage first. From the hotel, we took a short ride on the shuttle bus to Disneyland. Yipee!

Disneyland was great! There were Mickey shapes everywhere - manhole covers, flower arrangements, even cashier windows. It looked like a real city - it even had its own city hall. There was a train station at the entrance of the park. Main Street was full of shops selling all sorts of things. There was also a tall Christmas tree. The park was so big and everything looked so exciting that we couldn't decide what to do first.

We decided to Tomorrowland, where there were so many futuristic rides and games. Our first stop was at the Astro Blasters ride, the one I've been dying to try out. You had to sit in a small pod which had blasters attached. Everytime you hit a target, you gained points. On the first try, I got 11,100 points.

I enjoyed the ride so much that I wanted to go on a second round right away. I scored higher on my second round. It was raining when we finished so Mama suggested we watch the Stitch Encounter because it was in a covered area. The Stitch Encounter was so funny! It was an interactive show with Stitch. Stitch showed one person from the audience and said he was a wanted criminal from space prison. I enjoyed that show so much. From there, we saw that there was a parade going down Main St. There were a lot of people lining the street so I had to get up on a park bench.

There were different Disney floats. My favorite was the one from Toy Story. There were even men dressed as the little green soldiers. After the parade, I wanted to try Autopia next but the wait was long (45 minutes) so Papa and Mama promised we'd ride it first thing the next morning. Instead, we went to Mickey's Christmas House. We took a lot of pictures inside. I didn't realize Mickey had such big stuff!

That's also where we met Mickey Mouse!

Next, we went to Fantasyland. We went on "It's A Small World" (a raft ride inside a castle where there were dolls and dioramas showing different countries and different continents),

the Dumbo ride (where you can make your pod go up and down while going around),

the carousel and the Pooh ride. There was a 3D show called "PhilharMagic" which had cool special effects.

When Donald Duck was falling, you could also feel the rush of the wind. You could smell the delicious food brought in by Lumiere in Beauty's castle and when the magic broom splashed Donald with water, drops of water squirted out on us! It was really cool! By the time the show finished, it was already late so we had dinner in the Banquet Hall. I had roast chicken but I didn't like it so much. After all these activities, we were all so tired and exhausted so we headed back to the hotel. Trixi fell asleep in the shuttle bus but I stayed awake to watch the fireworks. You should have seen it! With the hologram viewer given to us, I could see angels hovering in the sky and flapping their wings. It was a great sight to see! Back at the hotel, Chip and Dale were at the lobby so we had a photo taken with them while Mama arranged for our room.

It was a long and tiring day, especially since we had to wake up at 4 am, but I enjoyed every minute.

The following day, we had breakfast in Plaza Inn inside Disneyland. They had waffles shaped like Mickey's head. While we were eating, we saw Mulan. Trixi wanted to have a picture with her so we did.

After a quick breakfast (well not really that quick), the park opened and we went to Autopia (FINALLY!). You get to drive the car in that ride (there are metal bars under the car to keep you on track). From there, Papa and I tried Space Mountain. It was my first time to go on a roller coaster. I got scared because it seemed so fast and the turns were so sharp and I didn't like the way the car just suddenly dropped from a high place.

Next stop was Adventureland. We took the Jungle River Cruise. The effects were so cool. The elephants would squirt water from their trunks, piranhas leapt out of the water, and you could hear the hissing of the snakes. There was even a part where fire just burst out of the rocks. That startled me. After that ride, we watched "The Festival of the Lion King". It was a musical about Simba's life.

After lunch at the Starliner Diner, Trixi and I were allowed to buy our souvenirs. I chose a Buzz Lightyear Astroblaster keychain. It looked like the blaster we used in the ride. We went back to the hotel to rest a little then we returned to the park later that afternoon to watch the parade. We stayed in Main St. where there were less people. There, we got a better view of the parade than yesterday. After the parade, we rushed off to the MTR station and took the train to Tita Reena's condo. The train had windows shaped like Mickey.

We had New Year's Eve dinner in Tita Reena's condo (Lolo and Lola were there too).

After dinner, we headed back to Disneyland to catch the fireworks. Since it was New Year's Eve, there was a party in the park and they gave away party hats and horns.

The following day, we did not go to Disneyland anymore. Trixi and I used our Christmas money to go shopping for toys in Toys R Us. Most of the toys I got were Lego. We met Tita Reena, Lolo and Lola for lunch and we walked around the mall a little bit in the afternoon.

We flew back to Manila on Jan. 2. I will miss the cast members of Hong Kong Disneyland. They were so friendly and helpful and always ready to be of assistance. It certainly was the best New Year celebration ever!

The Perfect Surprise

2008-12-12T18:27:00.000+08:00

Last week, Papa announced that for Christmas, he had a "family surprise". He wouldn't give us any clues. All he said was that he was sure we would all enjoy it. I thought it was going to be a really big cake. But this morning, while I was preparing to go to school, this was what I saw...

Papa said it was just an empty box. But then I looked beside the TV and there it was - the white rectangular shape of a Wii! I couldn't believe it - we had a Wii!

Ever since I first played in a Wii in Ate Eileen's house, I wanted to have one. But my parents said it was expensive, so I didn't ask for it as a present. Now, we have one because Papa won it in a raffle. I wanted to play right at that moment, but I had to go to school (it was the last day of exams). Mama said I could play in the afternoon. In the bus, I was so excited to go home after school. Now Trixi and I can play here at home.

The Long Weekend in Makati

2008-12-03T10:21:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, I was so excited to get home because we were going to Makati for the long weekend. It was time for Papa's convention at the Dusit Thani Hotel. Papa went ahead from work while Mama and Trixi waited for me to get home from school. Shortly after I arrived, the three of us set off for Makati. It took us a long time to get there because of the heavy traffic. I was soooo bored. To pass the time, we played our Make-a-Story game. Mama started the story then we would take turns building up the story. That made the wait better. It was dinner time when we got to Makati so we met up with Papa and ate in Heaven and Eggs. I liked the food there, but the best part of it was dessert. I ordered Bananas Foster and it came in this really huge goblet! The four of us had to share so we could finish it. After dinner, we went to the hotel and slept.

The following day was the start of the convention. So after breakfast, we went with Papa to the convention exhibits. Trixi and I got a lot of free stuff - pens, bags, candies, popcorn. I even joined a contest where I had to guess how many lozenges were in the bowl. I got a prize for guessing the closest!

That afternoon, we went to the Ayala Museum. It was my first time to visit a museum. I thought they were going to have an art workshop for kids that day but it was rescheduled. Anyway, we had a lot of fun looking at the different exhibits. They had dioramas, replicas of boats, paintings, fossils and I even touched dinosaur poop! Have you ever touched dino poop?

On Sunday, we were supposed to go to Megamall because my parents had work. But since Trixi wasn't feeling well since Saturday night, Mama, Trixi and I stayed in the hotel. Which turned out to be a good thing because there were so many fun attractions in the lobby that day! There was a man on stilts...

a unicyclist...

a man who was made to look like a statue...

balloon twisting (where I got a sword)...

and body painting. I chose a skull surrounded by flames to be painted on my hand.

Unfortunately, the painting didn't last long because I accidentally rubbed my hand on my shirt during lunch!

For the rest of the time, we just stayed in the room and watched TV. I had to study for a while, though, because I'm having my exams next week. But it was a lot of fun in the hotel. That's why I didn't want to go home when Monday came. Papa was still going to stay for one more night but the rest of us had to go home because I had school the following day. I felt so bad when we had to leave the hotel. I hope I can go to Dusit Thani Hotel again soon.

Our Class Field Trip

2008-11-21T15:21:00.006+08:00

Last Tuesday, we had our field trip to Manila Ocean Park. I've never been there before and I was looking forward to seeing stingrays and sharks. It was a long trip going there from school so I passed the time by playing "I Spy" with my classmate Franco.

When we got there, I was amazed by the size of the park. It was enormous! There were other children on their field trip too. Our first stop was at Agos, where we learned about the natural flow of water from land to sea. I saw an alligator, some piranhas and a big fish (I forgot the name, though) there. Next, we went to Bahura, which had creatures that live in the Philippine coral reef. I liked the blue-ribbon eel and the Japanese spider crab. From there, we went to Laot, where they had fish from the deeper part of the sea. There was this giant grouper, which they say can weigh up to 660 pounds! The next part was my favorite - Buhay na Karagatan. We went through a 25-meter long tunnel which was made of glass so that it felt like you were actually under water. I saw a lot of colorful fish. After that, we visited Ang Kalaliman. I saw a tank full of sharks there. There was a diver cleaning the inside of the tank but the sharks didn't seem to mind him. The next stop was Pagi. There were more aquariums and a room with glass ceiling so you could see many stingrays. The last station was Pating. I saw many giant sharks. When they passed near me, they looked so scary because it felt like I was beside them.

They also had a multi-media facility where they had games to teach you how to take care of the ocean. There was also a fish spa, where you could soak your feet in the water while the fish remove your dead skin.

From this field trip, I learned that we have to take care of the ocean. If we don't, all the fish will die of pollution.

Trick or Treat

2008-10-31T21:36:00.000+08:00

We went trick-or-treating here in our village. I dressed up as a wizard because I like Harry Potter. Trixi dressed up as a pirate girl. It started to rain when we were preparing to go to the clubhouse so we had to bring umbrellas and rain coats.

At the clubhouse, there were many kids in different costumes. There were witches, ghosts, superheroes, a Grim Reaper, a werewolf, and other scary characters. I became friends with the boy wearing the werewolf costume. He recognized my costume and told me he also liked Harry Potter.

We went all around the village to get candies. Some households did not prepare enough goody bags so some of the kids and yayas became wild and started pushing.

After going around the village, the kids went to the clubhouse for a party. I had spaghetti and fried chicken, which I devoured quickly because all the walking made me extremely hungry. At the party, I ate with Luigi who lives behind us. We used to be classmates in preschool and we used to play a lot together. But since we moved to different schools, we hardly get to see each other anymore.

There were some games for the kids after dinner. I joined the game where you had to burst the balloons with darts. All the kids before me either failed to hit the balloon or missed the board completely. When my turn came, I threw the dart and it hit a balloon! Alas, there was no prize inside. All it said was "Try again". I went home disappointed, because I didn't get a prize, but at the same time happy, because I got a lot of candies!

Banana-topped Pancakes

2008-09-27T15:50:00.005+08:00

We had pancakes for breakfast today. This is how I like mine:

1. I get a pancake and put it on my plate.

2. I slice a banana and arrange the slices on top of the pancake.

3. I pour syrup over everything.

4. Enjoy!

A Splendid Dinner

2008-09-20T20:15:00.003+08:00

Last night, Papa and Mama took us to dinner at TGIFriday's. They said it was to celebrate Trixi and me getting well and both of us doing well in school during the first grading period. It was chilly inside the restaurant. We got a table beside the window. I asked for the Kid's Menu and was surprised to see an entree listed as "Kids' Fingers"! Did that mean that they chopped off the fingers from the children there?! It turned out to be fried chicken strips which were crunchy outside but juicy inside. It came with yummy french fries which I liked a lot.

For dessert, I ordered the Oreo Madness. I read in the menu that it was vanilla ice cream sandwiched by Oreo cookies. My favorites! I was so excited to dig in when it came.

Mama thought it was quite big but I finished it (with brain freeze coming in at the end of the meal). I filled out the comments and suggestions form which I found on our table and gave it to the lady by the door. I really enjoyed eating at TGIFriday's. I hope we can go back there so I can enjoy the great food!

Home Alone

2008-09-12T20:08:00.001+08:00

I've never been left all alone. Either my parents take me with them or leave me with my grandparents. But today, I was sick and didn't want to leave the house when my parents picked up Trixi from school. My parents agreed to let me stay because they thought it was time for me to learn how to be by myself.

When they left, I felt excited and, at the same time, scared. I was excited because I've never been by myself before, but scared because there was nobody with me. I decided to watch television so I wouldn't notice the time. Before I knew it, they were back. Nothing happened while they were gone. Now, I think I'm ready to be left by myself.

An Evening in Trinoma

2008-09-01T11:20:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, Tita Niks invited the whole family to dinner at Abe in Trinoma for her birthday celebration. We've never been to Trinoma before so I was excited to go to a new place. I was also looking forward to asking Tito John and Tita Tintin about their trip to Hong Kong and Tita Niks about her scuba diving.

It rained so hard when we reached Quezon City so there were traffic jams everywhere, but we still got there on time. We had a few minutes to look around before the 6 pm dinner. We went to Toys R Us and I saw a Lego Star Wars Imperial Dropship which I want so badly. I'll probably ask for it as a birthday present.

For dinner, we went to a restaurant called Abe. The grown-ups ordered a lot of food but I only ate the cocido. It was really good. For dessert, I had a banana crepe. What was written on the menu was actually mango crepe, but I asked them to use banana instead because that's my favorite. It was quite big, yet I was able to finish it all by myself (Trixi didn't want her share).

After dinner, we went to Powerbooks to read a little. Mama bought a few books, including "Eragon" for me. It was late already so we had to go home. I had a really great time that night. I was able to get together with the rest of my mom's family, enjoy good food and see a new place, all in one night.

The Clone Wars

2008-08-30T16:05:00.001+08:00

I LOVE Star Wars. Ever since I was 4 years old, when I first watched Episode IV: A New Hope, I've been a big fan. I've watched all six movies over and over again that I memorized what the characters say already. I collect all things Star Wars. I have a whole box of toys (including some from Tita Niks who's had them since the first movie was shown), stickers, and other merchandise. I also have a Darth Vader voice-changer helmet from Tito Jerick and Tita Liz, which won me first place in a scariest Halloween costume contest. My favorite toys are my Boba Fett action figure, an ARC-170 Transformer and my Anakin color-change lightsaber which makes a sound when you hit something with it.

When we saw "Journey to the Center of the Earth", a trailer of the latest Star Wars animated movie, "The Clone Wars", was shown. I was so excited I wanted to watch it right there and then. But I had to wait for some time before it was shown here.

Last Monday was a holiday so we went to Robinson's to watch "The Clone Wars". I was so eager to see all my favorite characters back in action, along with the clone troopers and Ahsoka Tano, Anakin's new padawan. I liked the movie a lot. I especially liked the battle scenes between the droids and the clone troopers. My favorite vehicles, like the V-19 and AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer), were also shown in the movie.

"The Clone Wars" is a great movie, like all the others in the Star Wars series. When the DVD comes out, I will be sure to get a copy so I can watch it over and over again also. May the Force be with you!

An Incredible Journey

2008-08-09T23:44:00.004+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, when I got off early from school, my family and I went to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth". It was a movie about a scientist Trevor Anderson, his nephew Sean and their guide Hannah and how they traveled to the center of the earth after falling through a hole. In their journey, they saw a lot of amazing things - giant Venus fly-traps, floating rocks, a giant T. rex and glowing birds. There were a lot of funny parts, like the one where, a few seconds after they fell and they still hadn't reached the ground, they all looked at each other then screamed "WE'RE STILL FALLING!!!!!" My favorite part, though, was the one where they were being chased by the T. rex. That was exciting. I really enjoyed this movie.

Kartunista

2008-07-11T15:50:00.000+08:00

Summer is over and I'm back at school. I am now in Grade 3 and there is something new. This year, we were finally given the chance to choose our own club (for co-curricular activity). Last year, everyone had to join Kab Scouting. I had fun there, but I wanted to choose a different club for this year.

My first choice was the Basic Animation Club. I wanted to learn more about doing computer animation. But when I went to their classroom, I was told that there were no more slots available. My next choice was the Blue Horn. The Blue Horn is a magazine for the Primary School. They publish stories, poems, drawings, and puzzles. But there were no more slots there too. My third choice was Kartunista. It's a club where you make your own comic strips. I was so happy when I found out that I could still join the club.

I've made a cartoon strip before, when I was six or seven years old. It was about "The Brave Jedi". I'm looking forward to making more comic strips this year with my new club.

A Day at Club Manila East

2008-05-29T10:38:00.004+08:00

Papa and Mama were planning to take us to the beach before school started. But it's been raining since last week, so that didn't push through. Luckily, on the morning of Mama's birthday, the sun came out. Papa decided to bring us to Club Manila East. It is just near our house, so we didn't have to prepare much. We changed to swimming clothes after eating breakfast and off we went.

We've been to Club Manila East once before. At that time, we only went to the kiddie pool. But they have many swimming pools there. This time, we started in the kiddie pool again. I didn't like it so much now, because the water was so shallow for me. But Trixi loved it because she was able to walk all around the pool. There was a small slide and she kept going up and down on it. After that, Papa and I went kayaking in the deeper pool. I chose a red kayak for us. We were given two oars to use. It was hard having to row all the time since the oars were heavy.

We also tried the bigger pool with the really long and twirly slide. You had to go up several flights of stairs just to get to the top. I liked it because you could go very fast! This was my favorite part of the resort.

There was also the BeachWave pool, which was the newest pool there. It had really big waves, just like in the beach. We all had a lot of fun riding the waves.

Another new attraction in Club Manila East was the Buzzy River. We rode round inflatable rafts which drifted down the flowing water. After the ride, I tried to swim in the river, even if Papa told me not to. I didn't know that the current was strong and I couldn't get out from under the raft. Papa had to help me.

We had such a great time that we didn't realize it was lunchtime already. The skies also grew darker so we headed for home after lunch. All of us had a wonderful time in Club Manila East. I'm glad Mama had a great birthday celebration.

Zoobic Safari

2008-05-03T11:17:00.011+08:00

From Zambales, we headed to Subic where we would spend the night before going to Zoobic Safari. We stayed at the Courtyard Inn in Subic. It's a small hotel, but I like it very much. It had a kiddie playground where Trixi and I played before dinner. Our room was just the right size for the four of us. The only thing I didn't like about the hotel was that there were mosquitoes! Good thing Mama brought our insect repellant. We had dinner in Gerry's Grill which was right across the hotel. Subic Bay was right behind the restaurant. I liked the kiddie meal that I had, which was spaghetti and fried chicken. We had dessert in Aresi's Restaurant, which was just beside the hotel. Everyone slept early because we were all tired from the long day.

After breakfast, we went to the Zoobic Safari. It was still around 30 minutes away from the hotel. We were assigned a tour guide, Ate Maan. She told us a lot of information about the animals in the zoo. She showed us which animals we could touch because they were gentle and which animals to stay away from because they could be dangerous. She knew the names of many of the animals in the zoo.

The first part of the tour was the Petting Zoo. This was different from the other zoos we've seen because some of the animals were not caged. There were a lot of pigs, sheep, goats, geese, and chicken running around. They would keep on going to our group, especially to those who had food.

I learned a lot about the animals from Ate Maan. She warned us not to show our teeth to one of the monkeys because it would think that we are challenging him to a fight. There was another animal (I forgot the name) whose saliva had toxins, so that the caretaker would need to wear gloves while feeding it. I also saw that the alpacas had only one area for their urine and poop. I also saw a bear who could do a high-five. There were squirrels and ferrets in Rodent World. There was a smart pig that could be taught tricks like a dog. I also saw an albino carabao and a miniature horse. It took us an hour walking around the Petting Zoo, but it didn't feel like it because of all the interesting animals around.

From the Petting Zoo, we rode a train to the Serpentarium. They used an old ammunition bunker to hold the snakes and lizards. There were a lot of different snakes, big and small. I learned that of the many snakes, only a few are venomous. One of them looked like Snappy of TLFH.

After visiting the Serpentarium, we were brought to the Tiger Safari. This was the part I was most excited about. In this part of the tour, we rode a specialized jeepney. This jeepney had grills all around to keep everybody safe. There was also an opening in the roof, which was covered with glass and wires.

The jeepney then entered a fenced area, the Safari area. Right after we entered the gate, we saw a tiger relaxing in the shade. It seemed bored. Then the caretaker (who was with us in the jeepney) tied a chicken to a rope and threw it out for the tigers. Four tigers came nearer. One of them jumped for it but missed. The caretaker threw it out again and this time, the tiger caught it. While the tiger was eating, the caretaker threw another chicken to the top of the jeep. Another tiger came and leaped to the top of our jeep. We could see all his very sharp canine teeth - it was so scary! It was the first time I had seen a tiger eat up close. But I wasn't scared because I knew we were safe in the jeepney.

After the Tiger Safari, we had the Tiger Close Encounter. We were brought to the pens where the tigers are kept when they are not in the safari area. We were about 2 feet away from the tigers. There were baby tigers (11 months) and older tigers (George, the oldest there, was 17 years old) - they were all so big! I learned that tigers mark their territory with their urine. Ate Maan warned us that when a tiger raises its hind leg, be prepared to jump away because if you get sprayed on with urine, the stench will last for 3 days! Once we thought that one of the tigers was going to raise its hind leg - everyone ran away, but the tiger didn't urinate.

Next was the Savannah. We drove around to see some ostriches, potbellied pigs and boars. We also saw the Animal Museum. There were real stuffed animals and animal skeletons. The stuffed tiger there was the wife of George.

From there, we were brought to the Aeta Trail. There we saw 3 young Aeta men who showed us their songs and dances. One of them climbed a tall pole so fast, like a monkey would.

After that, Papa and I went through the Hip Hop Bay-a-wak. This was like a maze of logs we stepped on to go down the path. If you fell, you would get wet and huge lizards would chase you.

The last stop was the Croco Loco. We saw a lot of crocodiles lying around in the sun. I had the chance to feed the crocodiles. I was given a chicken on a fishing pole for the crocodiles to eat. Ate Maan brought us to the aggressive crocodiles and gave us a challenge to make the crocodiles jump. I dangled the chicken a few feet away and at first, the crocodile missed. On the second try, the crocodile caught it! I watched the other people feed the crocodiles. You could hear the crunching sound of the chicken bones while the crocodiles ate.

For those of you who are interested in animals, I recommend that you go to Zoobic Safari. You will learn a lot from the guide and the animals. Have fun!

Visiting My Great-Grandparents

2008-05-01T15:24:00.007+08:00

Not too many kids still have their great-grandparents. Trixi and I are lucky that we have two living great-grandparents. SuperLolo and SuperLola are the parents of Lola Aning, Papa's mom. They used to stay in the US, but are now staying in San Marcelino, Zambales. I was still a baby when they last saw me and they haven't seen Trixi in person. So my parents thought it would be a good idea to visit them while we are on vacation.

It would be a long drive to Zambales so we left the house early Tuesday morning. Papa, Mama, Trixi and I picked up Lola before we set off. We passed this new highway, the SCTEx, which was opened less then 24 hours before we were there. Everything was so shiny in the highway. We were able to go fast so the trip wasn't so boring. We also brought the portable DVD player so we got to watch some movies.

When we got there, Trixi and I were so excited to meet our great-grandparents. They were excited to see us too. SuperLola was asleep most of the time. She was very weak and needed help getting up. But SuperLolo was still strong for his age (he is 96 years old). He told us stories about what it was like when he was young. He started working after Grade 7 so he could pay for his own schooling because he didn't want to depend on his parents. He also played the clarinet in a band.

After lunch, SuperLolo brought us to his farm. He showed us the different fruits and vegetables planted in the farm. There were mango trees, coconut trees, corn and other plants. There were a lot of animals too. There were a lot of dogs, some cows and a carabao.

Soon it was time to go. I didn't want to leave yet but my parents said we had to go and find a place to stay for the night in Subic. But Papa promised that we will try to come back soon, maybe before school starts in June.

Time with Tito Jerick, Tita Liz and Aidan

2008-04-23T21:39:00.003+08:00

My family was happy when we learned that Tito Jerick, Tita Liz and our cousin Aidan were coming for a short vacation. We were excited because we don't often see them. They live in California and come around every 2 to 3 years and stay only a short time.

We had a lot of activities together. We invited them to spend a night in our house. They gave me a Hot Wheels racing set and a Lego Anakin Starfighter (with Anakin and R2-D2 figures) and Trixi got a Dora toy set and a PlayDoh kit. For our gift to Aidan, we gave him a Star Wars Transformer set. We all opened our toys and played with them. We even jailed Trixi's Dora toys!

The following day, we went to Fun Ranch. We brought Aidan to Fun Ranch because Trixi and I enjoy it so much there and we thought he would like it too. And he did! We went down a loooong slide, a super curvy slide and we shot at each other using plastic cannon balls.

Aidan also had his birthday party while they were here. The theme of the party was Star Wars, my favorite! There were a lot of games and prizes. My favorite game was Pin the Control Panel on Darth Vader's Chest. I won a Spiderman toy in that game. There was also an egg hunt where we searched for eggs with candies inside. Aside from the loot bag, all the kids got a bubble saber. Tito Jerick blew up a lot of bubbles and we had a lot of fun popping them!

Finding Darth Vader's chest...

Popping all those bubbles....

On our last afternoon together, Aidan, Trixi and I went swimming in an inflatable pool in his grandparents' house. It was very cold but we all had a lot of fun playing together.

Before we left, Aidan gave Trixi and me each a souvenir. He gave me a mini red lightsaber and he gave Trixi a sponge paint set. It was sad for me to say goodbye because I know it will be a long time before I see them again. We keep in touch through phone calls and e-mail and I hope that I could be with them again very soon.

A Sleepover with Lolo and Lola

2008-04-07T15:55:00.003+08:00

When I had my Weaning Night, Trixi slept over at Lolo and Lola's house. I decided that I wanted to have a sleepover there too. So last March 21, Trixi and I stayed at our grandparents' house. We were so excited! We went there Friday morning and had lunch. We watched TV happily the whole afternoon. For dinner, Lola ordered fried chicken from Max's. (Lola always orders fried chicken for Trixi and me when we eat there because she knows we love fried chicken.) Then while I was watching TV, I saw a spider on the chair. I asked for a jar then I caught it! Now, I call him Spike. Lola said it was time for bed so Trixi and I went to sleep. The next morning, Lola prepared our usual breakfast of oatmeal and milk. When Papa and Mama came to pick us up, we were ready to go. Trixi and I had fun staying with Lolo and Lola.

Weaning Night

2008-04-07T15:49:00.003+08:00

Last Feb. 22 - 23, Grade 2 had Weaning Night in school. To start it off, we went on a hike around the campus. It was a long and tiring hike. After that, we ate dinner. My parents brought my favorite meal, fried chicken from McDonald's. We assembled at the covered courts for some games, like relay races. Then we all watched the bonfire. After that, we went ghost-hunting around the school grounds. At first, I wanted to sleep in my classmate's tent, but it was so hot so I went to sleep in the classroom instead. The next morning, we had a yummy breakfast of hotdogs and eggs. We had more games at the covered courts. After the games, we all went home tired and sleepy. But I was so happy about Weaning Night.

Chino's Pokemon Adventure

2008-03-29T00:18:00.003+08:00

I wrote this sometime ago, but the copy got lost. Mama just found it today, so here it is...

Chino's Pokemon Adventure

Chino became a Pokemon trainer. His first Pokemon was Bulbasaur. His first wild Pokemon was a Squirtle. Then he battled and caught a Cyndaquill. He trained the Cyndaquill. It evolved into a Quillava. Then he battled Ash's Bulbasaur with his Level 9 Quillava. It was a fierce battle. Ash's Bulbasaur kept on using Solar Beam or Vine Whip. But Chino's Quillava kept on using Magnum Blast or Flamethrower. Chino won.

Four days later, Chino headed for the Elite Four. He was going to try to get Mewtwo. When he got there, he battled all of Elite Four. He won. Then, he battled Mewtwo with his Level 95 Alakazam. Alakazam used Psybeam and Confusion. Chino won. He threw his Master Ball at Mewtwo. He captured it. The End.

The Trixi series

2008-01-19T15:56:00.001+08:00

A few months ago, I wrote a book for Trixi, "Trixi Gets A Pet", which I mentioned in this blog. I have made other stories to make it a series. Here are the others.

"Trixi Goes To Hogwarts (Book 2)"

Trixi was so excited! She was going to Hogwarts! She went to Diagon Alley. Her wand was hawthorn and unicorn hair. Then on September 1, she went to King's Cross with her Kuya Chino who was a prefect of Gryffindor. It was a long ride to Hogwarts but she enjoyed the sweets. When she went in, she went to the Great Hall and when it was her turn to be sorted, she put on the Sorting Hat and it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" She sat beside her brother and ate dinner. After, they went to the Gryffindor common room and slept. The next day, she went to Charms and learned to do Wingardium Leviosa, made a new friend named Albus Potter, and received a letter from Papa and Mama saying they hoped she was enjoying everything! She thought she was going to have fun here. And she did!

Copyright: August 17, 2007

"Trixi's Fun Adventure (Book 3)"

One day, Trixi was outside. She was walking down a path then somebody said, "Greetings, fair maiden." She turned around and saw a handsome prince on a horse! "I am Prince Philip from the Kingdom of Fun Land. What is your name?" Trixi answered, "I am Trixi." Philip said, "Come with me and have fun!" "OK!", said Trixi. So she mounted the horse and off they went. When they got there, Trixi was amazed! It was a huge castle filled with people! They went to the throne and bowed to King Derick and Queen Diana. "Welcome, Trixi, to Fun Land, where nobody stops having fun. Would you like to stay here and be a princess?", asked King Derick. Trixi said, "I would love to!" So she stayed and had a good time. She had fancy meals, nice clothes and even her own room with an aircon. And she lived happily ever after!

Oh and I forgot to mention but Kitty, her cat, was there in her room.

Copyright, January 3, 2008

"Trixi Sees The Dinos (Book 4)"

One cold afternoon, Trixi was watching a show about dinosaurs. While watching, Trixi said, "I wish I could see a real dinosaur." Then a few seconds later, Trixi heard loud footsteps outside the house. She looked out the window and what she saw nearly made her faint! It was a huge Brontosaurus! The huge dinosaur was eating the leaves of a tree. Beside it was a Triceratops, which was eating the grass. So she went out of the house to go closer. Then suddenly, a huge T-rex was coming. It fought the two dinosaurs and beat them both. Then it saw Trixi and started chasing her. Trixi screamed and ran for her life! But she tripped on a rock and fell. She turned around and the T-rex was already opening its mouth to bite her! She was afraid when someone tapped her and everything was black. And she heard someone say, "Wake up, wake up." She opened her eyes and saw her Kuya in from of her and the TV still on. "Are you all right?", asked Kuya. "I'm okay", said Trixi. "I was just dreaming. Why?" Kuya answered, "It's time to prepare to leave for Megamall!"

Copyright, January 3, 2008

A Visit To The Dentist

2008-01-03T14:30:00.001+08:00

This morning, Trixi and I had our dental appointment with Tito Rally. While waiting for him to arrive, we played with the Lego blocks in his office. When Tito Rally came, I had my turn first. He checked all my teeth. He told me I had no cavities but he needed to fix my chipped front tooth. (I chipped my tooth in Prep when I fell and hit my mouth on the ground.) I was afraid it might be painful, but he said it wouldn't hurt. It didn't take long before my tooth got fixed. Now my front tooth looks so much better, thanks to Tito Rally.

A Fun Christmas

2007-12-28T11:20:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas! This year, I was so excited for Christmas, so much that I felt like exploding! Our Christmas celebration started on Dec. 24, when Lolo, Lola and Tita Reena came over to our house for lunch. I got a shirt from Tita Reena and an Optimus Prime toy from my grandparents. Then on Christmas morning, I woke up early and went down at 6:00 am to open my presents. I was so happy to see Santa's gift - a Transformers sticker book! Later, my parents came down and gave me their present. It was the Bumblebee set that I wanted so much! For lunch, we went to the reunion of Mama's clan . I got more gifts (a Lego Bionicle set, a Camshaft Transformer, books) and I also got to read the First Reading in the mass for the first time in my life. Trixi and I had a lot of fun playing with Andoy and the other kids in the reunion. I was so happy with all the celebration and all the gifts that I received. Now I'm looking forward to my birthday celebration which is coming really soon!

A Great Weekend

2007-12-23T22:35:00.003+08:00

Last November 30, my family and I went to a hotel because Papa had a convention. We stayed in Traders Hotel. We were given a nice room but when we went in, I smelled cigarette smoke. They apologized since Papa had asked for a non-smoking room. To make up for it, they gave us the best room in the hotel!

After settling in, we went to the lounge to have a snack. The lounge was big and they had computers with Internet connection so I played first. From the lounge, we had a view of Manila Bay. At the snack table, I saw one of my favorite foods - cheese! I ate sooo many slices!

That night, we ordered room service. I ordered chicken strips with ketchup. Trixi ordered spaghetti with large meatballs. Then we all watched Pokemon.

The next day, we went to a carnival beside SM Mall of Asia. It was sooo cool! There were a lot of rides. Trixi liked riding the helicopter. I liked the spaceship.
After a few rides, Papa and Mama got dizzy already, but Trixi and I kept on riding by ourselves. We also went to the Jurassic area. I was afraid of everything (even if I knew they weren't real). Our last ride was a boat ride. When it was time to go, Mama bought chicken and we went back to the hotel. We were very tired, but also very happy.

The next day, Sunday, it was time to go home. I really wanted to stay some more but we had to leave. I miss it already but I know that I will always remember that weekend.

My First Holy Communion

2007-12-13T14:33:00.001+08:00

Last December 4, we had our First Holy Communion. It was supposed to be last November 25, but it was postponed because of a storm. Papa, Mama and Trixi accompanied me that day. We had it in the Church of the Gesu. I received the host for the first time. We sang a song I like, "Kay Gandang Alay" as our song of praise. After the mass, we had lunch as a family in KFC and we went around the mall for a while before going home. I am happy that Jesus is finally in my heart!

I Meet the Transformers

2007-11-10T14:17:00.001+08:00

Last July, Papa took me to the moviehouse to watch Transformers. It was so cool to see vehicles transform into robots! My favorite part was the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. (I like watching robots fight.) I think Optimus Prime is the best because he has a sword in his arm. He was also a good leader, because he was prepared to sacrifice his life in order to destroy the Cube. (For those who did not watch the movie, the Decepticons, or the bad robots, were looking for the Cube so that they could use it to transform human technology into more Decepticons and take over the universe. This was what Optimus Prime was trying to prevent.) So the next time you see a vehicle or electrical device, watch out! It could be a Transformer, there's lots more to them than meets the eye!

A Day in Fun Ranch

2007-10-12T15:59:00.001+08:00

Two weeks ago, we were supposed to go to my school fair. Trixi and I were really excited to go. I was looking forward to riding the Dragon, one of the new rides they had, and it was Trixi’s first time to go to the fair. But when we got there, it was raining so hard that they closed down the rides. We really felt so bad about it. Trixi and I bought stickers and then we headed home. Somewhere along the way, Papa and Mama changed their mind about going home and decided to check out this new place they had heard about, Fun Ranch. We did not know what they had in Fun Ranch so they told us we were just going to take a look at the place.

When we got there, we liked what we saw right away. There was this huge play place with 3 large slides. There were different rides, bumper cars, and arcade games. Trixi and I chose to stay in the play place. Aside from the 3 large slides, there was also a swirly slide and a place filled with balls that you could throw at each other. I also played with a cannon that shot rubber balls. We were given an hour to play before lunch but the time felt so short.

We had lunch in Pomodoro Verde. It had kiddie tables and chairs where we colored some pages while waiting for our order.

We had the Make Your Own Pizza where you can design the pizza any way you like. We decorated our pizza to look like a crazy alien.

We really didn’t want to go home yet. There was so much else to do there in Fun Ranch. But my parents said that we had to get home already. Anyway, they promised to bring us back there soon. I’m looking forward to playing the Space Ball Battle and riding the bumper cars next time.

Harry Potter Series

2007-09-06T21:36:00.001+08:00

I already finished reading all seven Harry Potter books. My favorite book is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. It is the last of the series. In this book, Harry set out on a journey to find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy Lord Voldemort. My favorite part is where Kreacher, leading the house-elves in the battle of Hogwarts, fought so hard for Harry. I was happy that Kreacher finally appreciated his new master.

My favorite characters are Harry, Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron. I admire Harry for his bravery. He stood up to Voldemort who was feared by almost all wizards and fought him even when he knew that he could die. Albus Dumbledore is a wise and helpful man. He saved Harry from danger many times and he helped Harry learn magical skills. He was like a father to Harry. Hermione Granger is very smart. She could do spells Harry and Ron did not know. She taught Harry how to do a Summoning Charm during his preparation for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. In the last book, she managed to bring a lot of things needed for the journey by putting a stretching jinx on her bag. She also cast protective spells around their tent when they were hiding. I like Ron Weasley because he was a loyal friend to Harry. Even when he was angry with Harry during their fourth year in Hogwarts, Ron still helped Harry with the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. If I were in Hogwarts, I would have liked to be in Gryffindor because that was the House where Harry belonged.

My favorite spells are: Stupefy (Stunning Spell) , Expelliarmus (Disarming Charm), Petrificus Totalus (Body-Bind Curse), Accio (Summoning Charm), Protego (Shield Charm) and Impedimenta (Impediment Jinx). These spells came in handy several times for Harry and his friends.

I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter books because they are exciting and wonderful. I will surely read them over and over again.

A Story for Trixi

2007-09-06T21:34:00.001+08:00

The other day, Trixi told me that she made a book for me. (Actually, she scribbled some letters on a sheet of paper, which she folded in two.) I thought it was sweet of her to do that so I decided to do something special for her too. Since she’s just learning how to read, I made her a story, which she can read by herself. Here it is:

“Trixi Gets A Pet”

Trixi walked with Mama to the pet shop. She was going to get a pet. When she went in, she saw many animals. She sees a goldfish, a dog, and an orange cat. Trixi buys the orange cat. She calls the cat “Kitty”. Everyday, Trixi calls Kitty and then they play for 5 hours with their toy ball and then Trixi will read Kitty a story. At dinner, Trixi will give Kitty some cat food and milk. Then, Trixi will tuck in Kitty in her bed. Trixi will say “Good night, Kitty. See you tomorrow.” Then Trixi will sleep and dream about the next day. From that day on, Trixi and Kitty became best friends. The End.

Copyright: June 29, 2007

Beach Day!

2007-06-06T17:21:00.001+08:00

I got up early Saturday morning. It was a very sunny day, perfect for swimming. I was so excited to go to the beach. I brought a shovel, a rake and a pail so I could build a sand fort. We went to Saud Beach Resort in Pagudpud. We swam and played in the sand. I saw some lobsters being sold at the beach. I also saw hermit crabs running around. The water was cool. The waves were quite big. I was sitting down in the water when a wave came and pushed me back. When I thought it was over, I got up. But unexpectedly, another wave came and splashed me on the face! We would also lie on our tummies and be carried backwards by the waves then get pushed forward by the next wave. We did not stay long at the beach because we were going back to Manila.
The ride home was even longer than the one going there. I was getting bored but Papa made the trip enjoyable by telling funny stories and playing with Trixi and me. I slept most of the time. We arrived in Rizal Medical Center at 1:30 the next morning. I was tired and sleepy from the long trip but I enjoyed the whole vacation. I really want to go back to Vigan someday. Maybe you readers should go there too.

On The Road Again

2007-06-06T17:15:00.001+08:00

After breakfast on Friday morning, we left for Ilocos Norte. This time, Papa was in the van with us. Our first stop was in Batac to visit the mausoleum of former President Marcos. The body was placed in a glass coffin so the people can see it. The room was enormous. It was cold and dark and there was music playing in the background. Across the mausoleum was a museum where I saw some of the things of President Marcos. I saw the desk he used, pictures and newspaper headlines on the walls, his car plates and a wax figure of him. From there we went to Paoay to see the Paoay Church. We had our picture taken in front of this old church. Near the church was a souvenir shop selling native hats and bags. I didn’t buy anything but the older girls did. After that, we went to Laoag for lunch. We ate at the La Preciosa. It is a famous restaurant there. I loved their Vanilla Frappe. After lunch, we continued the journey. We went to the Palalay Hotel in Burgos. The room there was not as nice as the one in Vigan. After checking in, we went sightseeing around Ilocos Norte. We went to see the windmills in Bangui Bay. There were 15 windmills that were 23-storeys high. They looked like gigantic electric fans to me. They supply electricity to the nearby towns.
We also went to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. We were allowed to climb the tower. It was scary going up the spiral staircase because it was dark and we had to go a long way up. But we did it, climbing all the way to the top. We had a picture taken beside the light. It was easier going down because it was less tiring.
We were supposed to go to the beach but it was already late. So we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool instead. It’s been a long time since I last swam so I was glad to have the chance to swim again. The water there was warm. There was a main pool, 2 kiddie pools and a Jacuzzi. I went to all four pools. We weren’t able to swim for a long time because there was thunder and lightning already.
I ate a lot for dinner that night. We had to sleep early because we were going to Pagudpud the next morning.

Exploring Vigan

2007-06-06T17:00:00.001+08:00

Papa arrived the next day with Tito Mike, Tita Kelly and Miguel. I was happy to see Papa again. I was excited to show Papa our room. After Papa rested a bit, we went for a stroll around the hotel. Plaza Burgos was right across the hotel. There was a big pond in the middle of the plaza. We saw the Vigan Cathedral, the Arzobispado and Museo Nueva Segovia. Papa had to prepare for his lecture so we couldn’t go far.
In the afternoon, while the doctors were lecturing, the families went exploring by van. First, we went to the Syquia mansion. It was the house of former President Elpidio Quirino. It was a really big house. They had peepholes to see who the visitors were. There were a lot of paintings on the walls. Their dining table was so long. They even had a chapel inside the house. Trixi and I got to ride the carriage that was used as a wedding car when President and Mrs. Quirino got married.
From there, we went to Baluarte again. This time, Trixi and I were able to ride the horses. I thought it was going to be a slow ride but the horse we rode went very fast. I enjoyed going fast but Trixi did not. She kept on shouting during the ride. I liked it so much I rode two more times. Since Miguel wasn’t with us the first time we went to Baluarte, I showed him where the tigers were. He got scared of them. We also went to the Butterfly Garden. They had a breeding area where we saw the different stages of growth of a butterfly.
After going to Baluarte, we went to the Crisologo Museum. They had an old refrigerator that was wooden. I also saw the clothes that Mr. Crisologo was wearing when he got shot. They also had a carriage like the one in the Syquia mansion.
After going around Vigan, we went to the lecture hall to join Papa for dinner. We slept early that night in preparation for the long trip to Ilocos Norte the following day.

My Trip To Ilocos

2007-06-06T16:45:00.001+08:00

Last week, my family went on a road trip to Ilocos. Papa and his fellow doctors from Rizal Medical Center were going to lecture in Vigan. Papa couldn’t leave with us that day so Mama, Trixi and I went ahead with the group. We left Manila on a van early Wednesday morning. It was a long, long trip. I saw many cows and carabaos along the way.
We stopped for lunch at the Midtown Plaza in La Union. I ordered a Banana Pina Shake but I didn’t like it. After lunch, the trip continued. I slept most of the time. We reached Vigan 4:30 pm.
We stayed at the Vigan Plaza Hotel. Our room was amazing! You had to put the key card in the slot to open the door; in the bathroom, there was a glass enclosure instead of a shower curtain and the aircon was big.
Even if the day was ending already, we were still able to go on a calesa ride around Vigan. Our horse, Gift, took us to Baluarte. I saw ostriches, horses, deer, geese, tigers and a lion. We thought the lion was asleep, so we got shocked when it suddenly sprang up just when Ate Mariel was posing near it! Trixi and I wanted to ride the horses but they were closed for the day. From Baluarte, we went to the Hidden Garden. We didn’t stay long because it was getting late. I was already hungry. The calesa then brought us back to the hotel. We had dinner in Café Leona, which was near our hotel. I liked their banana shake better than the one in Midland Plaza.
It was a very long and tiring day. I just wanted to sleep after dinner. But I was looking forward to riding the horses in Baluarte and seeing Papa the next morning.

A Surprise for Mama

2007-05-24T15:25:00.001+08:00

In our house, it’s usually Mama who prepares our food. But for her birthday, Papa, Trixi and I made dessert for her as our gift. Papa bought the ingredients and Trixi and I helped in the preparation.

First, Papa put a layer of cream and condensed milk on the bottom of a pan. Then Trixi and I put a layer of fruit cocktail. On top of that, we placed a layer of graham crackers. We repeated the layers and ended with a layer of fruits. Trixi and I sprinkled graham cracker crumbs on top (Trixi even got some in her eyes because she blew on them). Then we made a banner, which said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA” and placed it on top. We named it “Fruit Delight” (maybe I’ll even serve it in my restaurant). Mama was so surprised and happy when we gave it to her.

It’s usually Mama who does something for me. Now that I did something for Mama, I felt great.

My Very Own “Black Pearl”

2007-04-30T16:55:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, I received a gift from Tita Cherry and Tito Tato. It was a MegaBloks set of the “Black Pearl”. The “Black Pearl” is the ship of Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean”. I’ve seen the first two movies of the series.

I wanted to build it as soon as I got it but since we were leaving for Marikina that evening, I had to do it the next day. I woke up early so I could finish the ship. It was fun and exciting to build it. By the time Papa got up, it was already finished.

My ship has two working cannons, a steering wheel that turns, a trap door and flaps in the sides of the ship which open, a secret room at the back of the ship, a big anchor, six cloth sails and a treasure chest. It also comes with three figures – Captain Jack Sparrow (who has a sword), Pintel (who has a pistol), and Bill Turner (who has a rifle). I like the firing cannons and the Captain Jack Sparrow figure best.

This is one of the coolest toys I’ve ever built. Thanks to Tita Cherry and Tito Tato for giving me my “Black Pearl”.

Chino's Best

2007-04-26T15:00:00.001+08:00

When I grow up, I want to have a restaurant of my own. I’m going to call it “Chino’s Best”. I’ll serve some of my favorite foods, especially my family’s creations. From Papa, I’ll learn to make his Banana Sandwich (2 slices of toasted bread with mashed banana filling), Ham and Cheese Omelet, and ChocNut Ice Cream (vanilla ice cream with ChocNut bits). I will ask Mama to teach me how to cook Spaghetti, Beef Kaldereta, Chicken Corn Casserole, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Child of Malacon. I will also serve my inventions, like Ice Cream Face (vanilla ice cream with a banana for the mouth and Oreo cookies for the eyes, ears and nose – I’ll give the white filling to Trixi) and Quadruple Decker Sandwich (4 slices of toasted bread with 3 layers of fillings – pineapple jam, butter and cheese spread).

I want my restaurant to be inside a mall, not a stand-alone store, because there are many people inside the mall. I’m going to need a lot of money to buy plates, spoons and forks, and ovens. I have to hire waiters to serve the food. So where will I get the money to pay for all these? Maybe I can join “Itaktak Mo”. If I win, I can use the money to start my restaurant.

Hope to see you there! By the way, family members can eat for free :-).

Pokemon Crater

2007-04-25T14:36:00.001+08:00

This summer, I started playing “Pokemon Crater”. It’s a game you play on the Internet where you can catch wild Pokemon and train them, battle a gym leader or an online member, and earn badges. You start by choosing a sprite and a starter Pokemon. Your Pokemon gains experience every time you battle other Pokemon.

I started out with Charmander and evolved him into a Charmeleon. I trained the Charmeleon by battling other Pokemon. When Charmeleon reached Level 36, I evolved it into Charizard, my favorite Pokemon. I like Charizard because it is a strong Fire Pokemon that can fly. I use it more often than the other Pokemon I have on my team. Now, Charizard is my strongest Pokemon.

I’m really glad my bus mate Lean told me about “Pokemon Crater”. If not, I wouldn’t have known about this game. Gotta catch ‘em all, POKEMON!

Sleepover Again

2007-04-23T17:32:00.001+08:00

Last April 14, Tito John and Tita Tintin picked me up after my karate class for my sleepover. It has been a year since the last time I spent the night with them. When we got to their house, we had a snack and watched “Ice Age 2”. We all thought the part where Scrat did karate was funny. After the movie, Tita Tintin and I played Pokemon while Tito John bought dinner. The KFC chicken was delicious. Tito John even bought extra gravy because he knows I eat a lot of gravy with my chicken. After dinner, all three of us had a long game of Pokemon. I won because I kept using my Alakazam’s reflect and confusion attacks which made me invincible. At 10:00 pm, I felt tired so we went up to sleep.

The next day, I woke up at 6:00 am. While waiting for them to wake up, I watched “Pokemania 4” on TV. I hardly get to watch Pokemon at home since we have no cable. We had breakfast delivered from McDonald’s. I ordered 2 Sausage McMuffins (which I haven’t had in a long, long time). After breakfast, we went to UP to hear Mass. It was my first time to be in UP. The church there was different from other churches I’ve seen because this was round. From there, we went to Megamall where my parents were going to meet me. I was excited to see them again.

I am so happy that I was given the chance to spend some time with Tito John and Tita Tintin. They were very loving and kind and they made me feel at home, even if I was away from Papa, Mama and Trixi. They’re going to be great parents to my newest cousin.