We used to bring my son Kyle’s PSP and Ipod during travel to entertain Kyle while we are on the road. But my son really loves to put something in his mouth while he is doing something like when he is front of computer, watching TV or even in reading books or while we are studying.

One time during one of our travels and he was busy watching movie on his Ipod, we looked at the headphone of his Ipod and it really looked crumpled and bitten by small rats and not functioning well anymore. As we all know it is expensive to buy an original Ipod headphone. We learned a lesson from to be very careful in letting him use his Ipod. Although I have my new headphone now which I even read some headphone reviews before buying it. We bought him portable speakers for him to use.

There’s a lot of Korean instant noodles in the market today. I even love most of these. However, they are more expensive compared to our local ones but what I love is that it has a new brand and taste. I am sure it is intended for use by Korean who are in the country today. That’s why it is more expensive although sometimes when they don’t get out of the shelves faster than expected, grocery stores offer them as buy one take one especially if they are near their expiryperiod. I hope and pray that there are trust worthy local wholesale distributors distributing here so that the quality and safety of the products are really taken cared of.

With almost six months stint in Mindanao in my previous job, I can say that one of my memorable and unforgettable experiences was when I stayed in different cities, municipalities and province of Mindanao where I was still working in a pharmaceutical company. I am sure some of you who never been in Mindanao will only hear about how dangerous Mindanao is because of the “Abu Sayaf” and other Muslim rebels and those long years fights reported in news.

But there’s a lot of beautiful and peaceful places and great food in Mindanao. There are also many nice people Christians or Muslims.

I will never forget the “bulkachiong” which has become my favorite in Davao although I was also a regular Flyover Ihaw-Ihaw and Taps restaurant in Davao. The crispy tuna tail “buntot ng tuna” in General Santos, the beef nilaga in the road side restaurant when I would be on my way to Marvel “Sultan Kudarat,  the carinderia and durian I tried when I would be in Tagum and pansitan and bananas in Digos. The stopover food and hard boiled eggs of Bukidnon,  the concept of unlimited rice when you order chicken inasal in Cagayan de Oro and the restaurant in front of former President Macapagal – Arroyo in Iligan and with all the fruits of Mindanao. These are the things I really miss and dream of having once again.

By the way, if you happen to go there, please avoid lighting your cigars in public when in Davao because almost all of the public places are pegged as no smoking areas.

Time flies really fast. It has been almost nine years ago when I last searched for the best diamond engagement rings for my girlfriend. In a few months after giving it in Manila airport, we decided to get married and now we already have a six years old son, Kyle David. That happened after a year when we first saw each other in Landmark grocery that’s why that place is so memorable to my wife while I am starting to forget that place (just kidding).

It is better to remember those memorable landmarks of your life at least when you get older and able to pass by that place again. You could even tell something memorable about it to your son or daughter.

For my wife and I, Tagaytay is really the best place to unload de-stress. After a toxic and stressful life in the city, a cold climate and dramatic scenery is all it took to get back in shape mood-wise. This is where we felt peace and we choose to have our dream retirement house here someday. Aside from being a beautiful place, it is also near or only more than an hour’s drive from the metro. This place can really prevent you from using wrinkle cream someday.

June 15, 2010 marks the first day of classes amongst most private and public schools in the Philippines. In today’s hard times where a typical household is barely able to make ends meet, being able to send our children to school is a big privilege.

Statistics on education by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) show that among those aged 15-34, the proportion of Filipinos having completed at least primary education at 88-91% is lower than that Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, three ASEAN countries participating in the World Education Indicators (WEI) programme at 92-99%. This sad fact stems from many factors including poverty, low salary of teachers and the government not giving so much priority to quality education.

On the other hand, we know that education is among the very good ways to free oneself from poverty. This is why as much as possible, a child’s education should be prioritized and made accessible to everyone.

It is comforting to find that there are organizations today that are committed to act as a link that helps to bridge the gap that exists especially when it comes to the underprilvileged. One best example is the Katilingbanong Tubag Alang sa Edukasyon sa Kabataan (KATEK). KATEK is a non-profit organization for peace project in Davao City, Philippines offering free education to over 200 children aged 3 to 6 years old regardless of gender, socio-economic status and religious affiliation.

For more details about KATEK, please visit www.jitiy.org.au.

We were worried about some reports about election-related crimes that increase during election season. Killings happen in some elections hotspot. I remember my parents warned me before to refrain from traveling during this season because something might happen unexpectedly. That’s why some foreign government issued some travel advisory to their citizens traveling in our country during this season except if you have universal life insurance quote .

Why is it so dangerous in our country during this time? Politicians sometimes will do the worse just to be in the position. We were in Belgium during their national election but it was so different compared to ours here.