What we do during free time

Photo courtesy of Karla

If the corporate world has coffee break, the educator's world has the so-called "tea break". Of course, I made the latter one up. Haha! Since Serenitea opened at Solenad 2 in Nuvali, my colleagues and I haven't stopped visiting the place. And if I'm not mistaken, the servers know us now by face. :)) 

Going to Serenitea doesn't only satisfy our craving for Okinawa milk tea; it's also an opportunity for us to bond even more. :)

Through the Years

Remember the time when I was so into indie music? Fast forward to today, I have suddenly become interested again in listening to RnB or urban music. It all started when I came across Lil Wayne's How to Love while changing channels the other night. It was a little bit odd yet refreshing for me to hear him sing a "ballad" for he's best known as a rapper. I also appreciated the song's music video because it makes the viewers aware of the issues that greatly affect the life of most teenagers today. You may click the link above and feel free to share with me your thoughts or insights regarding it. ;)

Let's time travel as I present to you some of my favorite and most played RnB songs in my playlist, "Urban Mix":

Dilemma- Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland

A blast from the past! I was in my last year in grade school when this song became a hit in the music charts. There was a point when I recorded this song via a cassette player because downloading songs wasn't a fad at that time yet. ;) Dilemma may be 8 years old already (how time flies) but I will never get tired of listening to and singing along with it. I love this collaboration of Nelly and Kelly!

My Boo- Usher and Alicia Keys

2004 was the year of Usher and Alicia Keys. Their songs from their albums Confessions and the Diary of Alicia Keys respectively dominate the music charts. It was in my sophomore year in high school when My Boo became the most requested song in the radio station my bus mates and I frequently listen to. I wish they had a back to back concert here in the Philippines... as if papayagan ako na manood. Haha! They look good together in this music video, right? It's just sad they didn't end up together.

Hate that I Love You- Rihanna ft. Ne-Yo

College days! I was a freshman in college when I encountered Hate that I Love You. It's one of the songs that my blockmates used to play while waiting for our next class. I'm not a fan of Rihanna or Ne-Yo but in my honest opinion, they totally rocked this song. And can I just say that Rihanna's soooo sexy in this music video?

Superbass- Nicki Minaj

Oh yes. Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Nicki Minaj's Superbass is in my playlist and I dream of memorizing it and singing it without being bulol. Seryoso. :)) Now that I'm in the real world, this song becomes my friend when I check the papers of my enrichment program class because its catchy beat keeps me awake and entertained at the same time.

Thank you for sharing your precious time with me. Until my next blog post! :)

The Big Achievement

*Photo taken last October 9, 2011 at SM Calamba parking lot*

Five months after I "graduated" from driving school, I finally "mastered" the art of parking the car properly. :)) Seeing the car parked right in the middle of the two white lines made me a happy kid. Yay! And I hope this photo will help me in convincing the elders to allow me to drive alone. :D

By the way, the guy beside the car is my dad. ;)

The Big Two-One

My new life began last Thursday when I celebrated my 21st birthday. I thought it would be just an ordinary day and I told myself not to expect anything, but life can be sweet sometimes. It may be a rainy day but it was filled with sunshine and rainbows because of the greetings I received from the people I met along the way, and what they've done just to make my birthday extra special. To those who wrote on my Facebook wall, tweeted me on Twitter, sent me a text message, called me on my phone... thank youuuu!

Here are some snippets of my 21st birthday:

 

The preschool teachers gave this to me as soon as I entered the room. Got teary-eyed when I read the messages they wrote on the styro. They are so sweet!

What's inside the styro? OREO CHEESECAKE! Thank you so much Teachers Kaye, Serie, Mariel, and Kris! By the way, I'm keeping the styro. Sentimental reasons. ;)

This cake was given to me by the school staff. I was reviewing my grade 3 student on division with 2-3 divisors when Sir Ron suddenly opened the door and started singing "Happy Birthday!" (nagulat ako, literal haha!). Behind him was Teacher Portia, our directress, with a grade 1 student carrying the cake. The other teachers from the other room plus their students followed. They were all singing and clapping! I even saw Serie taking photos while I blow the candle. :p

Pizza played a major role on that day. I brought NY Classic, New York's Finest and Manhattan Meatlovers for everyone to savor. It felt so good to see my fellow teachers and the students enjoy my simple treat. 

And the cherry on top? This simple card given to me by my grade 3 student. :D

No words can truly express how I feel. I feel lucky, blessed, overwhelmed, happy, grateful *insert all positive words here*. Thank you!!! You are all fantastic! One big hug! And yes, exclamation points are necessary. :D