Tag Archives: book

A Wonder Boy, he truly is!

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Lance, a 7- year old cute smart kid is currently enrolled in a private school in the heart of Manhattan. He just came from Singapore as his Mom's work (an expat) requires him to transfer from one place to another. Just like normal kids, he loves to play any kind of games, from high tech stuffs to simple paper planes and rubber band games. Some high end games which I would say he's an expert at it would include those which are found in his iPad , Nintendo 3Ds, plus his collections of pokemon cards. Don't dare to pretend to know this card game and you'll surely be corrected. He knows the game by heart including the characters and their respective position titles and powers. Once in a while, he chanced to show his prowess to his older play mates in board games, such as chess and checkers. Of course, he wins most of the times, but there's a hidden secret behind it!  

(Note:  Photos below are exclusively for use of  www.myusefultips.com, hence not for reproduction and consumption of  anyone)

I had the chance to meet Lance through kins last week and I was amazed of the boy's smartness and talents. He is not only well versed in kids' games but also in his academic subjects. When asked about his performance in school, particularly in Math and Science subjects, he was confident to respond that he normally gets straight A's. In fact, he proudly told the audience around that he can do his assignment in Science within five minutes. Ask me  what was the assignment all about! It was a memorization of about 10 or more terminologies, such as water vapor, precipitation, hail, sleet, and the like. The assignment was for the kids to memorize the definition of the said terms and it involves not just 1 or 2 words but the full meaning of it. I was tempted to test his learning skills. After browsing the pages of his Science book and reading the definition of the words silently for about 5 minutes, he handed over  the book to me.  Acting like his teacher, I started asking him the definitions randomly, not using the sequence as written and arranged in the book. Surprisingly, he quoted the definitions most of the times verbatim, and others in his own words, but correctly defined. He's good in Language too, particularly in Spelling.

The said experience was astonishing, which I said to myself, wow! I have some encounters with kids in school who are in their Grades 3 to 5's, and it is frustrating to note that some, if not majority, of them couldn't spell out and pronounce the words correctly. They are very good in conversational English, no doubt about it, but when it comes to lessons in class, they hardly catch up. Surely, there are various factors behind it, but since this is not about them, let's leave it to the Language teachers and their parents to thresh it out.

Going back to Lance, there was one time he showed me a piece of paper with his writings on it. It was a short story and I thought it was a writing exercise in school. His Mom told me, it was his own composition to which he nodded. Apparently, he sometimes scribbles notes when he's alone. I asked Lance' permission if I could take a photo of it and publish the same in myusefultips.com blogsite. He looked at me with pure innocence and said, “Are you really going to publish it? as in everyone can see it?” When I said, yes, I could see happiness in his face, some excitement and he was really  looking forward to seeing it posted and so he could check it on his iPad. The short story was written in a  white bond paper with his own penmanship. Awesome!.

Absolutely, my  cam did not do justice to the story. I could have scanned it instead to have a better view, unfortunately the scanner just gave me headaches, so I have to plainly re-write it here for your sake. I would like to say my apologies to my dear Lance as this post came later as expected.

Shown below is the full unedited script of the story:

“The Revenge of the Lost Viking" 

"Once upon a time a little boy discovered about a weird looking fossil. The little boy got it and bring it to the science center then the scientist told the boy it is about the lost viking. The scientist said the vikings have a war but one viking ran away so who claim that fossil the vikings will come to you and destroy your hometown said the scientist. The boy feel tricked and lied from the scientist so he took the fossil home then the vikings arrived to destroy his hometown. The boy realized that he make a mistake about the story of the lost viking. So he tried to ask the scientist what their weakness is. The scientist told the boy their weakness, it is killing them with your heart. The boy said, “how to do that”? The scientist said to the boy to apologize to people if you are mean to them. So the boy keep on apologizing to people quickly then the vikings are disappearing but one viking left. The boy realized something to apologize he must apologize to everyone causing this big trouble. He apologize everyone for this trouble. There is no more vikings. The boy saved the day for the trouble he made. The boy said his name is Richard. So Richard return the fossil to where it supposed to be. Richard's mother is proud so she tell the President to give him a reward.   The President give Richard a trophy. Richard is proud. His father was relaxed for Richard. Richard smile in tears. Richard and his family feel good about it. And everything is back to normal. And they live happily ever after. The End.”

Below is the photo of the story (clearer version), as written by Lance.

The lighter version but complete:

Bet you,  it's uncommon for  a 7-year old kid to be able to write like this. The smart thought that comes from an innocent and unpolluted young mind, particularly the moral lesson behind the said simple story is most essential. 

I would have wanted him to explain the said story on video but I felt it was no longer necessary. The story alone proved how the young boy thinks and how profound the message it brings to young boys and girls.

I just hope Lance will grow to be a loving and kindhearted person and stays away from the lures and influences of evil doers. Very good job Lance! Keep it up!

The First Taste of “Summer” in Spring Time:What A Marvel! – Tips and Thoughts

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Sorry guys for the belated article….and yes you may have guessed it right that there are times bloggers do encounter the so-called writer’s block! In my case, I just need to dash this write up before end of March, whatever it costs.

It was 18th of March 2011, a very beautiful warm day with a temperature ranging from a low of 60’s to a high of 78 degrees F. It was not even spring time yet as the official first day of vernal equinox or spring in the Northern Hemisphere is 20th of March. Effectively, it was still wintertime. Wasn’t it amazing? Normally, spring time temperature in NYC ranges from a low of 30’s to a high of 50’s, still very cold especially for someone who originally hails from the eastern part of the globe. One needs to sport a down jacket, a wool coat or perhaps a fleece jacket for warmer spring days.

However, that day was unusual, definitely unlikely to get a "summery" like feeling during late winter and early spring days. Oh, it was probably God’s reward for people who have spent time for a certain cause and shared knowledge to other people, for them to relax a bit and experience the wonderful daylight.

I swiftly took the opportunity, grabbed a digital cam and went out for a walk to take out the stresses from boring work related stuffs. Lo and behold, the atmosphere outside was lively, it was positively a summer-like scenario.

In fact,  the skies were a bit clear from stratus, nimbus, cirrus or even the cumulus clouds that I even got lucky to see and get a photo of a cross-like trace path apparently from two jet planes up in the air.

City people from all walks of life flock to parks and play grounds expectedly in jovial mood, getting out under the sun from long winter hibernation

 

(American Museum of Natural History steps)

I saw people wearing light clothing materials: the seniors in their light cardigans while the younger ones in their tees, some even had the guts and were excited to show off part of their “skins” already.

It was truly a nice day to stroll seeing groups of families with their kids in tow to play and enjoy the day.

Others merely head outdoors to take advantage of the sunlight and read a book under the heat of the sun or simply walking their dogs in the park.  

Most of the people I’ve seen were fitness conscious, jogging around the running path provided for them.

Even the swans and birds around the lake and of course the real “love birds” had their own way of benefitting the sunny day as well.  

I was even tempted to get a snapshot of this dumpster overflowing with trash, reflective of the park's plenty of visitors that day.

That was truly a wonderful day, a breathtaking experience and a special day for me!

The final treat was a heavy dinner (glass of merlot and a bottle of beer with a mixed stewed seafood of prawns and squid) to compensate for the strenuous walking which I did during the day! (lol).  Cheers and Bon Appetit!

 

By the way, for the information of those not from NYC, the temperatures the following day until today have  quckly shifted down, back again  to 30’s and 40’s! Soooo cold!  

What happened on March 18th was indeed an amazing God-given thing!

The First 2010 Snow Fall in the Big Apple

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When I was young, I am always amazed of hearing Christmas stories about Winterland and White Christmas. It is probably because of my innocence about the subject matter and likewise my fondness of white things such as snow.

When I learned a week ago from the AccuWeather forecast that NYC may experience White Christmas Day, I had this secret feeling of joy inside me just like a kid! I like the fact that there will be real snow falls or snow flakes to watch from my window…..and then all of a sudden Santa Klaus comes in and knocks at the door to bring me presents! Oh, there I go…………….!

To my dismay, there was no snow on Christmas Day! Although, there were on and off flurries before that, but nothing of it stuck, in fact it never reached the land as it already melted while falling down. That Christmas day however, I checked my weather alert in one of my gadgets and I’ve learned that there’s going to be heavy snow fall the day after Christmas ….and YES, that's today!

I went outside to hear Sunday mass and a powdery granular snow (not the cotton like snow) surprised me, dropping some of it on my face. It started enveloping the roads and streets with a white blanket, making them like a long winding and  never been used ice skating rink, pure and immaculate!

I loved seeing them making the trees look like white Christmas trees with icicles hanging on its branches. Just after the ceremony however, the gentle powdery thing-like, became harsh when it was accompanied by a strong wind.  It  was sort of  a dune moving quickly over a white desert. It has turned into  a winter storm, a blizzard based on weather forecasters report. From today and tomorrow (Monday) , a blizzard warning has been issued that about 11 to 16 inches of snow, accompanied by strong winds and gusts over 35 mph , making the roads sometimes at zero visibility will be experienced by the city.

It would definitely be good to stay at home during this time, its cozy especially with warm clothes, new winter socks, a cup of hot tea with your computer, ipod , a movie to watch or a nice book to read make it a picture perfect. Just what Im doing now!

Oh, never mind the thick snow to plow thereafter, the slippery roads when the snow becomes icy and starts to melt and likewise the after Christmas retail sales, what is important is that I have enjoyed the day of the first real snow fall in 2010!

Cool Useful Tips For A Nice Read – Nine Rooms of Happiness

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This new released book jointly authored by Lucy Danziger and Catherine Birndorf may be more or less interrelated with my earlier write up about tips for staying young, living longer and aging happily. The suggested tips which were spelled out in the said particular blog could very well echo the approaches mentioned in the book on how to make every woman’s life and dreams a reality – despite the blotches, weaknesses, trials and tribulations encountered in every room in the house. 

The said book is a short story, a metaphor which basically describes all about women’s dreams, complications, frustrations and successes in life represented by the different rooms in a typical house. The bottom line is, it suggested certain strategies for every room in your life, particularly on how to be happy , something that is not easy thing to do as it requires a lot of patience and perseverance – the core values crucial to getting there -to the road of joy and happiness.

The book describes each room in the house, as follows:

Basement – this part of the house is considered as the most spacious part and it serves as foundation of the house. Memorable  moments of the family since childhood happen in this room, that is why some of the family’s memorabilia are stored in this place.

Family Room – this is where members of the family gather around to discuss on family related matters and issues, whether happy or sad events in life.

Office Room – this is where the financial transactions (e.g. payment for bills, daily expenses, number of hours spent at home and work) are taken into account.

Kitchen – this is where food is prepared for nourishment and domestic chores are divided and assigned.

Living Room – this  is where social life is mostly spent with friends, with officemates, neighbors, and other social related activities are being held.

Bath Room – this is where major issues of women such as beauty, vanity, weight, fashion and the like are discovered.

Children’s Room – this is where the issues about the kids (their school needs, personal necessities, peer pressures, ) are discussed, including the decision on whether or not to have and nurture kids, among others.

Bed Room – this is where intimacy, romance, sex and personal relationships between husband and wife or between partners are explored and shared.

Attic- this is where the expectations of the family have for each other from childhood to adulthood.

My comments  on the book:

Comment No. 1

Of the 9 rooms described above, I noticed that the authors excluded a Prayer Room, so to speak. They may have their reasons why, probably it was overlooked or it was intentionally not considered at all as a major place of a house. Considering  however, that the subject being discussed is about happiness, it may be imperative that a space or a small room in a decent average home should have been allotted for the family’s spiritual growth. If one is spiritually mature, it could have been easy to lessen  the stresses and resolve the problems encountered in the other rooms.

The Prayer Room is like a war room where the key members of the family, especially the mother or even all the members could visit the room each day or at times to discuss with God and formulate strategies on how to battle the said stresses and problems.  We should be reminded that mortals as we all are, we should make God as the ce nter of our lives—-after all, our purpose here on earth is to know, to love and to serve God.

As the saying goes, the family that prays together, stays together. If I may quote Mother Teresa’s words…”Be sure to teach the families to pray all together , for the family that prays together stays together, and if they stay together, they  will love one another…”. I strongly believe with the said proverb because our parents (especially my Mom), taught us when we were still kids to be prayerful. We pray all together and I would say that it was this time that our spiritual journey began.

  I often tell the kids in my class that when we lift up our problems and open our hearts to God through prayers, we are in effect strengthening our relationship with and faith in Him. And when there is someone more powerful to help, there is that sense of comfort and the feeling of inner peace and security enveloping on one’s  self. As indicated in my other blog, talking to God through prayers or meditation, regardless of one’s religion, is the most peaceful and inexpensive way of releasing the daily burdens and stresses in life. When we have inner peace in ourselves, we become detach to self-centeredness, materialism, worldly desires, and greed (which are at times the roots of troubles in the house),  and in the end we become happier, healthier and loving creatures of God .

Comment No.2

Obviously, the book is applicable and is being addressed and compared to the life of an average to upper working class woman who has a house of her own (either thru sale or lease)  and could relate to what the authors would like to imply.

As such, this book is not meant for majority of the people in the world living under the poverty line (80% of humanity lives on less than $10/day), who can still afford to smile, especially the women, even in the midst of problems and difficulties. These poor women have no rooms to spare, they do not live in an impeccably clean houses – sometimes they live in a shack with no dividers and everything are done in a tiny square room- which is even way far from the situation of a problematic working woman living in a cramped, messy and  fully packed studio room in NYC. So, how on earth can these people do it? How are they able to survive? These are amazingly beautiful people! 

What I would like to impart here, is that regardless of one’s stature, a person can still be happy, can still smile, even with sadness and pain , if armed with the right attitude, their being able to adapt to thorny situations and how they perceived and dealt with it. If I may quote again what I said in my earlier article, a positive outlook in life is essential for a happy contented life. The less privilege people, the women in particular, do not fret and lament of what ever hardships they're experiencing in life. I can say these things in view of my actual dealings with people in the rural areas or even in metro slums or the so-called informal dwellers, specifically in developing economies. These are the women who are the true heroines, who have mastered the art of coping with sad realities of life, who have accepted that it is part of the system, that their happiness does not come in the form of material possessions or the things that can be bought in the consumer market place. Rather, their pleasures and wants are simple: they are happy that they are alive and intact, that they can eat together even with just one serving of fish and rice on the table, and that they can still afford to love one another. These are the people who are happy and grateful for all the things being provided to them, and that this kind of attitude has a trickle down effect to their neighbors, and ult imately to the community, so to speak!

Finally, I would like to say that LOVE is the key to all the doors and rooms in the house, to all things. This is the probably the joy that we would want to see in a house to make it a home. Peace and happiness are in our HEARTS and in our HEARTS is where LOVE is. Without LOVE, then everything will turn awry. LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL!

Comment No. 3

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book especially to the young urban professionals or “yuppies” to consider this book as a guide or framework in deciphering their successes, failures and emotional issues, and eventually reaching happiness at the end of the day for as long as they seek Divine guidance..

About the Book and the Authors:

Launched/published early this March 2010, the book has a hard cover and with 288 pages. Danziger, L – is the Editor-in-chief of Self magazine. Birndorf, C. – is a psychiatrist, especially for women’s health and the founding director of Payne Whitney Women’s Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.