Christmas season is the the second best season for teachers. Aside from the thirteenth month bonus that we get, there is also that two-week vacation that comes with this season of festivities. Unfortunately, like any other good thing, it comes with its own set of vices.

For one, the yuletide season brings about the worst traffic conditions in the country. Second, store hours become unpredictable so certain necessities become very troublesome when shortage arises. Third, during this time, buying (especially in malls) becomes a game of patience and strategy.

As a matter of fact, when our kitchen faucet broke down on the twenty-fourth (can you imagine that?), we had to wait until the twenty-sixth to be able to buy a replacement. You see, buyers and mallers flooded the streets and the department stores so we were practically left with no choice but to wait. Almost all Grohe faucets were out of stock when we got to the mall. (Talk about difficult.)

And that’s not yet the end of it. The most difficult part of the yuletide season is the fact that it makes everybody want to stay home, spend more time with the family and finish all available seasons of the best TV series out there - Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Chuck, etc.

All in all it’s the best and worst season of the year. And no matter how troublesome things get during these times, the yuletide season is still one of my favorite times of the year.

A few days ago, I just read an issue of YES magazine featuring the star of the popular noontime show Wowowie. I can’t help but be amazed at how rich Willie Revillame has become. I mean, I’ve seen quite a few well off people including some that own estates as large as a whole block but Willie just seems to top it all off. With three incredibly huge mansion-looking houses, 11 kick-ass cars and 2 yachts, he’s in a whole different league.

His houses (especially the one in Tagaytay), draped in several ornaments (and I’m not talking about just bamboo shades here), bathed in several picturesque colors are like images taken from an architecture album type of coffee table book. His collection of cars, if memory serves me right, was composed of american and european SUVs and sports automobiles. No Toyotas or Mitsubishis. Not even Hondas.

He’s probably earning more than he could spend in a lifetime. In fact, if I would be so cynical about it, it’s possible that he’s getting more than what twenty people could earn in their lifetime. But you know what? No matter what people say about Willie, he’s earned his riches through blood and sweat. He may not be the most likable or respectable personality on TV but he’s earned the love of the masses. Willie may be living like a king now but he’s tasted his share of poverty.

His is a classic rags to riches story - long, difficult, and sweet in the end - the typical fairy tale that most Filipinos are dreaming of (at least in terms of money and career). Family and love are totally different stories though!

When andrea and I were preparing for the immersion trip to Bataan, we came across this airbed in the mall and we knew we just had to get it. It was a few inches smaller than a queen but it fits perfectly inside our tent. I thought that if things didn’t work out well in Bataan, then the airbed would be the best chance for us to have a comfortable place to sleep on. I was right.

But of course I had to convince andrea to buy the bed first. So my sales pitch was that the sleep number bed would be used regardless of whether there was going to be an available room in Bataan or not. I told her that it would be our emergency bed in case someone decides to crash over at our house or if relatives choose to sleep over during the yuletide season. Guess what? I was right again.

So all in all, the airbed we decided to buy has been used twice already - first in Bataan and the second time during this Christmas. What can I say about it? Heck it was worth it! Hehe!

I never had a hard time taking care of my teeth when I was young. I was lucky enough to grow a set of pearly whites that did not require the aid of braces, pastas or any of those Washington DC dental implants. I got my dad’s good teeth. The question now is did mateo get mine as well?

You see, during our last visit to our great (amazing) dentists, we were courteously informed about mateo’s dental condition and reminded of the fact that we had very little idea on how to take care of a baby’s set of teeth. I mean, we try our best to give mateo a regular brushing but he’s recently becoming more and more resistant to the act. Before, he would just imitate me or andrea while we brush our teeth but I guess he’s gotten tired of imitating already. Bribes or threats have stopped working as well. Now, it takes both our efforts (andrea and mine) to successfully give him toothbrush.

I just hope all our efforts pay off. Because from what andrea told me, having teeth problems is not just bothersome. It is very costly as well.

A teacher is a glorified underpaid salesperson. He sells philosophies and ideologies and persuades his clients (the students) to become interested in a particular concept or principle - so much so that the student would want to find out more about this unique product for himself/herself. The only difference is teachers don’t get commissions. The return is hardly if ever felt. Sometimes one needs to wait for a lifetime before he sees the the fruits of his investments. Sometimes, sadly, the investments don’t even bear any fruit at all.

This is why I sometimes wonder if selling Dansko shoes or computers like a regular salesperson would be better. Work and effort is immediately rewarded by commissions or other incentives. At least this is what I would probably think if I hadn’t been teaching for more than 5 years already.

Because you know what. Teaching, even though it may be as tedious and as fierce as selling (if not more), is not rewarded by commissions or rice subsidies etc. The actual reward in teaching is the experience a teacher gains everyday as he/she relentlessly tries to convince his/her students to buy what he/she sells. It is the acknowledgement of the teacher’s efforts when a child passes an exam or raises his/her hand in class. It is all these small triumphs that say you’ve caused a change in a child’s life that brings joy to the teacher’s heart.  All the rest are additional benefits.

So to all the teachers out there, yeah!

I’ve never been that trusting when it comes to people I do not personally know. This includes neighbors and people in the same subdivision. This is probably because I grew up in a neighborhood where such caution is a common survival trait. This might also be the reason why I never had any problems re-adjusting to the tight security that this place (the house we’re presently renting) has. It seems like a prison especially if you are a cynical person.

But no matter how optimistic you are, the truth is there are elements out there that really spell trouble especially for unprepared people. And with Mateo and Andrea to protect, I’m not taking any chances. As a matter of fact, if Aling Myrna (our landlady) did not build the security this tightly, I would have resulted to installing a wireless security system for additional peace of mind.

I mean, it’s still better to be safe than sorry, right?!

Earlier today, after my last class this morning, I decided to stay in the library and work on my lesson plans using my trusty laptop. I was surprised to discover how refreshing it feels to stay in the lib and think. I never ran out of ideas, nor did I get distracted with anything - no substitutions, no questions, no submissions, no nothing. It was just plain quiet and peaceful. Materials seemed to easily flow out of my head and into writing. I guess it’s a welcome psychological reprieve from the hectic atmosphere in the faculty lounge.

Too bad reprieves don’t come often.

Mental note: Gotta find more sanity lib times.

Now that my subwoofer system is back in business, andrea and I have gotten to enjoy several episodes of Prison Break and Heroes in our very own makeshift home theater. With microwaved popcorn, carpet under our feet, and a comfy couch for home theater seating, it’s the next best thing to an actual cinema date. Heck, I think it might just even be better (except for the occasional mateo distractions)!

The only problem now is we’re out of fresh episodes to watch because we’ve watched the latest episode last weekend. Oh well, guess we just have to move on to the next series.

Ever been to the mall lately?

This season of giving and sharing seems to be the most prolific season of selling as well because in every mall we go to, there just seems to be more and more things being sold.

At SM Taytay for example, they’re showcasing several cars in front of the department store - several Japanese and Korean brands with different models altogether. Promos include freeing car registration and car insurance for every unit sold. At SM North EDSA, it’s a battle of price dips for laptops and other electronic gadgets like cellular phones. In fact the competition was so stiff that my dad was lured into buying my mom a 3.5k Nokia unit right there and then.

Who says the whole world is in recession?

With the idea of changing to bikes at the back of my mind, I can’t help but keep on wondering about safety issues. You see, regardless of whether I choose a motorcyle or a mountain bike, the brutal truth is both options carry a grave threat - the danger of being runover by cars or worse, trucks.

Since the road I’m supposed to take on everyday (on a bike) is the same road used by truckers and other commercial vehicles, chances of getting hit are frighteningly real. As a matter of fact, just outside our subdivision, we’ve witnessed more than a single road accident already. And these involve singles (either a motorcycle or a bike).

Question is, is the money that I’m supposed to save by biking worth the risk of becoming roadkill?  Or maybe I should start looking for a term life insurance quote to go with a bike brochure? Will being cautious and consciously safe enough to get me out of harm’s way?

Man, all these questions are making me lose the heart for a bike… We’ll see!