My Blog

Ten years ago today, my then very young family (Troy was 3 yrs old & Piolo was 19 months) made a very life changing decision - to leave our love ones in the Phils. behind and see what was instore for us here in the land of plenty, Australia. It wasn’t a very hard decision to make considering the very difficult life we had back home. While my husband & I were both professional employees there, the pay was less than professional at all. We wanted to give our children a brighter future & may be help our families who were left behind in any way we could. We so desperately wanted to break the cycle of poverty that most of our families are still deeply buried in.

So on the 20th of March 1999, we arrived here in Melbourne. The transition was not a very easy one. While we had some families who welcomed us & helped us start a new life, we experienced deep depression, anxiety, fear, and even anger because of the overwhelmingly different situation & the culture shock which we were not prepared to face with. These feelings, we didn’t share with our families back home because we knew that no matter how much we would explain to them that life here is not at all that easy, they would only know that we have already left hardship & that we’re already earning $$$$$$, yes dollars.

There were times that we cried our hearts to sleep & contemplated going back home, but thanks God for our two beautiful children who kept me & my husband focused. Did we contemplate divorce? I did; he didn’t. I’m just so blessed to have a very Godly & understanding husband who helped me fight my demons while he was battling his own too.

With all these challenges that we had to face, my family persevered. My husband & I decided that I have to work to help him earn a living, so with hearts broken, we decided to bring the boys to childcare so we could start life on our own. The first day I dropped my poor children off to the childcare to be looked after by strangers, I couldn’t stop crying. The carer was so kind enough to listen to my heartaches & she promised me that my boys will be looked after very well.

My husband & I worked in a factory to feed our family & to save up some money to build our dream home. While there is dignity of labour here in Australia (where you are not looked down because of what you do, that Filipino culture is still very prevalent here. Some Filipinos would rather not work if they end up working in a factory.), it was a very bitter pill to swallow, & swallow my husband & I did! Always, my husband & I encouraged each other & we dreamed dreams. We told each other that working in a factory is our stepping stone for us to have a better life.

In 2001, we were able to save up (not enough, but we told the bank we are good savers) some money to show a bank that we are ready to borrow big money to build a house. We moved to our house on Feb. 8, 2002. Now that was a very difficult feat, but we knew all along that God was there with us throughout the process. Even when we had moved in to our house already, our debt was growing each year (still growing until now).

Then in 2004, my husband & I decided for us to upgrade our qualifications. He enrolled in TAFE (Technical school) to do his division 2 nursing. That was a fulltime 1 year study. He went to school during the day & worked fulltime during the night, while I did parttime teaching & parttime factory work & parttime distance schooling & helped (& still helping, of course) in raising our family. He finished his certificate, but he wanted to do a degree. So immediately, after finishing his certificate, he applied for a university place (it’s not easy to get a university place here in Australia) which he did get. Halfway on his university degree & halfway through my distance schooling (masters degree), I decided that I didn’t want to teach anymore. So I also enrolled in nursing at the university. Let me tell you, you who are reading this, that we did cry bucketfuls & bucketfuls of tears. But that was how we unloaded our heavy chests so we could keep going.

Late last year, through God’s guidance, blessings & grace, my husband finished his nursing degree & I finished my masters degree. I’m so happy & proud to share with you, my friends & my families, that my graduation will be on the 22nd of April & my husband’s is on the 23rd of April this year. I still have this year & next year to finish my nursing degree,  but I’m not complaining.

This posting is not to boast what we have achieved within the past 10 years that we have been here in Australia, but to encourage & hopefully to inspire you out there who are probably experiencing the difficulty of starting life all over again after being uprooted from the only culture that you once knew. It is indeed very traumatic and daunting to be uprooted & be transplanted in a very foreign soil, especially if prior to transplantation, there are no pre-testings of what the new soil would bring.

To you all who are so down & who feel that you seem to be at the end of your tether, hang on there. Believe that God is there guiding you all the way. This life is not an easy one & it is not meant to be easy. Persevere & believe in what you can achieve. Believe that what you do & what you have or you don’t have, don’t necessarily tell who you are. From my experience, stay away from people who get critical of what you want to do or who tend to dictate what you should or should not do because they are the ‘irritating grains of sand in your shoes’ who are not happy for you to succeed in what you want to do.

Now, the journey ahead is long & winding & may even be rocky. You might find heaps of detours along the way (like us, our detour was to work in a factory while letting our roots grow more stable & strong). Whatever situation you find yourself into, take time to stop & rest & refocus( to smell the flowers). You’ll get there. It’s us who can only limit whatever we can do or achieve. Learn to unlearn the Filipino cultures that you believe are not going to help you. I have. Be bold to go out of the safety of your cocoon & explore what is there to learn. All the best in your journeys ahead.

My prayers are with you in your journeys. God bless!

Yessssss! There’s a stranger in our house! His name is Troy….. my eldest son. He turned 13 just recently as many, if not all of you, my friends, already know. So, why am I calling him a stranger? Before any judgement falls on me, let me say these….That word is used lovingly in this context. It’s not used to demean or to put him down. O.K. Let me put things into their proper contexts & into his mother’s perspectives!

Recently, the physical changes in him have been so apparent - he’d grown taller & growing some more (! thanks God for that!!!), pimples (which he abhores)started peeking on his face (He started using some of those concoctions that you & I used when we were his age!). He’d become so conscious of his weight & what he shovels in his mouth (which is good). But most of all his voice had changed, and this is where I’m going to start my sentiments, if I may call it that way….

Many times, I get startled when I hear Piolo talking with “someone”. Oftentimes I call out whom he is talking with, only to be told “It’s Kuya, Mum!” I’m not surprised at all with these changes, as they are given facts about growing kids, in general, & boys in particular. But being a firsttime parent of a teenager myself, it’s both an exciting & a ’scarry’ experience for me. Sometimes, I even think that it’s me who isn’t coping with all these changes in him! In hushed voice, I’d even asked my husband (nth times) the unending questions of so many “what if’s” which he answers with “Don’t worry, he’s doing well & you’re coping well.” Then I feel better again, until the ‘next episode’ of uncertainty arrives (hay, mothers!!!! or probably, it’s just me..)

He is not short of surprises, too, which adds to all the ’strange’ (or not so strange) things that I notice. Sometimes, he asks us to buy all these ingredients which I’ve never bought (or seldom buys) before & he’d cook food that he’s so proud preparing himself (his little brother lovingly asks, “Can I help, Kuya?” & which he would say “Yes”, with gusto & feels in control). He still tells me he loves me, although, recently, I noticed that the voice he uses to tell me those words gets fainter & fainter. ( Oh, Hang on, have I noticed recently that he’d just been whispering & mouthing those words? He must have!). I noticed that he’d been more observant lately, too. When I get home from work, he’d ask how work is & if I’m tired. Positive response from me brings him to boil some water & makes my favorite green tea. AND he washes the dishes for me,too!!! These make my eyes & heart swell with pride as I marvel at the blossoming young man in him…. So matured & responsible!!!

Then just as I begin to enjoy the euphoria of the moment of blissfulness, I hear a scream & stomping of the very scared pair of his little brother’s feet coming towards me seeking refuge before he becomes ‘dead meat‘! What do I do whenever this happens? Well, I’m there mother, right? I KNOW BETTER (so I thought!!)! But the moment I hear the first scream, many times, mine were louder (I thought threatening them with a loud voice still works, but….. NAH!) In the end, they end up lecturing me as to why I threaten them my children, why I raise my voice on them, why I look at them with scarry big eyes, etc., etc., etc. (Many times, they end up being friends again, few seconds after I blasted words on them while I’m still fuming mad. My husband finds this amusing…)Then I keep my mouth shut. Not because I don’t have answers to those questions (or probably so), but because of the realization that the traditional way of disciplining them (as in back home, where it’s rude to answer back or ‘lecture’ your parents or elders) doesn’t work here in this society where we live in. I realize now since I arrived here that there are other ways of making my children listen to me, of disciplining them, & still be my children, not my enemies. I sometimes think that my children know me better than I do know myself, that they know when to stop before I open my mouth or look at them with these ‘big scarry eyes’.

This stranger in our house & in our lives, at the moment, will not be a stranger for long. Poor Piolo had been complaining that his big brother had turned into somebody he doesn’t recognize anymore. Piolo complains that his brother has been so mean & irritable & so he (Piolo) doesn’t like him anymore. My husband & I just reassure our Piolo that his big brother will settle soon. We ask him to give Troy one year to keep his testosterones under control & his old big brother will be back, better than ever. As for me & my husband, we also keep reminding ourselves that patience & talking with him constantly with about anything, including girls, crushes, & choosing his mates must be paramount to keeping the lines of communication alive & constantly open. We make him feel & understand that we love him dearly (in the midst of these “personal turmoil”) & understand  all those changes that he’s going through, ‘coz we’ve been there ourselves.

We love this new stranger in our lives & he knows that. He isn’t always an angel, but he realizes when he’s not & so he makes amends. I’m not a perfect mother myself & not an angel, but with God’s guidance & grace, I’m trying to be the best mother that he ever has! I believe that my relationship with my teenager will go through mountains of ups & downs, but with the love & respect that we readily give & show to each other, we’ll be able to pull through….

P.S. For all of you out there with teenagers, like me, all the best with your journeys together & may God bless us all!!!

I didn’t see this coming! Last Saturday, we attended my husband’s nephew’s 10th birthday party at their place. The party went well & soon enough it was time to head home. As I called my boys to get ready & get all their stuff (like mobile phones, ipods, nintendo ds…. as if they have all the time in the world to use them while also enjoying playing with their cousins & their electronic stuffs… when I was a kid i only had a rugdoll, a hand-me-dowm from my two older sisters…. aw, don’t ask me now how the doll looked like when I finally had to have it…I can only say, I was glad to finally have it!!!!), they told me that they & their birthday cousin (they have 2 older cousins from the same family) have agreed that the 2 of them are staying over for the night and so my husband & I agreed. Early the next day, they rang us telling us that they are staying there till Tuesday, the real birthday, ‘coz they were going to see a movie. Their oldest cousin is already driving so he is the one bringing them out. So, without hesitation my husband & I again…. agreed. For the first time, my husband & I attended church service without them.

Then Monday come. There was not much of a drama when I woke up & had to get ready to go to work ‘coz my husband was still at home (he works afternoon shift). But the real drama started when I got home. The silence was deafening!!!! I could even hear the echo when I closed the door behind me. I went in my boys bedrooms & messy as they were, I didn’t dare fix them ‘coz they made me feel like they were just there. I was a bit emotional AND a bit scared,not for ghosts or anything like that (or probably was), but because it was my very first time to be on my own during the night since I was married! All the “what if’s” crept into the crevices of my brain!!! What if someone is hiding inside the cupboards, under the beds, behind the doors, the curtains, blah, blah blah!!!!!! (SSHHHH!!! I slept with my phone under my pillow & the lights along the corridors ON!)Ahhhhhhhh!!! my brain was screaming as I went from room to room checking behind every cupboard, doors, curtains & under the beds!!! Thanks goodness!! I was alone… yes, alone!!! Did I cry?? Almost…. but I told myslef that my boys are just away until Tuesday. I was looking forward to picking them up after work. They were just 20 minutes drive away from work.

Then I rang them to check if they were already home. My sister-in-law told me that they were still out enjoying the day & she told me to let them stay there for the rest of the week…. Now, I wasn’t sure if the boys would be okay being away from us for that long. My husband & I brought them extra change of clothes the next day. I was thinking, they might give me the tightest & biggest hug ever in my whole life & that they would tell us that they were coming home with us that day. Yes, I had very big anticipation & I won’t be disappointed I told myself! Big mistake!!! Big,big mistake! Troy was playing when we arrived . He said “hi” without taking his eyes off what he was busy playing with & Piolo was nowhere to be found. He went walking with his cousin & Simba, the dog. They didn’t come home until 1 &1/2 hours past when we arrived. He gave us a hug (not as big as i was anticipating) & headed off again!

Was I disappointed? Yes! Was I angry? NO. Afterall, this is the very first time they have to spend away from us (away from my constant nagging, too, I suppose Ops…) But what about this! My husband rang me every single break that he had that night. Was he checking on me if I was OK? Perhaps…. But I think he was a bit worried too, knowing that I’m a bit of a “ghost freak”. Whatever his reason for that, I didn’t care ‘coz I knew that he really cared….

So what’s the big fuss all about. One might say, it’s just a week without the boys! For me, it’s like a “baptism of fire” of what’s ahead. Few years from now, the boys will be quite independent in lots of ways, not to mention their preferences of getaways - could be a night away, a week, or so. The thought of that gives me chills, not because I’m afraid that they won’t listen to us anymore so I want them to stay within our eyesight 24/7, but more of what they may possibly find & encounter along the way (which I’m sure would be many). Anyway, this is just me, a mother getting dramatic & anticipating of the years ahead.

Now, this is the more sensible me talking. Troy is turning 13 in 9 weeks & Piolo is just 11. I just pray to God to give me & my husband all the wisdom, knowledge & skill of how to raise our boys the way God wants us to & that our boys will grow up to be the children that we pray for. I am going to enjoy every single moment that I spend with them while they are still young & with us, so when the time comes that they have to finally leave “the nest” I would say, “It’s all worth it!” I’ll let them leave as many footprints in our hearts & lives, as many handprints on the walls, stains on the carpets & lounge, so when they are old & we are too, we would say “We had loving & wonderful memories together in this house which we call home.”

I’m just thankful to God that our boys are mature for their age & that they are sweet & loving. We’ll just continue with the journey together, growing in wisdom & in love with the Lord that we believe in, not to mention growing old together.

P.S. My boys are finally coming home tomorrow & I can’t wait to give them the tightest & biggest hug that they could ever have in their whole life…. at least for now!!!

It’s my 40th!!! I told my family I didn’t want a party for several reasons. One of which is that both my husband & I are too busy with our studies (so many assessments to do and finalize), not to mention work & family commitments. HUH! So, when I arrived home from school at about 11 am, my family & I went off to our hairdresser’s saloon for a treat & shopping for my presents! (loved it). Then we had to come home to get ready for our family dinner only to find out that there’s no power!Thanks to the bad weather!

Guess what! On our way home, we were caught up in a traffic queue because of fallen debris on the roads! We had a very strong wind & dust storm. How about that for a birthday! From home, on our way to the restaurant, there was a three car pile up on the road, most of the traffic lights were not working & police were only at major intersections managing traffic! So we had to weave our way through dangerous traffic situations, not to mention the wet & dangerous road condition.

My boys told me that this is a birthday to remember! Sure it is!

But I didn’t resent the situation. I’m a strong believer in finding peace and order in a chaotic situation. We arrived safely at the restaurant. We enjoyed the meal. When we were just lazing after the main course,an elderly Caucasian lady approached & asked  us if we wanted her to take us some photos. She’s a very lovely lady. She (Marjorie is her name)& her partner Bob finally joined us on our table & they shared us some of their wonderful & interesting (as Piolo my son puts it) stories. We were just so privileged to have spent some time with this wonderful couple on my birthday.

And what about this to add! We had to use our mobile phones to light our way through the house! The power hadn’t come back yet! The damage caused by the very strong wind storm was so massive and widespread. With no power, one might just resign & sigh & probably think that the supposed to be special day had been ruined. But my family & I didn’t take it that way. We considered the situation a blessing. Yes, a blessing. With no TV and playstation to focus on, we focussed on what resources there are at hand. And sure enough, our boys started lighting all the candles they could find. We spent the early part of the night sitting at the lounge room. Troy & Piolo took turns in playing the piano for me & my husband. And guess what, my husband tried his fingers on the keys too. It wasn’t an expectacular "recital" but he was able to play a "happy Birthday" song for me! That was awesome!

It probably isn’t the most "partysome" birthday for me, but it was indeed a birthday to remember! I’m just so blessed to have my family celebrate this "extraordinary" day with me. i wouldn’t have asked for anything better!

One of our family friends sent us a copy of these tips. I find them too good not to share. Hope you find them worth reading & helpful in your day to day living.

40 tips….

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR, tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning, complete the following statement, "My purpose is to___________today."

5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to pray & meditate. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6. (I think that the elderly have more wisdom to share & the young ones teach us truth about their innocence & honesty.Just my thoughts.)

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants & eat less food that is manufactured. (All/Most of us probably know why.)

11. Drink green tea & plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts. ( I would say, we need to be practical here. We can get some substitutes if we can’t find some of these. Don’t you think? Otherwise, this would just be a plain discourse which doesn’t mean anything at all.)

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day. (This is not hard for me to do. I have my husband & 2 boys as my subjects… LOL….)

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk & let new & flowing energy into your life. (I wonder if I’d be able to let ‘new & flowing energy into’ my life if I won’t de-clutter our house, my car, & my desk!!!???)

14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment. (This one works wonders. It’s hard to get away from these though, but it’s good to give it a try.)

15. Realize that life is a school & you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear & fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. (Agree!!!!)

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. (I probably agree with the first 2 premises, but the last one? I’m on a diet!!!)

17. Smile & laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away. (Yeah. I believe that the older we get, the less we do get to laugh. We should be like the little kids. They laugh a lot.)

18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. ( My husband & I made a commitment that no matter how angry we are with each other, we have to resolve our issues before the day ends. I read from somewhere a long time ago that we "souldn’t let the sun set on our anger." Whether, that’s said figuratively or literally, it’s very true.)

20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. ( True. Instead of being so hard on yourself for the mistakes you’ve done, resolve your issues, then forgive yourself.)

21. You don;t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. (This is hard to do. I love arguing with my husband about a lot of issues. But I’ll try.)

22. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. (This is challenging. Especially if that past has left a big scar in your life. But it’s worth trying.)

23. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. (You can only live the life that you have. You can’t live the life that others do.Hey, remember the phrase "catching up with the Joneses"?)

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?"

26. Forgive everyone for everything. (This is a big ask. But this is actually Biblical.)

27. What other people think of you is none of your business. (We shouldn’t feel bad then to say, "Who cares?"!)

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. (I’d say, my immediate family will. Our friends are also busy with their own lives & affairs. They’d probably visit.)

31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come. (As a Christian, I believe this is true.)

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up & show up. (Our friend actually asked us to pay attention to this number ‘coz she sent us this copy with their wedding anniversary invite. Guess what! We didn’t turn up! Bad friends? Probably, but both my husband & I were already busy with school requirements then. Hay, sin of omission, I believe.)

35. Do the right thing! (It doesn’t mean that if everyone is doing it or it is the norm, it is right.)

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey, I’m thinkin’ of ya! (I’m guilty of sin of omission!!!!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

I am thankful for _______. Today, I accomplished __________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World & you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have a one way ride through life so make the most of it & enjoy the ride.

40. Please share this to everyone you care about.

Happy reading. God bless and "may your troubles be less; may your blessings be more; may nothing but happiness come through your door!"

Some may find it "cool" or "sexy" or "cute", but I don’t. I’m referring to the use of the English language (especially by fellow Pinoys) in a weird/sms (or text) style of writing. You may call me unforgiving, but honestly, how can one improve his/her vocabulary use if this form of writing be continuously used in one’s daily casual writing? I just couldn’ stand it!

I admit that I also use this form of writing when I’m sending sms, but I do this sparingly & with caution (I regret using this even if it’s just for sms). I would just abbreviate words if I have to. I discourage my boys using this form of writing,too. They understand where I’m coming from. In their formative years, they need to follow the rule/the right way, that is. K.J? Maybe.

You may call me traditional & I would gladly admit it. It might just be my being an English teacher & I stick to the rule (that certain words are spelt the way they are).

If this posting has caused anybody a stir, my apologies, but I stand to what I believe is the best for one’s learning.

What do you think? I would love to hear from anyone about his/her view on this.

It’s 4 days away from first day of semester 1. I feel a bit excited, but anxious as well. It’s not that I don’t know what to expect, but the mere thought of physically going to school again (after all those years!!!!) is a bit daunting. I love school & learning, in fact I was once called a school junkie by one of my co-teachers here in Oz.

University life here is very much different from back home (although I did my masters off campus/online, I know this for a fact). The atmosphere is very welcoming. You don’t feel intimidated by classmates &/or teachers. Whether you’re a fresh grad from high school (in which case, year 12 dito sa Oz),  from TAFE (technical training school), or mature student (term used for "oldies", in which I belong - I’m on denial though), Mums with prams, or pregnant, & practically anyone who has passed all the rigid requirements to go to tertiary level, you’re all treated equally & with respect & dignity. No one sizes you up, no matter how you look, whether you’re just wearing thongs (slippers), shorts, no brand clothes or bags, who cares. I don’t know, but back home, when I was in the uni, I felt that my being from a poor family was very much emphasized. It’s because I knew I was not dressing up like most students. I didn’t have designer clothes & branded school stuff. I didn’t hang out with classmates at the uni canteen (I felt that only those with money had the right to hang out there) & I didn’t go out & dine with them at the restaurants. It’s because I just couldn’t afford these. I’m not bitter. I’m just glad I experienced those since they made me more mature early in life (that’s probably why until now I’m still so stingy. I want to know where every single cent goes. I hate wasting.)

Well, for the other side of the coin. Yeah, on being a working & student Mum. This would be a big challenge for me. How would I juggle my time doing my studies, work & family duties? Lots & lots of prayers for sure. I’m glad my boys are smart. Now this is a mother talking proud about her boys (hehehe). But modesty aside, my boys are really smart. Troy (the eldest is in the accelerated program in high school), Piolo is a bit playful, but doing very well in grade 5. Meaning, i don’t get to sit down with them to tutor them. Just the normal supervision during study time. Well, we’ll study together. Probably this is the best thing to do! My husband is a BIG support, too. Since, he’s finishing his nursing this year, he has heaps of ideas & resources to share with me.

There would be many hurdles for sure, but with God’s grace I know I’ll be able to get through them. Afterall, I have a very supportive , loving & understanding family to lean on.

So till next blogging!

I’ve been planning for quite a while now to post my first blog. Once I started a page & had to delete it ‘coz I just couldn’t find the rhythm (or say the motivation) to do it. Then tonight, I visited my profile & found that i got a new message. One reason why I open my friendster is to check if I have any message. I always get excited to know who sends me messages & I don’t normally wait for another minute before posting my responses, unless opportunity doesn’t warrant me to do this immediately. The new message is from one of my former students at San Jose HS, back in the Phils. Norissa (formerly Miss Pontino). She’s requesting me to give her permission to post my family photo in her blog. Of course I consented. It’s an honour, I told her. After I’ve posted my response, I immediately viewed her blog & read what she posted about me. Gee, she made me feel proud for being part of her formative life. I feel so honoured.

When I was still teaching, I always wondered what would become of "these young lives whose future is partly put in my care"? I remember telling them that there is nothing that would make me prouder than to see them successful in their chosen endeavor (I think this was my litany/sermon (LOL) whenever I got frustrated because of their sheer laziness to study or inattentiveness during lectures & discussions. Sometimes, they also got bored -either of the lesson or of me…. LOL. So who could blame them for such behaviour in class?) Most of my friends on my friendster list are my former students or their siblings. My list is still growing & probably, the next additions would still be my former students. All of them still call me Ma’am (which I don’t mind), but I do ask them to call me Manang or Ate (older sister). Of course I give them the choice of calling me which ever make them feel more comfortable (as long as it’s not rude or nasty). I’m still a teacher here in OZ (Australia), but I only do it as a casual relief teacher. I don’t have any immediate plans of going back to fulltime teaching, but what I’m sure of, is that whether I go teach in a classroom or not, I’ll forever be a teacher. Afterall, i have gorgeous boys to "teach"/lead. For me, teaching is not only a profession, but a passion & life. And that’s just what I am doing…. For all my former students, thank you for your trust in what I did. But remember that you owe what you are & who you are now to God, to your parents & to yourselves. Afterall, if you didn’t do what you did, who knows what could have been…. God bless & all the best!