Our Future Family Pianist

This is our eldest daughter whom I encouraged and reminded all the time to do her best in her piano lessons.

She is now studying the notes and already doing well for some basic children's songs. I always tell her that one day, our whole family will serve the Lord through music serving churches, to sing songs while she's playing the piano during the Sunday Mass, or any occasion for the Lord.

This is my dream for my whole family, and I believe God will grant this to us one day.

Now our children, by their heart and mind are preparing themselves for their individual musical instrument they want to play by that time the Lord granted our desire to serve Him.

Our second daughter wants to play the violin while the youngest wants to play the guitar.

Our Children's Field Trip in Bangkok's Geological Museum

These are some of the pictures of our children's class field trip at Bangkok's Geological Museum located at Payathai area, about 3 km. away from their school. It's one of their science class activities for this school year.

One of the purpose of their field trip is to expose them to the different kinds of stones, such as gemstone, limestone, quartz, marble, etc. Then two weeks later, as announced earlier, their teacher had asked them to present their group's field trip's report.
It's a very good experience to our children at their earlier age to have this kind of exposure. I really appreaciate their school's administration to have included this kind of activity for all their students. It's really a great help to all the children's developing mind.

My Tennis 2010 Exactly A Week Ago

This is my tennis 2010's serious competition with only 80% preparation.

I could have done better should I had prepared myself 100% as before, like in 2004 when I won the Championship of the Tennis Association of Filipinos in Thailand (TAFT) Open Tournament.

Because there was no ealier confirmations from the other participants that they will really join the tournament, and due to the constant rain everyday for several days already, and August really is the rainy season in Thailand, I was discouraged to continue my usual two-week regimens before the tournament day.

As a result, I just ended up the first runner for this year's TAFT tournament.

Though I got in the semi-final round as if with good luck, I was very sure that I could really reach the final round, and indeed, I had really made it.

The whole tennis group was divided into two groups, where in each group has five players. Each group has to play round-robin and the first and second ranking players in each group in terms of the points they won, will play cross-over in the semi-final: first vs. second and second vs. first.

While the other two players were still playing, I was wishing that the other guy (Mr. Joey) whose points were very closed to mine will just get equal points with his opponent (Mr. Dennis).

Otherwise, if he gets two point more than his opponent, then he would be the second-ranked player in our group, and he would be the one to play in the semi-final against the first-ranked player in the other group. Fortunately, his opponent got one more point over his. So, I was lucky to get the second highest points in our group and had played the semi-final. I was very confident to defeat my opponent (Mr. Jun) because I am too familiar of his tennis games play.

And I had really defeated him by just one point.

Five minutes after our semi-final match, my final opponent (Mr. Ti) had requested to have our final match immediately, but I asked for five minutes break. So, he was in a little advantage of the situation for he had rested more since their semi-final match had finished earlier than ours.

He got the first point during his service, and I got mine during my turn.

I had almost broken him in his second service turn. It was 0-40 in my favor. Unfortunately, at this very moment, while thinking that I am winning the tournament, I had felt discomfort in my stomach and it's really bursting. So, I had lost my focus and he got the point.
In my second service turn I also got the point.

He got also his third point in his third service turn and I got mine on my third service turn.

However, after this, he got his fourth point. And in my fourth service turn, he had broken me, and had won the tournament's championship match.

I was happy with the result thinking that it's a good gift for his elderly mother for it was exactly a Mother's Day in Thailand that day. She was waiting for him since morning and supposed to go at 5 P.M. for doctor's appointment. I was the one who was pressured with his Mom's appointment.

Anyway, these are the things I had learned in this tournament: I should continue my usual two-week regimens no matter what: whether the tournament will go on or not.

I should eat heavy breakfast few hours before the tournament. I should never be disturbed by anything especially during the final round.

Visualization had really worked for me again this time, but the only thing I had missed is that, when I visualized myself raising the trophy the night before the tournament, I didn't clearly visualize what trophy was it: champion's or the runner-up's trophy.

Household Members Reunion

These are some of the pictures taken during the reunion of our household members when our CFC brother and sister - couple from Singapore visited Thailand two weeks ago.
There were lot of foods and funs we had shared together.

Some were singing and other were eating, drinking and chatting.

Scary Day for the Family

Initially, we're so happy that finally, our children could swim today at the Chatuchak Park's swimming pool. But, after 30 minutes of their swimming, the sky had slowly darkened and the the rain had slowly droppings.

After about 10 minutes, lightnings and thunders had came and the swimming pool lifeguards urgently asked my wife to let our chilren to get out from the pool. I was so worried because I was still very far away jogging when the lightning and thunders came.

When I arrived, I was so happy seeing them safely out of the swimming pool with my wife.

We stayed there near the swimming pool for more than two hours hoping the rain would be gone shortly. While waiting, we were so scared seeing and hearing those very powerful lightning and thunders, respectively around us.

The most scary one was after praying together, after uttering the last word of the "Oh glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...", the most powerful thunder hits and shut off the power grid supplying electrical power of the whole park.


Almost three hours later, the rains were still there but it's no longer heavy, and the lightnings and thunders were alreay gone. At this moment, there's no way that our children can continue their swimming because it's almost 6:00 O' Clock already - closing time of the swimming pool.

So, we hadn't no other option, but to go back home.

Swimming at the Chatuchack Park

We went to Chatuchack Park this afternoon for swimming. Our three children were so excited about it. I could observed what they had in their minds when we reach the park.

When we arrived there, we're so happy because there were no other children to swim. However, in our big dismay, today, Monday is a cleaning day for the swimming pool.

They're so frustrated and our youngest was crying from the pool until we had reached home.

Mother's Day 2010

In celebration to the Assumption of Mother Marry today, the St. John Church had also given an honor to the celebration of the Mothers' Day.

Before the Sunday Mass had began today, Fr. Dominico, the Parish priest at St. John Church, had a small and secret talk to all the English-speaking Filipino children after their catechism session and had given them some instructions what to do before and after the mass celebration.

Though the parents was just nearby, they don't really understood what was the purpose of the secret talk. They only had realized it after the whole activity.

So, as instructed, all the said children had seated in the first row in front of the altar in preparation to the special thing that they are going to do later, immediately right after the Holy Mass.

When the Holy Mass had ended, before the priest had given his final blessing, he once again reminded all the parishioners the significance and importance of the celebration.

To honor Mother Marry, and to celebrate the Mother's Day, all mothers were honored by giving them flowers.

It was their children handing them the beautiful, red, white and pink flower roses.

Two members of our Church choir had rendered a very beautiful, mixed English-Filipino song very fitting to the occasion, sang beautifully while the children are giving flowers to the mothers.

After the giving of flowers to their own mothers, the children were instructed to give flowers also to those mothers whose children were not with them at the moment.

I have seen how the spirits of the mothers were lighted up due to this very simple, and yet a very memorable experience for them.

In like manner, the children were also very happy seeing their mothers happily and thankfully receiving the flowers.

This time, I had realized what was the purpose of the secret talk earlier. It's all about honoring all mothers, and of course reminding everyone the importance of Mother Mary in our life, and doing it in surprised manner, especially for those who are not familiar to this kind of event.