it's just a spoon

The principal of the 387-student Roxboro school said he explained his position on using two utensils to Gallardo during their telephone conversation. “I said, ‘Here, this is not the manner in which we eat.’

“I don’t necessarily want students to eat with one hand or with only one instrument, I want them to eat intelligently at the table,” he said. “I want them to eat correctly with respect for others who are eating with them. That’s all I ask. Personally, I don’t have any problems with it, but it is not the way you see people eat every day. I have never seen somebody eat with a spoon and a fork at the same time.”

this is quite disturbing... and to think, the school principal is filipino!

it's funny how some pinoys turn bonkers once they step out of the philippines - as if acting like jerks makes them more a part of the culture they so want to identify with! i'm so sure - in that school principal's home there is a tabo in the bathroom, spoons on the dinner table, and longganisa in the freezer. tsk, tsk, tsk.

besides... who needs a spoon if all you eat for lunch is a sandwich or meat and potatoes - so why compare asians with caucasians? the dimwit should have thought about that.

long weekend tourists

a long overdue post on the easter break!

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after 7 months in vancouver, we finally had a reason to play tourists during the long weekend - A, aldo's cousin from NY, went here for a visit... and because it's spring and it's much warmer and sunnier too.

first stop was the Capilano Salmon Hatchery. BC is known for its salmon, and apparently, to balance the equilibrium, baby salmon are released into the rivers at some point during the year. the river along the Hatchery was beautiful... it's actually a cross between.. err.. Brokeback Mountain and the River Kwai back in Thailand. LOL.





next stop was the Capilano Suspension Bridge... yes, it's only a looong suspension bridge you have to cross to get to the other side of the mountain. it's definitely not for motion-sensitive or vertigo-suffering people though, as the bridge tends to move a lot.





we opted to go and walk around the Treetops Adventure - if you want to feel like a squirrel, this is a must. the mini suspension bridges weren't as shakey as the main suspension bridge, and there are platforms between trees too so you can sneak in a break anytime!










after all that walking around, we called it a day... there's wasn't much to do anyway since the rain was pouring already. so we went to Granville Island to grab a bite, and go around the shops.

come Sunday, it was Easter! before we knew it, lunch had turned into a whole afternoon of chatting and sitting around. not much tourist activity then. LOL.

Monday was still a holiday so we were thankful that the weather was a bit better... it was perfect for a drive to Whistler.



After a scenic and rather quick 1.5 hour drive, we were in Whistler! We took the Gondola up to the top and saw the snowboarders and skiiers going down the mountain... ack they make it look so easy and effortless. Next time, when we're not pregnant, we're definitely going to try those snowboarding courses (and hope that we won't run into trees).



Lunch at the grill (forgot the name of the place) while looking at the activities around was a perfect way to experience Whistler - well, at least for pregnant people. LOL.








After spending the long weekend as tourists... aldo and i needed a break from the break! but it was fun though, since it's not very often that cousins get to spend time with us!

the fridge project

got this from Toni and posting our fridge picture.

what's in our fridge door? magnetic poetry sans the poems, receipts, magnets from previous travels, a honeymoon picture, ultrasound pictures, a nostalgic photo from bangkok, and a hockey schedule. LOL.

what's in your fridge?

it's a GIRL!

we drove all the way out to Langley to UC Baby, the only 3D/4D ultrasound facility in BC... and found ourselves a whole hour early for our 5pm appointment. fortunately, the 4pm appointment didn't show up so the technician was more than happy to take us in (which means she can go home early too!).

the ultrasound room was great. compared to our previous ultrasound in the hospital, this room seemed more like a nursery, complete with a HUGE flat-screen TV at the foot of the table/chair where i was. baby music was playing throughout the whole session too so really... the only thing missing was a baby and a crib!

after only five minutes into the ultrasound session, the technician pronounced that we're having a girl! apparently our little princess was in the mood for a little show and tell... for the first 10 minutes. it's a good thing we were able to get good pictures of her face because after 10 minutes, she covered her face with her arms and hands... and then later turned around (apparently towards my spine according to the technician) - probably deciding that she'd had enough for one day.

seeing your baby's face for the very first time is too awesome for words. it gave me a solid reason to bond with the baby despite the fact that she'll still be in there for 3 more months. i guess it's because i'm not one of those pregnant women who can talk to their stomachs. seeing her move also justified all the little kicks and punches that i've been feeling for the past weeks. (it's much like PMS cramps, only it's hard enough to feel outside your skin.)

we can't wait to see her in july!

let the baby shopping marathons begin! oh and finding a name for her too (i think that's even harder!).

easter bunnies

our easter bunny in turqouise got all the eggs!



good thing he decided to share them! LOL.

southpark us

Southpark Pia



Southpark Aldo



try it!

glued to the tv on most nights

of all the american idol finalists, i thought Mandisa would be at least part of the top 3 - then she gets booted out last night? i don't get the voting public... bucky is still miraculously there, while paris and elliot are part of the bottom picks. talk about weird choices.

*******

we finally got to see Brokeback Mountain. i'm so sure that if i got to watch it in manila, i'd hear a lot of side comments while watching the movie (which reminded me of mik's post about Rent)... which is a sad thing if you think about it... probably 9 out of my 10 guys friends squirm at the thought of gay relationships. i wonder how long it will take for filipinos to accept all sorts of relationships, straight, gay, or whatever.

hmm.. maybe a tv network should start showing The L Word instead of all the sappy telenovelas or toilet humor gag shows... that should be a healthy start. (but that would mean almost half of the scenes in The L Word will get chopped off due to nudity and sexuality. hahaha.)

back to Brokeback... i didn't think the movie would be that sad, and the characters that tormented in the end. lots of surprises too - who would have thought Anne Hathaway could turn into a vixen. i still have her pristine Princess ways in my head though so the thought of her making a move on Jack Twist is still quite jarring.

i still think Brokeback breaks out of the cookie-cutter movie mold quite tastefully - thankfully without being too porn-ish. i still think michelle williams should have won best actress instead of reese witherspoon (i got bored watching Walk The Line, what about you?).

if i were you, i'd watch Brokeback Mountain with an open mind.

biyahe tayo!

nakaka-miss! wish i was planning a trip to the beach these days!

nothing like a video like this to make you want to whip out the old credit card and take the next flight to the philippines!

still wedding-related

i found a choral version of Pachelbel's Canon in D - thus the excuse to make a wedding album of sorts. that, plus a reason to jump into the youtube.com bandwagon. LOL.

our wedding snapshot album... after 7 months. LOL.(can you say better late than never???)

still on things remotely related to weddings... last saturday was C's bridal shower... lovely is the apt word for it as we had dainty cakes, quiches, and tea. funny enough, the single and newly-married girls gave raunchy gifts, while the been-married-for-a-while girls gave the practical kitchen/bathroom/decor types. 3 more saturdays before C & E's wedding - i'm keeping my fingers crossed that april 29 will be a warm day... warm enough to wear a dress, without freezing my now-slowly-gettting-swollen legs and feet!

spring sunday

in manila, people all stand in the shade and few walk under the heat of the sun... most will go thru an airconditioned mall to escape the sweltering heat. while in vancouver, waiting for the bus at 3pm while the sun is out is a treat!



pretty light pink cherry blossoms are this sidewalk's canopy.



more pictures here.