Families advised to keep Saints, Souls’ day solemn

MANILA, Oct. 30, 2011—A priest reminded people going to cemeteries to light candles and pray for their beloved dead on All Saints and All Souls Day to express their Christian faith meaningfully.

La Loma Cemetery chaplain Fr. Leo Gilbero said he is proud of this unique Filipino tradition of gathering the whole family during this time of the year to pray for their loved ones, but he also stressed the importance of keeping the faith within character.

“We should also set boundaries to keep with our faith, like for example the bringing of food [and partaking of meals] in the cemeteries. What is that for?” he asked.

Filipino families traditionally gather in cemeteries every All Saints and All Souls Day to light candles and pray for their deceased family and friends.

But the gathering involves not just about lighting a candle, it also serves as a kind of small family reunion among family members and friends, where they not only pray but also eat together.

“All Saints’ Day is a family tradition. In a sense, it helps the family,” Gilbero said. “Even though it is because of a death of [a] loved one, [but] it helps bring the family together.”

“According to Church teachings, every time we visit the tomb or grave, and every time we pray for the dead, we gain a partial indulgence,” Fr. Gilbero pointed out.

“For us, there is a meaning to each visit that gives us indulgence. Maybe there is significance for the family — the reunion that happens around the tomb — but the Church teaches us that when we visit the dead we can gain partial indulgence with the conditions that we visit the grave or pray for the dead,” he explained.

The priest said efforts had been done to address the practice of bringing food in the cemetery but to no avail so far.

“Maybe it is due to the culture and the influence of other cultures,” he pondered. (Ana Valenzuela)

Keeping your kitchen TECH-SAVVY

Keeping your kitchen TECH-SAVVY
by Ana Valenzuela

Published Manila Standard Today

July 21, 2011

The smell of coffee beans roasting on the coffeemaker as you turn off your alarm clock is enough to wake anyone up. Sounds highly improbable, your coffeemaker would also be your daily alarm clock? With the Gaggenau CM 710, which has a programmable turn-on that time, one can get ready for work while enjoying the aroma of caffeine.

It is not just the coffeemaker which Gaggenau appliances are making adjustments in to the kitchen life. Ferdinand Ong, the general manager of Living Innovations differentiates these products from other household appliances. He says, “one is efficiency—our products are accurate. If you’re doing a soufflé, you would need the accurate temperature. Number two is the longevity of parts and warranty, we give products. Plus, we are developing, we are always one step ahead. I don’t think you’ve ever seen stuff like we do, and that has been in the market for three years already. We are introducing new technological patent in the kitchen field.’’

Out of all the kitchen appliances that Living Innovations provides, Ong believes that the convection oven is a must, It is what (Gaggenau) are known for. We’ve been building ovens for 300 years, and you could do anything from baking, doing a steak, and making bread in an oven. More than a cooktop, you would need an oven more, that’s where you do 80 percent of your cooking. “

Gaggenau has ovens which consumers can choose to suit to their needs. Among these are the Gaggenau BO 610 that has a stainless steel aluminium-backed full glass door with panoramic view and has 12 heating methods with core temperature probe and baking stone option. The BL 253 110 has its own elevator or LiftMatic function which loads and unloads the food into the cooking cavity so that heat will heat rise and remains inside. The BS 610 uses pressureless steam, one of the healthiest cooking methods as it retains vitamins, minerals, consistency and color of food. With these in your house, certainly, the oven would be the central element of kitchen.

“Ours is more specialized, and we give value for money,” Ong says referring to the products and services that Living Innovations offers in to the Philippine market. Sometimes the main problem would be maintaining cleanliness. So, Living Innovations offers a short term cleaning seminar for the household staff,’’ he adds.

“If you’d want to buy a sports car what would you buy? A Porsche versus a Toyota? We would give you more performance and means of use. We would give you the product in the best quality possible.”

Cooking would definitely be as easy as frying an egg if one’s kitchen is furnished with Bulthaup kitchen counters and equipped with Gaggenau appliances, the best there is.

‘A good teacher has high hopes for her students’

‘A good teacher has high hopes for her students’ By ANA VALENZUELA Photography by EDMUNDO SANTIAGO Published MOD May 2011 DEALING with kids, those screaming little tykes running around and refusing to give in to their whim, can be tough. Imagine doing so with children with special needs every single day. Michelle Arriola happily experiences just that. A Filipina born in the United States, Michelle is a teacher at Cardenas School in Chicago. The school is located in the Mexican-American community known as Little Village. Michelle took up Early Child Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

“I wanted to be a teacher because I love helping children learn and fulfill their dreams,” she says. Michelle plans to take up her Master’s degree in Education and English as a Second Language (ESL). “English is the second language of most of my students. I want to learn more about how to teach English Language Learners (ELLs) so I can meet my students’ needs.” That will be in the coming school year. Meanwhile, Michelle is enjoying her summer vacation in Manila with her relatives. She shares with MOD her insights on education and the challenges of teaching. Different levels of learning. “I teach children with special needs—those with Autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, speech delays, cognitive delays, learning disabilities, and a lot of different kinds of disabilities—in preschool and kindergarten. Teaching kids with special needs is different from teaching kids who are typically developing because they are at different levels, mentally. I might have a three-year-old, but mentally, he is nine-month-old. So I need to make a lesson plan that he would be able to understand. In my classroom there are also children who are non-verbal. They have no speech at all. These students are most likely the ones to be screaming, crying, and having a tantrum because they are frustrated that they cannot express what they want or what they need.” Help them learn. “There are kids with Autism who need to follow an exclusive schedule. A regular teacher won’t be able to do that, because she has 25 other kids to worry about. I’m lucky I have a small classroom. I only attend to 10 students in the morning and 10 students in the afternoon. I think that’s helpful in their learning, too. I’m also fortunate to have two aides in my classroom to help me.” Know what is important. “My parents raised me to believe that education is important. I want to teach kids, and teach them that learning, being educated, and going to school are really important.” Patience is a virtue. “A good teacher is someone who is patient with the children. She teaches to the best of the abilities of the kids. If a kid is a visual learner or an auditory learner, the teacher will adjust for that student. I think a good teacher tries to understand the student, where he comes from. Most of all, a good teacher has high hopes for her students.” Magic moments. “Teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites. I have a bond with all my students, and I would say that I have favorite moments with each of them. For example, one of my students just learned how to write his first and last name on his own. Another student learned to sing the ABC. Those are two different things, but they are both favorite moments.” Rewards plus. “The most rewarding thing about being a teacher is seeing the kids grow, learn, and understand the concepts that I am teaching them.” Do your best. “I hope that my students will be able to go the next grade, learning the best that they can. I try to teach the basics—colors, shapes, and letters, spell their names. I just want them to know that they can try their best.” Kids as teachers. “I have learned from the kids that every day is different, and to look at challenges as something that can be overcome. Most important, they taught me to have fun.”

‘Half of My Body Was Paralyzed’

‘Half of My Body Was Paralyzed’
By Dina Bonnee
As told to ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA
Published March 2011

LATE 2009, I woke up one evening with my right side paralyzed I could not move. I tried to use my left hand, picked up my cell phone, and called my son-in-law Marc. I said, “Marc, you just rush here. You take me to the hospital, I don’t know what is happening. I can’t move.”

Marc brought me to the emergency room. I was diagnosed of suffering a mild stroke. Half of my body was paralyzed. Doctors recommended that I stay in the hospital.
I told them, “Ayoko ng ospital.”

Once you’re in the hospital, they will say you’re sick. I can’t be sick. Come on, I am a health nut and have been endorsing wellness products.

Then I realized, I was loaded not only with work but with other things. I didn’t have any sleep, I overworked myself, I was going through the worst time of my life—coming from a breakup, my business suddenly failing, filming more than 24 hours a day. That was it. I thought, this has to stop. I asked myself, do I want to be the richest person in the cemetery?

I had no choice. I had to go back. The doctors did Magnetic Resonance Imaging and everything. They told me that I had a stroke, while another doctor said it was whiplash. One thing was sure—there was something wrong.

I am so glad to have met Dr. Rolando Balburias, who heads the Medical City’s Center for Wellness and Aesthetics. That began my journey toward adapting a good diet. He also cured my acid reflux, as I was taking a lot of steroids, for my allergies. Then I found out that the steroids were bad for me as they were making me bloated, fat, and ugly. Doctors prescribed a medicine that got rid of my blotches, dark spots, and allergies.

My neck was stiff, so my doctors prescribed some exercises which I followed. At first I thought this was silly, but the exercises helped me. As we moved forward, they had to remove a lump from my back.

I’m still recovering right now. Recovery is not easy. There are times when I ask myself, babalik pa ba ako? Recovery is about committing to whether you want to get well or not, committing yourself to the right diet, the right routine, everything. What made me continue was the assurance of the doctors around me that I was getting healthier, from week to week. I am getting well. There are changes in my body, the way I feel. I feel lighter, healthier. Now, there is a balance not only in my diet and lifestyle but also with my time schedule, among other things.

Where Santa Stays All Year Round

Where Santa Stays All Year Round

Ana Kristine B. Valenzuela
Published December 23, 2007 – January 5, 2008

What’s On and Expat

IF NOT delivering toys and presents on the day our Savior was born, where would Santa be? Would he be taking his bath at a barrel tub? Or maybe sleeping at his crib? Would he be playing the saxophone or even singing “Santa Clause is coming to town”? Maybe, checking his list for children that were naughty or nice during the year and supervising the elves in making toys for the latter? But the tingling question is where exactly?

North Pole is where everyone thinks Santa Claus does all these. Then, who would have thought that Saint Nick has a house right here, which is the Casa Santa. A Santa Museum that not only opens during the holiday season, for Father Christmas stays here all year long.

The Christmas spirit most positively fills the house that started out as a collection of Edna del Rosario, the owner. She began colleting Santa thirteen years ago with the prodding of another friend who is also an avid collector of Santa Claus items. Her first a green capiz Christmas is still prominently displayed in the Casa Santa. Del Rosario picked up Santa figures from department stores, antique shops here and abroad. Her collection got bigger and bigger, which eventually needed a house, until finally she decided to be open a museum for the general public in 2004.

The many faces, shapes and sizes of Santa Clause would leave visitors in awe, as they find out that the man who sneaks in to give children presents on Christmas Eve had so many depictions as can be seen in the museum. Guests most especially kids are allowed to play with the Santa present in the house. Some of the figures are interactive. With a gentle push of a button, Santa begins to move, dance, sing, even play an instrument and get you into the joyous spirit of the birth of our lord. Inside the Casa Santa, you can see jolly Saint Nick take a bath in a barrel tub, sleep in a crib and rap hip-hop Christmas songs.

So, instead of Santa subtly making his way into your home, why not try to slip into Casa Santa, and have yourself a ho-ho-ho of a time.

Reservations are requested prior to visit. Call Jardin de Miramar at (02) 817-1589 or (02) 817-1591.