Tongue Twisters

     I remember my very first student, her name is Stella, a twelve-year old Korean girl. She was very good in English and we had great conversations. We studied for a long time, 8 months to be exact. That was my first online teaching experience. I wasn't that good. Stella got bored. I ran out of interesting topics. I ran out of enjoyable games. So I tried different tongue twisters. I believed it would be helpful for her. She seemed to have enjoyed it. I won't forget Stella and the laughs that we shared. I learned a lot from her. 

Here are some of the tongue twisters that we practiced.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.

Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits. 

Send toast to ten tense stout saints' ten tall tents.

The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.

Picky people pick Peter Pan Peanut-Butter, 'tis the peanut-butter picky people pick.

There those thousand thinkers were thinking how did the other three thieves go through.

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.
The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter
And made her batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter makes better batter.
So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better

sources: wikipedia, English Tongue Twisters

Choices and Changes

     Fourteen years ago, I made a choice. A choice that changed my life forever. I chose to become a full-time mom to my son Francis. I gave up my studies. I knew I had a choice back then, my husband was very supportive as well as my mother, and my sister-in-law, who offered to take care of my baby so I can go back to school and finished my studies. I refused because the only thing that I wanted was to be with my son, to take care of him, to make sure that he grew up feeling secured and loved (I wasn't too happy about my childhood, you see, I didn't want the same for my kids). I didn't care much about the future. All the while I thought I would be forever contented with what I was doing. I was wrong of course, as time passed by, I became bored, I longed for a change, I wanted to do something different. But it was too late. I already had three kids then. It was impossible for me to get away from my motherly duties. I had no choice. I lived each day thinking about the chances and opportunities that I had wasted. I forced myself to accept the fact that there was nothing I could do about my situation. I felt useless and stupid. This went on for years. I even came to a point where I hated myself so much, not that I regret being a mother but because I felt like I was the most useless person in the world.  
      It's true that life never runs out of surprises and unexpected turns. Just as I was about to lose hope, a new opportunity came along. I met someone who made such a difference in my life. She introduced Homebased Online Jobs to me. That was a perfect timing. My kids were getting older and our expenses were getting higher. I was given a new hope. For the first time in my existence, I was actually working and earning money. It was hard to believe that I found a convenient job. I was able to earn money by working in the comfort of my home. I met different people. I was fulfilled and happy. After seven months, my Korean boss hired me to be her Operation Manager. I couldn't believe my luck. I say it's pure luck because I don't think I'm good enough for the job. Of course, trust also played a big part. It's a dream come true for me. From a bored housewife to an online English tutor and manager, this is too much for me. I prayed for a miracle. God gave me so much. I am truly blessed. ^^

Random Things I learned in Life

Life is not a bed of roses. It's no use to complain everyday. Try to look beyond. Life is still beautiful. There maybe a lot of difficulties and broken dreams, but life doesn't end there. It's a never ending adventure. We will learn how to survive along the way. We will discover a lot things and learn a lot of life's important lessons. Here are some of the things that I learned so far:

Life is too short.
Don't be afraid to take risks.
Do what makes you happy.
Try new things everyday.
Make every moment memorable.
Make good memories today.
Always say what you feel.
Grab every opportunity that comes your way.
Don't hold grudges.
Forgive and forget.

Friends.
Friends come and go.
Some friends will leave you at your worst.
Some friends will stay with you. Treasure the ones who stick with you through thick and thin.
Some friends will stab you behind your back.
Some friends will put you down without you knowing it.
You can't trust everybody. Even friends will betray you.

Love.
Love is not perfect either. At first you might think it is, that it's the best thing that could happen to you.. WRONG. It may have looked perfect, but the truth is it's a pain in disguise. It terribly hurts. I don't know if there's anyone out there who can prove me wrong. Almost all humans have their fair share of bitterness and sorrow. Nothing could be more painful than having your heart broken. It's a part of growing up. It will teach us thousands of lessons and it will make us stronger. And the most important thing I learned? Even if it hurts so bad it's all worth it.. not perfect but still a wonderful experience that you would gladly want to look back at. And of course, at the right time you will end up with the one who is meant for you. Not perfect but worth the wait.

Being a parent.
It's the toughest of all. We should be consistent all the time. We should set limits and boundaries. We should learn from the mistakes of all the people around us. We shouldn't be too strict  and let's not forget that even our kids have their own rights. There's nothing wrong in wanting the best for them, there's nothing wrong in being supportive and trying to be there for them but we also need to give them some space for themselves and sometimes we should let them decide for themselves. I am way too far from being the best parent but I'm still working on it.

Tips for Studying English

Here are some helpful tips if you want to study English. I know there are so many tips out there but I find this one very useful.


Tips for Studying English
(by: Kenneth Beare)

Activating your Vocabulary. Activate your vocabulary by thinking or speaking briefly about the subject you are about to work on.For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focuses on vacations, take a moment to think about your last vacation, what you did, what you enjoyed, etc. This simple exercise will help your brain warm-up to vocabulary that you are likely to encounter as you study English about this particular subject.

Activating Your Grammar.  Activate your grammar by thinking about the general grammar area before you begin to study. For example, if you are going to study English grammar focusing on the past, stop to think about what you did last weekend, where you went, etc. to help activate what you already understand about using the past. As with activating vocabulary, you'll help your brain bring up what it knows about the past simple in an easy way before you begin to focus on studying English grammar in detail.

  Singing a Song. Before class begins, or before you sit down to study English sing a song in English to yourself. Make sure to use a song that you understand and know very well. This short and fun exercise will help your brain focus on the English language in a relaxing manner. It's important to be relaxed when you study English! Singing a song also helps activate the creative side of your brain which can help you come up with more examples as your practice conversation or do some creative writing.

Typing e a Short Paragraph in English. If you going to study English at your desk, begin by typing a simple paragraph in English. You can type about your day, your hobbies, your friends, etc. Anything will do. Typing helps activate the kinetic part of your brain that helps improve learning through physical activity. I also recommend typing while you study your English grammar. This will help solidify your knowledge with movement.

 A Thousand Words .As the saying goes in English: A picture is worth a thousand words. Help activate the creative side of your brain by trying to describe a photo or other image. You can combine use this also to activate your vocabulary by choosing a picture that has something to do with the subject your are going to study in English.

Study English - Tips for Success

Here are some tips for success to help you as you study English.

      Study English Every Day

It's important to study English every day. However, don't exaggerate! Study for thirty minutes every day instead of two hours once a week. Short, steady practice is much better for learning than long periods on an irregular basis. This habit of studying English every day will help keep English in your brain fresh.      Study English Using Different Methods to Learn

Don't just use one way to study English. Use a variety of methods which will help all the parts of your brain (multiple intelligences) help you. For example, if you are learning new vocabulary, create a word map, describe a picture, make a list and study that, type out the words five times. All of these methods together help to reinforce your learning.

         Study English by Finding some Friends

There is nothing like having a few friends to study English together. You can practice the exercises together, have conversations together (in English!), and, as you study English together, help each other with exercises you may not understand.

        Study English by Choosing Topics that Interest You

One of the most important things to do is to study English using topics that you like. This will help motivate you because you will also be learning about a topic you find interesting while you study English.

 Source: http://esl.about.com/

For My Kids

     I have two teen age sons at the age of 34. It's obvious, I became a mother at a very young age. I never regretted things, there had been some what-ifs and could-have-beens along the way, but my kids are too precious and I love them so much that whatever trials and hardships I had faced in the past, I'm still here, though a bit stronger now, I'm scared to face these new fears of motherhood. I've heard and read so much about dealing with teenagers  especially boys. Back then I thought parents were just too dramatic, exaggerated and making things complicated for themselves, what's the difference between raising teenagers and kids anyway? They  are still the same kids that you dealt with few years ago. Just like what I  always tell myself, they are just my kids, I am the mother, which means I am THE BOSS. But that was what I thought. It is indeed hard to deal with the young adults. They are always under the impression that they are doing the right thing, that they know everything or at times they know better. I wonder why these kids had forgotten that before they were teenagers, we were there. What makes them think they can fool us? 
     There were times that I wished I could read minds, that I could take a peek at what's going on inside those heads... I have so many questions, fears, worries. Why is it so hard for them to understand that we only want the best for them? I know at times I'm being too strict, I lost my temper loads of times, I said  things that I shouldn't.. 
     I hope these kids would still love me, I hope someday they will understand. I am writing this blog for my kids. I hope one day they'd get to read this. I wan't them to know that no matter how many times I had lost my temper, no matter how much misunderstanding we had, I am here, ALWAYS here to understand, to support them emotionally, to help them to become better individuals, I want them to be prepared for whatever they want to do with their lives. 
     In their eyes, I might be a monster mom, but deep inside me, I know how much I love them. There is nothing I wouldn't give, nothing I wouldn't do for them. They are my life, my treasure. 

Saving the environment..

     In the midst of my busy and stressful day, I can't help pausing and thinking about the environment. Too much heat on a month of December is new to me. In my almost 4 years here in Antipolo City, it's the first time that I experience this change in weather. As I can remember, last summer, the weather was also strange. It was hotter. My family already spent few summers here and we haven't been using an air-conditioner until the last summer (2011). First thing I loved about this place was the cool feel of the environment. But then, weather has become stranger. Month of December should be a bit colder. Few days ago I was complaining about the absence of the familiar Christmas air, the cool breeze and the special feeling that comes with it. Maybe it has nothing to do with me feeling blue about Christmas. It's the environment itself. For days now I've been thinking about things that I can do to help save the environment. Of course, I started recycling, I've been trying to lessen the use of plastics for days now, I am not sure whether these little things could actually help but it's a nice feeling that you are trying to do your part in helping to save the earth. I even told my kids we should lessen the use of electricity and air-con. I am also glad that our local government had started their own campaign. I am not really an environmentalist, I just missed fresh air, the trees, and I want to help save the environment for future generations. 

Reusable bags that I recently bought. 

My Son's Poem

This is a poem written by my son, Charles. I am sharing this because I am amazed that my son who is only interested in gadgets and computer games, was able to come up with his own poem.

Wind

By: Laylo Charles Victor S.

Wind brings you breeze at night

That makes you freeze at sight

When the wind howls at night

It’s like a growl that brings you fright.

Wind is like a ghost that we can’t see

That feels like they need to be free

But we think wind is just cool

Now we look just like a fool.

Wind is a friend and not a foe

It makes you relax from head to toe

We never know when wind will show

But we can feel that wind still flow.

A christmas wish

Margaret and my simple tree.

     Time flies too fast. It feels like it was only yesterday I was doing Christmas shopping for my kids. I was decorating my tree and thinking of gifts for my niece and nephews. December is here again. I am longing for the familiar feeling that always washes through me whenever the month of December is approaching. I just noticed that over the years, things had been changing. Today is the 2nd day of December, I still can't feel the cold breeze and at the same time the warmth of the season, where is that familiar scent of Christmas? I can't find it anywhere. Is it just me or is it how things are these days? I grew up longing for a perfect Christmas, maybe there is really no such thing as perfect Christmas. But still I have this weird feeling that something is always missing on Christmas Days. I already had 34 Christmas days, some of them I  don't remember well, others just became hazy memories because there were nothing good and special about them.
     So here I am again wondering what is that "thing" that I have been missing over the years. I think I know what it is. It actually started with the wish I made when I was 7 years old. I STILL want to spend Christmas with my mom. We will decorate a Christmas tree together, wrap gifts, prepare and eat dinner together and we will be taking photographs on Christmas eve. Nothing could be more special than that.