Slim is In!

Definitely not the biggest loser in Asia! I'm talking about THE MR. SLIM, world's richest according to Forbes . And with $74 billion net wealth,  Carlos Slim Helu's  2nd straight year as world's #1 has solidified Asia's (especially China) burgeoning quest to dominate the world economy. I believe in the years to come, there will be a more or less equitable distribution of the world's wealth . As Steve Forbes , head editor of the biz mag noted, "There are literally millions of people around the world who have the opportunity to be creative".  So extract those creative juices and start your centavo to the million NOW! Take it one day at a time :-)

"Our premise is and has always been that we leave with nothing; that we can only do things while we are alive and that businessmen are creators of the wealth they temporarily manage." - #10 Principle, Grupo Carso's Top Ten.   (A beautiful statement of faithful stewardship!)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Almost missed it on a dot! But it ain't so when there's cat in the hat!

Sounds familiar? the rhymes and riddles, i love it so...but it isn't a line from Dr. Seuss' books. It is an attempt to make one, actually! Oh how I love Dr. Seuss! And what a more fitting way to celebrate his 107th anniversary than to write about the works of the man, Theodor Seuss Geisel?

As long as i can remember, I always drool over Dr. Seuss books the way I did in my teens for the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series.  Its simplicity and not-so-dramatic pictures have taken me into some distant lands not known of.  Being a mom now,  I love that my 2 kids also love Dr. Seuss' books. Thanks to Booksale, we can always raid the store and still leave not penniless. When Dana and Boj started reading at 4 and 5yo, never did a night pass by without leafing through "The Cat in the Hat" 

And sometimes i would complain (guiltily!) because there as sooo many pages and we keep on reading the book every night! When it was Boj's turn, I suggested the " Foot Book" would be better  - go figure why :-) and it also comes handy for a Math activity

 

English and Math, well even cakes now have the cat and the fish too (check this out - lovely designs for Dr. Seuss' themed cakes)! And who could ever forget the Grinch and Horton that heard Who?

So here's a toast to a generation of readers! And along with it comes a prayer that, may our tribe greatly increase!                                                  

The Real Thing

I was pleasantly surprised by the new Coke litro-sized bottle. Well, most likely  not new at all, but just saw it when we feasted over lechon baka for lunch (!) in the office a few days ago. Coke brings a lot of good old memories in a personal way . never fond of the soda but just the thought of how THE company has been an instrument in raising a family of 13 children speaks a lot of goodwill (even up to now , a cousin is also working for the company). My lolo Paking, of my mother side , to me was the ultimate salesman. I can recall, from my mom, how his sales exploits brought him to various places in Mindanao, and yes,  a child - two or more, were born in one of those.  From him I learned the value of treasuring family ties – going out on weekends, treating us, the grandchildren with hot bowls of oatmeal, and if  we could’ve have played back then, he must’ve challenged us with a chess game or scrabble and crossword puzzle.  A hopeless romantic, so poetic with words, it’s not a wonder the offspring came to more than a dozen! From my lola Inday , the meticulous homemaker who gave up her nursing career to keep house,  I learned that a lipstick a day, keeps your man at bay!  Kiddin’ aside, lola Inday always has this regal bearing from the way she dons her daily wardrobe (aka duster dress ) , to the fine lines of her eyebrow makeup all the way to how the lips are painted from pink to red … it was a pure bliss watching her while growing up. How I just wished she’s more of an adventurer.  Up to now she’s so much comfortable in her own nest.  Anyway, if the Coke’s “everyday happiness” ad was coined long time ago,  my mom’s family would be a poster hit. The bottle would always take it’s rightful place in the dining table!

So staring back again at the bottle –

with it's iconic,  vintage design, brings me down to memory lane .. that Coke is it no matter what.  Even recent news show that the well-guarded “secret” recipe is out, no one really cares. Even if it takes a new form to keep up with the ever-changing times (check this out, this young genius’ proposal is really cool), the taste buds still signal the same old feeling that goes to the brain. That truly, more than the soda,  the dozen ads and claims to be the world’s #1 , they really do not matter . What matters to me are the memories brought about by this stately bottle that has been a centerpiece for generations (at least in our home)– shared with laughters and tears, great news and not so great ones, etc etc … Coke truly celebrates the “real thing”!

I AM BACK!

Whew! I AM BACK! Seemed like my time machine zoomed from a not-so-distant planet and back to yet another space, the blogsphere! I need not rattle off what happened to my 2010. It was a truly great, marvelous, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious year!  Now into the end of 1Q of 2011, I verily put a smile on my face – yes, it is a conscious act – and say, thank you my Lord, we’ve crossed our own Jordan river, and now, we as a family, are out to break the walls (not of Jericho!) and subdue the giants that come our way!

February or beyond, I’m wishing everyone love, love, love!

AMAZING Episode on Amazing Race!

I haven’t seen much of TV shows lately, not that I am complaining, I am actually not just  a TV buff, except for those “Gleeful” moments ( wiith capital letters, CHARICE on it )  and Amazing Races (and some other in-betweens)!  Eversince our 5 yr-old Boj entered pre-school last June, it seemed that my body ached for the bed the moment I get into the bedroom (well, it is our “haven” so it should serve its main purpose!).

Anyway, last night was an exception. Wasn’t able to watch this season’s  Amazing Race from the start but last night’s episode 3 brought me tears (again! – the last was Glee’s“Spiritual” episode especially when Kurt sang “ I Wanna Hold your Hand” for his father, Burt). 

Awesomely set in Ghana, I believe those innocent African children taught the racers valuable lessons, not just in Geography, but more importantly on these 2 Big LIFE words – humility and simplicity.  I love how the singing duo, Jonathan and Connor made it first to the pitstop. Unlocking the codes seemed so easy as hitting a crescendo! But here comes the cheesy part – 58 yr-old dad Michael, almost giving up on what could be one of the easiest childhood games that I remember ( rolling a used bicycle tire or rim using a stick – so simple!  so fun! Was thinking Dana and Boj can try it on a weekend). The encouragement from his son, Kevin was remarkable. Truly, a young man with a big heart.  Next thing I knew, I was already in tears. Picture this, a Father saying to his son he would like to travel with him, bring him to many places as he can… but could no longer do so...because he gave up.  They say some goods things never last, I say GRACE comes in. It turned out that the 17^th season’s 3rd leg was a non-elimination round! I wanted to shout for joy! Michael and Kevin breathed life to a centuries-old teaching “ Whoever is the first will be the last, and whoever is the last will be the first”.  To me, they were # 1!    

30 Years and a Home

After checking my emails and rummaging through paperworks, I am currently in a state of a 10-minute self-declared “pause” from work with a mug of Monk’s blend coffee on one hand. I recalled what went on earlier this week and I remembered how this person, who in his retirement years, I suspect ( but whose energy is that of a 50 yr old) talked so enthusiastically and passionately about his recent trip overseas to visit his son and his family. The thrill of hearing about places and imagining sights you’ve never been  is always a big wow to me!  Anyway, to cut a not so long story ( as I do not have the luxury of time to listen for even half of an hour , although I wished to!) , at the end of  the talk, I was led into checking what’s in store in Bakersfield, California.

Yes, the city’s website impressed me, their calendar marked different activities for people from all walks of life , and the list can go on and on… BUT , this one article impressed me a lot, a whole LOT more than what the city can offer or just how great the community is. It just defined a simple, single cell – a nutshell of that community. It speaks about what commitment is all about, how a house cannot be defined solely as an investment but more importantly, how we can make it a home.  Like that one from a too familiar song? It’s okay, you can belt it out all day!

Read on …( thanks Valerie Schultz! you rock!) !

Are You a Good Boss?

I am on for hectic weeks! I am embracing it as the energy keeps me on my toes, day in and out. My mind right now is playing how to manage my time – it is a cliché, never mind – still the same – being a working mom always keeps me on a juggling mode. But who cares? M-O-M  is certainly one of the noblest professions on earth!  I love every single minute of being a mother!

Anyway, back to my 8-5 office work mode,  I stumbled upon this interesting article from the McKinsey Quarterly that we ( employees, cum bosses or under a boss, or trying to be a boss! Hahaha! ) can learn , 2 things even more, not 1.  

“Why good bosses tune in to their people”(click this link for the full article) defined the “romance of leadership” in a workplace.   On the topic, Taking Control ( in a subtle way , that is ), it listed “taking the blame”. I found it amusing when suddenly I remembered P-Noy owning up and taking responsibility of the recent government fiasco in the way the crisis  ( you know the details…) was handled. It got mixed reactions, but take it anyway. That single act of the President alone was humbling…How to bolster performance? The article suggested that making small gestures will surely go a long way.  In the end, bosses are faced with a litmus test –  posing a question, 

         “ What does it feel like to work for me?” The writer , Robert  Stutton further commented , “ If your people answered this question honestly, would they say that you know the impact your words and deeds have on them—or that you are living in a fool’s paradise?”

Time to wake up , Bosses!