"Don't let what you cannot do
interfere with what you can do."
John Wooden
College Basketball Coach
Sunday
the 2nd pearl from the deep :)
a pearl from the deep
It is our job to pray.
It is God's job to answer.
Trust Him to do His job.
:- )
"... why think like mere men?"
It is God's job to answer.
Trust Him to do His job.
:- )
"... why think like mere men?"
Wednesday
a man's voice
I have a feeling that this voice can, now, only be heard in sports in our local broadcast media. Maybe that's the reason our little boys are drawn to Japanese anime. Maybe that's the only male voice they hear :)
I hope I am wrong in saying that because if that is true, and Daddy is an OFW, the development path of a boy to becoming a well adjusted and a contributing man will be very difficult and even more confusing.
I also do not know how many male teachers a boy meets during his elementary days to high school. Do we still have male math or history teachers in elementary? Or all male teachers lumped in physical education nowadays?
Do not get me wrong. I am not against female teachers. There are things a boy can learn from their feminine teachers. I am a first-hand witness to that. I love and respect all my female teachers. But if all the lessons he learns come only from a feminine voice, something is amiss.
If teachers are supposedly second parents. And parents, in its basic form, is a man and woman, and the male voice is but a whisper at the back of the classroom today, then we have a very well-behaved dilemma in our hands. So well-behaved we might not even notice it :) which makes it even more dangerous.
Statistics would tell us that the school's dropout rates are rising. But the dropout rates for boys are significantly higher than girls. Double digit significant. Why is this so?
I do not know :)
But I do have hunch. An intelligent guess :)
Maybe someone should compare the annual length of time our little boys spent interacting with their male teachers and compare it to the length of time our little boys spent interacting with their female teacher over the past 10 years and then further compare it with the annual drop rates of our boys from school over the past 10 years. Maybe that will confirm my fears :)
Generally, are our instructional methodologies geared towards the female brain that we exclude the needs of our boys?
How many pleaded for their academic status last term? Last school year? And what is the ratio of male to female?
If boys do not finish college, where will they go? Life on the streets? What kind of a father will they be? What kind of a husband will they be? What kind of a man will they be?
Wait! Did we, unwittingly, as academicians as a whole and as businessmen who run schools, just contribute to the rise of domestic violence? Or of violence itself?
"... why think like mere men."
I hope I am wrong in saying that because if that is true, and Daddy is an OFW, the development path of a boy to becoming a well adjusted and a contributing man will be very difficult and even more confusing.
I also do not know how many male teachers a boy meets during his elementary days to high school. Do we still have male math or history teachers in elementary? Or all male teachers lumped in physical education nowadays?
Do not get me wrong. I am not against female teachers. There are things a boy can learn from their feminine teachers. I am a first-hand witness to that. I love and respect all my female teachers. But if all the lessons he learns come only from a feminine voice, something is amiss.
If teachers are supposedly second parents. And parents, in its basic form, is a man and woman, and the male voice is but a whisper at the back of the classroom today, then we have a very well-behaved dilemma in our hands. So well-behaved we might not even notice it :) which makes it even more dangerous.
Statistics would tell us that the school's dropout rates are rising. But the dropout rates for boys are significantly higher than girls. Double digit significant. Why is this so?
I do not know :)
But I do have hunch. An intelligent guess :)
Maybe someone should compare the annual length of time our little boys spent interacting with their male teachers and compare it to the length of time our little boys spent interacting with their female teacher over the past 10 years and then further compare it with the annual drop rates of our boys from school over the past 10 years. Maybe that will confirm my fears :)
Generally, are our instructional methodologies geared towards the female brain that we exclude the needs of our boys?
How many pleaded for their academic status last term? Last school year? And what is the ratio of male to female?
If boys do not finish college, where will they go? Life on the streets? What kind of a father will they be? What kind of a husband will they be? What kind of a man will they be?
Wait! Did we, unwittingly, as academicians as a whole and as businessmen who run schools, just contribute to the rise of domestic violence? Or of violence itself?
"... why think like mere men."
Monday
when you read it...
I am reading Luke's book and it just dawned on me. I mean, I have been reading it for the nth time. I must also have sat in thousands of reading of them but this realization just dawned on me. Just now.
The book I am referring to is the book written by a doctor named Luke. Luke is one of the earlier follower of the Nazarene. Luke came to the faith because of the apostle formerly known as Saul, Paul.
The realization that went on my head is this unsure dance steps of "witnessing a miracle, that leads to worship that leads to a situation that will lead to 'men of little faith'"sentence :)
Why would or how could I person who saw the miracles first hand forget the very power on the following turn?
They were given the authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. They did and after some days they told Him what has been done. And after some few days from the time of the pronouncements, when they were asked to do the same thing, it can not be done. Why and how? Which of course led to '... men of little faith.'
Oh, boy! The war the goes on for the hearts and minds!
Historians would point to the fact that the Jews were under the hold of the Romans and the psychologist would also describe the evils and what happens to the psyche of a person, of a race when one is under the control of an invading foreign power. And we Filipinos, have been the part of the poster boys for what it means to be lost and doing so for the longest time.
What it means to be a Filipino was pissed upon and watered down beyond recognition that when we see the "miracles" that points to who we truly are, we celebrate. But as a new wave of challenges arrives, we forget. We become 'men of little faith'.
And knowing the truth shall set us free :)
The book I am referring to is the book written by a doctor named Luke. Luke is one of the earlier follower of the Nazarene. Luke came to the faith because of the apostle formerly known as Saul, Paul.
The realization that went on my head is this unsure dance steps of "witnessing a miracle, that leads to worship that leads to a situation that will lead to 'men of little faith'"sentence :)
Why would or how could I person who saw the miracles first hand forget the very power on the following turn?
They were given the authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. They did and after some days they told Him what has been done. And after some few days from the time of the pronouncements, when they were asked to do the same thing, it can not be done. Why and how? Which of course led to '... men of little faith.'
Oh, boy! The war the goes on for the hearts and minds!
Historians would point to the fact that the Jews were under the hold of the Romans and the psychologist would also describe the evils and what happens to the psyche of a person, of a race when one is under the control of an invading foreign power. And we Filipinos, have been the part of the poster boys for what it means to be lost and doing so for the longest time.
What it means to be a Filipino was pissed upon and watered down beyond recognition that when we see the "miracles" that points to who we truly are, we celebrate. But as a new wave of challenges arrives, we forget. We become 'men of little faith'.
And knowing the truth shall set us free :)
"...why think like mere men?"
set-up to fail
I have been around to know that some corporate people, wanting to get rid of someone from the company, got creative. Instead of the usual fault finding drama, they simply promoted the guy to a position where his incompetency would be glaringly obvious.
And what makes it painful, is that the guy happily accepted the promotion that led to his eventual demise. He did now know that he is being set-up to fail. And fail he did. Miserably.
I've seen that happen. It is ugly. It is specially painful and confusing to the victimized person. I once comforted a person like that more than a decade ago.
And until up to now, I still can not imagine what would drive someone to do it to a fellow human being. But it happens.
And sometimes, it is even in a guise of charity like in cases of students I meet in class and thinks grades can be negotiated in other ways than "show up in class-do good in it and pass all the exams".
I mean, who gave them the idea that grades can be negotiated? Who has encouraged this practice? Why encourage this practice?
Can't we see that failures and setbacks are as important as successes when one journeys and seeks? Or is it the absence of purpose, of life's true purpose or of one's reason for being born that blurs the gift of failures or setbacks that we start to think and embrace that all that matters is getting passing grades? Getting promoted? :)
"... why think like mere men?"
And what makes it painful, is that the guy happily accepted the promotion that led to his eventual demise. He did now know that he is being set-up to fail. And fail he did. Miserably.
I've seen that happen. It is ugly. It is specially painful and confusing to the victimized person. I once comforted a person like that more than a decade ago.
And until up to now, I still can not imagine what would drive someone to do it to a fellow human being. But it happens.
And sometimes, it is even in a guise of charity like in cases of students I meet in class and thinks grades can be negotiated in other ways than "show up in class-do good in it and pass all the exams".
I mean, who gave them the idea that grades can be negotiated? Who has encouraged this practice? Why encourage this practice?
Can't we see that failures and setbacks are as important as successes when one journeys and seeks? Or is it the absence of purpose, of life's true purpose or of one's reason for being born that blurs the gift of failures or setbacks that we start to think and embrace that all that matters is getting passing grades? Getting promoted? :)
"... why think like mere men?"
Friday
on possibilities
It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it."
Sören Kierkegaard, 1813-1855
Danish Philosopher
Wednesday
iPad? Anyone?
Wikipedia is run by volunteers. Nobody gets paid. No rewards. No bonuses. While MSN-Encarta, backed by a software powerhouse with billions of dollars in revenue, should have easily trampled Wikipedia. Linearly and logically, Wikipedia does not stand a chance. Right?
Wrong. Wikipedia is flourishing and is becoming de-facto. Maybe, it is. Linearly and logically speaking, Wikipedia should have not been able to topple down or to make Microsoft give up on MSN-Encarta. But it did.
Why?
Something was at play other than the carrot and the stick :)
Life and business is a lot of things but it is not simply linear or logical.
Which brings me to my curiosity. What happens if we bring the WIFI-enabled iPads to our classrooms? As in, enable students to have an iPad connected to the Internet on their hand all the time. Yes, ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME as in even during class discussions and most specially during quizzes.
How will we measure progress? Achievement? Outcomes? Or, what are we to measure if we do that?
Our current linear thinking will suggests - that should not be allowed. That's cheating. They have to master the content.
But is it cheating? Categorically? Cheating?
Do not get me wrong. I see the value of mastery. Mastery of content is necessary. But is life and education about mastery of content or the successful application of the mastered content? If so, why stop and limit education's measure at mastery of content? When our 2011 realities, our 2011 technical realities, allows us this benefit of having an external "brain" of sorts, this chance and privilege to push what can be done in the classrooms in closing the gap between school and the real world? :)
Didn't the great minds of past designers and engineers brought us to this very situation? So, why not partake and eat? And push the development forward?
Are we not tearing down the Berlin Wall that divides the academe and the corporate when we make it a policy to have iPads (or whatever viable tablet PC is out there for our local situation) in our campus and in our classrooms?
Are we not bridging or evolving ourselves in becoming lifelong learners, in academic parlance, or learning organizations, in business speak, if we do this?
I am excited and eager to see how will my profession of facilitating learning evolve and develop in the time of "always-on Internet". At the very least, this I can say for sure, the questions that we, as professors and learning facilitators, can ask and hope that our students can answer would be far more value-adding and rewarding :)
Would that reality be more difficult for the students?
I don't think so. I think it will even tap and engage our current, increasing and disinterested boys to become an engineer their parents dreamed of.
I think, if we are to prepare our next generation Filipinos, we have to accept, as academics and learning facilitators, that boys and girls learn and assimilate knowledge differently. The boys crave it more than the girls "to try and see", which the iPad scenario can enable. And since our current time, space and bias limits us to do this, we see more boys (than girls) lining up and appealing their academic status.
Maybe we can reason out that they truly do not belong in the Institute. Or maybe, I am simply more interested in the nobility of teaching, of learning, of the beauty of the learning process and of leveraging the technology that we have to be more inclusive in helping build a better Philippines :)
"... why think like mere men!"
Wrong. Wikipedia is flourishing and is becoming de-facto. Maybe, it is. Linearly and logically speaking, Wikipedia should have not been able to topple down or to make Microsoft give up on MSN-Encarta. But it did.
Why?
Something was at play other than the carrot and the stick :)
Life and business is a lot of things but it is not simply linear or logical.
Which brings me to my curiosity. What happens if we bring the WIFI-enabled iPads to our classrooms? As in, enable students to have an iPad connected to the Internet on their hand all the time. Yes, ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME as in even during class discussions and most specially during quizzes.
How will we measure progress? Achievement? Outcomes? Or, what are we to measure if we do that?
Our current linear thinking will suggests - that should not be allowed. That's cheating. They have to master the content.
But is it cheating? Categorically? Cheating?
Do not get me wrong. I see the value of mastery. Mastery of content is necessary. But is life and education about mastery of content or the successful application of the mastered content? If so, why stop and limit education's measure at mastery of content? When our 2011 realities, our 2011 technical realities, allows us this benefit of having an external "brain" of sorts, this chance and privilege to push what can be done in the classrooms in closing the gap between school and the real world? :)
Didn't the great minds of past designers and engineers brought us to this very situation? So, why not partake and eat? And push the development forward?
Are we not tearing down the Berlin Wall that divides the academe and the corporate when we make it a policy to have iPads (or whatever viable tablet PC is out there for our local situation) in our campus and in our classrooms?
Are we not bridging or evolving ourselves in becoming lifelong learners, in academic parlance, or learning organizations, in business speak, if we do this?
I am excited and eager to see how will my profession of facilitating learning evolve and develop in the time of "always-on Internet". At the very least, this I can say for sure, the questions that we, as professors and learning facilitators, can ask and hope that our students can answer would be far more value-adding and rewarding :)
Would that reality be more difficult for the students?
I don't think so. I think it will even tap and engage our current, increasing and disinterested boys to become an engineer their parents dreamed of.
I think, if we are to prepare our next generation Filipinos, we have to accept, as academics and learning facilitators, that boys and girls learn and assimilate knowledge differently. The boys crave it more than the girls "to try and see", which the iPad scenario can enable. And since our current time, space and bias limits us to do this, we see more boys (than girls) lining up and appealing their academic status.
Maybe we can reason out that they truly do not belong in the Institute. Or maybe, I am simply more interested in the nobility of teaching, of learning, of the beauty of the learning process and of leveraging the technology that we have to be more inclusive in helping build a better Philippines :)
"... why think like mere men!"
Monday
life's 3 paths
To waste it, be apathetic. Do nothing. Go with the flow. Make no plans. Do not take risks. Be afraid to fail. Stand still.
To spend it, listen to what the advertisers say. Have the same experiences like your friends. Buy what they buy. Own what they own. Play the game they play.
To invest it, walk your path. Live out your purpose, the "why" you were born. Burn for others. And be happy in the end. For joy shall be your friend. And the next generation will speak fondly of you. Inspired by you.
To spend it, listen to what the advertisers say. Have the same experiences like your friends. Buy what they buy. Own what they own. Play the game they play.
To invest it, walk your path. Live out your purpose, the "why" you were born. Burn for others. And be happy in the end. For joy shall be your friend. And the next generation will speak fondly of you. Inspired by you.
performance's night and day
Compliance can get you through the day. But only engagement can get you through the night.
on giftings and talents
Everybody is good for something. Nobody is good for nothing :)
In every situation where I am allowed by the classroom discussion flow to ask my students, "What are you good at? Or what are your gifts? Talents?", I am always met with introspective stares.
To my mind, it is either they have not found their talents yet or they have fallen victim to broadcast media's limited definition of talent to either singing, dancing, acting or drawing.
There's a book out there. I think it first came out about two to three years ago. Its title is StrengthFinder. It is a helpful book because it tells the reader what are his top 5 strengths or abilities. Talents. On top of that, the book also suggests action plans to hone the strength or talent :)
It is also pleasantly surprising to know that there are more than 40 talents. Broadcast media and its "talent" shows has done us a huge disservice :)
But what I like most about that book is the fact that it categorically TELLS you what are your talents. Because I think it is very hard to figure out by yourself what your talents are. For one, talent is something we do naturally. And it is because we do it naturally, without effort, we take it for granted. And we don't see that it is something unique. Valuable :)
And this is why I think our gifting never really become a blessing to us and for others.
You see, for a talent to be a blessing - we have to know what talent we have. And once we know, it is necessary that we hone our talents. And it is in the honing that talents become a blessing. It can not become a blessing if we do not know what it is first :)
It is fascinating to think or imagine a world or an office where people are doing what they do great "without" effort and getting paid for it :)
Is it possible for a school or maybe a professor, instead of simply facilitating learning, correcting mistakes and giving grades, also take on a role of a StrengthFinder?
Hmmmm, interesting :)
"... why think like mere men?"
In every situation where I am allowed by the classroom discussion flow to ask my students, "What are you good at? Or what are your gifts? Talents?", I am always met with introspective stares.
To my mind, it is either they have not found their talents yet or they have fallen victim to broadcast media's limited definition of talent to either singing, dancing, acting or drawing.
There's a book out there. I think it first came out about two to three years ago. Its title is StrengthFinder. It is a helpful book because it tells the reader what are his top 5 strengths or abilities. Talents. On top of that, the book also suggests action plans to hone the strength or talent :)
It is also pleasantly surprising to know that there are more than 40 talents. Broadcast media and its "talent" shows has done us a huge disservice :)
But what I like most about that book is the fact that it categorically TELLS you what are your talents. Because I think it is very hard to figure out by yourself what your talents are. For one, talent is something we do naturally. And it is because we do it naturally, without effort, we take it for granted. And we don't see that it is something unique. Valuable :)
And this is why I think our gifting never really become a blessing to us and for others.
You see, for a talent to be a blessing - we have to know what talent we have. And once we know, it is necessary that we hone our talents. And it is in the honing that talents become a blessing. It can not become a blessing if we do not know what it is first :)
It is fascinating to think or imagine a world or an office where people are doing what they do great "without" effort and getting paid for it :)
Is it possible for a school or maybe a professor, instead of simply facilitating learning, correcting mistakes and giving grades, also take on a role of a StrengthFinder?
Hmmmm, interesting :)
"... why think like mere men?"
Sunday
on classrooms
I joined the academe to teach. That's it.
I do not have any other grandiose plans. Or visions. I was called to teach. To facilitate learning. Period.
Deep inside the heart of my heart, I carry a burden. I definitely do not have the monopoly of this burden. I know there are other people out there, most probably parents, who yearn and work to make the next generation better. And somehow, that call, that burden found me even before I got married :)
And in this mission of making the next generation better, whether that will be the next generation of students or the next generation of businesses, it was designed (!) that I will do my fighting and my battle inside a classroom.
My hill, my protected pass, my battlefield are the classrooms. Or any place where learning happens. There, I "shout", "This is Sparta!" : )
A lot of things have been written and said about the science (or art) of teaching. Some ideas from varying schools of thought complement. While others, attack :)
It becomes confusing after awhile. But with loyalty and faith, epiphany walks in gingerly. And learning, in my own humble opinion, has really transpired and happened when a learning facilitator guided the students to find a personal answer to the question of, "Ok. Now that I know that, what am I suppose to do with it?"
I firmly believe that if that question could not be answered, a class was only scheduled but none happened. The students attended one but did not have one. They simply watched a performance. And the professor simply showcased his thespian skills :)
I write this for my current students this 3rd term of 2010-2011, that, hopefully and prayerfully, at the end of the 10-week journey we will embark together - you can personally answer what to do with the class your parents paid for :)
"... why think like mere men?"
I do not have any other grandiose plans. Or visions. I was called to teach. To facilitate learning. Period.
Deep inside the heart of my heart, I carry a burden. I definitely do not have the monopoly of this burden. I know there are other people out there, most probably parents, who yearn and work to make the next generation better. And somehow, that call, that burden found me even before I got married :)
And in this mission of making the next generation better, whether that will be the next generation of students or the next generation of businesses, it was designed (!) that I will do my fighting and my battle inside a classroom.
My hill, my protected pass, my battlefield are the classrooms. Or any place where learning happens. There, I "shout", "This is Sparta!" : )
A lot of things have been written and said about the science (or art) of teaching. Some ideas from varying schools of thought complement. While others, attack :)
It becomes confusing after awhile. But with loyalty and faith, epiphany walks in gingerly. And learning, in my own humble opinion, has really transpired and happened when a learning facilitator guided the students to find a personal answer to the question of, "Ok. Now that I know that, what am I suppose to do with it?"
I firmly believe that if that question could not be answered, a class was only scheduled but none happened. The students attended one but did not have one. They simply watched a performance. And the professor simply showcased his thespian skills :)
I write this for my current students this 3rd term of 2010-2011, that, hopefully and prayerfully, at the end of the 10-week journey we will embark together - you can personally answer what to do with the class your parents paid for :)
"... why think like mere men?"
Saturday
Homeless DJ - Ted Williams
Google him or try watching the news stories that have been posted on youtube. His story is fascinating if it is "all the way" true.
Ted Williams is a man who took for granted his gift, a golden radio voice. Addiction to alcohol and drugs alienated him from the love of his family and drove him to become homeless. He made a living through these dark moments by holding a cardboard sign, begging.
His life went dark. Very dark. Maybe in order for him to decipher what is light:)
And the light came in the guise of a stranger driving by, took his video and posted it on youtube. And in 24 hours, that post got 13 million views and ushered Ted Williams to a room called second chance.
Now 53, he understand that he has a lot things to be thankful for. Grateful for. Genuinely grateful for. That was true during his "...heyday", during his dark moments and now.
Any architect or civil engineer would know that there are times when old buildings must be ripped to its bare foundation to see what is wrong or even struck down, before a new and a better one could stand in its place.
Sometimes, that engineering truth holds true for our lives.
Only He can write stories like that :)
My heart is warm :)
Blessed.
"... why think like mere men..."
Ted Williams is a man who took for granted his gift, a golden radio voice. Addiction to alcohol and drugs alienated him from the love of his family and drove him to become homeless. He made a living through these dark moments by holding a cardboard sign, begging.
His life went dark. Very dark. Maybe in order for him to decipher what is light:)
And the light came in the guise of a stranger driving by, took his video and posted it on youtube. And in 24 hours, that post got 13 million views and ushered Ted Williams to a room called second chance.
Now 53, he understand that he has a lot things to be thankful for. Grateful for. Genuinely grateful for. That was true during his "...heyday", during his dark moments and now.
Any architect or civil engineer would know that there are times when old buildings must be ripped to its bare foundation to see what is wrong or even struck down, before a new and a better one could stand in its place.
Sometimes, that engineering truth holds true for our lives.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ~ Damascus Saul :)
Only He can write stories like that :)
My heart is warm :)
Blessed.
"... why think like mere men..."
Sunday
2011 Prayer
Lord, guide me about Sitruso. This is Your idea for making businesses and organizations better. This is an idea You wanted me to make real. A burden you prepared me to have and placed in my heart. May I be an instrument in making it real. You know its needs more than I could ever know. You can supply the resources more than I can ever supply it. I lift the whole process of making Sitruso real and thriving in the world.
Lord, my life as a married man and as a husband. May I be a husband to my wife the way You want me to be. I raise up to You the dream You gave me about having my own family. Prepare my wife and I for the privilege and the responsibilities of being a Mom and a Dad. May we find joy in the journey You are about to give us. May we be humble to get down on our knees and seek Your will. Help us be a blessing to the blessing You are about to give us.
Lord, my mission to the classrooms. May I be a blessing to my students. Grant me the wisdom, energy and the communication skills to be a teacher, a professor and a true learning facilitator to their thirst for meaning and for learning. Sustain the fire you lit in me so many years ago. Make it bigger. May You find me faithful to the call.
And lastly Lord, restore us everyday. Restore us physically. Restore us financially. Restore us emotionally. Restore us mentally. Restore us spiritually.
I lift everything to You. I am nothing without You. May Your will be done in our lives.
We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. And Amen!
Lord, my life as a married man and as a husband. May I be a husband to my wife the way You want me to be. I raise up to You the dream You gave me about having my own family. Prepare my wife and I for the privilege and the responsibilities of being a Mom and a Dad. May we find joy in the journey You are about to give us. May we be humble to get down on our knees and seek Your will. Help us be a blessing to the blessing You are about to give us.
Lord, my mission to the classrooms. May I be a blessing to my students. Grant me the wisdom, energy and the communication skills to be a teacher, a professor and a true learning facilitator to their thirst for meaning and for learning. Sustain the fire you lit in me so many years ago. Make it bigger. May You find me faithful to the call.
And lastly Lord, restore us everyday. Restore us physically. Restore us financially. Restore us emotionally. Restore us mentally. Restore us spiritually.
I lift everything to You. I am nothing without You. May Your will be done in our lives.
We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. And Amen!
Saturday
my practical life essentials
I got married last 10 September 2010. And when my wife and I moved in to our BARE place, I quickly found out my version of "practical life essentials".
By design, we really wanted to start from scratch as scratch as moving in to a bare place with no appliances and furniture. "Why?", you might ask. Well, we were already 'writing' and thinking (and praying, too) about the stories to tell to the little ones :)
I am already imagining how there face and eyes will look as my wife and I narrates to them about the first home meal their Mommy and Daddy shared. And the process of how we manage to cook and eat the first dinner when we still do not have any appliances and furniture that afternoon we moved in to our boxy home :)
So for those who is reading this, is planning to get married this year and who does not agree with my idiosyncrasy of starting from scratch, here's my chronological list of 'must haves' appliances and furniture. A list that could save you money, will definitely keep the smooth talking salesman honest and not be overly driven by his goal of meeting his quota in your expense because you really know what to buy :)
Get a bed, four pillows, an electric fan (or an aircon), a dining table and the corresponding chairs (of course), a stove, a frying pan, a rice cooker, a radio and a fridge. That's it.
You will notice that TV nor living room furniture did not make the 'essential' cut. And "Why?", you may ask again. Well, it is not economic. It is simple. It was, for my part, a practical and a deliberate choice to spend as much time as possible to knowing my wife. Or to be in an environment where the only thing one can do is to talk and to have a conversation with one another. No TV and no living room amenities mean more time knowing my beautiful wife, up close and personal.
The TV came after a three months and the living room is shaping up.
Well, that's that :)
May we all have a meaningful 2011. God bless all of us. God bless the Philippines!
"... why think like mere men!"
By design, we really wanted to start from scratch as scratch as moving in to a bare place with no appliances and furniture. "Why?", you might ask. Well, we were already 'writing' and thinking (and praying, too) about the stories to tell to the little ones :)
I am already imagining how there face and eyes will look as my wife and I narrates to them about the first home meal their Mommy and Daddy shared. And the process of how we manage to cook and eat the first dinner when we still do not have any appliances and furniture that afternoon we moved in to our boxy home :)
So for those who is reading this, is planning to get married this year and who does not agree with my idiosyncrasy of starting from scratch, here's my chronological list of 'must haves' appliances and furniture. A list that could save you money, will definitely keep the smooth talking salesman honest and not be overly driven by his goal of meeting his quota in your expense because you really know what to buy :)
Get a bed, four pillows, an electric fan (or an aircon), a dining table and the corresponding chairs (of course), a stove, a frying pan, a rice cooker, a radio and a fridge. That's it.
You will notice that TV nor living room furniture did not make the 'essential' cut. And "Why?", you may ask again. Well, it is not economic. It is simple. It was, for my part, a practical and a deliberate choice to spend as much time as possible to knowing my wife. Or to be in an environment where the only thing one can do is to talk and to have a conversation with one another. No TV and no living room amenities mean more time knowing my beautiful wife, up close and personal.
The TV came after a three months and the living room is shaping up.
Well, that's that :)
May we all have a meaningful 2011. God bless all of us. God bless the Philippines!
"... why think like mere men!"
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