My new home

November 2010 is my favorite month! No classes every Monday! I can splurge on sleep, food and movie! Now, what to watch?! What to watch!? We have the sexy and mind-boggling Wicker Park(both English and French versions but I prefer the French), the funny and romantic A Lot Like Love( I love ashton and amanda in this movie),the dark and enchanting Pan's Labyrinth in Spanish ( I still believe in fairies), the hilarious and sex-driven Eurotrip (Scotty doesn't know) and a lot more! Well, that if I still have the time. What to do on a long weekend? GO SHOPPING! I love to shop for books! Books make me happy and smart! Or should I say books make me happier and smarter! That's better! After my shopping I like to hang out in one of my favorite places...STARBUCKS! I enjoy reading my books in that cozy but crowded cafe. I am also after the new planner as a gift for my mom. I want to be home before the sun goes down. It's very romantic (even if I'm alone). By night time, I would...

My cousin Glenn is a tenor. He invited me, my ate and my husband Tal to attend one of his concerts at The Fort last month. I thought Tal would get bored but lo and behold he loved the concert! My cousin and his friends sang 15 famous opera songs. I was also amazed by my cousin's performance because the last time I saw him perform was in 1980's.And he still got it! The night was perfect and romantic of course. This month he'll be having a solo performance. I hope to be there with my husband and sis again.

Promenade is a ceremonious opening of a formal ball consisting of a grand march. It is also a chance for girls and boys to be ladies and gentlemen, princesses and princes. Every Valentine's day our school would hold a Junior-Senior Prom to celebrate the exchanging of responsibilities between the seniors and the juniors. The seniors would pass over their responsibilities, talents and ideas to the juniors to help them become better students when they reach their senior year. After the serious part, we all had dinner (YUMMY Crowne Plaza Hotel food!)and we all DANCED! DANCED! DANCED the night away! The Director, teachers and guest parents had fun watching students try their best to become extra prim & proper and beautiful all the time. Every year we all do our best to make our J-S Prom a memorable one.

Potipot – The little Boracay of Zambales, Philippines This island is located at Candelaria, Zambales. The island is very small you can walk around its perimeter in less than an hour. There are no “ins” or hotels in that island not even a sari-sari store but you can rent a bahay kubo if you want to have an overnight stay or you can set up a tent. The best time to go to Potipot is during the low peak season like end of May and June but never on a March, April or first week of May. The island would be too crowded by then. Make sure you bring the following in the island. Water, lots and lots of it. Food, make sure it’s already cooked. SUNBLOCK! As you can see in my pictures the sun really did cook me that day! And most of all bring along your family and friends to make your stay in Potipot extra special.   Ang Potipot ay isang maliit na isla sa may Candelaria, Zambales. Mamamangka ka pa para makarating don. Walang hotel dyan kundi mga kubo lang. Wala ring kuryente ka...

Every summer, our school would treat us faculty members for an out of town trip. Two years ago we went to Ilocos. It was a ten hour trip but it was all worth it especially when we tasted the food like empanada, sukang iloco, sea foods (we stayed at a beach resort). The view, the scenery was perfect and to die for. We went to Chavit Singson’s mansion and to kalye Cristobal which is a tourist spot. Before going to this trip we made sure we had enough money to spend for pasalubong for our loved ones. Hoping for another summerific trip next year!

These pictures were taken two years ago. This is the only night when the school gave us teachers a night to party, party, party! We had good food, good music and a good laugh. No no to drinking of course! All of us guys and gals dressed up for this once in a blue moon party for teachers.

I’m so fascinated with this book I’m reading now. The title is Raging Hormones by Martha Williamson and Robin Sheets. It is a survival guide to all women who experience PMS just like me! I can relate to some of the facts and figures of the book like getting red eyes from irrational crying ( a simple touching commercial would make me weep), self-inflating breast (they swell and it hurts), credit card ready to charge (aside from being a certified shopaholic) and ACNE breakouts! The book informs the women suffering from PMS what to do and what not to do and what to eat and what not to eat a few days before their menstrual period. Here’s are some Do’s and Don’ts in the workplace if you have your PMS: 1. DON’T attempt to negotiate a raise or promotion but DO delegate. 2. DON’T flirt with the CEO in the elevator but DO bring doughnuts for everyone at the office. 3. DON’T take business trips that require connecting flights but DO use accumulated sick days. 4. DON’T ask for a performance evalu...

My Wish List Below are things that I want but don’t need. Feel free to choose whatever it is you want to give…DREAM ON AGNES! 1. Blackberry – to check my e-mails, to arrange my schedule and Tal’s as well, most importantly to stay in touch with my networks! 2. Books – I LOVE BOOKS! Even if it takes me months to finish it. Busy me! Busy me! Fashion books are my favorite (Nina Garcia, Irene Beckerman, Coco Channel etc.) Books that would help me understand my students more like Breaking The I.Q. Myth by Henry S. Tenedero. Books that would stimulate my sense of sight like photography books or even a cookbook! Health books that would help me become more sexy and healthy! Let’s not forget about that. 3. A Laptop (APPLE or HP) – A laptop is now a necessity for a teacher like me. 4. Camera (digital of course) – I prefer a Nikon L21 or L22. No DSLR for me. Just give that to Tal! I would rather take perfect pictures using an ordinary digicam. 5. Cell phones – Yup with an S. As in ...

After our Vigan trip, I invited my friends to join Talento and me to go to Baguio City. We went to Mines View Park, SM, Teacher's Camp, Legarda and of course the very sikat Session Road. Every night we always hang out at our now favorite bar Rumours. I just love to drink margarita, vodka with sprite, wet & dry martinis especially when the weather is berry berry cold! Masarap silang pampainit!!! I enjoyed every minute spent in Baguio...syempre nandoon kasi si baby Talento ko!

We had breakfast then went on our different lakaran. Tal and I went to Camp John Hay. we visited The Manor and went window shopping at Mile Hi. We had lunch at my favorite resto, Cafe By The Ruins and what a dream come true for me! I love the place! Very cozy and the food is GREAT! After lunch we went to SM. Then we had dinner @ Gecko with Bruce and Eya. The Spicy BBQ Chicken is to die for! Ang SARAP! We had a long, slow walk in Session Road. Talento loved Session Road so much. we also visited UP baguio and the very dark Sunshine Park. We went there in the evening kasi.hehehe. Then Bruce and Eya decided to go home while Tal and I continued with our stroll. He wanted to go to Volante but I wanted to go to Rumours, the best bar for me. Small world talaga! Tal met Vincent, a fellow UPLBian helping out in Rumours. I had the strongest margarita in that bar and it was my first time to drink Cervesa Negra. It was okay! Better than San Mig Lite..hehehe! I enjoyed the night with Talento @ Rumo...

I get inspired whenever young women speak their minds. For me, it is a sign of courage and hope when they share one of their secrets to you. In the book Picture The Girl, one of the teenagers shared how she was assaulted by someone she dated and that it took her a long time to deal with it. One even opened up that she is a dyke(lesbian) and that it is a little difficult for her to announce it to her family. It even took her years to step out in her closet. Reading their stories helped me open my mind in understanding my students more. I must accept the fact that their generation is different from mine and that as time passes, people, places, attitudes, feelings and ideas also change.

This is a mistake!♥

Although I am happily married, I still miss my family in Mapayapa. I miss my dad who passed away 7 years ago. I miss his Ilocano way of cooking pinakbet and caldereta. I miss my mom and her stories about us when we were still babies. I miss my two ates. I miss teasing them, kissing them and being simply malambing to them. I guess the best remedy for this little problem of mine is to keep myself super busy everyday and just try to visit them weekly. There, problem solved! Now I’m gonna give myself a pat on the shoulder.

There's a national treasure in Baguio City that I love to visit and hang out. It used to be the house of a General before it was bombed by the Japanese. Now the ruins of the house is a cafe. Cafe by the ruins. A cafe that serves the best green leafy vegetables and tsokolate. You can still see the original foundation of the house that is why it is like dining in a museum. Time stops whenever I'm in that place. I can read my favorite book and not care at all. No schedule to follow. No deadlines to meet. How I dream life could be this still...sometimes.

I've been teaching high school science for eight years now. Every year I find new ways on how to make my seniors interested in Physics. Like using everyday materials that you see in your home and not so much of the old school laboratory equipment. I noticed that using ordinary or “common” household materials gets them more excited during our Physics activities. One of the materials that excites them is the raw egg. We use raw egg in experiments like law of inertia and impulse. Trying to catch , grab or save the egg without a scratch or crack is an accomplishment for them. Another is the clothes hanger and a coin to show centripetal force. The seniors were dumbfounded when they saw the hanger whirling while the coin is at the tip of the hook of the hanger. COOL! That was their initial reaction to what they saw and experience. Physics for me and to my seniors is not just tests, computations and lab work but it is also playtime with learning.

July 9, 2010 is the beginning of a new life. There is no longer I, me, myself and mine. It is now us, we and ours. July 9, 2010 is our day. Our perfect day. The day when God blessed our relationship.