The Office goes to Winnipeg
09 Nov 2008 5 Comments
in Books, movies, music, TV, Uncategorized, Winnipeg Tags: Old Dutch potato chips, parka, The Bay, The Office, Winnipeg
Here’s one reason why I will make sure that I don’t miss this week’s (Nov. 13) episode of The Office.
Michael Scott, Steve Carell’s character, is going to Winnipeg. Well, the cast and crew didn’t actually physically come here to the city which I have now been calling home for the last 19 years, but they made the Los Angeles set look like Winnipeg, even sending props that would represent Winnipeg, like
The Bay shopping bags and
Old Dutch potato chips. I didn’t even know that Old Dutch’s main headquarters is here in Winnipeg.
What I would like to see in that episode is snow, which we have on the ground right now, and Michael wearing a parka.
I’ve already read a few spoilers about the episode, but I will spare you, especially those who hate spoilers like me, at least until after the show has aired.
Let’s see how they will poke fun at Winnipeg. 
If you want to watch The Office, it’s on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. on NBC and Global TV here in Winnipeg.
Getting ready for school
31 Aug 2008 9 Comments
in My guilt trip, Raising the 3Rs, Uncategorized, Working mom
School starts in three days. Since last week, I’ve been trying to get the kids ready for school. I mean not just ready in getting school supplies and new school clothes and shoes, but also getting their bodies accustomed to going to bed early and getting up early. I would let them stay up late until 11:00 p.m. and let them get up at whatever time they would get up, sometimes even as late as 11:00 a.m. But last week, I made them go to bed at 10:00 p.m. and I’d wake them up at 8:00 a.m., with a phone call from my work. That was their alarm clock. But starting next week, they have to go to bed at 9:00 p.m. and I will wake them up at 7:00 a.m. before I even leave for work.
Speaking of school supplies, here are just some of the things from my fifth grader’s list that I found interesting:
1 package faint-lined 1/4″ or .5 size squared graph paper
When I first went shopping for school supplies, I only found the kind that’s on the right. The lines are kind of dark for me. But you see, I’m the kind of person that sticks to the rules, and when the list says faint-lined, I want to find a faint-lined one for my child. It’s also because I know why the list suggests faint-lined. After all, I’ve been a math student myself. The reason is so that you can see your pencil or pen markings better on the paper and not be overshadowed by the dark lines of the paper.
1 30 cm ruler (without inches) (metal or hard plastic)
This is the first time I’ve seen a 30 cm ruler (without inches) on the list. It’s true that we use the metric system here in Canada, but we usually measure things in inches, even the kids, and we’d just convert to cm, if that’s what’s called for. Most rulers that are sold here have inches on one side and centimetres on the other side. But we found a ruler without the inches. And had we not, my son could have used a ruler with both inches and centimeters.
1 calculator with 4 basic functions (+, -, x, ./.)
My son chose this one from the many calculators displayed on the rack. His basis for choosing it is the basic keys on the calculator. But look, it’s a Canon recycled calculator. It’s made from recycled Canon copier. I sure hope it does the work as the regular calculator.
And this one baffled me since I saw it on the list:
1 package end of pencil erasers
This is also the first time I’ve ever seen it on the list. What does that mean? End of pencil eraser? Do you take out the end of an old pencil? And he needs a package of it? How many in a package?
Well, I finally asked my sister whose son was in fifth grade last year and if he ever had to get this school supply. So she showed me what they look like.
They are these:
I couldn’t find a package of end of pencil erasers, but I found this kit, which has only 4 of those things. So I guess that would do for now.
Deodorant (no body spray) for gym
My son doesn’t smell yet, but I guess there are kids in fifth grade who already stink.
My son (we’re still talking about my fifth grader) was asking me a few weeks ago if I would be bringing him to school on the first day. You see, I have always walked with him to school on the first day of school since he started kindergarten. The students bring all their school supplies on the first day and their backpacks would be really heavy. Since he was still young and small, he needed help carrying his backpack. I was already working at home when he first started school and it was very convenient for me to start work late on those days. But I have gone back to work at the office and things are quite different now. At first I told him that I have to think about it and I might not be able to walk with him to school on the first day. I started a new position at work and I have a new supervisor now and I am not so sure how lenient she is. Besides, he would be walking with his cousins and my sister would be walking with them and she has this wagon where they could all put their heavy backpacks in. And my ever dramatic son said, “Oh, you don’t like your son anymore.” And I said, “Of course, I do like you.” I explained to him my situation. “Besides,” I continued, “I have always walked with you on the first day of school. This is the first time I won’t be there.” He said, “Huh, I thought it was only Tita Carol who comes with us.” I said, “What are you talking about, I have always been there.”
See, he doesn’t even remember that I have been there all those times. Well, anyway, I told him the other day that I can’t make it. He’s already a big boy and he will be with his cousins anyway.
Gumamela
29 Jun 2005 Leave a Comment
Our gumamela plant blooms only about once or twice a year.
Before it bloomed recently, it was this tall. But the weight of the flowers were too much for the branches and the tallest ones broke in half. Down came the branches — flowers and all. Now we have to wait for about six to eight months before we can see flowers from this plant again.
On superstitions
08 Mar 2005 Leave a Comment
When I was a little girl growing up in the Philippines, I heard many superstitious beliefs – pamahiin or kasabihan ng matatanda. As I grew older, I have questioned the logic in these beliefs. Most of the time, I don’t believe in them, yet I follow what the superstition tells us just to be “on the safe side,” or because “there’s no harm in trying,” or just to please the elders.
I have learned a couple of superstitions due to the recent wake of Ate Alice. Yeah, Filipinos have carried their beliefs here half-way around the world.
“If the corpse is wearing any jewelry – a ring, a necklace, a watch, or anything that forms a circle – it should be broken/cut off. Or else there will be a series of deaths in the family.”
“The hosts should not bring home left-over foods from the wake or they will have a hard life.”
And this one I heard before when an older cousin – a seaman – disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, back in the ‘70s.
“There shouldn’t be three people in the picture. The one in the middle will die first.”
When my cousin disappeared, my aunts found this picture where my cousin was flanked between my two aunts. I heard them say, “Sinasabi ko na nga ba.” I think that this is the reason why I switch my kids places whenever I take pictures with just the three of them.
And of course, we Filipinos being Catholics pray the Novena for nine days to pray for the soul of our dearly departed.
A busy day
09 Oct 2004 Leave a Comment
I woke the kids up at 6:10 a.m. We had a dentist appointment at 9:00 a.m. We needed to get on the 7:49 bus.
RK: Oh, I don’t like that smell.
Mom: That’s the grass… the dew… that’s the smell of early morning.
The trees were turning yellow-green. A few were turning yellow-orange. They were lovely. Leaves have fallen on the ground.
After the dentist appointment, we went shopping for some more winter clothes. Then we had lunch at McDonalds’. When we came home, I asked R to bring RG to St. John’s Music to buy music sheets that he will need for his flute lessons. I then went to Superstore and brought RC and RK with me. I was so tired when we came home. I took a nap on the couch. Myra and Ramon came and dropped off an invitation to his 50th birthday party. I was embarrassed because the house was a mess.
