Mouse Clicks: Short Stories by Geof

In 2008 during the summer break, we asked Geof to write short stories as an alternative activity to playing computer games.  Geof was nine years old then and he wrote short stories with a mouse as his main character. He wrote three stories then. And his first story below is my favorite. I named his collections as "Mouse Clicks." 

The Mouse Who Wanted Everything

By Jan Geoffrey S. Oreta

Once upon a time, there lived a mouse who wanted everything. His name is Selfish and he wanted everything in the whole world……..especially cheese and cheese chips so, he went out of his mouse hole to get all of the cheese.

First, he went to the cheese company to get all of the cheese he can find so he asked them where the cheese is. But all the cheese makers screamed because of selfish the mouse. So they ran out the building. Ha! Ha !Ha! laughed Selfish the mouse. Now I can get all the cheese in the company. So he started to get all of the cheese in the factory with a forklift.

He got all of the Swiss cheese then, cheddar chips. After that, Selfish began stealing more cheese and cheese chips. But he wondered how he can bring all of the cheese and cheese chips……….AhA! he cried. I have a brilliant idea! first I will get a truck and put the cheese and cheese chips inside! So that’s what he exactly did. He called all of his friends to the cheese company and drove the truck. When they arrived, one of them asked what to do………finally, he shouted drive the truck you @$$&*%!!!!! So they all ran to the truck to put all the cheese inside the truck. The strongest mouse and then the weakest mouse put the cheese inside the truck. Selfish was pleased with all of the cheese and chips. Faster my dear friends! we have to work faster before the people come here and attack us. So that’s what they did. They worked faster and faster until they heard the car of the chief arriving. They were so scared they hid all around the company. It was Selfish’s turn to hide but he can’t find a place to hide. There where mice everywhere hiding in the machines, tables and chairs. Finally he found a hiding place and it was………….Inside the chief’s car! He hid in the trunk of the chief’s car. Ahhhhhh it felt safe. Inside but not for long………….because the chief is about to get his bag inside the trunk! But Selfish had enough time to escape because the chief had to go to the bathroom to p**p so Selfish opened the zipper of the bag and escaped out of the car. He went back to the cheese company to tell his friends to escape out of the company.

So that’s what he exactly did. He told his friends: let's escape my friends! So all of his friends escaped out of the building before the cheese company’s chief could get out of the bathroom door and scream like a girl. The chief was still p**ping. When Selfish finally made it to his mouse hole, he cannot fit all the cheese in his hole. There was too much cheese wasted. Now he just learned his lesson. Never be “Selfish.”

BOOK Kids

Geof (6 yrs old) reads a book to Julia (1 yr old) in 2006

Parents would always complain that kids now are too distracted - and indeed, there are quite a number of gadgets to pass the time -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, PSP, Nintendo DS, I-pad... and these are over and above the ever reliable idiot box called TV. I would hear Moms complaining that their kids can't even sit still to read.

Modesty aside (and i mean, aside :-) my husband and I don't have that kind of problem. In fact, our problem is how to make our kids prolong the reading of their books. Of course, they are also into Nintendo, and the I-Pod, and the Facebook, and other techie stuff, but they equally enjoy a good read. Geof, my 11 year-old, on the average, reads a 350-page book (average pocketbook size) in 2 to 3 days (i.e., during school days; but he can finish a book of the same length in 1.5 days if there's no school). Sometimes, I would even appeal that he slows down in his reading so that a book would last for at least a week. Julia, my 6 year-old, is also "competing" with her Kuya in terms of the amount of books she 'churns' out.

Some of the books that Geof have finished and would like to recommend to kids 10 to 12 years old are (my husband and I occasionally read also some of these books, so we know these books are good):

- The Percy Jackson series (5 books)

- The Mysterious Benedict Society (3 books)

- The 39 Clues series (11 books)

- Harry Potter (7 books) - all borrowed from the DLSU library

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (5 books, thus far)

- The Kane Chronicles (2 books - The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire)

- The Heroes of Olympus (sequel of the Percy Jackson books; 1st in the series)

- The Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch (4 books)

- Diary of a Wimpy Vampire

- Middle School the Worst Years of my life

- The Artemis Fowl series (7 books)

- Big Nate series (4 books)

- N.E.R.D.S. (2 books)

- The Gods of Manhattan (still reading)

- The Emerald Atlas (in the pipeline)

Julia, on the other hand, recommends these books (to kids 5 to 7 years old):

- The Ivy and Bean series

- Geronimo Stilton series (Geof's favorite books when he was a little kid)

- Thea Stilton series

- Rainbow Magic series

- The Pony Crazed Princess series

- The Magic School Bus series.

While I am seriously thinking of getting (esp. Geof) an e-book, I still enjoy seeing him nestled in the sofa with his feet up, a book in his face, and oblivious to the world. For Julia, on the other hand, book reading is part of her 'sacred' routine with her dad. As soon as they enter the room (she still sleeps in our room, but using her own bed), she'd lie down with Andy and read her book, while her dad reads his Kindle. And this routine for her is inviolable - she won't sleep (or would be all grumpy) if she doesn't get to read even just a page or 2.

So I have true-and-blue book worms in the house. And I enjoy it to the hilt since when everyone's reading, the house is all peace and quiet, just as I like it so I can get down and read mine.

(The only caveat is - you guessed it - books are among the major household expense and space users ..... our bookshelves are all full ... but unlike the other expenses, I am blissfully enjoying spending those bucks for this "indulgence" ;-)

Geof & Dad: Booklovers? Bookworms!

Food for the Profs

(Old graduation photo in 2008)

Imagine sitting for about three hours wearing your graduation toga and listening to the college deans announce the names of the graduates of the university for the previous term. Boring? Yes, sometimes. Sometimes I read a pocket book during the ceremony. Entertaning? Ofcourse, watching the graduates especially the ladies in their fresh make-up, new hairstyle and new shoes climb-up the stage, get their "diploma" and shake hands with Br. President and then get down the stage and pass by infront of you is good enough to pass the time. Well, this is the trimestral ritual that almost the faculty of De La Salle University - Manila experience during the commencement rites at the PICC. For some, it's a torture ... for others, it's a show. Well, whatever, the professors and staff are always rewarded by a sumptuous meal c/o the DLSU administration and the University Registrar's Office.

The Feast for Profs is usually held at the Gloria Maris Restaurant at the CCP Complex. This feast is "free" if you register and have your ID scanned before meals but expensive if you fail to come after registering beforehand. Well, this first term 2011, what did they serve the professors? Here is the list of the food we had last June 25, 2011:

1. Appetizer - cold cuts

2. Shrimps

3. Hot and sour soup

4. Fish fillet

5. Fried Rice

6. Brocolli

7. Peking Duck skin

8. Crabs

9. Peking Duck meat

10. Bread (Cake)

11. Dessert - Gulaman

Food for the Mind? More cholesterol? Healthy food? Well, the answer to this depends on the individual faculty members. Many loved the appetizer. Some like the tasteless shrimp. Others don't like the sour soup. The young ones love the crab and peking duck. The senior faculty and university fellows savored the vegetables and desert. In my case, I enjoyed the company - talking with my colleagues about university and college issues while watching our bosses enjoy the feast. Next term, hopefully it would be a new menu or a new restaurant?

I am 2nd from Left. With Lawrence Lim, & University Fellows - Dr. Alvin Culaba & Dr. Elmer Dadios.

Flores de Mayo: Flower Paintings of Lola Cons

Lola Conching Maglalang aka "Lola Cons" loves painting flowers. I sent her photos of flowers like the sunflower, hibiscus or gumamela, orchids and a rose. After a week, she completed painting the flower photos. Despite her age (88 yrs old), she can easily paint a flower using acrylic or pastel. Most of these paintings were completed just last May 2011. So I dubbed these gallery of flower paintings as "Flores de Mayo."

Paintings of a Sunflower, Rose, Gumamela, Orchids & Butterfly on Flower

Flores de Mayo

Pasto's Thin Pizza and Tasty Pasta

Pasto at Eastwood Mall, Quezon City is one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Their thin pizza Di Carne ("All Meat" Pizza - Italian sausage, smoked ham and pepperoni)  is sooo good. And their pasta which is cooked al dente like Fruiti di Mari (Linguine with assorted seafood in an olive oil-white wine reduction) and Alfredo (Spaghetti with fresh cracked pepper in a creamy parmesan sauce with grilled chicken or grilled shrimps) are delicious. The price range (Pizza from P195.00 to P295.00 / Pasta from P195.00 to P265.00.).

 Pizza Di Carne (P265.00)

Fruiti di Mari Pasta (P265.00)

 Alfredo Pasta (P215.00)

The KL Bird Park by Geof Oreta

 

 One of the best and educational places we visited at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this summer 2011 was the KL Bird Park. When we went in, we were surprised by the vast number of birds. Because of the diversity of the different species of birds, I took many good pictures with my camera. Along the way, we encountered some egrets and peacocks, The birds were freely walking and flying in the park. We also saw some rare, exotic, and endangered birds. We even saw some eagles!!!  When we -were having a snack, my mom fed some of the birds some kropeck and they enjoyed it. While enjoying the kropeck, one bird started pooping (LOL!). After our snack, we saw the flamingos and an Egyptian bird. Julia played in the playground for a while, and then we went to the bird show. We enjoyed the acts as we saw macaws do the tightrope, ride a bicycle, drive a jeep, and do some Mathematics. Finally, we went to the nursery and saw bird eggs. We also learned different things about birds hatching. My sister’s favourite bird is the Black eagle. Below is the gallery of the pictures that I took:

 

Sunflower by Lola Cons

Lola Conching - The Master Painter

 I like sunflowers. Whenever I see sunflowers like those planted along the University Avenue at UP Diliman every March just before their graduation rites, I remember Vincent Van Gogh's painting of sunflowers (See image at the left).

Remember Lola Cons, my 88 year old auntie who developed a passion for painting just last year? She attended painting lessons at UP with young and not so old classmates. She was the oldest then at 87 years old but come 2011 a much older lola attended the session breaking her record. Well, I sent her a photo of a sunflower (downloaded from the internet) and asked her to paint it. After a few weeks, she completed her painting of the sunflower. Her apo, Peer,  also a painting enthusiast, painted the same photo. Lola's are more expressive. Her painting has the similar rough strokes of Van Gogh which expresses passion and emotion. I love the "Sunflower" painted by Lola Cons. It brightens our house! :-)

Photo of a Sunflower

"Sunflower" by Lola Cons

Lola Cons Painting Displayed on our wall

It's Fun at Universal Studios Singapore by Geof Oreta

One of our best times at Singapore was when we went to Universal Studios on May 5, 2011. After a hearty brunch of burgers and fries, we went to the theatre to watch the Monster Rock Show, a musical live show where monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula, Werewolf and a Mummy sing and dance to rock music like “Nobody Nobody but You!”. We then went to a special effects presentation. It was really breathtaking - literally. Then, we visited Sci-Fi City and took a look around. We took a trip to Ancient Egypt and tried out one of the rides. It was really interesting and fun to see snakes and bugs as you ride around the tracks. I also liked Jurassic Park but sadly, one of the rides we wanted to try had some technical difficulties so my sister, Julia and my Mom just took the “Dinosaur-Round-About. ” I liked Far Far Away the best. The reason was the shows we watched there were unique and interesting. The Shrek 4D was funny and seems real – aside from the 3D images you  feel real wind and water blowing on your face – that’s why it’s called 4D! The Donkey Show was also funny and interactive. We finally watched a special effects show called “Waterworld”. It was exciting and really wet. Our stay at Universal Studios was truly an unforgettable experience. Geof2011:-)

Discovering Science at Singapore by Geoffrey Oreta

Controlling a Chameleon Robot

One of the highlights of our stay at Singapore was visiting the Science Centre on May 6, 2011. The first part we went to was “the mind’s eye”. Here, we saw optical illusions. Then we went to “the atrium”. We saw a makeshift tornado, a  whirlpool, fog rings, and much more. Next, we went to the sound exhibit and saw sound haircuts, metal grass that danced to music, and a foley studio. Then, we went to the DNA lab and saw different kinds of genes and DNA. We then went to the mathematics exhibit and discovered the wonders of math. In the water exhibit, we saw a big aquarium! There were also exhibits about microbes. At the second floor, we saw different kinds of robots and their history. There were replicas of R2D2, an Aibo dog and Wall-E. We also watched a show about the story of flight and learned about Da Vinci and the Wright brothers. My sister Julia liked the “discovery zone” with different kinds of exhibits and contraptions for kids. We also went to the robot zoo and saw a lot of robotic animals. The chameleon robot was even controllable! Finally, we went to i-space. My favourite exhibit was the sound exhibit because it was really interesting and fun. My Dad was disappointed though because the Omni theatre was closed during our visit. But generally, the science centre was awesome! Geof2011JJJJ

Ten Impressions about New Zealand

Eleven days. That's the length of my stay at Auckland, New Zealand. I visited NZ to attend the 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering held at the University of Auckland and to visit my sister and brother who are now Kiwis.

Eleven Days at Auckland

During my short stay at Auckland, I observed the lifestyle there and learned a few things about New Zealand. I am sharing 10 impressions and lessons about NZ:

1. I love eating the kiwi fruit especially after meals. The kiwi is just like a banana in NZ.

2. Aside from the kiwi fruit, the Feijoa is another fruit from New Zealand which is so tasty and juicy. Read our blog about the feijoa.

3. Car drivers rarely use their horns. My first time to hear a car driver blow the horn was when I crossed the road without caution.

4. Family parks and beaches are free. You can go to a park or beach and hold a family picnic without any fees.  NZ parks are clean. You won't see garbage cans because you are suppose to bring your trash home after holding your picnic.

5. The NZ people or Kiwis are polite people. When they get-off the bus, they always thank the bus driver. Unlike the Japanese, the Kiwis are more informal. During the conference, I noticed that they will politely tell you to use the mic or speak louder even if you're a keynote speaker.

6. I love their wheat and rye bread. A simple butter and jelly bread satisfies my apetite.

7. Some food (e.g. McDonald's) and books are relatively more expensive in NZ. My estimate is that they are about 40% higher when compared with the Philippines.

8. I learned the rules of Rugby. The Kiwis love Rugby. They have a team called "All Blacks". The World Cup Rugby will be held in NZ this year.

9. College education is not a problem in NZ. A college loan is readily available to pay your fees and allowances. You pay the government when you find a job after you graduate.

10. The population of NZ is less than 5 million but you will see so many cars. Cars in NZ are not fancy ("hindi pang porma").

A Cheesy Blog

Apple enjoyed 6 kinds of cheese today - Holland's Farmer's Cheese (courtesy of Annette) and Gouda cheese, Norwegian's bland cheese and brown cheese, Anchor Colby's creamy cheese from NZ (courtesy of Andy's classmate, Edwin) and milk cheese from France. Life's simple pleasures!!

Julia paints a butterfly on Easter Sunday

Julia loves to draw and color. So come Easter Sunday, we brought her at Landmark's Kiddy's Art Town so she can try painting a figure of her choice. She painted a butterfly, her favorite insect. The butterfly figure was filled with colors and afterwards the painted figure was heated inside an oven. Whoola.. a pink and blue butterfly!.... a symbol of new life this Easter Sunday.

Feijoa - An Autumn Fruit in New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its kiwi fruit. But come autumn, you will find the fruit called feijoa everywhere. Feijoa (pronounced as"Fe-jo-wa"), also called as guavasteen, matures during the autumn season. It's shaped like that of an egg. It has an aromatic smell and a juicy flesh. It has no seeds.

To eat a feijoa, the fruit is cut into half and the flesh is scooped using a spoon just like scooping an egg. yolk The flesh is sweet and seedless. The fruit grows from a small shrub and is usually a garden tree. The fruit drops when ripe.

When we went to the supermarket (April 20, 2011), a kilo of feijoa costs NZ$3.99 which is more expensive than the green kiwi (NZ$ 1.29). Early autumn, a kilo of feijoa, according to my sister who lives in Auckland, costs  about NZ$ 12.00. So the feijoa is really in season now.

I brought home a few pieces of the fruit, so that my family can taste it. From the first scoop of the fruit, Apple had a liking for it. She says, "it tastes like a guava apple."

 Try the feijoa, you'll love it.

We Enjoyed the Play - Isang Alamat

"Isang Alamat" is the stage play presented by the Miriam Child Study Center (CSC). Julia played the role of "ahas" or a snake, one of the bad characters in the story. "Isang Alamat" presents a legend on the origin of our national symbols - narra as national tree, anahaw as the national leaf, carabao as the national animal and the Philippine eagle as the national bird. These symbols were portrayed as heroes in the story together with Mang Jose who rescued Reyna Pinas, the queen of a kingdom called Pulopinas (representing the Philippines) from the bad ones portrayed by dark and fierce creatures like bats, snakes, hawks, gorillias, crocodiles and deadly plants.

It was a marvel to watch the kids from CSC dance, sing and act. Julia enjoyed performing during the play. She danced. She sang. She played with her classmates. All the parents were so proud with their lovely kids. It's an event that parents will cherish and the kids will remember and recall when they become adults.

Baihana

BAIHANA at Conspiracy Bar, QC (Dec. 2010) - Photo by Ruben Samson

Last December 2010, we dropped by at Conspiracy Bar, Visayas Ave., QC to watch Noel Cabangon. My brother-in-law, Ruben and his daughters, Christina and Melissa joined Apple and me. Ruben was a converted fan of Noel - he even bought one CD and asked Noel to sign an autograph on the CD label. Ofcourse we enjoyed Noel's performance of his original songs and renditions of other artists' songs - both in English and Filipino. But what we enjoyed more was the surpirse guest performers that night - Baihana, a group of three young and pretty female singers who have fresh and lovely voices. Their style is similar to that of the Manhattan Transfer's (But according to their Facebook profile, their influences were The Andrews Sisters, The Chordettes, The Puppini Sisters). The trio uses their powerful and harmonious vocal chords to produce a melodius and rythmic jazz and pop music. They interpret both Filipino and Enlgish songs according to their unique style. We are looking forward to the success of this group. It's refreshing to see new Pinoy singing groups emerge after we have been flooded with too many singers who try to be bossa nova and samba singers.

Watch Baihana sing "Mamang Kutsero."

SIDCOR Sunday Market at Centris

Every sunday from 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, the SIDCOR Sunday Market is held at the Centris Walk beside the MRT Quezon Avenue Station. At the market, you can buy fresh fruits, fresh seafoods, various types of bread and pastries. Our favorite at the market is the pork barbecue. There are also stalls which sell their specialties - menudo, kare-kare, dinuguan, embutido, sinigang and vegetarian dishes. There are tables for you to sit and eat with your family. When you go to this market, you will meet friends and see some personalities - politicians, professors, government officials and celebrities. Shopping at the SIDCOR Sunday Market is enjoyable and fun. You can buy good food at a cheap price.