I was browsing through my drafts here and found this. I wonder why I didn't publish this. Anyway, this must have been written some time in late 2013 through the first quarter of 2014, the first six months since I moved back to Singapore.
I have actually forgotten about the excitement of travel. I got so caught up with work that I am afraid to say I do not know how to enjoy anymore.
But recently, I realized that I am still capable of having fun.
A colleague at work invited me to attend his gig at a bar on a Saturday night. R was here so I tagged him along. We just stayed there for an hour but I really enjoyed listening to the songs the band played. And it was actually the first time that R and I were out in a bar late at night together. It was just one pleasant night. And I liked the gin and tonic!
Then more recently, I discovered the joy of actually playing with my 17-month-old daughter. Oh how heartwarming it is to see my daughter light up with the silly games I make up. Oh dear, since then I have found myself eager to go home just to play with this lovely kiddo.
And there's travel. I think I have at least 21 days of annual leave. And I am supposed to make plans to go somewhere with my family, especially that Umi is still less than 2 years old, meaning free airfare. But honestly in the past months, I did not have any drive to go somewhere. I started to associate non-budget plane rides to work stress.
So it's quite relieving to have my travel bug reawakened when I saw these videos. Hopefully, I will be back to my normal self soon.
http://www.wimp.com/travelsworld/
Monday, February 19, 2018
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Happy birthday, Lola Apay!
This piece first appeared on my Facebook account on May 19, 2017.
Happy 107th birthday in heaven, Lola Apay!
Thank you for all that you had taught me. I can't remember all of them. But I am sure for all the long hours I sat beside you, listening to your stories and at times your lectures, they have all been ingrained in my being. I recall that time when you were grinding, maybe coffee beans, at the covered part of the backyard. I approached you and I didn't know what came to me, that I unashamedly asked for a peso coin from you so I can buy candy from the nearby sari-sari store. I should have known, I got an hours long lecture from you about how money is earned and how it should be spent. I wish my kids would also be able to hear the many things you had told me.
I remember that Vino Kulafu concoction you gave me when I had severe dysmenorrhea; it seemed to have worked as I immediately fell asleep and the pain was gone when I woke up. I wish I had communicated more with you and wrote down all your life hacks, including the household lana and that VK drink.
Thank you for always thinking about my family's welfare. It warms my heart to recall that you had a saint and a piglet assigned for me and my siblings, each one, that's how much you cared for us. I remember, for all your frugality, you allocated a portion of your budget for a bicycle and a typewriter, among many other things, for me and my siblings. You reminded me many times that Papa had to forego buying a new pair of pants just to be able to meet the needs of us children. That served as a constant reminder for me to take my studies seriously, so that I can eventually get a good job and be financially independent.
You have been so much a part of my life, of who I have become. Shortly after we buried you in November 2011, I learned that I was pregnant. We have named our first born Paz, in memory of you. What a beautiful name, it means peace. You left the world in peace, very gracefully. I hope your family whom you've left behind will also be in peace at all times.
I know that I am never alone in my journey. Thank you so much Lola for keeping me, keeping us, in your heart. Among all the things you had taught and shown me, the fact that held me dear in your heart keeps me secure. How much closer I am to Jesus now that you are with Him. I only pray that you are also with our loved ones who have left this world.
Remembering you especially on your birthday, Lola Apay. Flowers for you, I remember your garden in Sta Fe.
Sunday, February 07, 2016
A new hobby - stock investing
I am pleased with myself after reviewing my list here. In much less than 5 years, in just a couple of months, I have already managed to get myself an iPhone (lol!), enrolled myself to the gym (been running for 30 minutes during lunch time at least 3x a week since the start of 2016), and have started investing in the stock market. I have to pat myself on the back for these achievements.
So I have found myself a new hobby, aside from accounting my family's expenses at the end of each month. That is, I will be reviewing my stock portfolio every month. Because of the nature of my job, I am not allowed to trade stocks on a high-frequency basis. I can only sell the stocks that I have bought 30 days later. I think this policy will actually save me from stress. That way, I do not have to worry on a day-to-day basis whether I need to sell my stocks or not.
I have decided to start investing in the Philippine stock market. Aside from my personal attachment to the Philippines (i.e., I am a Filipino), I have strong views on some segments of the economy that I would like to translate into an investment thesis. An economist might as well put her money where her mouth is!
My maiden/inaugural portfolio consists of 5 stocks: CEB, EDC, SMC, SSI, and URC. I have held this portfolio for a little over a week now and has earned 7.4%. It has even beaten the 3.1% increase in the PSEI since I bought these stocks (between 27 Jan and 5 Feb). If I get to maintain this record for a year (i.e. beat the average stock market return or still maintain positive returns during down times), I might as well start my own fund. Haha! Not that I can handle the stress of managing other people's (even my husband's) money.
Why these five stocks? I have four reasons.
First, five is a random number. There are at least 300 companies listed in the Philippine stock market. So to make my life easier, I decided to start investing with five stocks with more or less equal weights/value (stock price x no. of shares) in my portfolio. That way, I also need not have to think of how many shares I need to buy as I have already allocated 20% of my investment to a particular stock.
Second, I am risk-averse. I am afraid of losing a substantial portion of my initial investment. So I have to diversify my risk. That is, my portfolio should have a mix of blue-chip and non-blue-chip stocks. Blue chip stocks are those companies with solid reputations or are market leaders in their respective sectors. They are (relatively) safe bets as the companies behind these stocks are already seen as household names in the country and thus, have a very low chance of shutting down or even being unable to pay their loans. The price trend of these stocks are expected by many to rise steadily over time. Prices may drop in the short term, affected by broad-based negative sentiment stemming domestically or externally, but they are likely to maintain an upward trend in the medium to long term. These blue chip companies make up the Philippine stock exchange index (PSEI).
Then you have stocks that do not make the blue chip distinction and are viewed by many with relatively uncertain financial future. These may refer to those that are still at an early stage in the business and maybe perceived by some with substantial potential or these may be companies that have an unstable management, some history of loan defaults, among others. For these stocks, the upside risk may be substantial, but the downside can also be more than proportionately substantial. Just imagine the possibility of holding shares in a company that would eventually go bankrupt. But blue chip or not, bankruptcy risks remain. Take for example how much it would have hurt to hold shares of Lehman Brothers, a blue chip company, when it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The point is to manage the downside risks by putting relatively stable (blue chip) stocks in the portfolio and potentially increasing returns by adding some less stable stocks but with strong growth potential. And above all, only invest an amount that is less painful to part away with, in case severe downside risks materialize.
In my portfolio, I have three "safe" bets. These are SMC, URC, and EDC. My riskier bets are SSI and CEB.
Third, my stock picks basically reflect my view that the country's robust domestic demand - consumption and investments - will be sustained going forward. Strong private consumer spending is a pretty consensus view and that is why stock prices and earnings of URC and SM, among others, have grown over the past 5 years. But the market is still divided on the view that investment activity will catch up with private consumption. As for me, I believe investment activity will pick up in the country, even as real estate activities will slow down from higher interest rates. This is because investment activity will be driven by public sector capital spending. The current administration has that desire, despite difficulty to spend its annual budgets. And even if there is a lot of uncertainty with the next administration, I am in the camp that the next President would continue to spend more on infrastructure services (roads, bridges, power generation, etc) to make the country attractive for domestic and foreign investments which, in turn, could accelerate job creation and raise the incomes of many more Filipinos. After all, which rational country head would not do that when funding is not a problem?
In my portfolio, URC and SMC have clearly gained from robust domestic demand. As for EDC, I believe that robust domestic demand will translate into strong demand for electricity in that EDC will also benefit through higher earnings.
A leading retailer of international brands in the Philippines, I have long been meaning to buy SSI as I believe that the country's strong growth will eventually raise an average Filipino's income. Thus, an average Filipino will eventually expand its wardrobe from low-end to mid/high-end ones such as Bershka, Anne Klein, Kate Spade, to name some brands carried by SSI. Better earnings for SSI, in turn, would boost SSI's stock price.
My view on Cebu Air (CEB) has not worked to my favor thus far. CEB's price has been broadly steady since I bought it. I thought Cebu Air's revenues would gain pace from lower oil prices as they get more customers. At least in the stock market, this view has not played out well...yet. But I continue to believe this is likely to be the case and CEB's stock price is bound to rise going forward.
Fourth, the technicals of these stocks look favorable to me. By technicals, I look at how these stocks traded in recent years. If prices have steadily plunged over 2-3 years, I would see that stock as a good buy, provided it meets my macro view . For example, SSI's price has steadily plunged since it went public in October 2014. It's IPO price was Php7.50 per share but it had plummeted to Php2.45 when I bought on Jan 27. I may have bought at the bottom as its price has since risen 32.7% to Php3.25 per share as of Feb 5.
I am after keeping my current portfolio for 6 months or longer. What could trigger me to sell stocks would be if prices have risen too much, relative to history, that I no longer feel the increase as sustainable. Also, equity analysts have a target price for a particular stock, based on the company's fundamentals, cash flow and liabilities, etc. I don't have my own models to measure the target price and have no plans to build one. But if I get hold of consensus' estimates, I would also use that as a criterion to decide when to sell a stock.
Another metric to look at is the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which gives a sense of whether the company is over- or undervalued. If P/E is still too high even if prices have already fallen, I would still not buy the stock. This was the case of a stock I have been wanting to buy because I strongly believe in the company. I am referring to MAXS (of Max's resto but also Pancake House, Yellow Cab, and Krispy Kreme), wherein its stock price has been on downward trend since last year but its PE ratio is still very high at 46x. So I have decided to forego buying MAXS shares for now.
My methods can be very simplistic but it serves my purpose as I do not intend to spend as much time in stock investing. But the earnings potential in the stock market is amazing! Imagine just spending an hour picking stocks every month and one could earn 5%. That is much better than annual deposit rates of less than 1%. Of course, there is no guarantee one would earn 5% (and I, 7% after 1 month). But definitely, the stock market could be one way to finance my holiday travels, eat outs, or remittances to family members.
I am happy to exchange views.
P.S. To be able to trade (buy and sell) in the stock market, one has to open an online brokerage account. There is a list of stock brokers in the Philippines here with their minimum investment and fees. My account is with COL Financial (formerly Citiseconline).
To open an account with COL Financial, follow the steps here (print and fill up the forms and send to COL). Make sure that you have your TIN (tax identification number) with you as it is one of the inputs in the form. COL will confirm your account through email. You will then have to fund your account by depositing in one of the banks stated in the link. In my case, I enrolled COL's account in my BPI account.
So I have found myself a new hobby, aside from accounting my family's expenses at the end of each month. That is, I will be reviewing my stock portfolio every month. Because of the nature of my job, I am not allowed to trade stocks on a high-frequency basis. I can only sell the stocks that I have bought 30 days later. I think this policy will actually save me from stress. That way, I do not have to worry on a day-to-day basis whether I need to sell my stocks or not.
I have decided to start investing in the Philippine stock market. Aside from my personal attachment to the Philippines (i.e., I am a Filipino), I have strong views on some segments of the economy that I would like to translate into an investment thesis. An economist might as well put her money where her mouth is!
My maiden/inaugural portfolio consists of 5 stocks: CEB, EDC, SMC, SSI, and URC. I have held this portfolio for a little over a week now and has earned 7.4%. It has even beaten the 3.1% increase in the PSEI since I bought these stocks (between 27 Jan and 5 Feb). If I get to maintain this record for a year (i.e. beat the average stock market return or still maintain positive returns during down times), I might as well start my own fund. Haha! Not that I can handle the stress of managing other people's (even my husband's) money.
Why these five stocks? I have four reasons.
First, five is a random number. There are at least 300 companies listed in the Philippine stock market. So to make my life easier, I decided to start investing with five stocks with more or less equal weights/value (stock price x no. of shares) in my portfolio. That way, I also need not have to think of how many shares I need to buy as I have already allocated 20% of my investment to a particular stock.
Second, I am risk-averse. I am afraid of losing a substantial portion of my initial investment. So I have to diversify my risk. That is, my portfolio should have a mix of blue-chip and non-blue-chip stocks. Blue chip stocks are those companies with solid reputations or are market leaders in their respective sectors. They are (relatively) safe bets as the companies behind these stocks are already seen as household names in the country and thus, have a very low chance of shutting down or even being unable to pay their loans. The price trend of these stocks are expected by many to rise steadily over time. Prices may drop in the short term, affected by broad-based negative sentiment stemming domestically or externally, but they are likely to maintain an upward trend in the medium to long term. These blue chip companies make up the Philippine stock exchange index (PSEI).
Then you have stocks that do not make the blue chip distinction and are viewed by many with relatively uncertain financial future. These may refer to those that are still at an early stage in the business and maybe perceived by some with substantial potential or these may be companies that have an unstable management, some history of loan defaults, among others. For these stocks, the upside risk may be substantial, but the downside can also be more than proportionately substantial. Just imagine the possibility of holding shares in a company that would eventually go bankrupt. But blue chip or not, bankruptcy risks remain. Take for example how much it would have hurt to hold shares of Lehman Brothers, a blue chip company, when it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The point is to manage the downside risks by putting relatively stable (blue chip) stocks in the portfolio and potentially increasing returns by adding some less stable stocks but with strong growth potential. And above all, only invest an amount that is less painful to part away with, in case severe downside risks materialize.
In my portfolio, I have three "safe" bets. These are SMC, URC, and EDC. My riskier bets are SSI and CEB.
Third, my stock picks basically reflect my view that the country's robust domestic demand - consumption and investments - will be sustained going forward. Strong private consumer spending is a pretty consensus view and that is why stock prices and earnings of URC and SM, among others, have grown over the past 5 years. But the market is still divided on the view that investment activity will catch up with private consumption. As for me, I believe investment activity will pick up in the country, even as real estate activities will slow down from higher interest rates. This is because investment activity will be driven by public sector capital spending. The current administration has that desire, despite difficulty to spend its annual budgets. And even if there is a lot of uncertainty with the next administration, I am in the camp that the next President would continue to spend more on infrastructure services (roads, bridges, power generation, etc) to make the country attractive for domestic and foreign investments which, in turn, could accelerate job creation and raise the incomes of many more Filipinos. After all, which rational country head would not do that when funding is not a problem?
In my portfolio, URC and SMC have clearly gained from robust domestic demand. As for EDC, I believe that robust domestic demand will translate into strong demand for electricity in that EDC will also benefit through higher earnings.
A leading retailer of international brands in the Philippines, I have long been meaning to buy SSI as I believe that the country's strong growth will eventually raise an average Filipino's income. Thus, an average Filipino will eventually expand its wardrobe from low-end to mid/high-end ones such as Bershka, Anne Klein, Kate Spade, to name some brands carried by SSI. Better earnings for SSI, in turn, would boost SSI's stock price.
My view on Cebu Air (CEB) has not worked to my favor thus far. CEB's price has been broadly steady since I bought it. I thought Cebu Air's revenues would gain pace from lower oil prices as they get more customers. At least in the stock market, this view has not played out well...yet. But I continue to believe this is likely to be the case and CEB's stock price is bound to rise going forward.
Fourth, the technicals of these stocks look favorable to me. By technicals, I look at how these stocks traded in recent years. If prices have steadily plunged over 2-3 years, I would see that stock as a good buy, provided it meets my macro view . For example, SSI's price has steadily plunged since it went public in October 2014. It's IPO price was Php7.50 per share but it had plummeted to Php2.45 when I bought on Jan 27. I may have bought at the bottom as its price has since risen 32.7% to Php3.25 per share as of Feb 5.
 |
| Did I just catch SSI's bottom? Source: Bloomberg |
Another metric to look at is the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which gives a sense of whether the company is over- or undervalued. If P/E is still too high even if prices have already fallen, I would still not buy the stock. This was the case of a stock I have been wanting to buy because I strongly believe in the company. I am referring to MAXS (of Max's resto but also Pancake House, Yellow Cab, and Krispy Kreme), wherein its stock price has been on downward trend since last year but its PE ratio is still very high at 46x. So I have decided to forego buying MAXS shares for now.
My methods can be very simplistic but it serves my purpose as I do not intend to spend as much time in stock investing. But the earnings potential in the stock market is amazing! Imagine just spending an hour picking stocks every month and one could earn 5%. That is much better than annual deposit rates of less than 1%. Of course, there is no guarantee one would earn 5% (and I, 7% after 1 month). But definitely, the stock market could be one way to finance my holiday travels, eat outs, or remittances to family members.
I am happy to exchange views.
P.S. To be able to trade (buy and sell) in the stock market, one has to open an online brokerage account. There is a list of stock brokers in the Philippines here with their minimum investment and fees. My account is with COL Financial (formerly Citiseconline).
To open an account with COL Financial, follow the steps here (print and fill up the forms and send to COL). Make sure that you have your TIN (tax identification number) with you as it is one of the inputs in the form. COL will confirm your account through email. You will then have to fund your account by depositing in one of the banks stated in the link. In my case, I enrolled COL's account in my BPI account.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Planting Ylang Ylang seeds
So this is me trying to be a farmer in Bukidnon while making a living in Singapore.
I bought a kilo of ylang ylang seeds from a group of ylang ylang growers in Tarlac. I was able to contact them through Facebook. A kilo costs Php4,000 (USD84). I had the seeds delivered to my brother's pad in Makati. Delivery costs Php300.
My brother then brought the bag with him to Bukidnon where we plan to plant the seeds. But honestly, I have no idea where to plant all these seeds. So I am starting from the very beginning by learning how to germinate these seeds first and pass this knowledge on to my father, who would then ask his help to sow them for us. I'm thinking of just sowing like 20 seeds from the pile, with plans of planting them around our residential property.
So these are the steps that I got from my online research :
1. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for about an hour (the period mentioned in various sources are actually varied, from 30mins to 3 hours to overnight). This is done to expedite the process of germination, which usually takes 2 to 4 months.
2. Prepare a tray with moist and slightly acidic soil.
3. Distribute the ylang ylang seeds 3 inches apart and bury them about 1/4-inch deep.
4. Keep the soil moist (I would take this as sprinkling the tray with water everyday). Seal the tray in a plastic bag to keep the soil moist. Keep the tray from direct sunlight.
5. Wait for the seeds to germinate in 3 weeks to 4 months.
6. Transplant ylang-ylang seedlings into individual containers when they reach 6 inches tall.
Let's see how this goes.
Sources:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/germinate-cananga-odorata-seeds-70106.html
http://balconygardenweb.com/quick-growing-guide-of-ylang-ylang/
I bought a kilo of ylang ylang seeds from a group of ylang ylang growers in Tarlac. I was able to contact them through Facebook. A kilo costs Php4,000 (USD84). I had the seeds delivered to my brother's pad in Makati. Delivery costs Php300.
My brother then brought the bag with him to Bukidnon where we plan to plant the seeds. But honestly, I have no idea where to plant all these seeds. So I am starting from the very beginning by learning how to germinate these seeds first and pass this knowledge on to my father, who would then ask his help to sow them for us. I'm thinking of just sowing like 20 seeds from the pile, with plans of planting them around our residential property.
So these are the steps that I got from my online research :
1. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for about an hour (the period mentioned in various sources are actually varied, from 30mins to 3 hours to overnight). This is done to expedite the process of germination, which usually takes 2 to 4 months.
2. Prepare a tray with moist and slightly acidic soil.
3. Distribute the ylang ylang seeds 3 inches apart and bury them about 1/4-inch deep.
4. Keep the soil moist (I would take this as sprinkling the tray with water everyday). Seal the tray in a plastic bag to keep the soil moist. Keep the tray from direct sunlight.
5. Wait for the seeds to germinate in 3 weeks to 4 months.
6. Transplant ylang-ylang seedlings into individual containers when they reach 6 inches tall.
Let's see how this goes.
Sources:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/germinate-cananga-odorata-seeds-70106.html
http://balconygardenweb.com/quick-growing-guide-of-ylang-ylang/
Sunday, July 05, 2015
A new checklist
I am not getting any younger. I am now 32. And I am truly blessed that at this age I have now a much better buying power than I was five or even just two years ago. Lately, I have been stressed with work. There have been several times that I wondered leaving the job. But I know that I also cannot just make a hasty decision. So perhaps, just perhaps, creating a list of aspirations could motivate me to work hard, and enjoy working hard, to meet my dreams.
So I will try to come up with XX points to reach within 5 years. And I can build this up with greater detail as time passes. I just need to list them down now.
1. A set of diamond earrings and necklace
2. Chanel handbag
3. A classic handbag for daily use (usually for work)
4. A wallet to match that handbag
5. Good suit for doing high-level presentations
6. Quality dresses for client meetings
7. Downpayment for our family home (hmm wherever that is)
8. Lasik surgery for both eyes
9. Back to yoga (not really sure if I want to be a yogini)
10. Complete a full marathon
11. Travel around Europe (Italy) with Rene alone
12. Buy an iPhone
13. Resume doing artworks (maybe this time do water color)
14. Start investing more actively (stocks, ETF, bonds)
15. A set of pearl earrings and necklace
16. Holiday in Maldives
17. A good pair of jeans
18. A signature dish
19. Start paying for our vacation house
20. A decent, dependable shoe collection
21. Go on a holiday with Papa and another with Mama
Now I am starting to have a difficult time filling up at least 20 so I will stop here. I am now beyond 30 but still find this list (link below) a bit helpful.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ada-polla/things-to-have-by-30_b_4746640.html
So I will try to come up with XX points to reach within 5 years. And I can build this up with greater detail as time passes. I just need to list them down now.
1. A set of diamond earrings and necklace
2. Chanel handbag
3. A classic handbag for daily use (usually for work)
4. A wallet to match that handbag
5. Good suit for doing high-level presentations
6. Quality dresses for client meetings
7. Downpayment for our family home (hmm wherever that is)
8. Lasik surgery for both eyes
9. Back to yoga (not really sure if I want to be a yogini)
10. Complete a full marathon
11. Travel around Europe (Italy) with Rene alone
12. Buy an iPhone
13. Resume doing artworks (maybe this time do water color)
14. Start investing more actively (stocks, ETF, bonds)
15. A set of pearl earrings and necklace
16. Holiday in Maldives
17. A good pair of jeans
18. A signature dish
19. Start paying for our vacation house
20. A decent, dependable shoe collection
21. Go on a holiday with Papa and another with Mama
Now I am starting to have a difficult time filling up at least 20 so I will stop here. I am now beyond 30 but still find this list (link below) a bit helpful.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ada-polla/things-to-have-by-30_b_4746640.html
Sunday, June 21, 2015
32nd birthday
I turned 32 last Wednesday, 10 June. I celebrated a big portion of my birthday at the office, where I reported at
6am, and praying and working so hard to meet a deadline (while trying to sneak
some time to read birthday greetings on FB and my phone). I was finally able to go
home at 9pm where my family greeted me with warm hugs, laughter and giggling over
dinner, a birthday card, flowers, and the customary candle-blowing with Umi. Simple and
heartwarming, just the way I wanted to celebrate that day.
I was also very blessed to be given an opportunity to travel
to the US for a special engagement a week before my birthday. I look back at
myself during grad school days and see someone intensely motivated to study
economics, partly for this very reason that I was brought to the US last week. Many
things have happened though, I have been exposed to various opportunities that
I slowly forgot about that big dream of mine. But the Lord does surprise you in
ways unimaginable. So there I was, flown almost 10,000 miles away from Singapore, to face an
old dream.
That trip was also my personal, me time. I am lucky to have a
partner who broached the idea to use this trip to spend time with myself, even if it meant he will be left with the incessant and sometimes, consuming demands of raising a
family. The trip still did not come easy though. I had to leave Rene with Umi
and Pax who were both ill. Perhaps, I tried to ease the guilt that I was
feeling by regularly expressing breastmilk on the plane. But doing it on a 20-hour
flight eventually drained me emotionally, I felt like a cow being constrained
to move within a tiny space for what seemed like eternity. And there was the
increasing anxiety, thinking about how I would be able to prepare for my
appointment amid the jetlag. Frustrated and stressed, I was terribly close to
breaking down two hours before landing in New York. I started to question why
on earth would they fly someone just for a 50-minute interaction? Don’t they
know that there is such a thing called Skype? I was very ungrateful.
But that trip allowed me to reconnect with an old self.
Wandering the streets of DC and Manhattan, I felt young and carefree again. ‘When
was the last time I had this feeling? Looks like when I was still in school. Hay,
the joy of studying and the luxury of a flexible schedule, so that you can
explore museums or watch a movie even during office hours.’ I walked and
walked, shivered from the cold, took countless selfies, marveled at places and
structures I only used to see in pictures or movies, interacted with strangers,
and at some point caught up with old pals. I was alone for most of the time, yet
free. And young again. This is me. Where have you been all these years?
And allowing myself to make mistakes was liberating. I forgave
myself for failing to schedule my itinerary properly in DC that I was not able
to fully utilize my hop-on-hop-off bus ticket and visit all the museums I
wanted. It is okay, it’s not everyday that I get this time with myself anyway,
which I used to shop for Christmas presents at Macy’s in DC and enjoy lunch
from a food truck! And I got to explore the sleepy city’s neighborhood on foot.
In Manhattan, I forced a visit to the Central Park despite a
very tight schedule. I knew I only had 30 minutes to explore so I rented a bike
and decided to take the shorter route around the park. But I got lost and so
the whole trip took me 45 minutes. When I arrived at my hotel after walking
from the 57th to 45th streets along Fifth Avenue, my cab
to the airport had already left. It was 4:30pm on a Friday, so imagine the
challenge of finding a cab amid people eager to relax after a week's work. The hotel staff found one for me finally, a black
cab. I knew it would be more costly, but to end up paying 300% more (and again in
USD) was heartbreaking! My heart is still breaking, but no longer as much as
the moment I got the bill. What the heck, it is not everyday that I get to go to
New York. And I am still fortunate to have made it to my flight back to
Singapore. I will just have to refrain from eating out for a couple of weeks so
I can recover that amount. J
So here are my photos in New York and
Washington, DC.
 |
| The White House |
 |
| My idea of visiting the US is enjoying food from a truck and shopping |
 |
| 9/11 Memorial, an eerie and heart-rending experience |
 |
| Catching up with a college friend in NYC... |
 |
| ...and a high school classmate who also used my breastmilk for her 10-month-old daughter |
 |
| The views atop the Rockefeller Center |
 |
| this one's overlooking Central Park |
 |
| Now with the lights gradually turning on |
 |
| Inside the Grand Central Termnal |
 |
| Times Square |
 |
| The pretty artworks sold along NYC's sidewalks |
 |
| It felt like following Monet's water lily series from Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris to MOMA in NYC |
 |
| Finally, van Gogh's Starry Night at MOMA |
 |
| Biking around Central Park, already felt uneasy here as I knew I was running late |
 |
| Bye, Central Park |
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Noting this down
I am featuring this article here so that I can revisit this anytime I want to. I see that it has important points to remind parents as years go by...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-emling/things-empty-nesters-want-parents-of-little-kids-to-know_b_6526292.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-emling/things-empty-nesters-want-parents-of-little-kids-to-know_b_6526292.html
11 Things Empty Nesters Want Parents Of Little Kids To Know
As of this week, I'm the mother of a 20-year-old. This is also the week when my oldest heads off to Amsterdam, where he'll attend a new (very small) university. After a year at a very large university in Boston, he decided theater-style lecture halls packed with hundreds of students weren't for him.
Just as I did when he went off to college the first time, I find myself trying to conjure up memories of my son's first steps, first words, how hard he laughed that time I fell out of the kayak, how he played the "Toy Story" soundtrack incessantly on the piano to unwind, and how he alone never failed to ask me about my day when I walked in the door from work.
The sad reality is -- it's all a bit fuzzy.
As I've often said, you think you'll remember every key moment of your kids' lives -- but you won't. Oddly enough, I can recall the theme song to "Gilligan's Island" but I find it nearly impossible to draw out of cold storage a memory of my oldest kid's first bike ride. Didn't he used to hate eggs? I don't know. I really can't remember.
And that's why I've decided to put forth a bit of advice from parents who've already raised their kids to those who are still in the trenches. The first piece of advice is mine (I have three kids) and the rest is from good friends with grown children. Have anything to add? Please do so in comments.
1. In addition to marking down your child's first words, record the first conversations you had with them about whether or not there's a Santa Claus -- or a God.
Often we're so busy obsessively recording every milestone during our child's baby and toddler years that we forget to take video of a typical family dinner, with everyone doing nothing but laughing -- or arguing. Think you will remember what your kid's bedroom looked like when they were SEVEN? You might. I don't. Believe me when I say this: These every day moments are really what you will want to remember after your kids fly the coop.
Often we're so busy obsessively recording every milestone during our child's baby and toddler years that we forget to take video of a typical family dinner, with everyone doing nothing but laughing -- or arguing. Think you will remember what your kid's bedroom looked like when they were SEVEN? You might. I don't. Believe me when I say this: These every day moments are really what you will want to remember after your kids fly the coop.
2. The older the children get, the more you realize how precious the time is.
"When they are little you feel they will be that way forever! Therefore, take as many family vacations together as possible. They make lasting memories of real quality time spent together. Once they go to college and have their own responsibilities, it just gets more complicated." -- S.W.
"When they are little you feel they will be that way forever! Therefore, take as many family vacations together as possible. They make lasting memories of real quality time spent together. Once they go to college and have their own responsibilities, it just gets more complicated." -- S.W.
3. Get to know their friends.
"Encourage them to have their friends to your house. You learn more about your kids from whom they befriend than anything else. Be non-judgmental and open to discussion about anything so when they are away they won't feel like anything is off limits to discuss with you if they need to." -- L.S.
"Encourage them to have their friends to your house. You learn more about your kids from whom they befriend than anything else. Be non-judgmental and open to discussion about anything so when they are away they won't feel like anything is off limits to discuss with you if they need to." -- L.S.
4. Have family dinners often and make them a priority.
"The dinner table is a place for sharing all that's important with unconditional love, respect and openness to discussing ideas. Make it a safe place to be heard and not judged." -- J.C.
"The dinner table is a place for sharing all that's important with unconditional love, respect and openness to discussing ideas. Make it a safe place to be heard and not judged." -- J.C.
5. At the end of every year, sit down with your child and write down their memories of the past 12 months.
"When they turn 18, get those pieces of paper out and look back on all that's happened." -- K.P.
"When they turn 18, get those pieces of paper out and look back on all that's happened." -- K.P.
6. Go to every play, sporting event, or awards assembly you possibly can.
"You never want to be that parent who had to work and, therefore, just couldn't be there for your child." -- A.G.
"You never want to be that parent who had to work and, therefore, just couldn't be there for your child." -- A.G.
7. Listen from the front seat when they sit in the back."Don't comment. You will learn more about their daily lives when you are chauffeuring them back and forth to activities than you can imagine." -- A.T.
8. If your kid tells you a secret, and asks you not to tell anyone, don't.
"If you tell your girlfriends, it will get back to them. It really will." -- K.L.
"If you tell your girlfriends, it will get back to them. It really will." -- K.L.
9. Unplug when you're with your kids."When your kid talks to you, PLEASE turn off the cell phone and the computer. You can check email after they go to bed." -- E.K.
10. Help your kids figure out their strengths and interests."Try to help your child discover things they are truly passionate about, and then nurture those interests." -- S.W.
11. Be affectionate -- always."When your child hugs you, never be the first one to let go." -- M.M.
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