A day in Glorietta with the kids

I got 7 free tickets to Ratatouille and decided to invite my cousin's wife and their kids. I gave her 5 tickest since my friend Sam is busy on Saturdays (she teaches music). Apart from her daughters, she brought along her cousin my cousin's aunt (who is currently living with them to take care of the kids).

The movie was in Glorietta 4 and started at 10:30 AM. The screening was sponsored by one of our brokers, ICAP, and they hired a man to wear a rat suit and welcome the people going in the theater. ICAP also paid for free iced tea and popcorn.

This is my youngest niece's first time to watch a movie in a movie theater, and she was at first startled by the loud sound. She enjoyed the movie though. Her older sister told me it was her second time to watch in a movie theater.

After the movie, the kids had their picture taken beside the man in the "rat" costume outside the theater. We then proceeded to the nearby Timezone, where the kids had a blast playing.

I treated everyone for lunch at TGI Friday's. My youngest niece preferred to eat Jollibee fried chicken though.

After lunch it was back to Timezone. It was almost 5PM when we parted ways. Jon and I initially planned to do some window shopping but ended up watching The Simpsons movie as we did not want to go home yet.

Regarding Harry Potter

I reserved my copy of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7 of the series) months ago. I'm getting a copy not because I was excited to find out what happens, but because I already have a copy of the first 6 books and I thought that I might as well complete the collection. This is why when the book was finally available, I didn't rush to the bookstore to get my copy... after all, it's already reserved in my name.

I texted a friend, who's a major Harry Potter fan, if she had book 7...and if she had read it. Below are her answers.

Sent: 23-July-2007 22:21:52

I've read up to Chap23 of HP7. I got it on PDF. So far, I find d plot n characters much better than in HP6.

Sent: 24-July-2007 10:48:01

HP7's my 2nd fav HP book, after HP3. So many scenes w d Trio, w/c i missed in HP6. I'm finally satisfied at why Albus waited so long for HP to fight back. There were some lame scenes, but forgivable.

Sent: 26-July-2007 8:58:44

No, I got a text PDF. Some people transcribed d scans into PDF. Do u want a copy?

Sent: 26-July-2007 9:52:00

Voldy AK'd Snape. Draco went back to Hogwarts; he survived d final battle. Malfoys didn't fight; parents just went looking 4 Draco.

Sent: 28-July-2007 15:24:51

Btw, it seems Voldy killed Snape not by AK, but thru Nagini instead. I had skippd many paragraphs, so I didn't get many dtails ryt.

Sent: 28-July-2007 20:59:47

I askd my sis to get me d UK editn, same w my copied of d first 5 books. How'd u like/dislike d book? I like reading DH discussions in livejournal.com

-----edit-----

I actually got the book last July 25 and finished it yesterday.

Gawad Kalinga Build Day - Part 4: PM Shift

Leaving the tent and going back to work.
Some people made the error of painting this house blue. Danny is painting over that with the right color.
Tough way to paint.
The Corporate Secretary surveying the work done so far.

Vandals!

Shoveling earth into sacks.

Mirchelle giving away prizes to kids who can spell right. Hard words of the day: melancholy, facade, and bureaucracy.
Eric came to fetch Jan who was down with food poisoning ... she already felt bad before coming to Sunshineville.
Mirchelle switches to Math questions. I think Boss Mon is coaching some kids.

Finishing the paint job.
Painting the ceiling.
Taking an ice cream break.
Treating the Sunshineville kids to ice cream.

The volunteers start going back to the tent.
Mirchelle is persuaded to dance "Pearly Shells" with CorSec.


A group picture before leaving the site


The event should end at 5PM, but by 3:00PM, we had ran out of paint and most people were already idle. Everybody was free to go home by 3:30 PM.

Gawad Kalinga Build Day - Part 3: Lunch Break

Lunch was prepared and served by the Sunshineville ladies.

The community kids present a dance number.
The Corporate Secretary dancing with the Sunshineville ladies.

Mirchelle refusing to dance onstage.
The entertained audience.

Everyone in this family knows how to dance.


Mirchelle saying a few words before everyone goes back to work.

Gawad Kalinga Build Day - Part 2: AM Shift

The PNB volunteers were divided into four groups. Each group had a marshall. Once our group marshall dropped us off to paint one house, we had little supervision from her afterwards, so we just assumed that we keep on painting until we ran out of paint. Another thing that was not clear was if we just slap on the first coating or if we do a good job even though it was just the first coating.

Since the first house Alex painted was pink, he took charge of painting all the houses that had a pink facade.
Some groups were in charge of gardening as well as helping with the land fill.

By 11:30 AM, people started trickling into the tent to rest and wait for lunch to be served. Most of them were painters who had ran out of paint.

Buddy and Milette near the entrance to Sunshineville. The community is a "No Smoking" zone, which is why those who needed a nicotine lift had to smoke here.
Sunshineville kids playing doctor and patient at the medical station.
A "landscaper" painting the rocks as a final touch.
The line of people passing sacks of earth and rock for the landfill.

"Landcapers" taking a brief refuge from the hot sun.
Painters on a scaffold.
Es painting the first coating of the interior wall.
With the exception of Mimi (extreme right), this is the group of "painters" I belong to.
These ladies have taken charge of painting the blue houses.

Everyone files back to the tent for lunch.
Mirchelle of MSD talking with the kids.