The bike race that was only a bike and never a race

(I would like to apologise now that the photos are out of focus as these were done on a point and shoot basis. I was still doing a mummy job while recording their movements, with Grandad on hand ready to pick up fallen bikes, or boys. My heart was on my mouth; my eyes were on my finger tips. No animals nor bikes were harmed in this documentation.)

Ready...

on your bikes...

go..!

whooppss!

aahh! gerrup!

*sigh* never mind bike...

we'll try again soon.

What's the matter with these Filipinos. 2 0f 2

What's the matter with these Filipinos. 1 of 2

I don't know how other Filipino communities in Britain work but I must say that the one near me is just so riddled with questions and misunderstanding.

It's very much a little Philippines, where little politics and bureacracy is still the order of the day.

After two years, there is still no system, and yet it has been claimed that the community is being run the Filipino way because the members are Filipinos. Rubbish! If they want to do Philippine politics, they might as well go back to the Philippines.

The community here is all about officers. Officers' meeting, officers' plans, officers' decisions, officers' whatever. Bloody officers! The byelaws were drafted by officers, approved by officers, and then the officers started collecting 'fees' from members. WHY the officers/members divide?

What do these people know about running a community? Yes, they were officers in their classrooms back in the Philippines but that doesn't make them experts in managing over a hundred of hard-headed Tagalog-yapping individuals who always point out without a hint of sarcasm that they're here because they have the bloody skills of wiping old people's bottoms. Not like you, Petra, hahaha, you're only here in England because you married a bloody old man with deep pockets.

Now, these people started the community out of bayanihan spirit. Well done. That's very commendable. It's purpose is set out on marble slab that the community will foster Filipino friendship and culture and represent the members if they problems with their garbage disposal, immigration status, leaky faucets, and gossipy kababayans.

I don't know about you, but if I have problems with my immigration status? I ask for an immigration lawyer. Problems with my rubbish bins? I call the council and ask for the Waste and Recycling department. Problems with my leaky faucet? Of course, I will call a plumber -- not some organisation that doesn't even know what a member is.

Oh, and the gossipy kababayan? Well, we'll talk about that later.

A tractor or not a tractor: that is the question

Bang in the middle of my residential area is a dam, with 3 football pitches, a playground, and a picnic area. We are fortunate in that we live at the edge of this park and our windows overlook the dam.

So this morning, I took Lew out for a walk. The sky is dull but the temperature is fresher than it has ever been (8c). Lew was particularly interested with just one sound coming from the middle of the picnic area: the tractor that cuts the grass.

After a while, I got fed up standing there watching an old boy driving his toy tractor while showing off to the little child strapped in his buggy. Lew wanted to walk but I couldn't let him run off in case he decides to chase the tractor.

Or is that how you call this machine thing?

more photos here.

A singer and an Indian food

While at work yesterday, a colleague enthused about this artist whose album she bought from the supermarket at a bargain price (£5). I didn't have any clue who this artist was and anyway, my interest in music is like your interest in this piece of blog: you're looking at it but it's barely registering in your head.

So this morning, while we were on our way to this hu-hum place, I had this conversation with K:

Me: ...So she let me watch this youtube video of Celine Dion singing a duet with Rogan Josh. The song was Like a Prayer.

K: Like a Prayer? You mean Madonna?

Me: No. Celine Dion. It was on youtube. You have a CD of this Rogan Josh, don't you?

K: Who?

Me: Rogan Josh. I think he's Italian.

K: Rogan Josh. Italian?! It's Indian Food! ($^((%£)"&") It's Josh Groban, not Rogan Josh!

Yes, I have that CD and it's not Like a Prayer. It's The Prayer!

Shussh! Why do they have to make things complicated for me? Music is complicated enough as it is!

7.40pm and the boys have been asleep for half an hour

I went upstairs to check on everybody.

The three were all asleep!

I tried to tickle their noses...oopps, a tiny bit of flaring up in there, a fraction of a movement on one little finger, and a BIG SNEEZE from the big man!

I wiped my face on my sleeve and went downstairs contentedly knowing that in the next two hours nobody would disturb me from websurfing.

Bliss!

Happy Easter and more

Today, we went to church for Easter mass. It was packed. On our way there, we went around to see the snowy hills. It's so strange to see daffodils being engulfed by snow! It is supposed to be spring time now and yet the whole of Britain, or most of it, is blanketed in white.

Cue the words Global Warming...

And suddenly I'm guilty. I am in part to blame for this seasonal dissarray!

1) This easter break, K and I have been on our computers for maybe three quarters of the time. That's a lot of electricity spent!

2) My electronic answering machine has been plugged on even when we're at home. That's additional electricity wasted.

3) I've had two deep baths in three days. That's a huge amount of soapy water down the drain!

4) The washing machine and bread maker worked daily for the last 3 days, as opposed to the normal every other day.

5) We've thrown away new plastic toys (gifts from friends). They were monstrous and violent. The world has too much violence already and I don't want my boys to start practising violence during their playtime. So that's additional horrid plastic down the landfill.

To appease myself of my guilt for these excesses, I try to think of what we usually do to offset our carbon footprint:

1) At least this easter break, we use the car twice only -- to shop and to go to church today.

2) We continue recycling: separating the plastic milk bottles from cardboard boxes and newspapers. Tins and glass go together in the blue bin while vegetable peelings, egg shells, etc go to our compost. Our rubbish in the bin is so minimal that we don't mind having it picked once in two weeks.

3) We prefer showers than baths. I don't even bath the kids. I give them 'mummy showers' and they love it because it's quick. I use organic soap and shampoo on them so that the water used is not contaminated with harmful chemicals present in ordinary shampoos/soaps. I also use organic washing up liquid.

4) Most of the week, I go on the bus to pick up Zak from school. A bit expensive but saves a lot of petrol.

5) I don't use my mobile phone much, hence I don't need to charge it a lot.

6) We don't use a lot of heating at home. We put on more layers of clothes instead. My parents-in-law and sister-in-law always complain that our house is cold but I don't care. Sometimes, my sister-in-law has to wear her coat while we're in the lounge!

7) Our international holiday is limited to once in probably 4 years. Camping is more fun for the kids than being stuck on the plane with strangers and be in a strange country!

Hopefully, I am doing my bit to help the environment. Scientists' predictions that in 40 years time, London will be underwater is unnerving. I don't want my children to suffer and experience that catastrophe. I have to do my bit now to start saving my family!

How did you do your bit?