Summer 2019 | Workshops and Classes for Kids and Teens.

Now that my son's Recognition Day is over and done with, I can finally say that we are officially on school break! Yay! No more waking up at the crack of dawn, no quizzes, exams, and projects to worry about, no lectures to rewrite and reviewers to type - for the next eight weeks, at least.

But just because we're on a break from school activities doesn't mean we'll be lazing around at home. In fact, Yue will be hustling even harder with his karate training as he prepares for his next tournament and his upcoming belt test. And now that he's an incoming sixth grader, he needs to prepare for high school entrance exams as soon as possible since some schools hold their exams by early October. We're laying the groundwork by signing up for a review class and doing a writing workshop at home.

That being said, here's a list of workshops and activities that Yue and his friends will be preoccupied with all summer long. If you're from San Pablo City or from neighboring towns here in Laguna, you might want to check these out:

MATH-Inic
MATH-Inic is a series of special Math courses that aims to transform children - turning Math haters into Math lovers, and Math lovers to Math masters. It introduces fun, fast and easy ways of computing Math problems and enriches traditional Math classroom lessons through new solving techniques.

Math-Inic San Pablo City.

Not only does MATH-Inic enhance brainpower through Mental Math exercises, it also guarantees results such as improved grades in Math and increased chance of passing scholarship and entrance exams in prestigious schools (think UP and Philippine Science High School).

Yue took a diagnostic exam before we registered to determine which module will be suitable for him.

MATH-Inic's summer classes will run from April 10 to May 9, 2019. Classes will be held thrice a week, two hours per session. Registration is still ongoing.

Pencils Up 

Pencils Up invites kids and teens to its summer art classes - Drawing and Painting (for beginners and advanced levels), Arts and Crafts, and Creative Play (for younger kids). They also offer Creative Writing Classes for aspiring artists and budding writers.

Pencils Up Summer Art Class.

Their Summer Art Class starts on April 3, and will be offered until July 2019. Registration fee is inclusive of art materials.

B.E.S.T Center Basketball Clinic

The official organizer of Milo Philippines' basketball program, the B.E.S.T Center is perhaps the most popular and longest running basketball clinic in the country, having been established in 1978. This program has helped train champions on the fundamentals of basketball with a scientific and modern approach, and has produced notable graduates such as Benjie Paras, Chris Tiu, Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena, and brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano.

B.E.S.T. Champions.

B.E.S.T Basketball Clinics will be offered in various locations all throughout summer. For San Pablo City, training will be held at the San Gabriel Sports Complex from May 20 to May 25.

Lake City Swimming Club Learn to Swim Program
Swimming is not just fun and play, but also an excellent activity for a child's overall health and well being. It's a life skill, and something that your kid will retain for the rest of his or her life. These were exactly the reasons why I enrolled Yue in this swimming class in the summer of 2014, and the year after that.

Learn to Swim with the Royal Dolphins.

The Learn to Swim Program offers personalized training for beginners and competitive swimmers. The second batch of swimming lessons will start on April 8, with three more batches after that. 

Ballet Regina Summer Dance Workshop

Founded in 1986, Ballet Regina Academy of Dance and Performing Arts offers a continuous program for classical ballet using the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD London) curriculum.

Ballet Regina Summer Dance Workshop.

They offer weekend classes during the school year and intensive training program every summer. This year's Summer Dance Workshop will be held from April 27 to June 2, with a free trial class on April 6. Modern dance and hip hop dance classes are also offered in their summer program.

Young Chefs' Kitchen
Young Chefs’ Kitchen offers hands-on training courses in different areas such as Culinary Arts, Baking / Pastry Arts, and other Food and Beverage training. These courses are designed to provide basic skills and training for women and youth for employment and business enterprise development purposes; and ultimately to enhance their socio-economic condition, to acquire desirable values and attitude, and to develop environmental awareness.

Young Chef's Kitchen Kiddie/Teens Workshop.

This summer, the kitchen will be open to kids age 6 and up. This special workshop will teach kids the basics of cooking and baking, plus lessons on proper food selection, dining etiquette, and mise en place (set up).

Karate-do and Taekwon-do at Kaleidoscope Kids Learning Center
Yue's karate journey began at Kaleidoscope Kids Learning Center (K2LC) four years ago. Back then, K2LC had only two classrooms, offered just a few summer programs, and had a small number of enrollees. Fast forward to 2019, K2LC is now a Dep Ed-recognized private school which offers pre-school and elementary education programs.

Kaleidoscope Kids Learning Center - home of martial arts champions!

Over-all karate champions at the 2019 In-School Youth Martial Arts Games!

For this summer. K2LC will offer various music, arts, and enrichment programs, including karate-do and taekwon-do. Summer classes will start on April 22. Come train with us! :)

Ready to make this summer a productive and memorable one for your kids? I know I am. :)

Wordless Wednesday #140 | Little Baller!

Something tells me I need to buy proper basketball shoes next season. Haha! :)

Globe Telecom + NBA | Basketball as you want it.

Back in the days, the only way to be able to watch NBA games was to subscribe to cable TV. These days, you can watch the games live even while on the road, through smartphones and tablets. Thanks to technology, and the recent tie-up of Globe Telecom and the National Basketball Association! :)

Best of both worlds!

The partnership will allow both prepaid and postpaid subscribers to purchase NBA league passes to get access to live NBA games, streamed right to their mobile devices. The subscriptions will be available to Globe users via affordable packages that can be purchased piecemeal, or bundles with postpaid plans.

A day pass to the live games can be purchased for as little as PHP 10 with the GoSURF10 bundle, or opt for up to seven single day passes bundles with their plans for as low as PHP299. Postpaid subscribers get seven day passes every month for up to 24 months, depending on their postpaid subscription. Non-Globe subscribers can get in on the action as well, and purchase league passes, though a separate connection to the Internet will be required.

“We are excited to welcome Globe into the NBA family,” said Scott Levy, NBA Asia Managing Director.  “The NBA shares Globe’s commitment of enriching the lives of Filipinos and, through this new partnership, Globe will have a presence across all areas of the NBA experience and bring the game closer to our millions of fans throughout the country.”

Globe and NBA Executives come together for the groundbreaking, multi-year partnership.

For the NBA, this new partnership is another milestone in a landmark year in the Philippines, which saw the introduction of the first Jr. WNBA program in the country, the launch of the world’s first NBA Cafe, the announcement of the first NBA Store in the Philippines and, most recently, the NBA’s multiyear partnership extension with local broadcasters ABS-CBN and Solar Entertainment.

This partnership continues a two and a half year journey in which Globe has forged globally-innovative partnerships that bring breakthrough, ‘world’s firsts’ to the Philippines.  During this time, Globe has sealed partnerships with Facebook, Google, Viber, Spotify and now the NBA.  These partnerships, together with the telco’s $790M network transformation program, have made Globe the fastest growing telecommunications provider in the Philippines.

5 Great Gifts For The Jayhawk Fan In Your Life.

Do your friends bleed red and blue? Would they be happier with a bird hat than a hunk of gold? Here are just a few ideas to turn any birthday or anniversary into a Jayhawk extravaganza.

Jayhawk!

1. Umbrella
A little moisture won't stop a true Jayhawk fan, but just in case you don't feel like catching a cold from your roommate after a rainy game, offer them an umbrella protected by the face of Jayhawk himself.

2. ID Holders
Is your buddy constantly carded at the concession stand? Save him the time and trouble of fumbling around in his pockets when you give him a portable ID holder that identifies him as a righteous KU fan.

3. Magnets
They're one of those things that no one ever thinks about until they need them, but a few Jayhawk magnets will be useful, affordable and stylish on the refrigerator.

4. Technology Cases
Let your friend show their spirit every time they use their iPhone when you buy them a smartphone case emblazoned with the Jayhawk logo. You can also find iPod, iPad and a half-dozen other cases for even more gadgets.

5. Football
Nothing says "fan" like a football in red and blue. Throw around a pigskin infused with the spirit of a jayhawk for a gift that will keep on giving!

Whether you're a proud student at KU or just an alumni who still remembers the glory days, these are five gifts that are sure to make a splash among Jayhawk fans. Go team go!

London 2012 | Hobnobbing, Star-spotting!

If plane tickets and a gold credit card are all that I need to go to London, then most likely I won't be here - at home, in the Philippines, blogging.

After watching the opening ceremony and witnessing the Olympic Torch being lit, the little man has been bugging me like crazy to go to London so he could see the 'big fire' (as he calls it) for himself. He kept on asking for this incessantly, to the point where you just want to give in to his whim just so he would stop nagging. Unfortunately, the little man and I don't have a British visa, unlike Mum who now happens to be a citizen.

To pacify him a bit, I made him wear his London 2012 shirt set to school the other day. Wednesday is wash day, so they don't have to wear their school uniform.

Meanwhile, in Westfield, my cousin John and his friends are on a school break and enjoying the crazy, fun, sublime atmosphere of the Olympics. He even had the chance to meet athletes on several occasions.

Ike Diogu of Hornets/LA Clippers.

Al Faruq Aminu of the New Orleans Hornets.

Our very own Bulilit, Mark Barriga!

As you can see, my cousin and his friend Fernan are still proud Pinoys, despite their British citizenship. My cousin even calls out Mayweather in this interview with EsNews. And Fernan calls him a 'relic of the past', LOL!

Cockney usually amazes me (Gordon Ramsay's in particular), but hearing it from my cousin just made my migraine recur. Hahaha! Peace, brother. See you in December!