The ActiveTalker

I grew up practically under my mom’s care. From infancy until I became a toddler, she used to bring me with her to the store. We have a small store (until now) in our province that she and my dad manage.

She was an all around mom. She juggled being a business woman, a wife and a mother. She always had time for everything. At the store, she can deal with the patrons and the delivery guys in the morning, and take care of my needs (help me with my assignments, cook our dinner, watch TV–family stuff you do at night) while waiting for my dad to come home from work.

I remember when she cleans my ears, it was so fun and relaxing that I close my eyes every time an feel great after she’s done with my ears. She never left me alone when I was a kid. Even though she never did really accompany me in going to school, because it was just a block away from our place, I know for sure she loves me because she’s teaching me independence.

I had an accident when I was a kid. It was in pre-school during the afternoon break and just when I got back from our store after getting my snacks, I trip and slammed my forehead on the pavement. It was bleeding bad and I needed to medical attention. Without second thoughts, she left our store just to accompany me and Kuya Ling (who’s carrying me) to the hospital.

That’s my mom, a supermom! She’s a person who exhibits faith, hardwork and patience in her daily life. I love you ma! You’re the best! Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is one of the most awaited day of the year for me, the day we go to my parent’s home in Zambales. We only get a chance to go there once a year and today marks that once-in-a-year event. Yay!

We first rode the LRT (Light Rail Transit) from Roosevelt (Muñoz) to Monumento (Caloocan) terminal to get to the Victory Liner terminal. Upon boarding our bus, I found out that some of their aircon buses now has Wi-Fi™. And to my luck, our bus had one.

The internet connection is not that bad. Considering that it’s free. 🙂

Anyway, our home coming this holidays is like hitting two birds with one stone. Our batch will also have a reunion themed “Givin98ack” as we will be having a small gift-giving program.

As I was walking in our neighborhood this afternoon, I noticed some houses are infested with termites. To tell if your house suffers from termite infestation is when you see small piles of sand-sized droppings. If the infestation deteriorates, you can obviously see structural damages.

The kind of termite that usually infests a house are called drywood termites. These are common in the Philippines as they don’t require moisture or contact with the soil. Houses in the Philippines are usually made of wood or most of its parts are wood. The trusses of old (and some new) houses in the Philippines are made of wood making them prone to termite-infestation.

A common way method of termite-proofing wooden parts of the house is applying a chemical called solignum. It is derived from the Latin word lignum, or “wood”. The prefix “so” was probably derived from the international distress signal “SOS”. It was first used in 1894.

Another method used in the Philippines is applying used oil. I asked some carpenters why they apply this and they said it kills termites that come into contact with it, and it will repel those who come near it. It also repels water, thus, protecting the wood from water damage.

Even if new houses that has trusses made of metal are less prone to termite infestation, wood furniture inside the house are still prone. You can prevent termite infestation by making sure there are no cracks or crevices around the outside of your house, thus, preventing the termites from entering.

If you the infestation is already beyond your control, you can always call a pest control company.

Last Saturday, we had an outing at the Magalawa Island in Palauig, Zambales. It was just a couple of minutes from our home town Iba, Zambales. From the main highway, it took us about 20 minutes of rough road trip to get to the drop-off point were took a boat ride to the island.

The sand is white (but not as white and fine as Boracay) but the place gives you a bit of a “homey” feel because unlike Boracay or Puerto Galera, it is not over-crowded.