A Mother's Version of "Stars and Stripes"

Photo by U.S. Pacific Fleet on Flickr

I visited the Philippine Consulate General Honolulu Office again today because we needed to get more of our medical school application documents authenticated for use in the Philippines. This is where I discovered that I had earned additional "stars and stripes" (yes, at a Philippine Consulate instead of an American Embassy) over the last few months. If after reading this, you decide to look at yourself in the mirror only to find yourself looking confused, please read on. Allow me to share how things unfolded.

After waiting in line, I set my medical school application documents on the counter. Somehow, it appeared as if the gentleman at the reception area couldn't believe that we are serious about wanting to study in the Philippines. I'm not sure if it's because I look too old to be a student or that he is just used to encountering Filipino-Americans who would rather study in the United States (then again, he could've had an entirely different reason for appearing highly intrigued). When he later heard that my husband and I were hoping to be able to settle in the Philippines after finishing medical school and residency, he seemed even more puzzled.

Mentally Preparing for the Philippine NMAT

Eighteen days to go, and it's time to take the Philippine NMAT in Los Angeles!!!

I still have not studied. If it's any consolation (to myself), I have prepared myself in the last 14 days by reading up a lot on what it's like to go to med school in the Philippines and what it would take to be able to practice medicine in the United States, while dreaming up what it would be like to go on missions trips in the Asia Pacific.

Meanwhile, I was able to secure babysitting assistance for our three children so that I can spend some (very needed) time to study. Although, I must say, I can't completely "sign out" of parenting (then again, once we sign up for parenting, we are "signed in" for life) while studying since I have to periodically take a break to pump breastmilk while away from our infant. I'm not sure if this information is considered "TMI" for other countries/cultures; however, here in the United States, breastfeeding is encouraged.  For example, in most workplaces, we even had our very own lactation room, and we were allowed to excuse ourselves from meetings to do our "mommy-business". I know this will be a challenge for me during the NMAT test day, so I'll make sure to give the test coordinator a call to find out what the break schedules are in between lunch, if any. If none, at least, I'll know how to prepare.

Pests and Stars from Madagascar Make Their Way to Honolulu

This weekend, we went to the Honolulu Zoo with the entire family for a Ohana Field Trip!

How to Create Your Very Own "Pa Kamali'i" or Children's Courtyard

We live in a simple house. We do not have any fancy artwork or decorations. Aside from practical purposes (our children are very active boys who can turn any place into a football field), we decided to turn our home into a children's courtyard--a safe place where their energy and creativity can shine through. It's our mini-version of the Hawaii Convention Center's Pa Kamali'i, or Children's Courtyard.

At the entrance of the courtyard was a sign that read,

Pa Kamali'i: Children's Couryard

A Hawaiian proverb states, "He lei poina 'ole ke kamali'i," [which means] "A lei never forgotten is the beloved child." Though few children may be heard or seen here, they are not forgotten. This courtyard with its art work is dedicated not only to the children of Hawai'i but to the child within each of us--that part of us which is ultimately alive, energetic, creative and fulfilled--who we truly are.

Learning How to Read and Spell with Shaka

Aloha! We spent some quality time with Shaka the Tutor, again, yesterday. I thought of creating yet another PowerPoint presentation (where our virtual pet, Shaka, "lives") to check if my older son really is learning how to spell words correctly and construct sentences properly. I wanted it to be a family activity, so I took his list of spelling words and made one slide per word, along with an example of how to use the word in a sentence.

The big letters allowed me to follow along by looking at the computer screen from a distance (while tending to a newborn baby) and nodding in approval as each child did their part correctly.

Learning About Popular Fighter Jets and Bombers in the Pacific

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Pacific Command

As old-fashioned as it may sound, our children recently rediscovered their passion for making paper airplanes. They have been using the construction paper that I had purchased for other crafting purposes.

Today, my older son made a black jet that flew really well and asked if there were any black jets or aircraft in real life. The first one that came to mind was the B-2 Spirit.

I suggested that he Google it.

Introducing Our Newest Pet, "Shaka"

Meet Shaka, our newest pet! When he is hard at work, we call him "Shaka the Tutor". 

Shaka is not a real dog. In fact, he hails from Microsoft PowerPoint! He does not live in a fancy neighborhood, either; I got him from ClipArt! Despite his humble origin, he turned out to be the main character of our homemade tutorials, "Learning with Shaka".

We "adopted" our virtual pet yesterday and trained him to be our children's math tutor. Picture him as the scholastic version of Microsoft Office's "Clippy", the defunct paperclip character that had served as the "Office Assistant" for many years.