ann's journey

chatting with mami and friends abroad


4,3,2,1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


new year girls


EATING TIME


after the new year eve's mass

Christmas here in the Philippines is known to be the longest.
From the 9 day Simbang Gabi or the dawn mass that starts from December 16 until Christmas Eve, then to the New Year Celebration, to the Three Kings.
So, since its the longest its also the merriest and being happy comes with parties as well. Therefore its a tradition to join parties.

Me, I joined the parties of 1) BLD SE14 2) BLD Singles 3)Teachers' Christmas Party 4) My students' Party 5)Close Friends' Party 6)Family PArties

Amazing, right?!!!

Yesterday, was the centennial celebration for the special education.I was tasked to be one of the officials for the atheletics for the special children. It was really amazing to see special children do the thinngs that normal children do. The hearing impaired, the mentally challenged and the visually impared children compete like any other normal beings do. I was most at shocked to see the visually impaired children run a 100m. They had somebody who guides them to finish the race. They may stumble at times and maybe so funny to look at if your the observer but will be so happy too when you see them in the finish line...THIS ONLY SHOWS THAT THEY ARE NOT ONLY SPECIAL CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BUT THEY COULD ALSO SO BE CALLED DIFFERENTLY ABLED AND MOST SPECIALLY, GOD'S GIFT TO MANKIND!!!

Its december 3 now and i'm feeling a little melancholy...the father of my co-single in BLD, Dizon died last november 30 and JOhn's dad died this afternoon...i just empathize what they would feel this coming Christmas.

The introduction of my December was not that glee...I started missing some few significant people in my life...

I miss my ever emotional back up friend, Ms. Olive. Everytime December is approaching, we always look forward on the National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute(NRYLI), which is held in Baguio. We spent 2 years of some very wonderful experiences. And even after i graduate college we always tried to be in Baguio for that reason...WEll, i just realize now that I also miss the spirit of student leadership, be in the intitute...it was running in my bloodstream then, few years ago. I even wanna do it this year, hoping not be my last...


I desperately miss a person too...the fact of not being with the one I love on Christmas is more than enough reason to make my Christmas blue...

Joel is one of the union organizers of AMWU, wherein he handles workers concerns...what amazes me is that he is so near to the hearts of the Filipinos. As what you can see almost if not all of his members are Filipino. Now, that the Labor Party won in their election, these people must be very happy...



Labor Party wins big in Australia
By ROHAN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
Yahoo News



Conservative Prime Minister John Howard suffered a humiliating defeat Saturday at the hands of the left-leaning opposition, whose leader has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and withdraw Australia's combat troops from Iraq.

Labor Party head Kevin Rudd's pledges on global warming and Iraq move Australia sharply away from policies that had made Howard one of President Bush's staunchest allies.

Rudd has named global warming as his top priority, and his signing of the Kyoto Protocol will leave the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it.

Rudd said he would withdraw Australia's 550 combat troops from Iraq, leaving twice that number in mostly security roles. Howard had said all the troops will stay as long as needed.

Official figures from the Australian Electoral Commission showed Labor far in front after more than 70 percent of the ballots had been counted — with 53 percent of the vote compared to 46.7 percent for Howard's coalition.

Using those figures, an Australian Broadcasting Corp. analysis showed that Labor would get at least 81 places in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament — a clear majority.

Rudd is expected to take office next week.

President Bush congratulated Rudd and the Australia Labor Party and also sent best wishes to Howard, without commenting on Rudd's intention to withdraw combat troops from Iraq.

"The United States and Australia have long been strong partners and allies and the president looks forward to working with this new government to continue our historic relationship," said Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman. "During his time as prime minister, Mr. Howard served the people of Australia well by pursuing policies that led to strong economic growth and a commitment to keeping Australians safe by fighting extremists and their ideology around the world."

The election was an embarrassing end to the career of Howard, Australia's second-longest serving leader.

As little as a year ago, Howard had appeared almost unassailable. But on Saturday he was in real danger of becoming only the second sitting prime minister in 106 years of federal government to lose his own seat in Parliament.

Howard took full blame for the drubbing handed to his center-right coalition.

"I accept full responsibility for the Liberal Party campaign, and I therefore accept full responsibility for the coalition's defeat in this election campaign," Howard said in his concession speech in Sydney.

A new government is unlikely to mean a fundamental change in Australia's close alliance with the United States — its most important security partner — or its growing economic and political ties with Asia.

At home, Rudd has pledged to govern as an "economic conservative," while pouring money into schools and universities. He will curtail sweeping industrial reforms laws that were perceived to hand bosses too much power, turning many working voters against Howard.

"Today Australia has looked to the future," Rudd said in a nationally televised victory speech, to wild cheers from supporters. "Today the Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward ... to embrace the future, together to write a new page in our nation's history."

In his concession speech, Howard announced he had phoned Rudd to congratulate him on "a very emphatic victory."

The change from Howard to Rudd also marks a generational shift for Australia.

Rudd, a 50-year-old former diplomat who speaks fluent Chinese, urged voters to support him because Howard, 68, was out of touch with modern Australia and ill-equipped to deal with new-age issues such as climate change.

Howard campaigned on his economic management, arguing that his government was mostly responsible for 17 years of unbroken growth, fueled by China's and India's hunger for Australia's coal and other minerals, and that Rudd could not be trusted to maintain prosperous times.

Labor has been out of power for more than a decade, and few in Rudd's team — including him — has any government experience at federal level. His team includes a former rock star — Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett — a television journalist and former union officials.

But analysts say his foreign policy credentials are impeccable, and that he has shown discipline and political skill since his election as Labor leader 11 months ago.

Rudd's election as Labor leader marked the start of Howard's decline in opinion polls, from which he never recovered.

Howard's four straight election victories since 1996 made him one of Australia's most successful politicians. He refused to stand down before this election — even after being urged to do by some party colleagues.

SUNDAY, Loi and i went to Lapu-lapu to visit to visit Birhen sa Regla and offered mass, on the way back we recall our memories when we had our practicum days on Sped...
it would always be fun being with loi! a bliss indeed to a have friend like her!

Its been two weeks since the last local election here inthe Philippines and the teachers who served as Board of Election Tellers still haven't received the money due for us. At first, the Commission on Election promised to pay Php 2,000.00 and additional 500 for the precincts with SK, but the news lately said that the Comelec will only be releasing Php1,000. Isn't that unfair? Its been two weeks after the said election but the due intended for the labor we have done is still not paid off...

with my happy classmates, with with president of CSCST and CNU, Dr. Ester Velaquez, with my supervisor, Dr. Viña Salomon, with louie and my best lola ever...thank you very much...

this 4pm we had our oral defense and turned over our project. The panelists checked on it and they rated us with very satisfactory! great! We can finally say that we can graduate on Sunday and eventually be masters of education, major in special education.

Roger, me, Erma Lynn and Stephen...today marks the beginning the of our planning as well as the start of the tough job for our project implementation. Aspiring to be one of the candidates for this month's graduation...well, this would really need a serios and deadly planning...but we're taking it with grace, poise and fun!