Me vs The Homeless Man

    The rain lightly drizzles as I pulled up on the parking lot.  An older gentleman stands outside.    I am not sure how long he must have been on the front entrance of China harbor but long enough to get soaked.  I slowly walked up and he immediately approaches me for some change and with a very small promise, I said I ‘might’ after I get my order.     

     I felt so blessed.  I thought how unfortunate for him to beg for dinner while I complain on how I did not want to cook dinner.   A man his age, nor any individual for this matter, should not worry where his or her next meal will be nor asks random passersby for money. 

     After a few minutes of waiting, my order was finally ready for pick up.  I thanked the lady behind the counter and I got back with some small change.  I put the small paper bills in my pocket  and thought twice of the half dollars I had on my palm.  I stepped, out to what just a few minutes ago a drizzle, to now heavier pelts of rain drops.   I stand underneath the awning with the homeless man, and I slowly proceed to hand him the change I half-heartedly promised.  Slowly I reached out to his hand when all of a sudden he reached into his jacket and held up his pointing finger at me signaling me to hold.  He had the audacity to put it me on hold while he answers his cell phone.    I thought WTF.  Did he just pull out a ‘side slide cell phone’!? 

Me:  Sir you need to put your dealer in the phone on hold.

 Homeless Man:  Hold up what?

Me:  I want my fitty back!

Homeless Man:  (laughs at me like I’m crazy)  Why you want it back?

Me:  Because you have a cell phone and I want my money back.

Homeless Man:  Well you ain’t getting it back.  This ain’t no refund deal.

Me:  Well yes it is if you’re going to  use it to buy crack or use my money to buy minutes for your cell phone!

Homeless Man:  (nothing)

     I walk away.  But I turned around I hold my two fingers up on  a peace sign but points to my eyes and back to him.  Oh yeah that’s right I’m watching you!

“SAT Scores Fall as Gap Widens: Asians Gain”

I came across this article on WSJ (The Wall Street Journal) and at first I was on the verge of doing a victory dance but decided to finish reading the article.  “Asian-American students showed the most dramatic gains. In math they scored an average of 587 — 72 points better than the general population. Since 2008, their average math score has climbed six points.”  

BUT then the article goes further… “”You can’t look at these results and say that NCLB has been an enormous success,” says Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan research organization in Washington. “The bottom line is the country is changing dramatically. Unless minority kids are educated better, we are going to be in trouble because pretty soon they are going to be the majority.” 

In other words, I can’t justify celebrating because the way I see it we haven’t succeeded at all.

“Noting the gap in achievement between lower-performing minority students and the general population, College Board officials said those who lagged tended to go to school in poorer districts with fewer resources. “As a country, we must do better providing students of every background access to the best education,” Mr. Caperton said.” 

As grade inflation becomes more and more prevalent we must ensure that everyone succeeds or the mantra of No Child Left Behind becomes nothing more than just a vague longing.

Cloud 9

We had one-and-a-half hour to board our charter plane. Accompanied by my own entourage: my husband, my two sons and an arsenal of surfboards and we were ’stoked’! We were in Philippines and we’re heading to Cloud 9. One of the world’s best surf spot. Only one caveat – supposedly it’s not safe for ‘foreigners’ I looked at my American husband and two light-haired son then me ,the only one who fits in, and suddenly I’m not so stoked.

Our plane touched down and I caught a glimpse of my husband’s wonderment of the land. Endless rows of coconut trees, from a distance a man was walking on a rice patty path while his machete swings on his waist. My children laughed at at the sight of the water buffalo chewing on his cud. This was their airport. No concrete runway instead it was green grass, no security just a table, two attendants equipped with rubber stamps, an old fashion baggage scale and roosters running wild. I felt uncertain in a country where I was born. A tricycle driver yells, “Welcome Surfista!” and for a second I anticipated for him to blindfold everyone from the plane and ask for ransom money instead he smiled his toothless smile and says “Over der es where Abu-Walang-Bayag is hiding…” Lucky for me I understood his pun of joke and I laughed along with him but still I couldn’t help but looked at the forest of coconut trees. His joke was a way to reassure us that he’s on my team and not the one who was in hiding.

The next few days, I mastered the art of doing nothing. My husband happily surfed and hung out with ex-pat Aussies and my kids endlessly played on the beach under the hot-hot tropical sun. They found ‘Nemo’ amongst other sea life and they were particularly fond of chasing coconut crabs huge ones especially at night for which they came in drones. My children wore their headlamps and watched them ate and clicked-clacked their claws. We toured the island on a motorcycle with no helmets with my oldest sitting right on the gas tank. Was I worried that we did not meet U.S transportation standard? Perhaps a little thankfully we got back to our cottage safe and sound. The irony of the trip was as travelers we have all kinds of assumptions of people and places out of our comfort zone. We tend to feel worried and think of the negative and even judge. During my stay, I learned the true meaning of a Spanish saying “Via con Dios!” and I left all my worries behind and learned to live in the moment.

FYI on Student Loans

On July 1, 2009 IBR (Income Based Repayment) officially became available. “In addition to lowering monthly student loan payments, Income-Based Repayment forgives any remaining debt — including interest — after 25 years of payments. Most borrowers will pay off their debt before then, but under current law, if there’s anything left after 25 years, the amount forgiven would be taxed as income to the borrower. ” Here’s the link: www.ombudsman.ed.gov.

But My Parental Brain Rebels…

    Seriously at age 16 should you be holding a pole in front of millions of audience whose youngest age is in kindergarten?

Check out Little Miss Sunshine here.  I totally see where the next marketing level is heading  Nintendo Wii will partner with Nickelodeon and bring you “Wii Pole – unleash your inner Stripper”.

Can this prisoners get amnesty?

A few years ago, this prisoners did a Michael Jackson rendition of “Thriller” now they’ve done it again with “Dangerous”.  Should American justice system  add it on our agenda ‘Dance Rehabilitation’?  Shouldn’t these guys make shanks out of toothbrushes? ( Shawshank Redemption, remember?) Couldn’t some of them fly here in U.S (just like the 15-year old pirate from Somalia) and have the best day ever?  Someone behind the bars is somebody’s Tito Boy and he’s missing his Ate Baby.  Enjoy this video.  Hope your week is off to a good start.