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Posted by Micki

Taking the advice of an article I read about different types of friends, I have decided to cut ties with "friends" who drain you of energy, time, money, etc... Please refer to my Wednesday, January 26, 2005 blog entry. Ever since the incident, I have cut contact with such "friends". It turned out to be harder than I thought. I have been numerous phone calls at home, work and on my cellphone every single day. I haven't answered any of these calls. Sigh. You'd think she'd get the hint after a week. I'm now on my third week of 3 to 5 phone calls a day. Can you say stalker?

Summer, the time when parents enroll their child for the next school year. It is also the time when all of these "calamities" seem to occur. As expected, a large number of parents who were on their way to school to enroll had wallets which were stolen, or bags that were slashed, grabbed or lost. A large number of grandparents also seem to die during this time of year, resulting in depleted funds. There also appears to be an enormous amount of house break-ins and house fires, making it impossible to be able to pay for the tuition fees. A small minority of parents, however, have enough money to leave the country. They leave behind their 4 year old child with the maid, who show up during enrollment with no money and no idea when the parents will return from their vacation. There is also an epidemic of amnesia, with parents forgetting that it is time to enroll, forgetting to bring money, and some forgetting that you need money to enroll. "What? I didn't know you had to bring money. I thought that you just had to sign up. Can I just enroll now and pay for it next time?" I think I've heard it all. There was even one mom who had a dog..., and yes, the dog ate the money.

Official Survivor Congratulations! You scored 72%!

Whether through ferocity or quickness, you made it out. You made the right choice most of the time, but you probably screwed up somewhere. Nobody's perfect, at least you're alive.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 51% on survivalpoints

Link: The Zombie Scenario Survivor Test written by ci8db4uok on Ok Cupid

February is almost over and I'll remember it as the mumps month - the month when dozens of children were sent to school with mumps despite memos and announcements not to send a sick child to school. The most common "excuse" parents gave when they were called to the office was "She/He doesn't have mumps, she/he has a toothache." The second most common was "She/He was crying because she/he really wanted to come to school. I can't stand to see her/him cry." But my favorite of all was "He doesn't have mumps! His father punched him in the face last night, that's why his face is swollen."

One of my students has lice. Due to this development, I have temporarily suspended naptime and hugs. I've talked to her father, and his initial reaction was ignorance, followed by surprise, then denial, and finally acceptance. His response went like "Lice? What is lice?" I explain what lice is. "Really? She has lice? I didn't know! No, she doesn't have lice!" I explain that she scratches her head constantly and complains about it being so itchy. "Ok, I'll buy her some medicine."

A week later I checked her hair and she still had lice. It seems the father didn't do anything. So I asked the school doctor to write a prescription and I handed it him.

I had always told myself that I would never have a toxic friend, the kind of friend who seem to suck every bit of life out of you like a vampire. Well, right now, I'm eating my words.

Last week, she invited me to her birthday party, which is a few days from now. She asked me what dish could I recommend from the restaurant where my husband works. I suggested roast beef, the total cost being P3,000 for 50 people. She said ok, she would buy. The next day, she texted that her budget was only P2,000 and could I bring cake. I thought, alright, the cake would be my gift to her, and my husband would do his best to fit P2,000 in roast beef for 50 people. We were basically giving it to her at a loss. I texted back that I'll do my best with P2,000.

The next day, she texted back that she wants rice and another dish. Oh my God! P2,000 for 50 people, 2 dishes, rice and cake?!!! Why didn't she just tell me that she wanted me to pay for her damn birthday party?! I also found out that she made her party potluck, requiring the other guests to bring food. What a cheapskate!

I texted back that I could no longer "cater" for her. P2,000 just isn't enough. Add that to the fact that my husband's restaurant doesn't do outside catering, so we just don't have the equipment, manpower or transportation for such a task.

Many, many hours later, she textes that she didn't mean for me to bring another dish and rice. She was just asking what else could I recomend from the restaurant, and that all she was asking for is roast beef. Huh? So okay, all I was bringing was roast beef.

Today, she textes me again, asking me if I'm bringing pasta. What?! I text back saying that I thought she wanted roast beef, but if it's pasta she wants, I'll bring pasta instead. She just texted me a few minutes ago saying that what she wants is roast beef.

Now I'm just waiting for her next text.

It has been a very frustrating 2 weeks. It started 2 Fridays ago when one of the fetchers of my students was late, again. He always fetches the child 30 minutes late, which means that my lunch break is reduced from 1 hour to 30 minutes. Everyday he always has an excuse, traffic was terrible, his tricycle wouldn't start, a road was being repaired, etc... So 2 fridays ago I decided to leave the child in the office while I have a 1 hour lunch break. The Monday after that the child's mom came to school furious. The fetcher had told her that I had locked up her son in a dark room. Duh? I explained that I had asked the school staff to watch over him and left him in the office. Four of the school staff eat their lunch in the office so he was not alone, the door was not locked and the light were not closed. What planet is that child's fetcher from? At least now he is never late in picking up the child. I've tried talking to him for the past 2 weeks but he just turns his back and leaves. What is his problem? Hmmm... maybe its because the mom discoved that he always picks up her son 30 minutes late?

One of the moms came to the office with her son and asked me if I could talk to him. He didn't want to go to school. Thoughts started racing thru my mind, was he being bullied, did he fail to do his homework and was scared that his teacher would get mad, was he in an embarrasing situation the day before? I asked the mom what was wrong. She then told me that he had high fever and colds, that's why he didn't want to go to school. She must have noticed my eyes widen, and quickly added he wasn't coughing as bad as last night.

Yesterday I discovered another child who was the victim of parents giving weird names. She handed me her excuse letter for being absent the day before, and it was only then I noticed that her name was Lard. Lard! How could her parents do that to her? If anyone wanted to make fun of her, all they had to do was call her by her name.

Ahh yes. Isn't it wonderful when parents take an active role in their children's education? Teachers aren't perfect, they make mistakes, too. I suppose that was the reason why one of the moms took it upon herself to correct the teacher's lesson. The topic was what plants needed to live. As it turned out, the mom happened to be a grade school science teacher, so ofcourse she knew what she was talking about. The teacher had helped the students draw on their notebook water, air (symbolized by wavy lines) and the sun. The next day, the teacher was surprised by a huge red X drawn on the sun and a note by the mom correcting her, saying that plants don't need the sun. Oh my God. She's a grade school science teacher?!!!

It was one of those rare moments. The kids were having their recess, when the boy seated at the left-most corner threw up. His seatmate looked at his puke, and threw up as well. Then, the next child beside the second also threw up. It felt like I was in a cartoon. The kids, one after the other, were puking in order. It started with the kid seated the farthest and ended with the kid seated nearest the blackboard. I could see myself running in slow motion towards the kid in the corner, only to gasp at the puke-fest going on. It just had to be one of those days.

After going to the gym religiously for 5 months, I was finally able to attain killer abs. I was finally able to wear low waisted jeans and actually look good in them. Then, I didn't go to the gym for 2 weeks, and the flab came back! Arrgh!!! My dad calls it the curse of the ancestors. I, just like all the women in my family who came before me, am pear shaped. Will it take me another 5 months to regain my former glory?

I think its become a sore eyes epidemic.
It started with a couple of students coming to school with sore eyes. They were sent home right away, but came back to school the next day. They were sent home, and again they came back to school the next day. This went on for the duration of their infection.

I don't know why they keep coming back. Its so frustrating. You explain to their parents that they should rest at home for at least a week, you say its contagious, you say sick children should not be in school. They agree with you, then send their kids back to school the next day. I had actually seen several parents drop off their kids with sore eyes in the front of the school gate, and run. The guard called out to them but they just jumped back into their cars and sped away.

Last week we were averaging about 50 kids with sore eyes who would come to school. This week the number is at 120. Why won't they stay home? The school doctor now has sore eyes, so do the high school counselors and several teachers. It has gotten so bad that yesterday, the school directress announced that anyone who came to school with sore eyes would be suspended. Today, more than 100 kids still came.

At around 11 a.m this morning the Pasig City mayor finally woke up from his beauty sleep and anounced the suspension of classes in Pasig. Thanks a lot. The other mayors had already announced suspension of classes in their respective cities at 5 and 6 a.m. The children were already in school with wet socks. A few were soaked from the waist down. I feel bad for the teachers who live far. Whenever there are heavy rains they end up arriving home past nine in the evening.

Rhochie and I visited my parents at the hospital today. My mom has dengue. Yesterday, one of the school staff heard that my mom was in the hospital. She kept trying to convince me to buy flowers from this store where her sister-in-law works. I explained to her that my mom would much rather have me buy some take-out for lunch, and perhaps some snacks, since she absolutely hated hospital food. Besides, flowers make her sneeze. My workmate spent an entire afternoon trying to change my mind, saying things like flowers have healing powers and will absorb the illness. Gee, the next time I get sick, flowers will be the first thing I'll buy. If only I knew this before, then I wouldn't have wasted all of my money on medicine.

We asked the parents of one of the students to come to school today. Their son wasn't wearing the proper uniform. There wasn't really anything wrong with his uniform, except that it was for a girl. Why? Why? WHY?!

I wish to nominate my preschool principal as the newest member of the Homer Simpson Duh? Society. She told me that her husband had complained to her about my being a snob. It seems that he had seen me in the mall on several occasions and I had totally ignored him, no hi, hello or how are you. I was so shocked I didn't know what to say. I had never met her husband and I had absolutely no idea how he looked like! Come to think of it, how in the world did he know who I am? Does she expect me to talk to every guy I see just in case it may be her husband? He could have at least introduced himself when he saw me on those occasions so I would have known who he was.

We're having exams this week, which translates to tons of sick kids coming to school. I can't understand why parents would sent a seriously ill son/daughter to school just because it's exam week.

Yesterday a boy threw up right outside the school gates.His mom kept on insisting that he was okay while helping him to stand. There was also another kid who had chicken pox and her mom said she had rested for two days so she was strong enough to take the test. Today we had around four kidswho all had high fever, chills and sunken eyes.

It makes you wonder if these parents care at all. Last year a parent sent her daughter to school with german measles even though she knew that her teacher was pregnant.

I call it "Attack Of The Parents With Weird Logic".

Today, a mom came to the office and wanted us to replace her son's school bag. It seems that on the way to school, the bag had gotten dirty and it was our responsibility. Duh?

Yesterday, a mom gave birth in front of the school. She was going into labor early this morning, and instead of going to the hospital, she thought it would be best if she brought her daughter to school first. When they reached the gates of the school, the baby literally popped out.

Last week, another mom wanted me to play dentist and pull out her daughter's rotting tooth.

When I think I've seen it all, another attack occurs.

Last school year we had a mom who brought her son to school three days in a row despite the fact that the nurse had told her to let him rest at home. The mom then told us that she had consulted several doctors and they all said chicken pox was not contagious, and that the airconed classroom would do him good.