Happy 5th year Anniversary, Ferddie’s World!

“Hi everyone! This is my first entry to a web journal that I hope will lead to more wonderful things ahead! I humbly thank God for my life, my family…for everything He has so graciously given me! Now is the time to share it…”

Five years ago, I set out to do what no family member has done so far…to boldly go where no Mendoza kin has gone before…the blogosphere in the infinite confines of Internet space.

The World Wide Web for many of the younger generations has become the final frontier for exploration and discovery.

Cited above was my very first entry in Ferddie’s World, my first ever blogsite.

Five years and four blogsites (still up and running!) after, my enthusiasm for blogging has neither dissipated nor reduced to a simple act of self indulgence. The struggle though continues for me to find the ways and means and the time to write and deliver my posts as timely as possible.

After all, one of the greatest sources of my personal fulfillment in blogging are the times when people (both those you know and those you don’t but read your articles) express their appreciation and/or convey their feelings that they were blessed by what you wrote. Truly, a great part in the joy of writing is in being understood and well-regarded. More importantly, I made it my humble mission to spread the good news of Christ Jesus through blogging, through the Internet.

Certainly, a person need not be always technical or doctrinal in spreading God’s love. Often, everyday stories from ordinary people like me give wondrous testament to His majesty, and love for His most beloved of creations.

Here’s to the next five years of my blogging milieu…Ferddie’s World!

God bless everyone!

Faith graduates from Prep School with Honors!

Faith and her batch mates prepare to march

My only daughter Faith’s graduation from preparatory schooling in Mater Carmeli School (MCS) – Novaliches last April 5, 2011 was extra special.

I mean it’s not every school year that you get the honor of walking across the school stage with your wife several times to give your daughter a medal or a ribbon for scholastic performance.

Last year, Faith as a kindergarten pupil was awarded an Academic Excellence medal as one of the brightest students of her batch. She was also awarded a Merit Ribbon for being judged “Best in Dance” among the prep pupils in her section, Kinder - Thriftiness.

This school year she bested herself by further improving her overall grades to be conferred a Medal for Outstanding Prep Pupils (9th Honors) and placing finalist to a number of Quiz Bee competitions held through the academic year.

The graduation ceremonies commence

The souvenir program declared that the graduation theme was “Carmelians: Partners towards Transformational Society, An Answer to Societal Change.”

Actually, I thought that theme was too deep even for a post grad student like me much less for a bunch of six year olds but I suppose you can never really go too young in inculcating our youth with values like patriotism and molding them to become agents of positive social change.

It was a wonderful warm weathered afternoon to graduate from prep school

The prep graduates walk on to their seats

The program started with an opening prayer which came in the form of singing a song by Fatima Soriano entitled “Believe Like a Child”. Ironically, Faith (whom we gave the formal name Maria Fatima) acted as conductress and led the assembly in singing the National Anthem.

My family is joined by Faith’s cousin Julia, Lola Charing and Sonny Boy’s special friend and MCS schoolmate Hannah

First time to go up the stage with Faith: Awarding of Medal for Outstanding Pupils
(9^th Honors)

Second time to up the stage with Faith: Awarding of Quiz Bee Winners

(Science – 3^rd Place)

The students sing their graduation theme song: “One Dream” by Lee Ann Womack

Our bright young graduate is warmly greeted by Cousin Julia….

...then joined by the other women in our lives

Group picture

The Mendoza family is proud of its youngest member

Just a thought… None of her older siblings will ever get the chance to be conferred a Loyalty Award by Mater Carmeli School. This is simply because of their strict definition that a loyalty awardee should be a student that studied there from kinder all the way up to fourth year high school. All her brothers started at MCS from prep. Only Faith started at MCS from Kinder.

But I do often tell Faith that only if she gets accepted in a school like Philippine Science High School or UP Integrated School should she consider transferring to another school. Otherwise, I personally would want to see her continue her studies at MCS. For all its shortcomings (what school doesn’t have at least one?) I have never regretted bringing our children to Mater Carmeli.

Faith is also congratulated by her nanny Ate Maymay and her sister along with her classroom adviser in Prep- Politeness, Teacher Marilyn O. Luteria

Dinner celebration at the new Hap Chan Restaurant along Pearl Drive in East Fairview, Quezon City

From the school, we celebrated Faith’s achievements at a new dining place called Pearl Drive not too far from our residence in West Fairview. There we went to this new branch of the locally popular Chinese restaurant – Hap Chan.

Sumptuous Chinese meal for this special occasion

Up close: Hap Chan’s delicious Yang Chow Fried Rice and Chicken

Congratulations, Faith…job well done!

We are all proud of Faith and what she has already achieved in her very young and clearly promising life.

I pray to God that she may have the grace to continue walking across this path of excellence not only in the field of her academics but also in the other equally important facets of her youthful existence.

Hurrah, Faith…and carry on!

Tree Planting at Mater Carmeli School, Novaliches!

March 31 marked the Pre-Elem Parent-Teachers’ Association last major activity for this school year 2010-2011. It was a tree planting activity for the kids in the Pre-Elementary Department. Dengue cases have continued to rise in the country and many parents like me and my wife Odette were understandably concerned about this persistent health danger.

As a response to this menacing health threat, officers of the PTA and the school administration agreed to have this tree planting activity along with the children of known mosquito repelling plants at the pre-school grounds.

Actually, the plants chosen were not really “trees”. One is a shrub called Malvarosa and the other a bush called Lemongrass.

Malvarosa (Scientific name: Pelargonium graveolens)

A small branching hairy shrub, Malvarosa plants are also known by its other name, Rose geranium (English) most probably due to their fragrantly rose-scented leaves.

Cultivated primarily for its aromatic, medicinal and ornamental uses, its flowers and leaves are considered edible, the latter used as condiment, tea or used as flavoring in deserts, jellies and even vinegar. A remedy for cough and stomach aches, it is also used to stop bleeding, wound healing and for its antibacterial properties.

Lemongrass (Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus)

Native to the Philippines, Lemongrass (‘tanglad’ in Tagalog) is a bush or may be described as a tall perennial grass. A related species, citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to lemongrass but grows to 2 meters and has red base stems. Like Malvarosa plants, lemongrass is also used as an insect repellent and air freshener. Similarly, lemongrass plants have multiple uses in the kitchen. It is served as tea or included in fish soups and is often used as an ingredient in preparing Thai curry paste.

My wife Odette and Teacher Rosel Jimenez distribute the plants to the Prep students

The students including my daughter Faith start to transfer the plants to garden pots

Teacher Marilyn Luteria (Faith’s classroom adviser wearing a red orange shirt) help the kids replant

Placing garden soil on the replanted Malvarosa

Fragrantly scented mosquito repellents are now in place

Faith carefully waters the Malvarosa shrub

After the planting activity, Faith and the other students go back to the classroom

for graduation ceremonies practice

View of the blue sky and trees while lying on the Pre-Elem playground slide

All’s well and ends well.

The kinder students will have their own tree planting activity in the afternoon. Hopefully all the plants will be well maintained by the students, teachers and non-teaching staff so that the benefits of having these plants will go beyond this batch of pre-elementary students. It is hoped that these activities will also spur the participation of the elementary and high school departments so that everybody can contribute in the fight against dengue, making Mater Carmeli School-Novaliches a better and safer place to learn and grow in, during those early formative years.