Call us at - MADS

August/september 2010
Easing the morning madness
Our Top 10 Picks of what to do after school
Family recipes: Lunch box ideas
Travel guide: Malaysia

F
irst of all, let me introduce to
you the new mADs magazine’s
editorial team. Linda Va'aelua
and me, Nimmi malhotra. We are both
mADs mums with five kids under five. We
both came to manila less than a year ago
having relocated from New Zealand and
Australia respectively and we’re both from
a publishing and magazines background.
Linda has worked in her previous life
as an Arts Director on New Zealand’s
leading women’s magazine and I have
over ten years experience in all forms of
publishing- newspapers, magazines and
websites.
As you turn the pages of the August/
september edition, you will be introduced
to the new look of mADs magazine. Linda
has done an extraordinary job of creating
this vibrant and interactive look in a very
short time! I hope you will enjoy it and it
will enhance your reading experience.
In this ‘back to school’ edition, we’ve
focused on kids returning to their routines
or forming new routines. the article on
page six gives some handy tips on getting
the kids ready for school.
With school come after-school activities
with most schools offering a wide
Nimmi Malhotra
editor
selection in-house. In our days, this long
list didn’t exist. How lucky are our kids to
have all these choices. At the same time
though, it could get overwhelming for
both kids and us, the parents! ‘managing
extra curricular activities’ discusses ways
to avoid these pursuits from becoming
stressful…
We have also launched a new column
- ‘Have you met’ where you will meet
mADs members through a series of
fun questions drafted by our very own
membership Officer, bev gilbert. You will
enjoy meeting the puno’s and prentice’s,
I am sure.
Jen Lawrance, a fellow mADs mum,
injected a lot of fresh ideas into the
magazine for which we are thankful. the
photo competition we’ve launched on
page 26 is one of them and we would love
for all of you to participate in it and send
us some exciting pictures of your kids.
stay tuned to these pages. We have
many more exciting ideas to continue Kim
O’Neill’s incredible work. We look forward to
your contributions and comments that you
can make to malhotra.nimmi@gmail.com
Happy reading.
Linda Va'aelua
Art Director
Disclaimer note: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors or
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of MADS.
In this
ISSUE
04
05
06
08
10
12
14
15
16
18
20
22
24
26
27
MADS news
President’s note
Back to School feature
Top tips for back to school
Diary of a MADS dad
After school activities
Top ten activities for after school
Travel talk
Our Malaysian adventure
Lunch box ideas
My birth story
Staying sane
Member profiles
In the next edition
MADS directory
EdITOrIaL TEaM
editor: Nimmi malhotra
Art Director: Linda Va’aelua
thank you to our regular contributors:
Andrew prentice, tanya schmalfuss, mathilda
Van Weerden, shana montesol Johnson.
thank you to this month’s contributing writers:
Jen Lawrance, Corina raemaekers,
Natalie pickering.
august 2010
september
3
editorial note / contents

maDS news
WELcOME TO MadS
mADs, otherwise known as mothers and Darlings support group
(of course all Dads welcome too!!).
Welcome to the best group in town for young kids and parents!
WHAt mADs OFFers YOu:
playgroups (sorted by the age of your children), social events for kids
and for parents to get together and make new friends, Yahoo! group
resources (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/mothersandDarlings).
mADs magazine (bi-monthly publication), cookbook, hospitality
guide, working mums support group, pregnancy, newborn and
breast feeding support group, cooking sessions, libraries (parenting
and childcare, winter clothes library and pregnancy clothes library).
maDS welcomes
the following Darlings...
Baby Boy
isaac Henry Hanford
Born 16 march 2010
To mommy Holly Hanford
Baby Boy
Oscar meewasin Senuik
21 may 2010
To mommy allison griffith
Baby girl
Louise monica Pickering
12 June 2010
To mommy natalie Pickering
Baby girl
Lilika June Flegler
15 June 2010
To mommy nanae Flegler
Baby Boy
Donal Sean O’Connor
19 June 2010
To mommy Jo O’Connor
Baby girl
emily morgan Schumacher
16 July 2010
To mommy Laura Schumacher
The Spirit of
Pregnancy,
Newborn &
Breastfeeding
■ meet other expectant moms, share resource
information and have your questions answered.
It is also a good opportunity for first-time moms
to see newborn darlings up close before holding
their own! pregnancy group is held twice per
month, on Wednesday mornings. Venues for this
month will be emailed. Come and join in the fun!
Contact: Nat Pickering at nspickering@googlemail.com
or 0915 798 8457
WINNEr
of the best member story
Jun/July 2010 issue
A Birth Story from KAthmANdu
- WAKANyi hoffmAN
Congratulations Wakanyi.
Winner receives a Php 500
voucher from fully Booked.
Mothers and Darlings Support Group was established in 1994. It is an
international organization of expat parents living in Manila that focuses
on children and all aspects of raising children. MADS endeavors to provide
information, practical and moral support, and opportunities for making new
and wonderful friends. It is sustained by mothers for the benefit of parents and
their darlings. A joyous, giving, nurturing group of friends coming together.
email lists will be revised and all current members
will be getting the playgroup schedules and access
to the Yahoo group. Forms can be obtained through
www.madsmanila.com/joinus.html and you can
arrange to drop off the completed form and money
by emailing membership@madsmanila.com
Alternatively, you can give your money and completed form directly
to membership officers (bev gilbert or sharon bunn) or a playgroup
coordinator.
MadS
cOMMITTEE
President
Fredella Yilmaz
Vice President
Theresa Lee
Yahoo Group
Kenn Roessler
the term “back-to-school” is like beautiful music to my ears. After three
months having the kids off school including three super-hot weeks in
turkey, I’m really looking forward to a few hours of peaceful “me-time”
in the mornings from next week onwards when the girls start school again.
It’s going to be a beginning of a new era in our household with mia starting
at the “big” school this year. I’m definitely more nervous than she is about
going to the british school. While getting uniform items and snack boxes
labeled and ready to go, I kept on questioning myself whether or not we’ve
done enough to prepare her for this major step in life…. well, at least she’s
toilet trained and knows how to write her name.
so, I’m hoping to get a few pointers from this back-to-school issue to be
able to prepare ourselves better next time. I’m also very excited for this issue,
which has been compiled together by a brand new team of wonderful and
talented ladies. I’m very pleased to welcome Nimmi malhotra and Linda
Va’aelua to the mADs magazine team.
With families moving on and little darlings growing up, we’ve also had
some changes in the committee. Nalini A. Lachance is our new makati A
coordinator, while Kenn roessler will move up as makati b coordinator. thank
you everyone for volunteering!
After a couple of months break due to summer vacation, we will resume
our monthly coffee mornings on Wednesday, september 8th. We will be
privileged to have Anton Diaz, the blog author of www.ourawesomeplanet.
com, to speak to us about travels in the philippines including
recommendation on family friendly destinations. (Fees and venue information
will be advised on mADs Yahoo group).
Other events in our calendar will include another moms and Dads Night
Out and Halloween party in October, the big Agm in November and
Christmas party in December.
We’ve had a huge turnover in our membership numbers these last
months. I would like to bid farewells to those who are leaving mADs and the
philippines and wish you the best of luck for the future. my warmest welcome
to our new members, I wish you and your darlings an enjoyable time here in
the philippines with mADs.
Last but not least, I would like to extend a huge thanks to Kim O’Neill,
Nicky Willis and Liz gilliland for their excellent work on the last couple of
issues of this magazine.
Cheers,
Della Yilmaz
4 MADS magazine august/September 2010 5
Secretary
Rachel Dixon
Membership Makati/Ortigas
Beverly Gilbert
Membership South
Sharon Bunn
advertising
Meeta Nanda
Treasurer
Meera Kibe
Magazine Editors
Nimmi Malhotra, Linda Va'aelua
Magazine distribution Liaison
Elda Bejleri
Social coordinators
Natasha Lamb, Debbie Roebuck, Laxmi
Boome, Debbie Clements, Dinita
Chapagain
South Social coordinators
Nicki Simkins - thesimkins2@gmail.com
Louise Curtis - curtis31@netvigator.com
Khin Grist - khinthuzar@yahoo.com
Rachel Baker - rachswbaker@yahoo.com
For all maDS enquiries,
email: mads_philippines@yahoo.com.ph
president's note

ack to school
Easing the Morning
Madness
tips for getting Kids up and ready
g
etting kids up and ready for the day...whether it be for school,
daycare, or even a sport or enrichment activity is a sure-fire
stress builder and typical cause of morning madness. What can
parents do to start each day in a positive fashion? Here are seven ideas.
1. GettinG KiDS Up: MorninG roUtine MUSt BecoMe
WAy of Life
parents unwittingly cause morning madness by not instilling that the
routine is a family requirement and not an option. A non-negotiable
routine must be established, and consequence discussed and
determined. (i.e. If you don't get up on first call, your bedtime is 15
minutes earlier tonight). It's the "wiggle room" that causes melt-downs
and tantrums on the very morning parents have a "must make" meeting.
2. StAGGer WAKe-Up tiMeS
If you've got more than one kid in the house, and especially if you have
a large family, consider staggering wake-up times for greater efficiency.
start with kids who need assistance first, or the ones who are real
sleepyheads who move at a snail's pace come mornings.
3. GettinG KiDS Up: cLothinG WArS cAn Be
conqUereD With proper pLAnninG
uniforms or preschool clothes down to clean socks, underwear and
shoes, and even matching hair accessories should be laid out each
night before bed. Youngsters can play a role in choosing the outfit, but
no changes are allowed once their head hits the pillow. And, then stick
with it! the only exceptions should be an unknown tear or stain. this
avoids missing socks, unmatched shirt and shoes, and keeps getting
dressed a simple step in beginning the day vs. a looming battle.
4. GettinG KiDS Up: BreAKfASt choiceS ShoULD Be
DeterMineD in ADvAnce
One mom swears by weekly breakfast menus; other adheres to
cereal and fruit. Yet another has her kids eat breakfast at school each
morning. some schools offer breakfast for kids; others allow parents
to bring in a morning meal. breakfast is important – some experts
argue that it is the most important meal of the day, so your kids need
a nutritious start each a.m. However, that start shouldn't put parents
in a work bind or make kids late for school.
5. onLy Do WhAt'S reALLy iMportAnt
some parents unwittingly set their kids to fail with their morning
routines by tackling on unexpected chores and duties, which causes
whines and a mad rush to end up on time. Consider creating a
checklist of what absolutely must be done each morning, then forget
the rest. If you want your child to make his bed every morning, then
make that a requirement.
6. GettinG KiDS Up: SnAtch AnD Go theory reALLy
DoeS WorK
It's just not enough to get dressed and eat. How many times have
kids missed the bus because they couldn't find their homework
sheet or didn't have their backpack put together? If you drive your
kids, then put their organized backpacks in the car the night before.
Lunches should also be prepared just before bed and easily grabbed
from the fridge ready-to-go. the "snatch and go" theory really does
work in the mornings.
7. GettinG KiDS Up: exception MorninGS ShoULD Be
pLAnneD AS WeLL
One way to make it easier for kids to get up in the mornings is to
create occasional "kids get up...NOt" day on occasion as a reward.
If it's a school holiday, lazy weekend opportunity, or just about
any reason at all, parents can make a special celebration out of
the exception. the "not" day also serves to reinforce the lesson
that normal mornings have a schedule and expectation; and that
occasionally everyone gets a break from the routine.
8. GettinG KiDS Up: inStiLL SeLf reSponSiBiLity
Why does a parent have to wake kids up anyway? except for
youngsters, kids can learn to awaken by an alarm clock and get
themselves up without mom or dad hovering and yelling, "Are you up
yet?" Let them decide what is the best time for the alarm to go off and
get ready on time. If this means erica doesn't get her hair braided or
sam doesn't get second helpings on cereal, encourage them to set
their alarm 15 minutes earlier tomorrow. Cause and effect...it's a good
lesson to learn!
9. GettinG KiDS Up: MoDeL MorninG BehAvior
And, finally, parents really can help to determine whether their kids
become morning risers or morning whiners. If parents moan and
groan, are always frantic, grumpy and running late themselves, then
how can they really expect anything more of their own kids? good
advise is to get up earlier yourself, start that coffee or do 10 minutes of
exercise, and then show that positive mental Attitude (pmA) and really
mean it when you greet your kids with "good morning!"
10. DeSiGnAte An eSSentiALS AreA
Designate an area for all essentials that can eliminate the crazed
morning syndrome when you're trying to leave. shoes, backpacks, car
keys, cell phones, purses, etc., should be placed in this area every day,
always, so they are always in place and ready for action. Keep a cell
phone charger in this area so your phone is charged for the day. Not
having to hunt down keys or other last-minute essentials is a time and
blood pressure saver, for sure! ❚
The article is written by Robin Mclure for about.com website. It was
edited by Jen Lawrance for MADS magazine.
6 MADS magazine august/September 2010 7
back to school

ack to school
backpacks, school supplies, and
after-school activities. those are
just some of the things you think
about when gearing up your child
for a new school year. but what are
the most important things parents
should focus on?
Read
It’s one of the best ways to keep a child’s mind sharp when he or
she is not in school.
One activity that I enjoy doing with my kids is spending an
afternoon at the bookstore, there are some great ones in manila,
namely Fully booked on the High street and powerbooks at
greenbelt.
Make suRe youR child gets enough sleep
sleep experts from the National sleep Foundation say that kids
need their rest to perform well at school. Follow their practical
tips for setting your kids’ back-to-school sleep clocks at least two
weeks before the school year begins.
Children aged five to 12 need 10-11 hours of sleep. At the
same time, there is an increasing demand on their time from
school (e.g., homework), sports and other extracurricular and
social activities. In addition, school-aged children become more
interested in tV, computers, the media and Internet as well
as caffeine products – all of which can lead to difficulty falling
asleep, nightmares and disruptions to their sleep. In particular,
watching tV close to bedtime has been associated with bedtime
resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep and
sleeping fewer hours.
sleep problems and disorders are prevalent at this age. poor
or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioural
problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems that
impact on their ability to learn in school. so many students come
back to school on the same sleep schedule they had during the
summer, and it remains that way all year!
sleep tips for school-aged children
teach them about healthy sleep habits.
Continue to emphasize need for regular and consistent sleep
schedule and bedtime routine.
make child’s bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, cool and quiet.
Keep tV and computers out of the bedroom.
Avoid caffeine.
eMphasize the positive
Kids pick up on your attitude, If you complain about shopping for
back-to-school clothes and supplies, they’ll pick up on it. If you speak
negatively about your child’s teacher, they will start the year thinking
negatively about him or her.
For me, part of the fun of parenting is trying to figure out what
excites my kids. I want them to understand that learning isn’t a “job”
that ends on a graduation day; it’s something that we all do every day
for life and it is enjoyable!
As your kids grow older and want to learn more about using a
computer, encourage them to go through some of the beginner-level
feature demos and training for Office. they contain lots of great
information for parents too!
don’t weaR theM out!
Kids who are signed up for five different summer camps, tutoring,
piano lessons, and ballet will never get the ‘break’ that comes with
holiday break! give them downtime. Let them play. Let them sit
around and say ‘I’m bored’ every once in a while. then encourage
them to pick up a book or a puzzle, being able to entertain
themselves is a great skill.
I’ve heard some mums limit their kids to one extracurricular activity
at a time during the school year. As they get older, maybe they’ll
show that they can handle more or less than that. most importantly,
I want my kids to know that school is their main priority and biggest
responsibility.
pRactice handwRiting and spelling
Kids who don’t write during the holidays have to relearn to write
(and spell) when school starts. If anything, have them write two
sentences about what they’ve done that day. Correct the spelling
and ask for neat handwriting. Finding ways to get kids to practice
their writing and spelling is a lot easier than finding creative ways to
sneak vegetables into their diet. practice writing by making shopping
lists or writing letters to friends and relatives, also encourage your
children to write thank you notes. How about teaching your kids how
to write and send an e-mail message and have your kids help you put
together a family newsletter or blog, especially as we are out of the
country away from family and friends. Why not encourage them to
keep a journal or scrapbook of their time in the philippines. ❚
This article is written by Susan Stainsby, a Seattle based mum and was
published on Microsoft Office website. The article was edited to suit
MADS magazine by Jen Lawrance.
8 MADS magazine august/September 2010 9
back to school

diary of a maDS dad
easing into school
bY ANDreW preNtICe
A
s I write, the long summer holiday
is drawing to a close and we are
gearing up for Angus to return to
bsm for his second year. Lexie is about to join
the Nursery class at bsm after a year at the
wonderful Creative play Corner nursery.
the transition to “big school” will be
interesting and Lexie is very excited about it.
she is looking forward to joining so many of
her friends from CpC who are also making the
move to bsm.
going back to school presents many
challenges not least of which is the return to
the “early to bed and early to rise” regime.
Having spent five weeks with me back in
scotland the children became accustomed
to staying up late and this exacerbated the
effects of jet-lag. thankfully they have gotten
over their jet-lag much more quickly than
our last trip home during Christmas. We put
this down to a gradual, rather than sudden,
return to normal bed time routine and also to
moving them both into the same room so that
they don’t feel alone and tempted to get up
and look for someone to talk to if they wake
during the night.
Lexie has become very independent over
the last couple of months since she turned
three and is now determined to do everything
from getting dressed to visiting the loo herself
without supervision. these activities don’t
always go too well when unsupervised with
back to front clothes and unwiped bottoms
being a frequent outcome. We have been
trying to drum into her that once she starts
school she must tell the teacher when she
needs to visit the loo . Will keep our fingers
crossed on that one.
something that we have done, over the last
couple of weeks, which always helps prepare
children for a return to school was to arrange
regular playdates with their classmates. this
gives them an opportunity to re-establish
relationships and rekindle common interests
before the big day.
preparing Angus for Year 1 has been slightly
different in that we have had to remind him that
not all of his friends from his reception class will
be back at school this year. He is surprisingly
happy to accept this and at the same time,
equally excited at the prospect of meeting and
befriending new children and helping them to
settle in to their new surroundings.
One way that we have helped get him
enthusiastic about returning to school is to
encourage him to think about all the exciting
things that he did at home in scotland so he
can talk about them to his class.
Despite the cold and wet weather we
experienced at home we managed to do
many things that he found particularly
memorable including a trip on a vintage
steamer on which he was allowed to go down
into the engine room where he become
covered, to his delight, in oil and soot. We
also visited a friend who is a specialist fire and
rescue officer and he was given a tour of the
fire station where he was allowed to clamber
bistro Filipina
10 MADS magazine august/September 2010 11
our family at
the shang
all over the fire engines, operate the fire hoses
and use thermal imaging equipment to try
and find people in a dark room. plenty to stir a
five-year old boy’s imagination.
I have been struck by how travel has helped
Angus develop an interest in what is going
on around him. Answering the quick fire
questions on “what’s that?”, “why is it doing
that?”, “where is it going?” etc are all part of
growing up. As a parent, it is a joy to help a
child develop their knowledge.
We have been very pleased at how quickly
the children have settled back into life in manila
after their holiday. Last week saw us venture
up to pagsanjan to visit the famous waterfall. I
have heard people say that they were advised
not to take small children but we were perfectly
happy to take our two and would recommend
the trip to anyone without hesitation. We did
take our own lifejackets for the children and this
was worthwhile as there didn’t appear to be any
small ones available. the kids found the journey
exhilarating and were particularly delighted by
the thousands of butterflies and dragonflies that
flitted around the boats as we made our way up
and down the river.
We are off this week to mactan Island near
Cebu and are looking forward to a couple of
days of taking it easy in preparation for the
return to the hectic schedule of school runs
and after school play-dates that the new term
will bring. ❚
diary of a maDS dad

ack to school
managing
extra
bY NImmI mALHOtrA
Not so long ago, a girlfriend handed
me the long list of extra-curricular
activities offered by one of the
international schools. As I leafed through
the booklet, I wished and prayed I could
go back to school again! the choices,
the opportunities, the skills our kids can
access through extra-curricular activities are
tremendous. I immediately made a mental
note of all the activities my daughter could
join once she entered school. Within minutes,
there were at least ten ‘must do’ things that I
had already planned for her to do, in her very
first year of school!
Activities are indeed important. Dr. robert
Needlman on Drspock.com says extracurricular
activities expose children to subjects
not covered in school and may bring out a
hidden talent in a child. He suggests that
parents help their children choose which
extracurricular activities they participate in,
and help monitor their time.
Outside the secure world of the
curricular activities
international schools, you can find classes
offered in metro manila for dancing, golf,
soccer, swimming, crafts, music, music lessons
and instruments. In addition to classes, you
could find a private teacher for all of these
activities and more including voice coaching
for kids as young as 3! Coaches are more than
happy to come to your house for a one on
one or a small group comprising of only your
children and their friends and tailor the class
to them. the list is truly long and that’s where
the management starts! How many is too
many for you and your kids, before you are
both burnt out?
the first step in managing activities is
selection. How many should you choose, how
do you make sense of how many is too many
and what really will interest the child? Jody
Johnson pawel, the award winning author of
the parent’s toolshop book writes: “Overscheduling
often affects children's schoolwork,
quality family time and increases the stress
levels of the children and parents involved.
enrolling them in every activity under the sun will
almost always lead to burnout, so rationing is the
key. you could focus on sports and teamwork and
then, another activity that develops their creativity.
the long term result of over-scheduling is a
generation of stressed-out workaholics who
don't know how to set priorities, say "no",
focus on one task, and have balance in their
lives.” Also, “to regain control of your family
life and reduce scheduling stress, establish
a policy of two activities per season. Have
children rotate seasonal activities or reach one
goal, then strive for another.
toby Leah bochan on www.scholastic.com
agrees and suggests limiting activities for the
kindergarten and grade 1 level to no more than
one or two a week. this will allow them to settle
into routine at school. enrolling them in every
activity under the sun will almost always lead to
burnout, so rationing is the key. You could focus
on sports and teamwork and then, another
activity that develops their creativity. Ask your
kids what they are interested in and perhaps
give them a selection of what you feel would
be appropriate given their interests. Older kids
can certainly take on more but it is important to
give them a rest from activities as well. An exmADs
mum who is a firm believer in ‘no activity
days’, leaves out two days a week for her kids
when they have no activities planned. those
are the days when they can unwind, relax in the
house and do anything they like.
most of us have moved from lands without
any helpers, let alone, full time helpers. Our
kids’ active social life really meant us running
a very active ‘taxi service’. For families with
more than one child, managing schedules,
pick-ups and drops becomes just that much
easier with the help of yayas and drivers.
taking classes with friends not only helps with
transportation in terms of carpooling but also,
keeps the children’s interest going as their
peers or friends are also involved.
paying for extra curricular activities for one
child may not be a burden, but for three or
four? While manila may not be as expensive
as home, things do tend to add up and the
‘extras’ can potentially become a financial
burden. In addition to paid activities either at
school or outside, there is indeed a world of
free activities that cannot be discounted. play
dates with new classmates develop socialising
skills, Creative play dates decorating cupcakes,
making puppets or collages develop creativity
and swimming with friends becomes an
excellent sport for the afternoon. many
villages have swings and slides for children
to play, for e.g. North Forbes park near the
community centre has some good equipment
for kids to play on and plenty of soft grass for
an impromptu picnic dinner. For the younger
kids, there’s always mADs play dates to attend
at least twice a week for each age group!
In managing and organising these activities,
arranging transport and paying for them don’t
forget to take part yourselves. Attend their
rehearsals and training, cheer for the games
and presentation and marvel at their creative
plaques they so proudly bring home to show
off. If you do have some time leftover, why not
find an activity for yourself as well? ❚
Kindergarten
Keep your kindergartener's afterschool
life simple and free – one or
two after-school activities a week are
more than enough. Wait until he's
adjusted to the daily school routine.
Then find an extra-curricular that
involves his creative and/or physical
side, such as an art, dance, or music
program.
Grade 1
Balance your 1st grader's schedule
with playdates, playground visits, and
one or two days of an after-school
activity per week. Best bets are noncompetitive
sports and other physical
activities since this is around the age
when your child is starting to get a
grip on the abilities of her own body.
Plus, after being in school all day,
she needs an outlet to play and run.
avoid sports with strict rules. at this
age, she needs free reign to make
mistakes and not worry about
winning and losing.
Toby Leah Bochan www.scholastic.com
12 MADS magazine august/September 2010 13
back to school

top ten
ouR Top
pIcks
1take the kids to imagine that – A quiet
playhouse for 1-6 yrs old with pretend
rooms- dress ups, pretend market stalls,
doctor’s room and a whole room full
of blocks!
unit 201 three salcedo place
tordesillas street salcedo Village
09397875136
head out to your local village’s park
2 – Dasmarinas parks on Kamias or North
Forbes park. smother the kids with a natural
mozzie repellent and let them loose.
Museo pambata (pictured above)
3 roxas boulevard Corner south Drive
manila metro manila
phone: +63(2)5231797
for what to do after school
Your kids are back from school, they’re fed, rested and you still have
a few hours to entertain them before dinnertime. Here’s our top
suggestions on how to keep them active, busy and stimulated.
organise creative playdates – pool
4 dates, dress ups where everyone brings
a dress up to share; decorate cup cakes;
crafts; race your favourite cars…
take them Bowling at sM Mall of asia
5 bowling center
ground floor, entertainment bldg. sm mall of
Asia, pasay City
telephone : (632) 556-1533 to 34
visit the science and discovery centre
6 in Moa – A trip here might help in a
science project?.
southside entertainment mall, sm mall of
Asia bay boulevard Central business park
bay City pasay metro manila
phone: +63(2)5560331
Book them in some extra curricular
7 activities at school or outside of school.
the little gym of Makati – besides gym
8 work they offer classes in karate as well.
Level 1, bonifacio technology Center
31st street & 2nd Avenue, Fort bonifacio, taguig
phone: +632 815 1735 or +632 815 1779
organise a class at home – karate, dance,
9 swimming teachers, etc. Will all come
home here for a one-on-one lesson or a small
group (do ask for the group rate!)
Mads playgroup – Check with your
10 group co-ordinators on the current
month’s schedule and take your kids to the best
playdate they can have in manila!
travel talk
bY mAtHILDA VAN WeerDeN
MaBUHaY
“mabuhay” (pronunciation: mah-bOO-high) to
those of you who just arrived in the philippines.
mabuhay is an interesting local expression
used to literally wish you “a long life.” It is also
an expression used in welcoming guests and
a way of showing hospitality and is also used
for praising notable individuals. there you go -
mabuhay to all mums.
Hope you all had a wonderful break this
summer and managed the family’s jetlag well.
What an amazing phenomena jetlag becomes
once you have children. before children, you
would simply annoy your partner in the middle
of the night or switch on late night television.
However, with a family of your own handling
jetlag becomes a whole different experience,
don’t you think? Kids wide awake late at night
and the collective lethargy of the house does
take a few days to wear off.
ETIQUETTE ?
I truly enjoyed a break going back to Holland last
July. You know how to recognise Dutch people,
right? most probably they are these tall people, in
khaki-colored bermuda pants that can be zipped
or folded up to shorts. I believe in spain they call
us fondly “Las rodillas” which indirectly refers to
the Dutch dressing too casually. thank goodness
for our national soccer team’s coach, who wore
such a nice outfit during last World Cup!
dON’T LET THE WEaTHEr GET
YOU dOWN
settled in again in the routine of daily life, most
people, including me, are trying to cope with
the typical philippine weather of August to
November. It is humid and rainy, but don’t let
the weather get you down! there are still many
places you can get out to…
A great day out and a destination in itself
is ugu bIgYAN. It is a pottery garden in
tiaong City, Quezon, close to Villa escudero,
where the resident artist’s works are on
display and for sale. meals are served on
his beautiful ceramic plates and bowls in
his garden. reservations for lunch must be
made with a minimum of five persons. telefax
(042)545.9144. Directions: From manila,
head towards tiaong, Quezon. Drive past
the tiaong public market and watch for the
tiaong elementary school. Five minutes
from the school, watch for a sign pointing to
Lusacan National High school, to your left.
turn left on the road near the sign. Follow the
road and turn left at Alvarez Village. It is the
red clay house to your left.
Another charming place to visit is suLYAp
CAFe, located near san pablo City, Laguna. It
is a rebuilt, romantic spanish-type house with a
restaurant and an art gallery/museum/antique
shop annex. phone this number for more details:
(049)562.9740 or (049)562.9735.
For more day tours in and around manila,
including transportation with driver/guide for
your convenience, check out www.filipinotravel.
com.ph/tours/manila_daytours.php
especially great in the months with rain
is White Water rafting. Of course this is not
suitable for small children, but great with a group
of friends, family members or colleagues. Call
us to work out your tailor-made itinerary or get
a glimpse at www.filipinotravel.com.ph/tours/
cagayan_valley.php
EYE OPENEr:
THE USE OF MrT/LrT
Inspired to get out, I found myself without
transportation yesterday. Now what? Opt for
the hassle of getting a taxi in this rain? Or
stay home? Consulting a local friend on my
dilemma, she reminded me of the existence of
the mrt/Lrt, metro manila’s own train service
which connect destinations, point to point. the
mrt runs along eDsA between North Ave. in
Quezon City and taft Ave. in pasay City, where it
connects to the Lrt 1, which runs straight north
to monumento, Caloocan and then goes east
to connect to North Ave., making a complete
loop. the Lrt 2 line cuts east-west across the
loop from the santolan station in pasig City to
recto in manila, crossing the mrt at Cubao. You
can find a map of the routes at www.lrta.gov.ph/
system_map.htm.
so I thought, let’s take the mrt. I had to go to
Quezon City, an area I hardly knew and it is out of
my comfort zone. For a mere 14 pesos I travelled
from Ayala station to the sm megamall station
and it took only 10 minutes! If you plan to visit
eDsA shangri-La mall, get off one station earlier,
named shaw boulevard station. the elevated
rail line is way above the cars, giving you a good
view of daily life below and the mountains that
surround metro manila. What an eye-opener!
moreover, I had a good laugh when I saw
everyone ignoring the pretentiously displayed
signs “bawal Dumura” (no spitting) and “Huwag
magtulukan”(no pushing). ❚
This is Mathilda’s last ‘travel talk’ column. We
would like to thank her for her support to the
magazine, her insightful contributions and
excellent travel tips. Mathilda will be missed
from these pages.
If you would like to contact her to plan your
travels, please email her on mvanweerden@
filipinotravel.com.ph or call 528 4507 to 09.
TRAVEL TRIVIA
❱ New Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said the government is expecting to fully
operate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 3 in time for the Christmas
holidays this December. The NAIA 3 is currently not being used to its maximum capacity
because of several problems.
❱ Air Philippines has re-launched itself as “Airphil Express.” It is set to fly to Singapore, its first
regional destination, beginning October 27, 2010.
❱ Pregnant? Your Filipino visitors may linger at your door instead of entering your house if they
subscribe to the Philippine folk belief that if they do so they will cause a pregnant woman a
difficult delivery... Maybe you should just welcome them with a heartfelt “Mabuhay.”
14 MADS magazine august/September 2010 15
Pot holes

travel
our Malaysian adventure
bY COrINA rAemAeKers
We travelled to malaysia in June, to
escape the rains and because of
the international school holidays.
Indeed the climate is more tempered in
malaysia, with daily rain but only for an hour
or so. It's more lush: more palm trees, which
you notice immediately when driving from the
airport to Kuala Lumpur, which is quite a long
ride by the way.
Another reason for picking malaysia was
because we were able to drive ourselves,
which was a refreshing change. Our itinerary
was Kuala Lumpur (2 days), Cameron
Highlands and tea plantations (3 days),
penang (3 days) and Langkawi (4 days). this
schedule turned out to work well for our family
with a 3 and 6 year old. Although we take the
needs of our children into account, we feel the
holiday also needs to be for us adults as well!
(Although just like them, I love spending time
at the pool!).
In KL we stayed at the Ascott. sounds
familiar? It was a huge, impersonal apartment
right next to petronas towers and mall. I
thought this was great, although this location
was VerY urban, as in “all concrete”. the
trip from the apartment to the mall, where
we also went for dinner, was not so romantic
as it had to be made via small sideways and
construction sites.
shopping was great. I particularly loved
the Japanese department store Isetan. the
next day we all went to the bird park albeit
by taxi. What a beautiful place! We spent all
morning there and shared our lunch with the
birds, which would explain why the restaurant
terrace was empty….
We then ventured on to Cameron Highlands
in our rented proton. this is the national
car in malaysia and everyone owns one!
Driving was easy, although the “mountain”
part took forever. I am wary of these hairpin
turns ever since Fleur, then 2, vomited heavily
after a mountainous trip in mexico that took
hours. Anyway we arrived, puke-free, in the
picturesque Lakehouse (think it is german
"vakwerk" architecture) hotel which was an
adventure for the kids since it resembled a
real "grandma" house with many knick-knaks,
stairways, beautiful bathrooms that flushed by
pulling a string. I don't think my children had
ever seen that. the gardens were also beautiful
and the hotel’s many rooms included a library
and a bar where you can curl up and read or
as in our case, watch the soccer World Cup.
In terms of excursions we went to visit bOH
tea plantation which was beautiful and not
like anything I had ever seen before in terms
of vegetation. It was very crowded there and
they also have a very tasty tea "shoppe". the
factory "tour" is not recommended - better
to read about the tea production process in a
book or on the internet if you ask me!
then it was on to penang. On the way we
visited the butterfly garden but these creatures
scared the hell out of our girls so that was a very
short visit. Hornbills yes, tiny butterflies, no….
Indian, Chinese and malay all seem to be
living peacefully together and make for a
colourful cityscape. Against popular opinion,
I liked the city. the drive up there was long. I
was, not so secretly, hoping for a european/ us
style "rest area" along the highway. Let me tell
you, it's not tHAt developed. the rest area was
huge and resembled a market or a local style
food court. the food was clean and hygienic,
very tasty, a bit hot but interesting. However
we did experience a bit of 'monkey watching'
(with us being the monkeys). Anyways, in
penang we stayed at the eastern & Oriental
hotel. they have wonderful, apartment style
rooms and the property is beautifully located
on the waterside. What an awesome, colonial
place. We toured the Cheong Fatt tse mansion
and the tour guide was so good that we spent
another afternoon with her touring the city.
she told us stories, took us to this old man who
makes incense sticks and we went shopping for
bangles in little India. We attended a ceremony
in a Chinese temple, it was all very kid friendly
and interesting but HOt. the Cheong Fatt tse
mansion is a Chinese style courtyard house
that served as the backdrop of the movie
“Indochine”. One great feature of the tour for
me was all the Chinese wisdom shared about
how to build a house. Did you know it has to
be located at the neck of the dragon? surely I
need to brush up on my feng shui…
Finally our well deserved rest time in
berjaya resort in Langkawi. berjaya is a short
flight away from penang. the resort is huge
and set in a jungle layout with a shuttle bus
service. We stayed in the newer part, with
access to the better (situated) restaurant.
guests staying in the "older" rooms were
denied access to that restaurant, at least at
breakfast, which was odd. the food was really
good. they have a Chinese restaurant and a
beautiful thai restaurant which is situated at the
end of the pier. I liked the beach, with plenty of
shaded cabanas, although the water was not
clear though, so no snorkeling and went deep
suddenly so you had to stay close. the kids went
in a kayak with Daddy. there are 2 separate kiddie
pools where it was usually quiet. the pool is nice,
with a covered rock/ waterfall area. the rooms
have big decks where you can hang out after
the children go to “sleep” which beats drinking
a bottle of wine in the bathroom if you ask me
(I once read someone had done this - hilarious).
since our daughters are not used to sharing
a room, they would NOt go down, only play,
play, play until they collapsed because of course
we ran out of threats: "tomorrow, no pancakes
or other nice food" (food being the bribe of
preference in our family). After checking out, we
took the plane to KL and spent one night at this
nice airport hotel whose name I forgot. It is quite
convenient, good pool and easy to catch the Air
Asia flight the next morning. the Netherlands
were still in the World Cup so in a good mood,
we went home to manila. ❚
16 MADS magazine august/September 2010 17
travel

family recipes
bY JeN LAWrANCe
Lunchbox
Gluten free oatmeal cookies
My son is gluten-intolerant and so these
are perfect snacks for his lunchbox and
easy enough for us to make together!
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup miniature chocolate or your favourite
chips
❱ preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and
line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
❱ process 2 cups of oatmeal in a food
processor until finely ground and floury.
then combine ground oatmeal, whole
oatmeal, baking soda and salt together in a
bowl and set aside.
❱ Cream softened butter until soft and
ideas
smooth. then add brown sugar and
continue mixing until well combined.
❱ Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix again
thoroughly.
❱ Carefully blend in the dry ingredients. Finally,
fold in chocolate or your favourite chips.
❱ Drop dough on prepared cookie sheets
by teaspoonfuls, spacing at least 2-inches
apart. At this point, you could freeze these
lumps of dough in zip-locked plastic bags.
When you are ready, bake as many of these
cookies as you like. Just add a few extra
minutes to the baking time.
❱ bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly
browned. Let them cool completely on their
baking pan.
❱ If there are any cookies left after serving,
store them in an airtight container. this crisp
recipe makes about 3 or 4 dozen yummy
delicious flourless oatmeal cookies loaded
with your favourite chips.
Gluten free flapjack
These are so easy to make and taste
yummy!
Ingredients:
2
/3 cup dried fruit (sultanas, cranberries or
favourite dried fruit)
3 tablespoons of apple juice
½ cup butter or margarine
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons clear honey
1 ¼ cups of gluten free oats
2 tablespoons of ground almonds or
almond flour
❱ put the dried fruit and apple juice in pan and
heat gently. turn off the heat as soon as the
juice begins to bubble. Leave the fruit to
soak up the juice for about an hour. this will
plump up the sultanas nicely.
❱ preheat the oven to 170oC (325oF/gas mark 3).
❱ prepare a 7 inch square baking tin by
greasing and lining with baking paper.
❱ put the butter, sugar and honey into another
pan, and heat gently until the butter melts
and the sugar dissolves. take the pan off
the heat.
❱ stir in the fruit, oats and ground almonds
and mix thoroughly.
❱ spread the mixture into the pan. pop it in
the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes
or until golden brown.
❱ Cut into bars, leaving them in the pan to
cool down and set for a few minutes. then
turn out onto a cooling rack.
American Frittata
A simple frittata for the whole family. You
can cut it up and serve it cold, ideal for
lunchboxes
Ingredients:
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ onions, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 eggs, beaten
¾ cup cubed ham
salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
❱ bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add potatoes and cook until tender but still
firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside
to cool. meanwhile, preheat oven to 350
degrees F (175 degrees C).
❱ In a cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium
heat. Add onions and cook slowly, stirring
occasionally, until onions are soft.
❱ stir in eggs, drained potatoes, ham, salt
and pepper. Cook until eggs are firm on the
bottom, about 5 minutes. top frittata with
shredded cheese and place in preheated
oven until cheese is melted and eggs are
completely firm, about 10 minutes.
Granny’s Famous
Salmon Cakes
This is a recipe for my Granny's famous
salmon cakes. It is a family recipe
that has been passed down through
generations.
Ingredients:
1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained and
flaked
2 eggs, beaten
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
❱ pick through the salmon and remove any
bones. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and
add the diced onion, salmon and pepper.
mix thoroughly.
❱ shape into 2 ounce patties; about 7 or 8
patties. In a large skillet over medium heat,
heat the oil. Fry each patty for 5 minutes
on each side or until crispy and golden
brown.
Spanish Tortilla
Combines eggs with delicious potatoes in
a very short time. My daughter won’t eat
cereal so she loves this for breakfast
and lunch!
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled
4 slices bacon
2 slices cooked ham, diced
½ onion, thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, sliced
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon spanish seasoning
❱ slice edges off of potatoes so that
potatoes are roughly square; thinly slice.
Heat olive oil in medium skillet over
medium heat. Add potatoes and lightly fry.
remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and
set aside.
❱ place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook
over medium-high heat until evenly brown.
remove bacon, crumble and set aside.
reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease and
cook ham, onion and red pepper. remove
from heat.
❱ beat together eggs and spanish seasoning.
pour eggs into skillet with vegetables. Add
bacon and potatoes. Cook over medium
heat, without stirring until bottom begins
to brown. turn omelette over and allow
both sides to brown. serve warm.
18 MADS magazine august/September 2010 19
family recipes

irth story
Natalie’s natural birthing experience
Natalie pickering shares her exhilarating experience of giving
birth to her first child far away from home in manila.
I
admit having a baby in manila was not where
we’d planned to start our family. so when we
discovered we were pregnant within weeks
of moving here, I did think if we were being
crazy trying to do this so far away from close
friends and family and the familiarities of home.
We arrived in manila when I was 8 weeks
pregnant. Chris (my hubby) started work
immediately and I set about exploring our
new surroundings and getting to know the
fantastically welcoming expat community here.
but pounding at the front of my mind was finding
a doctor, getting my head around this pregnancy
thing, what do I need to do and will I be able to
do it. the worries and the list went on and on.
Dr Henson was the Ob-gYN I choose. Within
moments of meeting her, I felt at ease with her.
Although she had an impressively large patient
list she could always answer all my questions
and concerns and most importantly explain
how things were done here and what options
were available. As my pregnancy progressed
my check-ups became more frequent, scans
came back very positive and I could see how
my little prawn was thriving.
my pregnancy was very straightforward, and
I felt great most of the time. even through
the soaring heat of may when my ankles, feet,
hands, face, well pretty much everything had
swollen to new record heights, I managed
to carry on with life much the same as usual.
my new best friends were swimming and airconditioning
with heavy doses of chocolate
coming a close third.
A few weeks before my due date, Chris, Dr
Henson and I wrote out a birth plan. I was really
hoping for a natural birth with no intervention
but I didn’t want to be a martyr to myself so
I also wanted other options nearby should
I change my mind. Always the optimist, Dr
Henson was very encouraging and supportive
of my choices and again answered my many
questions about how our birth would work.
At 39 weeks and 3 days and I went into
labour. I was feeling particularly energetic in
the days leading to the birth. In fact the day I
went into labour, I went for a swim, enjoyed a
spot of shopping and had a long lunch out with
a bunch of girlfriends. there were even jokes
about going into labour and catching babies
while we were out. However, I was convinced
bub wouldn’t make her entrance for another
week. In the evening I had also planned to
attend a World Cup opening celebrations
event with hubby, but decided to give it a miss
and have a lazy night at home with my feet up.
that was the best decision I had made,
as not even an hour after I arrived home,
my waters broke. shortly after I had my first
contraction. 20 minutes later I had another
and in 15 minutes, my next one. strangely
enough I paced around the house trying to
decide whether to call Chris. After a crazy
week of work, I knew he was chuffed to be out
watching his home country host the World
Cup and also their first game. but these
thoughts quickly subsided when it dawned on
me that a festively drunk hubby would be as
helpful as an absent hubby during my labour.
I made the call and Chris arrived home in
20mins brimming with excitement. Within
the hour my contractions swiftly moved to
3mins apart. I was desperate not to get to
the hospital too early after hearing so many
stories of labouring women being sent home
as they were only 1cm dilated and so, I zoned
in on my breathing to get me through. Chris
was an amazing support, racing around doing
all the last checks but also calmly saying all the
right things. the hospital bag was rechecked
and finally at the tenth time it was moved to
the front door. soon after, I convinced him to
go to the hospital. I was 6cms when I arrived
and the contractions were speeding up fast.
I kept up an active birth as long as I could
manage moving about the room and trying
different positions. When Dr Henson arrived
a little later and checked me, I was already
8cms. before I knew it the contractions were
right on top of each other. the peaks and
the troughs became peaks and peaks. And
there was no rest in between. bless him, Chris
continued with his positive words and chants
of encouragement and did his best trying to
take my mind away from the contractions.
but as much as I needed his help, he didn’t
receive the same positive words back. Luckily
one more check and Dr Henson was telling
me I could begin pushing as soon as I felt that
urge. but then the contractions stopped and
nothing happened.
During this time and even in my advanced
state of labour I clearly remember Dr Henson
directing her team quickly into baby catching
mode. And then here we all were, Dr Henson
and her team, Chris and even me just waiting
for something to happen. It lasted about 10
minutes. then from nowhere the overwhelming
urge to push came and it was all action again.
After 3 massive pushes Louise monica
pickering came racing out weighing 7 pounds
6 ounces. I had read all about the pain
mysteriously disappearing right after birth,
but I never quite believed it. the pain really
did go away and a rush of endorphins hit as
I was handed my healthy crying new baby.
We locked eyes and her surprise matched my
buzzing high. Lying there cuddling in delirium,
Chris joined us for that special moment as we
became our very own family unit.
Dr Henson stuck exactly to my birth plan. I
had a 6 hour labour, quick for most births and
very quick for a first birth and no complications.
I managed with no pain relief or intervention
and used various breathing methods to help me
manage the pain. but it was the huge support of
my hubby and Dr Henson that got me through. ❚
Natalie Pickering moved to Manila from London
recently. She is originally from New Zealand.
And is the new MADS pregnancy and new born
co-ordinator. She recently gave birth to her first
child, Louise Monica Pickering.
First cuddles with proud dad,
Chris Pickering.
20 MADS magazine august/September 2010 21
birth story

staying sane
playing to your
strengths
bY sHANA mONtesOL JOHNsON
e
ver have a “bad hair day”? A day when
your hair is not behaving, just doesn’t
look right, and you feel out of sorts
‘til it calms down. Well, recently I had bad
Hair Week. Or perhaps we could even call
it a bad Hair Fortnight. my hair was flipping
out when I wanted it to flip in. It refused to
look presentable no matter how much time
I spent on it. I’ll be the first to admit that I
am incredibly impatient when it comes to
spending time blowing out my hair – hence
what I call my “ponytail addiction”. It is simply
much easier to pull it up into a ponytail and
run out the door.
I’ve lived in manila for six years and have
yet to find a hair salon or stylist that I’ve
consistently been happy with. It seems that
I’d get a good haircut the first time I went
to a stylist, but then on succeeding visits I’d
be less and less pleased with the results. I’m
not sure if it’s them or me, but it got so bad
recently that I was becoming quite desperate.
In the midst of my frustration, I remembered
that a friend had been going to a certain hair
stylist for years, and was even friends with him. I
had the impression that other expats I know had
also gotten haircuts from him. I tracked down
my friend while she was on her home leave, got
the stylist’s contact information, and made an
appointment for a haircut two days later.
Yes, I got a good haircut, and yes, I was
happy with it. It didn’t instantly turn me into
a supermodel supermommy, but at least I
could go out in public and hold my head up
high. but that’s not why I’m writing an article
about it (hello, frivolity?!). the thing is, I had a
revelation from this new hair stylist who shall
remain nameless* (see note below) on that
auspicious day.
He asked me where I normally part my hair,
and I showed him. then he tousled my hair
a bit, and showed me where my natural part
should be.
What a revelation. I’ve been parting my hair
ON tHe WrONg sIDe all of my life! given
that I am 37 years old and I started parting my
hair at about age 9, that’s 28 YeArs of fighting
what comes naturally. my hair wants to go
one way, is wired to do that, and yet I’ve been
insisting on making it do the exact opposite.
When the hair stylist asked me if I wanted my
new haircut to follow my natural part, I replied
without a moment’s hesitation, “Of course!”
He also hypothesized that the tendency
for my hair to flip out despite my best efforts
– armed with hair dryer, round brush, and
hairspray – to make it flip in, was probably
natural as well. so for my new hairstyle, we
went with, rather than against, those natural
tendencies – my hair flips out now, and I
actually encourage it to do so.
my philosophy when it comes to life – and
hair – is to build on one’s natural strengths,
to go with one’s natural instincts. In sum,
don’t try to be something that you’re not. It
just takes too much energy, and the results
will never be as stellar as when you figure out
what you’re naturally good at and you focus
like a laser on that. this is what I advise my
coaching clients who are trying to figure out
what new job will bring them satisfaction and
purpose, as well as those who want to keep
their current job but are feeling stuck in some
aspect of their work. It is also what I hope to
teach my two daughters someday.
this is not a philosophy that I invented
myself. It’s mentioned in many popular and
well-respected business and career books.
One prominent author, marcus buckingham,
calls it the “strengths revolution.” In his book
i’ve lived in Manila for six years and have yet to
find a hair salon or stylist that i’ve consistently
been happy with. it seems that i’d get a good
haircut the first time i went to a stylist, but then
on succeeding visits i’d be less and less pleased
with the results.
“go put Your strengths to Work” he says, “a
person or an organization will excel only by
amplifying strengths, never by simply fixing
weaknesses.” Of course, our culture, society,
parents, teachers, and friends may have
steered us in the opposite direction. We were
raised on what buckingham calls the “myth”
that you will grow the most in your areas of
greatest weakness. this is why, when as a kid,
I’d come home from school with a report card
with all As (100%) and one b+ (89% -- usually
in math) my mom wouldn’t even congratulate
me on the preponderance of As, but would
merely ask, “What happened with this b+?
” (Of course, this may have something to do
with the fact that my mom is a Filipina and
is pretty fixated on education…but that’s
another story altogether!) she would go on
to say, “You need to work harder on math.”
buckingham would say to my mom, “shana
won’t learn and grow the most in her areas
of weakness (i.e., math). In fact, what little
learning and growth she will do in that area
will be hard won. It would be a much better
use of her time to invest her energy, time, and
diligence to focus on her strengths.”
And the evidence from my life in my postschool
years shows that to be true. I am OK at
math, not great. I can balance my checkbook
(if I feel like it). I can keep up with paying our
household bills. Yet I haven’t grown a lot in
the area of math. by contrast, I have grown
tremendously in areas that I am naturally good
at and drawn to – my strengths. these are
things I do in my career, and even tend to be
what I focus on as a parent.
buckingham writes that you will be the most
creative, inquisitive, optimistic, courageous,
and ambitious when playing to an area of
your strength. When you hit resistance or
obstacles to your goals, you will bounce back
fastest when the goals center on one of your
strengths. so why fight a battle that will take
many more resources to win, when you could
fight a battle that is so easy – and even fun –
that it doesn’t feel like a battle?
so I’ve given up struggling against my hair,
and let it do what it wants to (within reason).
Likewise, I’ve tried to focus my time and
energy on my strengths and the things I enjoy.
What about you? What natural tendency are
you struggling against? What are you naturally
good at that you could amplify and focus on,
for greater success, satisfaction, and fun? ❚
*Note: The identity of the hair stylist in this
article has been kept anonymous, but if
you, too, are having a Bad Hair Day/Week/
Fortnight and are getting desperate
(or are just curious) shoot me an email at
smj@post.harvard.edu and I shall share details.
Shana montesol Johnson is a mom
of two, and the co-coordinator of
the mAdS Working moms Group. A
professional coach with a credential
from the international Coach federation,
Shana helps 30- and 40-something
professionals – primarily in the field of
international development – to identify
and build on their strengths, leading
to greater success, meaning, and
satisfaction in their work lives. She can
be reached at smj@post.harvard.edu or
+63921-333-4938.
22 MADS magazine august/September 2010 23
staying sane

member profile
hAve You MeT The Puno'S?
Who Are The PunoS?
the punos are: raffy, Kristine, Nikolas (12),
Zakary (8) and Annika (2). We enjoy living in
manila, but of course we miss the comforts of
our home in Los Angeles.
Where do You hAIl FroM?
We are originally from Los Angeles, California,
although raffy was born here and lived in
manila until he was 12 and Annika was also
born here in 2008.
WhAT BrInGS You To MAnIlA?
Just like all expats, raffy's job brought us to
manila.
hoW lonG hAve You Been In ToWn For?
We've been living in manila for the past 4 years.
Where do The kIdS Go To SChool?
Nikolas and Zakary attend school at Is manila
and Annika attends preschool at the Creative
play Corner (CpC).
WhAT InFluenCed You In Your
SChoolInG deCISIonS?
For the boys, we visited all of the international
schools prior to making Ism our final decision.
We decided upon Ism because as compared
to the other international schools, Ism was
the most similar in curriculum and teaching
style to the schools in the us. Of course, the
facilities at Ism didn't hurt either!
With regard to Annika's school, we were
very impressed with CpC, both the Dasma and
Fort campuses. the teachers and the children
are always happy, bright and energetic. We
fell in love with the music program and we can
definitely see that Annika has fallen in love
with it as well!
hoW hAve You SPenT Your SChool
holIdAYS?
During every school break, we attempt to
travel either locally or internationally. For the
long summer breaks, we definitely go back
home to the us to spend time with family.
Locally, we have visited places like boracay,
bohol, and Cebu and intend on visiting
palawan and Donsol this year. We also use
our time in the philippines as an opportunity
to travel throughout Asia. We have visited
Vietnam, thailand, Indonesia, singapore,
Hong Kong and China.
do You hAve AnY TIPS on hoW To GeT
The kIdS AdAPTed To The neW TIMe
zoneS?
the first tip I have is the flight arrival time.
We like to arrive at our destination later in
the afternoon/evening as we find the kids
are more likely to fall asleep within a couple
hours. even if they wake up the next morning
early, they are refreshed.
When we arrive in manila, usually we get
here very early in the morning. We then try to
keep the children awake for most of the day
as possible. We take them out of the house
until they become very sleepy. the next day,
we keep them at home and let them take
short naps during the day with the curtains/
blinds open so that their rooms are bright with
light. this helps them to get re-acclimated
with morning and night.
WhAT Are The 3 ToP ThInGS ThAT The
FAMIlY CAn'T lIve WIThouT FroM
hoMe?
After four years we have found mostly
everything we miss from home, although at
an expense. However, the items we definitely
miss from home are:
In'N Out burger
target and trader Joes
California Wine (for mommy and daddy of
course)!
WhAT IS Your FAvourITe FAMIlY
reSTAurAnT In MAkATI?
bistecca for awesome steaks!
WhAT IS Your FAvourITe FAMIlY
ACTIvITY In MAkATI?
Watching movies in rockwell and riding our
bicycles in our subdivision.
And Your FAvourITe holIdAY SPoT
(WIThIn A 3 hour TrAvel dISTAnCe
FroM MAnIlA BY CAr/PlAne or BIke)
boracay of course!
BeST PIeCe oF AdvICe You CAn oFFer
A neW CoMer.
patience! Life is certainly different in manila
and there are many comforts being here, but
there are also very many frustrations. What
we've learned is that everything can pretty
much be accomplished, but definitely only
with a significant amount of pAtIeNCe!
Also, lean on your newfound friends from
school and work to help you find your way
here in manila. they are a wonderful resource
and more than likely whatever you are
experiencing one or a few of your friends have
been through the exact same thing.
hAve You MeT The
PrenTICe FAMIlY?
We all know Andy from his regular 'Stay At home' dad feature in our
magazine. But behind every stay at home dad there is a working mum.
What’s life like when the roles are somewhat reversed...
Who Are The PrenTICeS?
mum is emma. Dad is Andrew and there is
wee Angus (5) and Lexie (3).
Where do You hAIl FroM?
We came here from London but really from
scotland (although I'm english) we always say
we're scottish
BACk AT hoMe Who Worked?
We both worked full time, I started work early
in the morning and Andrew started later which
meant that one of us could always drop the
kids off at nursery and the other could pick
up. there was no room for error and always
working against the clock to make sure we
were never late. If there was problem with the
tube or bad traffic it was a big stressor!
hoW lonG hAve You Been In MAnIlA?
Just over a year, we landed on the 1st June
2009 -the beginning of the raining season and
thought it would never end...
So Tell uS The TruTh, IS The PAnTrY
AS orGAnISed AS IT Would Be IF
IT Were MuM In ChArGe InSTeAd
oF dAd?
Yes because of our delightful helper siony
although I'm sure Andrew would say he has
a lot to do with it!
do The kIdS STIll GeT To SChool
on TIMe under dAdS WATChFul eYe?
Yep, Andrew is great at that. He's up at
the crack of dawn making sure Angus has
everything sorted for school, although this
year Lexie starts at the bsm nursery so more
likely to be a little more hectic. mummy is
always still sleeping at that hour and you are
never likely to see me at school for drop off.
WhAT hAS Been The BIGGeST
AdjuSTMenT FroM The kId’S
PerSPeCTIve on hAvInG dAd In
ChArGe oF The dAY To dAY runnInG
oF The PrenTICe houSehold?
For me I love the fact that Andrew has had
the chance to spend so much time with the
children. Angus and Andrew have always been
best pals and Lexie was always mummy's girl
but she's much more even now which is great.
WhICh SChoolS do The kIdS ATTend?
the british school.
WhAT InFluenCed You In Your
SChoolInG deCISIonS?
We didn't look at any other schools, as we
are most likely going back to the uK so the
school system at the bsm would have been
the only choice.
hoW hAve You SPenT Your SChool
holIdAYS?
A bit grim for me really. Andrew took the kids
back to scotland for 5 weeks and I stayed here
to work. I'd like to say I had a wild and exciting
time without them but trust me, I was at home
tucked up watching every episode of true
blood and the tudors I could find on line. I
missed Andrew and the kids terribly but spoke
on the phone every day.
WhAT IS Your FAvourITe FAMIlY
reSTAurAnT In MAkATI?
We are still searching!! We've had so many
strange experiences with service, etc. but I
think at the moment it's Cibo and sala bistro
(for the sunday brunch)
WhAT IS Your FAvourITe FAMIlY
ACTIvITY In MAkATI?
Our sunday thing is to take the kids down
to the fort on their bikes and have a stroll
around; we stop for coffee and a milkshake for
the kids. It feels like we're doing something
normal that we would do back home. And
your favourite holiday spot (within a 3 hour
travel distance from manila by car/plane or
bike? Definitely Daluyon in palawan. beautiful
beach, reasonably priced accommodation and
Fawlty towers service but all part of the charm
of the place. Flight is around an hour to puerto
princesa and then a 2-hour transfer so takes a
little time to get there. We really loved it.
BeST PIeCe oF AdvICe You CAn oFFer A
neW CoMer.
Crikey - I could write an essay!! take up golf if
you don't already play! I'm still rubbish after 10
months of practicing and 20 lessons with eddie
Cruz but I'm addicted. It only takes one good
shot on a round to make you think you may get
better…some day. ❚
INTeRvIeWS cOMPILeD By Bev GILBeRT.
24 MADS magazine august/September 2010 25
member profile

next issue
In ThE
nExT
EdITIon
octoBeR/noveMBeR -
chRistMas is aRound the coRneR…
christmas in Manila
How will you spend your Christmas here in manila?
How do you continue home traditions so far away from home and
keep the kids connected with their family?
mADs magazine is inviting submissions for the next edition. Would
you like to share your Christmas stories with us? please send your
stories to malhotra.nimmi@gmail.com by 15 september 2010.
MadS PHOTO cOMPETITION
We are excited to launch a photo
competition for our kids. send us the
photographs of children doing what they
do best and go into the running to win
a p1500 voucher from stork studio for a
photo shoot for your family.
Theme: Holiday Fun
A photo of your precious ones enjoying the home break,
or just vacationing in the Philippines.
the winner of the best picture will be
announced in the next edition.
please email your high resolution photos to
madsmag@hotmail.com latest by 15 september
to be considered.
did you know that MadS
maintains a Winter
clothes Library?
■ melissa Newham is kindly looking after the Winter Clothes
Library for mADs. If people want to contribute to the library,
then they should drop the clothes off any time (washed and
ironed thank you!). please only donate good quality clothing,
nothing with holes or big stains. We are particularly in need of
sizes larger than 4 year old as there is plenty available
in small sizes Nb - up to 3-4 year olds. If
people want to borrow winter clothing,
please just drop melissa an email on
mnewham@britishschoolmanila.
org or text 0918 908 3213.
Clothes are available mon
- sat during the day, just
phone 810- 6372 to make
sure melissa’s helpers are
at home. Her address is
25 santo Domingo st,
urdaneta.
read any good books lately?
Seen any fantastic films?
cooked a meal that the whole family liked?
Enjoyed your family holiday?
Got a neat craft idea?
Send the information to us for our ‘Reviews & Recommendations’
section of the magazine.
Your fellow maDS moms will thank you for it!
Did you know?
MADS has a library of parenting books, covering
topics like pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding,
handling newborn babies and raising older
children. There are also other materials including
audio tapes, magazines and DVDs on parentingrelated
topics. If you are interested in looking at
the list of resources, contact Ana del Arco at
920 902 4371.
Ana also welcomes any new contributions to the
MADS collection, so if you’re wondering what
to do with those books of yours – they might just
have found a home!
PlAyGrouP CoordiNAtorS
mAKAti A (0-12 moNthS)
PlAyGrouP
Nalini A lachance
nalini.ablack@gmail.com
9285071937
mAKAti B (12-24 moNthS)
PlAyGrouP
Kenn roessler
kennroessler@gmail.com
0917 899 9194
mAKAti C (2-3.5 yrS)
PlAyGrouP
Jen lawrance
jenslawrance@gmail.com
0905 289 0392
mAKAti C+ (3.5-6 yrS)
PlAyGrouP
Sophie Butler
subtler@bcsaustralia.com.au
09178881714
AlABANG A (0-12 moNthS)
PlAyGrouP
Catarina lindstrom
catarina.m.l@hotmail.com
09173801907
AlABANG B (12-24 moNthS)
PlAyGrouP
rachel Baker
rachswbaker@yahoo.com
0917 491 0361
Penny Cogle
pennycogle@btinternet.com
0915 294 3220
AlABANG C (2-3 yrS) PlAyGrouP
Kirsten maher
kirsten_maher@hotmail.com
0920 947 5874
AlABANG C+ (4 -5 yrS)
PlAyGrouP
Catarina lindstrom
catarina.m.l@hotmail.com
09173801907
AlABANG SiBliNGS
Sarah Beuerle
sarahbeuerle@yahoo.com
0916 788 8672
North (ortiGAS/PASiG) PlAyGrouP
michiko Kadono
m-kadono@hotmail.co.jp
09178297629
26 MADS magazine august/September 2010 27
maDS directory

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