election season



Anton Lee Thomas reacting to news that
 Jinkee Pacquiao is running for Vice Governor

Mommy is aghast. Splashed on the news are reports that our favourite boxer’s wife is running for a Vice Governor position in the Philippines. That’s not all.  Pacquiao’s brother has also been said to be eyeing a seat in the House of Representatives.

From the Christian Post:

Maria Geraldine "Jinkee" Pacquiao, the wife of Filipino boxer and congressman Manny Pacquiao, is reportedly filing for a certificate of candidacy for vice governor of Sarangani, Philippines.

The decision for Mrs. Pacquiao to run for office reportedly came one hour before her husband decided to file his own certificate for candidacy for Sarangani representative. Malapatan Mayor Alfonso Singcoy reportedly said that the suggestion for Pacquiao's wife to run for office was made by Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez, according to Sun Star reports.

The suggestion was reportedly made after several mayors disagreed over the decision to have another candidate, Juan Domino, running with Vice Governor Steve Solon. Pacquiao's mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, agreed that her son's wife should take on the responsibility of being involved in the politics of her country.

"She should no longer be shy in public," Pacquiao's mother said in the Sun Star report. When Mrs. Pacquiao first met her pugilist husband, he was a struggling boxer while she worked in sales and promotions for cosmetics at a department store. However, her husband has grown to take on the responsibility of being a civil servant for his country and she may be following suit.

While Pacquiao is known for his boxing skills worldwide, the congressman said that his political role is equally important. Before the town of Glan in Sarangani was declared to be under a state of calamity due to the flooding of several villages last week, the boxer said he was passionate about improving the lives of his constituents.

Don't be surprised, Little Pebble, if Mommy won't be in such cheery mode today. While Mommy was not ecstatic when Manny Pacquiao ran for public office three years ago, she did not join the ranks of Pacquiao supporters who scoffed at his political ambitions. But Pacquiao's wife and brother joining the fray in 2013 is another matter and smacks of nepotism and traditional politics which have have taken repulsive proportions in this country.

 

Too much, too much, Manny Pacquiao.

brains vs. brawn

Ten weeks to go buddy and Mommy and Daddy will finally meet Anton Lee Thomas face-to-face! You are now 27 weeks. The book, “Pregnancy from Preconception to Birth” says that this week, more of your brain tissue will develop and that the characteristic grooves start to appear on the brain’s surface.  You now weigh nearly 2 pounds and measure 14.5 inches from head to toe.  Your eyes open and close and you sleep and wake at regular intervals.

You are gaining in strength now, little pebble.  Last Saturday, for the first time Mommy saw ripples in her tummy when you kicked! This makes her giggle a lot.  She now feels like a sumo wrestler whose tummy can jiggle here and there.

Now what are you going to do with that strength, dear one when you grow up?

You can choose to be like Gulliver, when he helped the Lilliputians protect themselves from being invaded (remind Mommy to get this book in the next book sale so she can read the story to you).

You can also choose to be like China today which has sent military vessels into Philippine territory last April 2012 and has refused to budge.

Both China and the Philippines claim ownership over Scarborough Shoal (a group of very small islands measuring 55 kilometers in circumference). Sarborough Shoal is a mere 220 kilometers from Palauig, Zamabales, Philippines while it is 840 kilometers from the nearest Chinese coast!

The Philippines has suggested that the two countries bring the dispute before the International Tribunal for the Law of Sea pursuant to Part XV of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. China has flatly refused the proposal.

Mommy is very upset over this. China is a big, powerful country and can pretty much do what it wants.  It must be laughing its head off over the puny vessels that the Philippines has been sending to the Scarborough Shoal to protect its territory.  China is making the Philippines feel its economic might.  A couple of weeks ago, China rejected the Philippines’ banana exports saying that there were problems with the bananas.  China very well knows that it will be expensive for the Philippines to export these bananas elsewhere in the world. China is also aware that the Philippines will not be able to domestically stage a boycott of Chinese products.

The Philippines, being a poor and weak country compared to China, is trying its best to settle the matter diplomatically.  It cannot match China in brute strength.

Little one, at any point in time, you will either be the stronger or the weaker one compared to somebody else.  When you are in a position of strength, Mommy and Daddy hope that you will use your strength to be helpful and generous to the people around you. 

When you are in a position of weakness, Mommy and Daddy definitely do not expect you to meet the bully head on.  You will just end up with a bloodied nose.  What you need to do dear one, is to use your head, your mind, your intelligence.  You will need to come up with a strategy.  You’ve got to always remember that a scared and pathetic heart hides behind the face of a boastful bully.  After all, if the bully is truly powerful, why would he hit upon the weak and the defenceless ones? And if it truly believes that he is in the right, why would he refuse to submit before the proper authorities who can make an independent decision as to who has a rightful claim?

third time's a charm

Daddy is ecstatic (ecstatic means extra happy, like you want to dance, twirl around and somersault because you’re very thrilled at something).

You see little Pebble, this is the third weekend that Port Adelaide has won.  Daddy has been upset the past few weekends as his team (sorry, that's Our Team) has been losing badly.  Last year was even worse; Port Adelaide did so poorly that Daddy said a lot of harsh words about the coach.  Mommy asked Daddy last year whether we should change teams.  He was horrified.  He could not even believe Mommy raised the topic!  (Seems like football in Australia is really different from politics in the Philippines. In the Philippines, if a political party’s head, usually the sitting President, is no longer influential, the members switch to or form another party).

Since you came along, Port Adelaide, however, has been on a roll. Some people believe that third time’s a charm.  But Mommy thinks you, our dear little one, is Port Adelaide’s charm this season.

P.S. That’s Mommy’s cap on the photo. Am sure Daddy will get you one too. Afterall, you cheered quite hard  for Port Adelaide, Mommy felt your strong excited kicks the whole afternoon!

buon giorno anton lee thomas!

The ultrasound showed today that you are now 22 weeks, that you weigh 470 grams, and that your heart beats 159 times per minute. 

An ultrasound is a machine where we are able to see you even if you are still inside Mommy’s tummy. There’s a gadget which is put on Mommy’s tummy and then we see you on a computer screen. We can also hear your heart beat! Pretty cool actually.

How you have grown, little one! Last 27 February, at nine weeks and six days  (that was the date of your second ultrasound), you just measured 3.05 centimeters from crown to rump. The book, "Pregnancy from Preconception to Birth, edited by Linda J. Murray" says that last week you already measured 10.5 inches (Mommy has to read up all these books so she learns how to take care of you).

We tried to find out today whether you were going to be a boy or a girl but your cute little legs were crossed.  Guess you were a bit shy.  The doctor tapped Mommy’s tummy to get you to change your position (sorry if we woke you up). And you did change your position!

Now am sure Daddy won’t throw away his old sport shirts, that he’s goingto show off to you his sports trophies, and …make you wear all sorts of Port Adelaide paraphernalia. Be ready little one. I can already see that you will be playing soccer and watching lots of soccer games. A whole lot.

We are very happy to see that you are doing well. Last Tuesday (22 May) Mommy and Daddy got alarmed that you did not seem to be moving. You were quite active two days before so your lack of movement was quite noticeable.  Daddy told Mommy to go to the hospital to just check how you are (sometimes little pebble, Daddy just pretends to be cool…). So off Mommy went (Mommy reads too many books which sometimes puts all sorts of scary thoughts in her head).  The doctors placed a small microphone on Mommy’s tummy to wake you up. Sorry little one, I think you were jolted. After all, it was already 9’oclock in the evening. You were fine, maybe you were just tired.

Or maybe you were really bored that Tuesday little pebble. We watched on TV the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines appear before the Impeachment Court composed of senator judges.  A lot of people did not actually think he was going to show up. He needed to explain himself well otherwise he would lose his job as Chief Justice (that’s a very big job!). Anyway, the Chief Justice went on and on for three hours. I was bored myself but I hang on there. I think you must have given a big sigh, gave up, and just dozed off. But I hope you woke up on that part when he dramatically ended up his long speech with, “Now, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines wishes to be excused” and he quickly thereafter tried to leave the hall. You can imagine he caused quite a stir. 

I must tell you little pebble that the proper way to excuse yourself (whether in court or when we’re having dinner if you didn’t like Mommy’s cooking) is to ask for permission to leave and you need to wait before Mommy says, “Permission granted”.  That is only the time when you can leave.

Ok, I think you need to sleep now little one. We’ve had a big day today. Mommy and Daddy are so looking forward to hold you and hug you and kiss you when you come out in September.

Permission to leave, granted.