It is a little more than two weeks before Valentine’s Day. Husbands, boyfriends, and significant others would be racking their brains once again to come up with gift ideas or how to make their Valentine date special. This is most frustrating for students because they have to stretch their already very thin allowance to buy something special for their girlfriends. I am sure they would be love to get suggestions on girlfriend gifts under 100. Gifts during Valentine’s Day need not be expensive but they have to be special. Girls just want to know that the guys remembered and made an effort.
I was attending mass earlier. There were many children who accompanied their parents. A boy seated at the other side, a few rows ahead of me, was playing with his yoyo. I just marveled at the fact that toys like yoyos, jackstones, and pickup sticks never seem to run out fad for kids even though high tech gadgets for kids seem to be the name of the game. I am glad that kids today still get to enjoy these toys that I enjoyed when I was a kid.
I love listening to music. When I was young I can remember listening to the radio and trying to record my favorite songs in a cassette tape. I asked for a walkman or something similar from my aunt and uncle through different periods while growing up. During birthdays, I request cassette tapes or CDs of my favorite artists of moment from my friends and family. From having a walkman, I graduated to a portable CD player then to an Ipod classic. When I’m working I use earphones so that I can still listen to my favorite songs without disturbing others. Through all the listening I have done, I realized that having great earphones or headphones can really make a difference in your listening pleasure. That is why people buy beats by dre pro because they know that it’s not just about listening to the music but feeling and going into the music.
A couple of weeks ago I was walking out of our compound on my way to the office. Along the way I came across two brothers and their companion. They were on their way to school. I overheard the older brother tell the younger one “Makulit ka kasi (Because you’re irritating).” Then the younger brother responded, “Kung di ako makulit, boring ako (If I’m not irritating then I’ll be boring).” I found it funny that a boy of around six or seven had that notion already. When I was a child, I cannot remember caring whether I’m boring or not. I guess it’s really different now. You have to be always interesting or your passe. What a burden.
Gloves are very useful hand protection. They come in different sizes, texture, shape, and purpose. There are gloves for the cold, for gardening, washing, playing golf, or rock climbing. There are gloves like alpinestars gloves for driving motorcycles or cars. Gloves are also very important in some jobs. Welders and machinists need gloves to protect their hands. Surgeons use gloves to protect not just themselves but their patients as well. Just imagine what would happen if surgeons do not wear gloves during operation? How unhygienic that would be. All these prove that the invention of gloves is at par with the invention of slice bread.
With the way people are abusing their ears with loud music and frequent use of earphones, Audiologist Jobs would never run out. Before, people who were deaf were usually the elderly and those who were really hearing-impaired. However, nowadays, relatively young people have a hard time hearing. In my previous office, we were accused of being very noisy and talking out loud. We never really thought about it but, we could not really hear very well. I admit I sometimes have difficulty in catching some words when somebody speaks in a normal tone. We just pass it off and joke about our hearing conditions but maybe we are really slowly becoming deaf because of too much noise pollution and we’re not even aware of it.
Yoga has been gaining popularity in recent years. I tried it before because one of my friends teaches yoga. I enjoyed it but stopped when she transferred to a new place and I never managed to go back to it. I am familiar only with the yoga mat, but it seems that there are other useful accessories like zafu and zabuton. Maybe once things have settled down I could go back and try yoga once more.
Who says toys are for children? It seems that people, especially men, cannot outgrow their love for toys. Their plastic toy cars became Nitro Remote Control Cars . There are even race matches with its own rules and standards. These toys are no longer just for play but have become a hobby. I guess it is quite an expensive hobby that children cannot afford but grown men can indulge in. I guess boys of all ages really love their toys.
This year seems to be a year to upgrade electronic media. Without planning to, I found myself buying a new laptop for me and a new cellular phone for my mom. She has been complaining that her cell phone had transparent tape to stick some parts together. Circuit City coupons would have been very welcome when I was buying those gadgets so that I could save money from discounts. Moreover, somebody gave me a Kindle Fire so I’m in e-book reader heaven. Unfortunately, I have been so busy these past few days that I have not been able to fully explore my new gadgets. I hope that I would get to bond with my new laptop and Kindle Fire this weekend.
During the Christmas season I shopped for gifts after Christmas day because I was so busy with work and parties. I did not have time to shop for gifts for friends and my godchildren. It turned out to be a blessing because the stores went on sale after Christmas day. I was able to buy toys and other items at discounted prices. Usually, I have a hard time choosing gifts for boys because these are usually more expensive and it is more difficult for me to guess what they like. So, I resorted to buying remote controlled toy cars that were on sale. At least I’m reasonably sure that little boys enjoy cars.
