LITTLE BOY LEARNS TO BIKE

Reality just caught up on us and we just realized that the Little Boy is no longer a baby who needs stabilizers or balancing wheels on his bike.  Yesterday we removed those extra wheels, trooped to the apartment grounds and started rolling.

I never realized that there is science in learning how to bike.  I pride myself in learning on my own at age twelve sans science, just sheer determination… Okay, and a tweener’s desire to belong haha!!! Of course my husband, who up to now questions my ability to ride a bike,   would be the one to do the teaching and I would be the cheerleader/water girl/photographer/videographer.

I initially thought that Dear Hubby’s “scientific method” was peculiar but was later on proven effective because Little Boy learned to confidently ride a balancer-free bike in 30 minutes! Let me share with you these tips:

1.  TAKE AWAY THE PEDALS. Your child will maneuver the bike like how he does with a scooter.  It helps build a greater feeling of control and means he worries less about wobbling. It also gives him leverage to push off and gain his own momentum.  Encourage him to keep his feet off the ground for as long as possible.

2.  LEARN TO STOP BEFORE YOU START.  This should be on number 1 because this is a very important safety reminder that we failed to teach our son, so this is sort of a hindsight lesson.  Maybe start by letting your child stand beside the bike with his hands on the bars, walk along and practice pulling on the brakes.  It’s an important foundation that helps the child feel that he is in control.  I think any driver especially a child needs to get into the habit of using the brakes and it’s important to really get into his head.  “He has just started learning” may not always be a good excuse when you run over another playmate.

3.  HAVE FUN.  Learning to bike could be taxing and frustrating to a child (maybe even to adults) but try to have fun along the way.  Nobody gets it right the first time.

Allow me to share with you an amateur video that I made documenting my boys’ short journey to this milestone. Dear Hubby’s steadfast teaching, Little Boy’s perseverance to stand up fall after fall, and the ability to have fun made this learning experience a success.

Happy Monday everyone and may you all have a great productive week ahead!!!

OUR PERSONAL GROUND ZERO 9/11 EXPERIENCE

As a non-American visiting New York, I initially felt that seeing Ground Zero was just another tourist experience.  However, after passing through the queues and security checkpoints I realized and understood the magnitude of the events that occurred in that particular place that day.

Twelve years ago, I was watching 9/11 unfold via news broadcasts while on a photo shoot in a studio.  But it was difficult to really understand the scope of the destruction without seeing the giant space that the World Trade Center once occupied.   Not until you stand between the memorials and look up at the newly built One World Trade Center (or Freedom Tower) that you truly appreciate the scale of the tragedy.  Just imagining not one but two massive buildings came crashing down and the horror of the lives lost was truly heartbreaking.

Allow me to share with you this experience that made me change my perception of 9/11 and of life in general.

GETTING THERE

Our hotel was just literally a few steps away from Ground Zero so we just walked going there.  We couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like if we were in the same hotel that very moment the attacks happened.

We walked past the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) where they installed the Fire Dept. Memorial Wall honoring the firemen who died in service during 9/11.

THE QUEUE

The line was long but moving quite fast so waiting time was bearable.  Here are some images while on queue.

The “blue guards” and these signs were everywhere.

It was Christmas season when we visited, hence this sign

If you look closely at this flag of honor, this is made up of names of all those who perished during that time.

Directional signs going to the Ground Zero complex

GROUND ZERO

There were two square pools where the towers used to stand (North and South Towers). The pools were breathtaking! The perimeter of each pool had fountains that dropped water to the bottom of the pools.

The names of all those who died on the site (WTC employees, firemen, first responders, ordinary New Yorkers, etc.) were inscribed at the edge of each pool.

Everybody was encouraged to touch the inscribed names and offer prayers.

Giving a bit of history lessons to the Little Boy

Little Boy was greatly affected by the 9/11 story that until this day, he includes everybody in this tragedy in his night prayers.

Amused to see his Lolo’s name

There’s an electronic information guide/directory inside the memorial that gives information on where to find the name of a loved one.

It wasn’t overly crowded considering it was the holidays.  There were plenty of room to move around the memorial.

Here comes the sun!

The security was always on alert mode. We saw them in action when an abandoned bag was found on the ground.

The memorial guards were very strict… but friendly too. Little Boy, who was into anything military, asked if he can have a photo with them and they obliged.

Behind us was a structure inside the memorial ground that was said to become a museum which they say will open in 2014.

An actual debris that was part of the original WTC structure.

Seeing the whole area being a flurry of construction is bittersweet for me.  WTC will never be the same again but I have to give it to the New Yorkers for their fortitude in developing the site again.

The One World Trade Center or 1 WTC a.k.a. Freedom Tower is the primary building in the New World Trade Center complex. Its construction began in 2006 and was almost finished when we visited in December 2012.

It was a surreal experience.  There was a point when we were just standing still, staring at the water, touching the etched names, not talking for a few minutes offering a silent prayer.  I have no connection to the site nor did I  personally know anyone who was affected but the way I see it, 9/11 wasn’t just a New York thing.  It touched the entire world.

“At this moment 12 years ago, millions of Americans went to bed quietly with no thought that the next morning their world would change forever…. So tonight if you have people in your life that you love, tell them”

CAR-FREE SUNDAYS IN JAKARTA

If you ask anybody who’s been to Jakarta, he would most likely say that one of his unforgettable (or maybe forgettable) experience in this city is the heavy traffic.  On a typical day, frustrated  people get stuck in Jakarta’s infamous macet (traffic jam) praying to high heavens that they make it to their appointments, or that their bladders won’t explode in transit, or that they won’t choke on the fumes from the vehicles.

But once a week, the main thoroughfare transforms into a people-friendly zone and virtually becomes a park of sorts.  Every Sunday, from 6:00-11:00 AM, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Thamrin are closed to private and public vehicles (except for the TransJakarta).  Jalan Sudirman is Jakarta’s counterpart to our Manila’s EDSA so imagine that whole stretch being closed to traffic, what a bliss!  What started as a once-a-month environmental drive in 2007 garnered support and encouragement from the public that it became a regular Sunday  pollution reduction program in 2012.

And because Jl. Sudirman is a stone’s throw away from our building, it has become our family’s Sunday morning exercise to run/walk/bike along Jakarta’s busiest street.  So if you happen to be in the city on a Sunday,  enjoy a short escape from the bustling macet and head on to Jl. Sudirman for a morning of fitness, fun, food, and people watching.

Sharing with you some car-free Sunday scenes below…

The TransJakarta (bus rapid transit) is the only motorized vehicle allowed in Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin.

Little Boy at the most popular Jakarta landmark, the Sudirman Roundabout (Bundaran)

Enjoy leisurely or serious biking in front of the perennial bottleneck, Grand Indonesia.

Car-free Sundays are perfect recreational time for family and friends.

Also a preferred day and venue for various programs, promotions and causes…

Save Our Sharks!

Flash mob!

The traditional Indonesian “Ondel Ondel” or folk puppet performance

Don’t worry about getting hungry and thirsty along the way ’cause you won’t.

Water station in almost every corner

Coffee to go! Ano’ng sabi ng Starbucks? 🙂

If you’re lucky, you’ll chance upon some free sampling treats for freeloaders like me hehe…

Free fruit cups for everyone!

I always know where to find Little Boy when he gets lost in the crowd 🙂

HOME RUN!

“A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content.”

Happy Sunday everyone!!!