Color your plate

Color your plate

by Ana Valenzuela

published June 14, 2011

Some may think that eating low-calorie or low-cholesterol food, and refraining from eating meat would automatically make them fit and healthy. But, what they don’t know is that doing so will keep them from getting enough nutrients into their body.

‘‘If you want to think of health as low- fat, or low salt, it is not all that. Wellness is about MoVaBa or moderation, variety and balance. That means you can enjoy food within the context of moderation, variety and balance. This is all part of a balanced diet,” says Aleli Elizabeth Magtibay, corporate nutritionist of Nestlé during the recent Nestlé “I Choose Wellness” expo.

Eating whatever you want can make you healthy. Sounds a little off yet true, but then the inevitable question really is how? Aleli elaborates.

“I can eat sisig, kaldereta, crispy pata, but it is how much I should eat. That’s moderation, meaning portion control. Variety, on the hand, means there’s no one food that can give you everything that you need. Different sorts of food has to be enjoyed everyday. There has to be fruits, vegetable and meat. It is not just I’m going to eat guyabano, there is no wonder food. We don’t single out that you should eat this and only this for the rest of the day. Meanwhile balance, take for example the amount of rice does not necessarily equate the amount of chocolate that you should eat. In the food pyramid, or even in our plates, half of it should go to fruits and vegetables or to rice. It is not all about eating equal shares”

Moderation, variety and balance are the keys to wellness, she says. Aleli also stresses that, “you have to put color on your plate, and it should represent everything. Your plate should have carbo-rich food, protein-rich food, regulating rich food, which are the fruits and vegetables, and you ought to have milk.”

Supermodel Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales could attest to this as she maintains her svelte figure by eating a variety of food at the same time doing a series of workouts. “I don’t stay away from anything at all, not even sweets. But, I have to remember my limits. If I want a cookie, I’ll have a cookie, if I want a cupcake, I’ll have a cupcake. If I want steak, I’ll eat my steak, but only a portion that would commensurate to how much activity I do,” she shares. “I really try my best to lead a balanced lifestyle. I make time for exercise. I have this need to be active. I try my best to eat well, there are times that I indulge in food, but that’s okay, for as long as I know my limits.”

To keep up with the MoVaBa diet, Nestlé makes sure that they have a variety of products, but these are also furnish with the right nutrients . “We want to make sure that our consumers meet what we described as a nutritional foundation. We are introducing micronutrients into our products to make sure that we are delivering the nutrients to address the relevant deficiencies that people have. For example, there’s a deficiency in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, or Zinc, so in different brands we incorporate different benefits that can meet the needs of the dietary Filipino consumer,” says John Miller chairman and chief executive officer of Nestlé Philippines.

“Different consumers have different needs,” John explains further on Nestlé’s stand on nutritional foundation. Apparently, it hopes to address the malnutrition here in the country. “For example, we are very keen to make our sugar level low as we know that diabetes is on the increase. Our products are reducing people’s sugar intake. Take for example Bear Brand, the incidence of underheight and underweight of Filipino consumers is on the rise; therefore we enrich Bear Brand with Zinc, to help children grow to their full potential. “

Nestlé products are enjoyed although out the day—Nescafé, Milo, Nestea, Nido. With what Nestle has presented, we can enjoy all cups of coffee in the idea of moderation, variety and balance, at the same time, be ensured that we get the nutrients we need.

Azkals Rape Victim

Is the azkals rape rumor true? According a to a blog site, the girl already has filed a case for this. But if there is any truth to this, why isn't there any news?

All there is are mere heresay on who the girl is.

Michelle Madrigal's name has already been dragged in to the issue.

And a glamour model who has been pulled out of a job, because of said issue also has been caught into this. The said model also has a degree from UP. For more on this, read.

Save Manila Zoo

Sign this petition

Read this article from inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Twitter is abuzz with Manila Zoo talk and netizens are perplexed what’s causing the chirps.

“Why is Manila zoo trending worldwide?” asks jm0926.

“Oh nice Manila Zoo is Trending World Wide! But I do not have an idea why it is on list of Trending Topics! “says GhingBieber.

“Ano nangyari sa Manila Zoo? link pls!” says ImSuperDianne.

As of this posting, the first and oldest zoo in Asia was fifth in the global trends on Twitter.

guitaristaah offers an explanation.

“Manila Zoo is trending worldwide because the animals there are suffering. Please, let’s all do something about it,” she says as she urges the web community to sign a petition of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals deploring the sorry condition of animals in “cramped, barren cages that can’t compare to their natural habitats.”

One netizen shared a blog link showing photos of malnourished donkeys, and a rabbit and ostrich with untreated wounds. INQUIRER.net could not verify the authenticity of the photographs.

Thus, annecurtissmith wants the animals freed. “Manila Zoo is way to small for an elephant and a tiger they should be set free “

“So I know now why Manila Zoo is trending. The animals are in a very poor state. They should take actions about that asap,” says swaglikemiley.

Dennis Maliwanag

The zoo's entrance is normal looking, decent, even. Not like the depressing interior.



Dirt-cheap entrance fees. Probably one of the reasons for the zoo's poor maintenance. Sadly they have no right to charge more either, based from the condition of the zoo.



Map of the zoo. Looks small and simple enough. But "small" is one of the zoo's biggest problems.


Old, rusty cages. Hardly any animal in sight.





This is Mali, the zoo's biggest attraction. He is an Asian elephant that arrived at the zoo as an orphaned calf donated from Sri Lanka.



He is the biggest attraction but what kind of an enclosure is that? It's sad, small, tight and boring.



Disgusting looking pond.



Yes there is a tiger in this photo. Yes those are dead leaves from who knows how many days or weeks. Why isn't anyone cleaning up the mess?



An even worse mess--literal trash? What is wrong with this zoo's maintenance?



Sad tiger.



Look, horses!



Wait, why do they look like that?



You can almost see its bones. Sick and not in the cool way.

How could it possibly get worse than that?



How about this rabbit's untreated wound?



Or this ostrich with a dead eye?

pics and captions from http://kuro-akira.livejournal.com/88463.html

Go green, Cool Green

Go green, Cool Green

by Ana Valenzuela

Published Manila Standard Today July 7, 2011

Did you know you are threatening the environment by forgetting to turn off the lights, overcharging your phone or using a high-powered air conditioner?

Our planet uses up 15 terawatts (1.504×1013 W) of energy per year. Wasting electricity contributes to the intimidating greenhouse effect, as fossil fuels, the main source of electricity gives off carbon dioxide.

What a number of organizations are proposing is that we go green, not only in terms of ecological conservation but also with the buildings as 40 percent of energy consumption is eaten up by these structures. There are now green buildings which have been designed with cost-effective and ecologically-aware resources, thus making a positive effect on the environment.

One of the means utilized by these green buildings is energy efficient cooling systems like those presented by Concepcion-Carrier in the market today. Concepcion Carrier calls these the green cooling solutions, the Carrier XPower Inverter, the Carrier Evergreen 23XRV chiller, and the Toshiba-Carrier SMMSi. These products effectively lower electricity consumption.

“We know that air-conditioning and refrigerating systems require energy. We offer an industry leading energy-sufficient-solution products and services to our customers. Solutions that our customers could bring help in the environment as well as reduce electrical expenses,” says Raul Joseph Concepcion, chief executive officer of Concepcion Carrier Air Conditioning.

The Carrier XPower Inverter, uses an non-ozone depleting, chlorine-free R-410a refrigerant and saves up to 53 percent more electricity versus other leading inverters. The Carrier Evergreen 23XRV is the world’s first integrated variable-speed, water-cooled screw chiller. Compared to other typical chillers, the Carrier 23XRV has 15-30 percent better part load efficiency. The Toshiba-Carrier SMMSi is a first class air-conditioning technology and the most advanced inverter or variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system for large buildings that is 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional VRF inverters.

“Carrier has consistently led all over the world in pioneering the most efficient, most practical and most sustainable solutions for residential and commercial establishments. For them and for us, going green makes perfect sense. Today, we at Concepcion-Carrier continue to pioneer in providing these solutions to our country, in ensuring that the country is in touch with the Carrier vision of providing a better and more comfortable place to live, work and play for future generations,” adds Concepcion.

In case you didn’t know, there are green buildings here in the country; in fact there is even a council which presides over them. The Philippine Green Building Council corporate communications manager, Chester dela Cruz, shares, ‘the Philippines being a developing country is vulnerable to the effects in climate change. That is why we are promoting buildings as a solution to the climate change crisis.”

“Why buildings as a solution,” dela Cruz asks. “We see the environmental and economical impact of building and construction industry globally. Thirty to 40 per cent of the green house emissions are coming from this sector and about 40 percent of energy use worldwide. Green buildings are structures which are designed, built, renovated, or operated in an ecologically-resourced efficient manner.”

“Concepcion-Carrier is together with Philippine Green Building Council in promoting and coordinating efforts in sustaining green practices in the local building and developers. Our support to the PGBC shows commitment in providing to all kind of solutions whether residential or commercial establishments,” says Jojo Concepcion, Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company’ vice president for sales and marketing.

So, let us all do our share in our conserving energy and protecting the environment for a much greener and better tomorrow.

Pinoy Shopping Experience

The Pinoy shopping experience

by Ana Valenzuela

Published Manila Standard Today July 1, 2011

When it comes to shopping for wholesale and retail products, some people prefer going to Bangkok, Hong Kong or Beijing. But is there really a need to go abroad to shop for good deals?

Right here in the Philippines is the popular go-to place of many shoppers, retailers and wholesellers. Divisoria with its main crowd-drawer—the Tutuban Malls. Tutuban, located at the southern part of Recto Avenue, offers the best buys on clothes, shoes, bags and accessories. One can haggle with sellers and get items at low cost within the two-cluster buildings, Prime Block and the Center Mall of Tutuban.What more, bargain-hunters are sure to get loads of good deals at even when on a limited budget.

Tutuban, currently handled by Philippine Orion Properties, Inc. (POPI) and First Lepanto Corporation’s merger company GuocoHoldings (Phil.), Inc. (GHPI) aims for a wider market and aims to expand Tutuban's shopping block before it renews its 25 year old lease with the Philippine National Railways (PNR) in 2014.

"Tutuban has been the country's center of commerce since the 1800's and is continuing to be so. What we envision for Tutuban is to be a hub of employees, students, for bargain hunters and missionary shopping," says Ernie Hilario, Business Development Head of POPI.

Aside from the usual wholesale and retail commercial centers, Tutuban will also push for a hotel component as to provide lodging for local and foreign bargain hunters. Apart from accommodating tourists, the hotel will also be intended for local residents. Tutuban Mall currently has two parking lots and will be expanding for motorists and commuters though a transportation terminal.

"We have the train operations of the PNR, which no other mall has," says Hilario proudly. "We also plant to put a terminal for buses, vans, jeepneys. (Whatmore) there are also plans of the LRT recto extending towards Tutuban."

Tutuban also plans boost its automotive and food service industry. According to Hilario, these new facilities will be modeled on existing and successful establishments.

"We will be having the autocity--– similar to the motor centers of Alabang and Banawe. It will have a motor depot for motorcycles, car parts and accessories,” Hilario adds.

"We also plan to add restaurant strip mall, similar to Bonifacio High Street. This will complement the market of the auto city," Hilario added. Aside from the restos, a fresh produce market is also in the works to service many of the nearby residences and Chinese.

Also, Tutuban gets a facelift as it converts its current night market into a 24/7 mall. This would be unlike many malls in the country which close at night.

“We want to launch Tutuban as the only 24/7 mall here in the Philippines,” says Hilario. "The project is set to start within the year if not next year.

Fairy Tales Do Come True

Duchess Catherine Fairy Tales Do Come True By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA MOD June 2011 Some fairy tales start with “Once upon a time, in a faraway land...” This one starts in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews where William, second in line to the throne of Commonwealth realms, was taking up geography, and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was studying History of Art.

Kate and William were only friends, taking up a subject or two together, up until Kate modeled in a student fashion show that made the prince notice her and tell a friend, “Wow! Kate’s hot!” A year after, their friendship blossomed into something special. They shared a flat for the last two years of their college life. Although they broke up in 2007, their friendship remained intact, as they had often been seen together. The couple announced their engagement on November 16 last year. Prince William proposed to Kate at a secluded lake by Mount Kenya. After years of romance, the couple said “I will” at the Westminster Abbey, where William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, was wed, last April 29, 2011. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, officiated the ceremony. Like everyone else, William noticed how Kate looked in her Grace Kelly-inspired gown by Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen. “You look beautiful,” William told his bride when she reached the altar. Kate followed the old adage. She had something old—the lace of her gown came from a 19th-century Irish tradition; something borrowed, which is a 1936 Cartier Halo tiara and was Queen Elizabeth II’s no less; something new—her diamond earrings were a gift from her parents; and something blue, which was a ribbon of blue interwoven into her gown. Meanwhile, William wore his Irish Guards Mounted Officer’s uniform in Guard of Honor Order with a Forage Cap. He had on a red tunic which featured the Irish Guards’ arrangement of buttons in groups of four, a gold and crimson sash, and gold sword slings, although he did not carry a sword. “We were supposed to have a small family affair,” Prince William said to Kate’s dad, Michael Francis Middleton. Unfortunately, their celebrity status forbade them to do so. Two thousand of the couple’s friends and family, and dignitaries watched them inside the abbey, and an estimated two billion from their television screens around the world. Kate’s wedding promise was similar to Princess Diana—“Love, comfort, honour, and keep” him, omitting the word obey from the vows. Kate’s sister, Pippa, was her maid of honor, while Harry, William’s brother, stood as his best man. People were trying to match the two up, but it seemed like they weren’t hit by Cupid’s arrows. Prince Harry reportedly told his on-and-off girlfriend, Chelsea Davy, “You’re next.” After their wedding, the newlyweds were given the title Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. TOTAL ESCAPE! THEIR wedding may be so public, but William and Kate, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, managed to escape to the islands of the Seychelles—specifically to the North Island—for their honeymoon. The Duke and Duchess weren’t the first celebs to seek the solace of Seychelles. Among those reported to have enjoyed the privacy of the romantic destination were Bill Gates, who was on Fregate Island; Paul McCartney and ex-wife Heather Mills on Cousin, another island in the Seychelles; and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt on North Island. David and Victoria Beckham have also vacationed there. The islands boast of private villas, each with its own guest relations officer, a butler, and a chef all ready to give you, well, a royal treatment. Kate and William spent their first night as husband and wife at the Buckingham Palace. Then, days after, hand in hand, they walked to where a helicopter waited for them to ferry them to their honeymoon escape. Kate donned a light blue dress, dark jacket, and platform shoes, while William wore a casual pale blue shirt and navy jacket. The union of William and Kate has revitalized the British monarchy as hundreds of thousands cheered the couple throughout their wedding rites. Millions more watched the royal spectacle on television, witnessing the couple pledge “I will,” during the nuptial ceremonies at the Westminster Abbey, and delighting over the couple’s much awaited kiss—two kisses, actually—on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Kate, escorted by her dad, rode a Rolls-Royce on her way to her altar date with William. At that exact moment, the sun lit her way, a sign, television hosts exclaimed, that the heavens must be blessing this royal union.

UK grants P4.19 million to aid investigation of human rights cases

The British Embassy through its Human Rights and Democracy Programme is providing funds amounting to £59,131.72 (approximately P4.19 million) for a project that will train health professionals in providing proper documentation and expert testimony in human rights cases. The programme will improve the quality of medical evidence presented in court, thereby increasing the likelihood of prosecution.

The British Embassy Manila recently signed a contract with the non-governmental organisation Medical Action Group (MAG) to carry out the project, which will address the lack of medical documentation standards for torture cases, often resulting in the rejection of medical evidence by the courts on grounds that it was not “scientific” enough.

“The effective prosecution of the perpetrators of human rights violations is essential in upholding justice and human rights in the country. This project will have a direct impact on the ability to investigate and secure prosecutions by improving the quality of medical evidence in court cases. We will continue to support the Philippines in its efforts to implement international human rights standards,” said British Ambassador Stephen Lillie.

An estimated 150 public health doctors will participate in the training, from provinces with high incidences of human rights violations which include Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, Maguindanao, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, Metro Manila, Abra and Misamis Occidental. The training will cover international human rights standards, rights-based approach and legal medicine for human rights cases.

The MAG training courses have already produced positive results. Just recently, the Commission on Human Rights’ Central Mindanao regional office filed a torture case against a police superintendent and his subordinates after it concluded that they mishandled two suspects. The conclusion was based on the medical examination by a MAG-trained physician of the Mindanao Human Rights Action Centre.

MAG has already forged an agreement with the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) and the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP) on co-operation in medico-legal investigation of human rights cases.

HBO Asia Schedule

Tuesday, 21st June 2011
01:25am	-	Julia
03:40am	-	Normal
05:35am	-	Bored To Death S208: Super Ray Is Mortal!
06:00am	-	Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
07:30am	-	Cadillac Man
09:15am	-	Little Man Tate
11:00am	-	The Education Of Little Tree
01:00pm	-	Bugsy
03:15pm	-	We're No Angels (1989)
05:00pm	-	Citizen Cohn
07:00pm	-	Misery
09:00pm	-	Red Dragon
11:00pm	-	Year One

Wednesday, 22nd June 2011
12:45am	-	Destiny Turns On The Radio
02:25am	-	Bugsy
04:45am	-	Julia
07:00am	-	Little Man Tate
09:30am	-	Year One
11:15am	-	She's Out Of My League
01:00pm	-	Message In A Bottle
03:10pm	-	Seeing Double
04:45pm	-	Gifted Hands
06:15pm	-	Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
07:30pm	-	Shorts
09:00pm	-	The Shawshank Redemption
11:30pm	-	Shutter Island

Thursday, 23rd June 2011
01:45am	-	Bored To Death S208: Super Ray Is Mortal!
02:10am	-	Normal
04:05am	-	American Pie : Book Of Love
05:30am	-	Seeing Double
07:00am	-	She's Out Of My League
09:00am	-	Rob Roy
11:30am	-	Zombieland
01:00pm	-	The Shawshank Redemption
03:30pm	-	For Hope
05:15pm	-	Little Man Tate
07:15pm	-	An Education
09:00pm	-	Mildred Pierce S104: Chapter 4
10:10pm	-	Mildred Pierce S105: Chapter 5
11:30pm	-	The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3

Friday, 24th June 2011
01:15am	-	The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day
02:50am	-	Mildred Pierce S104: Chapter 4
04:00am	-	Mildred Pierce S105: Chapter 5
05:25am	-	An Education
07:00am	-	Gifted Hands
08:45am	-	We're No Angels (1989)
10:30am	-	Mildred Pierce S104: Chapter 4
11:40am	-	Mildred Pierce S105: Chapter 5
01:00pm	-	Monsters VS. Aliens
02:35pm	-	Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
04:00pm	-	Trading Places
05:50pm	-	Shorts
07:20pm	-	17 Again
09:00pm	-	Robin Hood
11:30pm	-	The Karate Kid (2010)

Saturday, 25th June 2011
01:50am	-	Quarantine
03:15am	-	Poison IVy: The Secret Society
04:50am	-	Mildred Pierce S104: Chapter 4
06:00am	-	Mildred Pierce S105: Chapter 5
07:20am	-	Year One
09:00am	-	Darcy's Wild Life S103: A Chick Thing
09:30am	-	Darcy's Wild Life S104: Strange Critters
10:00am	-	Knucklehead
11:45am	-	Shorts
01:30pm	-	Dance Flick
03:00pm	-	Trading Places
05:00pm	-	Top Secret!
06:30pm	-	Hulk
09:00pm	-	Obsessed
11:00pm	-	Chloe

Sunday, 26th June 2011
12:40am	-	Ninja Assassin
02:15am	-	Jaws: The Revenge
03:45am	-	Fire In The Sky
05:35am	-	Quarantine
07:20am	-	Top Secret!
09:00am	-	Darcy's Wild Life S105: Queen Of The Rodeo
09:30am	-	Darcy's Wild Life S106: Darcy's Mild Life
10:00am	-	School Ties
11:45am	-	Chinatown
01:50pm	-	The Two Jakes
04:10pm	-	The Karate Kid (2010)
06:30pm	-	Mildred Pierce S104: Chapter 4
07:40pm	-	Mildred Pierce S105: Chapter 5
09:00pm	-	Clash Of The Titans (2010)
10:45pm	-	Clash Of The Titans

Casting call for an independent feature film to be shot around Laguna.

Two (2) actresses, late 20s to early 30s
One (1) actor, late 20s to early 30s
One (1) actress, early 40s to mid-40s
One (1) actress, 45-50s
One (1) actress, mid-20s to early 30s

With ot without acting experience

Preferably, all should have dark/morena/moreno features. The actor should be lean, agile and strong.

All interested applicants should submit an info sheet/bio data with 2x2 picture. Please indicate the role you want and your contact details. Submit application to
sinebalaiindio@gmail.com

or

Crazy Carabao (in front of Ba'an Thai)
10666 Oregano Street, Sta. Fe Subd., LB, Laguna
c/o Kei Tan

Deadline of submission is on June 24.

For inquiries, contact Kei Tan at 0916.3

Thoughts

Thoughts:

An advice for those trying to loose weight and on harboring on their loneliness:

Register for the 1st time and claim your favorite drink. Visit http://spreadthefroth.com.ph for details.

‘A good teacher has high hopes for her students’

‘A good teacher has high hopes for her students’ By ANA VALENZUELA Photography by EDMUNDO SANTIAGO Published MOD May 2011 DEALING with kids, those screaming little tykes running around and refusing to give in to their whim, can be tough. Imagine doing so with children with special needs every single day. Michelle Arriola happily experiences just that. A Filipina born in the United States, Michelle is a teacher at Cardenas School in Chicago. The school is located in the Mexican-American community known as Little Village. Michelle took up Early Child Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

“I wanted to be a teacher because I love helping children learn and fulfill their dreams,” she says. Michelle plans to take up her Master’s degree in Education and English as a Second Language (ESL). “English is the second language of most of my students. I want to learn more about how to teach English Language Learners (ELLs) so I can meet my students’ needs.” That will be in the coming school year. Meanwhile, Michelle is enjoying her summer vacation in Manila with her relatives. She shares with MOD her insights on education and the challenges of teaching. Different levels of learning. “I teach children with special needs—those with Autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, speech delays, cognitive delays, learning disabilities, and a lot of different kinds of disabilities—in preschool and kindergarten. Teaching kids with special needs is different from teaching kids who are typically developing because they are at different levels, mentally. I might have a three-year-old, but mentally, he is nine-month-old. So I need to make a lesson plan that he would be able to understand. In my classroom there are also children who are non-verbal. They have no speech at all. These students are most likely the ones to be screaming, crying, and having a tantrum because they are frustrated that they cannot express what they want or what they need.” Help them learn. “There are kids with Autism who need to follow an exclusive schedule. A regular teacher won’t be able to do that, because she has 25 other kids to worry about. I’m lucky I have a small classroom. I only attend to 10 students in the morning and 10 students in the afternoon. I think that’s helpful in their learning, too. I’m also fortunate to have two aides in my classroom to help me.” Know what is important. “My parents raised me to believe that education is important. I want to teach kids, and teach them that learning, being educated, and going to school are really important.” Patience is a virtue. “A good teacher is someone who is patient with the children. She teaches to the best of the abilities of the kids. If a kid is a visual learner or an auditory learner, the teacher will adjust for that student. I think a good teacher tries to understand the student, where he comes from. Most of all, a good teacher has high hopes for her students.” Magic moments. “Teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites. I have a bond with all my students, and I would say that I have favorite moments with each of them. For example, one of my students just learned how to write his first and last name on his own. Another student learned to sing the ABC. Those are two different things, but they are both favorite moments.” Rewards plus. “The most rewarding thing about being a teacher is seeing the kids grow, learn, and understand the concepts that I am teaching them.” Do your best. “I hope that my students will be able to go the next grade, learning the best that they can. I try to teach the basics—colors, shapes, and letters, spell their names. I just want them to know that they can try their best.” Kids as teachers. “I have learned from the kids that every day is different, and to look at challenges as something that can be overcome. Most important, they taught me to have fun.”