Gift-giving has always been a difficult task for me not because I am half-hearted about it but because I want the one who will receive the gift to be really happy and content.My goddaughter Nicole turns 7 today, March 31. I went to Waltermart-Carmona (Yes, this is the nearest "mall" from home) to buy a birthday gift for her. I don't care about the price. What's important is the quality and the purpose.
After a couple of hours looking for something meaningful, I found the perfect gift. I bought a book entitled "Collection of Stories with [Moral] Lessons," published by Lampara Books. It contains four stories such as "The Monkey and The Turtle," "The Reed and The Oak," "The Frog Prince," and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." I also bought Sterling Kids Laugh, Play and Learn's "Trip to the Village" board game that comes with an OK Flash Cards of ABCs, 123s and pictures.
When I handed over the gift to Nicole, she smiled and thanked me. She said, "Ninang Nice, marunong na ako mag-ABC eh, thank you." And then she kissed and hugged me.
Education is first in my priority list. I had a good education and I am hungry for more. That is why I also want my friends and kids to have it... and being a role model is the first step to encourage them to study well and hard.
Me and Nicole (Please see post about Nicole last year).jpg)
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I promise to do extra efforts just to finish my pending paperworks, even if it takes my social life away. Oh, no!
Spooky... scary... whatever you may call it, but do you think this is really a ghost?
Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) was a CIA operative who dedicated his life in the service of his country, and failed to look after his shaky relationship with wife Leonor, which led to their separation. Now that he retires at the age of 54, all he wants is to spend time with his 17-year old daughter, Kim, to fill in the lost moments.
When Kim asked for his permission to let her go to Paris with a friend, even when he is doubtful and reluctant, Bryan has to say yes. Few minutes after landing on Paris, Kim and friend Amanda was abducted by an Albanian syndicate of human traffickers. The next scenes are breathtaking, thrilling and action-filled, inviting the audience to shout, sigh and speechlessly watch in awe and suspense. 
"I don’t know you who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you."
Jaw-breaking punches there, bone-cracking kicks here, deafening gun shots everywhere, this movie has a lot of action scenes that are highly entertaining. Although it is impossible to kill more than a hundred armed men with just himself alone, Bryan – a father with a loving heart, a wise mind and a strong fighting spirit – successfully finds his way to save Kim from the hands of dangerous and soulless flesh slavers in Paris.
Al Francis Chua 
