Still entertaining but less impressive and more gimmicky than the previous videos.
Month: August 2011
When we were kids, my dad came back from a trip to the US with the most awesome toy bar none: Lego. If there is one toy a child should have, this is it. She (or you) can create all the other toys. We enjoyed many many hours, days, years playing with them. And it didn’t end with childhood. I later got myself a Lego Mindstorms set which, long story short, eventually resulted in me and my friends’ winning the Sun JavaCup 2000. Eventually the Lego sets were handed over to our youngest sibling Jack. I’m sure he enjoyed them as much as we did. Last weekend, I finally got Jeanne her first Lego set, a box of Duplo basic bricks. And does she enjoy them!
The patent war is heating up. After being foiled by Apple, Microsoft and RIM to acquire Nortel Networks’ patent portfolio, Google is now acquiring Motorola Mobility primarily for its patent portfolio. The thing is, Motorola builds it’s own Android mobile phones and tablets. Back when Nokia was still exploring Android, it asked for preferential treatment, which Google rightly denied. One of the reasons that led Nokia to instead go to the Microsoft and the Windows Phone platform. Now that Google will own Motorola, will it be giving preferential treatment? Will it be able to avoid doing that? This is probably something all of Google’s Android partners are thinking even as they heap praise on Google for this latest move.
Learning to talk is probably one of the greatest milestones in a child’s development. Based on my experience and research, focusing on one language helps the process. I guess, consistency in the names for all the objects and concepts the child encounters every day is very important. So we’ve decided back then that Jeanne’s first language is English.
I believe that English is the best foundation. It is the stepping stone to the most books which are the keys to knowledge expansion. It is the medium of teaching for Math, Physics, Chemistry, and other science and technology subjects. I have no doubt that my early English evened the odds or even gave me an advantage on these subjects over many a smarter classmates.
In my opinion, it’s better to struggle in Filipino than in those critical and actually useful subjects. What’s the use of Tagalog other than for conversations with friends and attempts at cultural preservation? It’s not even the only language of the diverse cultural landscape of the country. Just a “national” language foisted upon everyone by the inheritors of the American colonial administration.
Of course, we want Jeanne to be multilingual: English, Tagalog (unfortunately), Cebuano (an attempt at cultural preservation heh), French, and maybe another language or two. But that will come in due time. Meanwhile, I’d better get my French ready.
Michelle had to work for a few hours this afternoon so to let her focus, Jeanne and I went to UP. I also needed to photocopy some documents as well as visit Elwyna. Photocopying was quickly accomplished but Elwyna wasn’t responding so we just went to and strolled through the amphitheater and the lagoon. At the end of the stroll, Jeanne was already tired. Considering that it was just a short one, it seems she needs exercise. I got her a cone of ice cream and she sat down on one of the sidewalk ornaments. We headed back shortly after, picking up french fries and spaghetti from Jollibee on the way for snacks back home.