For many years, John Robert Powers (JRP) is synonymous to high quality training in modeling, acting, and personality development.

In an event a couple of weeks ago, JRP introduced to some mom bloggers their newest offerings: The Dynamic Parenting Workshop and the Future Leaders Program.

What I clearly remember about JRP, as a kid, was it was a training ground for future models.

And their latest pride is…

Now, if you think you’re either too old or too young to enrol in JRP, think again. We learned that the oldest student they had is 62 years old!

JRP is glad to offer new workshops for two important groups of people: the parents and the young children.

The Dynamic Parenting Workshop is much like the parenting workshops, only given in a more comprehensive manner, covering ten specific topics, two hours per topic session. This is more studies-intensive, with the goal to educate, guide, and build a core support group among parents.

As a new parent like I am, I had so many questions. With the help of my mom, my aunts, and friends, I was able to pull through the first (almost) four years, and I can’t wait to hurdle more challenges in the future. There’s a saying that it takes two to create and a village to raise a child, and I believe so. The Dynamic Parenting Workshop aims to do that, to create a community of empowered parents who are responsive to the fast-paced life we have now.

Start them young, they say. The Future Leaders Program for 4-6 year olds will not groom your child to be a politician, no. But the program introduces the children the concept of being a leader through fun activities. Activities would also incorporate the signature programs of JRP, like oral communication and personality development.

Being a good leader is being a good follower. As parents, we model what is right or wrong to our children. When the child sees his or her peers doing something good, the more he is empowered to do good. This program might just address that, knowing that kids at this age are still in the stage of imitation.

This is a long-term course, with 30 two-hour sessions.

Their signature programs were also introduced to us, such as the English Language Program and the Multi-Level Curriculum System, especially designed for each student.

We got to take a sneak peak in their classrooms.

These mom bloggers had a wonderful time meeting up (some for the first time), exchanging insights and experiences. Thanks for having us, JRP!

~ Touringkitty

To know more about their offerings:

John Robert Powers

4/F Casmer Building 
195 Salcedo Street, Makati City
(02)8929511 * (63)09175960939

Ground Floor, Cinderella Building, 
825 EDSA, Quezon City
(02)9270465 * (63)09175018295

2nd Flr JJACCIS Bldg. 
1208 Acacia Ave. Madrigal Business Park, 
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City
(02)6590052 * (63)09178195351

I’m co-hosting The Vanilla Housewife’s giveaway, and check out the prize: Web Hosting for your website or blog from HostingVisa!

The Vanilla Housewife is celebrating her 5th 30th birthday, plus/minus the years she’s not telling us, with a web hosting giveaway!

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REALITY Bites – A lifestyle blog of a mom who strives to achieve work-life balance.

Touringkitty – A blog by Em Alcantara, Soprano, Music Educator, Writer and Mom.

Lucky Finds – A foodie at heart and a mom blogger who loves to write about everything under the sun.

My Mushings – A blog showcasing the lifestyle scene in Manila.

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Happy Easter Monday!

Due to the busyness brought about by the Holy Week, I forgot to post yesterday!

Welcome to my new online home, www.touringkitty.com!

Hooray! After four years I am self-hosting! It was a looooong journey but I am glad to do it. And so, thank yous to the following are in tall order:

Martine, for the blog coaching session. I am still working on my posts but I am happy to have started somewhere. Thank you for guiding me through.

Marge and Jenn of VA Support Pro, for your assistance in setting up my blog and for accommodating my dummy questions! Finally here it is.

To the WAHMderful community and Mommy Bloggers Philippines, for being a source of inspiration and love. These two online communities truly rock!

To my husband and daughter, for funding my blog (teehee) and for loving it as much as you love me. I love you both, too.

To the many groups I belong to–the performing world, choral world, teaching world, mommy world, breastfeeding world, homeschooling world, church world, WAHMing world, mommy blogging world, for being sources of my blog stories.

And to my ultimate source of all this, Touringkitty, my beloved magic wand, for being the beginning of my journey. If not for our travels in the past I would not have had a Touringkitty.

So, enjoy reading! Like my Facebook Page to be updated with more things happy!

~ Touringkitty

A Happiest Easter to everyone! Like what our dear Rector always says, the glory of Easter Sunday must pass through the sufferings of Good Friday.

How did your Holy Week and Paschal Triduum go? Mine was busy as usual at church, the Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For the longest time, I have never been on Holy Week vacation. But I’d rather have it that way. It’s such a fulfilling feeling for my husband and I to serve. Always, Christmas and Easter seasons are the busiest for church musicians, don’t you agree?

Thursday we had the Washing of the Feet and reenactment of the Last Supper. Chosen Apostle Actors took part in the Washing of the Feet. It has always been a challenge for our rector to find apostle actors, and he tells us that he really prays for whoever is chosen. My husband had his turn as apostle actor seven years ago, when we were on our second year serving the Shrine.

Friday, we participated in the Via Crucis for Good Weather organized by Radio Veritas, and participated by the Vicariate of Sta. Clara de Montefalco. The walk took us from San Juan de Dios Hospital to Manila Cathedral, all seven kilometers of it, from dawn to midday. It was tiring and hot but we did not feel it because we were walking with so many people and to trace the way of Jesus to his death and resurrection was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

In the same afternoon, we had the Veneration of the Cross, followed by the Daang Krus sa Kalye, where the Apostle Actors and our priests led by our Rector, Monsignor Bobby Canlas, carried a cross from one station to another. My husband was the assigned guitarist during the Way of the Cross. It was a challenge for all of us in the music ministry cos we had to walk and sing through a throng of people.

Saturday was the Easter Vigil Mass in the evening. The Shrine of Jesus’ Easter Vigil Mass is known for its Resurrection effect productions every year. We even has laser shows in the past couple of years. Mons Bobby makes sure that each Easter Vigil Mass is solemn, unique and special.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, we had a children’s Mass followed by Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. Then a concelebrated Mass was held, usually celebrated by a bishop. This time it’s Bishop Ted Bacani. Masses with Bishop Bacani are truly memorable. Mons Bobby asked for a special blessing from the bishop for the massgoers on wheelchairs. Some of them we regularly see in our masses. They were also given an image of the Our Lady of Lourdes, the patron of the sick.

I thank the Lord for sustaining all of us with good health during the Holy Week. The Shrine of Jesus Rectors Council and volunteers are some amazing people I have met. They come from different places and backgrounds, yet we come together as one in serving at the church the Lord entrusted to us. In this Year of the Laity, I am ever reminded of our role in the church, to be an active part of it. Not only through service but by through example.

Celebrating the Holy Week always brings forth a lesson and a blessing to me. For this year, it was another opportunity to assess what God calls me to do, and to always listen to Him. It does not pay off well when I don’t pray for something and just go with the flow. I am reminded to discern well the choices I am making. And to always keep things real.

~ Touringkitty

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Just droppin by to say I’m on Bloglovin, too!

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See you there.

~ Touringkitty

Stuck on telling stories to your little ones? Not anymore with these cool books!

We discovered the Stuck on Stories by accident at the Relay shop at Changi Airport  on our way home. I was gathering all my loose change in order to dispose them (read: last minute “syeping!”).

It was literally last minute, as we were about to board when we got to the gate. I saw these board books and settled on the Dora the Explorer book.

Stuck on Stories have 10 suction cup characters and a story board book inside. What you do is stick the suction cup characters along the story. It’s as if you are telling the story yourself!

I am not quite familiar with the other characters. All I know is Dora, Boots, and Swiper. So, I interchanged Tico and Isa, hahaha! Good thing Aria was quick to correct me.

Back in Manila, Aria got interested in Disney Princesses. So, we scoured book stores to find one, and had it reserved even!

We got to meet the Princesses’ furry friends as we read along the story. Aria got to familiarise herself with the characters and their own stories.

And of course, the resident Kitty did not miss researching on this.

This is not yet available in the Philippines, but Toys R Us abroad has this already. Can’t wait for it to come here.

The suction cups we have used in other ways, like counting, as seen in my Instagram (follow me @touringkitty).

Phidal carries a wide variety of children’s books which aid them in learning and having fun at the same time. Since 1979, the company has been developing safe, innovative, and creative products that spark the imagination of children and children at heart.

For more information visit their website www.phidal.com.

~ Touringkitty

Disclaimer: all products are purchased by me. I am, in no way, connected to the company, and did my own research about the products cos they’re just so cute and collectible!

Before the First Week of Lent ends, allow me to share a few words of reflections.

The Gospel passage last Sunday was about the Big T: Temptation.

When God created the world, he did not expect it to be flawless. Remember the Scripture only said that it was good, He did not mention that it had to be perfect. God wanted balance, that’s why He gave man freewill to do things. Exactly what Adam and Eve displayed with the forbidden fruit.

They were tempted. And they gave in.

Giving in. Yes, temptation is everywhere, BUT we can choose NOT to give in.

It is probably still the hardest thing yet to achieve, even ice creams are named Temptations!

Someone even argues why we should NOT resist temptation. E. H. Chapin says:

“The trouble with resisting temptation is that you may not get another chance.”

Cruel Life! Here’s something even more cruel.

Giving into temptation, I believe, is far off from taking chances. I think that if we pray for it, we would better discern the two, and we can make a really good choice between the two.

Clearly, the Big T for me is the cause of the Big C: Cancer. Cancer in society that is rooted by GIVING IN TO temptation.

What do we choose?

~ Touringkitty

Check out the collective of Singapore travel posts at this link.

Date: September 28

Location: Singapore 

So, the night before we have sent off the family back to Manila. Now, we’re three!

We had our final breakfast for the trip at Kopitiam.

Then we hit the MRT, without stroller this time. I dared bear the little girl in the sling all day long! Love my Next9 sling!

First stop: Raffles Hotel!

We passed by the Civilian War Memorial Park and saw this! Yes, our favorite bread is originally from Singapore! 

Then we went to Esplanade, the famed arts hub of Singapore.

We saw this exhibit inside.

We also saw a familiar word in a postcard.

We went back to Ion Orchard for lunch. We settled in this place.

Then we went back to the hotel to check out and pick up our luggage. Off we go the airport!

When we got home, Aria immediately unpacked her new kitchen set which was a gift from my cousin Mark. She did not wait for the next day to check out her new toy.

It was indeed a fun trip for all of us, especially that this was the first family trip out of the country. We learned so much about Singapore’s culture in those four days. Such a fast-paced country with super efficient public transport system, lots of buildings, lots of things to do and see, and lots of yummy food.

And we are all happy that Aria was really really happy during this trip. Even if we had crying bouts during sleeptime (homesickness, small room and bed), she had the best time cos she still remembers everything up to now, even if she doesn’t see photos and videos of it anymore (imagine she watched the videos for weeks after the trip, even several times a day until she got tired of it!). She calls each Ferris wheel here Singapore flyer, to the amazement of taxi drivers.

Huge thanks go to our cousin and his wife for taking time to meet us and tour us around! Lastly, we thank the Lord for covering us under His protection for the duration of the trip and always. That no one got sick or harmed. Thank You for the opportunity!

And that this happened during my 30th birthday, it was such an amazing experience. All praises for the gift of life, love, and happiness!

Will we go back? Definitely! We’d definitely plan another family trip in two years perhaps, something we’d all enjoy. Any suggestions where?

~ Touringkitty

While picking up the customised shirts for my kids at Maestro Rio Shop before the holidays last year, I found my friend, Nadia, packing some custom-made mugs and saw a familiar face. A very familiar face, in fact.

“Sumi Jo? In Manila? No way!!!”

“Yes way,” she said, “and it’s on February 1st next year.”

I would not miss it for the world! I know I could save up some money by that date, and I am so happy I did, and chose orchestra seats.

Fast forward to that date, my husband and I had events around BGC as well before the concert, so it was indeed a day well spent. However, he went home to our daughter ahead and I watched alone. Good thing we had so many friends watching as well.

I have been a fan of Korean soprano Sumi Jo even before I entered the College of Music. She was my instant favourite because of the Queen of the Night aria, Der Holle Rache.

I was looking forward to it, but unfortunately, it was not part of her repertoire.

Her program was a variety of opera arias, art songs, even musicals. The program seemed simple, yet her interpretation of each song was fabulous, riveting, and brought tears to my eyes (and I am sure to most audiences, too).

Despite the early difficulty of having the noisy airconditioning turned on, Sumi Jo displayed her virtuosity and professionalism, really deserving to be called diva. She then asked to have it switched off, and so even the Samsung Hall got a little warm, the audience did not protest and just enjoyed the diva’s voice and quirkiness.

I almost cried after her first song, Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark. It was so beautiful, her notes precise. Her interpretation of Lascia Ch’io Pianga still rings in my ears. The modern arrangement of Ari Arirang, the signature Korean song was powerful. What impressed us the most was her beautiful dimunuendos. She does it naturally!

What’s even more laudable are the collaborating artists, Najib Ismail on piano and fellow collegemate, Raymond Sarreal on flute. The three made wonderful music together, and the instrumentalists were going beyond being mere assisting artists.

For the second part, Ms. Jo wore a white gown, but since it was unfitted, she threw in her funny side to still carry it well.

We found out she donated her honorarium for UNICEF Philippines, especially for the relief operations of the typhoon victims. She also visited the beneficiaries of the concert, Tanging Yaman Foundation, a few days before the concert. Such a great act of charity!

She did not end the concert with her program, but with three more songs — Verdi’s O mio Babbino Caro, a Korean popular song especially for the Korean community in attendance (she was even the one who played on piano), and Schubert’s Ave Maria.

But wait, there’s more! She also conducted a voice masterclass the following day. I really would have wanted to sing for it; unfortunately I found out slots were already filled.

It’s always a learning experience to attend masterclasses even if you’re just observing. This is a good venue to find out more about the singer’s performing and teaching styles.

To all who made it possible, thank you for bringing Sumi Jo here! Kamsahamnida!

~ Touringkitty