Bratislava is such a quiet city compared to Prague. I was looking forward to the post socialist city tour booked by my daughter from authenticslovakia.com .

post socialist tour in bratislava

The Funky retro tour was meant to visit the off-the-beaten-track places of communist past and recent transformation in Bratislava. First a view of the city, the Danube River and Hotel Bork.

bratislava view

Our tour guide took us to see concrete housing estate area, soviet monument Slavín, abandoned factories, riverside developments, bunker line from 1938 and loads of socialist architecture.

monument in bratislava

Walking around the largest cemetery for Soviet solders under the tall Slavín monument .  The monument is dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who fell during Second World War while liberating the city. Almost 7,000 soldiers are buried here.

tour in bratislava

We got to explore a transforming textile factory.

tektil in bratislava

 

A beer garden for some snacks.

beer garden in bratislava

cheese in bratislava

 

I loved how we drove across the  unique Iron Curtain zone at the edge of Bratislava with the line of bunkers from 1938. This was also the border of Austria to the right and Slovakia to the left.

border in austria slovakia 1

At the edge of Bratislava, bunkers from 1938 are found here. In fact, these bunkers are now turned into muserums. After the Second World War and during socialism the bunkers were used for protection of national borders against “intruders of the peace in the state.“

bratislava

border in austria slovakia

 

bunker 1

 

bunker s4 in bratislava

bunker museum

 

bunker s 4

 

bunker s4 in bratislava

 

We were not allowed to take photos inside the bunker but we got to see all the firearms inside, the sleeping quarters and how it was like to live inside. Taking this non-traditional tour is something you should definitely take when visiting Bratislava.  After the tour, my husband and I rested at our hotel and explored the city a few hours later.

 

bratislava streets at night

It was a sunday so there were not many people in the Old Town.

streets in bratislava

It is fascinating to see their weaving which is so similar to the Igorot.

folklore art in bratislava

The next day , we explored the rest of Old Town.

bratislava sights 1

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coffeeshop in bratislava

bratislava map

 

angel in bratislava

 

beer in bratislava

 

souvenir shop

 

bratislava resting area

 

bratislava statue

 

bratislava tour

 

bratislava walking

bratislava sights

During a tropical heat I am thinking about how cold it is where you are…It is beautiful here, quiet – woods of “wilderness”. — Alphonse Mucha

corner of prague

Prague is teeming with tourists . Instead of visiting all the “tourist traps”. my daughter brought us to the National Gallery in Prague that offered lovers of the works of Alfons Mucha such a great artistic experience. On our way to the gallery, I cannot help but marvel at the Baroque architecture all around us.

prague museum 1

The first thing that struck me was the huge size of the murals.

The Slav Epic is a set of 20 large-format Alfons Mucha´s Art Nouveau canvases summarizing the history of Czechs and other Slavic nations.

The paintings are inspired by Slavic mythology and history of the Czechs and Moravians. The current installation respects Mucha’s original thematic layout of The Slav Epic, observing the chronological order of its individual parts. In 1928, Mucha devoted the cycle to Prague.

prague museum 1

My daughter was kind enough to read through the guide to understand the paintings.

prague museum

What I knew about Czech painter Alfons Mucha is that he was known for his “original Art Nouveau decorative work in Paris at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. He put his heart elsewhere though: in a cycle of twenty monumental paintings, inspired by Slavic mythology and the history of the Czech nation. Mucha worked on the Slav Epic for almost twenty years and first unveiled it to the public in the fall of 1928 to celebrate ten years of the independence of Czechoslovakia in the Great Hall of the just completed Veletržní Palace.”

slav epic by mucha 2

“The cycle’s thematic range spans a broad spectrum, from suggestive scenes of mythological Slavic antiquity with pagan worship practices, through representations of historically documented milestones, to the last canvas in the series, featuring a vision of the Slavs’ spiritual contribution to the entire human family.”

slav epic my mucha

In ten of the paintings, Mucha treated as many episodes from the Czech history, producing a core “Czech epic” which came to constitute a conceptual axis of the cycle whose remaining ten canvases are devoted to other Slavic peoples, and to pan-Slavic scenes.

slav epic `

Mucha was quoted as saying that “Once again I was doing historical painting, but this time not about Germany but a brotherly Slav nation. Describing the glorious and tragic events in its history, I thought of the joys and sorrows of my own country and of all the Slavs. ”

prague museum slav epic

“And so, before I had completed the south Slav murals, I had made up my mind about my future big work which was to become ‘The Slav Epic’ and I saw it as a great and glorious light shining into the souls of all people with its clear ideals and burning warnings.”

slav epic 2

His paintings are beautiful. His depictions of women are beautiful just like this woman in this painting.

slav epic

You can read more about the Slav Epic ,the history of Mucha’s work and view photos of the paintings.

I count my blessings that my family are together once again. Having an empty nest can be really lonely and I miss those days when we planned our family vacations. The last family vacation I planned didn’t push through because I had to undergo a gall bladder operation. Still I am glad to be able to enjoy these precious times. I have been here in Europe since August 18 and loving every minute of it. Prague is not just a tourist destination for my family members.

alfred hora

In the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, “about an hour’s ride from Prague, lies a small town called Kutná Hora. ” This is where my  children’s paternal great-great grandfather, aptly named Alfred Wilson Hora, was born in 1860.

alfred hora adult

My daughter writes more about it.

In 1862, two-year-old Alfred and his mother sailed to the United States and settled in Iowa. He came with the US forces at the outbreak of the Filipino-American War in 1899, and chose to stay behind when it ended. He married a tribal woman named Agnep who later took the Christian name of Margarita, and together built a good life in Benguet, a province in the mountains north of the Philippines. Plenty of my paternal relatives (including my grandparents) still live there today. Alfred and Margarita raised five children, one of which is my grandmother’s father, Luis Hora. Alfred then grew ill and died in 1926; his mummified body—boots, belt and all—are interred in a crypt high up in the mountains of Benguet.

tombstone of alfred hora

My husband finally visits his roots, in what was once known as Bohemia. Much as we wanted to visit Kutna Hora, our daughters refused to let us go by ourselves, probably worried we could get lost.

butch at prague

It didn’t matter if we went to Kutna Hora.  I can just imagine what it must have been like for my husband’s maternal great grandfather. Why did they leave Bohemia?

me and butch at charles bridge

Was it the war?

my daughters in Prague

I will never know.

me at prague

Grandpa Hora that left Bohemia in the 1800s continue to live on through my husband, his siblings, and his great great grandchildren.

prague 1

 

it’s quite amazing to trace part of my daughters’ heritage as far as the Czech Republic.

dad in prague 4

This feels like home.

at the park in prague

“Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

 

me at the basilica

It was trip down  the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial which is less than an hour away from Munich.

Established on March 22, 1933, Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp and served as a model for all other concentration camps. During its 12 years of operation, over 206,000 political prisoners, Jews, homosexuals, and other dissidents were imprisoned here with more than 32,000 of them dying. American troops liberated the survivors on April 29, 1945.

You can download a map before your visit. My husband and I chose to have a tour guide for more historical perspective.

dachau tour

The memorial site “includes the camp prison or bunker where torture and executions were carried out; the roll-call area where prisoners were forced to line up morning and evenings to be counted, often having to stand motionless for hours; the maintenance building which once housed the kitchen, workshops, and baths and now serves as the museum; two reconstructed barracks out of 34 which once stood in the camp; the crematorium and gas chambers completed in 1943 but never used; as well as the International Memorial created by Nandor Glid in 1968.”

dachau tour 2

 

dachau cobblestone

“Arbeit Macht Frei,” or “Work Makes You Free”

dachau gate

 

dachau panorama

 

dachau roll coll

smoking is not allowed

dachau tour1

 

whipping

 

shower area

 

shaving

 

different kinds of political prisoners

 

dachau watch tower

 

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dachau memorial

 

bunkbeds in dachau

dachau latrine

bunk areas

 

cremation at dachau

old crematorium in dachau

old crematorium in Dachau1

 

I look at the beautiful green trees and the contrast of this grim reminder of the torture and executions were carried out . 

 

dachau memorial

never again in dachau

Never Again.

You may have noticed the past two blog posts are about my family vacation here in Europe. I will just be showing photos and a little description here and there for the next three weeks. See, if I post these in Facebook, it will get lost with all my Facebook wall posts.

making breakfast at our apartment

Having an AirBnB apartment keeps cost down since we buy our own groceries at the nearby Penny. My daughter loved the Muesli.

taking the u bahn

Buying the U Bahn ticket was easy since there was a stall there that sold everything from cellphone load, SIM card and anything a tourist may need.

buying a train ticket

The lady was kind enough to teach us how to use the ticket. We got a one day pass for all three of us since it came out cheaper.

taking the u bahn1

Getting a tour is one of the first things I do since it gives me an overview of the city. There are many free city tours in Munich and most of them start at the Marienplatz or the Mary’s Square, the central square in the city centre of Munich, Germany. It has been the city’s main square since 1158. I thought this was the free city tour arranged by my daughter but we decided to take Jon, a British national living in Munich. He was very engaging, funny and informative. He sorts of reminds me of Carlos Celdran. The tour is not exactly free because the guides earn on tip basis.

free city tours

The tour starts at 10:45 AM . The neo gothic building is more modern than its appearance suggests since construction only started in the early part of the twentieth century. The bell tower or Glockenschpiele features a carillon and mechanical knights jousting every day at 11.00 AM and 5.00 PM.

glockenspiel before the tour

Marienplatz is worth going since there are so many attractions nearby and a lot history.

glockenspiel1

at the city tour

The Peterskirche close to Marienplatz is the oldest church of the inner city.

cathedrai

It is beautiful inside with so much intricate artwork on the ceilings. It was first built during the Romanesque period, and was the focus of the early monastic settlement in Munich before the city’s official foundation in 1158.

cathedral in marienplatz

Of course, we lighted a candle.

lighting a candle

Bronze cobblestone.

cobble stone

 

lion in marien platz

Ever wondered where München got its name? Our tour guide explains:

The coat of arms of Munich (Münchner Wappen) depicts a young monk dressed in black holding a red book. It has existed in a similar form since the 13th century, though at certain points in its history it has not depicted the central figure of the monk at all. As the German name for Munich, München, means of Monks, the monk in this case is a self-explanatory symbol (canting arms) who represents the city of Munich.

munchen1

The drainage cover has these coat of arms.

munchen

Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshals’ Hall) – Munich
lion selfie

Two huge Bavarian lions are flanked by the larger-than-life statues of Count Johann Tserclaes Tilly, who led Catholic forces in the Thirty Years’ War, and Prince Karl Philipp Wrede, hero of the 19th-century Napoleonic Wars.

lion selfie

best beer in Germany

The tour ended and decided to visit the university town.

UNIVERSITY AREA

And eat pizza since we ate  sausages for the past two days.

pizza

And another beer.

beer again

As always, the husband always loves his books.

bookstore

What was most important is being together for a few hours, and enjoying the limited time as a family.

family bonding in Germany

The rest of the day was spent just chilling at our apartment and basking the view of the city.view from the balcony

Tomorrow, there is more to see .

balcony view

 

view

It was strange seeing it lighted outside the right side of the plane while darkness still covered the left side. Pretty soon, our Qatar Airways plane was hovering over the countryside in Germany.

view from above

My daughter who wanted the window seat missed it all.


still asleep

It took an hour and a half to reach our AirBnB apartment somewhere in Munich. I had reserved the apartment last April. Being a first time user of AirBnB, I did not have a track record but I had  social media accounts, passport identification to prove I was a real person. The thing was , the apartment had strict terms of refund. If I cancelled one week before, I will only got 50% refund. Well, I was sure to travel and I took the risk of paying in full. AirBnB actually keeps the amount we charged on our credit card before we arrived at the apartment. The owner does not get the full amount until we have settled in and accepted the unit.

welcome to Munich

A welcome sign greeted us at the apartment. So far so good. We got a stylish studio-apartment with big balcony and a view.

airbnb

It was as advertised. Fantastic View-overlooking Munich. This was one of the more expensive apartments we booked but it was all worth it. Just look at that view. My family members were so thrilled.

airbnb2

The first thing we did was to chill at our balcony. There is a castle nearby but we would need to ride a U Bahn.

airbnb 4

Big window front with fantastic view over Munich . The cityscape is not the usual skyscrapers I see over my hotel window. Our balcony was indeed very functional.

airbnb apartment in Germany

Figuring out the U Bahn was so confusing because there were many levels.

u bahn in germany

 

Once we knew where U1 Bahn was, it was a breeze.

u bahn

 

Lunch was at a touristy place at Viktualienmarkt. The Victuals Market was only a few steps from the Marienplatz. There was much to explore in Munich but we were hungry.

sausage in germany

Oops, a wasp probably loved the aroma of the beer .

wasp inside the beer

Following the hoofs of the purple cow, I got surrounded with rochocolates, baked goods, ice creams, clothes, espresso makers, picnic baskets goods, sports paraphernalia….to postcards. The queue at the cashier was so long that we could not buy a chocolate.

milka wet

It was just our first day and obviously jet-lagged so we decided to head off to our apartment and rest a bit. I will let you know more about our AirBnB experience on August 21, our last day.

tourist places in Germany

 

I can’t believe I am finally here in Europe with my family.

touring germany

 

Family vacations can be a challenge but I was determined to make it happen. Four years ago, I planned a family vacation in Singapore for the Holidays but unfortunately I had to spend Christmas day in a hospital.  Finally after months of planning, we are almost at our final destination- to be reunited with our daughter. I have not seen her since April 2013 and I missed her so much. I thought of Christmas in Europe but I cannot bear the chilly weather . Summer  seemed the most ideal time. When I applied for an appointment for a Schengen visa, my heart skipped a beat when I was told that it was “May 27”, Luijoe’s angel date. It is a sign! Luijoe is always with us. We always take him with us wherever we may be.

luijoe with us

Yes, I brought a rice cooker. It may seem silly to bring a rice cooker but I wanted my daughter to still cook rice even if she is far away from home. This Tiger’s TaCook smart rice cooker is not your ordinary rice cooker too. Well, the TaCook rice cooker can cook side dishes using high temperature steam generated when cooking rice.

rice cooker

Expect updates in my blog as I  explore some places in Europe.

This is our first time to check in at the Clark International Airport using Qatar Airways. It is quiet and less stressful to check in here. Despite the distance, I think it is worth flying out from Clark . I must say Qatar Airways  has superb service.

europe trip

Arriving at the Hamad International Airport , Qatar provided us a transit visa and a hotel to rest before our final destination.

DOHA airport

The warmth of the 38 Celsius temperature outside the airport felt like a blower heating up my face.

going around DOHA

I liked the short ride to our hotel and seeing the Palm trees and a preview of DOHA.

DOHA

Qatar booked us at the Plaza Hotel. Soon I got messages on facebook and twitter from my social media friends which I have never met. I can finally put a face to that facebook like and twitter mention. What a fantastic day it was.

DOHA

It is a matter of hours now . Europe here I come.

If you do need an office within minutes,  check out the website of voffice.com.ph for the plans you want to avail then use my referral page or call +632 2242 000 and tell them that I referred you.

Remember my small office home office? This is in the second level of my home.

workstation

Before the move to my current residence, my home office was beside the kitchen.

virtual office at home

I called it either Home-office, Business-office (HOBO) or Small-office Home-office (SOHO) . Whatever you call it, I’ve been a work-at-home-mom since my second daughter was born in 1987. I like that my home office is a small nook that allows me to be in touch with kitchen activities and family members hovering behind me. Everyone was yelling distance away except for my kids if they are in their bedrooms. That’s because the walls of their rooms are almost sound-proof.

Now that I got even busier as a social business consultant and blogger, meetings took place in coffee shops. Meeting at my SOHO was not ideal because of the distance and secondly I wanted my privacy. Having to meet at coffee shops has its space limitation during meetings. The solution was a virtual office space .

.

I discovered voffice.com.ph,. vOffice in short for Virtual Office, gives you everything you need to efficiently run your business less the cost of maintaining a physical office. It gives you a prestigious business address, telephone & fax number, professional receptionist to answer your call, working space, full equipped meeting facilities, on-demand secretary and more. I got their Platinum plan.  Let me tell you about the benefits of using vOffice, my virtual office.

 

1. Prestigious Bonifacio Global City address at One Global Place (5th Avenue & 25th Street)

virtual office one global

I am always at the Global City so I liked that there are offices there at the Fort Legend and One Global. My Fitness First Gym is just across One Global Place so that is quite convenient for me. They also have a Makati address at Mavenue building. The best part of the voffice experience is I can also use the facilities of the Fort Legend (open 24/7) and Mavenue in Makati. . I like the idea of the Makati office with an open space, fresh air, roof deck area, fresh plants and a cup of hot tea to accompany you while you work.

mavenue makati v office

I have only experienced One Global Place so far but in the next few months, I will be visiting the two others. I can also use the virtual office at Melbourne, Singapore , London, Hongkong, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur Jakarta Selatan ,Jakarta Pusat, Shanghai , Beijing and Bangkok.

2. Affordable rates.

For the platinum plan, it costs 3,600 pesos a month. If you divide that by 25 working days, that is only 144 pesos a day, pretty much the cost of a large sized coffee mug order. One can get more out of the 144 pesos a day.

Screen Shot 2014-08-15 at 5.46.24 PM

Here is what I can get:

1. Receive Mails & Parcels on my behalf.
2. SMS or Email notification.
3. Local & International Mail Forwarding.
4. Scan & Email service is available upon
5. Elegant Reception Service.
6. Calls Handling
7. Dedicated Local Telephone Number.
8. Professional Call Answering.
10. SMS or Email notification.
11. Call Screening and Transfer.
12. Personalized Voicemail.
13. Fax Services
14. Dedicated Local Fax Number.
15. Instant Fax Forwarding to your email

and comes with an unlimited use of a fully WIFI-ed business lounge and

– 8 hours per month worth PHP 7,200 per month
– 2 teleconference at 20 hours per month
– Executive Office Suite at 3 hours a month

I will expand on this more.

3.  Flexibility of using meeting rooms at 8 hours a month in over 25 locations

virtual office

I log on to MyvOffice.me to reserve a meeting room in real time. The voffice was quite useful when I needed to power my gagdets after a storm. My home did not have power for three days.

virtual office meeting room

4. Unlimited use of the fully WIFI-ed Business lounge

virtual office lobby

if you have used up your meeting room hours and are not willing to pay for additional, using the business lounge or pantry is an option. Those nifty white chairs are quite functional. There are power outlets within reach unlike a coffee shop where it is “first come first served”. It can get noisy though since this is the main lobby and there are many people coming in and out.

virtual office chair

5. Unlimited coffee at the pantry

How I love the pantry. There is a ref, a microwave, water dispenser , spoon , fork , glasses and mug.

virtual office kitchen

The best part is unlimited quality coffee . Now that is worth the 144 a day cost of a virtual office, right?

voffice coffee

6. Close to my gym

This is the “The Fort Strip” , a view from the pantry and where my Fitness First gym is located.

virtual office view

Physical activity can’t just be limited to tapping on my macbook finger exercises . My daily routine entails a two-hour gym workout in between my work After a workout, I can just walk towards One Global Place.

7. Receive calls and parcels

The ability to receive small parcels is an advantage. Having been stalked for over seven years now, I do not relish giving out my address or phone number to anyone. In fact, I had to change my landline and mobile phone numbers last year . With a dedicated phone number, the receptionist receives calls for me and then forwards it to my mobile number

virtual office mail box

 

8. An Elite Card Advantage

Having this Elite Card gives me discounted rates from their partner hotels, restaurants and boutiques with as much as 15% discount on selected partners. Click here to see the list.

voffice card

I can see the benefits of a virtual work space for start-ups and small sized entrepreneurs. One does not need to invest in a lease for office space or get a mortgage for a building. My business operates well in a virtual environment. Technically, my office is wherever I am . With the current technology , I can conduct my business anywhere but having an address in my business card is more professional. First impressions mean a lot. I don’t want to use my home address as the business address. With a virtual office, there is relief from the stresses of a traditional one.

If you do need an office within minutes,  check out the website of voffice.com.ph for the plans you want to avail then use my referral page or call +632 2242 000 and tell them that I referred you.

A death in the family is always so heartbreaking. Losing my only son, two brothers and both my parents took me to a roller coaster ride of grief and recovery. Love never goes away when  I found myself grieving  over the loss of my loved ones . It is not often I get affected over a death of a celebrity. When I read on  my twitter feed about the death of Robin Williams,  I was in shock, denial and numb. This funny guy brought so much laughter going as far back as my college days when Mork and Mindy first came out on Television in 1978. So much joy and happiness has been  shared with my children when we watched “Hook”, “Aladdin” and even “Mrs. Doubtfire”. I can only remember Robin Williams as funny man . Though I am aware of depression and suicide, I would never truly understand how Robin Williams experienced depression or what happened in his “life to drive him to suicide, or if there was any way it could have been prevented.” All I know is “when a person experiences the ultimate tragic end to any illness, let it be a lesson as to how little we know rather than how much.” All I can do is share my Suicide prevention page because suicide prevention is everybody’s business. Educate our community that suicide is a preventable public health problem in the Philippines. Suicide should no longer be considered a taboo topic, and that through raising awareness and educating the public, we can SAVE lives.

Robin Williams lives on in his movies and in our memories of feeling good after watching these movies. His family feels the same too.

robin williams children

Let me share the touching statements from Robin Williams’ family members via eonline.com

ZakCody and Zelda Williams have all released statements just hours after the Oscar winner’s official cause of death was released by the local police department.

Williams’ second wife, Marsha Garces Williams, also broke her silence with a gut-wrenching, heartfelt statement of her own.

Zak: “Yesterday, I lost my father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer. I will carry his heart with me every day. I would ask those that loved him to remember him by being as gentle, kind, and generous as he would be. Seek to bring joy to the world as he sought.”

Cody: “There are no words strong enough to describe the love and respect I have for my father. The world will never be the same without him. I will miss him and take him with me everywhere I go for the rest of my life, and will look forward, forever, to the moment when I get to see him again.”

Zelda: “My family has always been private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world. But now that’s gone, and I feel stripped bare. My last day with him was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and laughter. He was always warm, even in his darkest moments. While I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there’s minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions. It doesn’t help the pain, but at least it’s a burden countless others now know we carry, and so many have offered to help lighten the load. Thank you for that.

“To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after you’ve had it washed. After all, he loved to laugh too…

“Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”

She also tweeted to fans, thanking them for making donations in honor of her beloved father.

“Thank you to all those donating to @StJude in memory of my father. I’m overwhelmed. The charity meant the world to him, as it does to me,” the 25-year-old actress wrote. “Knowing that so many children will be helped in his honor is all I could’ve asked for. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

Marsha: “My heart is split wide open and scattered over the planet with all of you. Please remember the gentle, loving, generous – and yes, brilliant and funny – man that was Robin Williams. My arms are wrapped around our children as we attempt to grapple with celebrating the man we love, while dealing with this immeasurable loss.”

If you need help, here is my Suicide prevention page

 

USA hotline
In an emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK

Philippine Suicide Prevention Hotline (Updated October 23, 2012)

The Philippines’ FIRST depression and suicide prevention hotline is now open. Call 804-4673 (HOPE). Open 24/7.

If outside Manila text/call these nos: 0917-558-HOPE (4673) or 0917-852-HOPE (4673

In Touch
Crisis Lines:

0917-572-HOPE or (632)211-1305
(632) 893-7606 (24/7)
(632)893-7603 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
Globe (63917) 800.1123 or (632) 506.7314
Sun (63922) 893.8944 or (632) 346.8776

Source of photo: (April 23, 2006 – Source: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment)

vampire dollMany teenagers nowadays are staying up until the wee hours of the morning doing variety of things like texting on their mobile phones; chatting online; playing video games; downloading movies; watching TV, DVDs or videos; listening to music; spending time on social media; and engaging in other hobbies and activities. They think that staying up late is cool and part of a life of a teenager. Some say it’s a trend that influences the young generation to cut their sleeping time in favor of the Internet, social media, and gadgets. They call this teenage nocturnal behavior vamping.

What is vamping? The word vamping is obviously derived from the word vampire.  The popularity of Twilight andTrue Blood probably has something to do about the term.  A lot of teenagers love staying up all night.  They go to bed when the sun comes up as if they are afraid of turning to dust.

The hashtag #vamping has made its mark on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Teens are using the hashtag whenever they stay up late at night; often without their parents knowing.

Vamping is associated with kids and teens around the world including the Philippines.  Many Pinoy teenagers have jumped into the bandwagon. I have seen evidence and subtle hints ofvamping on my newsfeed from younger cousins, nieces and nephews.  They sometimes post vamping selfies on Instagram.

Jennifer, 45 years old has two teenage daughters.  She considers herself as a digital parent.  She says that with myriad of electronic gadgets like laptops, tablets, smart phones, mp3 players, and video game consoles, her teenagers have many things to keep them busy without noticing the ticking of the clock. Jennifer is concerned that vamping will affect her daughters’ health and grades. As a mom, she tries to put some parameters of control to protect her girls from getting tangled in the nocturnal web. The family agreed that bedtime during school nights is not later 9:30 p.m.  Jennifer and her husband give their daughters a bit more freedom during weekends. They can stay up until 11 p.m. during Fridays and Saturdays but they have to be in bed by 9:30 p.m. during Sundays.

Jennifer makes it a point to occasionally check the bedroom of her daughters to ensure that they are sleeping at the right time.  She admits catching them a few times staying up way past their bedtimes.  There was a time when the girls got grounded for staying up until 1 a.m. during a school night.  Jennifer read the tweet of one of her daughters about #vamping until 1 a.m. to chat with friends which got them both in trouble.  The girls have learned not to cross their parents again; otherwise they might end up losing their gadget privileges for an indefinite period. Jennifer says that it’s not easy raising teenagers in this digital era.  She and her husband try their best to set ground rules at home but not to the point of being too strict.   She says that parenting is a learning process.  She gets helpful tips by reading parenting articles, getting advice from family and friends and firsthand experience.

What motivates kids to engage in so-called vamping? According to The New York Times, teenagers are often swamped with homework, papers, reports, and projects. They also tend to juggle extra-curricular activities like music lessons and sports with academics.  Their busy schedules give them little time to enjoy personal interests. Many teenagers find a sense of freedom at night when homework and other school-related responsibilities are done.  Teens take advantage of late hours because that’s the time when most parents have gone to bed; giving them more leverage to do the things they like without prying eyes or words of disapproval.

What are the negative effects of vamping? Many parents are becoming concerned because vamping is not limited to teens anymore. It seems that younger kids are picking up the habit. Perhaps seeing older siblings staying up late and going under the covers to use their gadgets are giving young ones the wrong idea thatvamping is a fun and cool thing. Vamping has become a rampant behavior among teens that school administrators are also beginning to notice. Lack of sleep can affect children’s ability to focus on their studies.

Based on WebMD, sleep plays an important role in thinking and learning.  Cognitive processes are negatively affected by lack of sleep.  Kids and teens who don’t get enough Zzzzs may experience difficulty concentrating on school work, staying alert in class, focusing their attention on lessons, reasoning, and problem solving.  Lack of sleep can hurt school performance. Children who often stay up late at night have less time to review for exams. Learning inefficiency can occur because lack of sleep could make it more difficult to process what they learn in class. According to Kids Health, school-age kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can also affect children’s behavior. It can cause kids to become irritable or exhibit hyper behavior. It is vital for growing kids to have consistent bedtime, especially during school nights.

How can you protect children from the ill effects of vamping? It’s a good idea for parents and their children to discuss and agree on an ideal bedtime during school nights and weekends.  It is also advisable to agree on a fair form of consequence when rules are broken. For instance, kids can get grounded from using electronics for certain number of days if they are caught staying up beyond their bedtime using gadgets.

You can also consider using forms of Internet parental controls that can limit Internet usage at certain time of the day.  Establish ground rules when it comes to use of electronics. Some suggest that parents do not allow the use of gadgets in the bedroom after bedtime. You can also turn off the Internet during bedtime. This can prevent kids and teens from sneaking during the night to use their laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other electronics.

Make sure that your children understand why you set certain rules and limitations.  You can start by explaining the negative effects of vamping.  It is recommended to monitor your kids’ activities on the Internet especially on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  It is vital to be a good example to your children by following the same rules that you set in your household.

Photos: “Vampire doll” c/o Flickr. Some rights reserved; “Time” c/o Flickr. Some rights reserved; “Blogging” c/o Pixabay. Public domain.

 

by Ma. Rachel Yapchiongco as originally posted at the Philippine Online Chronicles.