Elizabeth's English Lectures (and other matters)

Picture taken by: Agatha Maruyama  In January 2017, while I was going on with my life in the academy as usual, my niece surprised me with her visit. She explained that she was going to the USA the following day and that she came to my workplace to give me some gifts. She is the same niece I sent to school and took care of for 9 years until she became a licensed teacher. Due to many reasons, after she got her license, she went to live with her older sister in a place which is 3 hours away from my own place. Well anyway… we exchanged pleasantries and when she went away, I checked the small bag she left. In it were some chips, a small envelope that contained P1,000.00, and a bottle of hand   and body lotion. Myra VitaSmooth Hydrating Hand and Body Lotion. I’m sure that my niece chose this brand because its color is a variant of pink, or red. She knows that I never outgrew my love for pink.   I had always seen this on display in department stores but I never paid any attenti

Photo taken by: Agatha Maruyama  My skin is not flawless. My friends always talk about skin peeling, diamond scrubbing, and other treatments that are done to make the skin look younger and softer.  One friend even went as far as to apply for a loan just to have money for a skin peeling procedure. Well, I’ve NEVER experienced any of those procedures though I admit that one of these days, I will have to undergo those same treatments soon. How then, do I take care of my skin? I don’t. I use a regular bath soap to wash my face. I've always been uneasy about the blemishes on my skin, though.  Imagine my happiness when this product, Maybelline face powder, with its promise to conceal all blemishes effectively, came. I eagerly set out to buy myself this powder. . There are four shades to choose from. They are Nude Beige, Natural, Honey, and Sand Beige. I chose the lightest shade, Nude Beige. Maybelline has the following claims: ·        It’s perfect for Asia

My student entered my room and she flashed her cheerful, pretty smile as usual. I noticed the subtle color on her lips right away. “Good evening young lady, first of all, I would like you to know that I like your lip gloss. What brand is it?” She eagerly showed me her Maybelline Baby Lips Color.  “This comes in many different shades, Teacher.” “Awww…but it’s Maybelline. Isn’t it expensive?” “No, it’s not. Don’t you know this? This has always been very popular among young girls. Many girls my age even give this as a gift to other girls.” “Sorry, I did not know it.” Talk about generation gap. I made a vow to buy my own Maybelline Lip Gloss the very next weekend. Now, why would a middle-aged woman want to use Baby Lips Lip Gloss? Well.... First, due to my coffee intake, my body is acidic. Lipstick does not stay long on my lips (unless it’s Hera lipstick.) Second, I find it bothersome to use lipstick because whenever I

Photo taken by: Agatha Maruyama  On February 26, 2018, I painted my nails red, for the first time in my life. When I was about 4 years old, I remember getting the young leaves of the tree Teak which grew near our house. I would crush the leaves and rub the sap on my fingernails. My nails would turn rust-red. I had always wanted to paint my nails. However, I grew up in a big family and even at a young age, I was obliged to do household tasks such as washing the dishes, scrubbing the sink, and scrubbing the pans with ashes and sand to remove the soot. In short, even at a tender age, my fingers and palms were already battered with hard work. When I got a little older, going on eight, I was required to do the laundry. I had to wash my clothes, my two brothers’ clothes, and the clothes of  my oldest brother’s first baby.  (I have three older brothers and one younger brother.) There were no disposable diapers back then, so white clothes were used as diapers. My little fing