Posted in Photography, tagged Children, Discipline, Family Values, Photographs, Photography, Shoes, The Twisters on May 7, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Snapshot of three pairs of children’s shoes. They belong to “The Twisters” who blew in yesterday afternoon thirsty for pancakes and ice cream. They had both in generous amounts. This is the way they organize their shoes as soon as they come through the door. Discipline is a good thing at a young age; it develops good habits. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Photography, tagged Children, Food Contamination, Love, Photographs, Photography, Salmonella, Sickness, The Twisters on April 7, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Abdiel, the oldest of The Twisters, recently was infected with a bacteria known as Salmonella due to ingestion of contaminated food. Salmonella is closely related to the Escherichia genus and are found worldwide in cold—and warm—blooded animals (including humans), and in the environment. They cause illnesses such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and food-borne illness.
He is now recovering from a treatment of antibiotics until the infection is totally controlled. In order to help his recovery, we decided to have him for for the weekend, away from the storm created by the two other Twisters which are loaded with energy and naughtiness, if you understand what I mean.
Yesterday afternoon, I took the opportunity of taking a picture of Abdiel’s small hand while he was sound asleep. From this picture I obtained two results experimenting with my photo editing software—Pixlr and PicMonkey. As you can see, photography is lots of fun. Here we go.
Snapshot of Abdiel’s hand while he was taking a nap at our home yesterday afternoon. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Abdiel represents to my wife and me a son we never had. He fills our days with joy when he’s at home. Love is a wonderful word. I wish we had more of it in the world which is thirsty for this wonderful feeling. Good Day.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Abstract Thinking, Arithmetic, Cogitation, Creative Thinking, Creativity, Education, Games, Multiplication Tables, Syllogisms, The Twisters on March 22, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Last Sunday we had a quiet and rewarding visit by the Twisters. Abdiel is not doing too well at school and needed some help with the multiplication tables. His teacher, mother, father and a mentor have been unable to help him memorize the 12 basic multiplication tables. This knowledge is crucial for his elementary school education.
According to Abdiel, “they” don’t know how to teach. The problem is not “him“. The problem is “them“. In an effort to intervene in Abdiel’s education, I decided to give it a shot.
I devised a number’s game with bright colors, photographs, Powerpoint slides, and witty games with my cellphone to attract his attention and then ushered him gently to the multiplication tables. In a subtle way, I explained the use of syllogisms and critical thinking to memorize the tables. Obviously, I avoided using these specific semantics. I was interest in the concept of critical thinking rather than the words themselves.
Abdiel is nine years old and starting fifth grade. I was interested in finding out how developed his brain was to handle abstract thinking. I was satisfied to learn that he has the cogitation skills to understand this kind of thinking. For example, I asked him, “Abdiel, if Juan is the same height as Pedro, and Pedro is the same height as Oscar, can you tell me if Abdiel is taller than Oscar? Abdiel smiled and sheepishly answered, “Omar, all of them have the same height.” “Excellent!“, I exclaimed loudly. The logical conclusion was correct.
Then I explored further and presented the following thought quiz. “Abdiel, if all birds fly, and a humming-bird is a bird, this means that…” He was quiet for a while and then asked. “What do you mean?“ I patiently asked again, “Abdiel do you have any comments about what I just said—anything?” He looked puzzled for a while and then finally answered, “Omar, I think that a humming-bird can fly.” At age nine, Abdiel is using principles of Logic to think. This is great and it will definitely help him down the road as his education becomes more and more complex.
Anyway, going back to my story, Abdiel is now ready to take an arithmetic exam next Sunday, March 24, 2013 completing the multiplication tables from 1 to 12. I know he will do well. Games, a cellphone, colors, logic, and Powerpoint did the trick. Numbers can be fun; they don’t necessarily have to be arid and boring as most people think. Teaching has to be fun if you want students to learn. Memorization is “Out”, Critical Thinking is “In”.
After the tuition session was over, we went over to McDonald’s and each one enjoyed a nice and cool vanilla ice cream cone and a delicious apple pie. The Twisters were jubilant as you can surely imagine.
Before they left, they played Nintendo Wii for a while and made interesting toys with Angry Birds assembly pieces. I was amazed how they were able to build these colorful and creative “suns” and “planes“, using their own words. I had no idea you could do that. For us, it’s always a wonderful experience having these kids at home—albeit for a short while.
Below are some of the enticing creations of the Twisters. Here we go.
Snapshot of three interesting “suns” created by the Twisters during their last visit. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of a toy plane built by the Twisters with colorful plastic assembly pieces. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Gadgets, tagged Christmas Presents, Consumer Electronics, Entertainment, Family, Gadgets, Games, Nintendo Wii Console, The Twisters, Traditional Family Values on December 12, 2012 | 6 Comments »
For several months, The Twisters have been nagging about wanting a Nintendo Wii console under their Christmas tree this year. We told them insistently, that that wish depended on their school performance. If their grades were acceptable and if they made it to the next level, the console was possible. We were careful to stress the word possible.
Serendipitously, The Twisters are passing to the next academic level and their school performance was acceptable. This means that we will stick to our commitment and place a Nintendo Wii console under their Christmas tree on the 24th this month. Last week we went to Multimax and acquired the longed gadget.
Last Sunday Abdiel and my wife wrapped it up. He wanted to take it home, but we said, “No way Jose.” It stays here until the time is ripe for Santa to deliver it on the Christmas Eve (if you still believe in Santa Claus—tongue-in-cheek).
Below are several pictures capturing the moment of the wrapping of the Christmas present. We hope this gadget will contribute to keep the family together by playing entertaining games at home. It is uppermost important for us to keep this family together and happy.
Snapshot of the Nintendo Wii console before it was wrapped up in special Christmas paper. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of my wife Aura and Abdiel carefully wrapping up the Nintendo Wii console one lazy Sunday afternoon. If you look closely at the clock on top of the TV set, it was exactly 1:00 p.m. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Photography, tagged Backgammon, Board Games, Chess, Entertainment, Family Values, Games, Photographs, Photography, Strategy Games, The Twisters on November 26, 2012 | 3 Comments »
In this day and age, violence is taking our cities by storm. Most of our newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV programs are plagued with different categories of violence. The cause of this violence is complex. There are no easy answers to end the malaise. I have one suggestion though—going back to traditional family values.
We are trying very hard to help “The Twisters” grow as healthy as possible. In order to consolidate family values within The Twisters’ family, we thought it was a good idea to give them a game of Backgammon and Chess so they could play with their parents.
I was a lousy Chess player, but Abdiel has a good mind and absorbs information like a sponge. His father also has a knack for strategy games.
Below are several pictures of chess pieces which I captured before turning over the game to The Twisters. Here we go.
Snapshot of several pieces of a chess game which was recently given to The Twisters to activate their brain muscles. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of spending time with your kids. The family is the backbone of our societies. We have to stop the alarming rates of divorces, leaving behind confused kids bouncing back and forth like ping-pong balls. Practicing traditional family values is a good start. Good Day.
Posted in Photography, tagged Babies, Bathing, Bathtub, Children, Heat, Panama, Photographs, Photography, Playing, Rainy Season, The Twisters, Weather on November 15, 2012 | 2 Comments »
“Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows.”—John Betjeman
In the narrow Isthmus of Panama, the rainy season extends from mid April to mid December. It is expected that you will need an umbrella when you go out, or you’ll return soaking wet. This doesn’t mean that it rains day and night. During the mornings the sun is out and it gets pretty warm. From ten o’clock to midday, some days can be hot, blistering, sizzling, stifling, sweltering, torrid, warm or caliente. You get my point. Even though we might be enjoying a rainy season, the sun can sometimes become absolutely excessive.
It was during one of these warm and sticky mornings, when the youngest Twister came home for a brief visit. She was sweating all over when she crossed the doorway. My wife came up with the idea of lowering the temperature and raising the child’s spirits by giving her an outdoors bath in a red bathtub.
It was a bright idea, as bright as the sun upstairs. While Paola was clowning in her liquid throne; making all kinds of noises, faces, and gestures, I dashed to my home office and fetched my Birthday Camera, a.k.a. Canon PowerShot A720 IS. As Paola performed her act, I took the following shots. Nothing was artificial or posed. All pictures are authentic, instantaneously captured by the magic eye of the camera obscura. Here we go.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
With this last picture, Paola says, “Adiós”. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Children, Dogs, Family, Paola, Play, The Twisters, Toys on October 30, 2012 | 2 Comments »
During a recent visit of The Twisters, we removed the dust from an old plastic rocking dog we had stored and forgotten in one of our closets, and turned it over to Paola—the youngest of The Twisters.
She was jumping with joy, thinking the dog was some kind of horse and headed towards the saddle. Nothing beats the happiness of a child. Take a look at Paola riding the high saddle of the dog-horse.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Backyards, Children, Family, Ferns, Gardener, Growing Up, The Twisters on October 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Snapshot of Abdiel (the oldest of the Twisters) helping our gardener by trimming several hanging ferns in our backyard. As you can see, he is growing up to be a young man now. Time really flies. I remember when he was just a fragile baby in his mother’s arms. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Fixes, Footwear, Paper Clips, Repairs, Shoes, Sneakers, The Twisters on October 23, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Due to excessive wear and tear, Abdiel’s (one of the Twisters) sneakers were falling apart. In an effort to save some money, we decided to fix them.
After spreading glue generously on the soles of the sneakers, I used plastic paper clips to hold the parts together while the glue dried up overnight. The experiment worked and now Abdiel has an almost new pair of sneakers. But we all know that soon we will have to buy a new pair. Abdiel is far too restless and demands a lot from his footwear. All kids behave the same way and parents are fully aware of this frequent family expenditure.
Below are some pictures of the brightly colored paper clips doing their job. Here we go.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Backgammon, Board Games, Checkers, Chess, Games, Nuclear Family, Social Tissue, Society, Sociology, The Twisters on September 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »
In day and age, violence is taking our cities by storm. Most of our newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV programs are plagued with different categories of violence. The cause of this violence is complex. There are no easy answers to end the malaise. I have one suggestion—going back to social basics. Traditional family values.
The nuclear family (father, mother and children) is the core of a community. This social tissue was badly battered when the industrial revolution became the preferred economic model in our capitalistic countries. It started in Great Britain and rapidly spread to cover the world. The children were left alone with a relative while their parents went to work in the factory in order to put food on the table. This was the beginning of the problem—children growing up without the supervision of their parents.
We are trying very hard to help “The Twisters” grow as healthy as possible. Their father works as a taxi driver and their mother works in a department store. The kids are taken care by their grandmother and grandfather who are now retired. During the weekends they center as a united family and spend quality time together. It’s not the perfect solution, but at least it’s better than doing nothing to help the kids grow in a split environment.
Karol is in first grade and Abdiel is in fourth grade. They are getting their elementary education and developing their analytical skills. We thought that a game of Backgammon, Checkers or Chess could be an appropriate conduit to promote traditional family values. We think that sharing time with the kids is a wonderful manner to concentrate and strengthen the family.
Two days ago we purchased a three game product to induce the Twisters’ parents to spend time with their children playing and developing their analytical skills at the same time. It worked. Yesterday Abdiel was elated to play chess with his father while Karol enjoyed herself playing checkers with her mother. It was a nice feeling watching the family sharing time together with their children. Perhaps we have a Bobby Fisher in the making.
Below are several pictures of chess pieces which I captured before turning over the game to The Twisters. Here we go.
Snapshot of chess pieces which we recently purchased for the enjoyment of The Twisters. Abdiel is a pretty good chess player. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
It is important to keep in mind that the nuclear family is the fragile social tissue that keeps our societies together. Without integrated families we are headed towards social chaos with unpredictable results. Please, spend time with your children. Good Day.
