I bought three tiger barbs a couple of days ago. That’s a kind of tropical fish, if you still don’t know. They’re small and light brown, with four dark vertical stripes on their sides. Two of them died last week. They're in the freezer right now, awaiting burial. Don’t worry, it can’t be mistaken as ulam because I placed it inside a box of matches. Oh, and we’re planning to buy an aquarium (complete with aerator, filter and the customary miniature castle). But my younger sister, Nadya, and I have to use our own money. So we have to “work” in our family business. *sigh* My first taste of “independence” in the “real world.”

Nadya actually has more money, whether in the wallet or in the bank, than I have. And to think she’s ten years younger than I am.

By the way, she’s taking Math and Science classes that her school is offering this summer. It’s not because she failed or did poorly during the school year. She actually won a couple of Math contests already. District level nga lang, but she’s quite good. And this is not just the proud sister talking. Gahd, aren’t we a bunch of nerds.

But for all her potential, she has one shortcoming: she hates reading. She actually got sleepy after reading a page of Nancy Drew. (To her credit, it wasn’t really that interesting. Nevertheless…) So what’s wrong with that, you ask. A lot. How is she suppose to know important stuff when she won’t read anything other than her textbooks? How is she suppose to pass her entrance exams when her vocabulary is miserable and her reading skills are next to zero? Besides, reading is a way better than sitting in front of the idiot box all day. What is wrong with kids nowadays? Don’t they know that if they don’t read, they’re gonna grow up bobo? Sheesh.