Complaint: Sensitivity training needed for Dunkin Donut Staff in interacting with persons who are hearing impaired

My wife loves Dunkin Donuts, specially their coffee.  This morning, Tuesday, December 14 at about 9:00 a.m., she drove by (not for the first time) the Sheridan Street shop and placed her order — an iced coffee without cream and a chocolate glazed donut with peanuts on top. She also told the teller that she is hearing impaired.  (She wears hearing aids on both ears but there is something about the sound quality of intercoms that instead of hearing words she would hear sputtering sounds.)

The teller continued to converse with her over the intercom, to which she repeated her order and repeated to her that she cannot hear.  The teller went down to talk to her, but with her mask, my wife could not decipher what she was saying.  With some frustrationThe teller came out and continued to talk to her to which she repeated that she cannot hear (specially that the teller had s mask on - as is required). To her it is a simple transaction and there was really no need for vocal interactions.  However, the same thing happened.  The teller continued to talk to her.  She asked for the manager to complain and he also talked to her. At some point the guard, too, told her something.  (My wife would augment her hearing through lip reading but that is made impossible with masks on.  That is why I wear a mask that has a plastic window so she could also see my lips when we converse.)

Extremely frustrated, she left the shop.  She cried in frustration when she got home. 

I drove over to the shop.  The manager, Kim, was  courteous and aware of the incident and told me that he had told the teller and the guard, who are new employees, about the situation and how to properly handle it.  Kim told me that he wanted to get my wife’s orders but she had just driven off.

The lesson is about listening.  Had the teller really listened, she would not have to needlessly engage with the customer.  Sure, the teller could have asked if my wife needed change so that it would be efficient for her to come down to the car with the order and the change.  But she would have to make an exception in this case, only if she had listened.

The other lesson is on sensitivity.  Many companies try to differentiate themselves from their competitor through quality service.  Dunkin Donuts would not be an exception.  They try to make the retail experience efficient for them and as much as possible frictionless for their customer.  Perhaps one area to explore is how to enhance the customer experience by being sensitive to them.

I am fearful that my wife would say that Dunkin Donuts would not anymore  be “worth the trip”.  But she beamed when I got back home to hand her the coffee I bought when I spoke with Kim.  When she bit on the donut, she said “this is really good”!

(This note was sent to the office of Persons with Disability Affairs Division of Mandaluyong City.)

One to pen-etrate the market?

This pen reminds me of how Yellowtail broadened the wine market and benefitted all wine producers.  It demystified wine — from simplifying lingo, to narrowing taste, to pricing affordably.  This was touted among the bluest of blue oceans.

The play between “kurisdasu” and curiosity reveals much about the market that is targeted by this pen.  They are those who have not crossed the line because of the complexity associated with using a fountain pen.  Take unscrewing the cap and refilling ink. Compare that to an effortless thumb push of a ballpoint pen and the quick cartridge change.

The Platinum Curidas is a bridge.  With a thumb push it makes the fountain pen nib retractable, but though a converter it ushers users to the all-too-common fountain pen experience.  Of course it could hold an ink cartridge for quicker refills.  'Quicker’ because there is instruction to remove the cartridge from and put it back in the inner mechanism in the barrel.  If the Curidas were a watch, it is one with complications; and if it were a movement, it is one that is in-house.

In the product page, Platinum highlights air tightness of the nib pocket to retard drying of the ink.  It is an admirable data-backed pitch addressed to newbies and fountain pen afficionados on the key issue around its use.

The pen is 20 grams and a tad over six inches.  Too long to hold in a shirt pocket.  So how does it write?  The ink flow of the fine nib is just nice. It started quickly and rather smoothly with an assurance of a good flow of ink as you go; a delight to write, actually.  The pen holds well because of the good-sized grip.

I had just wanted to make a review, but it quickly became a tear down from the start.  This was when I needed to figure out how to put the thing back after putting in the ink cartridge.

Whoa! Where did that second coil spring come from!?

A pen for a cause

We heartily thank the doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and support staff at the Philippine General Hospital for their commitment and courage to serve our people stricken with corona virus.  Thanks, too, to the Fountain Pen Network for the auctions; for the opportunity to support our heroes.

The Kasama Copper & Kamagong with a medium steel nib

The pen is a product of crafty machining and thoughtful fusion of metal and wood. Sometimes referred to as ironwood, kamagong wood could be carved into hair combs and other intricate ornaments. For this pen the molecular structure that gives the wood its rigidity allows the barrel to be threaded to precision to securely screw into the copper grooves of the pen cap.

The indented barrel makes for a nice hold, to angle the nib to a smooth touch on the paper and extrude a gentle flow of ink, and reveal the themed imprint on the nib.

The metal and wood combination gives it a hefty 124 grams. (The MB Meisterstuck 146 Le Grand comes in at merely 32.) It will probably not make it an everyday carry but it will surely be within easy reach -- to write anything, just anything -- for to use it is a delight.

"May I borrow the nice pen, please? Can you bring it over here?," my wife messaged me. Did she purposely omit "your" to hint an impending transfer of ownership? To ask (why the omission) is to probably part with it, don't you think?

 

When corporates get it so wrong...

...and they ask for bail out?!

My dealer sent me this message...and..how else should I respond?

Finally off

I arrived in DC from Manila for what was supposed to be just one day at the office.  As soon as I checked-in at the hotel my colleague called that I was asked to stay put and spend another week of self-quarantine.

As I was in transit Manila, my office had put out a 14-day quarantine policy and stopped all travel to and around Asia.  So when I arrived in DC I was asked if I had gone to Cebu and when. I had from the 23rd to the 27th of January. The earlier date then served as Day 1 of my quarantine.  I was not allowed to go to the office, and I could not meet with staff even if it were at some coffee shops nearby.

I was told that there was a high-level meeting to take my case up and firm up our protocols.  My colleagues were too apologetic that I had to go through all these. I was just pleased that my case served as example — I am not complaining; and I did not even go to some of our go-to restaurants near the office because I might just bump into colleagues.

So from the 6th of February, I was able to meet outside of the office with colleagues. Since then I’ve had a few meet-ups.  I am well; none of the symptoms of the corona virus.

China has a lot to answer to the world.  Their brand of predatory economic domination prying on resource-rich but good governance-deficient countries and subservient governments has taken an odd turn.  Their governance is — if there is one at all aside from authoritarianism — is what caused this what-seems-to-be uncontrolled spread of the virus.  Mal-governance, and the institutional habit of censorship, even if that information would threaten the health of many outside their controlled boundary, is unforgivable. They even wanted to patent the vaccine they had allegedly developed against the virus!

The virus may be corona, but it actually is China; and the countries that are subservient to them are among the clueless and complicit carriers.  I pity the human victims.

My Disagio

Perhaps the closest in my language to “disagio” is “di ako mapalagay”. That would be “bugging uneasiness” or a “lingering discontent”.

There are a whole lot of things that create or give me cause to feel “bugging uneasiness”. While I am writing away (and I am on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Washington, DC.) I feel this uneasiness — that I could not yet identify my disagio! Maybe by writing about it it will pop out like a brilliant idea, which should not be.

So I scribbled. Elections. That’s where I do most work in since the 80s. Of course it did not occupy most of my young life, but only until I got older and adopted it as a profession did it. So what about elections? I actually do not work on elections elections. But I work with groups that are nonpartisan that observe the election process. Process, if rules are regulations were followed during the campaign, in the voting and counting of ballots, etc. — regardless of who wins or loses. So where am I going with this?

Disagio in the elections, especially in developing countries are many.  From contestants not conforming to rules and are just willing to game the system in order to win, to electoral commissions that are not exactly committed to the work that they are supposed to do. Candidates, in their campaigning accost everyone with noisy tirades and untruths. Reporting on electoral financing is so flimsy that we could not really tell how much money they spend and from whom the money came. What we know for sure is that no matter the amount received by and spent on the campaign, what is reported is a drop in the bucket and that bucket is kept hidden by design. I don’t know if I can find a disagio there. Let me see....

Then I moved to the personal. I looked at people, processes, systems, and where within those might lie a disagio. Nothing worth noting there. I fear. If people like me at the stage of my life cannot identify a disagio, how could we help improve the world? How could we be inventing things and processes if we do not see uneasiness.



Or, taking this to another perspective, discomfiture?



So (note to self) help! (I’m still on-board the Emirates flight. About two hours before landing. I’ll come back to this when I am at Union Station...some hours there before I board the MARC train to see my wife in Maryland. But for now, I’ll return to my scribbling.

Three hours later...once the train left Union Station, I went back scribbling. I think I found my disagio!

Apps update! Many of us take this for granted because of the affordable mobile internet subscriptions. Some app developers brandish updates as a normal thing and they say that they do this weekly to make sure that we (users) get the latest, blah blah. I had a bit of programming background and I think that some codes in the apps could be inefficient and OTA (over the air) updates just keeps them inefficient because there is no cost to push them. 

June 2, 2019 FB App update on iOS 

May 23, 2019 Google Docs App update on iOS

What’s my beef?! If any of you have been to or have worked in East Timor, Papua New Guinea or in Afghanistan — where I have worked in the past five years, you will know why. Data is there is expensive! Each update from say, Facebook, Google Suites (arghh!) is are over a hundred MBs (each time!). It is H-E-A-V-Y!

In this day and age, updates are unavoidable and are here to stay. But I hope they are not because of inefficient coding/programming (or whimsical!)

Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s Digital Minister, along with many other voices in the world (mine included) are advocating for internet access to be a human right. I admire her when she said to her constituents that if your internet speed is slow, blame it on me. She owns up to the responsibility that every citizen in Taiwan should have broadband speeds.

Now back to my point, should I blame it on bad code? Yes, partly, because OTA as a delivery channel is convenient for both the developer and user. Security patches are not exceptions, as is in many cases, which are cited by developers as a reason to update. When bugs are detected a new version containing the correction could be deployed quickly. But to some, if not to many users, these constant and ‘regular’ updates are costly.

Therefore, I appeal to Apple and Android (am I supposed to go this far in the disagio exercise?!...oh well....) to instill standards on their app developers or apps that go on their platform. They must adhere to efficient coding standards, and far-in-between updates. But the larger appeal perhaps is for both platforms to talk to all mobile data providers to make any and all apps updates free of charge to all!

How tubá is made

Tubá is coconut wine, a delicacy of Cebuanos. It is extracted from a sapling that is about to bear coconuts. According to my dad, once there is a sprout, it will have to be slowly bent — over a few days — to bow so gravity will cause the sap to drip down.

The ‘trained’ sap will then be sharply sliced, revealing the veins from which each would have grown into a full fruits.

Twice a day, mornings and evenings, the sapling will have to be finely sliced to remove the dried out veins and reinvigorate the flow. The sap will be sweet and a delight to drink. During the world war, my cousin lost her mother and was fed liná, or what the sap is locally referred to — a mother’s milk substitute.

The cloudy sap is what the coconut tree would feed to fruit into young coconuts. After a day, the sap would turn a little sour hinting fermentation.

My mom loved the taste, flavor and the sweetness, especially the portion that she keeps cold in the fridge. But she could not explain — despite the medical doctor training in her — why she is wobbly after a glassful.

The sap will remain delightful for two to three days and then it would really sour into vinegar. The rusty color of tubá is derived from mixing powdered bark of mangrove, tungog, which makes the brew taste characteristically bitter.

Spot the wrong...

This photo appears to be not out of the ordinary, does it? It is the cashier station of the SM Appliance Store at the SM Seaside Mall just south of Cebu city.

But look closely. There is something very wrong the in they way they do business. Can you tell what it is? What could be the reasons for this? Please post in the comments section.

Imagine...

Imagine: This guy and his close circle, just before the elections, must have already a good idea that they will win. They had a huge war chest from friends, and money from China some of which could have been channeled through his family. They had an army of online trolls supported by Russia and backed by firm know-how from years of sowing mind-manipulating and norm-challenging “information” that eventually distorted the Philippine, and the US elections.

When he won the election, imagine what he and his friends thought about what could be possible with the power and the legitimacy.

What could China want in return, Russia? What could explain his numerous trips to Russia, many of which are under raps and probably would never be reported in the media.

For him, fame and fortune lang yata yan — at 72, or so it seems. What has he got to prove? Perhaps a lot? That Davao is not a one-off, and that he could experiment with a much larger territory. How could he show-off a Davao?

Imagine: He is probinsyano (no discrimination intended) and know only a few people. So classmates were an easy reach? Dahil wala masadong kakilala kaya maraming pwedeng makikisawsaw; pwede nga kanya-kanya, baga.

With a year-and-half into the presidency, this guy surely is not acting alone. The interests of his friends and that of the two foreign powers could already be firmly in place. His only worry is that he needs to cover his backside as there is a relentless interest on the death squads, his undeclared wealth, the huge shabu shipment pointing to his network, and others.

Some of his friends could be hedging if and when we will not last the full-term. The largest investors probably by now have already staked their claim so that even if his term is short-lived, his successor would be left with no other choice except to pony up.

Opposition to the planned revolutionary government

Via email: publicaffairs.dnd@gmail.com


November 13, 2017




The Honorable
Delfin N. Lorenzana
Secretary
Department of National Defense
DND Building, Segundo Ave.
Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Re: Opposition to the revolutionary government initiated by president Duterte

Dear Secretary Lorenzana,

I express in the strongest possible terms the plan by president Duterte and his administration to declare a revolutionary government. This would be unconstitutional.

The president took this oath, “I,... do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.”

If and when he declares a revolutionary government, he would have violated this solemn oath. He would have also disregarded the electoral process that had brought him to his current position.

We appeal to your office and to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stay committed to defend the Constitution, and defend the nation from the rogue plans of this government.

Very respectfully yours,



(SIGNED)
Telibert Laoc
Mandaluyong City
telibert@namfrel.com.ph

"A man's got to know his limitations."...

Fictional character police inspector Harold Francis "Dirty Harry" Callahan (Clint Eastwood) in the film Magnum Force (1973) whispers to himself after rogue police lieutenant, Callahan's superior, Neil Briggs (Hal Holbrook) blew up in his car.  The bomb that killed him was planted by Briggs' cohorts and had been intended for Callahan.  The camera then zooms in on Callahan and the closing credits roll up.

Yes, I am taking about Duterte, the mayor of Davao who reportedly relishes the moniker "Dirty Harry".  He was 26 when the eponymous Eastwood starrer was released in 1971, and Magnum Force was sequel to Dirty Harry.  He might have fancied the nickname but he had long since murdered the character.

Callahan: It's not hard to understand how this could happen, the way things are. As incredible as it seems, there may be a sub-organization within the police force.  Sort of a death squad like they had in Brazil some years back. Damn.

Rogue motorcycle cops (Briggs' band) confronting Callahan: Do you have any idea how hard it is to prosecute a cop?

Callahan: You heroes have killed a dozen people this week. What are you gonna do next week? Kill a dozen more.  Is that what you guys are all about, being heroes?

Rouge cops: All our heroes are dead. We are the first generation...that's learned to fight.  We're simply ridding society of killers that would be caught...and sentenced anyway if our courts worked properly.  We began with the criminals that the people know...so that our actions would be understood.  It's not just a question of whether or not to use violence. There simply is no other way, lnspector. You of all people...should understand that. Either you're for us or you're against us.

Callahan: I'm afraid you've misjudged me.

Briggs: I run the investigation, with your record, I can make anything stick.

Callahan: What I can't understand is, why you of all people?

Briggs: A hundred years ago in this city, people did the same thing. History justified the vigilantes, we're no different. Anyone who threatens the security of the people will be executed.  Evil for evil, Harry. Retribution.

Callahan:  That's just fine.  But how does murder fit in? When police start becoming their own executioners...where's it gonna end, Briggs?  Pretty soon, you'll start executing people for jaywalking. And executing people for traffic violations. Then you end up executing your neighbor 'cause his dog pisses on your lawn.

Briggs: There isn't one man we've killed that didn't deserve what was coming to him. Yes, there is. Charlie McCoy. What would you have done?

Callahan: I'd have upheld the law.

Briggs: What the hell do you know about the law? You're a great cop, Harry.  You had a chance to join the team, but you'd rather stick to the system.

Callahan: Briggs, I hate the goddamn system. But until someone comes along...with some changes that make sense,  I'll stick with it.  You're about to become extinct.  Living a bad dream in which all of us are the victims.

Callahan: A man's got to know his limitations.

Duterte himself has owned and bragged to have committed vigilante-type killings while mayor of Davao.  He rode his motorcycle and shot, just like the rogue cops -- taking the law in their own hands.  As president he has turned the presidency rogue and could turn our own police force rogue, if he hasn't already. His cheap movie has obituaries for credits.  It has to end now.

(Image source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R1Lfaxc0n-0/maxresdefault.jpg)

An opportunity for parties

The recent election might just have provided an opportunity for political parties to firm up and take real shape.  What could they do? They could each form shadow cabinets.

The shadow cabinet, similar to the ones in the United Kingdom, would be composed of senior leaders of the non-ruling parties to mirror the cabinet of the incoming government.  Each member of the shadow cabinet would lead on a specific policy area for the party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the cabinet. In this way the official opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting. [http://bit.ly/260qKBw] 

Here are some reasons to do this now, never mind that elective tenures are currently fixed:


1.  Apparently the incoming government needs a clear vision and policies.  They appear to be reputation-centered; and the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) would be saddled with not governing, but with keeping numerous balls up in the air, each of which would be a piece of interest of the "members" of the supermajority.

2.  There are critical yet controversial solutions proposed to address various issues. Among them: the restoration of death penalty; emergency powers for the president to attempt to solve the traffic crisis in the metro areas and for other issues; turning the police into likely bounty hunters through kill rewards; arming civilians to help fight "drugsters"; constitutional change; and of course, claims on the West Philippine Sea.

3.  It appears that the conditions for constitutional change could be made more favorable by the incoming administration.  Those conditions would be unlike 1986 when the only viable option was for the then-president Cory Aquino to appoint members of the constitutional convention. This planned one would be different.  Interests and all-boys clubs will likely rule. They will get themselves elected to shape the constitution to their tastes.


The opposition/s, in a dynamic democracy like ours, need/s to chime-in and take away the spotlight from the just-one perspective.  They should offer the already-engaged public with sound alternative solutions and arguments in order to explore or exhausts the issues better (and in the process differentiate themselves from the others).  We all could go to the polls sooner that we expect.

For 2016 a total of 169 parties registered with the Commission on Elections, 46 of which are national.  Not all of them would be capable of putting up a shadow cabinet. But with some consolidation, if necessary, at least the big names, national and regional, could. Easily.

Now more than ever, there could be room for party institutes to be put up to research and take positions on issues and build stronger support bases.  Women party leaders along with their party, or an all-women shadow cabinet composed of CSO members, could inform on the impact of the controversial solutions especially on women and children.  The parties could at the same time look into attracting talent and training young cadres to adapt and spread party positions and principles.

I am not a party person myself but I would like for parties to be fully functioning.  I am an elections person, and I would like to see competitive elections; and if parties offer good and competent candidates, voters will always "win", whichever way they vote. What do you think?

Namfrel pre-election assessment report

Access the full report at: http://bit.ly/1RYm2kl 

Assessment Summary

"At the time of this report there will be 35 days left to the May 9 presidential and general elections. If the current opinion polls hold, the elections for president and vice president may produce close results."

PEAM was pleased to hear that there is a good level of confidence in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) among stakeholders. COMELEC has a particular challenge relating to the issuing of voters’ receipts. Voters want a sense of confidence that their votes will be counted as cast. Another issue relates to the timely and transparent reporting of vote totals. Swift and accurate reporting is essential, especially due to past experiences.

Free, fair, inclusive and credible elections depend also on a permissive environment, and we have heard concerns expressed about vote buying and private armed groups impeding access to polling centres.

In the event of close elections, it will be important for all stakeholders to respond in a measured way, and for COMELEC to be prepared to provide a clear narrative surrounding the conduct of the polls and the publication of results.

In addition to issues related to the present elections, this assessment also suggests a national dialogue concerning possible desynchronization of national and local elections, and the possibility of run-off elections to ensure future presidents and vice presidents have a strong mandate.

There is also work to be done to improve the access to their franchise of indigenous people, people with disabilities, and overseas Filipinos."

(Third) The true mandate of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)...

...is to hold competitive elections and create the environment for it.

(Second) The true mandate of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)

...is to hold competitive elections and create the environment for it.

(First) The true mandate of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)...

...is to hold competitive elections and create the environment for it.

All data from the Comelec except for gender, which were

determined based on the name. 

There are other measures but at its simplest, competitive elections mean that there is more than one candidate for an elective post. For the elections this May in the National Capital Region (NCR),  955 candidates are vying for 336 elective posts. 

These figures help explain how participative
 are the elections for local positions in the NCR.

This highly urbanized region and home to 6.25 million voters has 17 towns and cities.  It is broken down into 42 districts from which councilors are elected. A town or city has from two to six councilor districts depending on the population.  There are also 30 congressional districts within the NCR.



On voting day on May 9, voters in the NCR will choose one mayor and one vice-mayor, between six and eight councilors, and one member of congress or parliament.

Twenty-seven parties are competing in the NCR.

However, my take on competitiveness revolve around the data from  the table below.  Obviously, questions begged to be asked.

1.  Why are voters not presented with at least one other candidate to choose from?  Why did not parties compete?  Did the voters agree that no other candidate could represent them?

2.  What led candidates and voters to "capture" or game the system?
3.  What local political and electoral conditions could explain this situation?
4.  If at all, how might the cost of becoming a candidate or the cost of getting elected contribute in the explanation?
5.  What might prevent this situation from happening?

I will bring up more points in the upcoming posts, but for now a few future possible remedies:

1.  National parties should explain in writing to the voters, through the Comelec, why they could not field candidates in places where candidates are unopposed.  They should cite in detail the constraints they faced?
2.  In an unopposed situation, the candidate should at least get 50 percent of the valid votes in order to be elected.  If not, a re-election.

What's your take?

Ballet Philippines’ ‘Opera’: Sculpture in dance

Published at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/554579/lifestyle/artandculture/ballet-philippines-opera-sculpture-in-dance

Published February 9, 2016 7:53pm By TELIBERT LAOC

When dance and contemporary art collide, the senses erupt.

Ballet Philippines is collaborating with several artists—kinetic sculptor Gabriel Barredo, choreographer Redha Benteifour, composer Malek Lopez and librettists Yvette Tan and Erwin Romulo—to create "Opera," a scripted assault on the senses. The production creates synergy between the artists and melds their art forms.  In their performance, the dancers shape and bodily express their unified visions.

Barredo pioneered kinetic (moving) sculpture in the Philippines and his art installations will integrate into the dance sets.  "Meeting Gabby and seeing his work up close is very inspiring," says the Algerian-French Benteifour, whose style draws inspiration from everyday life "where censorship is absent."

"Being part of this production is a great thrill," he said.

Dancers Victor Maguad and Erl Sorilla play Twins; Carissa Adea, Mother; Denise Parungao, Death; Jean Marc Cordero, The Watcher; and Earl John Arisola, The Creator.  With 16 others from the company, led by artistic director Paul Alexander Morales, they fulfill the promise of the artistic collaboration.

As an amateur photographer at the press conference on January 27 in one of the dance studios at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the shoot was quite challenging for me.  There was always something going on onstage—several "events" unfolded before the (stage) canvas.  You point your camera to one event with the knowledge that by doing so you will miss the others.

Like creation constantly happening in the universe, events are taking place seemingly independent of each other.  But "The Artist," "The Creator," may or may not reveal the complete complexity of His work.  In "Opera," Benteifour and Barredo may just reveal what their creation might be.

— BM, GMA News

These photos originally appeared on Telibert Laoc's website.

Lighten Each Other's Load

Baskets on their heads, ladies with sons in tow walked in line on the clay footpath beside my parents' home.  I asked what they were selling. "Fruits and vegetables", I told mom. "Ask them in," she ordered.  "Dayon mo 'nang," (come in) I called, and one of the ladies pushed the wooden gate in.

Their baskets revealed a small variety of their own produce.  The little proceeds from the fruits of their labor would help them tide over   Christmas and perhaps a few days after.

But this is not the story.

Mom picked out the heaviest among the crops, which were two large squash and a few yam. Let's buy them and lighten their load.

I love mom. She turned 78 yesterday.

Weighing the goods.

She said they were among mom's patients.

Off to sell the rest of the produce.

In support to gender parity

The kids of Gaza

The Kids of Gaza: Where Have They (Flowers) Gone? I weep. STOP!

http://on.fb.me/1m6ibfY