Mark's Photography Debut

My son, Mark, has begun experimenting with photos on his own. As a little kid, he always borrows my camera and takes pictures and videos of various things. Sometimes I check my camera and see at least 20 shots of a rock...or a seashell. After witnessing me shoot some subjects in motion, he decided to do something like it on his own. Using the high ISO, low shutter speed setting of the camera, he enabled the flash and begun spinning around the park...and took a shot of a tree. With the tree as the strongest light reflection, it made a brighter impression as the camera still takes in the light from various sources while he's spinning.

Kinda cool, huh...

Mark's Self Defense Training

In our recent visit to my father's home in the province, my son and I saw that my brother had bought and installed a punching bag at our open lot. Excited with the prospect of training in hand to hand combat, my son started doling it out with the punching bag.

My wife and I saw this and we found a few things wrong with his methods. First off, his fist and arm are not lined up correctly as he executes the basic jab. I told him this could lead to wrist damage so he should do this correctly.

After correcting his jabs, my wife, who used to compete in karate tournaments, taught him the basic front and side kick.

Mark was always interested with martial arts training, since some of his favorite films include Hitman, Wanted, xXx and SWAT.

Have gun...Will travel

A few nights ago, my kid showed me his 2 favorite toys...an AK47 and a MP5...broken. But he remedied the situation by combining them. Amused by the outcome, I decided to help him. I jammed the AK47 to the MP5 body and used electrical tape to secure the joints. Having too much fun with the tape, I added his toy saber as a fixed bayonet.

He began discussing ways of using the bayonet in close quarter combat, without me explaining how to use it. He began by using it as a sword, holding the gun stock, and hacking, and dicing, and slicing, and puncturing the heart and lungs...

He makes me sooo damn proud (tear drops).

My son, the sub-agent

My wife had a short stint handing out flyers for a soon to be built condominium building. It entails staying at the mall for 10 hours handing out flyers and manning the booth of that company.

When we went to see her late in the evening on her first day, she complained of being bored. So on the next day, she decided to go with our son Mark.

I followed them that afternoon. I found my son in the middle of the pathway handing out flyers.

And he explained, " I only give flyers to the people with other flyers of condominiums in their hands because it shows that they are intrested in acquiring them ".

I asked my wife who taught him that logic...Even I didn't think of that.

She said he came up with it on his own.

My son is not the brightest in school...but he's the only one I know that comes up with such conclusions and logic.

I saw the future...

Yesterday, as I woke up late due to my anime weekend marathon, I saw my son playing the C&C Generals game. He'll be turning 9 this year and he is really absorbed in that strategy game.

As we were preparing for lunch, he can't help but discuss the tactics and maneuvers he executed in order to defeat the enemy. 

For example, he deduced that in order to weaken the wave of offensive forces against him, set a 'search and destroy' tactic for the enemy supply line. I discussed this in my former blog after I first finished the game. I told him that I already used that tactic and it works well...specially for enemies with established bases. I feel like Bunta Fujiwara from that episode in Initial D season 1 where he tells Takumi that he already knows about the faster way to drive around the mountain pass.

As I played the game again, I can see that he attentively looks at how I play the game. i began to discuss with him some basic combat maneuvers such as 'pincer attack', 'lure and bait', and maximizing the terrain for defensive purposes.

I was amazed by his enthusiasm to learn these tactics and maneuvers.

Maybe I should get him Sun Tzu's "Art of War" for his birthday...or maybe this book I read at 'Fully Booked' about various military strategies through history.

It would help him someday...