dirt is good!

Kids don't seem to get enough dirt on their hands these days. Almost everyone's locked up in their rooms, busy with too many gadgets. They don't play on the streets anymore, they're growing up too soon.

Alam pa kaya nila yung mga Tumbang Preso, Langit Lupa, TouchBall, mga ganun? I remember when I was a kid, we'd call each other up pa, fresh from our afternoon naps tapos sabay-sabay lalabas. Flores de Mayo muna tapos maglalaro na hanggang mga 6pm. We also became experts in pretend-napping haha :) Mga tipong halatang di naman natutulog kasi kurap nang kurap hehehe. Pero ang saya nun :)

Obviously, I don't play on the streets anymore, but I like acting like a "street-kid" sometimes. Super sarap kaya ng street food!!! Andiyan ang taho, kwek-kwek, fishballs, squid balls, hilaw na mangga, dirty ice cream, cocktail hotdogs, hot monay with cheese, at marami pang iba!! Actually, I like working in noisy and dirty Manila kasi laganap ang street food! Heaven kada umaga! Ayaw ko sumabay sa shuttle ng Uni kasi gusto ko maglakad kasi may nagbebenta ng kwek-kwek sa may tricycle terminal. Weeee! Na-d-disappoint ako pag wala yung nagbebenta. I get more than enough of the correct dosage of eggs per week, pero wala akong pake. Tapos marami pang nagbebenta ng taho. Weeee!! Kulang na lang ang dirty ice cream :(

Gusto ko rin nag-t-tricycle at nag-j-jeep. Kaka-miss simula nung nag-trabaho ako sa Makati. Ang saya kaya sumakay dun sa likod ng tricycle at sa harap ng jeep. Wala lang :) It's refreshing to do kasi batang kalye naman talaga ako, not a Makati yuppie. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against yuppies, minsan din I like acting like a yuppie pero kapagod minsan mag-formal-formal-an ah.

And if it's a choice between sosi food like caviar and pate or what-have-yous vs street food, street food hands-down!!! :) Di mo talaga kami mapapakain ni Jai sa mga super-sosi na kainan na tipong 5K a meal. Ay ewan ko pala sa kanya, baka gusto niya yun.. Pero ako, ayaw. The most expensive food I'd eat that I'd consider sulit din is steak. Gusto ko rin siguro ma-try yung mga caviar-caviar pero hindi pa siguro ngayon :)

Yun lang :) Dirt is good sometimes!

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"Dirt is Good" is a 2005 advocacy program of Unilever :) Walang sinabi about "dirty" food pero pareho na rin yun! :) Hehehe.

Children get dirty when they play, and play has numerous benefits. If children are prevented from getting dirty, they miss out on a raft of developmental benefits.

Young children need the stimulation of play to develop their physical abilities. The outdoors is one of the best physical play environments there is, with freedom to run, jump, skip and develop other motor skills and co-ordination through ball games and other activities that help keep children healthy. Stopping children from playing because of a fear of dirt means that they miss out on valuable chances to fully develop their physical skills.

Play helps children learn about the physical environment around them, how it sounds, smells and feels. Play also gives children the opportunity to practice skills that they have learned over and over until they are perfected, for example when learning to use a paintbrush or ride a bicycle.

Play also encourages creative thinking in young children, and this develops their ability to challenge the conventional, solve problems in new ways, and express themselves effectively . A child getting messy colouring a picture is experimenting with new ways of combining colours and representing thoughts. A child fixing their bike with a parent is learning how to solve problems by thinking creatively, even if they do get covered in oil.

So a child that is brought up to avoid dirt and mess at all costs is missing out on opportunities to develop their motor skills, learn about their environment, master new skills, and think creatively.