P is for "Passed"

I am still euphoric over passing my first CPA Australia exams! Yes, folks! Only my first and I have 5 more to go. But I already feel like I finished all of them and worthy to be called a Certified Public Accountant in Australia. Ganito kasi yun...

Other examinees may find the exam easy but for a working mum like me with two active kids and no help other than the hubby who's also clocking in more than 8 hrs of work a day, taking the exam was equivalent to committing suicide. Not the quick poison-induced suicide but the slow and painful kind...torture!

Study time was 3am to 5am and then I have to make breakfast, our lunchboxes, prepare the kids and drop them off to school. Studying at night wasn't possible because when I arrive from work, I still have to feed the kids, supervise Vince with his schoolwork, bring Rafa to sleep, then go back to the kitchen to prepare the next day's meals, clean up the mess and pop in a load of laundry. To make matters worse, hubby was working late nights most of the time. Some nights though, he's off and cook's a week's worth of meals and finish off ironing clothes that I keep pushing to the bottom of the basket. So what about weekends then? I've promised myself that I wouldn't let the exams interfere with our weekend family activities but towards the exam date, I had to log around my books to the beach, the park or wherever the boys decide to go. While they do the barbecue, play ball with their papa, go fishing, I was there sitting on our blue picnic chair, reading my books.

I may not be able to describe in detail the actual experience but suffice it to say that it was the most difficult time of my life. So much more difficult than when I had to do 6 CPA exam subjects all together back in the Phils.

On the brighter side, a few of my Pinoy circle of friends were doing this with me and we helped each other a lot. We exchanged notes and tips and had good laughs sharing our experiences. After the exam, we all went to the Sydney Fish Market to de-stress. Our husbands met us there, too. Talk about moral support :) and then we took a walk around the city, stopped at Max Brenner to have dessert, laugh and just be silly.

On Friday, when I got my result through SMS, it read " CPA Program-Subject- P"

I honestly thought it was the tonque-sticking emoticon :-P
With knees and arms shaking, I had to check online. "P is for Passed"

It sure is! And I am glad :-)

P.S.

I just realized that this experience is the ultimate Balancing Act! Whoooaaa! I'd like to believe that I now have bragging rights but i know in my heart that if it was not through prayers from friends and my family (special mention to hubby, my boys, mama, papa and sisters)- i wouldn't have survived this.

Thank you, Lord!