Flowers galore!

I am loving my morning walk to the office. Whatever the season, there are always beautiful flowers in bloom. Sadly, I don't know their names but I always feel being cheered on as I walk past these flowers to face another full day at work.

This time being spring and heading to summer in Australia, the lovely Jacaranda tree is once again making people stop with it's charming display of purple petals.

In some suburbs, there are entire stretches of streets lined with these gorgeous trees. It could very well be the equivalent of Japan's cherry blossoms.

Me stopping to take a photo

Walking on petals. Love! 

My bus stop

Under this lovely tree, enjoying the soft drizzle of purple petals, who cares if the bus is late?

Australia Day 2012

Pouring rain cancelled our plans to go fishing in Kiama today. Instead, we were stuck at home, watching tv and surfing the web. Bummer!

So as not to totally miss out on the celebrations, the hubby grilled sausages and beef patties indoors, plopped them into burger buns and added cheese, lettuce and bbq sauce. Not that bad.

We watched the celebrations in Canberra on tv and I couldn't help but tear up during the citizenship ceremony. Bittersweet. We will be doing ours this year and I often wonder how that will make me feel.

Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister, said it very well in her address to the new Aussies," For whatever is left behind, there is so much more to be gained."

Bring it on 2012! :)

The Big 2011 Recap

I haven't been able to update this blog as much as I want to. Either I am too busy or just plain lazy. There's so many things I want to write about because there's so many things in my life worth writing about- hahaha! I do feel important sometimes, and there is this urge to share my story to the world...like me thinks people can learn a thing or two from my experiences. Lol! Feeling jud!

Warning. I will be blabbing so you may spare yourself the trouble and stop reading right now.

But Mama Inday, I know you will patiently read this so here you go...

The biggest blessing this year would have to be managing to get members of our family to come over to look after the boys and help us at home. What a big relief this has been. I've been struggling with the fact that the boys are spending so much time in childcare while Armand and I work.  You  know, the usual guilt working moms feel. I will be eternally grateful to my inlaws and my sister Ck who have shared their time with us even if it meant giving up their own plans for awhile. I owe them big time!

"P" has become my favorite letter in the alphabet. From passing Audit and Assurance and Financial Reporting to passing the actual driving exam. Never has the letter "P" sounded so sweet! This year has been a busy year of worthwhile learning, exams, acquiring life skills, readings and self-learning. My stress levels were at their highest, I think, but I can now say I am glad I made time for these things.

There's been plenty of travels this year. We've been to so many new places and revisited our favorite spots. We've done a lot of mini-vacations which I know have created wonderful memories for our boys. And the best trip was visiting the home country and spending quality time with my parents and sisters. It is my prayer that we will be given the means to visit home more often.

Work-wise, it's been a very rewarding year for the hubby and me. He's been promoted at work and would have been promoted again in barely two months but we both felt it was too soon. We have other plans for the family still. As for me, losing my other job at DC proved to be a blessing in disguise. It was a reminder that there are so many opportunities out there and it affirmed the reason why I am actually killing myself doing my CPA exams :)

As in all years past, I am most grateful that I am blessed to be a mom. It is heartwarming to see my boys grow up before my very eyes. Amazing how much they learn everyday. Rafa has learned plenty of words and phrases. I would say the best is "This one's really good!" Hahaha! Murag korek! Kuya Vince, on the other hand is now 8 and is growing up to be more like his Papa. I am both happy and a little apprehensive with that. Haha Kidding! Of course, I want him to grow up idolising his dad!

There have been bad days, too. But I choose not to dignify them here. As they say, "What you focus on multiplies." So I am only focusing on the good things.

Four days to a new year. It's time to RE-ORGANIZE, RE-CHARGE, RE-ARRANGE and RE-PRIORITIZE.

Bring on 2012!

Two Faces of Christmas

I am having mixed emotions this holidays.

I am crushed with the floods that have affected two of my homes- Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. It's been several days since it happened but I can't seem to shake off the sadness this tragedy has brought. It doesn't help that everyday, there are photos and vids of the devastation posted on Facebook. There are just so many of my friends and relatives affected that although we are so many miles away, it feels like we are there, experiencing this tragedy with our kababayans. I have spent four and a half years of my college life in Iligan and established a home in Cagayan de Oro for ten happy years. I just can't begin to imagine the devastation, much more the pain and uncertainty people have been facing back home. It is massive beyond belief. 

I watched Philippine news this morning and I am amazed and very proud of the resiliency of the victims.  I haven't seen anyone blame God. Instead, there is just gratefulness to be alive despite having lost everything and more importantly, there is hope that they will rise above this tragedy. Makes me proud to be a Filipino, really. We are truly among the happiest people in the world. Praise God for that!

And I take my cue from the flood survivors. To be grateful and count our blessings because whether the world has turned upside down around us, there is so much more to be thankful for.

Gifts under our tree this year.

I am grateful for the tremendous love in my life. Everyday, I am reminded how blessed I am to have so many people who love me- my husband, my boys, my parents, sisters, in-laws, relatives and friends. Yes, friends who are very dear, they are like family.  As cliche as it may be, at the end of day, only LOVE matters really. The rest are just a bonus. 

So I praise my God for this big, powerful gift of love. If there's one special wish I can give out to you all, it will be that all of you may have so much love in your life. Let's all spread the love. Only that makes a real difference.

Big Holiday 2011

I know, I know… I deserve a big whack in the head for not writing about our three-week holiday back in the home country. Three weeks, baby! And I thought, three weeks was long enough! Apparently, we need to stay longer if we want to squeeze in everything we want to do. Perhaps we might just need to live there again then? Geez, what am I saying? I need another whack! Hehe


Like in our previous holiday back in 2009, the hubby and I prepared our itinerary a month before we left. The big list included the things we needed to do (i.e. pay advance property taxes, renew licenses, visit Pag-ibig office, sort and dispose of old stuff), things we need to buy, people we wanted to see and places we wanted to visit. The “to do’s” and “to buy’s” were all ticked but too bad only about 20% of “places” and “people”. There is just not enough time.

There are so many things to remember from that trip:


• Getting items from the Duty Free shops at 10% additional discount because A works at the airport. Yey!


• Stop over at Brisbane International Airport. We left a very cold Sydney and arrived at a very humid Brisbane but couldn’t change our winter clothes because everything was checked in.


• Meeting the Kuas and Acuins in Manila despite the very short lay over. I also got to see my very good high school barkada, Badah, after 11 long years.


• The many trips to the spa with hubby for the massage that’s aptly called “hagod”- wash out jud tanan kakapoy and worth more than the measly P600 charge.


• Filipino food- lechon, mud crabs, fresh prawn kinilaw, chicharon, mangoes, suman, native chicken, and the list goes on


• Food again but this time our favorite kanding. Papa Nick got one for us which he and the hubby made into papait, kaldereta, sinigang and adobo. I’ve never had too much goat meat in my life! All so yummy—all cooked from the heart.


• The many hours spent at the duyan in Tubod and the never ending exchange of stories over extended meals with my family.


• Trip to Davao, for that unexpected cash (weee!blessing!) and seeing good friends from our military days. We also made a quick visit to hubby’s cousins who have made big businesses in Davao, inspiring us to dream some more. Haaaayz! Big thanks to the Dongail family for being our gracious host- for organizing two dinners with the mistahs and their families, for lending us their Pajero so we can visit Tagum and even go all the way up to Mawab. Grateful for the mistahs who came to see us and stayed until the wee hours of the morning for the big catch up. And if you’re reading this Marnellie, thanks to you and Julien, too 


• Visits to MOA, Divine Mercy Shrine and Dahilayan. Short but really memorable.

• Short drives on hubby's big bike- adrenaline rush!

• My boys bonding with their relatives- priceless! I took a lot of photos so the kids will always remember their family back home.


• Boating inside the fish pond, Kuya Vince learning how to paddle and Rafa doing his bit by putting more water into the boat. Haha!

• The boy’s excitement over seeing real eggs hatch from Lolo Nick’s chickens.


• Crosswind XUV 2011 Moroccan Gold (big, big smile and big thanks to you oh, Lord!)


• Short meet ups with old friends. I promise to see more next time.



We squeezed in as much as we can in those three short weeks. I am grateful most of all for time well spent with family- the very reason for the holiday.

And now I’m counting the days to retirement so I can go back. Haha C’mon y’all, give me a huge smack!

Speech

Vince arrived from school last week with a huge announcement.


Vince: Mama, guess what? I’ve been chosen to represent my class in the school’s speech competition!!!


Mama: Hey, that’s great! Well done, kuya! That’s amazing!


I gave him a tight hug. Deep down, images of the huge task ahead was spinning in my head. Three weeks ago, I guided him in making his speech. I put an emphasis on “guided” because it was actually Vince who came up with ideas for his speech. I just made a few tweaks, coached him when to pause and stress words and he was ready. He was sad when he came home…

Vince: Mama, Ms Garrity said I made a very good speech. She liked that I waited for everyone to get settled before I started. I made it to the next round!


Mama: Yey! That’s great, kuya! I knew you’d make it!


Vince: But I don’t want to do it again..Ah! I know! I will not make a good speech next time so I don’t win!

How does a mom react to that? Of course, I made a long speech about how we’re all supposed to do our best all the time, blah, blah, blah.

I think he put my ‘speech’ to heart because he prepared his speech with his Papa with so much gusto and practiced with his Tita Anne over and over again.

And so he came home today with news that he’s been chosen to represent his class.

What a proud moment! And I am happy that he’s overcome his shyness. He’s more confident now and enjoys school so much.

He’s come a loooong way from his prep days at Pineapple Country School.

At Pineapple Country School when Vince was only 3 yrs old.

Credit is good…

…when it relates to your rating in the CPA exam! (Big grin and doing the silly dance)

For those who do not know, rating in the CPA exam looks like this:

HD- High Distinction

D- Distinction

C-Credit

P-Pass

N- Fail

DNS- Did not sit

RW- Result Withheld

I know I should be aiming for HD but with my current state where I have to juggle so many things, I would have been over the moon with a humble P!

My boss’ reaction: “You got “C” for Audit and Assurance?!!! My God, you’re good! I know a lot who failed that subject!”

Hmnnn…never has the letter “C” sounded so sweet!

To God be the glory!

Tale of the Rusty Ski

We came home from our much anticipated trip to Mt Selwyn over the Queen’s Birthday weekend with so many stories to tell. But I am not going to tell you how fun it was to be with four other families with eight overly eager kids between us. Or how much food we brought, complete with a very yummy Pavlova and coffee brownies courtesy of Carol. And how the dads sneaked our magic kalans to the back of the motel so we can cook a complete breakfast and re-heat left-overs. I won’t even go into the details of how hubby threw up a whole day’s worth of meals at 3am. I’m sure you’re not interested  It will probably bore you if I say we had such a long trip, driving over deserted mountains I was beginning to think we got lost and was about ready to call for help—except there was nary a trace of signal. No, I’m not telling you that. Aaaah, did I just tell you that? Teehee!


There was one story from that whole trip which stood out for me…


When we first moved to Australia three years ago, we went through the usual ‘pulot’ phase. I don’t know about you but most of my friends who just landed in Australia experienced this. It’s when you get excited and all pumped up when you see a pile of rubbish on the street-thinking about the possible treasures just waiting to be unearthed - TVs, old computers and printers, components, dvd players, clothes, bags, beds and the list goes on. More often than not, this phase could be born out of sheer necessity or as how my cousin and good friend call it- ‘sa ngalan ng pagtitipid’!


Anyway, on one such ‘pulot’ day, hubby excitedly came home with a pair of rusty skis and made a promise that the skis will have it’s day in the snow as soon as we can afford it. I just shrugged him off. He’s got the weirdest and most impractical ideas, I tell you. After more than 10 yrs of being together, I know when he wouldn’t budge. And this is one of those.


I have totally forgotten about the skis until last Sunday, when I saw it packed along with our snow gear at the back of the car as we were unloading our things. I must admit there was a slight tug in my heart. The look on hubby’s face as he carefully placed the skis on fresh snow was priceless. I was sucked by the drama of it all. It was like the skis coming full circle.


We all took turns having our photos taken with the skis, coming up with every imaginable pose and pretending we actually went skiing.

Hubby trying on the skis

Vince's turn...

Rafa loved it so much!

The skis with our snowman.

When it was time to go, hubby carefully placed the skis on the snow under an old tree. It will sit there until the next “pulot” guy takes it to it’s next adventure. Who knows where that will be? The possibilities are endless.

Weekend Get-away

We've been putting off the trip to Port Stephens for the longest time..err, lets rephrase that. I have been going against hubby's suggestion of a holiday at Port Stephens since we bought the car. You know me. I'm an accountant, I was running the costs in my head :) Ang pagkatihik!

One Saturday in May, the hubby announced we'd go for a picnic at Nelson Bay. The kids and I hopped on the car, me not realizing that Nelson Bay is a town in Port Stephens, a two and a half hour drive from where we live. I was too lazy to care, really. All I wanted was an escape from the autumn chill.

It was a good full hour into the trip when it hit me from the road signs that we were actually heading towards Port Stephens. Again, I was too lazy to complain.

Actually, I couldn't find a reason to complain.  Look at these photos :)





Vince and Gab at Nelson Bay- nice and quiet and very clean.

 

Kuya can't get enough of this outdoor shower.

Rafa wanted to swim but was having a bad cough so he played with the water fountain.



and goofed around..



An older couple waiting for the sunset.

Mum and bub playing on the sand while a few men were fishing on the dock.

the original excuse for the trip- a picnic! yummy food!

and this- beautiful sunset. i love!

It was only when we were watching the sunset when I realized we were not going back to Sydney for the night. Hubby planned for an overnight stay! Geez, and I was the only one who didn't bring extra clothes. I enjoyed myself too much so I didn't complain and just went with the plan. We grabbed some things from the shops and proceeded to our accommodation.

Admiral Nelson Motor Inn where wer stayed for the night.

After checking in, we grabbed dinner at the marina where everything happens at Nelson Bay come sunset.

We had an early start the next morning...

First stop- light house at Nelson Bay.

Installed in 1892!

1

The view from the top. Awesome!

What's a trip to Port Stephens without checking out the sand dunes.

Camels! Dubai in Australia!

Sand as far as the eyes can see.

I can't say I hate spontaneous, unplanned trips. I want more :)

Easter Hat Parade 2011

Every year, kids from Kindergarten to Year 2 at Vince's school celebrate Easter by donning fancy hats for the Easter Hat Parade. Coincidentally, this also marks the end of the term before they commence Autum break.

The hubby helped Vince make this year's hat while the little one was only too happy to be the "model".

Harmony Day

Today, our company celebrated Harmony Day.

This is an excerpt from the internal communication sent out to staff:


“Australia has a rich history of multiculturalism, and proudly celebrates this cultural diversity each year on 21st March through Harmony Day. This event is managed by the Australian government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), and is an opportunity to celebrate the different cultures that make Australia a great place to live, by embracing our differences and sharing our commonalities.


As individuals of different backgrounds and heritage we bring to the workplace an array of skill sets, ethics and values, specialisations and expertise, areas of interest, networks and experiences which contribute to the overall success of our organisation. We have embraced cultural diversity throughout our regional team and also recognised that the opportunities diversity introduces play a key role in our everyday business, and is indeed one of our strengths.”


At 12nn, we all headed to the break-out room for the International Food Fiesta where there was a table laden with food from various countries. It was also a charity event and with a gold coin($1 or $2), you get a “passport” that allows you to sample as much of the food as you can. Here are some photos:

 Lamb pastry from Greece and Taro chips from Samoa

 Baklava from Greece

Oatcakes from Scotland

Almond Biscuits from Malta

Bibingka from the Philippines. My Filipino co-worker asked her sister to make this.

and this was my plate.

My youngest son, Rafa, and I share the same birth month, March, with days exactly one week apart. This year, he turned two while I turned..aaargh, never mind! I stopped counting when I turned 25 :D

We had a joint celebration last Saturday at home with about 40 adults and kids showing up despite the heavy downpour. I am moved no-end that our friends went out of their way to bring beautiful gifts for Rafa and me, delicious food for everyone and stayed with us all afternoon with a few even staying until midnight. It was a day spent catching up with friends, non-stop laughter, singing, dancing and of course, eating!

The night before, hubby and I stayed up late. Me, wrapping almost a hundred dumplings and him, making these chocolate puddings.

Chocolate pudding made by hubby.

I abhore the taste of lamb but hubby made these barbeque lamb so tasty, I swear I'm loving lamb now.

There was so much food that the guests had to take home some and we're still eating left-overs three days after :-)


Side story:

Almost 3 years after we moved to Australia, I am happy to say that it's really becoming home now. And a big part of that is the fact that we have developed our own circle of friends here. Although busy with our own lives, it's just comforting to know that there's a whole bunch of people you can call out whenever you need help. Most importantly, there are people who are sharing the countless migrant (mis)adventures with -through good and bad times.

Since my birthday last year, we have started a small tradition to pool money together for whoever is celebrating their birthday so he/she can buy something nice- something which one wouldn't ordinarily buy or can't afford to buy. Last year, most of us girls wanted fancy bags while the men bought picnic gear or branded clothes.

For my birthday this year, I chose to buy the very thing I have wanted for a long time- a diamond ring. *Insert BIG grin here* With money from my friends, matched by hubby and me, i was able to buy a decent ring with some carats in it. I am one happy celebrant not only because I have a beautiful ring, but because this is from special people in my life.