happy December!

It is the first day of December... and we are down to twenty-four days before Christmas. While I may not have a Christmas party to attend to at work, (another first in thirteen years) I am pretty sure that there would be quite a few with friends.

Oh, I love this season! And this year is a special one because we will have a taste of how Christmas is like in the land down under, which they say is the continent of contrast. Yes, it is gonna be a our first Christmas in summer!

spam

I have totally forgotten about my blog, until Angeli sent me a message saying there's a post that's more likely to be a spam. Those who have been following my blog would know what kind of stuff (non-sense or otherwise) I am posting. I'm sorry for not closely watching after this site that it got spammed.

And thanks, Anj, for taking notice of it.

it's like music to my ears

Today at the restaurant were two Filipino customers. They were surprised when I suddenly spoke to them in Tagalog (my native dialect), and bursted out "Filipino ka pala! (You're a Filipino)" They said that I look like some other Asian race. I told them that they, too, look more Chinese than Filipino, and I wouldn't have known had I not heard them speaking in Tagalog.

It is not very often that we have Filipino customers come by. In fact, it was the second time only. The first one I met there is a first cousin to the Sottos in Manila; known both in the showbiz and political arena. In a place where people speak different languages, and English of different accents, it is relaxing in a way to hear my native language being spoken. It feels like home! :)

birthday with shelves of books

It's my birthday today, and I spent it by starting on a new casual job tending a bookstore in one of the largest malls in the area. It was pretty good. I got the chance to have small chats with some shoppers. There was an old (German) man who approached and started a conversation with me. He said I sound American with how I speak my English (thanks to my country's history for that, I guess), and encouraged me by saying that I would be able to find an office job, just as I wished. He even invited me for a cup of coffee, but since I was the only one tending the store, I had to decline the invitation. It was a nice chat, I would say, with a lovely man, old enough to be my grandfather. :)

For dinner, husband and I dined at a small Chinese restaurant nearby.

I'm missing home at this very minute, yet I am excited to be where I am today.

3rd month

I have just recently stopped importing blog posts into my facebook account to give myself freedom again to write about anything I think of. Family members, relatives and long-time friends seem to worry about my state when they read any of my writings that somehow, they think, reflect a not-so-good condition.

Nothing to worry about me, I am A-ok. It's been three months now since we arrived here. I would say that my circumstances haven't changed that much yet, but I am coping up. The weather has been getting colder, with winter starting in less than three weeks from now. I have joined a library, and now few pages away from finishing the first book I borrowed (The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho).

Today is extra special because I have received a package from my Kuya (big brother), and even more special because my nephews sent their handmade birthday card for me... the first presents I have received for my birthday on Monday. :)

fashion tip for us...

Doing good never goes out of fashion.

Let's be fashionable, let's do good!

Hope you'll have a fashionably fabulous week ahead!

you can call me Penny...

For those of you who would like to know how I have been, here's a quick run down of updates.

In my previous post, I have mentioned how I like it here, having spent only a week. And now, after four more weeks, I still say "I like it here!"

At the start of our second week, I was fortunate enough to be called for a job interview. However, I wasn't that fortunate to have been hired for the position. While I felt that it was totally fine to have missed that chance (it was just the second week then... it was still time to play the tourist role), I was still hoping I would receive another call for other job opportunities.

Unexpectedly, through the network of a relative, I have gotten myself a part-time waitressing job in a Malaysian-Chinese-North-and-South-Indian-cuisine-under-one-roof restaurant. (Let me tell you that they cook REALLY great food! I am enjoying my free take-aways everytime!) This kind of job is entirely out of my league, and this is the first time I am doing this, that my mom, and my parents-in-law as well, worry that the job may be too physically challenging for me. Well, it is... but after a good rest, I am back to the normal energy level I have before doing it. My brothers find it cool though, one of them wants to call me Penny (from The Big Bang Theory, if you are watching it).

Before we left home weeks back, we have already prepared ourselves to get whatever work experience that would initially come our way... we have a long way to go, and we believe that we have a great life ahead of us. The best is yet to come... and only God knows when is the time.

So to our friends who are wondering how have we been, well, we have been great, and we are enjoying it here! We are always grateful to the Lord for making this dream possible.

Well, how about you? How have you been?

one fine week

It was seven days ago when my husband and I first set foot on this land down under... and just a week after, we are already enjoying our stay, having visited quite a few places and meeting some friends.

Everything may be new... the currency, the driving scheme, and everything else around us, but we are loving it here already! Many thanks to our friends and cousins who have welcomed us here.

tick tack tick tack...

With twenty-five hours left before the trip that will open a new book of my life, I want to make my presence felt in the blog world (well, at least to the three people I know who would be reading this... ^_^).

I am so excited that I am not sure if I can sleep it through the night. :) I am sure that there will be a moment of sadness as we leave our families behind, but I am also sure that things will turn out for the best.... I'm keeping my faith alive!

So, until my next post from the land down under...

Have a great time, everyone! :) God bless you!

thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts...

I have been out of work (by choice) since the new year started. However, I am still not able to do some things, which I thought I could, only if I had more time in my hands. Again and again, I have realized that determination plays a big part in accomplishing any task.

With a new book in my life set to uncover in three weeks, I know I should be doing a lot of reading to prepare myself for it. But then, most of the time, I find myself with random thoughts popping up my mind. Let me share them with you...

1. I am grateful that my Mama has imparted to us her faith ever since we were kids. And I am working my way to make that faith clearer and well-grounded. It helps me keep a balance in my life, in general.
2. I need to learn to be more independent. For more than three years now, I have always relied on my husband to drive me to places and to accompany me when I need to get personal things done. What if I need to ride a bus, a tram, or a train all by myself? Travelling will be one of my biggest challenges, that I am sure of!
3. I need to be more confident in dealing with other people... it is never wrong to ask questions when clarification is needed. Oh, and by the way, I have to get used to that new accent! :)
4. How about Mama? Who is gonna spend weekends with her when I leave? It is a pensive thought...

But I should worry no more. I know that things will turn out for the best... and at the end, everybody will be happier! The Lord is in control! :)

a day at LTO

I had a gruelling day yesterday.

Having spent a few days in my mom's house in Cavite, my husband and I planned that Thursday would be my "license" day, since we could pass by the Land Trasportation Office (LTO) in Binanongan on our way home to his parents' house in Rizal. We have anticipated that it would take us half of the day to finish our transaction. BUT we have anticipated wrongly!

We were at the office around nine in the morning. I have my fully-filled out form with me, which I have downloaded from their website, together with a proof of my tax identification number, which is a requirement to apply for a new driver's license. However, I was advised that the office requires an original copy of the form and that I have to secure one from one of the windows. And so, I had to fall in line and wait for nearly thirty minutes just to get hold of an application form. As soon as I was handed the form, the person-in-charge also gave me a stub of where to go next, to an accredited center for drug testing and medical exam. I filled out the application form as I wait for my turn for the drug testing. After I had submitted my urine sample, I had to wait for around 15 minutes again for the result, afterwhich, I was advised to proceed to the next door for the medical exam. Thankfully, the medical exam was just about my BP, weight, height and vision, and no waiting is required. The doctor filled out the medical exam form and noted a condition, that I can only drive with corrective lenses. Of course!

After the drug test and the medical exam was another queue to the window where I would submit the accomplished application form and all other forms that were attached to it after the tests. The queue was so long, that even if I had already asked somebody to queue for me while I was undergoing the initial tests, I still waited for more than an hour just to submit my documents. Upon submitting the documents, I was advised again to wait for my name to be called, for my turn to have my picture and signature to be captured electronically. Good thing, it only took five minutes of waiting. After this step, I had to wait for my turn at the cashier to make my payment for the written driving test. This took another thirty minutes!

Then it was time for lunch break. We had lunch, and hurriedly came back for my scheduled written test. It only took me thirty minutes to read the reviewer and answer the forty-item test. I thought that finishing the test in little time would make the procedure faster. But I thought wrong. After the written test, I had to wait for the examiner to go with me for the practical driving test. After passing the test, I was advised to pay for the license fee, but had to wait for nearly three hours for my turn to the cashier! Finally, after paying, my driver's license card had been released. It was already six in the evening when we left the office.

It is understandable that many factors attribute to the inefficient process flow in the said office. However, I just hope that the Chief of the said extension office would leave his desk, observe the transactions, and think of the best way to better serve the people. He can also find time to read the suggestions and comments left in the box. Making the people wait the whole day for one simple process is too far from the quality service that they claim they give the people.

There's a better way to do things in that office, I hope they realize that soon.

Looking at the bright side of it, I now have my driver's license again!

Tito Joel

During my childhood, there were a few of my mom's brothers and sisters who have had the chance to take care of me and my siblings. One of the most remembered is my Tito Joel... one of the kindest but definitely among the strictest, too.

It has been over eleven years since the last time I saw my Tito Joel. Yet I have never failed to ask my mom of his whereabouts. Unfortunately, she had lost contact of him. Thankfully, there's Facebook! I got to reconnect with my cousin Guerlain, and from her, Mama was able to get hold of Tito Joel's contact number.

When I learned that Mama was able to talk to Tito Joel again, I called him up myself. And the following morning, I woke up hearing my Tito Joel's voice, with his usual laughter.

It is nice to see him again. He might have been strict disciplining us, but I could say that a part of him stays with me until now. I'm sure my brothers would say the same thing as well. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As the year 2009 comes to an end, let's look back and count the blessings that we have received, and remember to give thanks to the Lord for everything that has come our way. And as we welcome the new year, let us pray with hopeful hearts that the best of situations shall come our way. God bless us!!!

Happy new year to all!!!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, we wish you a very merry Christmas!!!

Happy Holidays!

For several years now, I have always been telling family and friends that Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It does not only give me a merry feeling, it also allows me to bond with people who really matter. The two-week Christmas break I have been enjoying from the company gives me the liberty to stay at home with Mama, and meet up with friends whom I have not been seeing frequently throughout the year.

This season is quite extra special though. My ASCENT family has thrown a tribute/despedida party disguised as a Christmas party. I was so overwhelmed with all the appreciation that my boss and my colleagues have shown me, and I'm sure to blog separately about that soon. My highschool classmates are able to organize not just one, but two days of get-together (26th and 30th; to all concerned, please do join us), to accommodate those who will be coming home from abroad. After 15 years, we are gathering again to spend our Christmas partIES! My husband's circle of SUPERFRIENDS (as i call them) is also having their Christmas party (on the 26th as well), and better halves are invited. My grade school classmates are also planning our long overdue reunion. It's been almost 20 years since we graduated, and we haven't yet had any reunion (or so I think!). Now is the best time! It's tentatively set on the 24th of January, and I'm really wishing it will push through.

'Tis the season to be jolly! These gatherings will surely be full of reminiscing, catching up, and fun!

I thank God for my families, relatives and friends who never forget. Let us celebrate relationships that have been built, nurtured and grown over the years.

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone! God bless you!

resigned

Three weeks ago, I was drafting my resignation letter. And it was just last week that I was able to finalize and print it. However, it was only two hours ago that I was able to hand it to our managing director. I never realized that submitting the letter would be harder than drafting it.

I wasn’t nervous about how my boss would react to my resignation, because I had already informed him four months ago that I would only be staying until this December. I would admit I was really sad leaving the company where I had been working for six years now.

But things happen because they are meant to happen. I am meant to leave the company to experience more somewhere else, and for that, I am truly excited.

I can never tell what is in store for me in the future, but I can only trust that the Lord will always be there to guide me… and I just need to follow.

our timely prayer

Prayer of Spouses for Each Other

Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Help us to forgive one another’s failing and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well-being of the other ahead of self.

May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection.

All these we pray in the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!

Thanks to Kai for sharing this lovely prayer to us.

1... 2... 3!

By the time this post is published, husband and I are probably snoring our way through the night, while he snuggles me, as he always do for three years now.

Yes, today, the 24th of November, we are celebrating our third wedding anniversary. Time flies so fast! It’s already been three years of an exciting, sometimes disappointing yet comforting roller coaster ride.

While it would feel best to have a harmonious relationship ALL the time, the differences and arguments that pop up once in a while have helped us learn how to handle things better. We’re learning… continuously… and the love grows uncontrollably.

Whatever we have been through, and whatever storm we have survived in the past have just made us both more bonded to each other. We can just only pray to the Lord that He will bless us with more love, patience and understanding for us to brave any rain that might come our way in the next years of our marriage.

We’re just startin’, and I’m lovin’ it!

smarter than a second grader

What I enjoy the most when I spend my weekend at my Mama's place is the opportunity to chat with my Kuya and his family. They have been staying in New Jersey for almost two years now, and I just miss spending time with my nephews. (Ok, Kuya, I miss spending time with you and Ate Aieh, too!) And it's only through video chat that I get to see the new addition to the family, Andie.

This morning, I spent almost two hours chatting with my nephew, Luis. It started with his stories of being chosen as a student of the month at his school, among 50+ other kids... moving to his latest addition of artwork at Artsonia... then to his latest collection of books. Yes, books! Books on National Geographic for Kids on various topics such as the space, sharks and others. He also has his Kid's Almanac for 2010. While he was eager to share what he had already read on those books, we had started this simple game of question and answer. He would ask questions, then I'd answer. Then I'd get my turn to ask, and he'd answer. Well, good thing that my PC ran SKYPE and GOOGLE at the same time without delay, otherwise, I might not be able to give correct answers. Com'on! Do you really still remember facts about ORCA? or the hummingbird's eggs? Well, at least he hasn't read yet that the highest waterfall is that of the Angel Waterfall in Venezuela, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to lead a score. LOL.

I had a great chat time with him. Next time, I'll prepare more questions, and I have to make sure I can get the answers right when he throws his are-you-smarter-than-a-fifth-grader type of questions! Take note, he's just a second grader... I wouldn't want to face the webcam and tell him "I may be your aunt and way older than you are, but I'm not smarter than a second grader like you!"

half-satisfied

To satisfy my craving for chicken empanada from Red Ribbon, I requested Husband to drive me to the nearest branch after an afternoon meeting with a client yesterday.

Though I was happy that the empanada didn't fall short of my gustatory expectation (I had two pieces, actually), I was a bit disappointed with the carbonara meal that I have ordered for. I don't think that it was worth the price I paid for it. Even the palabok meal that Husband had was not good either... it was bland and the serving was small. As customers we are willing to pay the cost, and having said that, we hope that we also get the value of what we are paying for.

At any rate, I enjoyed our merienda because it was spent with Husband and my dear Mama.