Explore Auckland

We have a long weekend this week as tomorrow, 1st Monday of June, is Queen's Birthday. This means we can take Ate X to more places.

Auckland is a lovely place and there are a lot of places to visit and activities to experience. Hindi na kailangang lumayo. I have listed below some popular destinations.

Libre:

• One Tree Hill
• Mt. Victoria, Devonport
• Devonport Wharf
• Auckland Museum
• Explore the CBD via City Circuit (free bus)
• Botanic Gardens
• Gannet Colony at Muriwai
• Long Bay
• Takapuna Beach
• Mission Bay
• Orewa
• Goat Island Marine Reserve
• Parnell Rose Garden (aka Dove-Myer Robinson Park)
• Pinoy Mass @ Balmoral Church (lots of pinoy deli sold outside the church after the mass)

May bayad:

• Auckland Art Gallery
• Stardome Observatory
• Auckland Zoo
• Motat
• Sky Tower* - pwedeng mag-dinner, sky walk o bungy jump
• Kelly Tarlton*
• Rainbow’s End*
• Rangitoto Island * - via Fuller’s Ferry
• Waiheke Island
• Snow Planet, Silverdale
• Auckland Maritime Museum - www.maritimemuseum.co.nz
• Auckland Bridge Jump
  

Auckland MultiPass - $99 for adult; $59 for kids

Honorary nurse

On Thursday, I took Ate Chris (a.k.a. Ate X) to her orientation @ UNITEC Henderson. Hindi lang ako basta chaperon, I was actually in the classroom with her and 40 other nurses. I tried to be as quiet as possible para di mapansin nung nurse educator.

When Ate X and I were in college, lagi akong sabit sa kanya. Ilang beses din akong sumama sa kanya when she did her night duty @ UDMC (ayokong maiwan sa boarding house). Naka-nurse uniform din ako para makalusot sa security.

One time there was a coup d’état in Manila and she volunteered for Red Cross. Exciting yon so I volunteered as well. Nag-Red Cross shirt din ako.

Nasubukan ko na din magbakuna. Ate X gave Hepa B vaccine on me and Queenie (our youngest sister), and I did hers. After one minute of instructions and an hour of composing myself, I somehow did it. Tumalab naman.

It takes a lot of stamina and compassion to become a nurse. Ate has those traits, with or without her cap and scrub suit on. As for me, since kulang ako non, pwede na akong honorary nurse.

Leather Jacket and Hopia

Sinundo namin ni Henry si Ate Chris kahapon sa airport. 11am lumapag yung eroplano nya.

Pinagdala ko ng leather jacket si Ate. Sabi ko kasi 'wag na syang magbitbit ng jacket kasi di namn nya yon magagamit sa byahe nya. However, I knew it's gonna be cold outside the airport. But on the contrary, di sya gininaw kahit na manipis na sweater lang yung suot nya (it was 16degrees!). Yun namang hopia (EngBeeTIn na Pandan flavor) para di sya ma-homesick. he he he

By the way, today is our third anniversary in New Zealand (pwede ng mag-apply ng citizenship).

No visa yet

Ate Christine’s nursing competency (a.k.a. bridging) course will commence in 3 weeks. At the moment, she is volunteering in a hospital in Malolos (para prepared di ba). Everything is ready except for her visa. She already got an approval in principle but the final one hasn’t been decided on yet. May isang pirma pang kailangan. haaayyyy……

During her medical test, the doctor found a lump on her neck. After a series of test, it was confirmed that she has goiter (it disproved my initial suggestion that it’s an Adam’s apple). Non-toxic naman yon and no symptoms. The specialist didn't recommend any medication o medical procedure. Hopefully, the medical assessor would give her thumbs up this week.

We are really looking forward to Ate Chris and family to join us here in New Zealand. If it’s not too much to ask, can you please include them in your prayers? Maraming salamat :)

Shannen’s school visit and farewell

Shannen had her second school visit @ St. Joseph’s yesterday morning. Naku, she enjoyed it so much. Ayaw ng umalis. Meron kasi syang 2 kaibigan sa class nya – Annika and Justinne. Sa 5 May pa ang official start nya don (kids in NZ start primary school @ 5yrs old).

There are 13 kids in the class. Seven ang Filipino, one puti, one Indian at yung iba mukhang middle-eastern/European. Eventually there will be 16 kids in the class. So most likely madadagdagan pa yung number ng pinoys :)

Farewell Maru

Nung hapon, farewell party naman ni Shannen sa Maru Montessori (kahit ngayon pa ang last day nya). All the kids sat down to form a circle while Shannen settled on a special chair. Then they did this cute "leaving" ceremony. I was so impressed.

For the food, I bought a chocolate mud cake, baked mini muffins and made ham-cheese-pineapple kebab. Syempre may giveaways din. We gave the boys Ben10 and Spongebob stickers, while the girls got bead bracelets. Medyo nakakapagod yung preparations. But my little helpers Shannen and Vince made things easier and the event more special.

Nanakawan kami!!!

Saturday night, di makita ni Henry yung car tools nya na nakalagay sa shed (nasa likod ng bahay). Nung tinignan nyang maiigi yung laman ng shed, nawawala din yung 5 sets of fishing rod and 2 tackle boxes. Sa loob ng bahay wala naman kaming napansin na nawawala. Haayy... mabuti na lang.

That same moment, I rang 111 to report the incident to the police. Sunday early morning, they sent a forensic officer (parang CSI). Kukuha sana sya ng finger prints however di daw sya makakakuha ng significant samples dun sa site. She gave me a reference number for insurance claim but unfortunately wala kaming home contents insurance (today meron na!)

I still believe NZ is a safe place but you still have to secure your belongings. Another lesson learned.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!!!

Bakasyon kami dito ay from Good Friday to (Easter) Monday. Kahit na hindi kami nag-out-of-town like most kiwis would do, we had a lot of activities that kept us busy.

Good Friday. Vince and I went to St. Joseph Church to see the re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross. The kids from St. Joseph’s School did a very good job. Merong part na may unexpected scene-stealer. Yung isang guardia sibil nag-collapse sa stage. Akala namin part pa yung ng program. It was only after the teacher picked up the kid that we realised it was not in the script. Kawawa naman yung bata, facedown ang pagkakahulog.

Black Saturday. House-hunting. waaahhhh…. ang hirap maghanap ng bahay na mura, safe at maganda.

Easter Sunday. Nag-dinner kami sa bahay nila Peachie (busmate ko). A few months back nagkaron ng Meet Your Neighbors sa aming area. I believe there are about 12 pinoy families in Meadowood pero kami lang ni Peachie ang present. Baka shy yung iba (kami kasi hindi, he he he). So we thought of inviting some pinoys for dinner. I’m really pleased Peachie offered her place.

Easter Monday. I woke up early to do walking. Meadowood and Totara Vale ang nasa itinerary ko which is about 5.5kms. Nakaka-50minutes walking na ako ng may nakita akong aso sa isang reserve/park. Nagkatitigan kami. Iba yung tingin nya sa akin. Na-sense nya ata na super duwag ako. Umatras ako. I made another attempt to move forward after a minute. Pero masama talaga ang tingin nya sa akin. So tinawagan ko si Henry para sunduin ako. He he he….

10 April - HO's 34th and daugther Hannah's 2nd bday

Birthday and ice cream

Last week, I bought a special ice cream for a special occasion. It was my dad's birthday on 4 April. And to him, a birthday is never complete without an ice cream (pero kahit ice drop ok na sa kanya). The kids got excited when I took the container out of the freezer. Gusto nga nilang ubusin yon but I asked them to save some. Baka sakaling maisipan ni daddy na pasyalan kami, eh di may matitikman pa sya. I really miss him :(

Happy Birthday Dad!

April 1: $5,000 Govt Stimulus Package

While on my way to work yesterday, I heard in the radio that the government is giving away $5000 to people earning above $50K a year. This is part of the government's stimulus (to stimulate spending).

Aba, sobra akong na-excite. I was already spending the money in my mind. Io-overhaul ko yung living room namin plus I'll replace one of our beds. Bibili din ako ng bagong shoes and racket for badminton. Pagdating ko sa opis, tatawagan ko agad si Henry to share the good news. Ii-spread ko din yon amongst my workmates.

Kaso bago ako nakababa ng bus, it was revealed that that was an April Fools thing. What??? Hindi yon totoo??? I cant believe I fell for it. We've been busy the past few weeks trying to apply the real April 1 tax changes into our system. And that one was definitely not included. Ewan ko ba bakit ako naniwala. Oh well, at least it gave me a few minutes of shopping. kahit na sa panaginip lang.

kiwi-wannabe Shannen

When we were having dinner the other night, I asked Shannen how school was (we do this all the time). She told us that she played with her new friend Grace. Then added that she talks different. I think she was referring to the accent. So tinanong ko kung si Grace ba ay puti o asian (may mga koreans and chinese sa class nya). Nagulat kami ni Henry sa sagot nya - "She's white just like me". She justified this by saying her skin is white, and she has brown eyes and hair. "What about your eyes, it's small", I asked. Eh meron naman daw kiwis na maliit ang mata.

Di ko na pinahaba yung usapan. Ayokong maisip pa nya na may differences ang tao aside from the looks and accent. So ayan, meron na akong kiwing anak.

Eye twitching

My right eye has been twitching for almost a month now. Today, pati yung left eye ko meron na ding involuntary movement. So I consulted Dr. DubDubDub for possible causes of this condition. Most often daw, lack of sleep and stress are the culprits. Not for me. I get an average of 8.5 hrs sleep every night and I have no reason to get stressed. Hereditary? Wala akong alam na kumukurap-kurap sa pamilya namin.

Ang tinitignan ko ngayon ay caffeine. Baka galing yon don. My caffeine intake has tripled since I switched from coffee to tea. So I will try to cut it down to 1 cup a day starting tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

Kiwi Speak - part 2

Excited na akong makarating dito sa NZ ang Ate Christine ko. As early as now, I would like to prepare some things for her. May mga itinabi na akong ilang gamit para sa kanya. I’m also making this list of things she needs to know about New Zealand.

I thought kiwi-speak would be a good start. I did a blog about the kiwi accent before. This time I’m posting some terms that are called differently from Pinas.

cheerios = cocktail sausage

banger = sausage
barbie = BBQ

kebab – barbeque on stick

across the ditch = across the Tasman Sea to Australia
bach = pronounced as batch, small holiday house
bloke = ordinary guy/man

rubbish – garbage

bugger - mild swearing, as in damn

chilly bin = cooler box

chippies – big version ng french fries

jersey = sweater (you don’t use a jersey to play basketball)

jumper = sweater
jandals – sandals, step-in

singlet = sando

dairy = bigger version ng sari-sari store
OE = overseas experience (working holiday abroad)
Judder bar = speed bump/hump sa kalsada
Lolly = candy, sweet
nana = grandmother
nick = steal
Pakeha = Maori term for person of European descent
flip-flops = rubber sandals (ie. Spartan, BeachWalk, etc.)

see ya! = see you later (even if you won't meet again)
serviette = table napkin
suss = to figure out
togs = swim suit
tomato sauce = ketchup
tap = gripo

trolley = shopping cart
ute = small pickup truck
foot path = sidewalk

boot = car trunk

bonnet = hood of a car

Hokey Pokey = mini-butter balls; a favorite kiwi ice-cream flavour

may part 3 pa 'to…. abangan

Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula

06 Feb, Treaty of Waitangi Day. Walang pasok. With some friends from aklNZpinoys, we went to Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula.

True to its name, the beach sits on an underground hot spring. You have to dig your own pool (parang lubluban ng kalabaw), hope to find the right “spot”, then enjoy. Pag high-tide natatabunan ng seawater yung spring so best go there when the tide is low.

At first, we dug this big pool. Ang laki at lalim na ng nahuhukay namin pero ang lamig pa din ng tubig. Kainis! May naawang puti, pinalipat kami sa pool nila kasi paalis na sila. So we had our readymade, second-hand pool :)

My mini-garden

Aside from learning the guitar, there's another thing that's keeping me busy lately. My mini-garden. I tried to revive the ornamental plants my mom planted when she was here (14 months ago). Meron din akong itinanim na bago - veggies (tomato, spinach, spring onion, capsicum, chili, celery) and succulents. I put them in plant boxes which Henry made (from old crates).

Di ko alam kung makakabuhay ako ng halaman because I never tried planting before. So far, green pa naman silang lahat. Nakapag-harvest na ako ng spinach, spring onions and celery. Sulit na yung investment kong $15.

Vince's Guitar - part 2

Vince’s guitar is for newbies. I got it for $56. That is cheap. I didn’t realized that it’s really “cheap” until I started reading the prints on the box.

huh, ano daw?

Vince's guitar

I got Vince a guitar yesterday. This is actually one on my holiday things-to-do but didn’t have the time to so. We really want him to do something else other than video/computer games during school breaks.

The plan is for me to learn guitar (maraming guitar 101 sa web) then pass it on to Vince. I hope it wouldn’t be too hard for me. Nung nasa grade school ako, pinag-aral ako ng nanay ko ng piano and a small string instrument. There was an attempt to learn guitar (which is very handy pag nangangaroling) but it was too big for my hand/fingers. Isang kanta lang ang natutunan ko – A Horse with No Name. Dalawang chords lang kasi yon :)

Vince guitar is a small one. 39” lang ang haba. Di sya mahihirapang hawakan yon. At higit sa lahat, mura lang yon. If we both enjoy it, then I’ll buy us the real one. Nakikitaan ko si Vince ng interest. Sana tuloy-tuloy yon.

Good luck to both of us Vince.

Open home

Despite the economy not looking promising this year, this should not stop us from dreaming and making plans.

Ilang linggo ko na ding sinusuyod ang Property Press and TradeMe for houses for sale. Di pa kami ready to buy at this point but I believe that we should start working towards that goal as early as now. Sabi nga ng isang kaibigan namin, mag-practice na kami ngayon pa lang. So when the time comes that we are ready, alam na namin yung gagawin. Mahirap yung ma-realise mo na may na miss kang point when you are already paying the mortgage.

After lunch, Henry, Shannen and myself went to an open home in Sunnynook. Dahil nga sa practice pa lang, yung malapit lang ang pinili namin (laging may nagbebenta dito sa Auckland). Nagdala ako ng notebook para kunyari serious kami. he he he.

When we got home, we told Vince about the house. Hindi masyadong keen si kulas kasi ang pangit daw ng pangalan ng street... COCKAYNE. We'll I think that's far better that Lake PUPUKE :)

Magtitingin ulit kami ng weekends. Hopefully, by the time we are ready to buy experts na kami.

Pasalubong ideas

Isa sa mga interesting topics sa Aklnzpinoys nung December ay ang pasalubong. Alam nyo na, maraming umuuwi sa Pinas para mag-Christmas don. May isang nagtanong kung ano ba ang magandang pasalubong sa mga kamag-anak at kaibigan. Iba kasi dito sa New Zealand. Maliit ang market kaya limited at mahal ang mga commodities (except for electronics). Mas maganda pa ang nabibili sa SM Megamall. So yun na lang wala sa Pinas ang bilhin.

Ito yung popular choices:

• tsokolate (Cadbury, Whitakker)
• cheese
• wine
• biscuits with chocolate like TimTam, Squiggles, etc.
• Manuka Honey
• Palm Corned Beef
• Fridge magnets (NZ souvenir)
• Rugby t-shirt (maganda sana kung All Blacks kaso mahal)
• Kauri clock
• smoked salmon
• lanolin face cream (pantanggal ng wrinkles)

Ate Chris' NZ nursing registration

Ang saya-saya ko ngayon. After 1 year of document preparation and 9 months of waiting, the Nursing Council of New Zealand has finally given the go signal for my sister Chris to enroll in a nursing bridging course (or what they call Competency Assessment Program). Once she has completed the course, pwede na syang mag-practice ng nursing dito (at sa OZ).

Now for my assignement, ihahanap ko si Ate Chris ng school. Dalawa ang prospects ko - Manukau Institute of Tech (MIT) and Unitec. Parehong Feb ang next intake nila. Sana makahabol pa.

Yipeeee!!!!... excited na akong makasama sila.

surf, sun and stroll @ Muriwai Beach

Before I went back to work on Monday (si Henry nakabakasyon pa this week), naghuling hirit pa kami ng pasyal nung Sunday. Pumunta kami sa Muriwai Beach sa West Auckland (35kms from home). This place is known for its colony of gannets, which is a large seabird.

Dahil nasa west coast, malakas ang alon sa Muriwai. Perfect for surfing but very dangerous for swimming, rock fishing, etc. So kami nag-tramping na lang and, of course, picture-picturan.

Maganda daw ang sunset doon. Kaya lang around 9pm pa yon, that's too late for us. Next time na lang. Sigurado namang babalik ulit kami.

More photos here.

www.jhsay.blogspot.com

Medyo sinipag ako nung isang araw so I was able to move the contents of my blog (Li'l Thoughts) to Multiply. Pwede palang dito ako mag-post then it will update the former. Ngayon ko lang yon na discover. he he he

Cape Reinga trip

Kahit na medyo kulang sa prep, natuloy din kami aming first NZ long drive. With 5 other families, we left Auckland on the dawn of 30th December for Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of new New Zealand. We came back just before New Year. Yung mga kasama namin naiwan pa. Sila nag-stay sa camping site, kami nag-motel. Takot akong matulog sa tent. he he he

On our way up to the far north, we made some side trips to Whangarei Falls, Kawakawa, Hururu Fall, Waitangi Treaty Ground and Rarawa beach. The places we visited are awesome. Siguradong mauulit pa kami. Isa pa, madami pa kaming hindi napuntahang lugar like Bay of Islands and glow worm caves. I'm sure they are as exciting.

click here for more pictures.

To-do list

Bakasyon na ako since yesterday. Sa 05 January na ang balik ko sa trabaho. Like last year, I have made a list of things to accomplish for the 2 weeks holiday. Here's what I came up with.

- do strawberry picking
- trip to Cape Reinga (northmost part of NZ)
- make a veggie garden (para di na ako bibili ng kamatis, letuce, basil, etc)
- update Henry's CV (gusto na kasi nyang mag-iba ng work)
- play badminton
- learn to play acoustic guitar (pag marunong na ako, tuturuan ko si Vince)

Maiksi lang ang two weeks . Sana ma-accomplish ko lahat ng plano kong gawin.

Lola Apong

On Tuesday night, just before midnight, my phone rang. I was already in deep sleep at that time so it was not able to pick up the phone quickly. The phone number is from the Philippines, then I got so nervous. Hindi sila tatawag unless there's something that's extremely urgent. It was my sister. She delivered an unpleasant news - lola Cristina (my mom's mom) passed away. She was 98.

Lola Cristina was very strong person and a caring woman. She raised 7 kids and a handful of grandchildren (including myself at some point). I will miss her very dearly.

Christmas wishes

My sister Queenie asked her 2 kids to list down their christmas wishes and put it in their christmas socks. When the kids were already asleep, she checked the list, and here is what she found out...

kid 1 (7 years old girl)
i wish that i have a story book, my own laptop (sosyal!) , a toy penguin, diaper & toy stroller for tesa (doll), a clown, my own clock, doll house, pajama and new clothes." - pretty normal wishes.

kid 2 (9 years old boy)
"I wish for a math book, psp, nintendo wii, hot wheels set, wrist watch, belt, briefs (my briefs are already bacon), pajama (it's very tight already), forgiveness, self control, a good start of Christmas, wisdom, cold weather, a good family reunion, a healthy family, good health, wealthy country, kind hearted president, peace & order, better country, kindness, tender hearted, prevent temptation, spread God’s word, remember the good news, don’t let everybody give-up ang more blessings to come."


I was really awed by my nephew's wishes. I didn't think a 9 yo kid will actually wish for immaterial things, for others & for the nation. Pwede bang tulungan nyo kaming i-grant ang wishes ni Migi? You really don't have to buy anything for him. Just be a good human beings and love your country.

Hangi

Hohonga, nagha-hangi yung mga maoring kapitbahay namin. Ilang araw din akong na-puzzle don. It wasn't until Monday when I went to work that I learned about this maori tradition. Talagang ipinagtanong ko sa mga kasama kong kiwi kung ano ang posibleng ginagawa ng kapitbahay namin.

Hangi is a method of cooking food using super heated rocks buried in the ground in a pit oven. Traditional hāngi food includes pork, lamb or chicken with generous portions of root vegetables like kamote potato, carrot, etc. Di kasama sa recipe ang bata. ha ha ha

Buried 'n Burned

May party sa kapitbahay naming Maori nung Friday night. May mga adults na nag-iinuman sa deck. Yung mga bata naman masayang naghahabulan sa bakuran.

Extended hanggang Saturday yung kasiyahan nila. Doon na ata natulog lahat ng bisita. About 9am, some 6 adult males gathered in the backyard. Yung isa naman may hawak na ilang piraso ng tela (parang kumot). Yung dalawa may dalang pala at mukhang naghuhukay. Di masyadong makita yung actual na ginagawa nila kasi natatakpan ng bakod. Ilang minuto pa, may usok/apoy na galing doon. Tapos naisip ko yung mga bata. bat wala ng naglalaro? bat wala ng maingay? Naku, baka kaya may kine-cremate na sila doon. At higit sa lahat.... ang sampay ko!!! nauusukan!!!

I was in the verge of ringing 111. Bawal kasi yung nagsusunog sa bakuran. Kaso, nakita ko yung malaking Maori na puno na tattoo sa katawan at mukha. Sa loob-loob ko, maaagrabyado si Henry dito. So we just waited for what's gonna happen next.

5 hours later, tapos na ang cremation. Wala ng apos/usok. Tapos tinanggal nila yung tela na balot. Then kinain nila yung nasa loob non. Naku, asan na yung mga bata!!!

Itutuloy.....

Rangitoto trek

Auckland has 49 volcanoes. Rangitoto is largest and youngest one.

Last week, nag-class trip Vince doon. Since I haven't been there and I know it's going to be a difficult task for them, I volunteered for parent help. Marami parents sumama. Almost 1:1 ang parent-child ratio.

From St. Joseph's in Takapuna, a big bus took us to Devonport wharf. From there, we took a ferry boat ride to the island. O di ba, yun pa lang adventure na.

Nagsimula kaming maglakad nang 10am. Nakarating sa summit nang 11:30. Ang ganda ng view na dinaanan namin. May mga formed lava, iba-ibang klase ng halaman/puno, at view ng Auckland. I'm glad I spent that time with Vince.

Redundancy

definition: dismissal from work because a job ceases to exist. Back in the Phil, we call it retrenchment

- - - - - - - -

May bago kaming kasama sa tranaho. When he started Monday, we had morning tea to welcome him. Nag-speech sya ng konti. 8yrs daw sya sa isang telecomm company. A few months back, na-redundant sya. Tingin daw kasi ng mgmt ay kayang gawin nung bagong pinoy na kasama nya yung ginagawa nya. ha ha ha Iba talaga ang pinoy.

Melbourne Day

Melbourne Day noong Tuesday. Alam nyo bang isa sa mga highlights ng festvity na 'to ay ang Melbourne Cup (a horse race)? Ako di ko alam yon. Pero may kwento ako tungkol dito.

Umaga ng Tuesday, may narinig akong mga kalansin ng coins. My initial thought was someone's selling something for fundraising i.e Salvation Army, Foundation for the Blinds, etc. So naglabas na ako ng $2. Pag dating sa may desk ko, I found out that my collegue was collecting bets for Melbourne Cup. Dahil naglabas na akong barya, nakisali na din ako kahit di ko alam kung ano yon. Pinabunot ako ng pangalan ng kabayo. There are words, numbers and combination of both in there but I didn't bother to confirm which one is actually the horse's name.

Wednesday, nakangiti lahat sa akin. Nanalo daw yung kabayo! Yipeeee!!!! Kinuha ko yung nabunot kong papel. Nahihiya man, tinanong ko sa kanila kung alin doon yung pangalang ng kabayo. Tapos nagtawanan na lahat. I learned that it's actually VIEWED. Nakitawa din ako sa kanila pero mas masarap yung tawa ko. Syempre nasa akin yung premyo - $44. Not enough to buy me ticket to Melbourne so'll just get something to remind me of Melbourne Day.