Jinkee's li'l thoughts

back to blogging

2012-02-18T17:35:00.001+13:00

I'm back to blogging! I started posting in 2005 but in late 2010 I went on 'sabbatical'. No, not really, I just like the sound of it :) . The truth is Facebook came and conquered me just like everyone else. But later on I realized that I don't really like to use FB for my journal. I want to quietly keep it in one area. I'll still be using FB to connect with friends/family but my li'l thoughts is going to here.

Wired

2012-02-17T15:44:00.000+13:00

Shannen just graduated from her mini-braces. She had it on about 9 weeks to correct her crossbite teeth. At first I was concerned that it would be too uncomfortable for her. That turned out false. So that left me with just one worry – the cost. Kids under 18y/o get free dental care in New Zealand (kahit papastahan pa lahat ng ngipin). But braces are not included. For Shannen’s sectional braces (two teeth only) - $600 (tinawaran ko pa yon). I hope she doesn’t need to wear one again in the future. The dentist said full set of braces could be from $5K to $7K.

From Carabao To Sheep

2012-02-08T12:29:00.000+13:00

AKLnzPINOYS' handbook "From Carabao to Sheep" was chosen as the winner for the Print Journalism award in the first Migration Advocacy and Media awards of the Commission of Filipinos Overseas. galing! Congratulations to the moderators and members who contributed to this project.

Click here to read an online version of the handbook or click the book's front cover image on the left.

God Defend New Zealand

2010-09-16T12:17:00.000+12:00

After 4 good years in Aotearoa, we were granted the privilege to become NZ citizens. yipee!!!

Henry and I sang the national anthem God Defend New Zealand for the first time during the citizenship ceremony. It was a beautiful song (but I still have to research the translation of the maori part). It makes you feel proud and elated to be a New Zealander.

Soon, well have silver fern passports. This also means loosing our Philippine citizenship (which we can regain later when we apply for dual citizenship). So am I now a kiwi? Naku, di ata bagay sa akin yon. I vow to be a good citizen of New Zealand but inside me I am still Filipino. .. 100% Pinoy.... and 1% kiwi. that's sweet as…

I love Daddy

2010-07-31T13:27:00.000+12:00

4th April 1999, I got my Dad a coffee mug with a cute print "I love Daddy". It instantly became his favourite. He wouldn't use any other cup for his beverages (not just for his caffeine dose). Four months later, that mug was on top of him with a glass separating them.

31 July 1999, the day our dear dad left us. Up to this day, I remember how devastating it was. Time healed the pain but the memory is still vivid.

One of the mass cards we got inscribed a beautiful poem. I read the first four lines then stopped. It was so touching but my heart wasn't ready for it . 11 years later, it's only now that I have the courage to finish the rest of it.

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for I’m now free.
I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took God’s hand when I heard the call;
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found that place at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss.
Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the same sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I savoured much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me –
God wanted me now, God set me free.

miss you dad...

bunge

2010-05-10T14:55:00.001+12:00

For weeks, Shannen was waiting for her first tooth to fall off. She wouldn't stop talking about it. Most kids in her class have already lost a tooth ot two so she was excited to be one of them.

Friday night, Ate Chris asked Shannen if she wants to cease the waiting. The little girl agreed after hearing Ate Chris credentials (maraming ngipin na daw ang nagdaan sa mga kamay nya while she was still a nurse at Hankins'). So the wobbly tooth was pulled out. But when Shannen saw (and tasted) the blood, she got upset and started crying. She wouldn't want to talk to Auntie Chris. Humupa din yon nung wala ng bleeding. Then back to best friends sila. he he he

Shannen now happily calls herself Bunge :)

Myla Nano - April 26, 2010

2010-04-27T14:52:00.000+12:00

HO broke a sad news yesterday. My cousin Khem’s wife, Myla and their new born son passed away yesterday due to pregnancy complications. Khem is the son of Tito Tirso (my mom’s eldest brother). They are very close to us.

Myla’s death is very sudden. Khem is still in shock. May the Lord to give him courage and strength to get through this extremely painful time.

They're coming!

2010-04-26T13:11:00.003+12:00

After almost one year of waiting, Ate Chris will finally be reunited with her family. On early morning of Thursday (29 April), Renie, Sam, Bea and Rein will set foot on New Zealand (grass and) soil. Can't wait to see the girls again.

Kia Ora Tei

2010-03-08T14:57:00.004+13:00

On board Qantas QF 115, Tei arrived in Auckland on 2nd March. Tei is Henry’s brother’s daughter. Although her work takes her to different parts of the world, this trip is special. It means so much to us esp. her parents as this is the fulfilment of her residency application. So officially, New Zealand is her second home.

Because of personal and work commitments, Tei could not settle here as yet. She’s actually now on her way back to Manila. Yeah, not enough to see the sights and feel the lifestyle but I hope the short stay could make her decide to settle here sooner J

We’ll see you again. Hei konei ra!

Auckland Museum

Mt. Victoria, Devonport

Lake Pupuke, Takapuna

SkyTower

Arataki, Waitakere Ranges

Muriwai

etc.

I so love our PM

2010-02-24T14:56:00.003+13:00

NZ Prime Minister John Key may have some policies/plans that raise some eyebrows, but personality-wise the guy's a rockstar!

Here's his interview re: new Supreme Court Building.

"Breathtaking inside," he says.

The outside?

"No, the inside."

What about the outside?

"Well, art is in the eye of the beholder," says Mr Key. "Look, it's okay, but I prefer the inside.”

New Supreme Court Building

Chicken pops

2010-02-22T12:06:00.002+13:00

Last week, our 4yr old neighbor announced that her baby brother has 'chicken pops'. Natawa ako then when it sunk in, I got a little worried. Not for Shannen and Vince (meron silang chicken pox vaccine) but for Henry coz he never had it. I heard it could be really bad for adults.

What do we do? Henry and I had a serious thought. We can't keep Shannen away from playing with her friends. Kahit i-explain namin sa kanya (I even showed her photos of severe blisters), hindi nya ma-grasp yung danger non.

Eventually, we resorted to diversion tactic. So the whole week, Henry took the kids 'somewhere' after school. They went to the grocery, KFC, McDonalds, beach, library, picked me up from work, etc. This week ganun ulit ang gagawin nila. Magastos lang but it gives Henry peace of mind.

winter olympics

2010-02-18T12:32:00.002+13:00

I've been attempting to blog again for weeks, but don't know how to start. i'll stop stressing myself. I'll just write something light and easy.

Winter Olympics. This is the first time that I got interested in this gaming event. Wala naman kasing pinapadala ang Pilipinas doon. We've been following the 2010 competition for days now. Most (if not all) of the sports are dangerous. Even the very skilled ones could easily end up with an accident. Mas safe ang mga games sa summer olympics (walang nalulunod sa swimming!). NZ althelete Mahe Drysdale vomitted and fainted in last year's olympics. Pero tingin ko naimpatso lang yon sa daming delis sa china.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T06:36:00.000+13:00

This year has been a good and memorable one. Ate Chris is finally in New Zealand, Kuya Johnny got his Permanent Residency, Shannen started school, Vince is doing well in school and basketball, met great friends, moved to our new house, etc. Couldn't believe it all happened in a year. We're looking forward to all the new oppurtunities, challenges and blessings waiting for us in the next 365 days.

I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year.

PS: I promise myself to post more, shorter blogs next year.

NZ Labour Weekend

2009-10-26T09:10:00.003+13:00

It's been a while since we last had a break so this long weekend (26 Oct is Labour Day) is really much needed.

We went malling on Saturday (wala naman akong nabili). Sunday was sun and fun at the beach. Today is supposed to be relaxing. So far, so good :)

foot loose

2009-10-07T12:50:00.000+13:00

Kadarating ko lang non sa New Zealand. Sinama ako ni Henry sa mall. While inside a shop, 2 boys came in. Aba naman, naka-paa sila. Iisipin ko na sana mga yagit sila pero maayos naman yung mga suot nila. At yung mga magulang mukhang disente.

Wag kang magugulat kung may makita kang nakapaa sa kalsada, mall, school, hospital, etc. Maraming kiwis (bata at matanda) ang sanay mag-yapak. Hindi dahil wala silang footwear kundi type lang nila.

Sinubukan ko din yon. Pagod na yung paa ko sa kalalakad sa mall (don't get the impression na malaki ang malls dito). So hinubad ko yung sapatos ko at naglakad ako for the next 15 minutes ng ramdam ko yung lamig ng semento. Aba, masarap nga :) So when you are in NZ, try nyo yong gawin.

Assimilating

2009-09-14T12:05:00.000+12:00

Vince made more Filipino friends at school (St. Joseph's) this year. Natutuwa kami ni Henry coz these kids are really nice, very courteous and on the same “wave length” as him.

This term, he joined the school basketball team. I had a smile on my face when he asked me to sign the form (sa loob-loob ko, mabuti naman na-realize mong hindi pang rugby ang katawan mo). Anim silang pinoys sa team. Then there’s the 3 imports – a kiwi, an Indian and a South African. Di ko na sasabihin kung sino ang magagaling J

Last month, Vince asked me if he could have rice and sausage for lunch instead of the usual sandwich. Ayaw nya dating mag-baon ng kanin dahil ayaw nya ng kanin/ulam na malamig. So what’s with the sudden change? Yun daw mga prendship nya ay kanin lagi ang baon. His lunch bag was never the same from then on.

One time sinisita ako ni Vince. Bakit daw hindi ko sya ipinag-baon ng lunch. Hmmm…. ang tanda ko nag-preapre ako ng sandwich. Yun pala, iba na ang definition ng lunch sa kanya. Lunch (or dinner) is rice.

Vince’s friends are playing a big influence on him. Not bad at all as this helps me and Henry assimilate Filipino values and ways on him.

Seminar for those moving to New Zealand

2009-09-03T07:59:00.001+12:00

FREE SEMINAR FOR WTRS IN MANILA/CEBU IN NOV 2009

AKLnzPINOYS is planning to sponsor a free (or maybe only minimal fee) seminar for applicants who already received their WTR visas or are just waiting for their WTRs. There will be two seminars, one in Manila and another in Cebu; both to be held around November this year.

The purpose of the seminar is to:

Give new migrants a clear picture of the challenges that they will be facing when they arrive NZ;
Explain what WTR9 really means in Immigration NZ terms as well as practical terms.
Explain some pre-departure decisions that migrants need to make, including the risks and consequences of each decisions (Eg. should principal go to NZ first, family to join later, or husband and wife first, children later, or everyone departs at the same time);
Other pre-departure decisions: resigning from current job, selling all assets, timing of departure (what are the best and worst months to come to NZ)).
Describe the different scenarios (from best case to worst) that could happen to them from the time they arrive to the time their WTR visa expires or gets converted to PR and give them tips on how they can minimize risks, avoid mistakes, and deal with each given scenario.

To help us in organizing this event, we've devised a simple survey. If you are interested or know someone who might be, we would appreciate if you can spare us just one minute of your time (5 questions only) to go through the survey.

Click the link below or copy and paste in your browser.

http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=OJOMH_ae3eb2cb

Non AklnzPinoys members are welcome to attend these seminars, so feel free to pass this to anyone in your network.

Maraming salamat po.

AklnzPinoys Moderators

7 Tacitus Place

2009-08-23T18:40:00.004+12:00

Ito na yung pinakahihintay nyong pictures ng aming bahay. Syempre, pinili ko na yung anggulo na magaganda (maganda na yun sa lagay na yon).

Kanina, nagpintura ng deck si Henry, Janjing, Vince and Shannen (oo, pati si kulasa kasama). Ako naman yung mail box ang sagot ko :) Inayos din namin ni Ate Chris yung garden. Ilang puno na yung natabas namin. Ang sakit ng braso ko.

Work-in-progress pa yung bahay. Uunti-untiin namin ang ayos.

PS: Pasensya na, hindi na-set yung date sa camera.

sugar, salt, rice and pasta

2009-08-17T18:58:00.000+12:00

Sorry for not blogging for a while. Sobrang busy kami sa bahay in the past weeks.

We have moved to our new home on 08 August. I chose that date para swerte - 08/08. For added luck, the first things we moved to our new place are sugar, salt and rice. Sinamahan ko na rin ng pasta :)

Ang sarap ng tulog namin esp on the first night. Kahit na ang daming kahon na nakakalat, nakatulog kami agad. Pano namang hindi, sobra kaming napagod. It would have been worst if we didn’t have Janjing, Ate Chris and some friends to help us out (maraming salamat).

Last weekend we started doing some fixings in the house. Dalawang puno yung nilagare ko so that we can have more sunlight in the house. Si Henry naman nagpalit ng 14 na ilaw. Galit kasi yon sa high wattage bulbs. Si Vince naman tumulong mag linis ng gutter. Marami pang kailangang ayusin but we’ll do it slowly (magastos din kasi)

Next time ko na ipo-post yung mga pictures. Di ko pa mahanap yung cable ng camera. I’m sure it’s in one of those 10 unopened boxes.

We're moving

2009-07-25T19:57:00.001+12:00

After 5 months of house-hunting and relentless assistance from our agent Jane, nakakita rin kami ng bahay na malilipatan. Sabi nga ni Jane, mahirap talagang maghanap ng bahay ng maganda na mura.

In two weeks, we're moving to a quiet street in Totara Vale, North Shore (1km away from our current address). The house was built in mid-80s (medyo luma na) but the owners kept it well. Hindi masyadong malaki yubng bahay pero maraming space sa bakuran para paglaruan ng mga bata.

Kagabi ko lang naisip na dapat pala nagsisimula na kaming mag-impake. We don’t have much time left. Nakapuno ako ng 5 kahon. 10% lang yon ng mga gamit namin. Sa weekend, naglalaba ako ng kurtina at mag-lilinis ng garden. Looking at the checklist from the property manager, marami pa kaming dapat asikasuhin. Wala munang badminton. This moving thing will surely make us sweat and dead tired.

The end of the bridge

2009-07-20T12:33:00.000+12:00

Ate Chris finished her bridging course on Friday (she'll get her registration in 2 to 4 weeks). It's been a very good experience for her. She got exposure to resthome and hospital enviroments, had a lot of sleep-deprived days to meet homework deadlines, met a lot of pinoys in her class (she's now very good friends with most of them), experience the different cultures in Auckland, and so much more.

Today she has started applying for job. She's submitted her CV for different nursing areas which she thinks she's prepared to handle. But I advised her against wards with A H1N1. North Shore Hospital is her preferred workplace. Lapit lang kasi sa amin.

Hopefully, job hunting and work permit application would be hassle-free. She misses her kids so much.

Meet the neighbors (episode 3)

2009-07-15T14:23:00.004+12:00

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to meet our Meadowood neighbours again (third time). The organizers made this get-together more interesting by turning it into an international food festival. Meron pang bonus, costumes, culture and other stuffs from different countries were showcased.

8 countries were represented. Merong galing India, South Africa, Samoa, Korea, Congo, Russia, New Zealand and the Philippines. Ang pinakabongga, syempre ang Pinas. We’re well represented. Nakita nila ang different sizes, colors and faces of the Filipinos. Meron din mga nagsuot ng costume (di ako kasali, walang kasya sa akin). Maraming pagkain – lumpiang sariwa, adobo, palitaw, paella and (my very own) buko-pandan salad. And we had a big poster that said a lot of info about the Philippines (courtesy of Peachy). Nagulat silang lahat sa population natin – 90M.

Knowing the people in your area is very important. Not only that it makes you feel you belong, it also gives you a sense of security. And who knows, you might develop good friendship with them.

Hard-earned money

2009-07-02T19:22:00.000+12:00

Been busy lately so blogging was put aside. Anyway ….

I took Monday and Tuesday off coz Vince was unwell (from cough and asthma).

Tuesday night, may inabot na papel sa akin si Vince. It says “Mum, thanks for taking care of me”. Moments later, may papel na namang inaabot. Pagtingin ko, $5 bill. Kasi hindi daw ako nakapag-work tapos ang dami kong binayaran sa doctor and prescriptrion. Hard-earned money nya yon (earned from me!) kaya I was so touched.

Today, I had Starbucks coffee and muffin for breakfast. Thanks to Vince :)

Explore Auckland

2009-06-04T11:18:00.003+12:00

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

2009-05-25T21:01:00.001+12:00

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

2009-05-20T20:39:00.005+12:00

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

2009-05-05T19:58:00.003+12:00

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

2009-04-30T22:10:00.002+12:00

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!!!

2009-04-21T20:27:00.001+12:00

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

2009-04-14T16:12:00.002+12:00

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

2009-04-07T19:02:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-02T02:09:00.000+13:00

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

2009-03-21T04:43:00.004+13:00

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

2009-03-16T19:37:00.004+13:00

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

2009-02-20T11:29:00.002+13:00

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

2009-02-19T06:54:00.003+13:00

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

2009-02-01T15:21:00.001+13:00

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

2009-01-23T08:34:00.003+13:00

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

2009-01-22T07:08:00.005+13:00

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

2009-01-18T12:26:00.002+13:00

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

2009-01-11T04:33:00.004+13:00

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

2009-01-08T10:41:00.000+13:00

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

2009-01-06T13:11:00.004+13:00

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

2009-01-05T01:19:00.000+13:00

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

2009-01-03T16:51:00.004+13:00

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

2008-12-23T16:47:00.004+13:00

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

2008-12-13T23:20:00.004+13:00

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

2008-12-04T15:36:00.003+13:00

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

2008-11-25T20:09:00.003+13:00

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

2008-11-24T13:27:00.003+13:00

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

2008-11-20T20:28:00.004+13:00

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

2008-11-12T13:06:00.002+13:00

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

2008-11-06T21:47:00.004+13:00

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.

Ka-berks

2008-10-26T16:26:00.003+13:00

Pangalawang buwan na ni Shannen ngayon sa bago nyang school. May mga araw na gusto nyang bumalik sa creche dahil miss nya na yung mga friends nya - si Kara na South African at si Priya na indian. Inseperable yung 3 dati sa school nila.

Iba naman si Vince. Mga pinoys ang mga ka-berks nya. Classmates ni Vinca sa St. Joseph's si Angelo (dito na pinanganak) at Patrick (bagong migrant din gaya namin). Sabi ng teacher nila, Three Musketeers daw sila. he he he

Tinatanong ko si Vince kung may mga kaibigan ba syang puti. Meron naman daw pero mas friends nya yung 2 pinoys. Una akala ko they stick together dahil pare-pareho silang tagalog ang salita. Pero inglis namang mag-usap yung mga bata. That makes me wonder kung nararamdaman ba ng mga bata ang cultural differences. Siguro nga. Baka sa age group ni Shannen wala pa yon. But when you reach a certain stage, nafi-feel na yon. At pag adult na, talagang remarkable na yon.

salamat sa technology

2008-10-13T15:26:00.006+13:00

Election fever dito sa NZ. A few weeks ago, pinag-uusapan sa media ang campaign poster ng re-electionist PM Helen Clark. Pano naman kasi, kagandahan talaga sya sa campaign photo nya. Di na kailangan ng Vicky Bello o Dr. Calayan.

the before...

the after...

Naalala ko tuloy yung kaibigan kong graphic artist. Kasama ko sya sa printing company na pinagtrabahuhan ko. Minsan may nagpagawa sa opis ng campaign poster ng isang infamous politician. Para makabawi, pina-highlight ni friend yung logo ng shirt ni politician. Ang resulta, lutang-na-lutang yung “buwaya” sa poster. ha ha ha

.

Ambury Farm Day 2008 - pix

2008-10-12T19:33:00.000+13:00

Ambury Farm Day 2008

2008-10-10T14:34:00.003+13:00

Ambury Farm Day is on of Auckland Regional Council's (ARC) biggest annual events. This day is filled with farming and recreational displays, such as sheep shearing, cow milking, butter making, farm animal petting and feeding, clowns, entertainment, pony rides and so much more. We had so much fun last year so we are not to miss it this year (12 Oct 2008).

What I am looking forward to is the "Cow Lotto". Ganito yung game. The kids have to guess which square the cow will drop their "bomb". The child who chooses the right square wins a prize. One year the kids came up with a slogan and were shouting it out, over and over, at the cows…"one, two, do a poo". Nakwento ko yon sa mga bata at sobra silang excited.

Note: Picture to be posted on 12 Oct afternoon.

Happy Birthday Kuya Vince

2008-10-09T13:13:00.004+13:00

Birthday ni Vince nung Sat 04 Oct. I organized a simple celebration for him. I booked him and seven of his friends to play at Laser Force. Para yong paintball shooting pero ito safe dahil laser lang ang gamit. Gusto sanang sumama ni Shannen kaso ang age limit ay 7yrs old so pinanood na lang namin sila sa video monitor. They had 3 game sets, tig-15 minutes ang isa.

Pagkatapos ng laro, sobrang pawis at pagod yung mga bata. Halos ubos yung handa namin pagkain. Pizza, Zesto Mango at ice cream lang naman pero solve na silang lahat don.

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y K U Y A V I N C E ! ! !

By the way, birthday ulit ni Vince ngayon, 09 Oct. Yung kasi ang nakalagay sa Birth Certificate pero 04 Oct talaga sya pinanganak.

Skul holiday

2008-10-04T14:42:00.000+13:00

School holiday ngayon nila Vince at Shannen. First time na wala kaming kapamilya na mapag-iiwanan sa mga bata. Medyo mahirap pero we're doing fine, so far.

Si Shannen walang problema. Pinapaalagaan ko lang sa kapitbahay namin (who also looks after her on school days). Pwede din sana doon si Vince kaso mabo-bore sya sigurado. Panay girl kasi ang makakasama nya. So we exhausted all options to make his holiday enjoyable.

Sa 2 weeks na bakasyon, kung saan-saan si Vince naka-sched. Apat na araw sya sa YMCA, 2 days sa bahay ng klassmeyt nya, 2 days sa bahay (dahil work-from-home ako), 2 days sa bahay ng klassmeyt nya at 2 araw sa kaibigan namin.

Mahaba-haba ang bakasyon sa Dec-Jan (7 weeks yon). Naka-book na akong mag-leave for one week. Si Henry isang linggo din. Haaayyyy... bahala na yung ibang araw.

_

Oreo

2008-09-30T12:42:00.003+13:00

A friend from Manila sent me an email on recalled sweets from China. Nasa listahan yung Lotte Koala, Dove choc, Meiji, M&M, Snickers, White Rabbit, etc. Allegedly, marami itong melanine (di ba plato yon?).

As usual, nag-grocery ako sa Pak 'n Save nung weekend. Bakasyon ang mga bata ngayon kaya mas madami than usual ang snack foods na nasa listahan ko. Kumuha ako ng dalawang packs ng Oreo wafersticks, favorite yon ni Vince. Nakailang hakbang na ako nung maisipan kong silipin kung saan gawa yon. Gulat ko, made in China. All the while akala ko galing yon sa Australia. Di ko matandaan kung nasa listahan ang Oreo. So to be safe, iba na lang ang kinuha ko.

Pag dating sa bahay, binalikan ko yung email. Nakupo, nandon nya ang Oreo sa listahan. Hay, mabuti na lang nagdalawang isip ako. My brother-in-law is not a fan of china-made products (kahit na mura). Ngayon nadagdagan sya ng rason bakit.

Hoodie-doodie

2008-09-21T06:41:00.003+12:00

In sa bagets dito ang Billabong, an australian clothing brand. Ang alam ko meron na ring retail non sa Pinas. Kahapon, sinamahan namin ni Shannen yung kapitbahay naming pinoy sa Billabong factory outlet sa Albany. Meron kasi silang teen and pre-teen na anak. Isa pa, nagpupuno sila ng box para ipadala sa Pinas for Christmas.

Itong si friend, tumitingin ng mga hooded jackets. Yun daw ang bilin sa kanya ng mga pamangkin nya. Huh? Eh ang init di ba sa pinas. Pwede sigurong isuot sa December pero after that para ka ng sinisilaban. Eh uso daw yon. Sabi ni brother-in-law, sa teleseryeng Joaquin Bordado, lahat daw ng scene naka-hoodie yung mga tao. O sige, pagbigyan na for the sake of art.

tea with milk

2008-09-15T12:43:00.008+12:00

Sa Pinas, Milo drinker talaga ako. Kahit libre ang brewed coffee sa opis namin, sa hot choco pa din ako. Sabi kasi ng nanay ko dati, pang matanda lang daw yon.

Dito sa NZ, natutunan ko ang pag-inom ng kape. Meron ding hot choco sa beverage machine namin kaso sobrang tamis. Minsan latte ang iniinom ko, minsan capucino. Hindi ko alam magkaiba pala ng timpla yung dalawa. Para sa taste buds ko, pareho lang yon.

Last month, may sinubukan akong bago. Tsaa naman. Di lang basta tsaa but tea with milk. Dati napapa-ngiwi ako pa nakikita ko yung mga opismeyts ko na nagti-timpla non. Common yon sa mga tao dito (healthier daw) pero sa akin unimaginable. Lemon lang ang alam kong sinasama sa tea (na hindi ko din masyadong type).

May isang pinoy na nagsabi sa akin na masarap daw yon. Madali naman akong magtiwala so sinubukan ko. Guess what? Gusto ko yung lasa. Since I tasted it, di na ako nag-attempt magtimpla ng kape. Pang matanda lang kasi yon. ha ha ha

Rippa Rugby

2008-09-11T09:13:00.003+12:00

I was supposed to take the day off today. May rippa rugby tournament kasi si Vince. Their school is competing with other schools. Pangalawang laban na nila. Natalo sila nung first. Di ako nakanood dati so sabi ko sa kanya manonood ako this time to give him moral support.

While having dinner last night, sabi ni Vince ok lang daw na di na ako sumama kasi may trabaho ako. That was really thoughtful. But since pinayagan na ako ng boss ko, sabi ko manonood talaga ako. Isa pa, gusto ko ring malaman paano nilalaro yung rippa rugby. Para naman "in" ako, di ba. However, he still insisted na ok lang syang mag-isa. Eventually, lumabas din ang totoong rason. Ma-e-embarass daw sya kung may kasama syang parent/s. ano?!!! ...

Medyo natauhan ako doon. Ang baby ko, nagsisimula ng magkaron ng sariling buhay. He's turning 9 next month. Hindi ko alam kung too early yon para magsimula syang mag build ng sarili nyang indentity and independence. Oh well, mangyayari naman talaga yon. Hindi man ako sang-ayon eh dapat paghandaan ko na talaga.

Tuesday

2008-09-03T10:40:00.003+12:00

There's been a lot of changes in the past 2 weeks. And all of it had to happen because my mother-in-law (MIL) had to go back to Manila. Umalis sya nung 23 Aug, 9 months after staying here.

Si Shannen ang pinakaapektado. Kailangan na syang ipaalaga sa iba at ilipat ng school. Di na kasi suitable sa bago naming situaton yung dati nyang pre-school.

Tuesday ang official start ni Shannen sa new school (we had 3 days orientation last week). This new "experience" has been causing me grief in the last couple of weeks. Alam ko kasi na magiging susceptible sya sa mga viruses sa school. Sa crèche kasi iba. Lahat ng bata don ay may taga-alagang fulltime sa bahay. Kaya absent ang bata pag may sakit. Sa daycare at ibang pre-schools, most of the time working ang parents kaya unless talagang grabe ang sakit, sige pa din ang pasok ng bata.

On my way home on Monday, may nakatabi akon sa bus na pinay. Madami kaming napag-kwentuhan. Isa na don ay tungkol sa pre-school. Sinabi nya sa akin na sana mag-focus ako dun sa mga matututunan ni Shannen sa school. Aside from letters and numbers, she'll also learn independence, assertiveness, sharing, socialization, etc., At kasama talaga lagi sa equations ang sakit. At kahit naman saan pwede nyang makuha yon. Tama nga naman.

Heaven sent talaga yung babae sa akin. She somehow gave me some peace of mind. Siguro naawa sa akin si Lord dahil nai-stress talaga ako. Good thing that He's looking over us :)

My DIY guy

2008-08-25T09:46:00.002+12:00

May nagsabi na para ma-consider mong kiwi ka na, dapat you do what the kiwis do. Isa na don ang pag-d- DIY (do-it-yourself). Aba, si Henry pasok sa criteria na yan. He does a lot of thing by himself. Andyan yun pagme-mekaniko, appliance repair, electrical works sa bahay, etc. Ang latest na project nya ay yung patungan ng TV.

Ang mahal kasi ng bagong entertainment unit. Ang pinaka-mura ay nasa $300 tapos laminated lang kahoy non. Nasa $500 naman kung medyo maganda ang kahoy. Nung sinabi kong igawa na lang nya ako, payag sya agad. Kung di nag-u-uulan, siguro in one whole day tapos na nya yung project nya. Ang cost... pine wood - $215, barnis - $10, henry's talent - priceless :)

Special Snack

2008-08-21T12:25:00.005+12:00

Nag-first communion si Vince nung Saturday. Kabado sya nung una kasi first time nyang iinom ng wine. First time inintroduce dito sa NZ ang wine sa 1st communion. Buti na lang pinalitan nila yung wine ng sweeter version.

After the mass, ilang minuto ding nagtatampo si Shannen. Bakit daw si Vince lang ang may 'special snack'. Binigyan ko na lang sya ng Oreo, sabi ko mas masarap yon kaysa sa kinain ni Vince.

A friend found me

2008-08-15T19:31:00.003+12:00

Through Friendster, natunton ako ng isang kaibigan kong matagal ko ng di nakikita. The last time I saw Marivic was in 1995. Sa Mandaluyong sya nagwo-work that time. Nagulat ako, aba nurse na sa Germany ang bruha.

Marivic sent me a photo of us taken in 1993. If I am not mistaken, nag-ninang ako sa binyag ng pamangkin nya sa Magallanes, Cavite. Gosh, neneng nene pa ako non. That was 15 yrs and 10kgs ago.

agoraphobia

2008-08-11T12:44:00.005+12:00

After 2 months in the Philippines, balik New Zealand na si brother-in-law (BIL). Ang dami nyang baon na kwento galing Manila. Nung first 3 days daw nya, akala nya di nya kakayanin ang init. Mga 3 weeks bago sya nakapag-adjust.

Tawa ako ng tawa sa kwento nya tungkol sa first malling experience nya nung nandoon sya. Nagpunta daw sila sa Mall of Asia (di ko inabutan yon so I dont know how it looks like). Pagpasok nya sa bldg, parang ayaw na daw humakbang ng paa nya. Nahilo sya sa dami ng tao. At para daw di sya makahinga. Ganun din ang nangyari sa isang kaibigan ko nung umuwi sya. Dati naman silang mga tambay sa mga malls, greenhills at divisoria kaya sanay sya sa makapal na tao pero naiba nung napunta sya dito. ha ha ha... naging sossy na sila, di napang masa.

I found another classmate

2008-08-07T17:01:00.003+12:00

May party sa kapitbahay naming pinoy nung Saturday. Yung ibang bisita ay mga ka-trabaho ni kapitbahay sa Fisher Paykel. Isa doon ay sobrang familiar sa akin ang mukha. Nung tsinika ko, aba classmate ko pala sa university. So far 6 na ang mga ka-batch ko sa Mapua na nandito (may isa daw kaming instructor na nandito din pero di ko pa nami-meet).

Lahat ng mga classmates ko na nandito ay more than 10 yrs na dito. Karamihan sa kanila ay napunta dito through invitation. A few years after I finished school, may natanggap din akong invitation para mag-migrate dito as skilled migrant. Di ko matandaan kung ang nagpadala ay immigration agent o NZ govt mismo (ang sossy ko naman kung yung pangalawa). Anyway, di ko yon pinansin. At that time, hindi ko alam kung nasaan sa mapa ang New Zealand. Ang akala ko lahat ng countries na may "land" sa dulo ay nasa Europe (ang engot ko).

Wala naman kasi talaga sa isip ko noon ang mangibang-bayan. Influence yon ng patriotic kong tatay. Dati kasi feeling ko basta nakapag-aral ka, mabubuhay ka na ng disente. Di pala ganon ang tutuong buhay sa Pinas. Kaya ito kami ngayon, nakikipagsapalaran sa lupain ng mga kiwi.

Merc in Marina

2008-07-30T11:42:00.003+12:00

What a disaster! The 19yrs old girl driving the mercedes just got her restricted license that day (15yrs old pwede ng mag-drive dito). The car is (or was) her boyfriend's. Ang masaklap, wala daw full insurance yung car. hu hu hu Ewan ko kung break na sila ngayon.

Wish ko lang

2008-07-27T09:24:00.005+12:00

Nakalimutan kong sabihin sa inyo na panoorin kahapon ang Wisk ko Lang (a GMA TV show). Nandoon ang mommy ko. Meron syang isang teacher na feature doon (my mom runs a school in Bulacan).

Background: Si Jackie ay may 2 anak at manganganak sa pangatlo next month . Noong May 2008, naaksidente ang asawa nya at nabyuda sya ng maaga. Di kalakihan ang sweldo ng mga guro kaya nagtu-tutor sya para dagdag kita. May sumulat sa Wish ko lang na tulungan sya.

Noong first week ng July, nag-taping ang GMA TV sa school. Maraming kuha si mommy at yung ibang nyang staff. Ang huling eksena, kinausap ni mommy si Jackie para ipadala sa isang seminar. Doon ibinigay yung gift sa kaya (ie. college scholarship ng mga anak, gamit para sa baby, foodcart showcase at Php5k para sa panganganak). At that time, hindi sinabi sa kanila kung anong show yon pero based sa format, it's Wish ko lang. Yun na nga yon.

Sabi ni Queenie (sister dear ko) maganda daw ang rehistro ni mommy sa TV (naks!) at mukhang malaki yung school. Sayang di ko yon napanood. Wala akong access sa tv shows sa Pinas. Pwede daw yong mapanood sa internet pero aalamin ko pa yon.

So kung napanood nyo yon, feedbackan nyo ako ha.

Ang mistress ni mister

2008-07-25T11:40:00.005+12:00

Trivia:

Alam nyo ba na ang origin ng Mrs. ay mistress? In the early days, this is actually a title of courtesy for married women. So nung una daw pino-pronounce ito as mistress but later on it became "missus" but the abbreviation remained as Mrs. Ngayon, iba na ang meaning non. Pag may tumawag sa yong mistress, naku eskandalo yon.

Para naman sa Mr., it was originally "master" (hanggang ngayon may gumagamit dito ng master). Nag-evolve din yon kaya naging mister.

Sunshine and Ruby

2008-07-20T04:51:00.000+12:00

Simula pa lang ng school year, lagi na akong tinatanong ni Vince kung pwede daw ba nyang iuwi yung alaga nilang budgies sa school. Kapag wala kasing pasok, the kids take turn in bringing them home para naman di sila lonely sa classroom. Ang sagot ko lagi, yes but not now. Napa-oo din ako nung early July. Naisip ko, mabuti din na may inaalagaan yung mga bata, the learn how to care and be responsible. Di bale ng makalat (si henry naman ang taga-linis, he he he).

On the last day of the second term, bitbit ni Vince yung magsing-irog na si Sunshine and Ruby (sa totoo lang, di ko alam ang gender nila). Tuwang-tuwa si Shannen. May mga books kasi syang mga pictures ng budgies. Ang bilin ko sa mga bata, kausapin lagi yung mga ibon para di sila malungkot.

Kahapon, isinoli na namin sila sa school (start ng 3rd term). Sana nag-enjoy sila sa stay nila sa amin as much as we enjoyed their presence. Kahit papano, na-experience ng mga bata ang magkaron ng alaga. Sabi ni Shannen sa susunod penguin naman ang alagaan namin :)

Yayanig daw

2008-07-18T15:53:00.005+12:00

Ilang emails na yung natatanggap ko tungkol sa prediction na lilidol daw sa Pilipinas. Sabi daw ng isang manghuhulang brazilian, yayanig daw ng malakas ngayong araw na to (8.1 magnitude). Pagkabasa ko, dine-delete ko kaagad. I didn't even bother reading the rest of it. Kung PAGASA pa ang nagsabi non baka naniwala pa ako (of course I'm just joking).

Ilang beses na bang nagkaron ng predictions na magugunaw ang mundo. Naalala ko nung nasa Grade 4 ako, naubos yung mga asin at kandila sa mga tindahan. Pangontra daw yon sa end of the world. Asus, wala namang nangyaring masama, yumaman lang ang Liwanag Candles.

No one really knows what the future holds for us. Pwedeng may mangyayari bukas, pwedeng wala. The thing is lagi dapat tayong handa. Di na natin kailangan ng kahit sinong clairvoyant para mag-remind sa atin non.

have a nice weekend.

Ice, ice bebe

2008-07-07T14:27:00.004+12:00

Hindi pala totoong hindi nagye-yelo dito sa Auckland!!! Ilang beses ng umuulan ng yelo dito. Hindi nga lang snow kundi hail na sinlaki ng munggo. Nung Sunday morning namuti yung deck namin sa dami ng hail. Nakaka-aliw tignan. Pero wag kang lalabas ng bahay dahil sobrang lamig. brrrr.....

According to people who have been in Auckland for a long time, hindi daw common yung ganung panay ang hail. Usually ilang beses lang tapos na. Tsk, tsk, tsk... this is not good. Siguradong mataas ang kuryente namin nito.

Shannen @ school

2008-06-30T13:42:00.003+12:00

I just want to share this story from Shannen's school. This happenned in March 2008.

Typical for pinoys to be very protective of their kids esp. the young ones but you'll be surprised how tough they really are.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shannen was busy drilling at the carpentry table. “Look what I am doing” she said.

“It is going up and down” she commented as she watched the indentations of drill bit move.

Shannen soon discovered that the harder she pushed onto the drill the deeper the hole would get. “It is getting deeper, look how deep it is. I am nearly done – it has gone through!"

Shannen then found another piece of wood. Using the glue gun she glued the one piece on top of the other. “It is a skateboard ramp” she explained “the skateboard goes up there and jumps, it is a special present for my brother”. Shannen continued to add some decorations with the glue gun creating a skateboard ramp for her brother.

21 June: Shortest Day

2008-06-21T11:00:00.001+12:00

Today, 21 June is the Winter Solstice or the longest night and the shortest day. Pero sa dito lang yang sa down under. Sa US, Canada and the rest of the northern hemisphere, longest day–shortest night naman. This is supposedly the start of winter in here in the bottom half of the world but simultaneously summer sa itaas.

Winter spell. Although officially, June ang simula ng winter, ngayong pagkatapos ng shortest day pa lang ang talagang simula ng lamig. Sabi ng kasama kong kiwi, brace yourself for the next 6 weeks coz this is the coldest time of the year. He reckons that this is shorter than it used to be. Siguro epekto ng global warming.

The fun only starts now so let’s all enjoy it. Keep cool… and warm.

Natawa ako

2008-06-18T06:27:00.006+12:00

Akala ko mga pulis lang sa Pinas ang may mga jokes, pati din pala dito. This is really funny. Well at least if you read the headlines in NZ.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

How do you tell the difference between a New Zealand police officer, an Australian police officer and an American police officer?

Answer:-
First pose the following question:
"You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a dangerous looking man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, raises the knife, and charges. You are carrying a Glock ..40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?"

NZ POLICE OFFICER'S answer:
Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think?
What about the kids?
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it, am I using it in an OSH approved fashion?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound
me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 1- 1- 1, would they just send me a taxi?
Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behaviour.
If I raise my gun and he turns and runs away, Do I get blamed when he falls over running away, knocks his head and kills himself?
Will the NZ taxpayer foot the bill for his ACC claim if I injure him?
If I shoot him, and lose the court case, does he have the opportunity to sue me, cost me my job, my credibility and I will lose my family home?
Am I being culturally sensitive to the attacker if I shoot him, will I be offending his mana if I wound or kill him?
Will I have to defend myself in court as a racist if I shoot him?

AUSTRALIAN POLICE OFFICER'S answer: BANG!

AMERICAN OFFICER'S answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click....(sounds of reloading)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click.

Balikbayan

2008-06-12T19:28:00.004+12:00

Umuwi sa Pinas si Janjing (brother-in-law) noong 01 June. Halos isang taon din sya dito sa NZ. Bakasyon lang yon, babalik din sya sa August. Sa halos 2 linggo nyang stay sa Maynila, marami ng exciting na pangyayari sa kanya. Unang araw nya, ang init!!! Tagaktak daw ang pawis nya. Nakahubad na nga sya maghapon pero pawis na pawis pa din sya.

Pangalawang araw, encounter with a traffic officer in Makati . Lumiko sya sa kanan kaso nasa second lane sya (nasanay na ata sa right-hand driving). Ayun, huli ng pulis. Buti na lang nakukuha sa "pakiusapan" si manong. Later that day, malling naman sila sa Mall of Asia (di ko na inabot yon). Nung dumidilim na, nag-aaya ng umuwi. Akala ata hanggang 5pm din ang mall hours doon. he he he Pag-uwi nila, tinakasan ba naman yung teller ng parking lot. Eh dito kasi libre ang parking (except sa CBD).

Last week, andyan yung inabot sya ng baha, heavy traffic, brownout at walang tubig. O di ba parang pinababalik na sya dito. Kahapon naman, nakipagbuno sya sa mga "friendly" staff ng POEA.

Pag lumabas ka ng Pinas, lalo na kung medyo matagal, maninibago ka sa mga bagay na dati mo nang ginagawa. May mga bagay na dati ay “ok lang” pero ngayon ay inconvenient na. Sa isang banda, may mga maliliit na bagay na di mo pinapansin dati pero nami-miss mo. Di ko alam kung ano doon ang nararamdaman ni Janjing. Anyway, I hope he’s having a good time there.

Ako'y shocked.... ayyyy

2008-05-29T13:05:00.004+12:00

Extra ingat ako ngayon sa pagbubukas ng kotse. Kung naka-long sleeves ako, yung dulo ng sleeve ang ipinambubukas ko. Lately kasi lagi akong nakukuryente. Yun bang static shock. Nung summer di naman ganito.

Nag-research ako sa internet. Ang haba ng explanation kung bakit nagkakaron ng static electricity. Ang masama non, di ko pa naintindihan. Pero may part don na nakalagay na common daw ang static shock pag dry ang hangin. Teka, lalo akong na-confuse. Very humid dito sa Auckland ke winter man o summer. So bat nga ba ako nakukuryente? Ka Ernie Baron, nasan ka ngayong kailangan kita!

Static shock pa lang yon nasasaktan na ako. Pano na kaya yung mga nasi-silya elektrika. Kaya nga naggu-good girl ako eh :)

Another year added

2008-05-26T16:06:00.007+12:00

John Wayne
Lenny Kravitz
Monet O na mutya ng Sta. Rita
Sophie na anak ni Nixon
Carlos na kapitbahay namin
Bro. Tirso a.k.a Pip na friend ko from Letran
Bro. Top also from Letran na nandito sa Henderson

May common sa aming 8. Ano? Birthday namin ngayon!!!!!

Hindi ko nakagisnan na nagce-celebrate ng birthday. Kadalasan kasi wala ng budget ang nanay ko dahil ubos na sa tuition namin (magpapasukan kasi). Kung tyempong itinapon kaming magpi-pinsan sa Pangasinan, tama na yung palitaw na gawa ng lola ko. May ilang birthdays ko din na di pwedeng mag-celebrate dahil may mga close relative akong tsugi at that time. And worst of all, laging may bagyo. Wala na ngang festivity, gloomy pa ang panahon. haaayyyy….

Pero may ilang memorable. Ito yon ….

1987 – in-coming college freshman ako. With my highschool buddies, lumuwas kami ng Maynila at nag celebrate sa Shakey’s. Super exciting yon kasi di naman kami nagkakalayo ng Bulacan at that time.

1997 – Kasama si Ate Chris at Queenie (mga sisterettes ko) at Vicky na kapitbahay namin, stuck kami sa NLEX dahil sa bagyo. Around 10am nang makarating kami ng Balintawak Tollgate. So instead of proceeding to our respective affairs, nag-SM North EDSA kami for the rest of the day (kain, nood ng sine, malling at madami pang iba)

2005 – Sossy ako, sa Bangkok ako nag-bday. Interview kasi namin for NZ migration application.

2006 – Eksaktong 1 week kami sa NZ. With Len and our respective families, nag-dinner kami sa may Wairau Park.

So hindi naman necessary na may handaan para maging special ang isang okasyon. It really how you enjoy it.

Mahiwagang sayote

2008-05-15T16:34:00.004+12:00

May sayote din dito sa NZ. Ang tawag nila ay choko. Last year, may nagbigay sa amin ng isang basket ng sayote. Sa dami, napabayaan namin yung iba. Noong una, gulay pa lang yon. Next time we knew it, aba nagta-transform na sya into a plant. Since mahilig mag-gardening ang nanay ko, itinanim nya yon sa likod ng bahay. Nung umuwi na si mommy sa Pinas, hindi nakakalimutan ni Vince at Shannen na diligan yon. Nilagyan pa nga namin ng bantay na cute scarecrow para hindi puntahan ng ibon.

Last month, nagsimulang magbunga si sayote. First harvest namin, 6 na bunga. Tuwang tuwa kami esp. Vince dahil paborito nya yon (igigisa with hipon). Nasundan pa yon ng ilan pang bunga. Ngayong linggong to, ine-expect namin na makakapag-ulam ulit kami ng sayote.

Nung Martes ng hapon, may pinadalang property maintenance guy ang aming landlord. May pagawain kasi sa bahay. Nang matatapos na yung trabaho, may narinig daw si Vince na parang may nabaling halaman. Punta agad sya sa likod para i-check yung mga sayote. hu hu hu. Yung 5 bunga nabawasan ng 2. Kinatok pa ata nung nagta-trabaho. Masamang magbintang ng kapwa pero di naman pwedeng tinangay yon ng pusa. I'm sure di rin interesado yung mga ibon (may scarecrow nga di ba). Anyway, nasaan sila sayote ngayon, sana nasarapan yung kumain sa inyo.

Ilaw sa tahanan

2008-04-27T16:53:00.011+12:00

When we moved here in NZ almost 2yrs ago, we have to put up with a lot of things. Nandyan yung cold weather, driving on the left side of the road, kiwi-accent, .... On top of these, nakakapanibago din yung mga ilaw na ginagamit. Karamihan ng ilaw sa mga bahay dito ay kulay yellow ang mga ilaw. Pati mga ilaw sa poste ay yellow din. Sanay kasi ako na puti ang ilaw sa bahay at mga poste ng Meralco.

Panay incandescent bulbs ang nakakabit dito sa tinitirahan namin. Relaxing daw ang ganitong ilaw pero para sa akin gloomy ang paligid, para bang merong may sakit. So after a couple of months we decided to replace them with energy saving lights na kulay "daylight". Aprub-na-aprub yon kay Henry. 75watts kasi yung mga incandescent, 15watts lang yung ESL. Ang downside ng ganitong kulay ng ilaw ay attractive sa mga insekto. Kung hindi kami magsasara ng mga bintana, siguradong papi-fiestahan ng mga gamu-gamo, lamok, etc ang bahay namin.

Pag may nakita kayong bahay sa Meadowood na puro daylight ang ilaw, sa amin yon :)

Rolls Rice

2008-04-24T15:20:00.005+12:00

Nakakabigla ang taas ng presyo ng bigas dito. Yung Jasmine rice na 10kg, dati $16 ko lang nabibili. Nung mag-grocery ako 2 weeks ago, aba naging $22.00 na. Tumataginting na 37.50% price increase yon. grabe no....

Yung ibang asians na kilala ko, nag-stock ng as much as 75kg. Dahil sa wala kaming paglalagyan hindi ako bumili ng sobra sa usual kong binibili. Tinanong ko sa bahay kung kaya ba nilang kumain ng walang kanin, okay lang daw. Sa akin sobrang ok. Baka yung ang only chance kong makapagbawas ng timbang, he he he.

.

Hannah turned 1

2008-04-16T15:40:00.005+12:00

Nag- first birthday last week si Hannah, ang super pretty kong pamangkin (anak ng brother kong si HO). Pinadalhan nila ako ng pictures nung party. Ang saya-saya nilang lahat, nakakainggit. Bigla tuloy akong nakaramdam ng homesick. Oh well, ini-imagine ko na lang na nandoon ako, nakikikurot sa mascot, kasali sa games at kumakain ng chicken joy (ay mali, sa Jollibee pala yon).

Happy birthday Hannah!

Henry - 2yrs in NZ

2008-04-10T20:09:00.005+12:00

Ang bilis ng panahon. Dalawang taon na si Henry dito sa NZ. Sa dami ng pangyayari, ang hirap isipin na lahat ng yon ay nagkasya sa 2 taon.

Karamihan ng nakilala namin dito na datihan na ang nagsasabi na swerte si Henry dahil soft ang landing nya. Yung mga unang dumating kasi dito, mas mahirap ang pinagdaanan nila. All of them came here not knowing anyone, walang kaibigan, kapamilya o kahit support group. Mahirap nga yon, lalabas ka sa comfort zone mo and then move into a place na lahat ay bago. Si Henry, kahit papano may kakilala na.

April 8, Saturday nang unang dumating sya sa Auckland. Nakitira sya sa bahay ng ka-klase ko nung high school sa may Albany. Ang unang nyang comment, "Ang lamig, parang naka-aircon sa labas kahit maaraw". Nung sumunod na Biernes (which was a Good Friday), aba nasa galaan na sya. Nasabit sya sa holiday sa Coromandel. Nang sumunod na linggo, aba may trabaho na sya. Two weeks after that, nakahanap na sya ng isang cute na flat para sa pagdating namin. Di nagtagal, may nabili syang kotse for $400. Konting tuktok at palit ng pyesa, matinong kotse na.

We will be forever thankful to all those people who have helped us settle. We always include them in our prayers. At kung di man namin maibalik sa kanila ang mga favors, bumabawi na lang kami sa pagtulong sa mga bagong dating.

April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T22:35:00.005+13:00

May april fools prank kanina sa NZ Herald. May ads ang Liquorland sa page 13. Nakalagay - DID YOU TASTE WINE PATCH? May 5 patches na naka-print. Supposedly, 5 different flavors yon ng wine. Ang dami nung nagoyo. Yung iba talagang dinilaan yung dyaryo. ha ha ha. That was really a brilliant idea.

Happy April fool's day!

Shore to Shore 2008

2008-03-30T15:24:00.003+13:00

Nag-participate kami kanina sa Shore-to-Shore. Para syang Alay Lakad. May 5km at 10km run, syempre sa maiksi lang kami. Aside from Vince and I, kasama din si brother-in-law. Si Henry ayaw sumama, di na daw nya kailangan ng exercise. Sinundo na lang nya kami nung uwian na.

Second time na namin ni Vince sumali sa Shore-to-Shore. Last year nakitakbo din kami. Mali pala yung tumatakbo kasi mapagod ka kaagad. Kaya this year, lakad-lakad lang kami. Effective nga, may energy pa kaming natira pagdating sa dulo.

Just like last year, ang assembly ay sa Takapuna Grammar School. Sa Milford Reserve naman ang finish line. Dalawang beaches ang binaybay namin - Takapuna Beach at Milford Beach. Although very relaxing ang sight sa beach, ang hirap namang humakbang sa buhangin. Sumakit tuloy ang mga pata ko.

It took us 1 hr and 27mins to complete the route (we timed 1:43 last year). Pag dating sa finish line may libreng sausage sizzle at tubig. Naghanda din yung organizers ng program at raffle. Mga celebreties yung emcee pero dedma lang kami dahil dehins namin sila kilala.

Sasama ulit kami sa susunod na taon. Sana big enough na si Shannen para maglakad ng ganon kalayo. Pag kasama sya, eh di walang choice si Henry kundi maki-join din. It's really a fun run and will be nice to do it as a family.

2008-03-23T09:01:00.003+13:00

Hot cross bun
Hot cross bun
One a penny
Two a penny
Hot cross bun ....

Isa yan sa mga nursery rhymes na paborito ko noong maliit pa ako. Masarap kantahin pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin non.

Aside sa chocolate eggs, uso dito sa NZ ang Hot Cross Buns pag-Easter. Bun sya na may white cross sa ibabaw. This is to symbolize Christ's crucifixion. Traditionally sa Good Friday daw yon kinakain ng mga Kristiano na nag-a-abstain.

Masarap yun tinapay dahil may cinnamon, currant, nutmeg, raisin, etc. Pag hindi Holy Week, walang tindang hot cross buns.

Happy Easter!!!!

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T20:42:00.002+13:00

Pag dating ko kanina sa opisina, may kung anong berdeng nakapatong sa mesa ko. Isang tumpok pala ng kendi at shamrock (parang cloverleaf). Walang duda na galing sa puting kasama ko kasi naka-green shirt sya with matching green tall hat.

Feast ng St. Patrick ngayon. Noong isang araw pa ito binabanggit sa akin ni Vince. Akala ko naman ordinaryong feast day yon. It's a big celebration pala for the irish kasi si St. Patrick ang patron saint nila. At ang irish color ay green. Sine-celebrate din ito sa US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Aba, dapat nakiki-party din ako sa kanila. Yung lolo ng daddy ko ay Irish-American. So may kalahating kutsaritang irish blood sa akin. Pero baka naubos na yon ng mag-donate ako ng dugo. Anyway, Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!!

Isteytsayd accent

2008-03-10T09:27:00.005+13:00

Kahapon sa opis, may dumating na techie na padala ng 2 big software companies. Galing sa Tate itong si kano. When I heard him speak, OMG, it was like music to my ears. Since we moved here, ngayon lang ako naging effortless sa pakikinig sa usapan.

Foreign pa din sa akin ang accent na hindi kagaya ng nasa American shows/movies. Kahit na 20 months na ako dito, sumasablay pa din minsan ang tenga ko lalo na sa kiwi accent. Kaya lagi pa din akong attentive during conversations otherwise, I will surely miss some things. At kung may katabi naman akong nagku-kwentuhan, hindi ko maiintindihan ang pinag-uusapan nila kung hindi ko ihihinto yung ginagawa ko at magfo-focus sa kanila (kaya lagi akong huli sa tsismis).

Two weeks dito si kano so matagal-tagal ko pang maririnig ang isteytside nyang accent.

Updates on my pinoy workmates

2008-03-09T16:17:00.003+13:00

Remember yung post kong Pinoy lunch and migration to OZ? Ito ang follow up kwento.

Si beterano #1 ay nasa Melbourne na. His family is enjoying their stay there. Stelled na sa school yung mga bata. Si misis naman ay nagwo-work na din. They are renting a brand new 4-bedroom house for $360. Nakakagulat yung presyo dahil dito sa Auckland, nasa $500 yung ganung bahay.

Si beterano #2 na dapat ay pupunta din ng Melbourne ay nandito pa din sa Auckland. Nagbago ata ang isip. Ang ok naman kasi sila dito sa NZ so out muna ang Oz.

Si opismeyt #3 na dating tumira sa OZ ay nag-resign recently. Lilipat silang mag-anak sa Taupo. Doon kasi nakakita ng magandang trabaho si misis. Accounting ang linya nya at nahirapan syang maghanap ng relevant job dito sa Akl.

Doon sa tatlong bagong dating galing middle east, umuwi na yung girl. Nahirapan kasi syang mag-isa dito. Sayang yung trabaho nya pero for sure may dadating pa namang magandang oppurtunities para sa kanya. Yung dalawa ay nandito pa. Mukhang nagustuhan na kasi dadalhin na yung pamilya dito.

Iba-iba talaga ang motivations ng mga tao pag dating sa pagpili ng lugar na titirahan. May iba-ibang circumstances na nakakapagpoabago sa pagde-desisyon. One place is home to one, to others it's somewhere else.

Nang dumanak ang dugo

2008-02-29T21:16:00.008+13:00

Kahapon dumanak ng dugo dito sa Auckland. 25 tao ang kasama pero 18 lang talaga sangkot, at isa ako doon. Sobra ang nerbyos ko nung una, first time ko kasing ma-involved sa ganon.

Oooppppsss, walang ano mang violence na nangyari. Lahat ng dugong lumabas ay para sa good cause. Nagkaron ng community service yung grupo namin at blood donation ang napili naming activity. Sa Pilipinas, taon-taon nang ginagawa yon pero di ako qualified dahil sa anemia ko so absent ako lagi sa service.

Bago pumunta sa bloodbank, kumain muna ako ng double cheeseburger sa Burger King. Bawal daw ang gutom eh. Uminom na din ako ng maraming tubig para sigurado. Sa NZ Blood, tinignan yung iron level ng dugo ko. Yehey, naka 135 ako (130 - 170 ang normal). Mga 5 minutes lang tumagal yung extraction. Ang matagal ay yung pahinga, mga 30minutes. First time eh, takot akong mahilo. But it turned out ok. Wala naman akong naramdamang kakaiba.

Ilang beses na din akong recipient ng dugo dahil sa surgery. It's my turn this time to give. Next year magdo-donate ako ulit.

.

Flat

2008-02-27T00:03:00.002+13:00

I'm so flat @ work these past 3 weeks. Most of the time I work 10hrs/day. At kahit wala na ako sa opis, di maiwasang trabaho pa din ang iniisip ko. Kasi naman may major project kaming ginagawa. Walang dinagdag na tao kaya nadagdagan lang load namin. Yung isa naming kasama nag-resign. Tapos yung isa naman biglang na-operahan. haaaaayyyyy.....

I never had this much work before (not even in Manila). Hindi ko ine-expect na i'll be in this situation kasi ang alam ko ay relaxed ang lifestyle dito sa NZ. Sabi nga eh may work-life balance dito. People here don't normally work more than 40hrs a week. Nasa exception list ako ngayon. Oh well temporary lang naman to. I'm sure this will eventually go back to normal. Yung mga sobra kong oras ay babawiin ko na lang. Day (or time) in liueu ang tawag nila. Sa amin kasi walang OT pay kaya yung sobrang pasok ay pwedeng i-absent.

aba, umaga na pala. Ilang oras na lang trabaho ulit. isa ulit haaaaayyyyy.......

Si Mang Boy

2008-02-15T21:46:00.002+13:00

Si Mang Boy ang ilokanong may-ari/driver na school service dito sa area namin. Para sa amin, hulog sya ng langit.

Opening ng klase dito sa NZ last week. Yung iba nag-start ng Monday. Sila Vince sa St. Joseph, Thursday. Problema naming ang maghahatid sa kanya sa school kasi nagpunta na sa Melbourne yung kaibigan naming sinasabayan nya dati.

Ang una naming option ay i-train si Vince na sumakay ng school bus. Para din yong regular bus kaya lang panay estudyante lang ang sakay. Sa bus stops lang nagsasakay at baba. Medyo kabado ako dahil 8yrs old pa lang si Vince (although maraming bata na kasing edad nya ang nagbu-bus din).

Tuesday night, tumawag sa akin yung kapitbahay naming pinoy. Solved na daw ang problema namin (wala ding maghahatid sa anak nya). Tinawagan daw sya ni Mang Boy at may slots pa para sa mga bata. 7:15am sya sumusundo. Ok lang pag-summer pero mahirap yon pag winter. May second trip sana (o di ba pang nasa pinas talaga), pero para lang yon sa areas na malapit sa schools.

Gusto pa din naming matuto si Vince na mag-bus. Di naman delikado dito kaya ok lang. Uunti-untiin namin ang pag-e-expose sa kanya sa public transpo. Siguro in a few months pwede na syang isabak.

Nurse2NZ

2008-02-04T17:07:00.000+13:00

Tumawag sa akin ang sister-dear ko last Sunday. She relayed to me the news that I've been expecting for a long time. Nakapasa na sya sa IELTS. Magaling namang umingles si Ate X pero mataas lang talaga ang IELTS score na kailangan nya. Isang kasi syang dakilang nars. Requirement sa nursing registration ang makakuha ng 7.0 in all bands sa academic module.

After that call, nataranta na ako. Di ko na alam kung ano ang next step namin. Noong early 2006 pa kasi sya nag-start mag-prepare ng mga requirements. Nakalimutan ko na kung ano ang proseso.

Buti na lang naalala ko yung blog na Nurse2NZ. Isa itong blog tungkol sa pinoy nurses going to NZ. It gives you all steps in going about the application. Very detailed yung guide na nakalagay don. Napaka-informative talaga.

Kaya kung may kilala kayong nurse na nagbabalak pumunta dito, paki pasyalan na lang kung kapitbahay kong blog - nurse2nz.

beep..... bang......

2008-01-30T22:16:00.000+13:00

Isang mahabang beep tapos nasundan ng malakas na bang. Tunog metal to metal collision. Mukhang may action na nagyayari sa di kalayuan. Pag silip ko sa labas ng opisina, yung bagong company vehicle namin ay nabangga sa likod ng isang black car na mukhang bago din. Umarangkada papunta sa malapit na side street yung black car, nagmamadali namang sumunod yung company vehicle namin. Akala ko maghahabulan sila pero pagdating sa may parking lot, pareho silang pumarada.

Halos sabay bumaba ng kotse yung mga involved na drivers. Nagmamadaling pinuntahan ng ka-opisina ko yung driver ng kabila. Eto na yung hinihintay ko. Nang magkalapit na sila, bigla ba namang nag-shake hands. Usap-usap ng konti tapos nagpalitan ng cards. Di ko na hinintay ang mga mga susunod na eksena, mukhang di naman mangyayari yung aksyon na hinihintay ko. So balik na lang ako sa desk ko.

Nakakatuwang isipin na kung sa Pinas yon nangyari, ibang-iba ang eksena. Una, hindi aalis sa kalsada yung nagkabanggaan. Hanggang di sila nagkakaayos, walang alisan sa pwesto kahit na isang milya na yung naabala nilang sasakyan. At pag nagharap na yung 2 partido, malamang na may sisihan at bangyan. Kung minalas-malas, baka may magbubunot pa ng baril. ngiiii...... nakakatakot.

Sana lahat ng magkakaron ng problema sa kalsada ay kaparis ng nakita ko kanina. Mas may mararating ang usapan kung mahinahon ang mga nag-uusap. Kung mag-aaway pa ay baka lalong lumaki ang problema. At the end of the day, kotse lang lang naman yon, material possession na pwedeng ipagawa o palitan.

Auckland Day weekend

2008-01-29T18:44:00.000+13:00

We had a long weekend kami. Auckland Day kasi nung Lunes. That means pasyal time na naman.

Together with the some friends, Goat Island ang destination namin. Maganda doon kasi isa itong marine reserve. Protected area yon so no fishing allowed. Meron doong glass-bottom boat para makita mo ang marine life underwater. Apat na beses ngayong taong ito kami nag-attempt pumunta doon pero laging unsyame. Kaya nang banggitin ng kaibigan namin na pupunta sila doon, sama agad kami.

The weather was really, sa loob-loob ko perfect for out outing. Pagdating namin doon marami ng pauwi. Kasi naman pala malabo daw ang tubig dahil malakas daw ang alon. Nag-decide kami na lupiat na lang ng ibang lugar, sa Matheson Beach. Maliit lang pero ang ganda din. Vince and Shannen enjoyed playing in the water.

After beach, di pa din kami nagsawa. Humirit pa kami ng pangatlo - Waiwera. Swimming pools yon na warm ang tubig. Mga 4pm na kami nakarating don. Ok lang kasi summer naman, hanggang 9pm may araw pa. Walang kapaguran yung mga kids, sige pa din sila sa paglalaro. Kaming mga adults, di naman naligo pero kami ang napagod.

Mission accomplished ....almost

2008-01-21T20:35:00.000+13:00

Pangalawang linggo ko na ngayong nagta-trabaho mula ng magsimula ang 2008. Ang bilis ng araw pagbakasyon. Malingat ka lang, tapos na. Pero mas masaya ang holiday ngayon kaysa noong unang Pasko namin ito. Noong kasi halos sa bahay lang kami.

Sampu ang nasa things to do list ko for that 2 weeks holiday. The weather was perfect pero nakakapagod din kaya di namin nagawa lahat. May mga long weekends pa naman na dadating so pwedeng ma-accomplish naming lahat yon. Anyway, ito yung aking listahan.

picnic in Wenderholm - nakapa-picnic din kami sa beach pero hanggang Long Bay lang
go to Auckland Zoo - sa Saturday pa lang kami pupunta
fruitpicking - nakapamitas kami ng strawberry, super nakakaaliw
go to Auckland Museum - done!
play frisbee - we got to play pero sa kapitbahay naming park lang
cook paella for Christmas - sabi ni Henry fried rice daw yung niluto ko, hu hu hu
bake carrot cake with Shannen - di kinaya ng powers namin ito; we need more practice
shopping on Boxing Day - ito ang hindi pwedeng kalimutan :)
play badminton - we did it twice; i hope to do it more often para mabawasan ang mantika ko sa katawan
update Henry's CV - done; next step is distributing it to employers

Weta what?

2008-01-12T22:04:00.000+13:00

Nagdala ako ng payong noong isang araw dahil umaambon. Pagdating ko sa opis, inayos ko yung pagkakatiklop. Aray, may tumusok sa akin na parang karayom. Pagtingin ko, may isang malaking insektong nakaipit sa payong (sa labas ng bahay kasi iniiwan yung payong). Tatapakan ko na sana dahil akala ko ipis kaso pinigilan ako ng ka-opisina ko, bagets na weta daw yon. Yung diri ko napalitan ng excitement. Yun kasi ang largest and heaviest insect in the face of the earth.

Pagkatapos na ilagay sa purple box (cute di ba), inilipat nila yung weta sa isang park na malapit sa amin. Marami kasing pohutukawa trees doon, yun daw ang isa sa paborito nitong kainin. Pero bago yon, nag-pictorial muna ang bago kong friend.