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.

Ka-berks

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

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

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Ambury Farm Day 2008 - pix

Ambury Farm Day 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!