Wii Fit fits Our Life

I've never been athletic, although at first glance you'd think I am -- probably because I wear sweats and sports clothes most of the time (that's just to cover up the fact that I'm just the opposite.) In school, I was the klutz ("lampa") -- imagine, I even had to make up by writing a thesis on Volleyball because I didn't want to fail Phys Ed! Ok, I'm sure you get the picture.

On the other hand, Ronnel is quite the athlete -- he loved playing basketball. He joined town tournaments with his friends and I think he got an mvp award in school. But after the accident in Malaysia, he had to give up basketball and now, he's contented with playing NBA Live and 2K8 on the xbox.

So yeah, we live a sedentary life. We love the indoors and we never run out of things to do at home. We eat, watch our dramas and animes, eat some more, play some music (i do keyboards, he does the guitar) and surf the net.

And then we got the Wii. At first, it was for the tennis game other interesting games like the Boogey Mic were also released. Recently, they released the Wii Fit here in NZ. We pre-ordered it to make sure we got one. And we're very pleased with it. We were planning to buy a tread mill but it's so pricey here that we crossed it out of our list. The wii fit is only an eight of the treadmill's price and we can do more than just run! The game comes with a balance board which you have to step on for the games. (I heard new games are being released which is compatible with the board so it's not solely for the wii Fit.)

With the Wii Fit, you can do yoga, aerobics, tightrope, hula, boxing, snow boarding and a whole lot more. It measures your weight and your BMI, helps you set a goal on how much you want to lose/gain for the next period. It tells you your fitness age based on some exercises, your BMI and your actual age (see video to find out Ronnel's age! Im not telling you mine, though.) Ronnel and I highly recommend it for people like us who like spending time at home but want to keep fit as well. (My bestfriend Marj wonders why I don't jog outside and admire the beauty of NZ. Actually, I did run a few blocks before but I guess the novelty ran out and it's just too freezing cold outside.) Anyway, it's a great game! I'll write about it again after six months if both Ronnel and I meet our weight goals. :-)

Here's the video of us playing... for your entertainment... :-)



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Breaking my loyalty to Friendster

Ask anybody (ask Ronnel!) if I'm loyal and you'll get the affirmative answer (most often accompanied with a vigorous nodding). I'm a loyal employee-- once I've said yes, I'd stick with my company no matter what (well, except in cases where I need to leave the country). It's the same with Friendster, even when multiply, facebook and other more popular friend-networking sites crop up, I stuck with Friendster. But I can't take it anymore. Friendster blogging is a pain. Trying to put in that veoh video took me ages because I had to find a work around in posting html. I suppose that's the reason why I don't frequently update my posts anymore. Plus, my friends/readers havent signed up to friendster (they're either in facebook or multiply) so they couldnt make a post. And a blog without comments or posts is just sad....

So I hope by moving to blogspot, I make it easy for you to react and comment on my writing. So feel free to comment -- your words are encouragement to us. I strive to be a better writer and I'm sure you will help me all the way -- who knows, Ronnel might even start blogging....

CFC STAGE 1 CLEARED

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Tip: If you're on dial up, click PLAY and PAUSE until the video has completed streaming so you can watch it continuously. (NB: Filipino language used in Video.)

And while you're waiting for the video to load, read on...

I can't say I'm a very religious person but I'm comfortable with my current relationship with my Maker. If you have been painstakingly reading my blog entries, you'd understand what I mean when I say my journey to where my husband and I are in now is anything but easy. We have faced many obstacles -- leaving our budding careers in the Philippines, the accident in Malaysia and starting anew in NZ. We know we wouldn't have overcome all these just by ourselves, we know that a stronger force has been guiding us all the way.

For the longest time, I've made a promise to show my gratitude by serving the church but every time, something gets in the way. This year, Ronnel and I made a commitment to join Couples for Christ, with the gentle urging of my in-laws. The first stage to being a full member is to complete the Christian Life Program (CLP) which is a series of seminars on different Christian topics. I admit to being hesitant at first. My past experience with CFC wasnt that great and I won't expound on that anymore. But I decided to give it a go because I don't have anything to lose. With cynical eyes, I attended the first talk with Ronnel. The topics were mostly familiar for me especially since ten years of my life was spent in Catholic schools. I wasn't too hot on the singing and dancing part but I gave it a chance as I would be the odd one out if I didn't join it.
Soon after, I found myself opening up to new-found friends. My jaded eyes began to see a new light as I formed bonds with other wives. I remember being a little depressed because I felt pressured that we didnt have kids yet but I realized that I wasn't alone. Some couples spent ten years trying to have an offspring -- it's just the second year for us since Ronnel and I consciously made a decision to build our lives first before building a family. Ronnel looked forward to the delectable Filipino dishes served after each session. I also found myself enjoying the songs and sharing sessions --- I still dont jump and dance, nor I raise my hands and speak in tongues but I know I am not pressured in any way. And before I knew it, Ronnel and I completed the program -- wow, it has been eight weeks already?

To mark our graduation, we were asked to do a presentation. We decided to have a video skit (flashback High School years) which we shot on ANZAC day (NZ holiday). It was a pity that we had some technical issues when it was time to show it but thanks to technology, we have an opportunity to share it again -- even to our families and friends who are not here. So here is the video, enjoy!

Nel hit the big 3-0!

It seems like I'm losing the will to write... I don't write as much as I did before. I blame the wii and our addiction to asian dramas and animes. Ronnel and I have been watching over a hundred episodes of Naruto for the past few weeks, plus, I find time to watch They Kissed Again (sequel to Taiwan drama It Started With A Kiss). That's on top of work and housework . So it's not surprising that I've been neglecting my blog, my keyboards and my passion for sharing our NZ adventures. But all's forgiven, right? Coz here I am with more photos! Im not even photoshopping them anymore..

Honeyko, the breadmaker. Here's Ronnel putting his years of breadmaking practice during his childhood... We suddenly had an urge for the pan de sal that we always had for breakfast during our stay with my inlaws (well, for ronnel, he had this everyday since he could walk and talk and he never gets tired of it!). So we asked Nanay for the recipe and tried it here. The first try, it was too hard and it didn't rise. Figured it was too cold. Second try, too sweet. Third try, it was perfect -- fluffy, sweet but not too sweet and really tasty! The Perfect Pan De Sal! Yay!

This year, I managed to coerce Ronnel to join me in the Round the Bays marathon. We did the 7K walk (didnt dare run in fear of collapsing) and truly enjoyed it. Had a great time with our friends Dave and Nic who set the pace for us. I honestly think I did better this time compared to last year! Too bad they spelled our last name wrong in the newspaper! (Rodrigeuz instead of Rodriguez)

To celebrate Ronnel's 30th birthday, we went to Picton (South Islands) and took the Sounds Cruise. It's not as exotic as it sounds but it was really relaxing (I probably slept half the time during the cruise because the sound of the water combined with the soft breeze was so relaxing.) We saw sting rays, stopped by different coves and admired the scenery. Too bad we didnt spot any dolphins or whales.

Christmas at the Beach

Well, first things first. We had our noche buena (Christmas Eve Dinner) at home with the Baloyos, Dazos and Dave and Nic. We played the stealing Secret Santa game and yeah, my luck struck out this time-- the gifts ronnel and I were eyeing were both stolen! Here are some pictures of our Noche Buena...

And now, it's beach time. I know it's weird-- for Filipinos, Christmas is the "cold" season but here in NZ, it's summertime so Christmas is spent outdoors, having a barbeque, sun bathing and going to the beach! Well, we did all three on Christmas day in Waikawa beach. My colleague (Thank you so so much Claire!) let us stay in her bach (sidestory: they call holiday homes here "bach". I thought it was because of the musician or something like, they left out the "e" from beachhouse. Apparently, it's an abbreviation of bachelor's pad) for Christmas since she's been encouraging me to go out of Wellington and see the countryside. Waikawa's not really far from Wellington, just an hour and a half drive and that's Ronnel driving cautiously (I can't count how many cars overtook / passed us.. haha). Anyway, here are the pics. Ok, no comments on how I've gained so much weight. The camera adds ten pounds.. and no questions on how many cameras were there. haha. You know what my new year's resolution is...

Finally Blessed....

Home Sweet Home, Finally Blessed...
After several months of waiting for the right moment (probably a euphemism for saving up/looking for the right priest/waiting for good weather), we finally got our home blessed. It's been five months now that we've stayed in our new home and we realized the more we delayed it, the more we will never get around to do it-- so we finally set a date. Finding a priest was a challenge - we wanted it to be on Labour Day but it turned out all the priests were attending a gathering or seminar of some sort. So we had to postpone again but finally finally, we found a priest, and he was perfect. We invited some of our friends at work who have never attended a house blessing before and Fr. Mario took the time to explain what a house blessing was and why it was done. It was also a refresher course for us and our Filipino friends who joined us to celebrate the house blessing and Keith's 9th birthday (yes, it was a double celebration!).

We're glad that our guests enjoyed the food -- it was a team effort. Doyeth and I had our menus and yes, even the guys had their own special tasks. We had the Pinoy version of Bbq (Keith's classmates were insisting they were kebabs), Doyeth had her famous sotanghon and shrimp meatballs (special mentioned by Fr. Redd). No, I didn't make carbonara but I did have my Bicol Express which was a hit with David (our previous landlord in our first Kiwi apartment).

It was a great day of gathering for the people who are closest to our hearts here in New Zealand. It gives us so much comfort to know that in spite of being here in the country for only a year for us and just five months for Arnel and his family, we found people whom we call friends.

Now, Christmas is coming up. It's summer here but as always, Wellington's weather is still unpredictable. Monday was a bit rainy and cold but yesterday was really sunny. I hope Christmas weather would be better-- yup, we have things planned for Christmas but I wont say anything just yet. Hint: beach time!

Spring Activities

Finally, Spring has sprung! We survived the winter cold (but our power bill didn't) and it's time to stop and smell the flowers! Our first spring activity was to go to Kaitoke Park. Arnel was the designated driver (pending Ronnel's driving exam) plus the Baloyo car perfectly suited the off-road trip. We started by attending a Filipino mass in Lower Hutt. The priest's sermon was hilarious and enlightening and he had the whole church enamored. After mass, we assembled with the other Filipinos in the parking lot. We had to do it via convoy or we'd get lost and you probably won't hear from me anymore. And we wouldn't want that, right? It was a not-so-short trip to Kaitoke park. The scenery on the way was glorious with the sun high up in the clear blue sky and birds chirping away. We were surrounded by high peaked mountains with sheep and cattle feeding on the green grass. At Kaitoke, we unloaded the food we toiled to cook the day before. Doyeth's menudo con afritada was a hit as it was the perfect combined with hot steaming rice. We played volleyball... ok, i'll correct that-- we tried to play volleyball (i understand you had to hit the ball back and forth to actually call it volleyball). We went through the hanging bridge and did a 10-minute forest trail ( I admit Sunway Lagoon's hanging bridge in Malaysia was scarier though). We had a great time and went home tired and ready to go to bed. The next day, we all felt the after-effects of going out (as we were all home-bodies) and our bodies hurt everywhere. We had to call in sick from work.
Here are our pictures from Kaitoke...

Blazin' BBQ at the Backyard

We went to the Farmer's Market last Saturday and bought fresh veggies, fruits and fish. We then decided that fish is best eaten grilled so we decided to have barbeque for lunch. First off, we need a bbq grill. So we went to K-Mart to get one. We had to go with the gas grill instead of a charcoal one since it's cheaper and requires less cooking time. It was a comedy of errors for Ronnel and Arnel! When we got home, the guys took out the grill from the box and tried to assemble it but they found it a challenge because there wasn't any instruction manual. So they had to go back to the store and ask for one. Once everything was sorted out and the grill was in one piece, the next challenge was to make it work. They turned on the switch and there was no spark. They turned it off and on again and nada. They rolled the gas cylinder sideways, checked if there was a leak in the tube and tried it again, zilch. They had to call the experts to help them out -- and so the wives took over to save the day. I figured if they tried everything, there must be something wrong with the gas cylinder. Maybe it had no gas! And indeed it was empty. I called my officemate Dave and confirmed how things work in NZ. Apparently, unlike in Phils/Malaysia where we bought the gas cylinder filled in with gas, you have to buy it separately here. He said it was dangerous to sell it like that in supermarkets. Ahh, no wonder stores blow up more in the Philippines. So Ronnel and Arnel had to go to the gas station to have the gas cylinder filled with gas. Doyeth and I were laughing our heads off thinking of how perplexed the guys were when they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the grill. Tsk tsk, Programmers. That's why they needs BA's like me. So everything's settled and ready to go. Doyeth prepared the fish while I did the marinade for the pork bbq. I did it Filipino street style -- with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions and chili. The only thing missing are the sticks and the Hepa B that you'd get from eating in the polluted streets of Manila. Haha. Grilling didn't need much time and soon, we were eating with our bare hands -- the best and the only way to eat BBQ for Filipinos. Hmmm.. I can still smell the vinegar in my hands. We had leche flan (Pinoy custard cake) as our dessert and belched like there was no tomorrow.

Here's our BBQ photos..

Visiting the Velascos

The next day, we went to visit Kuya Nestor and Ate Soc to have lunch. It's been a long time since Ronnel and I went to their place -and the Baloyo's haven't been there yet so we spent a good sunny day to visit them. We went to the big church in town and met Kuya Nestor there (we don't remember how to go to his house). The comedy duo (Ronnel/Arnel) was at it again as we got lost following Kuya Nestor's car. Ronnel held a map and figured where we were while Arnel awaited instructions. Soon, we spotted Kuya Nestor (who kindly stopped and got off his car to look for us) and from then on, Arnel closely followed his tail. At Kuya Nestor's, we ate lunch (it wouldn't be me if I didn't bring anything) and shared stories. We played Bingo with $0.50 per card. The first few games were dominated by Ate Soc and Kuya Nestor. They swore they didn't have any trick up their sleeve. I believed them when I won the next game, then Ronnel won, then Doyeth. Arnel seemed to be the unluckiest of the group as his debts piled up. We stopped playing before it got out of hand. It was a great afternoon and we finished it off by going around the bays and looking at the beach. I think I heard Kuya Nestor, Ronnel and Arnel planning a trip to the nudist beach this coming summer. Hah! As if Doyeth and I would let them go.

All in all, I think I gained 10 kilos during that weekend.

Here are the photos that Sunday visit to Kuya Nestor's.

Home Sweet Home

I'm back from my hiatus again. It's been very busy the past few months that I had no time for blogging. So I'm just gonna write everything that happened in one go.

Residency
First things first. After the half year wait, we are now New Zealand residents! This was the dawning of a new day for us because it meant, we can now get a loan, which meant we can get a house! Ronnel and I have been wanting to have our own home ever since so that we can start our own family. I guess that's one in the short list of what he and I have in common. We are very good planners. He is the visionary whilst I'm into details. I remember the ordeal we went through looking for the perfect home. Buying a house here is so different from how we do it in the Philippines. In the Philippines, if you want to buy a house, just talk with the seller, agree about the price, and voila, it's yours. That's not how it works here. First, you'll have to check out several houses by attending open homes. We learned a lesson the hard way-- you must have a car when looking for a house to buy. The distance in a map is much farther than it seems. I remember when Ronnel and I had to walk long distances from one house to another at noon time (most open homes are on sundays midday-- don't ask me why). I think my calves are now cows with how big they became (yeah, lame joke). Plus, everybody who goes to an open home has a car... Well except us of course. I remember real estate agents asking us where we park, and we just smile in return. Anyway, we found the first potential perfect home and made an offer. Apparently, here you have to put down an offer first and if there is a better offer, then ofcourse you lose. We relied on the advice from the forums we frequent and gave a price which was below the seller's asking. It's not a surprise that we lost that one. Note to self: do not believe everyting written in the forums. Our second try was a bit different, this time we knew better so upped our offer a bit, but I guess it wasn't meant to be because the owner changed his mind and didn't want to sell his house anymore. Something good came out of that though coz the real estate agent helped us find our perfect home. My officemates told me that ofcourse, real estate agents will be nice because they want to sell you something. True, but we particularly liked this agent because she picked us up from our place, brought us to different houses and practically made house-hunting easy for us. She wasn't uppity or picky even when we had to sign papers on the floor (we had her drop by our flat -- and we didn't have tables in the lobby). And the most important thing, she brought us to this fabulous house in Johnsonville/Churton Park. It's in the boundary of these two suburbs so we have two addresses. That day, our agent brought us to three houses-- the first one was nice but it was in a difficult-access location. Plus, it had dog smell all over. The second house was the best we've seen so far. It was different from all the other houses in the market. First, it didn't really look like a house. From the outside, you'd think it was just this one-level warehouse looking thing. But when you go inside, you'll be enveloped in its charm as you go down a level and another and another. The backyard has an enchanting overlooking view of the city and best of all, it has a sun roof/skylight. I've never been inside a house with one before and I really wanted to have one with it when I saw Beyonce's house in MTV Cribs. It was really awesome but it was way over our budget. Anyway, after we saw the house, we were brought to another house which was within our $$range but paled in comparison to the previous one. We knew we just fell in love with the second house. After we looked at three houses, Ronnel and I had lunch and discussed what our options were. Apparently, he was besotted with the second house too and was already calculating how much we have to save if we wanted to get that house. It was really big for the two of us but we also had to consider friends who will be staying with us (read next section). The second house was the perfect fit for us because our friends can have a whole level to themselves. We would be living together but we wouldn't lose our privacy either. So, in front of our Chinese smorgasborg, we discussed what sacrifices we needed to make (translation-- I have to cut down on my shopping sprees.) I loved the house and I was all for it so there and then, I called the agent and we made an offer. This time we met the seller's asking price and even upped it a bit. There was competition so we had to make our best offer. It was the best we could give without turning into paupers. That was a Saturday. The following day, we went to church and prayed, hard that we get the house. The previous Sundays, we were unable to attend mass because the open homes were held on the same time. I was thinking maybe we were being reminded not to forget Him when making this important decision in our lives-- probably that's why we haven't found our dream house yet. This time we found it and we prayed hard for it to become a reality. It was Monday night when I got a call from my agent, she was shouting over the phone-- "You got the house! You got the house!". I was really happy when I heard that but it dawned on me-- shoot, I really have to cut my shopping down. I'll never gonna be able to change my phone anymore. But those are trivial, so I shook these thoughts away and focused on the most important thing-- we got a house now. But it's not done yet--there are still lots of things to do afterwards. First, we have to get a solicitor, then a loan, then a property inspector, then a valuer. Told you, it wasn't that simple. But for us, it was made easy because we had friends who helped us along the way. In every decision we had to make, I consulted with my own set of advisors at work. Sally, Dave and Kristan were my primary advisors due to proximity (we share a quadrant) while Maria and Alison were my senior consultants. They introduced me to the world of NZ real estate and its intricacies. They referred me to solicitors, mortgagors and building inspectors. I suppose we would have never survived the process if not for them. So guys, if you're reading this--- thanks!

Friends
Arnel and his family arrived in NZ last June 3. We were especially excited to have them here as we missed having people to talk to in our own language. Plus, I wanted to catch up with all the gossip that I missed. Arnel was my officemate (and my seamate) in Standard Chartered Malaysia and he and his family are our good friends. We spent Christmas and New Year's with them back when we were in Malaysia and we enjoyed their company a lot. Plus, we liked their kids a lot too-- Keith and Kylee. They're nicer than the average kids-- not unruly and very well mannered (although Kylie still screams at me when she gets jealous of Keith hanging around me). We saw ourselves in Arnel and his wife, Doyeth as we had so much in common--- we even decided that we were probably soulmate couples. So you'd understand how excited we were when we heard that they were coming over. We knew that they would come to love Wellington like we do. You see, Wellington is not a city for everybody. I heard some Filipinas from Singapore came here to work and after a few months got really bored and moved to Australia. If you are looking for hip and happening places, I tell you, you won't find it here. But don't get me wrong, Ronnel and I love it here. We don't get bored and we never run out of things to do-- especially now that we have a house of our own. Anyway, back to Arnel. Just as we were in Malaysia, we'll be officemates here too (But not seatmates anymore coz he's with a different team). His boss is really nice as he offered to drive us to the airport to pick them up. The company couldn't arrange a place for them to stay so we offered our place. At that time, we were sill staying in our teeny weeny flat and we were a bit worried that we won't fit. But with a bit of compromise and sacrifice, we all managed for three weeks. It just made us appreciate our new house so much more.

The Great Move
It was time to move to our new home. It was really exciting that Ronnel and I couldn't sleep the night before. To save moving costs, we asked friends for help. We are blessed with really good friends with big hearts (big arms and big cars too). The pretty wives (ehem, Doyeth and me) prepared lunch to fill the stomachs of our in-house moving team. It was a succesful transition, well, except for getting lost on our way to our new place-- but as the saying goes, try and try and you'll get there. And we did.

And the dust settles...
I think Arnel and his family are settling in quite well in Wellington. He is his usual self at work-- dedicated and hard-working (he paid me to write this). Keith started school and made new friends while Kylee has to wait a year before she can join Keith to school. I guess it's gonna be a bit tough on Doyeth coz she's left home while everybody's at work or in school. But I think she's not bored just yet with all the korean and japanese dramas I lent her. And who knows, she might decide to work too once Kylee goes to school? I guess the most important thing is that they are happy and that they don't regret leaving Malaysia to start a life in New Zealand. Well, I wish them all the best!

What's Next
Yeah, everybody's been asking me if I was pregnant already. The official answer is, as of now, No I'm not. I guess when it's meant to be, it will happen. It's not as if we aren't trying, so hold your horses, who knows, maybe next month, next next month.... Just drop in my blog once in a while.

Birthday Bliss

21 March 07
It’s been days since my birthday and I haven’t updated my blog on what happened on that day. A lot of friends have been asking for an update (side comment: I wonder why nobody’s commenting here if they are reading my blog… hmmm…). I’ve been quite lazy to update this lately since I’m not sure if somebody’s really reading it, then I get messages like, “how come you haven’t written about your birthday yet?” Ok, so here goes…

Well, I’m two years off the thirty mark so when you reach this age, birthday celebrations take a different meaning. It was a sunny Sunday here when I turned 28 (that was March 18) and the day before that, Ronnel and I already had dinner in a Mongolian Bbq restaurant that we haven’t tried yet. It turned out to be good but we liked the Filipino version better. The main difference probably was the sauce, the Filipino version was much sweeter but not as rich as the Kiwi one. The day before my birthday was “my day”. Ronnel and I agreed that I’d like to spend a day just by myself so I did just that. I had a haircut in one of the salons here and as expected, I had to stop myself from cringing when I looked at the price. You see, in the Philippines, hair cuts from top salons like David’s or Piandre cost about $30 NZ (P500++ or RM60) and that’s already a high end cut. If you go to the small salons, you’d get a haircut for as low as $10, and it’s a decent one too. So you’d understand my (especially Ronnel’s) dismay when I had to dish out $65 NZ (P2000 or RM130) for just a haircut. I was lucky I was assigned to a junior stylist, if it were a pro, I would have had to pay $85 which will make Ronnel cry. (Remember, I cut/shave his hair so he doesn’t spend a dollar on haircuts here.) But then again, I think it was worth it, coz I stepped out of the salon feeling really pretty – “feeling” being the operative word there. I had my hair cut really short, above the shoulders (as you see in the pictures) and I had two reasons for doing that – (1) I hate how the wind just blows my hair to my face, causing lipstick to stick to my hair and transfer to my face and (2) this way, I can have my next hair cut months from now. So there I was, walking on the streets of Wellington, with my new hip hair cut, enjoying the cold breeze while browsing through the shops. The department store was on sale so I bought some pans for cooking and baking. It was on my way home that I realised how simple my birthday celebration this year was. And I didn’t mean that in a bad way. For many years now, I’m used to having friends and family around and I miss that. Last year, my friends in Malaysia prepared a small surprise feast for my birthday and I was touched with the efforts they made to make it a great surprise celebration. In the Philippines, I usually cooked for friends and families on the day itself. I miss those days in a way but for some reason, I’m happy that this year, I’m not doing that. This year, it’s just me, myself and I – oh and Ronnel in the background! Kidding! Of course Ronnel plays a big role in my special day – he promised for just on this special day, he won’t be asking how much I spent. This is a feat for him coz he always, always asks this question. Every single time. So on my birthday weekend, he kept it to himself. But oddly enough, I didn’t spend much. Really. Aside from the usual grocery stuff and those cooking stuff, I didn’t buy anything special. We watched a movie when I got back from spending time with myself and had dinner. On Sunday, we went to church and that’s it. I also had calls from the people I love most – papa, ma, len, jan, auntie and lola who are miles away from me. On our way home, Ronnel greeted me happy birthday and asked if I was happy. I said yes and kissed him on the cheek. That’s what really matters, isn’t it? I am happy. So yeah, this is my simplest birthday celebration ever but it was also the most meaningful one.

Another nice surprise I got for my birthday—although it was a week too late—was this bulletin post from my best friend Marj. I’m posting it here to share it with you all. Marj is my long time best friend since grade school. We’ve been through a lot and we’ve lost touch for several years, only to find each other’s arms, giggling like how we used to back in 5th grade. I was really touched when she wrote this (actually, it was Ronnel who saw this first) and I couldn’t find the words to thank her. By posting it in my blog, I hope she knows how much I appreciate her friendship – how much I miss her and how much happy I am that we have remained the best of friends for the past 18 years. Looking forward to several decades of friendship!

-------- From Marj-----
I enjoyed this really fantastic book on food and raved on and on about it to anyone who would listen. Right away, I came up with a list of who must read it and one of them is my bespren Einge.

She's now based in NZ so I bought a copy for her. Alas, I discovered that DHL and Fedex don't come cheap so I put off the courier and emailed her to just let me know when someone's visiting them so I can send the book over.

Day before my birthday, my husband tells me that I have mail from Einge - it's the cutest birthday card ever! But wait, how cheap and thoughtless does that make me? I’m not so bad
really; it's just people like Einge that make me pale in comparison.

We were FAT friends in grade school. When my mom first saw her she was infatuated with Einge's lively eyes, glowing skin and sharp wit - I could not have been more annoyed but that
was because mama didn't know that Einge was the one who introduced me to the "dirty parts" of the Harlequin and Silhouette romance novels, and that she made me read Abante in 5th grade. My selective learning skills picked those up right away but not when she tried teaching me the Morse code or how to play the piano.

We read almost all books and made the library our playground. We also came up with our very own Vogue-like magazine complete with ads, articles and surveys.

We parted in High school then found each other again in college. school, boys, work... Einge and I were in and out of each other's lives, but no matter the distance between space and time, we always manage to pick up where we left off. We have a level of understanding and comfort as if we are never apart.

Einge and I are so alike yet so different. If we were coffee, I'd be instant - quick and simple, and she'd be espresso - double dose packed with a punch. A stranger doesn't need to
know her to deduce what a character she is.

Once, she saw a painting of a "laughing Christ" and she got all guilty wondering if God is happy with the kind of person she is. She's a chronic shopper whose venue ranges from Nine West to ukay-ukay. A fashionista who'd lift a 5-gallon water bottle just to show that she can - now how schizophrenic is that!

I was bridesmaid at her wedding and she was luckily in the country for mine. On instances of marital conflict, I'd flag SOS emails to her promptly answered by her wisdom from
being married two years ahead.

There are times when I wish she isn't so far away. But she's living her life, as am I. We catch up through our write ups knowing that when we post our blogs, we are assured of at least one reader in each other.

I miss you bespren - happy birthday!


29 March 07
Lucky Me!
I think I’ve inherited a lot more than my dad’s good nature as I won yet another prize! My dad is very lucky in raffle draws and I remember we have two of each appliance at home because he won stuff from either his golf tournament or some other raffle he joined. I’ve had my share of luck as I won an oven toaster here and there, an umbrella and some minor goodies. But I was still surprised and happy to hear that I won a backpack full of goodies from Griffin’s (a cookie company here in NZ). Ronnel and I often buy Griffin’s mallows from the Warehouse and at that time, they had a raffle draw where you just write your name and number and you’ll get a chance to win a prize. I was happy when I got a message from Griffin’s saying I won something. I had the parcel delivered at work and my officemates were teasing me that since I haven’t been in the country for a year yet, I am not entitled to win such prizes. Haha! Dave even told me it was unfair that I’ve only been in NZ for five months and I won something while he has been here all his life and he never won anything. I told him he probably has to join these raffles first if he wanted to win. It’s just a small gift but still, it feels great to win something. I just hope next time I win that Volvo or BMW draw.

Something To Look Forward To…
I will be attending a course up in Auckland on Monday and since it’s my first time there, I want to take the time to explore and visit new places. I’ll be extending my stay and Ronnel will be joining me there so that we can spend Holy Week there. We intend to visit the churches there and see some shopping malls (I’m having a shopaholic attack again!).

February Fun

NZ Sevens
01 Feb 2007
Every so often, kiwis get to wear funky costumes and sashay along the road along with other sevens participants (I’m not sure what to call them). To a foreigner like me, it’s a bit hard to understand and take in but it sure is fun. Imagine bumping into Captain America or the teenage mutant ninja turtles on the street! Sevens is basically an annual international rugby tournament where instead of the normal 15 players, they have seven instead. I am not really sure about the details of the game but from what I reckon, it’s all brawn and intimidation. What do I know? I’m really not into sports – well, if you consider thumb wrestling a sport, fine by me. Anyway, if you’re interested to know more about sevens, here’s the site: http://www.sevens.co.nz/. But parades and all the activities surrounding sevens, that’s what I like! So on a sunny afternoon, my officemates and I left our desks for a while to watch the different sevens players in their uniforms on floats, surrounded by voluptuous babes and popular icons like Colonel Sanders (Go KFC!) and Austin Powers. On Sevens day, those who will be watching the sevens were in their best outfits – I had fun watching them and figuring out their costumes. Three of us from work volunteered to hold donation buckets on the street for Ronald McDonald Foundation and I was able to see the participants up close!

Bitten By the Love Bug and Birthday Blues
14 Feb 2007
Ever since Ronnel and I got together, I learned to let go of those girly romantic stuff like expecting flowers and chocolates on valentines. Sometimes, I get envious when I see girls holding long stemmed roses on Cupid’s day but then I have to agree with my husband when he says that he’d rather spend money on the stuff I’d really enjoy for a longer period than something that will wilt after a few days. Plus, he says, everyday should be valentines anyway. Okay, so he’s not mushy. I think I’m mushy enough for the two of us anyway. So on Valentines, we went to this Korean restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try ever since we came to NZ. I think watching all those Korean dramas have influenced me a lot.

20 Feb 2007
It’s my hubby’s birthday! Every year, I try to surprise him and every year, he never fails to ruin my surprise. The first time I tried to surprise him was back in 1999 when I organised a birthday party for him. He ruined my surprise when he didn’t want to change clothes for his party and I was trying hard to convince him to wear nice clothes (well, understandably, I didn’t want him to show up in his shorts with all our friends and classmates there). Well, that went quite well and he was really touched despite him knowing in advance (a few minutes before the real party) that there was gonna be a party for him. This year, (no, I didn’t prepare a party for him), I bought an xbox game that he was eyeing on for quite some time. Mind you, it wasn’t just any xbox game. It was one of the few left around the country. He was trying to get one over the Internet but was out-bidded by somebody else. Stores here don’t hold the game anymore and the only store that had it was quite far from where we stayed. So he was a bit depressed when he couldn’t get hold of it. Well, I’m not his wife for nothing so yep, I made some other arrangement for the game to be transferred to a store so that I can pick it up. I guess luck was really by my side that time but then it just flipped on me when the store announced online that they had it in stock. When Ronnel found that out, he was so excited that he wanted to go to the store immediately to buy the game. I was in a panic. I had ordered the same game and it wouldn’t make sense for him to have two copies of it. So yeah, I had to fez up and admit that I actually had that reserved. There you go, another birthday surprise ruined.  But in the end, he was really happy. He got the game and enjoyed every minute playing it. By the way, it was an Xbox NBA 2K7 game.

Wellington Walkathon
17 Feb 2007
Every year, Wellington has this Round the Bays event where everybody can join in to either walk or run seven kilometres. Now you know I am not into physical activity much so you’re probably surprised why I joined. Well, I guess my curiosity got the better of me and I just wanted to see what this event was all about. On the day of the event, my officemates and I wore our BNZ shirts and trudged to the meeting place. Wow, what a turn out it was. There were over ten thousand participants – runners and walkers alike. It was a fun experience, despite the fact that my feet hurt. My seatmate and officemate Kristan, accompanied me for the whole walk, fascinating me with stories about his twenty years with the Bank and other stuff. I knew I was slowing him down but I’m glad that it didn’t bother him too much – his favourite phrase was—“No, it’s not a competition” and he claims to be the least competitive person around. That works for me coz even if he didn’t compete with me, I’d still lose! Well, my predictions were right anyway as I turned out to be the in the last place in our team (sob sob). If you want to see the results, you can check it out at http://res.championchip.co.nz/default.asp?id=1095. (Our team name is Analyse This and you’d see my name at the bottom! Well, at least overall I’m 6,427 so that means I’m faster than the four thousand left.. ha ha).

Cuba Carnival
24 Feb 2007
The last weekend of the month was filled with surprises when we saw several stalls along Cuba street. These stalls are similar to our "tiannges" in the Philippines where all kinds of stuff are sold. The whole Cuba street was transformed into a carnival as several people from all walks of life check out the free shows, the food and the fun. I had a flashback of the fiestas we had in the Philippines and felt a little sad that instead of being with my family and relatives, I'm surrounded with people that I don't really know (or look like, for that matter). So yeah, I went home pretty depressed-- Ronnel says it's probably because I was unable to buy at least one item from the shops. He had his eagle eye on me all the time, so how could I shop?!!! Oops, no, it's not about that... i just started to miss my family and friends back home. :(

Three Years and Counting....

24 January 2007
Three Years. Wow. And everybody thought we wouldn't even last a week....

Yup, it's our third wedding anniversary today. And like any other day, Ronnel and I are so thankful that we've gone this far. Flashback 1998, when we first "officially" got together... Schoolmates and friends (respective sets) doubted we'd last for a week, then it became a month, then a year... whenever we broke up, a friend of mine will tell me, that we were never compatible in the first place. All advice I ever got was to move on and forget Ronnel. Well, as stubborn as I am, I accepted him whenever he came back. You see, I don't quit. I knew we could make it, and the more people tell me that we couldn't, the more I thought we would. Sounds like "You and Me Against the World" stuff? No, it's nothing dramatic as that. It was just a simple clash of personalities. We were so different from each other that people wondered what we ever talk about. I'm boisterous, he's quiet. I'm adventurous, he's not too fond of risks. I'm a big spender, he counts his pennies. I'm a dreamy romantic, he's the practical type. I'm not into any sports, he's the most sporty guy I've met. But that was then... over the years, we have made allowances, we have changed and met in the middle. Ronnel and I have taken each other's characteristics and melded it into our own. Make no mistake, we still have a lot of difference but it's fun to reminisce. So on our third anniversary, we had this set of questions that we answered and we're sharing them with you...

1) When was the first time that you saw me? What went through your mind then?
Nel: Probably when I applied for membership in JFA (UP Junior Finance Association), nothing fancy. Just wanted to get into a school organization as it would look good in my CV.
Einge: In a school activity, you were a contestant in a "beauty pageant" (they dressed up guys as girls for fun) and I thought, "I'd hate to be this guy's girlfriend. He's prettier than I am.".


2) When was the first time we actually met? What was your impression?
Nel: Can't remember. To be honest, I wasn't thinking of getting into a relationship that time. I was brokenhearted from several relationships. The only memory that I had is our summer class together. I didn't even know you were an officer in the organization.
Einge: Probably at the org, you were introduced to us as one of the org applicants. Other girls in the org "claimed" you as they had a crush on you and I thought you were obnoxious because you didn't talk to anybody.

3) When was the time you realized you wanted to be with me? Why?
Nel: Summer of '98. You were fun to be with. We were enjoying ourselves together. It was the first time I felt intimately connected with a girl.
Einge: When you told me you were going for a trip and you'll be gone for a couple of days and I realized I was gonna miss you. You said "I love you" then and I accidentally replied, "I love you too".

4) What were your thoughts during the early stages of our relationship? (While we were going out?) Did you think you'd end up being my husband/wife?
Nel: I didn't think much about the future of the relationship when we were starting. All I know is we enjoy each other's company and that we are extremely attracted to each other. You were the only one in my mind whom I would marry when we started working and saving for the future.
Einge: At first, no. I mean, we were complete opposites and I've seen that not working out for my parents so I was scared to make the same mistake. But over the years, I could see you change bit by bit.. more than that, I saw myself changing and I liked that too.

5) What are your thoughts now? Looking ahead...
Nel: I'm glad that all went well for us and that we still have each other despite the huge fights, misunderstandings and incompatibilities that we obviously have. All I'm thinking for the future is to have our own family. This is my ultimate dream for both of us.
Einge: I'm still overwhelmed with all the hurdles we overcame and the blessings that we've received so far. I know that there is Someone Up there looking out for us, looking after us. I also know that there will be more trials to come, more fights, more misunderstandings, but we will always make up in the end, because we simply cannot live without each other.

Our First Kiwi Christmas

December 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, dear family and friends!

I’m sure everybody is curious about how we spent our first ever Kiwi Christmas. Let me then start by reminiscing how we spend our Christmases back in Malaysia and Philippines. Since I’m in a nostalgic mood, I’m going back to my earliest memory of Christmas. I think I was about ten (I have a short memory!) and we were living with my aunt and uncles. It was a cozy two-level house with several rooms. We occupied a big portion of the first floor while the other rooms were being rented out. The second floor was where my aunt and uncles lived. During Christmas Eve, my brother and I would tie our socks on the window (we figured it would be easy access for Santa there). The day before Christmas was a busy day for the adults. My lola (grandmother) would be up in the wee hours of the morning for the simbang gabi (Church mass at 4 am). Christmas for them are either spent in Manila or Bicol province but it would always be with all of us as we either go to Bicol or they would come join us in Manila. That year, my grandparents took the train early to celebrate Christmas with us in Manila. My grandfather usually is not so accommodating as he has to forego all those probable customers (he has a thriving bicycle shop in Bicol at that time). My lola would be in charge of cooking her special sinukmani (sticky sweet rice) and natong (taro leaves in coconut milk) while my mother usually prepares the food for us kids—fried chicken and spaghetti. I would be busy then cleaning the house so that it would be sparkling clean during Christmas Eve (I really don’t get that, I mean, it’s not as if we’d have guests, so why does it have to be clean?). My cousin, Vic-Vic, who was also my best friend at that time, was also busy cleaning their house and helping her mother cook their own Noche Buena (literally translated Good Evening but it actually is our Christmas Eve dinner). My cousin Vic-Vic lived a few steps from us as their family rented the other room in our small compound. It’s funny that we don’t just have one Noche Buena, instead, each household had to have their own. I never asked why, but it has always been like that. So on Noche Buena itself, Vic-Vic and I were the messengers as we brought plates of food from our respective households to the other. A rule in our household that time was that nobody touches the Noche Buena food until the clock strikes twelve but since our stomachs wont be able to last that long, my mother prepares a separate pre-dinner food so that our stomachs wont growl when we attend the Christmas mass at ten. After the mass, we would all go back to the house and re-heat the food. Only then we get to eat and open our presents. Our stockings would still be empty as Santa is only scheduled to drop by on the wee hours of Christmas. Everybody would end up burping as we fill our tummies with ham, queso de bola (edam cheese ball), sinukmani and other food we’d only have for this special day. I was the first apo (granddaughter) then so I’d have lots of gifts from everybody but my brother was becoming the baby of the crowd as he charmed them with his toothy smile (he was five then and way cuter too.. haha). I indulge myself by thinking that my uncles considered me as their favourite niece (they had no choice, I was their only niece at that time). I got great gifts from them, a bubble watch, game watch and my melody stationery. I’d go to bed with my Christmas presents beside me. On Christmas morning, my brother and I will race up to the window to get our socks to find out what Santa has left for us. In the previous years, Santa has given me a wallet, a watch and some nice stuff so this year, I was expecting something even nicer. Actually, I knew who Santa really was but of course I didn’t want to ruin it for my brother. But still, I was surprised when I opened my sock and found an apple and a note which said, “Dear Yeng, You’re a grown up girl already and you probably know who Santa is. I hope your gift last night was enough. – Love, Mama and Papa” As the selfish kid that I was, I wanted more than just an apple. My brother got a new toy to add to his collection. But then, come to think of it, I have been enjoying gifts from Santa for several years now while he has just been here for about five years and this is his second gift from Santa I suppose. So ok, I didn’t feel bad anymore. And at least I got an apple, right? The next year was different for us as there was a big fire in the house that we lived in so we had to move to another place. (I’ll tell you about the fire in another entry as it would ruin the jovial mood here). But we still made it a point to spend Christmas Eve or Day together with the big family. It was that way until I got married, well, minus the socks on the window, even my brother got a note too when he turned ten, I think.


When I got married, I was worried that I’d have to face the dilemma of choosing where to spend Christmas Eve—with my side of the family or with Ronnel’s side? I guess this has been solved for me when we had to leave for Malaysia. I didn’t like the solution to the problem but at least not one side would think we’re partial to the other. So, for the two years when we were in Malaysia, we spent our Christmas with our Filipino friends there. We would still have our exchange gifts but we added a twist to make it a game. We would pick a number, choose a gift from the pile and open it in front of everybody. If your number is higher than the previous one, you get the chance to stay with your gift or get the other person’s gift. It was always a joint effort for me and Ronnel. I guess we were lucky as he always got the higher number so even if somebody already took the gift I was interested in, he would just take it back for me. For two straight years, we always went home with the gifts we chose. When we left Malaysia, I remember giving that same gift I got to the other person who really wanted it during that exchange gift session but had a low number so had to give it up to Ronnel. I always felt bad for taking that gift away from her so I gave it as my parting gift.

Ok, so now, let’s stop reminiscing. I’m sure what you really want to know is how we spent our Christmas here in New Zealand. Let me start at work then. We had our team party at a colleague’s house. What can I say? It is definitely different from the Christmas parties I am accustomed to. For starters, this is the first party that we didn’t have rice on the table. What do you expect? This is a whole new world and rice isn’t part of it. Not that I was looking for rice, anyway, I am an Atkin’s advocate anyway so that’s ok with me. A colleague of mine prepared dinner for everybody and it was really nice. I made macaroni salad for dessert which actually became one of the main dishes since it was so heavy for the tummy. We had a painting game and I introduced them to the wonders of the magic mic. I think they enjoyed it since it was a huge improvement over PS2 singstar which only had about 30 songs in one disc. Well, of course, you had to ignore the cumbersome graphics and the minimal grammatical errors in the magic sing. I was really embarrassed when the magic sing flashed, “What A Excellent Singer!” in big bold letters. We were using a projector then so it was glaring big but it didn’t matter to them, my Kiwi officemates just laughed and enjoyed every song in magic sing – even Macarena!

Aside from the Christmas Team Party, we also had Secret Santa, which to us Filipinos is actually the Kris Kringle. We had it for nine straight days and the trick was to put the gift on the person’s desk while the person is away. For the nine days, I only got one gift while some of my colleagues had one every day. My seatmates would tease me and show off their gifts in jest and I would always tell them that my secret santa was probably planning a big big gift for me on the last day. It was only later did I know that my secret santa was actually indisposed so I had to be forgiving. It was no big deal for me, Christmas was all about giving anyway, right? And I have received so many gifts and blessings already that I have no right to ask for anything anymore. So I was really surprised when one day, I found lots of trinkets on my desk and a note from my other secret santa. Apparently, a seatmate of mine felt bad that I didn’t receive any gift during the Secret Santa period. Well, I eventually found out who my surrogate not-so-secret Santa and thanked him with a poem via email. Soon, everyone showed their poetic prowess at work and thanked their own Secret Santas with a poem too. Here are some poems they sent:

To my Kris Kringle……

You have outdone yourself
You really are the best
Your presents were so good
I can forget about the rest

Every day a new surprise
I could not believe my eyes
I don’t care what the others say about you
I know they are all lies….()

The vouchers were great
The chocolates were sweet
Finding such a variety of pressies
Really was a feat

Christmas is not over
Don’t feel like you have to stop
You are more than welcome
To continue to shop

And don’t forget my birthday
The day is approaching nigh
Actually, it is not until July
But that gives you plenty of time to buy!

When Xmas comes around next year
I will give a great big cheer
“I hope you will be my Kris Kringle”
But you probably won’t I fear

That is the end of my poem
I hope it finds you well
Have a Merry Xmas
I hope your head does not swell

Another one...
To my Secret Santa...

For all they said and more, cheers,...
But I really just want to thank you for the beers!

And another one...
Roses are red

Violets are blue

My dear Secret Santa
Who rocks??? YOU!!!

Mine was this one...
To My Other Secret Santa...
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
For all the goodies, the tea, the earrings, and Christmas tart,
I know that you are really really smart,
To take the place of my real Secret Santa who now can't take part,
Of this Christmas game that Ailua had us start,
You didnt really have to do this, no need to go to the mart,
But just the same, I'd really like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.



----> My Surrogate Secret Santa's gift to me


On Christmas Eve, Ronnel and I had an early dinner as I prepared roasted Chicken wings and mac n cheese. We also opened the fruitcake given away by ANZ to its employees plus the half bottle of Chardonay in the fridge. I think my tolerance for alcohol now is a bit low as I’m face flat on my bed at 10 pm. But before that, we called our loved ones who were in the Philippines preparing for their own noche buenas. Thank God for cheap call cards…


On Christmas Day, I woke up early to prepare my specialty – Carbonara. I knew that this dish would never fail me. Countless of friends and party acquaintances have asked for my recipe so I had named it SEC (Special Einge Carbonara. Narcissist, am I?). I used reduced cream and light evaporated milk this time to lower the calorie count. I set my SEC aside as Ronnel and I went to attend the 9 am Christmas mass. The church was filled with people as everyone wanted to get that special blessing on the day Christ was born. My eyes were filled with tears once more when I remember how much blessings we received for the past years.

At about 1130 am, I got a call from Kuya Nestor that he was on his way to pick us up from our place. We were going to spend Christmas with his family and that was the reason I prepared my SEC. At Kuya Nestor’s, his wife, Ate Soc was busy preparing for our Christmas lunch. I met their kids, April and Philip. Aside from their looks, you wouldn’t think they were Filipinos. They definitely sound Kiwi already. Ronnel and I will probably have kids like them and we smiled at the prospect. We really like Kiwi life here and we are looking forward to raising our kids the Filipino way in a Kiwi environment. The meal prepared was scrumptious! My SEC paled in comparison and I thought of dropping the “S” as it wasn’t so special anymore. We had Kare Kare with a kiwi twist (Ate Soc put in broccoli instead of the usual Kare Kare veggies), caldereta with a kiwi twist again (Kuya Nestor put in olives), ham, baked mussels, shrimps, and sweet tarts made by April. I think I weighed 10 pounds more when I left their place. I whipped out my magic sing (What is a Filipino party without it?) and we sang Christmas carols and old songs. I made good friends with April that day while his dad belted out his rendition of Abba songs. I bonded with her as she was the only person in my age group during that time (except for Ronnel but he was busy singing as well). She showed me her collection of books and I was impressed with how mature she was. While I was stuck with my fiction romance-mystery novels, she was reading non fiction autobiographies. I was five years her senior but it felt like the other way around as I browsed her book self. She lent me a book to try reading and I promised to burn her a copy of Asian movies. I learned a lot of things about Kiwi teenagers life from her that day and I bet she learned a lot of Filipino stuff from me as well. What’s more, she also reads signatures! I’ve always read other people’s signatures and I haven’t had mine read so it was refreshing to hear her analyse how I sign my name. She still had to hone her skills as she missed some points but hey, what are the odds of me meeting another Filipino in Wellington who loves to read, enjoys shopping and reads signatures? It’s just too bad that she’ll be leaving for Auckland next month as she found a teaching job there. (If that wasn’t enough, she also has my dream job!). So we made an appointment to go shopping the following Thursday so that she can show me her favourite shopping places.

While I bonded with April, Ronnel bonded with the youngest Velasco, Philip, as they played NBA live in his PS2. It was a close match, but what do you expect, the younger, the faster, the better prevailed. I think my husband has to stick to playing with me if he wants to win. Haha.

Kuya Nestor and Ate Soc packed some leftovers for us (tapaws, we call that in Malaysia). This is very typical of an Asian, and I think it also says something about how thoughtful Filipinos are. Imagine, you already had people coming over to your house to eat and that wasn’t enough, you also pack food for them to bring when they leave. Very nice, isn’t it? That is why Filipino parties are overflowing with food as we make sure that there is something left for the guests to bring home. They brought us home via the scenic way which made me dizzy for a while (I am still not used to the winding roads here) and it was a good thing we stopped to admire the ocean or else I would ruin Kuya Nestor’s car mat. At home, Ronnel and I spent the rest of Christmas day dozing off.

On Boxing Day, Ronnel gave me the best Christmas present. He told me he won’t be going out shopping with me and that he’d be staying home to play his Wii. He gave me shopping money and told me to enjoy my time alone. At that moment, I realized (once more) how I loved my husband so much. (Told you I was easy to please) Imagine, a whole day for me to indulge in my addiction – shopaholism! I heard bells and birds chirping and Ronnel’s voice in the background warning me to spread my shopping money until Thursday since April and I will still be going out to shop. I went out at about 930 am. The streets were still deserted but when I reached Lambton Quay, one shop called Country Road was teeming with shoppers. As curious as I was, I checked out the merchandise but didn’t want to queue anymore so I left the shop empty-handed. I went to the shops on sale and was delighted to find out that prices were really slashed. I bought heaps from the shops I’m familiar with – Body Shop, Esprit and Farmers. I bought a shirt and shorts for Ronnel, make up and lotion that I intend to send home to my little sister. It was only half past noon when I realized that I had no more shopping money left so I texted Ronnel to wait for me as I was going home to have lunch with him.

The day after Boxing Day (27th) was a working day for Ronnel. As for me, I was on leave as I was preparing myself mentally, physically, emotionally (and all those –allies) for the upcoming years I’ll be spending with BNZ. Yup, I have officially decided to stay on with BNZ. Remember in my previous post, I mentioned that I only had a 3-month contract with BNZ? Well, I am glad to say that I am now a full pledged permanent employee. It was a hard decision to make as there were a lot of complexities in the package, plus the market out there for BA’s is really thriving. For the past weeks that I’ve been checking out the market (ergo job-hunting), I learned that there’s so much out there to learn and to experience for someone like me. But in the end, after much deliberation with Ronnel, we decided that I stay with the Bank. As I’ve told my boss, in the end, the only thing that matters is where I am happy—and I am happy where I am now. So I chose to stay. So starting Wednesday, January 3, I am no longer on contract. I don’t want to speak ahead of myself but I think I’ll be staying with this Bank for a long time. I mean I am loyal and faithful, remember? If it weren’t for the reason that I had to leave the country, I would still be with my banks in the Philippines and Malaysia. Plus, my friends know how loyal I am to Ronnel, so there you go…

Anyway, on the two days after Boxing Day, while Ronnel went to work, I spent my mornings jogging. For the first time in my life, I jogged alone. And I loved it. I do not have to pressure myself to jog faster. I can just stop to catch my breath whenever I want (Ronnel hates it when I did this a lot the last time we jogged). I jogged along Oriental Parade and got to appreciate the things around me – the cool breeze of the ocean, the warm streaks of the sun, the soft cries of the seagulls and pigeons in the sky. With the loud voice of Fergie from my Ipod (a gift from my mom before we left Philippines), I jog happily, thinking of all the blessings I have received thus far. I couldn’t ask for anything more, well, maybe that the few tummy flabs will disappear after this round. After jogging, I cooled down in the library. I read the book, “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office” by Lois Frankel. I highly recommend this to all career women out there. It gives pointers to women at work on how to further their careers while having a balanced life. Great read! The next day, after jogging, I went home and prepared for another shopping session – this time, with my new friend, April. We met at Kirks and had lunch at Wholly Bagels. That was the first time I had a bagel for lunch and it was filling, not quite what I expected. Since I finished up all my shopping money during Boxing Day, I was on a tight budget (Ronnel upped my limit a bit but I couldn’t bear to spend so much anymore). April and I circled Kirks and Cuba street a bit but saw nothing that would interest us. We just stopped by a home shop where I bought a pillow (haha! Still couldn’t resist) and a CD shop where April picked up a new CD of a Kiwi band. Since we were near my home, I showed her our tiny place and rested for a while. As she had to catch the bus home, she went on her way while I had to buy Ronnel’s dinner. I gave her a small collection of Asian movies to watch when she gets home. I enjoyed the afternoon with her and felt sad that she had to leave for Auckland soon.



On the 29th Friday, Ronnel was on leave as we wanted have a New Year couple day-out. We took the Wellington Cable Car to view the city from a breath-taking angle. The cable car wasn’t what I expected as I had a different notion of what a cable car was. Cable car in the Philippines and Malaysia meant a melon-shaped car suspended several meters up the air using cable wires. It would literally take your breath away as you fear that the cables would snap and you’ll fall into an abyss of rock and dirt. I remember when Ronnel, my brother and I rode a Cable Car when we were in Genting Highlands, Malaysia and the cable car stopped for a few seconds. Prior to that, there was news that a cable snapped so the cars were out of commission. That ride was one of the few given out after the fix was made. I was scared and thrilled at the same time. I said a silent prayer then and I think Ronnel and my brother did too, but of course, were too “manly” to admit. Anyway, the cable car here was nothing like that. It was a tram hooked to cables and a long rail to bring its passengers up the hill. It was a short ride but the scenery that awaited was enough to compensate for the not so-scary/thrilling cable car. There was a botanical garden and a museum where the guests can stay for a while. After loitering a bit, Ronnel and I went back to the car and headed to a restaurant as our stomachs were growling in agony. That same night, I gave Ronnel a haircut. Yup, you read it right. I cut Ronnel's hair! Well, it was actually more of a shave as I used an electric shaver to give him his New Year clean look. Actually, we were still thinking in Pesos and Ringgit and he couldn't fathom how a haircut here could cost 60 dollars. I think we're still in the comparing currencies stage and we still can't let go of how cheap things were back in Phils/Malaysia. Maybe we need a few more years here. In the meantime, I will be Ronnel's personal hairdresser.




On New Year’s Day, Ronnel and I just stayed at home. We forgot to buy a phone card so we failed to call our loved ones back home. We just texted them our greetings and wished them a prosperous new year. I miss the New Year celebrations in the Philippines, especially the yearly reunions we spend with Ronnel’s family. Their family is really extended but close-knit as they all live nearby (imagine, four families within steps away from each other). Every New Year’s day, they have this all day celebration where each family brings food and presents. But what I miss most is the grocery game. They have this game where you will have to bring some stuff (preferably new) for “sale” in the game. All participants must have at least two items I think and you get to buy from the other participants based on the cards dealt to you (i.e. Kings would give you the chance to choose 3 items, Queen – 2 items and so on). I forgot the details but it’s something like that. I enjoyed being part of this as everybody brought really nice stuff and I get to practice my shopping skills without actual exchange of currencies. Hmm.., maybe, time will come that I can play it here with my friends too.

So on New Year’s Day, we are just cooped up in our place, surfing the net for new movies and dramas to download. I installed new software in my phone (I got the Handi TV so that I can watch TV in my phone – how cool is that!) while Ronnel ironed our clothes. He does ironing twice a month now to save power so he ends up with a pile of clothes fortnightly. Since it was New Year and I am a Filipino with superstitious streaks, I cooked pansit (rice noodles) which was deemed to bring prosperity and long life. I also wore polka dots so that money would pour in. Well, I’m not sure how effective this is but my family has been doing this for all the new years and so far, we are all still alive and kicking.

So there, that’s how we celebrated our first Kiwi Christmas and New Year. On Wednesday, both of us will be back at work and will be doing our very best to ensure that the blessings we’ve received so far won’t go to waste. I know Ronnel is now settled in his role and is getting more and more confident everyday. Who knows, he may be the “sifu” just as he was back in Maybank. As for me, I have still so much to learn in my role in BNZ and I am excited to go in full throttle. You know me, when I am into something, I put my whole heart into it. That’s why you have to bear this epic-proportions blog as I couldn’t just tell you what happened with just a few words… I hope you enjoyed my entry and now, you can close your eyes for a bit, they probably need a well-deserved rest…

Pre-Christmas Activities

Up Clause and Personal

It has been a very busy week for us and that means more pictures and stories for you, my blog readers… For starters, last Saturday, Ronnel and I went to the movies. Yup, it is a very very rare occasion for us to go to the movies. Imagine, we were in Malaysia for two whole years and we only went to the movies four times! It’s not that we don’t want to watch movies, in fact, it’s the opposite. We watch movies everyday… at home! Well, thanks to our favourite torrent sites, we get to watch the latest movies at no cost at all, except for the internet connection of course. But of course, watching movies at the movie house offers a different experience so there we were, at Courtney Place’s Reading Cinema, enjoying Tim Allen’s new Santa Clause movie. The movie was really good but maybe we’re biased because we both love Tim Allen, all the way back to his Home Improvement days. Anyway, we thought that Reading Cinema was called that way because there were subtitles or it’s a movie house for the deaf and thanks to Paul, we learned that it wasn’t that, they just called it Reading Cinema, as a brand.

Part-ay!

On Tuesday, BNZ Technology (this is the IT Division of BNZ, just like ISI for BPI and Scope for Standard Chartered) held its Christmas party at the Boatshed-- a multi function hall near the lake. As it was my first official NZ party, I didn’t know what to expect. It was supposed to be a summer theme but the weather wasn’t cooperating so it was hard to wear a sun dress or short shorts. However, since there was an award for the best dressed, some braved the cold weather and wore summer outfits. Our team went to the $2 shop to buy some beach balls and inflatable tubes but it was so funny coz they were for kids and couldn’t really fit our waists. (Ok, I know Wilson and the guys at Scope are already thinking, “Haha, it’s not small, you’re just fat, Einge.” My retort is, “Sorry guys, I’m not fat here, just curvy. And, I know you guys miss teasing me.)

We Gotta Wiiiiiiiii

I guess you would have known by now just by looking at our avatars in YM that we got a Nintendo Wii! Well, it’s actually my Christmas present for Ronnel, knowing that he’s crazy about these game consoles. (He gave me a new battery for my phone and it's a little pricey coz we had to have it shipped from Australia. They dont have it here in NZ. Good thing, he still had some credit left in his Maybank credit card.) Anyway, Ronnel was thinking of getting either the xbox 360 or the Wii and I went for the Wii coz it’s really a different gaming experience. It’s like you’re really bowling or playing tennis and stuff. Ok, for those who have no idea what I am talking about, check this out : http://www.wii.com . Anyway, we pre-ordered the Wii from a local gaming shop, EB Games, as it was scheduled for launch on midnight of December 6. So on Thursday, at around 11 pm, Ronnel and I were at the shop together with other game freaks, queuing to be the first ones in the whole of New Zealand to have the Wii. We had our first Wii game on a Friday night and it was really fun. It’s the first time (ever!) that I beat Ronnel in sports, bowling even! I am very bad at any kind of sports, despite my sporty look. My friends told me that at first glance, they thought I was very athletic but they immediately changed their minds when they saw me play in whatever sports they asked me to. I honestly don’t know why. It’s not that I do it on purpose. I try my very best, I put my whole body and mind into the task, but I still find my face flat on the floor. My P.E. in the university was volleyball, bowling, aikido and cheering (not cheer dancing, but the one where you have to shout and cheer for the team). That was in that order because on my first semester, I wanted to check if my bad luck from high school would carry over to the university. Well, it did. I nearly flunk volleyball because I always miss my serves, I look far away, thinking I hit the ball, when in fact it was just on my foot. I was able to up my score because there was an option to write a thesis about it. I aced the thesis and flunked the practical. In bowling, I had a passing mark but only because my prof took pity on me and gave me a mark for effort. On the third sem, I veered away from balls so I took Aikido. It was still a disappointment. I couldn’t fall correctly and all the energy I could get from my opponent was used against me instead of the other way around. Again, thanks to the thesis requirement, I passed. So for the last semester, I made sure I wasn’t going to involve myself in any kind of activity that requires me to move, thus, I went for cheering. All I had to do there was attend my university team’s games against other schools and cheer for my team. I had a high score in that class. Yay!

Ok, so back to the Wii. Since this wasn’t really sports per se, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I was good at it. Imagine? My score in bowling was 144 points! I remember back in our Scope bowling team, I barely got a 60 and I cried in the washroom because I was ashamed of myself, thinking I pulled my team down and it was all because of me that we didn’t win or something. Of course, my friends told me that it was just a fun game and it didn’t matter if we won or not but I felt bad just the same, and as you all know, I am a cry baby. I cry in the movies, I cry when I read a book, heck, I even cry on those touching TV commercials. Oops. I’m talking about myself again and not the Wii. Anyway, the Wii is a great game. You can create your own character, called the “Mii” and just like an Avatar, make it look exactly like you. Thanks to Nintendo for coming out with this. Because of Nintendo, I have regained my confidence in sports.. hahahaa

Saturday Shopping Stravaganza
Have I told you I met another Filipino friend in BNZ? Well, my boss introduced me to Ate Jojo as they were under the same team years before. Ate Jojo and her family have been in NZ for more than 18 years and they were practically Kiwis. Ronnel and I had lunch with her and a friend of hers last Thursday. It was a filling lunch, from food and stories. We learned a lot as they gave us tips on driving, buying a house and a lot of other things to watch out for in Wellington. She asked me if I wanted to go visit a Filipino store on Saturday. How could I refuse? (Shopaholic mii, remember?) So on a Saturday afternoon, Ate Jojo picked me up from our place. Ronnel was left at home as he was playing with his Wii, I guess he couldn’t accept the fact that he lost to me in bowling. (enter my devil laugh….mwahahaha!) Ate Jojo brought her mom along as we drove to a well known Filipino shop somewhere there (I am geographically challenged). I bought boy bawangs, nagaraya and other Filipino stuff. After that, we dropped by Pak n Save. I guess it was the NZ counterpart for the hypermarts like SM and Carrefoure. But the really cool thing in Pak n Save is that you get to pack your own stuff. I mean you have to bring bags to save on plastic bags, I suppose. I didn’t bring bags so I had to buy from them. I got too caught up in shopping that I didn’t realize I almost filled my cart! In total, I filled 2 bags plus 2 boxes. I knew Ronnel would eat me alive if he saw how many I bought (and how much I spent!) so I sent him an SMS, warning him that I bought enough stuff to last the whole year (well, it was December.. hehehe). We stopped by Johnsonville mini-mall (all malls here are mini-malls for me, waaaah) to have a late lunch and they drove me home. When Ronnel saw how much I bought, he just joked about it. Hmm… I was actually expecting to be reprimanded and I had all these arguments on my defence. I mean, he had to carry about four bags and two small boxes of grocery (Ate Jo even had to help us) and he didn’t scold me or anything? And then I realized why… it was the Wii! He was playing all day and he was in a good mood. I think he mastered bowling already and was ready to take me on anytime. Told ya, the Wii gives a whole new meaning to gaming.

Watch out for my next entry as we will be holding our own team Christmas party. I'll be introducing my new Kiwi friends to the magic of the Filipino Magic Mic!

Filipino Friendship Weekend

How comforting it is to know that we are not the only Filipinos in Wellington, let alone in the respective banks we work in! In BNZ alone, there are about over ten Filipinos and I’ve met most of them. In ANZ, Ronnel has several Filipino officemates but two of them were leaving New Zealand as their contract was finished. So we were invited to attend the farewell party, the despedida, that was held for these two pinoys.

Our First Pinoy Party
It was drizzling a bit when we went to meet Ronnel’s officemate, Philip, in McDonald’s Lambton Quay on a Saturday afternoon. We were a few minutes late since it was a long walk from our place. After meeting Philip at McDo, we dropped by his place for a while to pick up the food they prepared. The party was potluck so everybody had to bring their own contribution. I’m sure you know what I brought. What else could it be but my default time and taste-tested S.E.C. (Special Einge Carbonara)? My carbonara hasn’t failed me when I prepared it for my officemates in BPI (Philippines) and friends in Malaysia. It is palatable regardless of ethnicity and background… and I was hoping that it will get the same reception here. Well, it kinda did. I got one or two nice comments about it but it was better received back in those two Asian countries. It could be the cheese. My secret ingredient (well, it’s not secret anymore coz I’m telling you, right?) is Kraft Eden Cheese and well, they don’t have it here. I even dreamt about one shop that had it. Ok, back to the party. At Philip’s place, we met two other Filipinos. We stopped by another house and on we went to our final destination, the host’s place. The host was a well-known figure in the Filipino community here in NZ. He is the moderator of pinoys2nz yahoo groups and the UP (University of the Philippines) Wellington e-groups. His place was really nice. They told me he bought the area first then designed the house. The party was about to start and Filipinos from different sides of the city were pouring in. There were about 20 of us then, and mostly, aged late twenties and early thirties. It was our age group and it was nice to get to know how fascinating their move to NZ was. It was like the Filipino Diaspora told in different colours. There were lots of food, barbeque, shrimp, chicken, and of course my waiting-to-be-tasted carbonara. They had a sports fest before and we watched the recorded footage of some games they had. And of course, since it is a Filipino party, it was Videoke time! Out came the Magic Mic. Ronnel and I had to undergo an “initiation” rite to start the singing session. We did our rendition of Cher’s “Believe” which we usually sang at home (yup, we too had a magic mic. Haha!). The party ended at about ten but apparently, for some of them, it was just starting. We were invited to go to another house to continue with the Magic Mic session. We went along since we also wanted to spend more time hearing about their experiences in NZ. The stories could be different for each but there was one thing in common – going to NZ was never in their original plan. It was like everything fell into place for them and led them here, much like how it was for us (refer to entry “Finally in NZ.”). They told us that they usually spend their fortnight weekends like this, having fun singing and drinking up to four in the morning. We had to leave a bit early (about 2 am) and they were kind enough to bring us home since we didn’t have a car and we didn’t know how to go home . We were a little embarrassed that we couldn’t stay and it was reminiscent of the times we had in Malaysia. I remember Ronnel and me being called the “Cinderella Couple” because we had to leave parties and gatherings before the clock strikes twelve. I guess the sad experience Ronnel had staying up late before in BPI made us quite mindful of the time we go to sleep. (Side story: Ronnel had a problem with his lymph nodes when he had to work endless nights back in BPI. A big lump grew near his right jaw line and the doctor had to manually extract the pus inside. We were scared that it was a cyst and that he had to undergo biopsy but thank God, it wasn’t. The doctor then advised Ronnel to get enough sleep. Hmmm… come to think of it, Ronnel gets into a lot of weird health problems, doesn’t he? Remember the great tragic Malaysian basketball accident?) Anyway, it’s hard to explain to others that we have to sleep early. Well, technically, it’s just Ronnel, but since we are conjugal, that covers me as well. Plus, Ronnel says he can’t sleep without me by his side. So, we limit our activities to day time and well, we enjoy it that way. Sometimes, I marvel at how much both of us have changed over the years. I remember I was a party girl back when I was in the university. I didn’t stay home much and went out all the time. I was dubbed the “Alanis Morissette” of my org, with my long black wavy hair and groovy clothes. I could down two bottles of Red Horse (the most potent beer on earth) and can still walk straight (oops, hope my parents aren’t reading this). I was active in six different orgs and still manage to show up in class. It did wonders to my system and sometimes, I felt like a zombie – partying at night and clueless at daylight. Ronnel was my exact opposite. He was an ideal student and son. He helped in his family business, was active in his favourite sport (basketball), spent time with his younger brothers and found time to study (although he didn’t really need to, well, except for Accounting. But that’s a loooooong super unrelated story). I guess that’s why a lot of people were surprised when they found out that Ronnel and I were going out. I even heard that there was an on-going bet on how long we would last a couple. (enter Shania Twain, Looks like we made it…) Anyway, where was I? (Sorry, I have this knack of always going off-topic). As I’ve said, I marvel at how much Ronnel and I have changed over the years. I’ve mellowed down while he became a little more outgoing. I didn’t party at night anymore and he learned to appreciate shopping (my fave activity) and going out.

A Sunny Sunday Special
We were late for church on Sunday since we slept late the night before. We make it a point to attend the 9 am mass and we’re usually early coz it’s a little embarrassing to be late. You had to open the big heavy doors of the church and people tend to turn their heads when the door opens. Anyway, today was also a special day since we were meeting Kuya Nestor and his wife, Ate Soc. Kuya Nestor is an officemate of mine in BNZ. I stumbled on his name in an org chart of the Development Team. Looking at his name, I guessed he was a Filipino and decided to call him up. Well, my guess is right. I went to his work place and introduced myself. Apparently, he has been in NZ for the past 16 years and joined BNZ only eight months ago. He has raised his family here and has three wonderful children. He invited me and Ronnel to have lunch at his place so there we were to meet them, on the Sunday morning mass. It was a wonderful day for sight seeing so they drove us along the Oriental Parade, all the way to Island Bay. We passed by the long seaside and saw people on the beaches (there was an Iron man Timex event being held that time). We dropped by the Warehouse (yay, shopping again!) where Ronnel and I bought some stuff for our house. We took the scenic route so it took us about half an hour to get to his place, otherwise, it would have been eight minutes only. It was all worth it. At their home, they both prepared lunch for us. Kuya Nestor barbequed while Ate Soc cooked sinigang and chop suey. It was a very sumptuous lunch, but most of all, we enjoyed their company. They told us stories of how they came to New Zealand and how it was so different sixteen years ago. Kuya Nestor was into gardening so he showed us the different plants he had in his backyard. After lunch, they brought us to the shooting location of Lord of the Rings. I got to appreciate how good a director Peter Jackson is as we saw the different spots used in the film. They also brought us to the LookOut, the highest peak in Wellington, where we could see the whole city. It was a great day out for Ronnel and me. They brought us home and we invited them to our little flat. We had to warn them that they might have to squeeze in and suck in air before they go in coz our flat was really small. We ended doing the very same thing we did the night before – sing with the Magic Mic!

And Darkness Falls
I meant that literally. When Kuya Nestor and Ate Soc left, I started cooking and preparing our food for the coming week while Ronnel did some ironing. I baked banana bread and was preparing our dinner so I switched on the stove. And came a big PLOP! Then everything became dark. The power tripped! Ronnel played around with the fuse box but nothing happened. We couldn’t call anybody coz it was Sunday night. So we had to sleep in the dark. I was particularly concerned about the food that I had just prepared because the fridge has no power and the food inside might get spoiled. Well, to make the story short (coz your eyes are probably tired from reading my looong entry), an electrician came over the next day to fix the main fuse box. And the food was still ok… we had it for lunch today.

Our Firsts in NZ Part Two

October 2006

(Note: If you haven't read my previous entries, I suggest you do so to have a better understanding of my rants and raves, mostly raves though, below.)

Our First Project Runway

Who says what you learned in school can't be used in real life? Well, I'll be the first to say, No-uh! It's about two weeks before Ronnel receives his pay and we were running low on finances. We were holding on to what's left of our pocket money and we had to make the most of what we have. That's why at our flat, we had a lot of improvised stuff--- we had an improvised tabo (please refer to previous entry, "My First Number Two" for full explanation), recycled containers and we shared a toothbrush case (just the container, not the toothbrush itself). We bought some basic items like a quality peeler, ladle, printer and a blender. But for someone like me who loves to cook and bake but hates cleaning up, an apron is an absolute necessity. So we scoured the whole city for a cheap apron and couldn't find any. All aprons cost $30 and above. I couldn't allow myself to spend that much money for an apron though so I had a brilliant idea. Why not make one myself? Ok, so I went back to my 6th grade memories of how to make an apron and I remembered it wasn't that hard. So Ronnel and I went to this textile shop and looked for the cheapest apron material. We found some loose cloth for sale and it was perfect, except for the color-- which was dung brown. But that's ok. I could live with that. And so on a Saturday afternoon, this cute couple, Einge & Nel, were down on the floor, cutting and sewing their first project runway special. Ronnel did the threadin while I did the sewing. When my hands hurt, Nel asked if I could show him the back stitch so he can continue my work. Alas! His back stitch was even straighter than mine. So after three straight hours of toiling, we had made my apron! And it only costs $10, plus I had extra cloth for pot holders and stuff. Nel even wanted me to make him a pair of trousers. Ok, now, let's not go overboard...

My First Office Party

At work, we have lots of tea(m) meetings. It's basically a meeting between teams but with food. I guess it's the same anywhere you go. Food is a great motivator. I remember in Standard Chartered when we had to work on Saturdays and Sundays, our boss then would let us get any food we like. I was the designated order-taker and I was practically the most frequent customer of Dominos. My colleagues and I would order lots and lots of pizza to last the whole day (we were at work usually from day till night) and I was a bit worried that it would cost a lot so I told my boss my concern. I remember her telling me not to worry about the cost coz this is nothing compared to the effort we exerted and for working night and day for this project. I looked at my colleagues then and realized that yeah, food is a great motivator. So back to my real topic. Last Friday was the birthday of one of my officemates in BNZ. We had a small gathering to celebrate her birthday. There was an abundance of wine, cheese, crackers and strawberries. It was the first time I drank champagne at 4 in the afternoon! But the ambience was enough to make me feel it was night time. The people were great. I suppose as anybody would be in a new environment, I still had to adjust. I have to practice my listening skills to understand what everybody was saying and I bet they had a hard time understanding my accent too. But just like how it was in Malaysia, I'm betting that we would "get" each other perfectly as time passes. But in the meantime, I think we'll have to use a lot of "Pardon?, I'm sorry, and Can you say that again?". Sorry for the segue ways again. Now, back to the party. I didn't know the birthday girl too much since it has just been a couple of days since I met her but I believe she'll be as great as all the others at work. I never felt so welcome in my life. I guess for an Asian like me, this is all just overwhelming. It's the first time I received more than three compliments in a day. Just because I did some spreadsheet, I had been called "Super, champion, Great" in different occasions. At first, I didn't know what to say. I actually replied, "You too!" You see, back where I worked (in both banks), we show our appreciation with a mere thank you and that's enough for us, anything more than that would be over the top. So you'd understand why I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the "happy" words I get here. I'm not saying it's better here because I don't think it'll work if we do it in either Philippines or Malaysia. I think people will think you're crazy if you give out too many compliments and they'd think you're insincere. I guess that's sort of a reverse psychology where we work hard so that we can get the boss to part with that oh-so-hard-to-get compliment. Ok, back to the party. My officemates were a fun bunch. Someone played an 80's TV soundtrack cd and it was funny to hear the music from Knight Rider, Doogie Howser and MacGyver. There were free pretend-dance lessons. I learned how to do the big box, little fish dance and could now brave the dance floor anytime. I didn't feel left out even if I was really a newbie. But I also didn't feel patronized just because I was new. I was just there. It was a fun time and surprisingly, I had fun myself. I had doubts and fears on how to mingle with them coz however you look at it, I am different-- not just in color, accent or culture but I guess in a lot of things too. But one thing I'm sure of is that I never felt different when I'm with them. I felt I was blending! And that's a big accomplishment for me.

Our First Pay Check
It was payday! Well, at least it was for Ronnel but not for me. It wasn't my second week yet so I don't get my pay till next week. But that doesn't count coz I don't get to touch it anyway. Ronnel and I had an agreement that my salary will be our savings (down payment for a loan to buy a house) while his salary will be for our daily expenses. That's fine with me since that's what we did back in Malaysia anyway.

It was a big disappointment for the both of us when we found out how much Nel received. Tax was 39% so you could imagine our dismay when we saw his take home pay. All my dreams of getting a new digicam and food processor ended quickly. I had to do some budget re-prioritization. But we were ok with the tax being so much. It was because you really could see where your taxes went. Unlike in the Philippines where the government has to constantly remind us by putting up big billboard of "This is where your taxes go.", here, there is no need to. Remember, the library that was to die for? Plus, all the services here are fast and of quality. It took us only a few days to get our tax number and hopefully, our permanent residency application won't take long too.

Ok, so what was the first thing we did with Nel's pay? We bought pizza! It was no ordinary pizza, I tell you. You see, beside the flat where we lived was a pizza place called "Hell". Everyday for the past few weeks, we would pass by Hell and smell the aroma of pizza. It was absolute torture. People were coming out of Hell with boxes of pure pleasure with devilish grins on their faces. So we promised ourselves that once we have money, we will get one of those devilish grins ourselves. So on a sunny Friday afternoon, we went to Hell and ordered Lust, a pizza with pepperoni and salami on top. On the counter, there was this box of small foil packets. I thought they were chilli sauce or something so I took one. The pizza guy also gave us two so we were really surprised when we saw what was inside. You'll never guess what it was. (Parental Guidance advised) Well, as you're at the edge of your seat, I am going to tell you-- it was a condom. We were perplexed on how a condom and a pizza were related. I mean, does eating pizza make you want to fornicate? No offense or malice intended here-- I am just wondering whether there is a scientific explanation for that. Hmm, now I bet you're wondering what we did after eating the pizza. That's a secret.

My First Fix
I was having withdrawal symptoms. It has been a few weeks now since I've been in a shopping mall. You see, here in the city, there are no big malls. I like the shops, as they are lined up on the streets and very accessible during lunch time. But if you came from a country that has over ten big shopping malls (at least 1000 sqm), then Wellington is a big disappointment. I was getting grouchy already so Ronnel obliged me and told me we were going to Westfield this weekend. I didn't waste time. During lunchtime, I asked my officemates for directions on how to go to Westfield. The guys at work just couldn't get what it is with malls and women. They say it's as if the mall is our turf. For me, its more of a temple. My husband says I have a different aura when I'm in a mall, it's as if I'm in a trance. (note: You might want to read my previous entry, "Confessions of a Shopaholic").

So last Saturday, we woke up early and took a train to Waterloo, which is near the mall. The train ride brought back childhood memories when my grandparents and I took the train to Bicol (my province in the Phils.). The scenery was marvelous. You'll see the sea when you look out the window. Of course my husband's over-excited imagination prompted him to say stuff like what if there was a huge gush of wind that blew the whole train into the sea or there was a collision or something like that. But nothing could dampen my spirit -- I was going to the mall!

It was a long walk from the train station. I could hear my husband saying things like his feet hurt or something. Me? I was just focused on one goal- to get to the mall. While we were walking, we couldn't help but admire the houses. They were typical suburb houses just like those in Wisteria Lane (Desperate Housewives). We talked about having our own home someday. Hopefully, that someday will be eight months from now.

Ok, so now we were a few steps away from the mall. It was different from the malls that we had in the Philippines and Malaysia. First, it wasn't that big. It was like Amcorp in Malaysia or Ever Commonwealth in the Philippines. That was fine with me. It was still a mall. A familiar feeling rushed over me the moment I stepped in the mall. I had my fix. I think my face could have been ripped by how wide my smile was. There was an array of shoe stores, dress shops and book stores. We wanted to eat at the food court but there was no more place to sit so we went to a Japanese restaurant. We bought some household items from the Warehouse (similar to Jaya Jusco / SM) and spent a lot of time at the $2 dollar shop. Best of all, Nel bought me shoes! (Thanks again, Maybank Credit Card.) We went up to the third floor to check what was showing in the movies but we didn't find any that we wanted to see so we decided to go home. That's fine with me. I've had my fix. Hmmm... How long do you think this fix will last?


Our First Outing
Haven't I mentioned enough that the people here are really nice? A proof of that is Ronnel's new office best mate, Paul (I think I mentioned him in my previous entry). Paul offered to bring us to a well known Filipino shop and to show us sea view, which as exactly the name says, is a very nice view of the sea. So on a windy Sunday, after we went to church and bought some fruits and veggies from the market, Paul picked us up from our flat and drove us all the way to Woburn, where the Filipino mart was. Paul was very warm and friendly. He was easy to talk to and he had a sense of humor to boot, so the drive there wasn't boring at all--- although I was worried 'coz he kept on looking at the backseat while I was talking, considering that he was driving. But the road was empty so there were no other cars to fend off. When we got to the store, I quickly searched for the most important ingredient for Adobo-- Datu Puti Vinegar! It costs nearly $3 which was thrice the price in the Philippines but ofcourse when you factor in the tax, cargo expenses and stuff, think $3 is pretty much reasonable. Yay! I would now be able to cook Adobo (although I still couldn't get how my mother in law does her Adobo, mine tastes somewhat different but Ronnel has no choice but to eat it, doesn't he?). I bought bagoong (shrimp paste), balayan (anchovies sauce), laurel leaves and other stuff that I failed to bring from the Philippines. I think I spent almost $30 in that store alone. If Ronnel hadn't looked at me funny, I would have spent more. After that, Paul drove us around Petone and showed us where he used to live, went to school and where he practically grew up. (sidestory: Nel & I were arguing on how to pronounce this- Pet-wan or pe-tow-ni, the latter being my choice. Nel was saying that the first one has more French sound to it so that should be it. So thanks Paul, for clearing that up. It was pe-tow-ni. Just shows that I'm right most of, if not all, the time. Hah!) We had lunch at Cobb n Co, a western cowboy style restaurant, which had a great view of the sea. The food was great, moreso the company. After lunch, Paul brought us to Kmart. We also passed by the Outlet store (I will bug Nel to bring me there someday.) and Johnsonville, which they said, was where most Filipinos in NZ live. It was our first time to have a drive outside Wellington and we had great fun. It made Ronnel temporarily forget about the heap of clothes he had to iron when we get back home. But once at home, we were back to reality, I had to prepare our baon (packed lunches) for the coming week while my dutiful husband had to remove the creases on our clothes. We had a great weekend and we were ready for another week of adventure. Till next week! (Next week, we'll be attending a Filipino party with some of Ronnel's Filipino officemates.)

Our Firsts in NZ

October 2006

Finally, we’re here! After the long agonizing wait, our work visas have been approved by the New Zealand Immigration Service. We are now at a hotel resting from the 12- hour flight from the Philippines. As I’ve promised all those asking us about our “journey” to this beautiful country, I’m ending my hiatus from blogging with this entry.

Ok, so when and how did we start our journey here? It probably started when the promotion in our last jobs in the Philippines didn’t push through. Now that we think about it, it was good that the promotion was delayed, otherwise, we wouldn’t think of leaving the country and we’ll be stuck in the Philippines budgeting and scrimping for food. And so we went to Malaysia since Ronnel received an offer for an analyst programmer position in Maybank. If you are a friend of ours, you have probably heard of the freak accident he got into and the traumatic experience we both underwent. But with God’s grace, we pulled through and I even landed a great job in Standard Chartered as a business analyst. At first, I wasn’t that excited about being a business analyst, especially in Loans division. My dream was to be a project manager, just as what I was in back in the Philippines. To top it off, the systems was of a dinosaur age compared to the hi-tech ones we had in Internet Banking. Soon, I realized that mainframe was our ticket to success. And so I shelved my project management dreams and focused on being a good business analyst. I believe I did ok in that field and eventually, I enjoyed being a BA. Ronnel was being himself in its truest form. He was good at what he did and taught himself a lot of things. After a year at work, he was deemed one of the sifus (master) in Maybank as he was consulted with Cardpac matters.

We had it great in Malaysia. We even thought of settling there for good so we asked around on how we could be permanent residents. As it turned out, it wasn’t that easy. An officemate of mine who was non-Malaysian is still a non-resident and considered a foreigner despite being married to a Malaysian for almost over ten years. Upon my contract renewal in January, I then requested for me to be converted to a permanent staff. Although I’m reassured that my contract would be renewed every year, it is still disconcerting to know that one too many lousy moves can spark a pre-termination of my contract. As I’ve told my ex-bosses during my exit interview, having a permanent position would ensure my husband and me that at least one of us was secure. After the long fight with management, management told me that it was a no go. They told me and the rest of the contract staff in our team who wanted to be permanent as well, that it was against HR policy to convert and there was no precedent for it. (But I'd like to give credit to my boss Chooi Lai and Wai Hong then who were really fighting the battle for me, pushing management to make me perm. Even when I tendered my resignation, I was asked if I still wanted to try another round but I refused, not wanting them to go through the whole ordeal again.) By then, Ronnel and I decided that we had to look for a way out. We quelled our dreams of starting a family and looked for other possibilities. We explored several options – Canada, US, Australia and the last resort was to go back to the Philippines and look for a better offer. But for me, that wasn’t an option at all. I love my country but I am not a hypocrite. I know that we wouldn’t be able to give our future children the life that they deserve if we stayed there. We could barely pay the bills when we were there especially since we had a huge condo amortization, how would be able to feed another mouth? Our best bet was Australia. It was my dream to go there ever since probably because I adored Steve Irwin so much from watching Animal Planet (God bless his soul). Ronnel started researching about how we could go there and found out that it wasn’t so simple. Plus, the job market wasn’t that active for mainframe. We looked at the map and we saw this small country beside it. New Zealand. The first thing that came into my mind was milking cows and roaming sheep. It probably is the same with you guys. When everybody heard that we were going to New Zealand, I got all these comments about what will we do there, whether we are going to count sheep or anything. We try not to be offended since most of the comments were in jest anyway. So back to my story… Ronnel searched the job market in New Zealand and found a handful of job openings for mainframe programming BUT (yes, a big but) you had to be in New Zealand to qualify for the job. So we tried another way, Ronnel submitted his application for permanent residency online (just visit immigration.govt.nz for details) but we were not selected because apparently, despite working in IT, his major wasn’t Computer Science so we just didn’t have enough points. At first, we were disheartened because we were back at square one. But we couldn’t give up, we already invested time, effort and money (yes, registering for PR costs a lot) and wasn’t about to give up that easily. And so every day for two consecutive months, Ronnel would check the job sites (jobstuff.co.nz/seek.co.nz) if there were new openings that would consider him. He continued to submit his CV and the response rate was less than 10% and the responses weren’t too good. They all wanted us to be there first before entertaining us. And so that’s what we did. We decided to go there and personally check out the job market. It was a high risk for both of us but we just thought of it as our second honeymoon trip in case things didn’t work out. We applied our leaves and made arrangements for our travel to NZ. At that same week, Ronnel got a positive reply from one of the sites where he submitted his CV. They wanted to interview him. Prior to that, some other headhunters were also interested in meeting us. Ronnel got the call from his interviewers a week before we were scheduled to go to NZ. Ronnel thought that the job interview was a disaster. He had trouble understanding their accents and the phone reception was bad but I think he did great, and so did his interviewers since they wanted to meet him on our trip to NZ.

And so with nothing but prayers and a bag full of hopes and dreams, we trudged to New Zealand to make the first step in achieving a better future. We only had more than a week to do what we had to do. We succumbed to God’s grace and knew that whatever was going to happen was all according to His plans. All the odds were against us primarily because we were non-residents but we went through the meetings anyway. It was the height of the winter season when we arrived in the last week of July. When we met Ronnel’s future bosses in ANZ National Bank, we were ecstatic. He was a Malaysian who was residing in NZ for more than ten years with his family. We knew that this was God’s gift to us. Ronnel’s boss knew exactly how we felt. He shared how he and his wife went to NZ and decided to stay here for good. We shared with him our plans of doing the same thing. I think at this point, Ronnel’s IT background and experience was already a done deal. It was just a matter of whether he had the qualities to fit in and adjust in a new environment. We went through some other interviews with headhunters and that went fine too. At that time, I also had an interview with Bank of New Zealand. They had an opening for a project manager at that time and I applied for it but I was told that I still lack the experience to be a PM but if I was interested, I could apply for the Senior Business Analyst contract position that they had. I went through the interview with HR and I liked the job. It was similar with what I was doing in Standard Chartered but more challenging since the position dealt with multiple applications. On day 3 of our trip, both Ronnel and I were already jittery because we were both waiting for a call back. Ronnel was the one who first got a call. He received a job offer and they gave him what he asked for. My call soon came and I was asked to go for another interview. This time it would be with the team that I’ll be joining. The interview went well. I liked my interviewers at sight. I felt genuine warmth and sincerity all throughout the interview and I hoped that the feeling was mutual. But whatever the outcome of my interview was just an icing on the cake. Our cake was in Ronnel’s hands. He got the job and it was a permanent position. He updated our previous PR application and our points increased. With these extra points, we were selected and we received an invitation to apply for a PR in NZ. We couldn’t believe what was happening. It was like our future flashed into our minds and we walked in the park hand in hand with silly grins on our faces. I pictured myself holding our chubby baby with red cheeks and curly locks. Everything was falling into place.

We went back to Malaysia and did what we had to do. We spoke with our respective bosses and relayed what has happened. Their reactions were a mix of surprise, happiness (for us) and disappointment (for losing us). Everything was a flurry by then. Ronnel’s contract was ending soon so he didn’t need to wait long before he went back to the Philippines. He had to go first to make quick arrangements for our Visas. I had to stay back for a while since I had to keep my 1 month notice. We estimated that everything would be done by two weeks only. When Ronnel was in the Philippines, I got the call from BNZ and I got the job as well. Things couldn’t be sweeter. After several farewell lunches and dinners, I had to say goodbye to the great friends I had in Malaysia. I bid my last farewells to my bosses and packed my backs and headed back to my husband’s arms.

Visa processing was however not that easy. We had to go through a battery of medical exams and a series of documentations. What’s more, I had to prove that we were a real couple so I scoured for our old love letters and pictures and included those for submission to immigration. Our medical exams came back and we were told that since they had some findings, they had to send our papers to New Zealand for further review. That would be a four-week wait. After four weeks, Ronnel was asked to go for another medical test. The results had to be sent to NZ again. That would be another four weeks. Our two-week processing plans became two months. We were again blessed when our respective future employers agreed to move our start date to wait for us. We knew that the positions were immediate but they decided to wait for us. That is a real blessing. It is another indication that our bosses would be great to get along with. But we were getting frustrated just the same. It was like our dreams being just at an arm’s length but we couldn’t stretch further to reach it. When we sat down and thought about it, we realized that it was God’s way of letting us spend time with our families. I had a little sister to tend to. My father and brother probably miss me a lot. He had his family to be with. And so we did just that. I stayed with my little sister for a few days and I realized how I missed being a big sister. I took care of her when she was growing up and it brought tears to my eyes to see her as a young pretty lady. She was growing up to be a real beauty (of course, same genes, remember?). Ronnel and I also stayed a lot in his parents place. I got to spend more time with them and I realized how I missed having a whole complete family just like what I used to have years back. We also spent our time with Jack Bauer as we marathoned the entire season of 24. When we finished with Jack, we watched House, Grey’s anatomy and Korean series. Thanks to my friends at BPI, we had this constant source of entertainment to keep our frustration for the long wait at bay.

Since I submitted my visa weeks later than Ronnel, I was expecting to be approved later as well. So we thought that Ronnel had to go to NZ all by himself. It was already mid October and we were worried that our employers would lose patience waiting for us. It was Saturday, October 14, when the visa officer called. We were not home and my mother in law just relayed the message to us. Ronnel was asked to go the immigration office the following Tuesday. There was no reason given. We felt a mix of joy and fear at that point. We so hoped that it was what we’ve long been waiting for but we were also scared that the medical findings might be serious and he’ll be asked to go for another test or so. Our fears were put to rest when on Monday, Ronnel received an email from his boss. Apparently, his boss was already contacted by our visa officer and was told that Ronnel will be given a two year work visa. He can then proceed to submit his PR application upon arrival in NZ. We went to the immigration office the next day. I was happy that he was finally approved but sad at the same time since he’ll be leaving without me. I still had to wait for my visa to be approved. I told myself it was better that way since I had more time to spend with my own family. When we went to the office on Tuesday, Ronnel told the officer at the window that he was there to pick up his passport and I was there to follow up on my visa. We were surprised to see the officer hand us both our passports. This could mean only one thing. I was going with him to NZ! Ronnel kissed my forehead in glee right there and then in front of the other visa applications. It was PDA but the hell we care, we were going to NZ!!!

It was a flurry of activity for everybody in our last days in the Philippines. We only had four days left before we leave. We couldn’t make our employers wait another day longer. We owed them that much. God was with us every step of the way then. What normally takes days to process, we did in half a day. It was against my principles to use my father’s connections but we were in a dire situation so we had no choice. We had to get our Overseas Exit Clearance fast. When we arrived in POEA, there were about two hundred people about to attend the seminar. We attended this before and so we knew what to expect. We were hoping to skip the seminar and just get our OEC’s. It was another blessing that we came across a friend of my father who was working in there. She wasn’t a mere employee, she was the head and so she called the shots. She assigned a staff to assist us and in a few minutes, we had our OEC’s. Another hurdle we overcame was the availability of seats bound to NZ. Apparently, all the seats in Qantas have been booked. We wanted Qantas over PAL and other airlines since we had a chance to bring 40 kilos each of luggage. It wasn’t enough to bring all our things but it would do. The only confirmed booking was on November 2. That was too far along. We had about three travel agencies helping us with our travel arrangements. One of them confirmed the booking for Saturday, October 21 but there was a hitch, we could only bring 20 kilos each. That wouldn’t do. My perfumes and cosmetics alone were already ten kilos. We begged the travel agency officer to help us make arrangements. We were told that only migrants were allowed to bring 40 kilos each. Since we were only holding work visas (not resident visas), we only had 20 kilos. We then implored her to do the best that she could to give us that extra 20 kilos. Again, God helped us. A few hours after I spoke with our travel agent, we got the message that our 40 kilos request was granted. Life was sweet.

In the last four days, we shopped for clothes. It would be a complete wardrobe overhaul since it would be freezing in NZ if we went there with our usual sandos and shorts. Ronnel had to wear a suit to work (I can’t keep my eyes off him in a suit just like in our wedding day) and I suppose I had to wear the same thing as well. We bought shoes and thick socks to match. Everything was going as planned. It was unfortunate though that my father was leaving for a business trip on Friday and he won’t be able to send us off when we leave on Saturday. We had a farewell dinner on Thursday instead. My father, brother, sister, Ronnel and I had buffet dinner and stuffed ourselves with enough food to last the year. It was like we were also stuffing ourselves with memories to last several years. It would be a long time before we would be able to sit on a table together again. I had to say goodbye to my mother via phone only since she was also out of the country.

On Friday, we had another farewell dinner and invited both sides of the family. Ronnel’s family was so extended, it took up three tables. They were a happy bunch. I knew that I was in good hands with them. Most of my relatives were in Bicol so I only had one table to fill. We were happy, we felt how everyone was happy for us and it shone through the room.

When the day came, we couldn’t describe our feelings. We were sad that we were leaving in a hurry and that we won’t be able to be with our families anymore. I was sad that I didn’t have enough time to spend with my little sister. I hope that she reads the long letter I wrote her once in a while to remember me by. Together with Ronnel’s family, we left their home at around 2 pm. It was hours before our 8:30 pm flight but Ronnel just wanted to make sure. We had to fetch my sister, aunt and brother who wanted to send us off as well. We brought two cars to accommodate everybody. It was a good thing that we left early because we came across several obstacles. First, was our car’s tire had a minor puncture so air was coming out. It wasn’t a full flat tire yet so we could still drive to my father’s place to replace it with another car. Second, on our way to my brother, my in-laws’ car got hit by a cab. Good thing it was minor but we had to wait for a while to call in the police and report the incident. Thank God for insurance. At this point, we lost that extra hour cushion that we had. When we picked up my brother, we changed cars and so that solved the probable flat tire problem. We arrived at the terminal early and unloaded our luggage. On our way in, we were told that we were in the wrong airport. What’s that law again? Something about things are bound to go wrong once it starts going wrong.

We were now at the correct terminal. We made sure of that. When we went in, I knew that there was another thing that was bound to go wrong. I was just waiting for the shoe to drop. It dropped sooner that I thought. Our luggage was over by 21 kilos. I didn’t want to pay excess (Imagine, AUD 24 for each kilo? No way!) So we had to start unpacking and unloading stuff from our puffy ready-to-burst luggage. So imagine me with my bottom on the floor of the wide terminal lobby, with our luggage open and sprawled on the floor. Quick decisions must be made and things had to be discarded. I had to remove clothes, some cleaning items and some shoes. Good thing, my in-laws were still outside waiting for us to leave. I sprinted like I never sprinted before, running here and there to deliver things out of the airport. There was no room for embarrassment as people looked on what was happening with this husband and wife with several bags open in the middle of the terminal. After several re-weighs, we were still out by over ten kilos. Another passenger offered her help. I asked her if she could bring some of our stuff in. She said yes. Thank God. I was ashamed for a while to think that she might run away with the bag so I gave her a full plastic bag of dried mangos and sinigang mixes to bring. But it was a situation that asks for trust and so, I gave her that. She was with her husband and kids bound to Australia and so she had lots of extra kilos to spare. The battle with the luggage was finally over and so I told my in-laws that they didn’t have to expect me sprinting out of the terminal anymore with another batch of unloaded stuff. But even with our check in luggage, we still had our hand carries to worry about. Ronnel had his back pack full of documents and our beloved Magic Sing Mic. I had this humongous red bag and two more small bags. We both were wearing two jackets and it was scorching hot. I knew we looked funny but there was no time for laughter. But I think the Qantas officer found it funny so he allowed us to go in with all those stuff.

When we went in, as usual, security was strict. I was scared that they’d spot my pirated mp3’s CD’s of OPM and Taebo. Those two CD’s are the dearest to me and I couldn’t let go of them, especially since it was my brother who gave me the OPM CD. When we were about to board the plane, the other passenger who helped us with our stuff approached us. She was worried that she won’t see us anymore when we land in Sydney so she gave us the plastic bag that I asked her to bring. I thanked her profusely and chastised myself for doubting her one bit.

Finally, we were on board. It was going to be a long flight but neither of us had the energy to talk. We were too absorbed in our thoughts. We prayed the rosary for a while and went back to thinking about our future. Soon, it was Sydney, our stop over. We had to wait a few hours before our next flight to Wellington so I did what I loved to do – shop! Duty free had a promotion so I took advantage of it. My husband was in a good mood and so he indulged me. When we arrived Wellington airport, we were greeted by a wonderful surprise. The immigration officer inspecting our passports was Filipino! He asked where we’ll be working and wished us all the best. He was really friendly. Galing ng pinoy! At the customs area, we were asked to declare all food and other biological stuff we brought from the Philippines. I was worried they’d ask me about the atsuete and sinigang mix since I didn’t know what it was called in English. Good thing, they didn’t ask too much questions.

So we’re here now in our hotel room, rested and ready to hunt for apartments. Tomorrow is Ronnel’s first day at work while I will be viewing some apartments. I will start work on Monday, October 30.

With everything that has happened, we always knew that there was a divine force that guided us through all of this. I am glad I’m married to a man whose faith is deeply rooted as mine. I know going overseas is not always the answer and the way to a better future, but this is it for us. We will be spending the rest of our lives here and we will definitely make the most out of it. God lead us here for a reason. I promised Him that we’ll be active in church. We had been eyeing one of the churches here and we plan to check it out soon. It’s a small price to pay for everything that we have received so far. I know that our journey doesn’t end here. We plan to start a family soon, buy a house, a car, not in that order, of course.

To those who wish to follow the same path we’ve chosen, I cannot guarantee you’ll end up where we are now. Note that everything that has happened to us caught us by surprise as well. It was all a combination of hard work, sheer luck and prayers. And always believe in karma or that golden rule where you do not do unto others yada yada. That’s one thing my husband and I have in common (despite all our differences) and I admire him more for that. In times where we are tempted to do something wrong, he always tells me to ask ourselves, “Is it worth selling our soul to the devil?” It may sound trite but this has helped us veer away from serious stuff. We are not sinless of course, especially me. I have had several enemies along the way, too many to count and because of my husband, I learned to be more tolerant and understanding of others. I am glad that I had made peace with my last sort-of enemy. We will never be good friends anymore but at least we were able to smile at each other again. It is one thorn plucked from my heart and I can sleep better at night. Okay, enough of this. I’m beginning to preach when I have no right to do so. So there you go, that’s the whole story of our journey to this land of the kiwis. We were able to achieve our goal and I hope that God blesses you the same way. 

Just R&R

April 2006

Tonight, I’d like you to close your eyes. Imagine that you are inside your dream house. It could be the two-storey house that you’ve always dreamt of as a child. Or that wide space condo unit that you’ve wanted to have. It could be homey, with the scent of family and newly-baked cookies. Or it could be that high tech posh space with Plasma TV and high-end technology. It’s your choice. It’s your dream house. You go to the living room and admire your surroundings. You go to the kitchen and see a bounty of food prepared to satiate your hunger. And then you go decide to go outside to breathe some fresh air, you open the door. Now, kindly open your eyes. You open your eyes and you see this. (show picture of mountainous garbage) This is what’s outside your dream house--- a mountainous collection of garbage. The stench will mingle with the flavorful smell of your food. The stinky liquid will seep into your front door and creep into your living room. Soon, it will be crawling into your house as the volume increases and your dream house transforms into a nightmare. Dramatic isn’t it? But it can happen, you know. And it has happened. Real people have woken up next to wastelands. You could be next. So what can we do prevent this? What else, but RECYCLE! Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Too corny. Too much effort. Too stressful. Not really. You don’t need to go to extremes and make your own compost pit or re-use toilet paper. What I’m going to give you are simple tips in recycling that even your 6-year brother or sister can easily follow. There are two ways of recycling --- R & R. One is to re-sell and the other is re-use. Let’s talk about what items you can re-sell. Resell, because the item is sold once and you’re selling it again, although it’s not at its orginal state. Well, when you look at your own place, there could be a lot of things to sell – old newspapers, magazines and bottles. There are shops that buy broken appliances. When you sell, you not only help reduce the garbage but you earn money too. If you feel generous, you can go the extra mile and donate your old clothes, shoes or bags to Salvation Army or any charitable organization. I believe there are lots of old folk’s homes here. So what happens to these items when you sell them? They are refurbished to make it into something useful again. Empty glass bottles and jars can be recycled to make things like decorative paving and aggregate for asphalt or swimming pool filters, as well as new glass jars and bottles. Newspapers are recycled into paperboard, new newsprint, insulation and animal bedding products. Empty aluminium drink cans are sent overseas for recycling and can be recycled again and again. Recycled aluminium cans are sorted, crushed and baled into "bricks" for transporting. These bricks are fed into a hot furnace where the aluminium melts and the melted aluminium is then cast into smaller ingots which are processed into new aluminium cans. Steel cans that have contained anything from baked beans to fruit cocktail, pet food or soup can be recycled to make new cars and bridges The other way to recycle is to re-use these items yourself. In the office, when you print, try printing front and back. If it cant be help, you can use the unprinted back portion for scribbling notes. You can be a little creative and turn it into a new notebook. When you order dinner, you can wash and re-use the plastic containers for your take away food. When shopping, you will have several plastic bags. If you can use just one big bag, do so. Otherwise, keep all the plastic bags and use as to cover your rubbish bins. I will show you an easy way of folding your plastic bags so that you can keep them in an orderly manner. First, flatten the bag. Fold it in half lengthwise. Fold it again. Then fold the edge into a small triangle until it reaches the edge. Then clip the last fold so that it won’t get lose. There, just like that. Now, you know how to fold your shopping bags. It just takes less than one minute! Following either of the two ways to recycle is your choice. It’s simple to remember… To recycle, just R and R.. Resell or Re- use. You can follow choose to re-sell or re-use. It could even be your choice to continue with your wasteful ways and opt not recycle. But I tell you, don’t blame me, if one day, you open the door of your house and a pile of garbage come rolling down to your face. Your dream house can really turn into a nightmare. So better do something about it now, before it’s too late…

Confessions of a Shopaholic

March 2006

Do you feel your heart beat faster when you see this 4-letter word plastered on shop windows? Do you feel nauseous around October during the nationwide Mega sale? Then, be prepared. You might be suffering from the same disease that I have. The clinical term for this disease is Compulsive Shopping Addiction or Shopaholism and the one who has acquired this disease is called a “Shopaholic”. Yes, I am a Shopaholic. I am at a stage where I am battling with this disease and hopefully, eventually, be cured of it. But first, how do you know if you are a Shopaholic? There are several criteria in determining if you have Shopaholism. In the US, patients undergo several interviews and even go through hypnosis to determine what stage in the disease. Basically, there are the 10 questions that you must ask yourself. 1 or 2 Yeses are still acceptable for a normal shopper. 3–5 is already a case of mild Shopaholism. 6 onwards is a cause for alarm.

1. Do you shop when you are upset or depressed?

2. Do you buy things you don’t really need?

3. Do you have multiple credit cards with high outstanding amounts?

4. Do you feel excited when shopping, but depressed or anxious at a later point.

5. Do you have many unopened and unused items at home?

6. Do you lie about the amount of money you have spent?

7. Do you continue to shop even if you are in debt?

8. Have your shopping sprees caused issues in your relationships?

9. Do you think often about money and shopping?

10. Do you feel that your shopping has become out of control?

I took the test myself and found that I have answered Yes to 4 questions. Sadly and reluctantly, I have to accept that I am inflicted with this disease. I only discovered that I had this disease when I came across Sophie Kinsella’s novel, Confessions of a Shopaholic. I related so much with the character that I began to reflect on whether I had the same problem. It bothered me so much so I logged on the Internet to search on Shopaholism. Never did I expect to find such information! A group of doctors from Stanford University is doing a study on how many are suffering from this disease. Shopaholism is clinically defined as a psychological disease "motivated by 'irresistible' impulses, characterized by spending that is excessive and inappropriate, has harmful consequences for the individual, and tends to be chronic and stereotyped." Compulsive shoppers "binge buy" -- most often clothes, shoes, makeup, and jewelry -- and then suffer intense guilt. That, in turn, helps trigger another frenzied trip to the mall, and the cycle continues. The study came up with the statistics that one out of 20 is suffering from this disease. You might think that it only afflicts women, but no, there are several reported cases of men Shopaholics. If women concentrate on clothes, shoes, jewelries and fashion accessories, men shopaholics tend to buy CD’s, car accessories, electronics and other gadgets. But you may ask, so what if I am a Shopaholic? As long as I have money to buy, then it’s my problem right? I tell you, it’s not as simple as that. There was a time that I had to think of side businesses to keep up with my shopping habits. It brought out the entrepreneur in me but I was stressed out. There have also been reported cases of broken marriages due to Shopaholism. One patient got fired from her job because she spent most of her time doing online shopping. There are other people who neglect their children and park them in the mall constantly because that is what they need to feed their habit. In my case, our marriage was threatened by this compulsion. My husband often scolded me before for shopping too much. There’s this formula that I use when he asks me about how much I spent shopping. It’s the Actual Price divided by two times the current inflation rate. Let’s just say that the price is sheer fiction. Even now, I am occupying 2/3 of the whole kitchen since I had lots of supply. Some ingredients are near expiration date, as I never get to use them. There was a time I had a compulsion to shop for matching items. I wanted to follow the Matching Principle, you see. It means my blouse should match my pants and my bag should match the color of my belt and shoes. When I was in the Philippines, I had a whole cupboard full of matching items and it was a dilemma for me on how to bring everything here. I ended up having excess baggage. Studies are still being done to find out the root cause of this disease. Some say it is triggered by depression. Some say it is due to environment we live in. For me, I think it is hereditary. My mom is an even worse Shopaholic than I am. When she buys clothes, she buys 5 of the same item in different colors. When I was little, we went grocery shopping every week—and we buy the same items every time. No wonder, at one time, we had 20 cans of sardines and 10 bags of sugar. I grew up in that environment, thinking that buying like that was normal. It is only now that I realize that it is a problem. My mom is now facing some financial problems as her income has not been able to cope with her spending. I am scared that I might face the same problem one day. When she had to part with her belongings, she was able to raise a big amount of money. She was able to fill up a whole warehouse with her belongings. I realize that I don’t want to reach that kind of stage someday, where I have to part with my wonderful things because I am broke. So what should we Shopaholics do to be cured of this disease?

Well, there are some simple steps to follow:

(1) Get rid of your credit cards, checkbooks, and ATM cards before you go shopping. Use only cash.

(2) If you spot something that you would like to purchase, never allow yourself to purchase it on the spot. Instead, walk away and give yourself a “mandatory waiting period” (or if you must-- ask the store to hold it for you. Most stores will hold items for their customers for at least a day). If you still want the item in a few days, then you can go back and make your thought-out purchase.

(3) Make a budget and put it on paper. Give yourself some “mad money” for each month, and do not allow yourself to purchase anything that is not in the budget.

(4) Write down everything you purchase for two weeks; groceries, gas for your car, the electric bill, and even that candy bar from the vending machine! This will make your more conscience of where your hard-earned dollars are going. Being more aware of your spending will also make your more in control.

(5) If you are overwhelmed with debt, contact a credit-counseling agency. There are several non-profit organizations whose goal is to get your out of debt. They will help you consolidate your bills into a smaller monthly payment, and get your credit report in good standing once more.

If you are suffering from a serious case, then you can go to a doctor and he might prescribe you with inhibitor drugs such as Prozac. Yes, there are even drugs for this disease now. It is that serious. So, are you going to be the next Imelda Marcos with her 3,000 pairs of shoes or Princess Diana with her large collection of clothes? Have you even admitted to yourself that you are a potential Shopaholic? Decide now before it’s too late…

It Matters

March 2006

Have you ever felt insignificant in your life? Ever had the feeling that you don’t exist? That what you do doesn’t matter at all? Don’t fret. Everybody has felt this at one point in his life. As a human being, it is in our nature to toil with thoughts of insignificance throughout life. I had the same thoughts when I joined Scope a year ago. I had no friends. I knew nobody. And I was stationed in Menara Axis where there were no Filipinos at all. My work didn’t make me feel any better. I was working as a temporary administrator – which is just another word for a gofer. Go for this. Go for that. Email this. Email that. I was working as that because I had no choice. I had to or my husband and I would have nothing to eat – literally. It was the time when he got into an accident and he had to stop work and depend on me for a while. I felt so insignificant, so small since I couldn’t do anything more. My CV didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter that I was a Project Manager in my previous company or that I used to negotiate deals with executives from foreign banks. I could step no further. I was given this simple job and I had to do it right. But oh, I felt so small. I felt depressed. I had so little things to do then. I finished doing all those administrative tasks and don’t have anything to do so I surfed the Internet and came across this story. It was a story that changed my view on lowly jobs. It goes like this: One day the different parts of the body were having an argument about which should be in charge. The brain said "I do all the thinking so I'm the most important and I should be in charge." The eyes said "I see everything and let the rest of you know where we are, so I'm the most important and I should be in charge." The hands said "Without me we wouldn't be able to pick anything up or move anything. So I'm the most important and I should be in charge." The stomach said "I turn the food we eat into energy for the rest of you. Without me, we'd starve. So I'm the most important and I should be in charge." The legs said "Without me we wouldn't be able to move anywhere. So I'm the most important and I should be in charge." Then the rectum, or that little hole in the ass, said, "I think I should be in charge." All the rest of the parts said "YOU?!? You don't do anything! You're not important! You can't be in charge." So the rectum closed up. After a few days, the legs were all wobbly, the stomach was all queasy, the hands were all shaky, the eyes were all watery, and the brain was all cloudy. They all agreed that they couldn't take any more of this and agreed to put the rectum in charge. The moral of the story? There’s no such thing as an insignificant role. Everybody has a part to play in this grand thing we call life. I looked at my job differently then. So what if I did nothing from 9 to 6 but forward emails? So what? It was still a job that was delegated to me and I had to do my best. I believe that outlook has paved the way for where I am now. My supervisor then saw my potential and recommended me to RLS. In RLS, I also started that way. I did nothing but log problems, do minutes of meeting and attendance. It didn’t matter to me. It was a job that I have to do and I had to give my best. I didn’t think much of the fact that I was underemployed and underpaid. I was still in a stage that I had to prove myself to them. This year, they had renewed me and gave me more responsibility. I believe I have garnered their trust and confidence—enough for them to make me RLS’ sole business analyst. I have made friends within the team. I had made friends with other Filipinos as well. I can proudly say I don’t feel I’m insignificant now. But I would have never reached this place if I had dwelt on my feeling of insecurities and insignificance a year ago. This is what I want to share with you all. It is alright to feel insignificant, it is natural, even. But what is not right, is to let this affect how you work and how you deal with others. Honestly, I still have these feelings sometimes. It is a fact that I am a businessperson trying to survive in the world of programmers. But so what? So what if like the ass hole, we do the dirty stuff? Do you think we will survive if our cleaning ladies didn’t attend to our toilets? How do you think the city will survive without the garbage collectors and septic tank companies? Just think about this. No matter what kind of work you do. It matters. It really does.

Relationship Stages

February 2006

Tonight, I’d like to talk about something Universal. It goes beyond race, age educational background or social class. It’s this little thing that we call Love. Now there are several types of love. You have the love between a mother and child. Love between siblings. Love between friends. And the most interesting of all, is the love between a guy and a girl. It is so interesting that almost everything refers to it--- Movies, music, paintings and books. Since it’s such a broad topic, I’d like to narrow it down by talking about the fun stuff—the love between a guy and a girl before they jump into marriage. You see, I have a hobby of observing people. In my previous speech, I mentioned about reading signatures. I even mentioned about fortune telling. Well, now, I’m sharing with you my discoveries after observing the people around me who have been struck by cupid’s arrow. It doesn’t matter if you’re sweet sixteen or near-death ninety. When you fall in love, you just fall—whether there’s someone to catch you or not. But of course, everybody in this room will agree with me, that it’s better to fall with somebody who has fallen for you as well. So let’s talk about that, love that’s mutual. From my past experiences and from my observance of friends and family around me, I have concluded that there are five stages of love between a guy and a girl before they get married. Let’s start with the first stage, Stage “F” or Friends. Of course, there’s always love at first sight but even then you still have to get to know the person first, right? So you start off being friends. It could be a sincere act of wanting to be friends or maybe you already have the hots for the guy but it’s always the first step to “reach” that person. You go out with a group of friends, enjoy common hobbies and interests and eventually get to know each other. Now, if you both like what you see, you start opening to each other more—share problems, dreams and fears. You begin to take special care of that person and put him in a higher position than your other friends. Then you advance to the second stage, “SF” or Special Friends. Special Friends are those who care for each other more than they mean or want to. You tend to do things with out thinking first. This is the scariest stage since you don’t know whether what you’re feeling is friend love or that other kind of love. This is the stage where most friendships fail since the love is unrequited. But let’s not talk about sad things. Let’s say the feeling is mutual but you just don’t know that it’s there. At this day and age, guys are not the only one who can make the first move. We girls can do it too but be careful that you don’t put the guy off or you’ll never get to the succeeding stages. We girls can subtly make moves where you can persuade the guy to make the first moves. It’s part of our charms. I’ve seen my girl friends do such things and I think I have done some moves in my younger years too. But be very careful. We girls should never assume. This has been the downfall of some, because they assumed the guy liked them. You see, you can never say a guy likes you UNLESS he says it in front of you. Now, once one of you drops hints of liking the other, then you can openly talk about it. But the thing is, you are not sure just yet. I mean, it could possibly be that you’re always together and you’ll naturally feel attached. So you both go on to the next stage – “SO”. Secret On or commonly known as MU- Mutual Understanding. It’s the stage where you are sure that you’re not just friends but you’re not quite sure if you’re ready for a commitment. So you decide to keep it to yourselves so that it’s not that embarrassing if you break it off after a week or so. This is the stage where you feel oh so lovey-dovey but can’t tell anyone yet since you promised each other not to. This is the discovery stage too, where you sort out your feelings on whether you wish to proceed to the next level which is “ON”. “ON” is the stage where you go steady. Here, you can shout out to the rest of the world that he is your guy and you’re his girl. You can go HHWWSST – which is short for Holding Hand While Walking Swaying Swaying Too. In this stage, you are the apple of his eye and your world will probably revolve around him. This is the stage where you feel high or drugged, where you are oblivious to the things happening around you and you feel like you’re floating in mid-air. This is where your face glows and you feel more beautiful than ever. You’re wearing an expression that says “I AM IN LOVE and I’m the luckiest girl or guy in the world.” You continue on like this for a couple of weeks, even months but reality sets in and it’s time for you to decide whether you wish to advance to the next level which is SR-- “Serious Relationship.” This is the stage where you see your partner as a real person. Time is a key ingredient in this stage. By time, I don’t mean just quantity but quality as well. It doesn’t count that you’ve been steady for ten years but you just see each other once a year. In this stage, your partner steps down from that pedestal you put him in and you see him as who he or she really is. You either find out that his feet smells or that she spends five hours in a salon. Here, you get a reality check and contemplate on whether you are ready to spend the rest of your nights sleepless beside a guy who snores or with a girl whose mother you cannot stand. It is in this stage where you ask yourself, are you ready to take the plunge to marital vows? If you are, then good luck! There is still a lot of stages in marital life and all those rings – engagement ring, wedding ring, suffering, boring. But that’s another story altogether. But it could be also in this stage that you realize that he or she is not the “One” and that you can’t go on with the SR stage. And so you break if off. If this happens, you’re back in Stage 1. And the cycle continues. Now, you ask me, what is the relevance of knowing all these stages? Well, knowing these stages can help you in your current or future relationships. With this knowledge, you can identify what stage you are in and if you are ready to move on to the next level or not. But don’t take these stages seriously since they’re not clear cut. Some relationships skip all stages 1-4 and just jump to Stage 5 and succeed. Some relationships go through all stages and in the end back to stage 1 with somebody else. I am no expert. I am just someone who have gone through these five stages --- enjoyed them and survived. So, I ask you, what stage are you in now?

Filipinaysians

January 2006

There is something I came to realize in the first anniversary of my stay here in Malaysia. It’s that there are three things that Filipinos and Malaysians have in common.

I realized the first thing we had in common while I was crossing the street on my way home. A car drove past by me so fast that it made my head spin. I was an inch away from getting hit by that car. After that, the driver shouted something in Malay which I assumed was, something like “Wanna die?” It was déjà vu for me. I have been in that same scenario in the Philippines for countless times. Except for that driver shouting the Filipino words for “Wanna die?” Of course, I might be at fault as well for not being careful when crossing the street but I still blame the drivers. That’s the first thing we have in common – Drivers. Sure, there are a few exceptions to the rule. But I tell you, put Filipino drivers in Malaysian roads and they will survive. Our drivers are the kings of the road. In fact, they say that if you can drive in the Philippines
along with our Filipino Drivers then you can drive anywhere in the world. I seem to find Malaysian drivers the same way. They speed up when the traffic light turns yellow and speed faster when it turns red.

The second thing I found similar between Filipinos and Malaysians is the love for eating. No, I am not saying we like similar foods because I’m sure we don’t. Our curry is yellow while yours is bright orange. You would probably faint if you try to eat balut while we would devour it with our heart’s content. What I am saying is that we are similar when it comes to our love for eating. We have the same breaks in our government office, am I right? You have breakfast, tea break, lunch, another tea break , which we call Merienda in the Philippines, and dinner. And of course you just have to end with a midnight snack. In Malaysia, you see stalls selling kacangs and ice limau. In the Philippines, we have similar stores which we call Sari-Sari Store or in direct English translation, means Store Selling Everything Under The Sun. In my cubicle here in Scope, I have my own food jars containing assorted nuts that I can nibble in front of my computer. My neighboring officemates have moon cakes, Penang biscuits and all sorts of food on the table. You would actually know when someone came back from the Philippines, our designated food corner is full of goodies and tidbits from back home.

The third thing I find similar between Filipinos and Malaysians is their obsession for soap operas. I actually felt proud to hear that Pangako Sa’yo and Kay Tagal are quite popular here in Malaysia, and that Jericho Rosales was even invited for some show here. Honestly, I haven’t watched any of these two shows for two reasons: one—it’s just too long and two, it’s really unrealistic. But I’ve seen an episode or two since our housemaid was a die-hard fan. I couldn’t ask her to do anything for an hour everyday because of this Pangako Sayo. She was in cahoots with my grandmother who was a Kristine-Jericho love team fan as well. When watching such soap operas, you must be ready to throw away all practicality and even reality as well. Where can you see a housemaid whose hands are so soft and skin so fair that eventually the boss’ son will fall in love with her? Where can you see someone die and come back with the same face but a different character? I thought that could only be in Philippine TV… but no, someone told me it happens in Malaysian soap operas as well. No wonder, Philippine soaps are so popular here. They’re even making a movie now where the actor is Filipino and the female lead is a popular Malaysian model. That’s actually good news for everybody since it’s an affirmation of my general observation that we Filipinos and Malaysians are alike.

These are just three things on top of my head but I’m sure we have more things in common than we really know, or dare to find out. That gives me a feeling of pleasure and comfort as a foreigner. Pleasure, since it would be easier to make friend with people whom you have more in common with than those who you have nothing in common at all. Comfort, since, with this realization, I don’t feel I’m such an outsider anymore. Who knows? We might just end up combining Filipinos and Malaysians and call them as Filipilaysians in the end?

Your Signature, please...

Did you know that you could foretell a person’s character just by looking at his or her signature?

Tonight, I would like to teach you some basic techniques in reading signatures. But first, let me tell you how I acquired this skill.

Back in my hometown in the Philippines, people believed in superstition. They believe in witchcraft and sorcery. They even thought of my ancestors as witches who could change the fate of people with a single spell. They told me about this when I was little and I believed it. When kids my age then, played “House”, I played with cards, concocted potions and pretended to cast spells on evil people. There was a time that one of my rivals fell ill and I felt guilty, thinking I had caused her sickness. I grew up thinking I was gifted and I continued to study witchcraft. One day, I opened my mom’s cupboard and saw a doll with pins all over its body. The doll has a familiar name on it, and I realized it was one of those people who have hurt my mother badly. I also saw a pack of tarot cards, which they say can predict the future. My belief that we were a family of witches was strengthened. I was scared to tell my friends then, thinking they would treat me as an outcast. I was twelve when I shared this secret to my best friend, and guess what she did, she joined me in creating potions and spells! We believed we were witches and we had the power to change things. We created a spell to make our school grades higher and created potions for our “bad classmates”. But nothing worked. It was then I realized how foolish I was to believe I was a witch. Out of the witch-like things I did, there were two things that were always accurate --- one was when I predict someone’s future through cards and another, when I tell a person’s character through his signature.

When I was in Form school, I practiced these two skills, or gifts, as some may say, on my classmates, teachers and anybody who want to know their future, even just for fun. I never did take it seriously anyway since I knew all the stories of my family being witches are all just figment of our neighbors’ wild imagination.

What bothered me most was that most of the things I say when reading signatures are quite true. It was then I did some research and found that there was a branch of Science dealing with it— which was called Graphology or the Study of Handwriting. It is even a three-year course offered in some Academies. In graphology, you need to study a paragraph or more handwritten by the person you wish to analyze. For now, let us focus on signatures.

I’d like to share with you this gift. Now, I need a volunteer who is brave enough to write down his signature in the whiteboard for us to interpret. (someone goes to the board to sign... If You'd like me to interpret your signature.. send me a scanned copy)

There are three basic aspects to look at when interpreting signatures. First is the direction or the slant. There are three main slants or writing angles:

(a) Right-slant
(b) Upright
(c) Left-slant

The right slant symbolises extroversion and progression, an outward movement towards world and life. The upright script symbolises distance and self-sufficiency as far as world and life are concerned.
The left slant symbolizes introversion and regression, an inward movement towards the ego, away from world and life.

Second, is the size of the script. Of course, this is relative. Our signatures adjust to the space provided so we analyze based on the space allotted as well. The size of a script symbolises fundamentally the writers assessment of himself. It is evaluated from the size of the small letters: 1/8 inch or 3 mm is the normal size. A large script can be interpreted positively as superiority, seriousness, pride, generosity. Negatively it can be interpreted as arrogance, conceit, pomp and boastfulness. A small script can be interpreted positively as devotion, respectfulness, humility, tolerance. Negatively it could mean feelings of inferiority, faint-heartedness, lack of confidence, fear, etc.

Third, is the Style. There are several types of styles – Decorative, Illegible, Distinguished, Abbreviated and a lot more.

So now you ask me, what good is knowing how to interpret signatures? Well, with this knowledge, you can already determine whether a person’s personality is compatible with yours. Companies even hire graphologists to be part of their HR staff to be able to discern if the applicant matches the company. For us, it’s as simple as having a clue of how to deal with people. If you analyze a person is timid, then you don’t directly ask him to speak in front of people he doesn’t know. You will use another way to get what you want. Or if you analyze a person to be proud, you’d know better than to step on his toes or else you’re in trouble.

Now that you know, I hope you use it as a positive tool to help you in dealing with different kinds of people. But be careful as well when using this technique. You might just make the mistake of presumption. Let this just serve as a guide to you but don’t let it rule your life.

Good Night! Happy Signature Reading!

When Tragedy Strikes....

September 2005

I would like to share with you my first tragic experience here in Malaysia. But first, let me tell you briefly on why I’m here in your country.

It was in July last year when my husband got an offer to work here. We were newlyweds then and we weren’t really thinking of leaving the Philippines. I was already a Project Manager in one of the top banks in my country while my husband was to be promoted as well. When he got that offer, we had to think very hard. It was even harder for me because it meant giving up my career. But then, I would rather be a housewife than be separated from my husband. And so we resigned from work and started our journey to a good life here in Malaysia.

It was Merdeka time when we arrived. We spent the first few days shopping and sightseeing. We also made friends with some of the Filipinos in our place and they even invited my husband to play basketball. He was excited since it was his favorite sport and he was good at it. I was also happy for him and I even bought him new shorts, shirt and rubber shoes to mark his first basketball game in a foreign country. The day came and he woke up before six in the morning to make sure he wouldn’t be late. You would think it was a competition when it was really just a friendly basketball game. They went to YMCA Bangsar to meet with other Filipino players. That day, I couldn’t go back to sleep so I decided to do the laundry. An hour later, a neighbor came knocking on our door and told me that my husband was being rushed by to the hospital in an ambulance. I quickly showered, grabbed my purse and asked a friend to go with me to the hospital. It was my first time in the emergency room and I didn't like what I saw or smelled. As I saw him lying there, my heart leaped and my soul cried out with sympathy. I saw bloodstains on the wrap covering his right leg. The breaking of the two leg bones was so fierce that it punctured the skin. It was fortunate that the bones didn't stick out. As I learned the story on how it happened, I wanted to hunt down the guy who was responsible for this. Apparently, my husband was about to make a jump shot when some guy jumped and kicked him while on the air. He never even said sorry or helped in bringing my husband to the hospital. I wanted to find him and ask him how he could sleep at night. But there were more important things that I had to do so I dismissed these thoughts and focused on the matter at hand. I had to make arrangements for his admission to the hospital.

My husband underwent two surgeries: the first one, for cleaning the wound inside and the second, for the insertion of the metal implant to support the broken bones. During these operations, I did nothing but pray. When I've exhausted all my prayers, I started questioning things. I wanted to know why this happened. The question, "Why him, why him?" kept repeating in my head. I wanted to trade places with him, thinking it should have happened to me. I didn't have work and had all the time to spare. He had to stop working for a while. Even when the time comes that he had to go back to work, I know that the pain will be excruciating. How will he run after the LRT and the bus? But I knew these were all wasted thoughts. There was a reason this happened. I always believed in the saying that God never gave trials we couldn't overcome. I believe when a door is closed, a window will be opened. And a window opened for me. I was offered a temporary job at Scope. I took the job with no qualms and did my best even if the work was way below my skills. I guess my supervisor then liked what she saw and recommended me to RLS-Secured Lending, who took me in as a Business Analyst.

With this new job, we were able to cover our daily expenses while hospital bills were taken care of his insurance. He was on crutches for a couple of months and it was a real pain to see him struggling about. Gradually, he improved and soon he was able to walk on his own. In these trying months, we learned to depend on each other. We tried to make light of things and joked about his bionic leg. Our lives are getting back to normal now, except for the leg pains he feels once in a while. We are still waiting advice from the doctor on whether the metal will be removed from his leg. When I think about this, I feel heavy-hearted for I know my husband will go through the same pain again. But we have no choice. We will have to do whatever is best for him.

Now that this storm has passed, we realize how lucky we are to survive. Tragedies like these show how much backbone we have. Looking back, I would have thought all I can do is cry and spite that cruel fellow who hurt my husband. Honestly, I don’t hate him at all. It would have been easier to blame everything on him and wish him all the bad luck in this world but I wouldn’t want to waste even a minute of my day on such sordid thoughts. As my husband and I decided to let go, things became clearer to us. It was easier to move on and heal, both physically and emotionally. We became closer. Our marriage became stronger. We know we could overcome all the problems crossing our path. I know this is such a molehill compared to the mountainous problems being faced by others. For that, I am thankful.

And so, let me end with a poem I wrote during my darkest hours:

I thank God when darkness falls,
For I know, morning comes after.
I thank God when the rain pours,
For I know, a rainbow comes after.
I thank God when tragedy strikes,
For I know, blessings come after.
I thank God for every wound,
For I know, healing comes after.
I thank God when I feel pain,
For I know, joy comes after.
Lastly, I thank God for every trial,
For I know, I am so much stronger after.

TM 1: Who Am I?

...Transferred from Friendster blog... I think this was my first post. I decided to share the speeches that I had in Toastmasters because a friend suggested it -- she found my speeches very entertaining...

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April 04, 2006

Tonight I've completed the basic toastmasters competence programme.. Basically, it means that I've done ten speeches in front of the TM club members. I'm not sure if I am that competent already but I hope I've improved during the programme.

So I'd like to share with you all the ten speeches that I had...

Let's start with Speech #1:

Who Am I?

I bet most of you thought I was Malay the first time you saw me, right? I’m used to it by now ---cab drivers speaking to me non-stop in fluent Bahasa, a stranger asking, “Pukul Berapa Sekarang?” or a saleslady selling stuff to me using local language. But the moment I speak, they’re taken aback and realize that I am definitely NOT Malay. My name, Eingeleen or “EINGE” for short, also confuses a lot of people especially when communicating via email. Many times I’ve been asked, “Are you German or something?” When I want to be funny, I usually answer, “No, not German, but definitely something… “ But I have never regretted having such a unique name or looking Malay. All these are what make me who I am.

So, who am I?

Well, for starters, I’m definitely Filipino. Whoever has a Filipino friend can agree with me when I say we’re such a fun bunch. Despite all the disasters our country has faced--- typhoons, storms, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions—name it, we’ve had it--- we still remain as a happy and fun-loving people. I suppose it’s how we cope with all these tragedies. Currently, my country is in a political turmoil because of the president’s scandal where her conversation with an election official was tapped and was broadcast on TV and radio. Do you know what the Filipinos did with the recorded conversation? They made it into a mobile phone ring tone! They took it into the next level and even made it into car horns. But don’t get me wrong; we Filipinos do know how to take things seriously. I was one of those who have marched down in the busy streets to oust the former corrupt actor-president. I, as a Filipino, care about my country, but I also know how to laugh at our misery. I guess it’s because we’ve been through a lot already and if we dwell on it more, we will just waste more energy on depression. When I fall—literally or figuratively---, I pick myself up, laugh at my bumble and learn from it. When I’m bored or put in a difficult situation, I try to see the light side of it and find fun in it. Stick with me and you’ll never have a boring day in your life.

My name Eingeleen literally means, “Little Angel” but contrary to what my name suggests, I am definitely one mean fighting machine. No, I don’t like fights nor am I into Karate but I often find myself in the midst of conflicts. I guess it’s because I can’t bear to sit still and keep quiet when I know that injustice is being done to my friends or my loved ones. Back in high school, that’s form 5 here--- I was the confrontation queen. All my friends came to me to help me confront the “enemy” who bullied them one way or the other. I used the strategy called, “confuse and diffuse” – I confused them with words, which eventually diffused their anger. I guess because of that I had picked a few enemies here and there but hey, my friends would go with me to the depths of hell if need be. As Aristotle said, the antidote for a thousand enemies is just One Friend—and I’m sure I have less than a thousand enemies and I have more than just one true friend.

But that was ten years ago. Now, I focus all my fighting energy on my husband. Yes, I am married. Somebody was brave enough to tame the lion in me, and he succeeded in trying to make a cute hello kitty out of me. I guess there’s no turning back when you’re hit by Cupid’s arrow. Now, I am proud to say I am a loving wife. I cook, bake, clean the house and do household chores. My husband helps me once in a while. He calls me Super Wife for having the energy to do all these, coupled with the heavy workload here in the office. But I don’t think I’m alone. I’m just the same as all the working wives out there trying their best to strike a balance between career and family.

So, who am I? By now, you’ve had a glimpse of who I am. I hope you don’t add up my words and think I’m a Fun-loving Super Mean Fighting Filipina Wife. I guess words are not enough to tell you exactly who I am. What I’m trying to say is, the perfect way to know who I am is by being my friend. Hey, I don’t bite… and if you have enemies out there, let me know, it’s been a long time since I’ve used my Confuse and Diffuse Strategy.

Thank you and nice meeting you all.

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Watch out for Speech # 2!