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.