Choc's Corner

Moving to Wordpress

2007-03-21T19:46:00.000+11:00

I am movng this blog to Wordpress...

Please click here to see me in my new home.

Thank you.

National Harmony Day

2007-03-21T10:33:00.000+11:00

Today is National Harmony Day in Australia. Araw ng Pagkakasundo in Tagalog.

Harmony Day is an initiative of the Commonwealth Government to encourage people to say no to racism, reaffirm our shared values as a community and celebrate Australia's advancements as a multicultural society.

The main objectives of Harmony Day are to promote:

inclusiveness - to ensure that Australians understand that multiculturalism is relevant to all Australians
productivity diversity - to ensure that Australians act to maximise the social, economic and cultural dividends of our diversity and to promote the benefits
community harmony - to ensure that Australians acknowledge Australia's success as a harmonious and culturally diverse nation and work to bolster community harmony.

The theme for Harmony Day is You Me AUStralia.

Harmony Day was originally developed in Western Australia in 1998 to promote community harmony and address racism in Western Australia.

Due to the success of Harmony Day in Western Australia, the Commonwealth Government adopted the concept and since 1999 it has been celebrated nationally on 21 March each year. This date coincides with the UN Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is an important community awareness-raising day that focuses on the need to eliminate racism in all its forms.

Harmony Day, on the other hand, is the ‘celebration’ of cultural diversity, with events on this day often taking the form of activities related to song, dance and food. These types of activities can undermine the anti-racism message.

Harmony Day events are organised in every State and Territory by the Commonwealth Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

Australia's first National Harmony Day was held on 21 March 1999 to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. National Harmony Day promotes the social, cultural and economic benefits provided by Australia's rich cultural and linguistic diversity. It is a simple and powerful way of expressing that there is no place in our community for racial intolerance or disharmony. It also encourages a sense of citizenship and pride in our nation and local community.

The Living in Harmony Initiative is designed to highlight cultural issues for all Australian citizens, and give all Australian's collective goals to reduce racism within Australia, such as:

· Take a stand against racism, prejudice and intolerance;

· Help build a peaceful and productive future for our children by setting an example of how to live in harmony, making the most of racial, cultural, social and religious diversity;

· Put into practice the best of traditional Australian values - justice, equality, fairness and friendship.

· Celebrate Australia's many successes as a diverse and harmonious multicultural society;

· Re-commit to common values of respect and goodwill towards our fellow Australian's of all backgrounds;

· Say 'NO' to racism.

Australia is one of the world’s most multicultural nations and is made up of many indigenous, immigrant and refugee cultures. For the past 200 years immigrants have helped change and shape Australia’s national identity by sharing their rich cultural experiences, histories and traditions.

Australia recognises that Aboriginal peoples are the First Australians and that the population is drawn from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. People of more than 200 different nationalities Australia, speak over 200 languages (including 45 Indigenous languages) and practise over 100 religious faiths. One in every two Australians has a strong connection with another country and culture.

People from diverse backgrounds have made and continue to make significant contributions both to the economic development of Australia and to shaping the political, social, religious, sporting and cultural life of the nation.

Multiculturalism has helped Australia to develop a dynamic, colourful and vibrant society. Cultural diversity is one of our most valuable assets, enriching the nation’s social fabric and bringing with it a variety of cultural and economic benefits.

I'm back and voting for Fruityoaty for the Filipino Blog of the Week!

2007-03-16T11:30:00.000+11:00

Its good to be back. Now I can be all over the internet again.

For over two weeks I was assigned on site assisting the project manager in Telstra’s Jersey project. This is the upgrade of 9,000 base stations Australia wide, for the Telstra 3G mobile network.

The site is in Broadmeadows and I’m from Dingley Village. To those not in the know, Broadmeadows is in the north of Melbourne while Dingley is in the southeast. Given that, it would take at least a good hour’s drive each way without traffic and between 1.5- 2hrs with moderate traffic. Sobrang nakakapagod pag inaraw-araw ang pagpaparoo’t parito.

I didn’t have internet access on the site so I missed out on the happenings in the blog world. I’m too exhausted to even bother sitting in front of a computer when I get home.

I just learned two days ago that Massa P’s Fruityoaty and GJ and Raquel’s Palabok are both nominated in the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards in the Personal category. I lurk in their blogs regularly. While I haven’t met Massa P (as she is in Canada), GJ and Raquel are friends here in Melbourne. (Hey Massa, how about taking holidays here in Oz, would gladly take you around. ("_").

Also, The Composed Gentleman added fruityoaty in the weekly poll for The Filipino Blog of the Week. As of this writing, fruity is in the second spot trailing by over 30 votes to gwapasila. I have yet to visit gwapasila but will do soon once I’m done with all other blogs I follow.

In another story, while I am happily blogging my day at work, I can hear noises of the race cars at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The venue, Albert Park is not too far from the office. Today is Day 2, qualifying session for the Australian Celebrities Challenge will be on and F1 drivers will have practice sessions.

Good Move

2007-02-23T13:39:00.000+11:00

The move of the Australian government to replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent lamps/bulbs is very laudable. Hooray, Johnny!

Within three years, the incandescent lamps or the globes, as they are popularly known among Aussies, would be phased out. Flourescent lamps would soon rule every Aussie home. The warm light would b replaced by cold light. Isn’t that cool.

I have always been for fluorescent lamps (this is also called daylight lamps in the Philippines). I like the sunlight-like glow of these lamps compared to the warm yellow glow of the globes. Globes emit more heat too.

The flouro lamp may cost more than the globe but this is its only disadvantage. The initial cost will be offset by the long-term savings benefited from less energy consumption and longer life of the lamp. Normally, flouros last ten times longer than the bulb. A flouro will only use 5% of the electricity that a globe will consume to give the same illumination.

This is a wise move to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions.

Googe?

2007-02-14T16:15:00.000+11:00

Googe? Is this deliberate or an honest mistake?

Ang Puso

2007-02-14T15:36:00.000+11:00

May pusong malambot
May pusong matigas
May pusong baliw
Ngunit ang masaya, mga pusong nakaka-aliw

Merong mga pusong
Sa pag-ibig ay nalulunod
Ngunit meron din naman
Sa galit ay nababalot

Ang pusong masaya
Ay pusong malusog
Ito'y naaaninag
Sa taong sa pagmamahal ay hinubog

Ay puso'y pag tumibok
Di madaling pigilin
Pakiramdam ay di maarok
Mahihirapan kang intindihin

Puso ay ingatan
Pagkat ito'y maselan
Wag pababayaan
Bagkus ay alagaan

Maligayang araw ng mga puso sa lahat!

Brain Gender & Driving Style

2007-02-08T11:43:00.000+11:00

Uhh uhh.... lalaki yata ako sa dating buhay :D

Your Brain is 40% Female, 60% Male

You have a total boy brain Logical and detailed, you tend to look at the facts And while your emotions do sway you sometimes... You never like to get feelings too involved

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Your Driving Is : 66% Male, 34% Female

According to studies, you generally drive like a typical male.
You're confident in your driving skills, and hardly any situation gets the better of you.
And while you may have a few tickets under your belt, you're still a very good driver.

Do You Drive Like a Guy or a Girl?

Harry Hotter or Hunky Potter?

2007-02-07T10:05:00.000+11:00

Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter no more. He has grown up and what a young man he is now. He has transformed himself from a cute little wiz we all love into a hotty hunk we can all drool. I'm sure his legions of fans will grow up too and embrace this new change.

He has changed from this....
to this...

and this...

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

2007-02-05T10:43:00.000+11:00

This recipe is not my original creation. Rather this is my improved version of two recipes, one I had found on the net and one from a book my mum-in-law gave me. I have combined the two by adding/increasing some ingredients while reducing some.

I have made this a few times now. Shane just loves it, it doesn't last long in the fridge.

Ingredients:

250 gm dark chocolate
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup white sugar (for a sweeter taste, add 2 tbsp)
1 1/4 cup cold thickened cream
3 tbsp Grand Marnier (available in small bottles @ 6.89/btl in Safeway or Coles liquor shop)
(The original recipe called for 1/4 c but I found it too strong)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Procedure:

Cut the chocolate and butter into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat water (do not boil) and set bowl of mixed chocolate & butter on top of it to melt, stirring occasionally. When completely melted, remove from heat and beat or stir until smooth. Return to the heat and add egg yolks one at a time, stirring well after each one. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peak forms. Add 2 tbsp of the sugar and beat until stiff. Would be wise to use an electric mixer when beating.

In another bowl, beat the cream until it becomes frothy. Add the remaining sugar, the Grand Marnier and the lemon juice and continue beating until it holds soft peaks.

Fold the egg whites in the chocolate mixture until no white specks appear. Gradually add the whipped cream and fold until well blended.

Transfer in small bowls and refrigerate until well chilled. I would recommend to wait at least 24 hours before eating so that the flavor has already settled.

Optional: top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings when serving.

Goodbye, Mr. Sheldon

2007-02-03T13:57:00.000+11:00

My all-time favorite author has died. Sidney Sheldon passed away at the age of 89 due to an illness.

Ever since I first held a Sheldon book, I never looked back. The first novel I read was the A Stranger in the Mirror. From then on, I was hooked.

Among my favorites are If Tomorrow Comes and Rage of Angels. I like how he empowers women in his novels.

His other books that I have read are as follows :

1. The Other Side of Midnight
2. Master of the Game
3. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
4. Rage of Angels
5. Memories of Midnight
6. Sands of Time
7. Doomsday Conspiracy
8. Morning, Noon and Night
9. The Best Laid Plans
10. Bloodline
11. The Naked Face
12. Nothing Lasts Forever
13. The Sky is Falling

I do read books from other authors like John Grisham, Robert Ludlum and Mary Higgins-Clark, but Sheldon will always be my number one.

Goodbye, Mr. Sheldon. You work will surely be missed.

Custom domain publishing dilemma

2007-02-03T12:25:00.000+11:00

I have given up on trying to publish this blog on my domain name chocscorner.com using blogger's custom domain facility. I can not get it to work. I have followed Google's set-up instructions as well as GoDaddy's, the registrar where I purchased the domain name but I still can not resolve the problems. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. GoDaddy's customer service is of no help at all.

Meantime, I'll continue blogging and deal with the problem later. Kaysa mainis lang ako.

Living in the dark

2007-01-22T11:20:00.000+11:00

Imagine living in a house with no electricity in these modern day and age.

Not one electrical appliance would be working. Meaning, no tv, no stereo, no computer & internet, no nothing. You can't cook if your cooking appliance runs on electricity. You can't store persihables. You either will have to go to the market everyday for fresh food or stack up on canned goods. You have to do your washing manually. Imagine how sore you will be after after doing a week's laundry. And how are you going to mow your lawn? By manual shearing? That's back breaking.

What about communicating? If your home phone depends solely on electricity for power and you mobile phone runs out of charge?

It will be back to the old age.

I was imagining all of these yesterday when our power supply had to be cut-off. A guy sent by the energy provider came to our door to let us know he has to cut-off our power for safety reasons. Apparently, the two actives in the distribution box has shorted thereby blowing fuses and in return cutting off power to other houses in the block. In a block of five, we are the only ones who has power but it was dangerous to leave it on. This explains why we have globes blowing all the time. There must be power surges every now and then.

Thankfully, my friend Lani accommodated us and let us store our perishables in their fridge. I was also still able to watch Australia win against New Zealand on cricket and Federer breezed through his match against a younger opponent.

Hopefully, power will be fully restored today when the electrician comes.

Bikini car wash

2007-01-21T15:14:00.000+11:00

The operation of a bikini car wash called Kittens at the corner of North and Warrigal Roads here in Melbourne has irked a lot of residents and church groups. The local council has received numerous complaints about the business and the bikini-clad women who are very visible from the street.

Recently, the car wash attracted media attention (again). The owner, who also operates a strip club, plans to expand his business and has lodged applications with two other municipalities.

The business may be legal, but is it morally correct?

Shane and I have opposing opinions on this. He thinks there is nothing wrong with it, it's just women in swimwear trying to earn a living. For me, its demeaning to women. It's exploitation.

When people on the street were asked what they think of the business, almost all men who were asked say they like it, nothing wrong with it. Whereas women gave negative answers.

I think these men are just thinking with their dick. (pardon the language)

Bananas are back!

2007-01-21T14:16:00.000+11:00

Yes! Bananas are back in the Australian supermarket shelves.

For almost a year now, bananas became scarce when the Northern Queensland where over 90% of Australian bananas came from, was hit by tropical cyclone Larry. Prices went as high as $13.00 a kilo.

Growers have since recovered from the devastation. Prices are now back to an affordable $3.00 a kilo.

Trying my hands at martial arts

2007-01-17T14:55:00.000+11:00

When I was a kid, I used to watch Chinese action movies on TV especially Jacky Chan's. I have seen most if not all of his movies even before he became big in Hollywood. The Drunken Master is my all-time favorite. It didn't matter that I didn't understand the dialogues. I was just as happy to sit and watch him do his martial arts antics.

Martial arts is fascinating. One can do it for self-defense, to improve self-confidence or just for fun. Hmmm, for me it would be just for fun.

For years now, Shane has beed doing the Wing Chun Kung Fu, one of the many disciplines of martial arts. He trained at The World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association and later moved to Qian Li Dao Academy where he also trains on Filipino Knife Fighting.

On his encouragement, I tried learning both but lasted only a couple of lessons. I was very frustratred with myself because I can't get the kung fu drills and the knife fighting was too rough. After an hour of training, I went home with sore and bruised forearms. That did it for me. I didn't come back for more.

Qian Li Dao later offered lessons on (Filipino Martial Arts) Arnis or stick fighting. I tried and found this a bit easier than kung fu and knife fighting and enjoyable. The sound of sticks coming together reminds me of Tinikling, the Philippines' national dance. :D I have been to a few classes now and starting to get the hang of it.

The past weekend, Qian Li Dao had its new year kickstart camp in Joseph Harris Scout Park, Mt Martha in the Mornington Peninsula. Shane went but I did not for reasons that the training would consist of the three martial arts disciplines. I was only interested in one. And more importantly, (this probably weighted more on my decision not to join) I didn't want to get up at 6:30 am on a weekend. Way too early for me. He he...

However, I was happy to drive to the camp on Saturday afternoon to join the Arnis training. Thankfully, Sifu Dana accommodated me for a small fee.

PS: Qian Li Dao is read as Chien Li Dao. I should remind myself this too.

Scorching hot and power outage

2007-01-16T19:10:00.000+11:00

As I am writing this, I am watching tv and switching between the Degree Poker Championship in Ontario, Canada (a replay, I think) on ESPN and the Austrlian Open Tennis matches on local channel. An electric fan is wheezing a couple metres away. Our house is not fitted with an airconditioning system. (Hi there, Santa).

It has been a scorching 39C max today with the northerly winds just as hot. With very low humidity, meaning the air moisture content is less, one can feel the penetrating heat when in direct sunlight.

Temperature rose from 24C at 10am to 36C just after midday. Tennis tournament officials were forced to cancel open court matches.

At about 4 pm, I was surfing and whiling the time away at work when power was suddenly cut-off. I learned a few moments later that massive power outage hit Victoria. Parts of Melbourne, Geelong and eastern Victoria lost power. I left early hoping to get home quicker but as expected the trains were delayed owing to the reduction of power being used and traffic lights on most suburbs do not work. Policemen were stationed on most intersections to direct traffic. The 80kph Nepean Highway which is my route to and from work was crawling at 20kph .

Luckily for us, our burb is spared from the outage.

Bush fires had caused this unfortunate event. Read here the full news report.

Why do links open to a new window?

2007-01-14T11:39:00.000+11:00

After changing my template using the PsycHo Template Generator, I have noticed that the links open to a new page. This is rather annoying because clicking on a lot of links means flooding your desktop with windows. I wanted to change the settings such that the link won't stray to a new window. But what's the mystery behind? Having no idea of how to go about the change, I turned to Google and typed "why does the link opens to a new window?". My question was answered, as always. The tag is the culprit. This tag forces a link to open in a new window and disables the back button of a web browser.

Now that is one mystery solved. Another thing I want to do is to be able to add a page to my website. That would be next.

PS: I have to put the tag as an image attachment because simply typing it results in an html error I can not yet resolve. :D

Milk and tea, no good together

2007-01-12T13:48:00.000+11:00

I have heard in the Channel 9 news the other day that a study showed that adding milk to tea destroys the health benefits of the tea.

Here is a link to the article the news is referring to.

So, if you are drinking tea for health reasons, better take it black.

Cricket Ashes Test 2007

2007-01-12T11:52:00.000+11:00

The last few weeks saw Australia reigned superior over England in the 2007 Cricket Ashes Test. The 5-series tests started at the Gabba in Queensland and culminated at the Sydney Cricket Ground with tests in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne in between.
Australia "whitewashed" England winning 5-Nil and regained the Ashes which had been lost to England last year. This is only the second time for Australia. The first whitewash happened in 1920. Shane Warne, Justin Langer and Glenn McGrath retired at the end of the series while Damien Martyn suddenly ended his career after the Perth test.

The series also saw a milestone for Shane Warne when he got his 700th Test wicket and 1000th International Test wicket. The feat is a first in the history of cricket worldwide. Shown in the right is Shane Warne being given a victory ride by teammates Andrew Symonds and Matthew hayden after the Melbourne test at the MCG.

Free offer from Origin Energy

2007-01-11T14:20:00.000+11:00

Just after we had dinner last night, an Origin Energy salesman came to our door. He had a free offer of one month free electricity for Origin Energy users. The catch? You have to stay with Origin in the next 12 months. You'll get your freebie on the 12th month. The good thing though is that there is no contract to be signed. Just continue to be with them for a year. If you leave before the 12th month, you won't get the freebie.

The offer is to entice customers to stay with them for at least another year. The offer looked good, so why not grab it. We are an existing customer anyway and have no plans of moving to another utilities provider.

New Look

2007-01-11T10:33:00.001+11:00

For a few days now, I have been working on a complete revamp of this site . I have finished most of it and I’m quite happy with the results. I wanted a chocolatey look to it but reading the texts in a very dark background strains my eyes so I adjusted the color a bit. The result is this new look. It’s more brown-orange than chocolate brown. The original template was green in different hues. I kinda got bored of it, thus the change.

I’m no computer geek so it was not an easy task but thankfully I have managed to do it. It took a lot of patience as I was doing it “trial and error” style.

Hopefully, this would motivate me to write more often.

There are bits that I’m not very satisfied still, like the google ads. I wanted to put it on the side or maybe at the bottom of every entry but it throws away the side columns to the bottom of the page when I do that. Haay, hirap magpakadalubhasa . But anyway, I’ll leave this as it is for the moment and take the challenge of improving more later. It’s something I can look forward into developing my computer skills.

Night at the Museum - the movie

2007-01-10T16:46:00.000+11:00

We went to see the movie Night at the Museum with no great expectations at all. I know this movie is for kids. But as it turned out, we enjoyed it. The movie was funny.

My favorite line in the movie is when Ben Stiller was asked about his "snapper" invention. He said, "Yeah, I'm just waiting for the technology to catch up with the idea." I thought it's clever.

Night at the Museum is an adaptation from a children's book of the same title by Milan Trenc.

Yahtzee

2007-01-04T16:01:00.000+11:00

I have learned a new game this holiday break, the Yahtzee. Our usual poker game with two Brads (Shane's bro and bestfriend), became a Yahtzee game. It is fun but doesn't involve skill at all. It's all luck.

And my luck sucks.

Hibernation, being busy and all

2007-01-04T15:26:00.000+11:00

This blog has been in hibernation for over two months now. I have been busy with a lot of things that I haven't got time to sit down and write. Until now.

At the end of August last year, we moved houses form Cheltenham to Dingley Village. Then, in the first week of November, our office moved to Prahran. My 15-minute travel time to work has become an hour. I drive to Brighton Beach station everyday and take the train from there. This is the most practical route for me to take as Prahran is in the Sandringham Train Line. During these times, I have been busy organising and setting up the lab while at the same time doing work for customers. Once I'm home, we would be busy organising the house. It took us almost three months to get things in order in the house.

After this, comes Christmas. For the first time in as many years, Melbourne had a white Christmas. Cold, that is. At about 3:00 Am on Christmas day, a hailstorm came. Our lawn and backyard were all white with ice/snow the size of mung (mongo) grains. There were still a bit left when we got up in the morning. Usually, Christmas is hot here as it is the summer season.

This year, we were the hosts for the family Christmas lunch. Although there were only a few of us plus Janine and Ramille, it was still a bit of work preparing food and organising Christmas decors for the house. But I had fun putting up the Christmas tree and some decors. I even made my own mistletoes. I wanted to really feel the season so I made it a point to decorate the house this year. I suppose everyone enjoyed the meal of roast turkey, fresh salad, roast vegies, prawns in cashew-nuts crumbs and macaroni salad which Ramille made. I cheated a bit though in preparing the turkey. I bought a cooked one so I only have to re-heat it and serve. Mum brought a yummy plum pudding which she served with custard and whipped cream.

I got an Ipod Nano 2nd Gen from Shane this year. I gave him a Polar heart rate monitor. Also, Mum gave us $200 Bunnings Warehouse voucher so we combined that with the $100 cash gift from Papa and we were able to buy the outdoor 7-piece setting we wanted. Very nice Christmas presents.

Missing Dolly

2006-11-09T21:20:00.000+11:00

I am missing my sister-in-law, Dolly. Last night, out of the blue, she came into my mind. I wasn't even thinking of anything to remind me of home. Suddenly, I felt so sad and depressed. I cried. I couldn't help it.

Dolly was the wife of my eldest brother, Wilfred. She was closest to me than all of my other sister-in-laws. We got on well. She was like a real sister to me. When my mother died in 1997, she became my second mother, almost. I would go to her all the time. I talk to her about personal and family problems. She was a sister, a friend, a mother, all in one to me.

Dolly became very sick and died early this year. The reason why I rushed back home. She was still alive when I got there. I was still able to see and talk to her. It was very painful seeing her bedridden and very helpless. To think she was a very active person. She was always so alive, so full of energy.

Nakakalungkot.....

Ducks at our front door

2006-10-27T16:23:00.000+10:00

On Saturday morning, a pair of ducks came to our front door.
We fed them bread.

Ironic

2006-10-26T14:34:00.000+10:00

While Mr. Hartney seems to be complaining to Mr. Bracks, his photo says otherwise. He is all smiles.

Ironic.

Mga pulitiko talaga.

Forced my way in

2006-10-25T09:09:00.000+10:00

The sales guys at work are attending a seminar today. They wouldn't be back until lunchtime. So yesterday, I was asked to be at work early today. And so early did I come. I arrived at 8:40 and happily unlocked the security door and punched the alarm code in. But when I get to the reception door, it was locked. Oh no. I don't have a key to this door. We always leave this door unlocked but when I am left alone in the office, we lock this door for my security. Yesterday the new sales guy left early so he locked this door for me. I was the last to leave so I must have unknowingly locked it somehow when I left. Unless, someone came back last night and locked the door upon leaving. But no, the guys wouldn't do that. They have never done that. They knew I don't have a key to this door. It can only be me. I have done this before. Doors, keys and me do not go together.

I stepped back and think of what to do. I can't call any of the guys.

There are two doors leading to the office, one from the reception and the other from the service store. The latter is always locked as we use it only for courier deliveries and pick-up. Above it there is a small opening which I thought my body would fit in if I crawl. But it's high, I would need a ladder or a high chair to reach it and even if I get through it I wouldn't be able to pull myself down carefully on the other side. I have to jump. Nope, that's not an option.

I tried my house keys hoping for a miracle. Not today. Then I used an old trick. Using a card (like an ATM or credit card) to pry open the door by forcing the lock of the door knob to retract. But the reception door is designed to counter this trick. The door itself and the wall overlaps so it is impossible to insert the card between the gaps. Well the service door is not. There is a 5mm gap and if only I can slide the card in. But no, the flat side of the lock was facing me so I won't be able to slide the card in.

I'm not giving up, I have to get inside. And soon. It's either I have to climb and get through the small opening or find another way.

I inspected the service door again and an idea came into my mind. Yes, that's it. I know what to do now. I would need something like a screw driver or a wire that is small enough to fit in the gaps. I will insert it in the gap and pull it towards me to force the lock to retract. But first I need the tool. I got nothing in my bag or even in my car. Or so I thought. After rummaging through my bag and found nothing, I went to my car not expecting anything but I found the perfect tool. In the boot of the car lies an S-hook. I must have put it there when we were moving. Lucky.

So armed with my tool, I tried again and viola! open sesame, I'm in.

Whew! Pwede na ako maging si McGiba.

Philip Island Day Trip

2006-10-23T16:03:00.000+10:00

After a month's planning, our group had another get-together last Saturday. We had a day trip to Philip Island. There were 30 of us divided into ten cars. I had three passengers including hubby who was the designated driver but unfortunately got sick the day before.

Our first stop was the Esplanade in Cowes where we had barbeque/lunch. Everyone contributed food, there was so much. The sisig was particularly good and I gorge a bit on bangus (milkfish). I haven't had bangus for a long time now. I don't cook this at home unless it is deboned (boneless) because Shane wouldn't eat it with bones.

We then went to Amaze'N Things a little later. Amaze'N Things is a theme park which features a maze, illusion rooms and mini-golf among others. Shane and I weren't keen on going inside to the maze and illusion rooms so we decided to stay outside and play mini-golf instead. The course was a bit hard. We played some holes quite well while others disastrously that I didn't keep track of our scores. But it was good fun. I love mini-golf as opposed to the real game.

Next stop was the Koala Conservation Centre which is just across the Amaze'N Things. A few Koalas and a lot of photos later we were out and heading for the Nobbies for the sunset. From Nobbies one can see the biggest fur seals colony in the Southern Hemisphere. It was freezing cold. Another round of eating and then a trek down the boardwalk to see the sunset which was a bit too late already. Later on, the guard even asked us to move out. :-)

It was starting to get dark when we headed back. On the road, we saw a lot of Wallabies. Unlucky for me, I almost hit one. It was sitting on the edge of the road to my left. I slowed down and as I get closer to it, it didn't move so I swerved to the right to avoid it but it must have been mesmerized by the headlights that it jerked to the car's direction. I wasn't really sure if I hurt the poor animal but my back passengers said it looked ok as it jumped back into the woods.

It was a long but enjoyable day. Good to see friends again.

Shane and Brad as News Readers

2006-10-17T15:53:00.000+10:00

Below is a dilapidated video of Shane and Brad as kids reading the news at NRTV Coffs Harbour. What a disaster!

Movies at the Drive-in

2006-10-17T09:48:00.000+10:00

Shane introduced me to drive-in theatres last year when as a surprise, he took me to the Dromana Drive-in Theatre after a whole day of sight-seeing around the Mornington Peninsula.

Twice this month now, we saw movies at the Lunar Drive-in Cinema in Dandenong. First we saw The Devil Wears Prada doubled with My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Then last night, The Departed. We didn't stay to see the double, Beerfest. The Departed used the F-word too much in the dialogues but otherwise it was good. The other movies were OK.

Drive-in theatres are like massive parking lots with giant screens. You get to watch the movie in your car with the audio being broadcasted in an assigned FM radio frequency. So when the movie starts, you just tune in to the right frequency and enjoy.

I kinda like the idea of watching a movie in a public place but you still have a bit of privacy. You can talk and do what you want without having to worry about disturbing other people. I don't think I have seen one of these in the Philippines. Although when I was a kid, my family used to go to the town plaza to see free movies (presented by the local government). A wide screen would be put up in the centre of the plaza and viewers would all sit in the ground.

They're similar in a way, but not the same.

There used to be a lot of drive-ins in Australia but a lot of them closed down in the last twenty years. Now, there are only a few left in Melbourne.

Full Time Employment & New Friends

2006-10-13T16:43:00.000+10:00

It has been almost three weeks since my last post. How time flies. It feels like it was just yesterday when I have been making fun of Shane having George W. Bush as one of his celebrity look-alikes (refer to last post).

Work has been extra-ordinarily busy and starting this month (October), I am no longer a sub-contractor. I have just signed an employment contract with my company, Arbiter Solutions Pty Ltd so I am now a full-time employee.

Anyways, in between this quiet period in my blog, I have been busy at work and still organising stuff at home. We still have the garage to do.

I have also met new friends. When my friend Lani learned that we moved to Dingley, she introduced me to her friend, also named Lanie who lives in Dingley too. It turned out we are just a short walk from each other. To distinguish one from the other, I call them Lani Highet and Lanie Dingley, from the burbs they live. Lanie D in turn introduced her other friends to me. Glad to have more pinoy friends here.

Choc n Chuck's Celebrity Look-Alikes

2006-09-26T16:23:00.000+10:00

This is Chuck...

This is Choc...

Footy Finals

2006-09-12T16:44:00.000+10:00

After 22 weeks of gruelling matches, Aussie Rules footy is almost at its season end. The preliminaries is over and last week saw the first qualifying & elimination finals matches.

Four Victorian teams made it to the top eight along with four interstate teams. But since the Vic teams had to face each other last week, that means only two teams are left for the semifinals this week. The surviving teams, Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs will be up against WA's Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles, respectively. I just hope at least one of them prevails.

If not, there will be no Victorian team on the finals, again. For five years now since Essendon won the premiership in 2000, the champions were from other states. Though by the looks of it, another interstate team could win it again this year.

Anyhow, I'm not losing hope. Melbourne Demons looks stronger this year. So here's hoping.

Go Demons! Go Doggies! Bring home the bacon!

Another Famous Aussie Died

2006-09-08T15:43:00.000+10:00

It's only been a few days since the death of Steve Irwin. Australia and the world is still mourning his death. But now, another famous Aussie is dead. Peter Brock was killed in a car accident while participating in the Targa West rally in Western Australia. His car ran into a tree.

Peter Brock was a champion race car driver.

Where's My Chicken?

2006-09-07T15:12:00.000+10:00

I did my first shopping at Safeway Dingley last night. Since I don't like taking plastic bags, I carried my own shopping bag. The check-out cashier managed to fit everything in the bag except for the cooked chicken I bought for dinner. He asked me if he can put it in a plastic bag. I consented and paid for my bill. I took off when I got my docket.

Our house is just a short walk to the shopping center so I just walked there and wheeled my shopping bag back. When I got home, I quickly unloaded the bag to prepare for dinner, turned the oven on to reheat the chicken and bread. But where's the chicken? I checked the fridge and the bag, no chicken. Where the hell did I put my chicken? Oh no, I must have left it in the supermarket. It was on a separate plastic bag. Damn.

Trudging back to the supermarket, I approach the check-out guy (lucky we was still on duty) and without a word he handed me the plastic bag. Now there's my chicken.

Which of the X-men Are You?

2006-09-07T12:58:00.000+10:00

Found this in Blogthings, so I thought I would post my results here.

You Are Storm

Exotic and powerful, Storm descended from a line of African priestesses.
Emotions can effect your powers, but you are generally serene.

Powers: controlling weather, creating winds that lift you into flight, generating lightning

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Remembering Steve Irwin

2006-09-07T10:20:00.000+10:00

As I was watching Channnel 9's tribute to Steve Irwin last night, I can't help but feel sad for his loss. He was Australia's greatest ambassador.

His show, The Crocodile Hunter reached billions of people around the world. America embraced him.

He was very passionate with what he does. The energy he exudes on screen is contagiuos. I have seen him a few times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno though as per his producer he has appeared in the show 17 times. All the time donning his usual khaki shirts and shorts :).

Later in the night, the Animal Planet showed a documentary called "Steve's Story", as a tribute to the memory and legacy of Steve Irwin. There will be special airings of The Crocodile Hunter throughout the week to help us remember Steve Irwin's passion and mission.

So long, Crikey! We will remember you and your work for the environment. You beauty!

The Move

2006-09-06T11:26:00.000+10:00

We took possession of the house in Dingley on 28^th August and started moving stuff thereafter. Shane went backwards and forwards moving boxes for a good few days. A work associate loaned us a 4-ton truck on Saturday. We were hoping to have just a one-off load of furniture and appliances but we underestimated the amount of stuff we have. It didn’t look so much but we had to do one more load to complete the move. So much work to do.

And then come the house cleaning. Boy, it took me two and a half days to finish the inside of the house and Shane had to spend a day cleaning the outside. I am sore all over. Haay. After that, there is still the new house to organize. Walang katapusang pagod. It’s so @*#$^@# hard moving.

I can’t wait to get this over with so I can relax in my backyard watching footy in the park on weekends.

I am a cracker, are you?

2006-08-24T15:13:00.000+10:00

A segment on Channel 9's show, What's Good For You, episode on Monday struck a chord. I too, am a knuckle cracker . Knuckle cracking helps release tension on my hand and fingers especially after using the pc (typing and mouse-clicking) for a long time.

I used to worry about it's medical consequences though that don't do it very often. But after the watching the show, I'm happy to know I can crack my knuckles and not worry a thing, (except for Shane who hates hearing the cracking sound). :D

FINALLY!

2006-08-24T13:58:00.000+10:00

Finally, I got my driver's license. Took the test at Frankston Vicroads yesterday and whoa! I didn't only pass the test, I did it with no mistakes at all. Zero, nada, wala. Ahhh, I'm rapt and so was my driving instructor.

It is a bit embarassing but I have to admit this was my third try. The first time I failed was because of speeding and on the second time, I made one too many mistakes.

I have a Philippine driver's license but it does not really mean anything to me. It was just one form of identification. Even a blind or a disabled person can have driver's licence in the Philippines. But here in Australia, it is ONE BIG DEAL. It is a right to passage. You have to pass 2 sets of computer based exams and the actual driving test.

I have gone through three different driving instructors. I dumped the first one because he came across as too fresh and a bit too forward. I hated it when he would "accidentally" touch my legs a few times during lessons. The second one was too silent. He would just sit and tell me what to do, ie, turn left, turn right and would not even comment much on my driving skills. He was supposed to be there to guide me and help me improve my skills. The one thing I remember him saying though is, to quote him, "Your driving is not too bad. We should make a booking for your test now." And so on that premise, I took the test with him and failed, twice.

I am not blaming him why I failed because I was the one driving after all but his judgment of my skills I think should have been more accurate.

After two failed attempts, I already felt too discouraged to drive. I was even contemplating on selling my car. It's very unlikely of me, pero talagang pinang-hinaan na ako ng loob. Then my mum-in-law suggested I try the Road Runner Driving School. I was pessimistic. For several weeks I didn't do anything about it. I decided to go for lessons again on the second week of July, this time, heeding mum's suggestion to try Road Runner. And the rest is history.

I would like to give credit to my driving instructor for helping me improve my driving skills and build my confidence. To Mr. Trevor O'connor, thank you very much. You are what you claim you are.

I am happy to have a full license now because that would mean a bit more independence for me. I do not have to bother Shane anymore whenever I'm going out especially when he too, has some place else to go.

Life's Little Facts

2006-08-23T15:05:00.000+10:00

Been using Libra (that's sanitary napkin, guys) for quite a while now but it was only recently that I took notice of the small prints on the peel-off part of it. I was surprised to read some factual information in there.

Aptly called, Odd Spots, I am re-printing some of them here.

1. The left lung is smaller than the right lung to make room for the heart.

2. One quarter of the bones in your body are in your feet.

3. If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and then sinking to the bottom.

4. Most people fear public speaking more than death.

5. You can hear the tick of a watch from 6 metres in very quiet conditions.

6. Each year insects eat one third of the world's food crop.

7. During a 24-hour period, the average human will breathe 23,040 times, exercise 7 million brain cells and speak 4,800 words.

8. The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards.

9. Travelling by air is the safest means of transport.

10. The modern flushing toilet is invented by Thomas Crapper.

11. The human eye sees everything upside down, but the brain turns everything right side up.

And today, I saw this in a lid of a Spring Valley drink.

Liddle Facts No. 111 : Squid can have eyes the size of a volleyball.

Isn't that cool.

Hugh Jackman - The Boy From Oz

2006-08-21T12:13:00.000+10:00

I first saw Hugh Jackman in the movie Kate and Leopold opposite Meg Ryan. (I didn't know then that he is Aussie, and from Melbourne at that!) From then on, I have been a big fan of his. I have watched every movie he did, from X-men (all three, of course!) to Swordfish to Van Helsing. He is such a consummate actor.

He played the title role in the play, The Boy from Oz (Peter Allen's story) and won an Oscar for it.

When I learned of the staging of the play here in Melbourne, I was so excited I was in the ticketek website right away searching for tickets. But during that time, the ticket sales aren't on the net yet. (It was just announced, the venue wasn't even known yet :D)

When tickets to the show went on sale, I was a bit disappointed with the prices. The front seats were like $250.00+ and the cheapest was $99.00. Not very affordable for people who do not earn a regular monthly income. So I thought, maybe it would be shown on TV later, or maybe that would come out on DVD. I'll just wait for that.

On my birthday on the 9th, Shane surprised me with tickets to the show. And with very good seats! I was rapt.

We went last Saturday in the matinee show. Rod Laver Arena was packed to capacity as expected. People were as excited as me.

The show opened with Hugh, wearing a glittering silver outfit, descending from high above posing on top of a white piano. Rod Laver Arena exploded into an endless, huge applause.

Hugh was such in Peter Allen's character that watching him can make you think, is he or isn't he? As the world knows, Peter Allen is gay. Hugh was a perfect fit for the role. (I heard Todd McKinney's portrayal of Peter Allen was good too but I am not a Todd fan, so I will be biased here.)

Not only Hugh's performance was an Ace, I was also impressed with the performance of Angela Toohey as Liza Minnelli. I was almost in tears when she sang "I'd rather leave while I'm in love" in a scene where she was saying goodbye to Hugh (Peter, that is).

At one point in the show, Hugh came to the audience and picked one to dance with him. The guy he chose playfully danced with him. That was hilarious. He came close to where we were seated but not close enough for me to touch him. :( For a minute, I was in Hugh dreamland, as Shane would later put it. :D

Tickets weren't cheap but the show was worth every penny spent. Hugh Jackman was effortless. He held every minute of his audience attention, whether in a solo number or at the centre of a riveting spectacle like I Go To Rio.

Peter Allen must be happy from where he is right now.

Which Sites?

2006-08-18T13:01:00.000+10:00

Grabe. Parang trumpo ako ngayong buwan na 'to. Ang daming nagkakasabay-sabay. Ang daming trabaho ngayon at maglilipat kami ng bahay sa katapusan kaya abala din ako sa pag-i-empake. Haay, pakiramdam ko, nalalanta ako. :-(

There, I'm done ranting. Time to get on with life.

As the title implies, this post is about internet sites I visit regularly. This is inspired by GJ's recent post on their palabok.com site , "What books?". I kinda like the idea so I'm pirating it here though in a different subject, internet sites.

So here they are.

1. Palabok - This is my lunch time favorite. I never miss a post. GJ and Raquel are friends of mine and I look forward to their post everyday. It's my way of keeping in touch with them. :D

2. Writing on Air - This is Jim Paredes' blogsite. Jim is a popular celebrity back in the Philippines. he is part of the singing group Apo Hiking Society. He has moved to Sydney, Australia just recently.

3. Inquirer - This is one of the sites I visit to keep abreast with what is happening back in the Philippines.

4. Philstar - The same as Inquirer.

5. AFL - As I am a footy fan, I check this site from time to time to read news and find updates on Aussie Rules footy.

6. Essendon - This is my beloved Bomber's official site. I get updates of what's news with my team from this site.

7. Cyril Anne's Blog - Cyril is my neice. Though she does not update her site regularly, I make it a point to check it out when she has a new post.

8. Australian Poker League - I am a member of APL so I check this for weekly updates of the on-going tournament.

9. Arbiter Solutions - This is work. I am managing an online tracking system form this site, so obviously I can not get away from it. :D

Dingley, here we come!

2006-08-11T12:17:00.000+10:00

After a month of looking for rental houses to move into, we have finally found one. We found this clean and beautiful townhouse in Dingley. It has three bedrooms, ducted gas heating (which is very important to me) and double garage plus a huge space outside than can fit another four cars.

In the rear side of the house is a football park which would be very convenient for walking or jogging come summer.

Shopping is just a two-minute walk which is also very convenient.

With more car spaces outside, we are planning to convert the garage into some sort of sports area where we can place our billiards table and a table-tennis table. Where we are now, the billiards table is locked up in the single garage. We have never used it because there is no space to move for the player.

There will also be an extra space for the poker table in the lounge room. We plan to set it up there too.

The downside though is that there is no airconditioning system and cooking is in electric hot plates.

Film Night

2006-07-28T12:55:00.000+10:00

We were supposed to see a movie with friends last night but I was hesitant to go because I didn't like what's on this week. I don't think there is any movie at the moment that is deserving of the $15 ticket price. My $15, at least.

I was glad when our friends called to say they were running late and suggested that instead of going to the movies, we would just go to Ron's house to see a film on dvd. Ron is a film maker and he has set-up a darkroom with a widescreen in his house.

When they got to our house, we checked and checked our 300+ dvd collections but can't decide which one to pick. So off we went to a movie rental shop on the way to Ron's house, picked four dvd's and later decided to watch the National Lampoon's Gold Diggers. Looking at the cover, you would say that the movie will have lots of girls in bikinis and would be raunchy. Talk about false advertising. The girls were on for only about 2 minutes in a dream sequence. The guys were disappointed. :-)

The plot was a bit silly but we all found it funny and the story was original. These days, hollywood do not make original movies anymore. They must have ran out of story ideas that a lot of movies now are just cheap remakes.

Wazz up, wazz up!

2006-07-23T18:27:00.000+10:00

Can't leave this journal to rot, I have to write something.

- Been very busy at work in the past two weeks, it's crazy. Work is coming in left, right and centre. It would likely be another week before I can sit for a long time in front of my pc at work. That is, if work stops coming in.

- Went to Copacabana last night with Janine, Ramille and some of their friends. The place was packed as there was a show. We had to stand on the side for a good two hours. A latin band called Peligro was playing. They were good but Shane and I thought the music were all the same. It would at first start different but in the middle would sound the same. Was it just us or the music was really monotonous? Then there ware the Brazilian showgirls who danced to Salsa and Lambada and their men counterparts did some breakdancing. The crowd seemed so enthused with the performers. They were good but not to Janine and mine's taste. :-) This is mainly because we have seen a lot of performances like these in the Philippines and boy, pinoy dancers are good. The Sexbomb girls and the Streetboys would give them a run for their money. But anyway, we went there to dance and enjoy, so we did. With my brand new dancing shoes, I danced till my feet ached.

- I have taken my love for the game of poker one step higher. Well, I'm not playing in the casino for real money but I have joined the Australian Poker League. APL holds poker games everyday in different venues all over Australia . It is free to join and play but there are actually prizes for the top 3 players. I started playing last Wednesday (19/07) at the Cheltenham/Moorabbin RSL club. There were over a hundred players and I was unfortunate to be taken out early in the game. I played again today and out of the 56 players, I finished fifth. Not too bad for a second timer. Currently, I am at the top 42 players of the venue. I will keep on playing and have a shot at the championships. Wish me luck....

"My" Airline

2006-07-06T12:59:00.000+10:00

Shane was surfing the web during lunchtime today and he found this.
An airliner in my name!

It is actually a Mexican airline. :-)

Time to move

2006-07-06T10:21:00.000+10:00

Soon, we have to move out of our rental property. We have received a notice yesterday from the owner of the house that the property will be put in the market for sale. We have a month to find a place to move into.

I started looking for rental properties right away and found one that is just actually a few houses away from where we are now. We are going to have a look at it later and see how we go.

However, I feel like moving closer to the city as I found Cheltenham too far. Although shopping is not a problem as Westfield Southland is literally a stone's throw away from us, I still feel I'm too far from "civilisation". I'm so used to the life in the city that I am actually missing it now.

I welcome this change for reasons I can not write here as it might put me in hot waters. It's just annoying that once we moved, we have to update our details in the banks, utilities providers, internet and phone and foxtel and whatever else.

Wooden Spooners?

2006-07-04T12:57:00.000+10:00

Essendon Bombers has not won any game since the second round. It has been 13 rounds now and looks like the Bombers would end up at the bottom of the ladder and be the wooden spooners.

With Lloyd out for the whole season and Hird injured again, the Bombers has a lot to do. They will be up against Fremantle in Subiaco this Friday. But I don't think this is a tall order. Freo is a bit inconsistent so Bombers might pull this one.

Here's hoping.

The scammer got scammed!

2006-07-03T16:25:00.000+10:00

Get this.

Someone I know, let's just name him Peter, had received an email from someone he doesn't know informing him that he won $600,000+ in their lottery in Madrid, Spain. Obviously, the email was hoax. I got that email a few times before too. This link has the content of the scam email.

I thought Peter would be smart enough to tell what is legit and what is not. To think he himslef is a scammer. He scams people by telling them what he is not. But some people are smart, in two weeks or less , they figure him out.

But he fell for the scam. He actually replied to the email giving away important information like his name, address and phone number. The lure of get-rich-quick scheme got into him.

Who in his right mind would really believe that he can win money in an internet lottery without having to purchase a ticket?

Fool? Or just desperate.

Just like any other doughnuts

2006-07-03T16:17:00.000+10:00

Today, I finally had the chance to try Krispy Kreme doughnuts. A colleague from Sydney came down here and kindly brought us two boxes of these much hyped about sugary treat.

My verdict? It taste just like any other doughnuts. I wouldn't line up for hours to get some.

Is it really worth it?

2006-06-26T14:53:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday we went to Endeavor Hills for our monthly poker get-together with friends. Someone mentioned Krispy Kreme doughnuts and from then on I was craving to try it. So when the game finished at about 12:30ish, (I finished second by the way, which earned me $45, Shane finished first for a $100. Entry fee is $10.), off we went to Fountain Gate in Narre Warren where the first Krispy Kreme shop in Victoria is. It is about 10 minutes drive from Endeavor Hills. Since it was very late at night, or should I say very early in the morning, we expected to see a quiet shop. Surprise, surprise the queue for the drive-thru was more than a kilometer long. There were people lining up inside the shop too. It would have been at least an hour wait to get to the counter.

These doughnuts must be really good, judging by the people lining up. But is it really worth it?

2006-06-17T00:25:00.000+10:00

today something happened that i will never forget.

My Travel Dramas

2006-05-09T11:42:00.000+10:00

Backgrounder:
I went back to the Philippines on the 18th of April to visit a sick relative. I stayed for 18 days. Boy was it hot in there. Not the best time to visit the country. It was a scorching 36 degrees everyday and humidity was, as always, very high.

Melbourne-Sydney-Manila

Melbourne
I took Qantas Airways. Since my first flight would be domestic, I didn't have to be at the airport at least three hours prior to the flight. Shane took me. We got there at more than an hour before my flight. I checked in ok.

We boarded the plane at 10:40 am but half an hour had passed, we are still on the ground. Something was holding us up. A few moments later, the captain announced that we are running late because there are two passengers who have not boarded the plane and that the ground staff are already looking for them at the terminal.

Shane was still at the boarding gate then and was listening to the radio communications between ground staffers. He overheard the staff saying, a Qantas ticket operator had made a mistake and put a couple in our flight without the couple knowing it. Ha! We all thought it was the passengers' fault that we are delayed.

I only had one hour transit time in Sydney. I assumed I should make it to my connecting flight to Manila easy since I do not have to collect my luggage in Sydney and check it in again for the next flight. It used to be that, since Melbourne to Sydney is a domestic flight, and passengers exit in the domestic terminal, luggages have to be collected and checked-in again at the transfer desk. It was such a hassle since Sydney's domestic terminal is separated from the international terminal and you have to take a bus to transfer from one terminal to the other.

Sydney
We landed in Sydney just before 1:00 pm. I was literally running the moment I entered the terminal to get to the transfer desk quickly. But the transfer bus was slow. Passengers transferrring to the international terminal had to wait for 10-15 minutes for the bus. There were three of us going on the same connecting flight to Manila. We had to clear immigration at the international terminal. When we get to the immigration counter, a Qantas ground staff was already there waiting for us. We were the last to board the plane. We made it, thankfully.

Manila
Flight was well and good. I read a book and slept a bit so it felt like time flew so quickly. Excited about seeing Manila again after almost two years, I can't wait to get out of the airport. At the baggage claim, I waited and waited for my luggage to show up, wondering why it's taking so long. It was only when the luggage conveyor was practically empty that I realised mine went missing. Well, I wasn't alone. There were a few of us left standing with confused look on our faces.

We were approached by a Qantas ground staff to inform us that if we came from Melbourne our luggages didn’t make it to the plane in Sydney because the carousel carrying them went faulty. Sydney has arranged for them to be in Manila at 11:00 am the next day. D’oh! What an inconvenience for me as I have a connecting flight to Bacolod at 8:00 am the next day. If the flight from Melbourne wasn’t delayed, maybe our luggages would have made it even with the carousel becoming faulty. There would still have time to move them to another carousel.

It was a case of a bad chain of events which started with Qantas’ mistake of the transfer of a couple to a wrong plane in Melbourne, thus delaying the flight, and so no room for error in Sydney connection and there ended up an error with the faulty equipment. So, the bags had no chance to make it in time to Manila plane. We had to fill out forms for baggage re-direction and we were promised in a day or two we would already have them. Since I gave a provincial address, I was expecting to have them in two-three days.

Since I did not have much to carry, I didn’t have to take a cab going to where I was staying in Makati. Two of my friends met me at the airport and we decided to take the bus instead. I thought that was fun. I actually missed taking the bus. And with no clothes to wear for the next few days, it was one reason to go shopping.

When in Bacolod, I got an SMS update from the staff informing me that luggage has now been redirected to Bacolod. Good, now I just have to wait. A day passed and no sign of luggage coming in, so I called Qantas Manila. After a few minutes of being on hold, I was told that the person in-charge is out in the toilet somewhere and that they would check and call me back to update me of my bag’s whereabouts. I was already starting to get angry. Yeah, I was cool all this time. I reasoned it happens to the best of us. In two hours I called again, this time the supervisor named Benjie promised to call me back in a few minutes. What else can I do? I had to believe him. True enough, he called back but I wasn’t too happy with his news. My luggage is already in Bacolod airport but I had to collect it myself. Grrrrrrr…….

Manila-Bacolod-Manila
The Manila-Bacolod trip wasn't good either. Another looong delay. One of the runways in NAIA was being repaired/renovated apparently, so there was only one runway operating and the arrivals and international flights departing are given priority. We waited an hour to take off.

The same thing happened when I was leaving Bacolod for Manila. The same delay, the same reason.

The worst is yet to come.

Manila-Sydney-Melbourne
I left Manila on the 6th of May. The 8:40 pm flight became 10:45. At about 9:00 pm, the ground staff announce that there is a short delay and that we would be boarding in about 15 minutes. Almost an hour had passed, no call for boarding yet. Everyone is now jittery. When I enquired what was the delay about, the ground staff said they are waiting for a transformer and when that arrives, the place will leave right away. Hmmm, I was thinking, maybe there was something faulty in the plane. It's good that we are not leaving until everything is fixed and working well. At 10:30 pm, we were finally called to board the plane. Seat from 1-50 were all called. As my seat number was 53, I waited for another boarding call. There were a few of us left on the lounge and we're all wondering now what the hell is happening, why are we not called to board yet. No explanation from the staff either. We were told to just wait.

When we finally boarded the plane after several odd minutes, all our questioned were answered. We have a sick person ( an Australian citizen) on board and he is situated in a stretcher at the end part of the plane. That explains why seat number beyond 50 were not called to board right away. The staff and crew had to make sure the patient is secure and comfortable before letting everyone else in. The transformer was for the suction machine for use with the patient.

We took off at 10:45 PM.

At 3:30 am (Manila time), lights turned on followed by the captain's announcement that we are going to be landing soon in Darwin. The flight is diverted because of medical emergency on board. Everyone turned to look at the back see the patient.

All this time I was awake as I too was feeling sick. I have a throat infection and was coughing non-stop. I kept my seatmates awake too. It was a bit embarrassing.

We all thought that we would take off for Sydney the moment the patient has disembarked. How wrong. The captain announced (this is the nth time the captain has spoken to the passengers, felt like he's been talking all night!) that the staff and crew has operated beyond their allowable operating hours and that they can not go on to the continuing flight, and that they are making the necessary adjustments and doing negotiations for a new set of staff and crew for the continuance of the flight. We may be booked in separate flights to our next destination. We have to wait for further announcements. Meantime, we have to disembark and clear customs and immigration.

I checked the flight schedule from Darwin for that day and surprise, surprise, there was no flight direct to Melbourne. I had to go to Sydney and fly out to Melbourne from there. By this time, I was already exhausted from lack of sleep and not having enough food because of my sore throat.

When I checked in, only then did I realise that they have booked us again on the same flight which is to leave at 2:40 in the bloody afternoon. It was 7:00ish am then. That meant another 8-hour wait. Also, the check-in officer was handing us out a food voucher and a memo from Qantas explaining what happened in the flight from Manila.

While being stucked in Darwin, we were all put in an airport hotel for breakfast but unfortunately, as was explained in the letter, we all can't be accommodated as it was peak season in Darwin. Apparently, hotels are busy. Instead, they have arranged for two rooms for us to freshen up.

After breakfast, you can see everyone sprawling around the lobby and the poolside trying to find a place to rest. With two other women, we found a cool place in the poolside with banana lounges. The moment my back hit the lounge, I was asleep. I must have been in deep sleep that my new found companions didn't to wake me up to get some lunch. I didn't feel like eating anyway, my throat was killing me.

At 2:00 pm, we all took turns taking the bus to the airport. It came as no surprise anymore when our flight was once again delayed. We are taking the same plane, so it's already there. The crew for the flight was the reason for the delay.

On board, the captain announced that we would get to Sydney at 7:30 PM. Good because I was booked on a flight to Melbourne at 8:30 pm. One hour should be enough to collect my luggage and transfer from the international to the domestic terminal. Though Darwin to Sydney is a domestic flight, we would still have to exit at the internatinal terminal because the flight was a continuation of the interrrupted flight from Manila.

We did get to Sydney on time. The problem was, we can not land because of a strong turbulence. We needed to wait to get a clearance from the airport authorities so we circled on air for an hour before finally landing.

By then, it was too late for my 8:30 connecting flight to Melbourne. Have to wait again for the 10:20 flight. This was the last flight to Melbourne form Sydney. Imagine if I didn't makeit to this flight. I would have to stay in Sydney overnight. That is just too much.

We finally get to Melbourne at 11:30 and I was home at about 1:00 in the morning.

What a trip.

Looking forward to the easter holidays

2006-04-11T14:49:00.000+10:00

I am so looking forward to the easter holidays. We have been very busy lately that I could use a few days off work.

I am not a very religious person and so is hubby. We would be using our days off work to just unwind and relax. We might be going to Bells Beach in Torquay to watch the surfing competition. And maybe go see dad in Euroa.

When it rains, it pours

2006-04-06T21:02:00.000+10:00

A few months back, I have been complaining a lot that we don't get enough work. Since we are both sub-contractors, that would mean no work, no money coming in.

In our industry, work is never consistent. A lot of companies are always waiting until the last quarter of the fiscal year to use their allocated budget for equipment maintenance. So this time of the year is a busy time for businesses like us.

It felt like work was so quiet this year. Until this past two weeks. Work has been coming in left, right and centre. And each and everyone of them, urgent! When it rains, it does pour.

But I can't complain. We have been waiting for work for a long time now. I just wish the flow is more consistent.

See the Bombers fly up, up

2006-04-03T12:56:00.000+10:00

BOMBERS CLUB SONG

See the Bombers fly up, up!
To win the premiership flag.
Our boys who play this grand old game,
Are always striving for glory and fame!
See the Bombers fly up, up,
The other teams they don't fear,
They all try their best,
But they can't get near,
As the Bombers fly up!

(This is the short version sung after a win. Listen to the full version of the club's song here.)

The 2006 AFL home and away season has kicked off and what a way for the Bombers to start their season. The first game saw the reigning champs Sydney Swans crushing as the Bombers come flying to win their match.

New skipper Matthew Lloyd stamped his captaincy by kicking 8 goals, 6 of which were in the first quarter.

Though ex-captain superstar James Hird didn't play due to injury, everyone stepped-up their games to secure the team's first win of the season.

The 27-point win was a decent one. But this is just the beginning, there are 21 more games ahead in the season. More challenges and hopefully more wins for the club.

Failed

2006-03-30T12:24:00.000+11:00

I have been driving (on an L-plate) for almost a year now. I feel I am already confident of my driving skills so I decided to go for my licence.

I had the actual driving test yesterday at 3:30 pm which according to my driving instructor was not a very good time because it is still schoolhours.

Before the actual test, we practiced driving around Oakleigh where the test would take place. My instructor was praising me for not making any mistakes and said I should easily pass the test.

Now comes the test. I didn't feel nervous at all. When we got to Bald Hill Park, the testing officer instructed me to turn right at the end of the street. The road was a 50 kph zone and we were like 500 metres away from where I have to do the turn . Just before we reached the end of the street, the testing officer told my instructor to turn the buzzer off and pull-over. When we stopped, my instructor said "You failed already". I was shocked, I said "What?" The testing officer asked me what was the speed limit and I answered it correctly, 50 kph. "Then why are you driving at 55 kph?" she said. Haaaa? It was only then that I realised my mistake.

Overspeedng is an outright failure in driving test. I must have been concentrating too much on the road ahead and maybe I was just too eager to get to the end of the street that I didn't notice my speed was over the limit.

Ah well, there's always a next time.

Gold rush in Melbourne

2006-03-21T13:03:00.000+11:00

The past 11 days saw some gold rush here in Melbourne. Not the gold that you find in Ballarat though, but gold in the form of medals won in games.

The XVIII Commonwealth Games ended in a high note for Australia who emerged as the over-all champion with 84 golds, 69 silver and 68 bronze medals. England came in second followed by Canada, India and South Africa in the third, fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Soaking up on sports on TV

2006-03-20T13:15:00.000+11:00

A few months leading to the Commonwealth Games, Foxtel had been advertising their premium services of the coverage of the event. They offer 7 dedicated channels and up-to-the minute medal tallies. Shane asked me if we can subscribe to this. I was not very amenable to it. I thought we would not be able to enjoy it anyway as we would be at work most of the days. Shane still kept bugging me.

We watched the first few days of the games on Channel 9. On Saturday night, while surfing foxtel channels, we saw that there were games going on simultaneously that Ch 9 does not, or can not broadcast live. Well, Ch 9 can only do so much in terms of airing the games live.

I wanted to watch those games being broadcasted live so I finally said yes to subscribe to foxtel. One call and the access was instant. I justifed it by saying, if we go to any of the games, we would spend more than the $64.95 charge and we would only be able to see one sport.

Now that we have the games on foxtel too, we are able to see all games most especially the basketball. :)

Aside from the games, the test series cricket in South Africa was also on. Australia thrashed South Africa in the first test with seven wickets left.

Also on Channel 10 on Saturday was the NAB Cup footy finals between Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows. Geelong won the cup.

Formula 1 Grand Prix Malaysia was aired late at 10:30 PM by channel 10. Giancarlo Fisichella of Renault won the race.

Too many sports, too little time.

Guitar? No. Dancing? Yes

2006-03-15T13:09:00.000+11:00

I have been looking at buying a guitar so I can start learning again. I already had my eye on Ashton D25 as it is the same as the one I had in Manila. But then, I had to put this aside for the moment due to some financial constraints. I had to send help to the Philippines as my brother's wife had hydrocephalus and had to have brain operation.

So I turned my attention to dancing. Inspired by channel 7's show, Dancing with the Stars, I began going to dance lessons at Star Studios in Bentleigh. They offer free lessons for beginners every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30-8:30 pm. I went to my second class last night. So far, I have learned the basics of Barn Dance, Cha-cha-cha, Modern Waltz and Merengue. It's fun learning all these dances. It's not as hard as I thought. The instructors are friendly too. And you can come alone, no need for a partner.

There is a social dance after the lessons. It costs $10 to join but the fee is all worth it if you want to practice what you have learned.

Dancing is fun and a good exercise too.

So lets' get dancing.

Let the games begin!

2006-03-15T12:10:00.000+11:00

The 2006 Commonwealth Game s officially commences at 7:30 tonight with the opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The games will run for two weeks, from 15th March - 25th March. There are 4500 athletes from different commonwealth nations competing in 16 sports.

To read about the origin of the games, please click here.

Let the games begin!

So where the bloody hell are you?

2006-03-11T00:51:00.000+11:00

"So where the bloody hell are you?"

This is the slogan used by Tourism Australia in an advertising campaig n promoting Australia in other countries. In Britain, the ad was banned from airing in televisions. Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre would not alolw the word "bloody" to be used in TV versions of the ad. But print ads and cinema campaign will not be censored.

So what the bloody hell does the word "bloody" mean?

I have heard this a few times in movies, (in Harry Potter movies, Ron said bloody hell a few times), and read it in books especially from Brit authors.

Dictionarydotcom defines the word as :adj: 1. stained with blood; 2. of, characteristic of, or containing blood; adv: used as an intensive.

From Wikipedia : Bloody is the adjectival form of blood but may be also used as a swear word or intensifier/expletive.

The use of the word in the ad could be interpreted as a swear word or an expletive. As an expletive, it does not contribute to any meaning but rather suggests the strength of the feeling of the speaker. The speaker is simply emphasizing what she is saying.

I think it depends on how a viewer take it. Still, it should NOT be aired at times where children can see it.

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

2006-03-09T11:17:00.000+11:00

What is sleep?
Sleep is a natural periodic state of rest during which consciousness to the world is suspended.

Why do we need sleep?
Sleep gives your body a rest and allows it to prepare for the next day. It's like giving your body a mini-vacation. Sleep also gives your brain a chance to sort things out. Scientists aren't exactly sure what kinds of organizing your brain does while you sleep, but they think that sleep may be the time when the brain sorts and stores information, replaces chemicals, and solves problems.

How much sleep do we need?
The amount of sleep a person needs depends a lot on his or her age. Babies sleep a lot - about 14 to 15 hours a day! Most kids between the ages of 5 and 12 years old are somewhere in between, needing 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Some kids might need more and some need less. It depends on the kid.

Most adults sleep 7 to 8 h per night, although the timing, duration, and internal structure of sleep vary among healthy individuals and as a function of age. The more important question is: Do you wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy or not? There are some people who seem to feel refreshed after only 6 hours of sleep, where others need 9 hours. If you find yourself suddenly sleeping more than you usually do then you are probably compensating for a decreased quality of sleep.

Why is sleep important?
Sleep is a natural part of everybody's life. Sleep is something our bodies need to do; it is not an option. Sleep, like diet and exercise, is important for our minds and bodies to function normally. In fact, sleep appears to be required for survival. Rats deprived of sleep die within two to three weeks, a time frame similar to death due to starvation.

An internal biological clock regulates the timing for sleep. It programs each person to feel sleepy during the nighttime hours and to be active during the daylight hours. The light is the cue that synchronises the biological clock to the 24-hour cycle of day and night.

Sleepiness due to chronic lack of adequate sleep is a big problem and affects many children as well as adults. When we get less sleep (even one hour less) than we need each night, we develop a "sleep debt." If the sleep debt becomes too great, it can lead to problem sleepiness – sleepiness that occurs when you should be awake and alert, that interferes with daily routine and activities, and reduces your ability to function. Even if you do not feel sleepy, the sleep debt can have a powerful negative effect on your daytime performance, thinking, and mood, and cause you to fall asleep at inappropriate and even dangerous times.

Problem sleepiness has serious consequences – it puts adolescents and adults at risk for drowsy driving or workplace accidents. In children, it increases the risk of accidents and injuries. In addition, lack of sleep can have a negative effect on children's performance in school, on the playground, on extra curricular activities and in social relationships.

What happens if we don't get enough sleep?
It's easy to worry when you can't sleep. The occasional night without sleep will make you feel tired the next day, but it won't harm your physical and mental state.

However, after several sleepless nights, you will find that:

you are tired all the time
you drop off during the day
you find it difficult to concentrate you find it hard to make decisions
you start to feel depressed

This can be very dangerous if you are driving or operating a heavy machinery. Many deaths are caused each year by people falling asleep at the wheel while driving.

Lack of sleep may also make us more vulnerable to high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Skipping one night's sleep makes a person cranky and clumsy. After missing two nights of sleep, a person will have problems thinking and doing things; his or her brain and body can't do their normal tasks nearly as well. After five nights without sleep, a person will hallucinate (this means seeing things that aren't actually there). Eventually, it becomes impossible for the brain to give its directions to the rest of the body without sleep - the brain needs to spend time in bed and catch its ZZZs!

How does sleep (or the lack of it) affect one’s health?
Insomnia has been associated with many problems, some of which are directly related to the individuals health in addition to significant social complications.

At its extreme, sleep deprivation can lead to death. In fact, a potential consequence of sleep deprivation is the famous death through overwork, known as "Karoshi" in Japan.

Problems with memory and concentration are among the most common complications and should not be dismissed as being unimportant. A common manifestation of this are the word-finding difficulties (when one can't find the words one is thinking of). Another manifestation is people also get irritable with lack of sleep.

Among the most pressing social complications is marriage related problems. There are higher divorce rates in people with sleep problems. On the other hand it has been estimated that the cost to society of sleep disorders that includes lost productivity, absenteeism at work, people getting into accidents, the cost of medications for sleeping pills or for stimulants amount to billions of dollars a year.

Tonight

2006-03-08T21:07:00.000+11:00

Tonight,
I would like to make peace with you
I would like to make you feel a little better, if not better
I would like to say sorry for what I have done that has hurt you
I would like to make up for things

Tonight,
I would help you ease up your mind
I would talk to you about things, only the good ones
I would give you my ears to listen to your heartaches
I would give you my heart to understand your pains

Tonight,
I would take care of you like no one has
I would attend to your needs
I would tuck you in bed and put you to sleep
I would watch over you, as you dream.

Tonight,
I'm going to do these, to myself and for myself.

VCE Exams

2006-03-08T15:58:00.000+11:00

Obviously, there's nothing to do at work so I have been blogging my day away.

I got this in an email from a colleague. Apparently this is a VCE exams. I thought this is funny. I guess we could always use a little laugh.

Poker, anyone?

2006-03-08T14:03:00.000+11:00

Texas Hold 'Em Poker has tremendously gained popularity in Australia ever since Joe Hazchem won the 2005 World Series of Poker Championship. A staggering US$7.5 million was his prize money. Note that there are a few versions of poker but Texas Hold'em is the most popular of all and a favorite for poker tournaments.

But before Joe bacame a household name, poker was already around. The World Poker Tour is aired on Foxtel's Fox8 channel and ESPN carried World Series of Poker. Channel 10 later followed by airing on Saturday nights, Joker Poker held at the Star City Casino in Sydney. At the moment, Fox 8 is showing the Australian Celebrity Poker held at the Crown Casino.

Playing cards is a common interest between Shane and I. I learned to play gin rummy online from him. He also taught me UNO which we played during lunch hour back in our old jobs. I can play 41, pares-pares (these are pinoy card games) but not tong-it, which is popular in Manila.

Anyways, we got interested in poker when we saw WPT and WSoP on tv. We bought a poker chip set which by then was still a bit expensive. After Joe's conquest of the World Series of Poker, the fever soared. Poker chip sets were everywhere and were selling like pancakes.

We played at home with friends while at the same time learning the rules. A few weeks on, Shane's friend Brad bought a more expensive and professionally looking chip set which he complemented later with a poker table. We keep his chips and table at home for us to use anytime.

Later on, I found Party Poker, an online poker gaming website where you can play poker against anyone around the world for free or using real money to bet. I have installed the game and has since been playing online, using play money, of course.

It's my boredome beater.

Bakit ganun?

2006-03-08T12:35:00.000+11:00

Bakit ganun?
Minsan ang buhay, nakakapagod
Nakakabagot

Bakit ganun?
Ayokong isipin
Ayokong arukin

Bakit ganun?
Kahit anong gawin
Parang may kulang pa rin

Bakit ganun?
Minsan ang tao
Sa buhay, di makuntento

Bakit ganun?
Ang buhay, minsan may sarap
Madalas, ang hirap

Bakit ganun?
Wala akong magawa sa trabaho
Kaya ginawa ko 'to. :D

2006-03-08T12:11:00.000+11:00

I have got a lot of subjects in my mind to write about but I just can't get myself into it. Something is amiss. My brain does not seem to work when I want it to work.

I have been feeling melancholic this past week. My head feels so heavy. I get headaches easily.

I think I need a break. A break from everything and anything....

Date Movie

2006-03-03T20:51:00.000+11:00

Saw Date Movie last night. From the makers of Scary Movie(s), the movie, starring Alyson Hanigan of the American Pie fame, is a spoof of a few chick-flicks - The Wedding Planner, Meet the Fockers, What Women Want, My Fat Greek Wedding and Kill Bill.

The stupidity of the story is what makes it funny. Hilarious, even. I'd give this a seven in my laugh-o-meter.

A Busy Week of Hand Sewing

2006-02-28T11:41:00.000+11:00

I have been helping Shane repair his hockey gear. I felt sorry for him when I saw his stuff and they are all falling apart! I had never really taken interest on his hockey stuff and I didn't even want to go near them as I can't stand their smell. He never wash them. Well, even if he washed them, after one use, the stench would be back. In-line hockey is a very physically demanding sport. I can only imagine how much a player sweats during a game especially in summer times like now.

Back to the gear, the straps on the armguards, shin guards are all loose now. I have to adjust the length to make them fit nicely again. The jockstrap garter had to be replaced as it was not elastic anymore. All of these I have to sew by hand. Wish I had a sewing machine. Would have been easier.

Would have been easier too if he just buy a whole new set of hockey stuff. The problem is, it's hard to get hockey stuff in Melbourne now. A lot of sports shops do not carry them. Choices are too narrow.

There are US shops online but you have to make sure you order the right sizes or you'll waste a lot of time in re-shipping the items back and waiting for the replacements.

On Forwarded Emails

2006-02-27T12:50:00.000+11:00

I always receive loads of emails from friends and acquaintances. Forwarded emails, that is. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it that I am in their mailing list and that they remembered me. But then, a lot of the emails have been forwarded many times over that the list of email addresses is sometimes longer than the message itself.

Do people forward emails just for the sake of it? Or is this the lazy way of saying hello and keeping in touch?

Is it too much of an effort to edit out the looong list of email addresses before sending out the email?

Footy Is Back!

2006-02-25T13:37:00.000+11:00

Yes! footy is back. The 2006 pre-season competition, called NAB Cup, has kicked off last night with games between Essendon Bombers up against Brisbane Lions at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast and Melbourne Demons against Western Bulldogs in Darwin. Unfortunately for me, the Bombers lost to the lions by a point. Bugger.

There are new set of rules too. The following is an excerpt from the AFL website regarding the new rules.

The changes are as follows:
1 - Removing the requirement for defensive players to wait until the flags have been waved after a point has been scored, before bringing the ball back into play;
2 - Allowance of a shot for goal to be taken from directly in front of the goal for any mark taken, or free kick awarded, within the goal square;
3 - Automatic re-start of time-on from the time the umpire crosses arms to when the ball is bounced.

Further, the AFL Umpires will also be instructed on a number of interpretation changes to be introduced for the start of the 2006 season, as follows:
1 - Limit the time for players to line up for set shots to 30 seconds;
2 - Reduced tolerance of holding players up after a mark or free kick;
3 - Quicker boundary throw-ins;
4 - Less time taken to award a 50m penalty;
5 - Stricter interpretation of the deliberate out of bounds law;
6 - Stricter policing of holding and blocking in marking contests;
7- Greater focus on detecting infringements by tagging players.

There was no mention here about scoring system. When the scoreboard was flashed on screen, I was confused to see the 9 and 3 pts scores. What the! I had to go to the internet again! (Probably, if I was listening to the commentary right from the start of the game I would have heard these new scoring mentioned by the commentators, but I was busy with something else then.) Apparently, this new system is experimental and not yet part of the regular season scoring system.

The 9-point score is called a supergoal and is awarded if a player kicked a goal from outside the 50-metre arc. On the other hand, the 3-point score is still a blur to me. I didn't see it when the Lions was awarded their first and only 3-pt score for the night. Can somebody tell to me when is this score awarded?

In The News, Yet Again

2006-02-19T21:22:00.000+11:00

Philippines is in world news, yet again. But not good news, sad to say. The mudslides in Southern Leyte has put the country in the limelight again.

As of today, more than a hundred have already been rescued but there are hundreds more still buried. Hopes of finding these pepole alive are now almost nil.

It is so disheartening to know that these village people who have nothing else but their family have lost a lot of them.

How could this have happened? Was the mudslide inevitable? Could we blame this to illegal logging? Probably yes. This is the effect of long years of uncurbed illegal logging. I have traveled a lot in the Philippines (except in Mindanao) and it is very apparent that our mountains are becoming barren each year.

Whatever happened to the government's reforestration program? What is the DENR doing? Haven't we learned from the Ormoc, Leyte disaster?

If I may say, we can not put all the responsibility to the government. As citizens, we also have our own obligations to do something about our environment. We owe this to our mother land and most of all to ourselves. The littlest thing we contribute to saving our environment can make a big difference in the long run.

But then again, the government has the power to do more. There are laws and these laws must be enforced to all. Wala dapat pinipili. Wala dapat sinisino.

If only our leaders would stop pointing fingers at each other and work together. If only they would work for the betterment of everyone. If only.

I may be dreaming, but I wish this dream would come true. I so wish.

Moisturizers

2006-02-16T21:26:00.000+11:00

I am a sucker for moisturizers. At any one time, I would have at least five different moisturizers in the form of lotion, cream, liquid spray or simply oil. I love to smother myself with these right after having a shower.

The picture shows my current collections.

My all time favorite is the Nivea Nourishing Care Lotion for dry skin. Since I have dry skin, it helps a lot to retain moisture. The downside is that if it's humid, you'd tend to feel sticky. (Though it seldom gets humid here in Melbourne.) I love this on winter.

The yellow tub is Bodyshop's body butter - mango flavor. This is also good for dry skin. My favorite Bodyshop moisturizer though is the Cocoa butter with Brazilian nut oil. This one is good on winter too.

A recent discovery is R+H Greentea+Avocado Nourishing Body Butter. I found this at Target. There is no sticky after-feel. Very good to use on summer when humidity is a bit up. Also mildly scented. And it is locally made. Best of all, a 250 ml tub costs only $10. It's a steal.

Also good to use in summer is the Nivea Ocean Mist Body Spray. It moisturizes as well as refreshes you on hot days.

For facial moisturizers, I use Olay complete, Bodyshop's Aloe Vera Daily soothing cream and Pure Wheat Germ Oil skin supplement.

I have also tried Bio-oil but really didnt like it very much. Didn't work well on my skin.

I once used Bodyshop's carrot moisture cream but the scent was a bit strong. Shane joked I was putting on fly spray on my face. :D

Instant Noodles for Dinner!

2006-02-16T20:22:00.000+11:00

Yes, that is right. We had instant noodles for dinner tonight. But with a bit of twist.

I miss having pansit (noodles) so I thought of cooking some for dinner. I do not like buying noodles from the Chinese food shops here because they cook them with too much oil and very little meat and vegies.

When I checked my pantry, I can't find any sotanghon (vermicelli noodles) but there were two packets of instant noodles left. Hmmm... maybe the instant noodles can be a good substitute.

Here is the recipe :

2 cups chicken strips
1 small size onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium sized carrot, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup string beans, cut diagonally, in thin strips
1/2 cup asparagus, thinly sliced
1 cup cabbage, in thin strips

On high heat , sautee garlic and onion in a tbsp of olive oil. Add chicken and stir-fry until brown. Add a tsp soy sauce while stirring. Adjust heat to medium, leave for a minute to let the chicken absorb the soy sauce. Add 1/4 cup water and simmer for a couple of minutes. Adjust heat to high and add vegies (carrot, beans and asparagus). Stir to mix the vegies and meat. Add the cabbage strips and contnue to mix the vegies and the meat. Remove from heat as soon as the cabbage just starts to wilt. Vegies are good hlaf-cooked.

Cook the noodles in a separate pot as per the packet's instructions. Be careful not to overcook the noodles as this would look soggy. Drain excess water.

Arrange noodles in a platter and top with the chicken and vegies . Serve and consume immediately.

Shane is not very fond of noodles but he did finish his plate. Hehehe... maybe because he just didn't want to disappoint me :D.

Cheers to the Aussie One-day International Cricketers

2006-02-15T09:44:00.000+11:00

Congratulations to the Aussie One-day International Cricket team for winning the One-day International Tri-Series tournament against Sri Lanka. Once again, Australia has showed the cricket world their mastery of the game.

Shane once said to me, the English invented cricket but Australia mastered it.

So here's to the Aussie cricketers and fans, the cricket theme song.

C’MON AUSSIE C’MON

Its been a long time comin'
To silence all that drummin'
To show them that it wasn't just a dream

They've beaten all the rest you know
And proven they're the best you know
The greatest team to wear the baggy green

Pidge is pounding down like a machine
Dizzy's scarin' batsmen - lookin' mean
Gilly's gettin' wickets
Punter's clearin' pickets
And Warney's just the best we've ever seen

Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on

Night or day, they're out to make us proud
To keep our flags a-wavin' in the crowd
Even gettin' zereos
They'll always be our heroes
And keep us singin' come on just as loud

Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on

See 'em spraying leather at the bat
Sweetly cracking winners threw the gaps
There not just getting runs there out there smashing tons
Spinning big time records back to back

Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on,

All summer we'll go floodin' through the gates
To try and get a look at cricket's greats
No matter what the season
We always have a reason
To shout the come on Aussie with our mates

Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on
Come on Aussie, come on, come on

On Valentine's Day and Always

2006-02-14T14:32:00.000+11:00

As we celebrate this day of love, I would like to wish everyone peace and love. Let us all love one another, today and always.

Below is Leah Navarro's song called Isang Mundo, Isang Awit (One World, One Song) which talks about love being the answer to the problems in this chaotic world we are all in.

Ngayon mundo'y gulung-gulo (Now the world is so chaotic)
At lahat tayo'y litung-lito (And we are all disoriented)
Pag-ibig sa kapwa tao (Love for fellowmen)
Sa daigdig dapat ituro (In the world, should be taught)
Kung bawa't puso mayroong pagmamahal (If there is love in every heart)
Kapayapaa't kasiyahan tiyak na makakamtan (Peace and bliss are sure to be ours)

Lahat tayo'y pantay-pantay (We are all equal)
Sa biyaya ng Maykapal (In the blessings of God)
Lahat sana'y akbay-akbay (May we all band together)
Handang tumulong kanino man (Ready to give a hand to anyone)
Kung bawat tao ay marunong magmahal (If each one knows how to love)
Ano mang kulay o salita (Whatever race or tounge)
Tiyak na makiki-isa (Will surely be as one)
Je t'aime, te amo, I love you (I love you in different languages)
Watashi wa anata o aistomasu
Ich liebe dich, iniibig kita
Gua ay di
Paano man sabihin (However it is said)
Ang mundo'y turuan natin (Let us teach the world)
Tanging lunas ang pag-ibig (Love is the only answer)
Isang mundo, isang awit (One world, one song)
Isang sigaw, Pag-ibig. (One outcry, Love)

Australian Football League

2006-02-13T14:26:00.000+11:00

The AFL 2006 season is soon coming up so I thought of writing up something about it.

Australian Rules Football, also popularly known as Aussie Rules Footy or simply footy is a kind of football game which originated in Melbourne, Australia. Footy dates back to the mid-1800's. It is the most popular spectator sport in Australia.

Footy is a winter sport but pre-season competition usually starts in February (end of summer) and the Premiere Season runs from March to August, with the finals held on September.

AFL comprises of 16 clubs, 10 in Victoria, one in NSW (Sydney), one in Queensland (Brisbane) and two each in South Australia (Adelaide) and Western Australia (Perth). There are twenty-two weeks of home-and-away games in the Premiere Season. The Grand Final in September is the culmination of a four-week finals series.

AFL Clubs at present in each state.

Victoria
1. Essendon Bombers
2. St. Kilda Saints
3. Western Bulldogs
4. Carlton Blues
5. Melbourne Demons
6. Kangaroos
7. Richmond Tigers
8. Hawthorn Hawks
9. Geelong Cats
10. Collingwood Magpies

New South Wales
1. Sydney Swans

South Australia
1. Adelaide Crows
2. Port Adelaide Power

Queensland
1. Brisbane Lions

Western Australia
1. West Coast Eagles
2. Fremantle Dockers

Rules of the Game
Each team consists of 18 players plus the interchange (or bench, as in basketball) players of up to four. The game is played between two teams in an oval-shaped grass field up to 165 x 180 metres, much larger than those used by other kinds of football. The game is fast, fluid and free flowing. It is not as tough as rugby or American football but is more physical than soccer. Note that the players do not wear any protective clothing except for medical purposes.

The game is divided into four quarters with approximately 30 minutes in each. The game is started with the Ruckman (Centre in basketball) going for the bounce or ball up (jump-ball in basketball). The ball is bounced at the start of every quarter in the centre of the field. The ball, which is also oval-shaped, can then be moved freely and in any direction by either kicking or passing using a clenched fist to propel the ball. This is called a handball. In under no circumstances can the ball be thrown or tossed.

A player can run with the ball but it must touch the ground every 15 metres by bouncing or by the player holding it on the ground. Opposition player may try to hustle and take possesion of the ball. This is called a tackle. If tackled, a player must get rid of the ball cleanly to avoid getting a penalty called holding the ball.

A free kick is awarded for a clean catch of the ball. This is called a mark. The game stops while the player kicks from the point in which he marked the ball. If the player kicks the ball inside the four posts, the game continues by having the umpire throw-in the ball. (In basketball, this is done by the opposition player).

Players' Field Positions

Full Back
Back Pocket
Centre Half-back
Half-back Flank
Midfield
Centre Half-forward
Half-forward Flank
Full Forward
Forward Pocket
Followers - the ruckman, rover, and ruck rover
Taggers
Interchange Bench

Scoring
There are four posts at the end of each field. The two inside posts which are longer than the outside ones are called the goal posts. When a player kicks the ball inside these posts, he scores a goal, which is six points. A ball which goes into one of the two outside posts, called the behind posts is scored only one point. If a ball hits the post, the score would only be one point. There is no score if the ball is touched by the opposition player but still goes inside the any of the posts. The team who gets the highest points at the end of the fourth quarter wins the game. The score is usually in the form of number of goals and behinds. For example, 18.12 would mean, 18 goals and 12 behinds, equal to 120 points.

Our First Wedding Anniversary

2006-02-13T10:10:00.000+11:00

Yesterday, 12th February 2006 was our first wedding anniversary. We didn't make plans ahead so when Shane asked to take me out, I said take me somewhere I haven't been yet. So he took me to Sorrento.

Sorrento is in the Mornington Peninsula and is about 1.5 hours to the south of Melbourne via the Nepean Highway or if coming from Queenscliff, one can take the ferry across the bay. It takes 30-40 minutes for the ferry to cross the bay.

We explored the port and the surrounding area. Sorrento seemed to me a very peaceful place. It has a look-out where you can have a good view of the vast ocean. There's also a park where you can have a picnic. Shane even suggested, the pinoy group should have a picnic there. There's a heliport too for the rescue helicopter.

Shane took a lot of photos which I am going to post here separately.

We also watched Sorento-Queenscliff ferries come and go.

While there, we were also lucky to see yachts from the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 crossing the bay. We didn't really know of this. We thought the yachts were just among the many other private owned yachts there. Thanks to some people (probably visitors like us) who were talking loudly, we can't help but overhear them.

After a few more walks, we decided to have dinner at the Sorento Hotel. Good food, very bad service. Oh well, I think service in Australia in general, sucks. Everywhere you go, a lot of establishments here are understaffed. But that's just me, I'm alwasy fussy when it comes to service. Don't take my word for it.

For the mains, I ordered the Trevally fillet in a bed of potatoes and green salad while Shane had the King George Whiting fillet with chips and salad. Both were good and worthy of its price. The desert we have is also worth mentioning. The flourless chocolate cake with ice cream and/or cream (your choice) was a guilty pleasure.

Shane looked flushed in his face from heat stress (which he gets after playing hockey) and was not feeling very good so we decided to go back home straight away after the dinner.

Talking Boony

2006-02-10T19:48:00.000+11:00

We have a Talking Boony at home watching cricket with us all the time. Shane got this from Ian as a Christmas present. We are proud owners of this one cool talking doll.

Anyone who is not into cricket may not be familiar with Talking Boony.

Talking Boony is a small doll fashioned from David Boon which talks and gives special comments through out the VB Series cricket matches from January to February this year. David Boon is an Aussie cricketer from Tasmania during the late 7o's and the 80's.

Talking Boony is actually a marketing ploy of Fosters, the makers of Victoria Bitter beer. You have to get a cartoon of VB to get one Boony. Now that's clever marketing. It has become popular that people are selling/buying this on ebay.

Talking Boony is sound activated, and as such needs to be placed in the optimum position to have the best chance of working. It reacts to audible transmissions. As an electronics technician, I was curious as to how Boony is constructed (electronically, that is) that I wanted to dismantle it and see what's inside. But then, the leaflet that came with it clearly stated " Do not unscrew the Talking Boony base. This will cause the unit to malfunction." I took it as an ominous warning and didn't dare open it. I think Talking Boony is a simple transceiver. Meaning, it can receive and transmit signals within its frequency range.

Anyways, here are some words and phrases we heard from Boony.

1. Is it time for beer yet?
2. Today's code word is legend.
3. Have a swing mate.
4. I can bowl better than that.
5. Pass us a biscuit please. A Monte Carlo would be nice.
6. I feel like playing a table tennis.
7. Have you got a pool table?
8. Got any nacos? I like nachos.
9. Show us a replay of that.
10. Don't bother chasing that.
11. I'll drink to that.
12. Quack quack quack.
13. Hey, get me a VB the cricket’s about to start.
14. He’s seeing em like watermelons.

There may still be a lot that Boony says but haven't caught them all.

2006-02-10T19:37:00.000+11:00

Shane has been doing Wing Chun Kung Fu for a number of years now. He goes to Qian Li Dao Academy. I have joined him before but I stopped after two lessons. I find the drills too hard and I felt very frustrated with myself for not having able to learn the moves quickly. And I thought I was a quick learner :-(.

Now Shane is again prodding me join him.

Euroa Motel

2006-02-08T16:54:00.000+11:00

Shane’s father owns and operates Euroa Motel in country Victoria. Every now and then, we go to see him so I thought I’d put up the motel info in this site.

As per the Monash website, Euroa is a substantial township and rural district on the route between Melbourne and Albury. It is 130 km. north-north-east of Melbourne.

Euroa is situated on Seven Creeks, a tributary of the Goulburn River. Seven Creeks has its headwaters in the Strathbogie Ranges south-east of Euroa. The headwaters comprise seven streams - hence the name.

Below are the Motel details:

EUROA MOTEL

Contact details:

Ph: +61 3 5795 2211
Email: euroamotel@yahoo.com.au
Hosts: Humphreys Family

Location: 2 minutes North end of Euroa CBD off the Hume Freeway

Rating : 3-Star

Room Features and Amenities:

Non-smoking
Reverse Cycle Air-conditioning System
Colour Television
Refrigerator
Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
Queen Size Beds with Electric Blankets

Other Features:

Outdoor Pool
Barbeque
Cot
Trailer & Truck Parking

Nearby Attractions:

Heritage Trail Walks
Wineries
Golf Course/Tennis/Bowls
Strathbogie Ranges Scenic Drive
Ned Kelly Trails
Museums

Shoutbox Got Me Shouting, Almost

2006-02-08T16:25:00.000+11:00

After a half day of working on this site, I have successfully added the shoutbox. I am not very good on computers, (esp software) but I have managed to do it after a lot of tinkering. Whew!

At first I thought it was easy, as was mentioned in the shoutbox website. But when I got to pasting the code to the website template, there goes the problem. On preview, I can see the shout box come up in my website but after saving the template and republishing the site, no shout box. What the!

At any rate however, I’m happy that I have resolved the issues without having to ask for help from computer geeks :-).

The Swiss Master Reigns

2006-02-07T12:34:00.000+11:00

(Moved from Friendster blogs, created on 29th January 2006)

We have been following the 2006 Australian Open Tennis in the past fortnight. It finally concluded yesterday with the Swiss Master Roger Federer winning the Men's Singles against the Magican Marcus Baghdatis.

World No. 1 Federer outclassed the unseeded 20-year old Cypriot Baghdatis in four sets 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 here in Rod Laver Arena at the Melbourne Park.

More than 18,000 fans went to see the match. The sea of blue & white for Baghdatis and red & white for Federer. Obviuosly, the red and white came out louder as the world no.1 reigned over his younger opponent.

From the start and during the game, Federer looked so cool and composed even though he lost the first set to Baghdatis. All emotions came out at the presentation of the trophy. Federer was all tears and had to pause in between his speech to recompose himself. He is no iceman after all :-).

My Second Aussie Christmas and New Year

2006-02-07T12:24:00.000+11:00

(Moved from Friendster blogs, created on 5th January 2006)

2005 was my second Christmas and New year here in Australia. Boy, was I homesick on Christmas Eve.

We went to Shane's dad's place in Euroa. He owns and runs Euroa Motel, on the Hume Highway. He was alone (I just learned that he usually spends his Christmas day by himself). We had dinner while watching the annual Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight on Channel 9. When dad asked me if I was homesick, I just burst into tears. How I miss Christmas back home. Christmas here in Oz feels a bit different than at home. It's just too quiet here for me. I'm not saying it's quiet because my husband's family is to0 small, but because the mood is just different. In the Philippines, it seems everyone is just pumped, simply happy. I guess I just miss the exuberant pinoy attitude especially on Christmas time.

For Christmas lunch, dad prepared for us roast turkey.Yummy.We gave dad a trivia book for Christmas as he would have a use for it on his radio show at One FM in Shepparton. He like reading trivias to his listeners.

At about 2 PM, we headed back to Melbourne to catch up with Mum for Christmas dinner.We had our exchange gifts before eating.

On the 26th, Boxing Day, Shane took me to MCG to watch cricket, Australia vs South Africa. It was my first time to watch cricket live. The game was a bit slow but what was fun was watching other spectators making fun during the game. Aussie sports fans are just loud. Rowdy at times, if I may say.

On other days, we either just stayed home or saw friends.

New years eve was hot, it was about 42 degrees C. So off we went to the beach in Mornington Peninsula. The sun was scorching hot but the water was so cool, cold even for Shane. It felt very refreshing when you are in the water. As usual, I have gone from dark to darker in a few minutes. My tan lines from our Gold Coast holidays was covered with another set of tan lines. :) We later went to a park in Mornington and spent a bit more time there resting and enjoying the cool breeze.

Later in the night, we went to Shane's friend's place in Endeavor Hills where we waited for the new year to come.

Queensland Getaway Part 2

2006-02-07T11:26:00.000+11:00

((Moved from Friendster blogs, created on 19th December 2005)

Day Two: Seaworld Day (Sunday, 11th December 2005)

We woke up to a beautiful morning. The sun was up before 5:00 o'clock! Had a cup of coffee, then went down to the beach for a walk, a loooong walk. Shane loves to walk in the beach. Me? Well....

Back to the hotel, we had a swim in the pool for a few minutes then back to the room again to have breaky and prepare for our Seaworld trip. I was looking forward to see the seals, dolphins, and the new residents of Seaworld, a pair of orphaned Polar Bears. Wonder how they survive in a subtropical place.

Time to catch the bus to Seaworld. It's not very far from Surfers Paradise at all. When we get there, it was already hot.

Below are some of the photos we have taken.

At the entrance.

A man-made volcano.
This one erupts but I wasn't able to catch the fire on camera.

The Flume ride.

The Polar bear. This is only six months old and it's already massive.

A Queensland Grouper. The second ugliest fish I have ever seen.Wait till you see the ugliest one. The size of this fish is massive. The photo does not justify it.

One of the seals doing acrobatics during the Seal Show. Seals are funny creatures.

The Stone Fish.The ugliest fish I have ever seen. If it is not moving, you wouldn't say it's a fish. It blends itself with the rocks.

The dolphins in the Dolphins Show.

At the entrance of the Dolphin Cove where the Dolphin Show is staged.

Stingrays in captivity.

One of the many rides.

One of the many species of starfish.

A view from the chairlift.

This is a lion fish. Another interesting specie.

Shark residents of the aquarium. Another shark specie.

Queensland Getaway

2006-02-07T11:18:00.000+11:00

(Moved from Friendster blogs, created on18th December 2005)

We have been invited to the wedding of my friends Janine and Ramille on the 17th of December 2005 in Brisbane, Queensland. Since we haven't had a time off work since I got here in August lastyear, we turned this trip into a holiday too.

We went to Gold Coast, Queensland a week before the wedding. Gold Coast is only about an hour travel (to the south) by train from Brisbane.

Below is my travel journal. This is just day one. I will be posting my other journals in separate blogs.

Day One : 10th December 2005

The Drive : We left home (Cheltenham) at about eight-thirty-ish in the morning for the airport with me on the wheels. We used my car and left it in the long term open car park at the airport. It costed us $75. It was more economical than taking a cab as we would have to pay at least $140 for the cab in coming to and from the airport.

We arrived alive !

The Flight : Check-in was a breeze (Virgin Blue) and the flight to Coolangatta, Gold Coast wasn't much of a drama. I didnt' notice the time passing by as I was busy squeezing my brain with Soduku puzzles. The travel time was about two hours.

The Bus Trip : We decided to take the airport shuttle bus instead of hailing a cab from Coolangatta to get to Surfers Paradise where we have booked a hotel. The bus trip was a bit of a nightmare. No, actually, just hilarious :). The 30-minute or so ride turned out to be two hours! First, one tire at the left rear side of the bus blew. We had to disembark and move to another bus. That is after looong minutes of waiting. The second bus arrived, thought we'd already be ok. Alas! the bus has its own problems- transmission. Apparently, it has troubles on its second gear. D'oh ! Ah well, we'll get there one day.

The Hotel : After a few phone calls by the driver, we moved yet again to another bus. The third one! Thankfully, no more dramas. We finally got to our hotel, the gorgeous Crowne Plaza in Surfers Paradise. (It is actually located in the border of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.) We were given an ocean view room in the 21st floor as was requested during booking. Cool.

The view from our hotel room was spectacular. We were able to see the ocean, (hence, the ocean view) and all other sights around us. The beach looked so inviting.

The Beach : After af ew moments of rest, we changed and headed for the beach. The long stretch of creamy white sand was simply beautiful. The surf though was always up (at least for me) so it is difficult to just float and play in the water. You could always get slapped by the big waves.

The Weather : Reportedly, it was 26 degrees C. It was just fine except for the high humidity. It was not as humid as Manila but you can certainly feel the change especially if you came from Melbourne where the weather maybe a bit unpredictable, but it seldom gets humid.

T'was a very good day. We were exhausted when we finally retired to bed.

Cinderella Man

2006-02-07T11:16:00.000+11:00

(Moved from Yahoo 360, created on 4th October 2005)

We saw Russel Crowe's latest movie, Cinderella Man, last night. It is the life story of a boxer from New Jersey named James J. Braddock. The movie is heavy drama with some actions provided by the fight at the ring in boxing matches.

I found the movie very intense and moving. It depicted the lives of poor Americans in the depression era. Actors in the movie were all good. Russel Crowe and Renee Zellwegger's acting were superb, as always.

There was a scene in the movie where James (Russel) went to the office of the boxing moguls and beg for $18.something to augment the money he got from the emergency relief center to pay for their overdue bills and to get their kids back whom Mae (Renee) sent to her sister as they do not have gas and electricity (and it is winter) in their rented apartment and one of the boys is already sick. I was really moved by that scene. I cried. I got so carried away.

The fight scenes were also intense. I was holding my breath in all the boxing match scenes.

The lighter moments were provided by Jame's manager cum promoter cum agent cum friend Joe (played by Paul Giamatti). I thought he was good too.

From one to ten, I would give the movie a seven.

My First Snow Adventure

2006-02-07T11:11:00.000+11:00

(Moved from Yahoo 360, created on 24th August 2005)

I went to my first snow adventure in Mt. Bawbaw on Saturday, the 20^th of August 2005 with my friend Janine, her fiancé Ramille and Ramille’s cousin Jun. Shane was supposed to drive us up there but unfortunately he caught a flu on Friday night. He was sick as a dog. So Ramille ended up driving.

Mt. Bawbaw is about 2.5 hours drive to the east from Melbourne CBD . It is the closest downhill ski resort from the city.

We took the Princes Highway route as it seemed easier. We left our house in Cheltenham at about 7:00 in the morning. Took Nepean Highway, then Lower Dandenong Road en route to Princes Highway. As Shane mentioned before we left, there is tricky part in Dandenong and we might get lost in there. Alas! He was right. Instead of going straight to Foster Street to get into Princes Highway, we turned right and ended up in Stud Road. I am bad in directions and I can’t read maps so I wasn’t any help at all. Ramille has to pull over to check the Melway with Janine helping him.

After a few Melway pages and u-turns, we managed to get to t highway. From there, the trip went on smoothly.

Janine was a revelation, she can read maps and she doesn’t get carsick!

We got to the top (Mt. Bawbaw Alpine Ski Resort & Village) at around 10:30ish after stopping a few minutes to hire snow chains. The place was already starting to get busy it took us a while to rent walking boots, waterproof pants (which turned out to be not so waterproof) and toboggans.
I expected to see everything in white but this did not happen. The snow was not that much to cover the entire area in white. I wasn’t really overwhelmed or anything but was still happy to finally experience snow. You see, I came from the Philippines where it is always 30 degrees any day of the year.

We rented two toboggans. A toboggan is a long, narrow, runnerless sled constructed of thin boards curled upward at the front end. What we had was made of plastic and there were strings attached in front and at the sides which you can hold when you are sliding.

The tobogganing area was already busy with kids and adults alike enjoying sliding in the snow with their toboggans. After a few minutes of playing with the snow, I had my first toboggan ride or should I say slide. Whoa! I didn’t fall. I made it all the way down. Ang saya-saya! LOL..

We later moved and explored other areas and took lots of photos, went to the café for some chips and tea ( tamang pares ba ‘to? ) and finally headed home at 5:00 PM.

We had a great time.

Aussie Rules Footy

2006-02-07T11:00:00.000+11:00

(I originally write this blog at Yahoo 360 on the 18th of August 2005)

I have been following Aussie Rules footy since 2003. It's only now though that I have decided which team to back. I used to like Western Bulldogs for the reason that the first ever live game I saw was their game against Shane’s (my then fiancé, hubby now) team, Essendon. I just thought it would be more exciting and interesting if I cheered for the other team. I can't remember now who won that game.

I am a person who loves sport, being a participant or just a spectator. I was an avid follower the Philippine Basketball Association back in Manila. Been rooting for Alaska team for many years. I reckon their coach, Tim Cone is the best PBA coach there is. It’s great watching the team execute the triangle offense popularised by NBA's Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan was still with them. If Phil Jackson is to NBA, then Tim Cone is to the PBA.

I played softball, volleyball, basketball and badminton in my college and high school days. I love the high you get from winning in a sport competition.

Back to footy, I have decided to follow Essendon now. I didn’t make any research and gathered facts about which team to follow. I just based my decision on how I feel when I watch games. I have noticed that I was getting so involved in the game when watching Essendon play. I am happy when they win and get upset when they lose. This is probably influenced by my hubby as he is an Essendon supporter and also because I like Essendon's player No. 18, Matthew Lloyd. Love his legs. He he he… babaw ko ano.

I remember when I was in Manila, I would watch delayed broadcast of footy games on ABC Asia Pacific Channel. I would entice my dorm mates to watch the game with me by telling them, “never mind the game, just look at those powerful legs of the players”. He he he.....almost always they would watch the game with me.

We (me, Shane and people from work) have been in the Agilent Technologies’footy tipping competition for two years now. We didn’t finish top 3 but I could say that I did well for a newbie. At the present competition, Shane is equal leader with two other tipsters after 20 rounds. I am somewhere in the middle.

Sport in general is big in Australia. Here, people take their sports seriously. Melbourne, being the sports capital of Australia has so much to offer for sports lover like me. There’s the Australia Tennis Open, F1 Grand Prix, Footy, netball, golf and the not-so-popular (now) basketball. And of course, cricket. I almost forgot to mention it.

Weekends are never boring even if you just stay home. TV will always have some sport for me.

Update : Matthew Llyod is now the captain of Essendon Bombers. 07/02/06

2006-02-07T10:46:00.000+11:00

Isn't Taz cute? This was taken at the Looney Tunes Village in Movieworld Theme Park, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

2006-02-07T10:45:00.000+11:00

No, it's not my husband. It's Batman at the Movieworld Theme Park in Gold Coast, Queensland.