My first attempt - Banana Bread

I can't wait for the banana to ripen some more, so after hearing mass this morning, Agie and I went to see if there are over ripe bananas for sale... and this costs us $1.05 only. =)



Armed with the right banana, i started my Banana Bread ala Market Man (this is the Payard version, the one with olive oil and is lighter than your normal banana bread, thus the pale-ish color of the finish product).

Banana Cupcakes all ready to be devoured.

Verdict: I love this Banana Bread! It's light and just enough sweetness. I think I'm gonna make some more of these.. problem is, it's too fattening. LOL.

First try at baking = success! Next, i'm gonna make Masterchef Julie's Lemon Cupcakes. Good luck to me. hehehe.

my new toy

So, what will you buy if you received a $20 voucher from Myer?


... its a Beatermix for me!!!

Can't wait for my own creations, yey! I bought ingredients for a Banana Cake/Bread the recipe of which I got from Market Manila. I'm just waiting for the bananas to ripen more (sort of over ripe) so I can start mashing them.

Baking is my new hobby... for now. =)

Three years and counting

January 12, 2007

sa dami ng pinagkakaabalahan ko nung buwan ng Enero, nakaligtaan ko ang aking ikatlong taong anibersaryo dito sa bansang Ostrelya.

ang bilis ng araw, tatlong taon na pala ang nakaraan:
... nang ako ay binigyan ng 'bayong' ng Qantas para ilagay ang 7kilos excess baggage dahil pinagkasya ko sa isang bag ang halos 40K ko na gamit;
... nang sumakay ako ng Qantas mag-isa. Buti na lang ako ay nasa 'aisle seat' at di nahirapan pag nag w-weewee;
... nang nagmarunong ako nung pumunta ako sa Martin Place Station... sabi ni Van baba daw sa Town Hall para mag change ng platform papuntang Martin Place, pero sa Wynyard ako bumaba, ayan tuloy, nahirapan akong mag bitbit ng bag ko para sumakay ng tren pabalik;
...nung tumambay ako buong araw sa Pitt St na naka jacket (summer time eto ha?) habang nanonood ng street performers at nagpapalipas oras para sunduin ng mga taong noon ko pa lamang makikilala.

Tatlong taon na ang nakalipas pero ang dami ng nangyari.

Noon, mangilan ngilan lang ang kilala ko dito pero ngayon, parang buong baranggay na!
Noon, payat pa ako, ngayon malusog na. =)
Noon, single pa ako, ngayon may asawa na.
Noon, nag re-rent pa ako, ngayon nagbabayad na ng amortization.
Noon, excited ako gamitin ang aking mga stilleto na shoes, ngayon, nasa loob na lang sya ng box, di na nagamit ever.


Pero meron din naman mga bagay na gaya pa din ng dati:
Noon, di pa ako marunong mag drive.... hanggang ngayon ganun pa din.
Noon, nag t-train ako papuntang office... hanggang ngayon ganun pa din.
Noon, di ako kumakain ng lamb... hanggang ngayon di pa din.
At hanggang nayon di pa din ako nakaligo sa Australian beach!


Oo, tatlong taon na ako dito sa Sydney. Nakapunta na din ako sa Melbourne (ulit), Brisbane, Canberra at Gold Coast.
Ang laki laki ng Australia, ang dami ko pang gustong puntahan --- Perth, Darwin, Cairns, Ayers Rock, Adelaide at Tasmania.
Ang lawak lawak din ng NSW, madami pang mga lugar ang nais kong bisitahin. Pero hindi ko mamadaliin, i have my whole life to explore the rest of NSW (if not the rest of Australia).


Thank you po Lord, talagang ang galing galing ng plano Mo para sa akin. Alam ko po na the best is yet to come. =)

Our Humble Abode - a photo blog

Front view of our place (photo taken by Pewee).

photo of the kitchen taken during the pre-purchase inspection

the old and dated bluish colored carpet.


the empty lounge.



moving in day!!!




more stuff dumped in the kitchen










and the transformation to....












coffee table, rug and wall mirror all came from Freedom Furnitures

the table can be extended to accommodate 6 chairs.

i can't take a decent photo of our backyard because we haven't done the landscaping yet.

my pretty carpet! =)

Masters bedroom - Soho 7 pc bedroom suite from Furnish.com.au

finally, my study room

I didn't take photos of the guestroom, lock up garage and toilets.... saka na lang pag nakabili na ng kotse, hihihi

Hot peppermint tea

is my current obsession. I don't drink coffee nor tea when I was still in the Phils, well except for the occasional starbucks frap. On the few times that we eat at Hap Chang or any Chinese restos, friends would normally order house tea and i'll drink a few tea cups full.

Lately though, everytime I go out for dinner, I would always order hot peppermint tea for drinks. I read somewhere that the reason why chinese (korean and japanese) women are so thin is because they drink tea all the time. My Chinese officemate also told me to stop drinking cold water while eating because the fat in my food solidifies inside my body. That was a scary thought but I just can't eat without drinking water!

Last December in the US, I saw their vast collection of tea bags ---- from Peppermint to Rosehip to Chai, Green, Decaf and Herbal and many more. Too bad I only got a box of Decaf Green Tea from Walgreens (I forgot about it until the last minute).

This year, I started drinking hot tea regularly. At first, it was only during our weekend breakfast but now its becoming a daily habit and I love it!

While writing this, I'm on my second mug of peppermint hot tea --- no milk, no honey, no sugar. I should try a different flavour next time, maybe Japanese rice tea. Daisy, bring me some authentic japanese tea from Osaka please???

Valentines came early

I got my early valentines present from Agie, I like it very very much!!! Thanks bebe nako!!!

Flowers which liven up our lounge

the flower which matches with my scented candle

and of course, i need to take a photo of my coffee table and rug from Freedom, LOL.

This time, with Jess' painting at the background.

This is our home. =)

Too bad we can't hang the mirror yet as we need sturdy, heavy-duty hooks for it.

Cooking 101: Salmon and Black Beans

I was walking leisurely to the train station one Wednesday afternoon mulling what to cook for my baon. While doing a fridge inventory in my mind, I realized I bought salmon a few days ago --- should I bake or grill it for a healthy lunch? But I want to try something different. I remembered Shawie cooking salmon with black beans ages ago which was really yummy. A short phonecall later, I got the recipe and from memory its:

• salmon
• a bit of vinegar
• a splash of olive oil
• a bit of water
• black beans
• onions
• one (or two) teaspoon of the black bean sauce.

Put all the ingredients in a pan, simmer for a couple of minutes (make sure not to overcook the salmon and don't over reduce the sauce) and voila, you'll have your salmon dish!

I tried the recipe at home with all the ingredients done in 'tantya'. Never a fan of taste testing a dish while cooking so I only had a bite after I turned off the cook top.

Taste: sweet (fresh salmon sweetness) and a bit on the salty side due to the black beans but still taste yum!!!

I took a photo of my creation and the photo did not do justice to the actual food. I really need to improve my presentation and photography skills! =)

Commonwealth Bank scare

Agie woke up to a lot of email and voice mail messages from Commonwealth Bank asking him if he's in the Philippines because someone has been using his card. He was initially alarmed but when they read the charges, it turned out it was my internet purchases for my parents plane fare to Manila and back. hahaha.

Its good to know that CB is actively monitoring overseas charges as there are a number of bogus credit card transactions where in the end, they shoulder the loss.


Good job Commonwealth! I might stay with you for a bit longer now... hopefully you wont increase my homeloan rates any further. =)

Isang Maulan na Sabado

Last rainy saturday, Agie and I went to Cecille's baby shower. The place was over an hour away from our place so naturally, we were the first to arrive. Following the First-in-First-out rule, we were the first to go too, but only when the heavy downpour started to subside --- or so we thought. Walking from Cille's place to the station took us around 15mins and during this time, Agie and I were laughing so hard because we had the perfect timing! As soon as we stepped out of the building, the rain started to pour again, and the wind was blowing wildly. And of course, today is the only day that Agie left his umbrella home! Half of our body is drenched and I looked like I just got out of the shower. And when we finally arrived at the station, the rain stopped! Hahaha. Good thing we didn't missed our train, otherwise, it would have been a nigthmare, waiting for another 30mins in wet clothes. :D


It was nice to catch up with friends - dami kong na miss na kwento, grabe!!! Can't wait for the next one --- March 14 for Rafa's birthday.

@ Toongabbie Station, mejo fresh pa ako nyan at 12noon











@Artarmon station. di halatang basang basa ako. :D

an Empty Wall

Got this photo from Peewee and our wall looks very very empty. I need to buy some paintings ASAP to make our lounge more homey.

I so hate Freedom furnitures! When we purchased the wall mirror, coffee table and floor rug they told us that it would only take two weeks for it to be delivered. Now that two weeks have been streched to five!!! I just hope that the wait will be worth it, otherwise, heads will roll (LOL --- can 't wait to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.)

Note to self: bring your freedom receipt and give them a call tom.

...of workplace and workmates...

i had a long email exchange with Manj today. she told me how her role in Shell have evolved and how she is not as swamped with work as before. during the course of our emails, i suddenly missed Shell and...

1. Canor - our November 2005 'team mate' that made our day and night shift work extra fun;
2. the endless conversations in our workstation
3. cam-whoring to the max
4. starbucks during christmas and the quest to get the planner first
5. lunch' at Manila Bay during a December night shift
6. our very first christmas floor decoration -- all the drama we had with Ed's Team, the trek to Tutuban with Cel and Jaz
7. breakfast!!!
8. laughter of the entire team
9. food trip and mini stop!!!
10. aristo-cart and their fried lumpia - the best street food eva!!!
11. videoke during ofc hours (only in Shell!!!)
12. dinner with the leadership team - Sally, Mars, Junie, the IT guys... sino pa ba?
13. Ambers and Buddy's pansit, barbecue and pichi pichi
14. Burloloys sa katawan --- i rediscovered a few of my necklaces and started using them again
15. Bohol
16. Manga with Bagoong, sama na din ang mais!!!
17. Go Live!
18. Teleconferences --- Nico and Rene (whom I still keep in touch with)
19. SITI Sups and TLs - Aimee (asan ka na???), Alice (miss you girl, will email you soon), Yen (yehey, you're coming here na), Perla (busy na naman as always maski dito sa Oz), Cesar (ikakasal ka na...), Aileen (kaw na lang natira sa Shell)

and the list goes on and on and on....

Its been 3 years since I left the company and now, Agie, Lanie, Ces and I are building our new lives here in Oz, soon, Yen will be here too.

Back in the Phils, people have moved to different processes, Malou, Haidee, Sol and Lanie gave birth and soon Chona will too.

We matured.

But one thing will remain the same --- the friendship and the bond that we formed will forever stay. SITI AR will always have a special place in my heart. The best working days of my life were spent there, I've grown as a person and as a leader. I had my weaknesses but I am thankful for my team who confront me and not talked about it behind my back (or if they did, they are still honest enough to let me know about it). I miss you guys! Im wishing and hoping that we'll see each other, reunite, look back and reminisce the good times.

Miss you guys.

God's Provision: Contentment

Last Friday, I got my daily gospel read from Manj. This is so timely for me. Inspite of the blessings I received from You, sometimes, I felt dissatisfied and always wanting more. Thank you for reminding me that its not always greener at the other side of the fence. You've given me the best and I have to be, need to be contented to be happy.

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God's Provision: Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)

God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help and (2) learn to be content --
If you've ever seen a baby born, you know they don't come into the world with a whole lot. They're not holding onto cigars, cars and a stock portfolio. They don't come into the world with anything but a little umbilical cord and that quickly gets cut.

And then, at your funeral, you don't take anything with you. The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content.
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught into "when" thinking: "When I get a certain job ... When I can retire ... When I get the house paid off ... When I get the bills paid off ... then I'll be happy!"

God says, "No, once you get there, you'll always want something else." If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more.

"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NLT)
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Today, I am thankful:
1. For a stress-free job, a job where I can manage my own time. It may be far from home but I get along well with the people I work with and the work itself is very easy. And if I do need some challeges, all I have to do is ASK.
2. For a loving husband. Thank you for giving me my best friend, someone who I can talk to without fear of being rebuked, someone whom I can get serious and be goofy at the same time. Someone who sees the best and worst in me but still loves me just the same. Someone who always reminds me that I have the best job in the world which I need to be thankful for. I'm not ashamed to cry, laugh and be a kid in front of him. Thank you Lord for giving me my Agie.
3. For a healthy life.
4. For a loving family whom you keep safe in the Philippines.
5. For friends. I may not see them often but I know they are there when I need them.

Old and New

Missing our old suburb...

... but loving our new home here in Toongabbie.
It's still a work-in-progress but we're getting there... slowly.

2010 Bucket List

Last year, I had a long list of things that I want to accomplish, and I think managed to do 75% of them.

This year, I want to take things slow and will only have THREE items for my 2010 bucket, these are:

a) CPA - finish my last three subjects this year. I will not defer any subjects and will study more diligently - no more Facebook games for me.

b) Drive - Learn how to drive and be a P Plater! Driving means you're more mobile and you can go whereever you want to. We have been car-less for 3 years but managed to go to places using public transport, but its nice to do your errands when its not planned around the bus/train timetable.

c) Have a baby. This is something Agie and I have to work on but ultimately it will be in His time. Only God knows when He'll bless us with our own bundle of joy but I'm hoping, wishing, praying that it will be this year. :D


I only have three, but these are major ones! Doable? Yes, I think so, with God's guidance and blessing we can do this!!!


Study. Drive. Pray.

2009 --- what a great year for us!

Year 2009 was a great year for the Cellacay's. It has its highs and lows; met new friends and reconnected with old ones; received so many blessings and travelled a lot. Before I start my first blog for 2010, i want to list all the things that happened to us that we are so thankful for:

• new start - we came back refreshed from our wedding in Bukidnon and eager to start our new life together
• new lives - we became Godparents to Bono and Rafa. We also welcomed to the world Mikee and Zyka. These are the little angels that will take care of us in the future.
• new identity - we became Australian Citizens this year too! We may have embraced the Aussie culture but we'll always be Pinoy at heart!
• new destination - we travelled a lot this year: Hongkong and Macau for our honeymoon; Tahiti, New Zealand and Manila for Agie; Brisbane and Melbourne both for work and pleasure; and USA to celebrate our first year together.
• new home - finally, we were able to found a house that ticked all the boxes. this house will become our home, our love nest, a place we can call our own.
  

God has been (and will always be) so good to us. We can never thank Him enough for all these blessings.

We welcome 2010 with a big, open heart because we know great things are coming our way.

Lawn Bowling (The Gracy Way)

For our 2009 GWF Christmas Party, we went to Hunters Hill Club for a day of Lawn Bowling.
Not my kind of game (boring IMO) though and it was sooo hot during the day. I didnt enjoy the food and is ready to call it a day by 4pm. I didn't even go to the afterparty in Woolwich Hotel! But I did enjoy taking photos of my ofc mates with my newish Canon cam. :-)

anovah, may fimfle ako!!!

Gracy ready to bowl.

roll it from the side Gracy!

Yey! I think I got it close to the little white ball. :-)

My new Sunnies

Agie and I went to have oral prophylaxis in Ashfield today because our entitlements from our health insurance will expire by the end of the year. We also dropped by the Optometrist to get our glasses.

Getting a prescription shades is too expensive and I don't need another transition lenses right now. But I do want a nice sunglasses!!! I asked (very subtly, of course, hahaha) the Chinese guy there if I can get a regular shades instead of a prescription one. He was hesitant at first (bawal nga kasi!) but in the end, he relented.

So, I went home with a new Burberry Sunnies. :D

Happy Birthday Agie!!!

Today is your birthday, Happy Birthday Bebe!

This is the 5th year we celebrated your birthday together and I just want to have a quick look back what happened the last five years. :-)

4 Dec 2005 - Our first official date together. We went to Baywalk to have dinner and stayed there until 4 (or was it 5?) am. I was a bit angry with you during dinner because you're always checking your phone!!! I should be the center of your attention pero you're always answering your friends' text to you, hmmp, hahaha.

4 Dec 2006 - I can't remember what we did and what my gift for you was on this day. Where did we go? Powerplant or Gateway? Please refresh my memory coz I have a memory gap na, wehehehe.

4 Dec 2007 - you're first birthday here in Oz. We had a little celebration at your place in Ellis St. Mike cooked pansit and I had pizza delivered. We didn't have any photos taken on that day, too bad. :(

4 Dec 2008 - Its our flight back to the Philippines. Before we flew, I cooked pansit for you and bought you the Twilight Series. There's also a yummy cake from the Korean shop in Macquarie. After we 'celebrated' your birthday at home, we went to sleep and got ready for our flight back home. At the airport, I tried to ask for an upgrade from Cathay Pacific because its your birthday and the guy gave us the Exit Row seat with a very big leg room, yey!

4 Dec 2009 - There will be no celebration for you today because you're working late. :( But I don't want you to miss you birthday so I woke up early and cooked pansit! (kaso lang you were so nosy, waiting for me to come back from taking a bath, then realizing there's no one in the bathroom, you wen to the kitchen and caught me preparing the pnasit, haha). I also bought a little cake from the Korean shop so you can blow your candles while eating your birthday breakfast. :-) I wanted to buy your Macbook yesterday from Myer because it was on sale but there's a 10day wait period, so instead of a Macbook, I bought you a book ---- Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. I just realized that books are my staple gift to you on your birthday. hehehe. I thought of something else but I couldn't find it so book na lang. :D

On this special day, my wishes for my bebe are:
: good health - no more tummy aches and liver problems and bad cholesterol.
: great career - no more late nights in audit
: excellent family life - baby to come next year. :-)

God has been so good to us in 2009 and I know 2010 will be better. Continue to believe in Him bebe and He'll give you what you desire as long as it is in accordance with His plan.

I love you so so much my bebe and I'm hoping to add as many years in this timeline as possible.

Have a great day in the office today bebe and we'll have a post-birthday celebration for you tomorrow.

Hugs and kisses,
Wifey Gracy. xoxoxo

I got a D!!!

For my third CPA subject, I got another Distinction, yahoo!!! For the second subject, i deferred it to next term thus the grade of Did Not Seat (DNS). Three down, three more to go!

Happy day today. =)

Finance End of Year Party

For the past two years, GWF always have an uber-cool end of year Finance Party. Last year's Amazing Race saw us running, eating, sweating and having so much fun (with our competitive spirits really coming out) around Sydney CBD. The Pink Team (that's us) won last year's event.

Go Pink Team!

This year, the committee had a different take on FUN. We went to Double Bay Marina Yacht Club for a day of cooking demo and skills testing. Yep! a chef was there to show us how to prepare an entree, main and three desserts!

Everyone enjoyed the cooking (and the eating afterwards). Too bad we didn't win the best presentation. :( I loved the Ocean Trout with Salsa Verde that I cooked it the next day at home (but i forgot to take a photo of my masterpiece, sayang!).

Finance Team and the food we cooked.

My Lunch Mates =)

I made this Tiramisu! I was the Dessert Girl for our Team.

Chocolate Liqueur with Caramelized Walnuts

What could be next? :=)