What do I really want?

I had a long exchange of emails with my girlfriends today, we were talking about blogs and doing something we really want, something that makes us happy, something we always dreamt of but never got the courage to do, and that we need to get out of our comfort zones to realize these dreams.

It got me thinking --- what do I really want?

I want to travel, see the whole world. Kiss infront of the Eiffel Tower, be serenaded by a Gondolier, go inside beautiful castles, see windmills and sand dunes. Eat burritos in Mexico, paella in Spain, pasta and pizza in Italy. Check out the tallest building in Dubai, the grandest falls in Canada, safari in Africa. I can go on and on and on.

I also want to cook. Bake. Eat.

Dance.

But all these I can do only when I have the money. That is the issue. I need money to survive, I need money to do the things I love. Being an accountant pays my bills, so I am happy. But, what if we stretch it out a bit, what do I really want to do besides working as an accountant? Childcare? But I am not good with kids.

Maybe, I am born to be an accountant... or maybe not.

I need to find the answer to this question.
.
.
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o baka naman talaga im meant to be an accountant. kulit! =)

Three years and counting Part II

I can't believe how time flies so quickly these days. This week marks my 3rd year of being employed in THE Bread Co. Looking back at my list of employers, this is the longest I've been in a company. I have my highlights and lowlights while working here.

I love that...
I get free bread everyday which me and my friends enjoyed for the past 3 years;
I can come in early and leave early or come in late and but still leave early, hehe;
Our team is so multi-cultural, almost all race is represented;
Its easy for me to take long (Christmas) holidays when some people cannot take a day off during these times;
I am never stressed with this job, and can count with one hand the times I stayed after 5pm, yes, I considered staying after 4:30pm as overtime.

I hate...
how kurips the company is to the Finance Team (compared to how they treat Sales Team that is);
how the current performance evaluation is just not working! I haven't had my final appraisal for 2009 but I got my bonus and increase already. We're halfway thru the year and I haven't discussed my goals for 2010 yet! I've been receiving my reminder email for the appraisal but nothing is being done;
how sometimes I am really petiks. but at the same time i love being petiks coz I can sneak some studying time in between;
how far I my workplace from Tonggabbie is and the one hour commute to and from work. :(

Many times I thought of leaving this company to look for more challenging roles but Agie always tells me that I have the best job in the world!. No pressure, no overtime and no brainer at times. My officemate who came from P&G also told me to stick with the company because this is the most stress free job she have had that she sometimes forget its already month end! She was reminiscing her P&G days where she needs to come to the office even on a weekend to cope with month end tasks.

Big companies are just banking on their name to hire people but at times, they really have a crappy work environment. You'll never know it unless you're inside the organization. Which led me to believe that the grass is never greener at the other side of the fence. When I hear stories about friends getting good job with good pay, I get jealous. But when I hear them complain and work doubly hard, I feel blessed. I'm being paid good money here, don't get me wrong. I have had 5 increases over my 3 year stay here, nevermind that the two ones were just over 1% of my annual salary. But sometimes, I feel that there is so much more I can offer, so much more I can do. Its like I am an untapped talent waiting to be ignited. Its happening slowly, but being an impatient ME, I want it now (or probably not, hahaha).

This the perfect place for me now. I am happy to stay here for a year or two, but if there's a government job somewhere in the West, I would definitely jump ships!!! =)

Perla, isdatchu???

I was sooo busy reading all the tweets on my phone that i didn't notice the train was approaching Pendle Hill and not Toongabbie. I was surprised to see that the carriage I am on missed the stairs by a few meters but I got off anyway. I walked up, together with so many people, and realize its a different station! Damn, it's still Pendle Hill!!!

Perla, ikaw ba yan??? After always laughing at Perla for getting off the wrong station (train terminated without her realizing and she had to be escorted out of the train in Wollstonecraft; travelled to Hornsby, then Strathfield from Chatswood then to Meadowbank for over an hour when she could have boarded a direct train to Meadowbank; and getting off at Hornsby--- when she needs to get off at Epping and the train was empty by that time!!!), I could not believe it happened to me too?

Good thing it was still 'peak hour' and trains come every 15 minutes...and Agie was waiting for me in Toongabbie.

My Monday ended well, still. =)

Hope you had a fruitful one.

BBQ

I haven't cooked deep fried fish and dried fish since we moved because the smell of fish is so 'anghit' and difficult to remove. No amount of candles can get rid of the smell stuck to the blinds. And now, being lent, its doubly hard not to think of frying fish!!!

I've been meaning to buy a BBQ with side burner not only to solve the frying problem but also for us to have an authentic Aussie Backyard BBQ. We made a trip to Bunnings once but the ones we saw don't have side burners so we gave it a miss. Last week, my friend posted a shout out in FB looking for someone interested in buying her 3 month old, 4 burner BBQ with cylinder. She's selling it because someone gave them a 5 burner one (she's soo lucky to have rich friends, hehehehe). So after a few messages exchanged, I am now waiting for the BBQ to be delivered on Saturday.

She said it looks like this but with a side burner too...

I can't wait for Saturday!!!

Friends, let's have a barbie!!!

Gubot ang Ulo

What would you do if work becomes too tedious, overwhelming and your boss is overbearing?
What would you do if you think too much and can't seem to get the answer?
What would you do if you suddenly make a mountain out of a molehill --- little things are blown up???

You Stop.
You take a deep breath.

You Pray.
You surrender.

Have faith.
For He will make a way.

Don't sweat the small stuff. They are not worth it.

Sing and be merry.
Smile and be happy.

From Don Moen:
God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

From Mangie:
Be patient. God knows what He's doing. God knows what's best for you. He can see the end result. You can't. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays -- all the things that make you ask "why" -- one day it will all be clear in the light of God's love.

But for now, we're learning to trust God.

~~~
You'll be fine Bebe. =)

(not so) successful cheescake

So I made my Cadbury cheesecake last night, but because i made so much adjustment to the recipe, it didn't quiet turn out the way I wanted it to be.

First, I couldn't find crushed graham crackers, so instead I bought Arnotts and pulverized it using my blender.

from this

to this

Then, I wanted it to be less fattening, so I used light cream cheese instead of the regular one.

Then, thinking that the cake is too thick, i halved the cream cheese mixture to fill two pans.

cheesecake cooling inside the oven



yummy cheesecake but its not nice looking, hahahaha

Verdict:

Taste - Very good

Presentation - needs improvement!

Biscuit base - needs to be freezed overnight (not one hour!!!)

I will make another one in a few days, and this time, I will follow the recipe to the letter. Then, I will make my adjustments when I am satisfied with the finish product.

Baking 101

will resume tonight. I will try to replicate my friend's version of Toblerone cheesecake. But Woolies doesn't stock white toblerone so I ended up getting Cadbury white chocolate. This will definitely alter the taste but will try it just the same...

Good luck to me!

Andito na si Nanay

Yep, the plane landed safely at around 7:45 am. Thank God for friends na sumundo kina Nanay. Right now, andun sya nagpapahinga sa Chatswood. I'll be picking her up after ofc hours. Then a looooooong train ride to Toongabbie! Tapos sa 24, si mommy at daddy naman ang pupunta dito! Yahoo. Finally, makikita na nila kung ano ang Australia... sana lang di sila ma bore. =)

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.