1st year

Today is our 13th month anniversary in Singapore.

I cannot believe how time flies, so far so good. But we all know that this will be a temporary place for my family.I feel we have settled in well here, we're still renting the same condo here in the east side of SG.

My 6 year old daughter and 5 yr old son are settled in their catholic school with their pinoy and Chinese friends . Yanna will be in primary school on January (start of the school year here) and Edric will stay in his current school but in K2 level.
They made great progress in school. Both of them can read in English and few Chinese words. Downside is, they have a hard time reading and counting in Tagalog. They are fond of reading books at night on their own. The books are borrowed from our community library.

My little boy (2.5 ) stays at home with his Lola. Although we see him confident and fearless, we opted not to send him yet in Toddler class as we don't see him prepared yet. Maybe 2 years from now.

Hubby is settled nicely into his new job he has been working for a month now, he is more laid back now than he was in the previous months. While we both had not so nice experience with our work for the past year, we are now blessed to get a more calm and relaxing work environment from our new employers.

Since Singapore is just a 3.5 hours flight from Manila, my parents and siblings managed to visit us and we have few trips as well. I would say, Singapore is a nice place but we still long for a nicer place where we could enjoy outdoors.

Still do miss my friends & family but I suppose we can't have everything.

Christmas will be spent with them in Manila this year and we are all excited!

Friendships

Since moving here in SG, I have sent out regular emails and photos to all my family and friends - and at first I got a lot of replies. But as time has gone on, the replies have lessen and now it's just my closest friends who are in regular contact. I can understand why. My family are seldom use computers and prefer to text and do a phone call. My friends have moved on - they have probably accepted that they are unlikely to see us again on a frequent basis, and got on with their lives, whilst I still long for the friendships I left behind, because the new ones are still fresh to offer real support. Obviously there are some very good friendships that will always stay in touch, but even they email less than I do. Perhaps they feel that their news isn't as interesting as mine, but of course that isn't true, I stick on to all the news about Manila, however boring it is.

I've been tagged by Litcoo.

I must post the rules, 7 random things about me and then tag others to do the same. Sound fair enough, right? These are the rules… each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

1. I'm a picky eater. I don't eat eggs, beef, all kinds of seafood..list is endless.

2. I stick to the same old friends that I have. I don't think I have gained a bestfriend since highschool.

3. I love travelling. I have this liking of the food served in the planes.

4. Hubby and I are inseperable. We both went to the same college school, then went to the same companies and got the same work skills too. Can't imagine life without him.

5. I love desserts over the main meal.

6. I have this allergy every morning thatI would sneeze repeatedly. Never run out of tissue boxes beside the bed.

7. I write lengthily and very detailed.

I'll think pa whom I can tag as I only knew few blogging friends.

NZ Pics namin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZh8QtbsmkI

Our NZ holiday

It was initially planned as a holiday lang to visit the place and do a research na rin. It was a good timing lang na hubby got some job Interviews schedled kaya pinush thru na rin namin ang punta sa Welly. Madali lang makkakuha ng NZ visit visa dito sa SG, basta complete lang ang requirements, in 30 mins nakuha na ni hubby agad. Di naman kami nagkamali sa decision namin and we had a good time. Dahil sanay kami sa tropical weather we found the weathere there na too cold for us and officially winter na sa kanila. We flew to Wellington on 2nd of January 7:50pm via QANTAS flight. Maaga kami sa Changi Airport ni hubby since gusto pa namin gumala dahil matagal tagal na rin namin di nakikita ang loob ng Terminal1. Natuwa ako sa leg massager sa airport at it really help to relax my legs dahil kararating ko rin lang nun from Manila, a night before we fly
To Welly. It's a 7 hrs flight going to Sydney, but we're happy of the seat given kasi we have big leg room sa aisle seat. I enjoyed the QANTAS flight as much as I enjoy flying with SingAir. We arrived in Sydney at 5:30am local time (they are 2 hrs ahead of SG time). 9:30am pa ang next flight namin going to Wellington so we have a few hours roaming around their small airport. I don't sleep that much Pag nag ta travel, cguro sa sobrang excitement na rin. We met there 2 Filipinos waiting for the same flight. Yung isa nurse working in NZ and
The other one is a lola visiting her daughter. 3.5 hrs ang travel going to Welly and we arrived there at 2:30pm local time (4 hrs ahead sila sa SG time). Buti na lang mabait yung nurse na pinoy, he gladly lent his phone card to us so that hubby can call up Tita Glo (house owner where we will be staying).
It's a 15 mins ride from airport to Mills Road, Vogeltown. We paid 35NZD, which I think is super mahal. Di kasi kabisado ng taxi driver yung place At inikot pa ata kami. But then, we were glad to finally reach Welly safely. The moment we arrived, I fell in love with the place. Very peaceful, Nice green sceneries and very polite ng mga tao. Wellington is like San Francisco ng US. We met Tita Glo and Jorenz (her son) and went directly to our room. We felt very exhausted and we fell asleep til 9pm! Pag pag gising namin Tapos na sila ng dinner.Father Mario (Pinoy parish priest there) is a constant visitor sa house nila on Sundays. It was nice to know them and the Sister na
Kasama nya. We even watched an old Pinoy movie and stayed up late for that. Weather was 15 degrees in the morning and 7 deg as the coldest.

Monday, June 4th

It's a holiday in NZ so we have a full day of pamamasyal lang. It was my first time to wake up very late, 11am. Had brunch na rin and prepared ourselves. Tita Glo and his son was kind enough to accompany us. We headed first in a bank in Johnsonville, One of the nearest suburb. We plan to live there since houses are still afordable and very close to mall, schools etc. and it's only 15-20 mins aways from the city. We had lunch at Subway courtesy of Tita Glo. Then they brought us to the Mt. Victoria lookout where we had seen the city 360 degrees.
They dropped us in Oriental Parade and we walked by the the bay. It's was cold but we came prepared and brought with us our skii jackets. Hehe kahit kami lang ang naka ganun, ok lang. Maybe sanay yung mga nakaksalubong
Namin sa weather nilang malamig. Hinanap namin yung mga buildings where hubby will be going on the next day. Para prepared na kami and we'll know Where we should be going. We went home about 5pm na, maaga kasi dumilim and since 2nd day pa lang namin dun takot kaming maligaw. We were told to take bus# 7 going to Vogeltown, fare is 2.50NZD per person. We were at home by 5:30pm, natagalan kasi sa paghintay ng bus.
Tita Glo served dinner at 6pm. We slept late that day as we adjust ourselves, may jetlag ata kami nun.

Tuesday, June 5th Hubby's

1st interview is sched at 10am, and so we left house at 9am. At 9:30am, his there na in Lumley's House (Candle) in Hunter Street. Ako naman, I stayed a while in Mcdo and had a hot choco to warm myself. Then gumala na ko sa Lambton Quay, checking the pricess of the stuff their selling. Expensive ang clothes, shoes and other stuff na pang personal effects. I even saw an on-sale men's shoes for 99 NZD, mahal! I went to their Library
Just beside the Police Sation to check if I can use internet for free. Sadly, it's 1.50NZD for 15mins of use. Shortly, hubby called up and finish na interview nya And we're on our way naman to take lunch in Food Willis (foodcourts) in Willis St. He had chinese food for 6.50NZD and I had a pie for 2.50, big bottle of mineral water is 3.50NZD..susmio ilang galon na ito sa Pinas. Next interview is scheduled at 2pm so we had ample time pa to go back to the library and use the internet. Then we headed to Willeston street for his 2nd interview then pasyal pasyal ulit ako sa Lambton Quay. We had some pics taken from the biggest NZ Musuem (Te Papa)
And sa area na rin na yun. We went to the Visitor Center and found out the internet use is cheaper there, it's 5NZD for card that will last for an hour. Called up my ofcmate before in ACI and plan to meet her the nextday. Went home at 5pm.

Wednesday, June 6th

This was a free day and we planned it to be a pasyal day for us. We went staright to the Beehive-Parliament House, since there's a daily tour scheduled every hour. We took The 11am slot. In our batch, there were a chinese copule, a german, european family, and students from US. We were able to meet Arlene past 12pm na and had lunch in A chinese Restaurant. We agreed to visit her place on the next day. We proceeded to try the Cable Car. Return Fare is 4.50NZD if I'm not mistaken. Ganda ng view sa taas.
We went in to the Cable Car Museum, there's a Botanical Garden but di na kami tumuloy sa baba kasi. Dun ko na experienced yung sobrang Windy Wellington. We headed straight to Te Papa's museum where we had a quick tour and hubby took his job phone interview there for an hour. By 5pm, gusto ko ng umuwi.
We headed back home, sama kasi kami sa family ni Tita Glo to 1st Wednesday mass in Father Mario's parish in St. Peter.

Thursday, June 7th

Hubby got 3 job interviews scheduled that day, all different companies. First one is at 10am, then 1:30pm(Hudson), then at 3pm(Duncan & Ryan). I busied myself in window shopping and using the net in the visitor center while he was away. After his 1st interview, we went to the grocery near Te Papa to check on food prices.
Food price is relatively the same here in SG but dairy products are cheap. Had lunch in Mcdonalds, got a Meal Package for 9.50NZ with a drink, fries, 2 burgers and an ice cream. Since we're quite tired, we decided to go home and dropped the stuff that we bought. Went back to the city and headed to the "The Terrace" street, I have waited in the café beside the Ofc building. We met with Arlene and Lisa in EDS office. She lives in Newlands but picked-up her baby from Johnsonville pa, baby is there til 5pm only. 160NZD daw ang bayad sa taga bantay per week. Meals and clother are provided by Arlene. Then we had dinner in her house in Woodridge, Kentwood Drive Newlands. By 8pm, we took a bus going to the city and there we hop on to the #7 bus going home.
Friday, June 8th It's our last day, and looks like we are quite familiary with the routes na in the city. Hubby got 2 more job interviews, 1st one from Ministry of Justice and another one in The Terrace street again. I waited in Subway for an hour, taking a hot choco worth 2.50NZD. We went to Old St. Paul's church just across the Min. of Justice Bldg. The church is 1800's built, very scary and amoy luma na talaga. We were scared to go inside as there was no one to accompany us hehehe..baka di na kami makalabas. 2nd interview is on Willis street, that make me happy na makagala ulit kasi malapit lang. We went home early 3pm, as we'll be having dinner with Tita Glo. Tito Ramir and Jorenz Dropped us in Lambton Quay and there we went to see here in mcdo. Chinese food was great in that Reso in Courtney Place but mahal. Tita Glo paid for 83NZD for 3 ulams.
We packed our things na and get ourselves ready for the 4am flight next day.

Saturday, June9th

We were up at 3am and it's soooo cold. Good thing that Tita Glo lent her heater and that kept us warm. Pero nakakatamad tlaga maligo, good thing sanay tayong maligo bago umalis ng bahay. We had our early breakfast and said goodbye to the nice family who helped us. Tito Ramir was kind enough to send us in the airport. We had a smooth flight, As always we enjoyed the food onboard as well as the movies na napanood namin. We arrived at 7pm.

Lulubog Lilitaw

3 months na rin akong di nakakapag blog. Marami na ring nangyari sa 3 months na nawala ako. Eto ang iba:

March - bumalik na from more than a vacation sa Pinas ang Mama ko. Nagpang-abot pa sila ng only sister ko dito. Pumunta kami ng Malaysia para i exit ang sis ko at ma extend pa sana. Di na sya pinayagan kasi na extend na rin namin sya sa ICA eh plus mahigpit sila sa mga girls dito kasi maraming professional prosti na Pinay. Nakasama namin sya for 1.5 months dito. Nakakalungkot ang time na ito kasi balik ulit kami na kami kami langsa bahay.

April - Na approve na ang 2 weeks vacation namin from work kaya bumili kami ng ticket pauwi ng Pinas, lahat kami uuwi para maihatid ang mga bata for their 2nd term vacation. Nag apply kami ni Allan ng visitor's visa for NZ para maka attend sya sa mga job interviews nya. Sobrang efficient ng sistema tlaga dito sa SG, 30 mins lang nakuha na namin ang visa. Sa Pinas aabutin ka ng 1 buwan. Dahil sa NZ holiday plan namin, na shorten ang magiging stay namin sa Manila.

May - excited kaming lahat makauwi, makaka attend pa ng Santacruzan si Yanna ko sa Pinas at makakauwi kami ng Vigan, Ilocos Sur para madalaw ang Lola. Gawa na rin ang itinerary namin, at magmamarathon na naman kami para ayusin ang mga data pang ayusin dahil sa limited lang ang time namin. Babalik ang mga bata dito sa SG a week before magpasukan at kasama nila ang Papa ko para may kasama sila sa byahe nila Mama at may tagabuhat ng sangkatututak na igogrocery ko. Nagpa vaccinate na rin kami dito for Flu para maiwasan ang pagkakasakit namin sa hectic na schedule namin.

12th year namin ngayon as BF & GF



Ganito kami noon....





Ganito na kami ngayon.... ( after putting up a xxx lbs..hehehe)







since he's at work last night til this morning, he sent me a very sweet text message
"I would have chosen anything else over you. It was a good decision 12 years ago..it is still until now.."

A business person's greatest reward
BUSINESS MATTERS(BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) By Francis J. KongThe Philippine Star 02/03/2007

One night a wife found her husband standing over their newborn baby's crib. Silently she watched him. As he stood looking down at the sleeping infant, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: disbelief, doubt, delight, amazement, enchantment, skepticism. Touched by this unusual display and the deep emotions it aroused, with eyes glistening she slipped her arms around her husband. "A penny for your thoughts," she whispered in his ear. "It's amazing!" he replied. "I just can't see how anybody can make a crib like that for only P450! (Made in China !)"

It's amazing to see how certain people cannot detach themselves from the business life they live even when they are alone with their family. Last Saturday was no ordinary Saturday for me. There was no speaking engagement for me on that day and that is very rare. Weekends are the first to go in my calendar.

Business companies would invite me to do out-of-town talks for their people and schools would invite me to do parenting or faculty development seminars and I enjoy doing it. But last Saturday got me doing something else. I had to do a "superman act." I had to stand as one of the primary sponsors in two weddings that were just two hours apart. And that's not the only challenge I had. I had to show up in both wedding receptions notwithstanding the fact that one was in the Ortigas area and the other one in Ermita! Somehow God is merciful.

Things turned out right. It was stressful but it was fun. I did it not because I had to do it but because I wanted to. The parents of the newly wed couples are dear friends of mine. Both Romy and Tenny Menorca as well as Guillermo and Rebecca Go are very dear to me. The two weddings featured a lot of contrasts. One was held in a Catholic church the other one Evangelical. One was heavy in ceremony while the other one was deep in Scriptures. The Menorca 's have wonderful sons (no daughters) while the Co's have wonderful daughters (no sons). One wedding motif required male sponsors to wear the traditional Barong while the other one was strictly coat and tie. You should know that by now, I have developed the wonderful skill of changing clothes inside my car on my way to different functions and occasions. Now let me tell you what I saw common with the two weddings.

Both weddings were beautiful. Both wedding receptions were grand and majestic. You should have seen both the newly-wed couples, they look stunning. You should have seen the parents, they all looked so proud and happy. Both weddings packed a lot of joyful tears and merry laughter. But the one most important common thing I see in both weddings is this: that the kids and their parents are close to each other and they love each other deeply. Now this is the business person's greatest reward: to have a successful family and to be able to support the children and usher them not just down the aisle but down the path of having their own successful families as well.

So many business people I know are not blessed with this kind of success. They rush down the aisles of career or business accomplishments and many of them actually achieved their goals only to turn around and see that the roads getting there have been littered with a lot of family casualties along the way.

The most tragic moment comes to a person's life when that which one thinks would deliver the ultimate success leads to disappointment and defeat. You know you're there when this haunting thought nags you: "Is this all there is to it?" But here is how to avoid them: The warning signs are clear when you hear yourself saying, "But I'm doing this for the family!"

You have to stop for a while and seriously ask yourself whether you are indeed doing it for the family or are you doing it for yourself? Another warning sign is this. You begin to miss your kid's ball games, their recitals, their plays...their birthdays.....and you're not interested in attending those corny parenting activities in school.

Now be careful! The "Red Alert Warning".... "Code Red"..... comes when you begin to say, "I deserve some happiness of my own...." This is extremely dangerous. This is when stupid decisions are made and you begin to dig a hole that will only get deeper and deeper. We always pay for the choices we make.

You can fail in your business and you can fail in your career but if you have a successful family then you are still successful. Take care of your family. Make sure that they are your partners in what you do. Share with them your victories as well as your defeats; your joys as well as your regrets.

Be a significant part of their lives and make them conscious of their spiritual walk as well. While I was sitting there listening to the priest and the pastor delivering their message they were both correct when they said, "Unless the Lord builds the house the laborers build in vain." My last piece of advice is this. Perhaps this is the strongest piece. The best thing you can do for your kids is to love their mother.

You can listen to Francis Kong through his radio program "Business Matters" aired 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM 'The Master's Touch', the classical music station.

1-month of hibernation

It's been a month na rin since I last blog about the happenings in our family. So many things have happened that I tottaly have no time to blog all of it. Anyway, here are some of those:

December 06 - Papa arrived here in SG for his 1 month vacation. My brother joined us too for 2 weeks lang, while he's on his sem break. Di rin namin sila masyadong naipasyal, nag uulan kasi. Ayun, binilhan ko ng sangkatutak na book si papa. Wide reader ang Papa ko, konti na lang makaka mini library na sya sa bahay sa Manila. Kakatuwa si Papa, sa sobrang dami ng books nya, inuulit na nya yung iba. My youngest brother naman enjoyed din dito, nakapahinga sya sa school. Hinatid ko si papa sa budget terminal, and since first time nya mag travel, inantay ko tlaga syang matapos sa immigration. Nagka problem pa, kasi he was given 30 days to stay here, nagkamali kami ng sched ng flight nya, lumagpas sya ng 1 day...buti na lang mabait yung immigration office.
New Year and Christmas went fine and we had the usual pinoy food, but not like what we have in Pinas. We plan to spend it nextime in Manila.

My job in assignment sa Bank ended December 29, I was at home for a month and yet being paid at the same time. I got another job assignment in a different bank with slightly higher pay. God is so good! Alam tlaga ni Lord, na ang taong inaagrabyado ay lalo nyang itinataas. Prayers really help and I believe in good karma.

January 07 - Mama went home for a month vacation in Pinas. We ask hubby's cousin to extend for 2 weeks, then my sister naman will arrive. I have started with my new assignment, so far so good. But I miss my Pinoy officemates sa previous work ko. Oh well, this too shall pass.