Two Years!

Our relationship is two years old today---which we just remembered over the weekend while we were doing our general cleaning. Hehe.

Me: Alam mo, ito pala ang pinaka-progressive two-year relationship ko.
Him: Oo nga no. Congrats! Ang galing mo!

So two years down and (six? seven? eight?) decades ahead. But for now, it means this day next year we're getting hitched again---this time with family, friends, the church, flower girls and all the works! So planning and saving officially begins today! Good luck to us. :)

New Year's Eve Preps

Given its timezone, Australia is one of the first countries to welcome 2010 and initially we planned to drive to Sydney and watch the famous fireworks by the harbor for New Year's Eve. However, plan was sacked a week ago when hubby was advised to report for work during the holidays.  In hindsight, it's not really that bad since the extra income can do wonders and we can just prepare a simple, stress-free dinner and catch the celebration on TV. No frills, just pasta, wine, and dessert. So now I just finished baking some butterscotch and chocolate chip cookies and in a while I'll be going out to get the wine with my bodyguard (and hopefully it won't take her forever do number two... namamahay!).

Gypsy has been keeping my hands full since the 27th but I'm not complaining. It feels like being back home again with all our dogs and their two-hourly routines though this time it's a lot better because I can take her for walks/jogs and she doesn't get so dirty even though she's been running around outside. She's been a very good girl---following orders outright (well except the number two thing which is understandable in a new environment), not disturbing the neighbors at night and eating her meals on time. I'll miss her a lot when her folks get back from out of town. She does a lot for homesickness especially this time of the year. 

Great Ocean Road

 

It was thirty degrees the day after Christmas and we just had to get out of the house so we packed some snacks, brought out the picnic blanket we got as a wedding gift from a friend based in South Africa and printed Google maps. The spur of the moment thing led us to a day of driving along Great Ocean Road, a 243 km stretch along South East of Australia passing through various Victorian provinces and scenic coastlines of the South Ocean and Bass Strait. We drove for almost eleven hours (with brief stop-overs at Port Campbell, Cape Otway and Lorne Bay) just enjoying the view and swapping stories of childhood and UP days with the Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Parokya ni Edgar, Francis M, Gary V, Sabado Boys in the background.

 

One of the more popular attractions along Great Ocean Road is The Twelve Apostles, a collection of huge limestones off the shore of Port Campbell National Park. Todate, there are only "Eight Apostles" left since the stacks have collapsed due to waves eroding the bases over the years.

At least we caught up with eight during our lifetime.

 

We attempted to go to Great Otway National Park for some animal watching but it was two hours till dark and it would be wise to stay on the main road. We turned right back and got the cutest consolation...

...koalas in the wild!

 

We must have passed by over a dozen of these adorable, chubby, furry creatures perched from the trees.

Final stop was dinner at Lorne Bay, a popular camping site with quiant little stores and Sweet Valley High-like beach houses nearby. We should have stayed for the night to enjoy the place more but we had to head back home to doggie-sit for a family going out of town so we just hung around the beach for a while observing the waves gobble up the surfers, kids playing frisbee and multicultural families having their own picnics before calling it a day. It's too peaceful for words that maybe (and that's a big maybe) I'll give in to hubby's suggestion to go camping (the real thing---tent, building fire, pork and beans, hotdogs and marshmallows, insect bites!) for our next long weekend. Everyone here seems a fan of roughing it outdoors and anyway hubby's a boyscout so I'll we'll survive.

 

Santa J

With the wedding, honeymoon, new apartment, visa upgrade application and about a hundred other expenses in a one-income household, it's a must to tighten the belts. So I thought hubby and I kind of had an unspoken deal that we won't be giving gifts to each other for Christmas (or for any occasion in the near future). We can't really complain since 2009 has been a good year for us and we've had blessings that are more than enough. So when we put up the tree I knew there wouldn't be any presents underneath nor would there be goodies inside the socks we hung on the walls---not for this year at least. And we're dining out for Christmas Eve, surely that counts for something?

And in a way, it's welcome change because not giving gifts to each other also translates to not giving gifts to other people. I relish how marvelous and peaceful it is to get a reprieve from stretching my energy, wits and wallet in buying gifts for about a dozen godchildren who start asking for cellular phones, playstation and Wii; relatives who you hardly see but HAVE to give presents to otherwise tongues will never stop wagging; colleagues and clients who either become more difficult to please each year or you just don't like in general (and vice versa) so why bother; neighbors whose last names you don't even know but nakakahiya if you don't give anything back. If I could have had my way all those years back home, I would have bought gifts for people who really mattered (immediate families, those few close friends and their kids, inaanak or not). And the clincher is I could have bought really, really nice gifts for them with all the money I would have saved. But now we get a year off from all that because everyone knows we're broke. And I guess one of the nicest things in living here is that people actually understand that we're broke. So until the newly-wed label slash one-income household expires, we're free from (Filipino) gift-giving obligation but we're sending out our LOOOOOVE for everyone--- including to each other. :)

But my resolve was shattered when hubby urged me to check my sock at the stroke of midnight "because Santa might have left something."


True enough, there was a sheet of paper---a colored print-out of an email confirmation for two reserved tickets for the February 14, 2010 showing. So maybe it's a Christmas and Valentines present rolled into one (which he bought using his credit card) but I was utterly touched by the EFFORT (he hates musicals but he knew I loved them so he booked in advance and surprised me in a Santa-ish way) and steaming with guilt because I didn't get him anything. I didn't even think of something corny (and I usually pride myself for always having several ideas) like making him a card or letter or promissory note of sorts when (gah) it's our first Christmas as a married couple. And he's not even high-maintenance, he would have loved a corny shot. And strangely what bothers me the most is I honestly know it doesn't bother him that I didn't have a present for him because he's not the type to ask for something in return. It's just that I could have made an effort, you know? Hay. Wish I can make it up already but for now all I can do is tame down my mood swings, perfect his mom's sinigang recipe, pray I'll win the lotto so I can buy ringside tickets for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight and just try my darnest to keep from turning into those "ikain-na-lang-natin" spouses whenever there are special occasions. Small or big, corny or grand, it's always the thought that counts.

Christmas Eve

We are thankful for wonderful friends who have graciously invited us over for dinner but we decided to defer and hold date night to celebrate our first Christmas Eve together in Melbourne.  After hearing the 6 pm  mass, hubby took me to Il Divo in Altona Meadows that reminded me so much of Italiannis back home. We wanted to dine al fresco but it started to rain and the cold was picking up (dang climate change!) so we ended up in a cozy corner table inside. Not bad.

We feasted on chicken parmigiana, sirloin steak and tiramisu capped with chardonnay *busog*.

Then we trooped home, made nachos and watched Twilight while waiting for the clock to strike twelve and for the families to go online (dang being three hours apart!). Oh, I did make some fruit salad in the morning and there's ham in the fridge but we were so full and lazy to bring them all out.

So voila, the extent of our household noche buena for 2009!!!

Then it was time for some chatting with the family (bro had work, bummer) and it wasn't so sad anymore. People here kept telling me I was surely going to cry since it's my first Christmas away from home but woohoo, survived the eve without a drop of tear. There's a lot to be thankful for--- a patient, loving and responsible husband; parents who choose to work things out; siblings who are stepping up since ate left and whose careers are getting there; a healthy, vivacious grandma who'll probably outlive us all; great in-laws who have embraced me as their own; long-time friends who are just a text/email/chat away... the list goes on. In spite being a thousand miles away from home, I feel truly blessed and loved and happy with a new-found sense of peace, the best Christmas gift so far.

We wish everyone a happy, peaceful and meaningful Christmas. Make love not war.

Cherry-Picking

Sa pelikula ba yon ni Piolo at Claudine kung saan may cherry-picking na eksena? Iyon ang laman ng utak ko habang palaboy-laboy sa bukid ng mga cherries hawak ang asul na timba sa outing namin nung linggo. Pinasyal nila ako sa bulubunduking lugar ng Dromana, mahigit dalawang oras na biyahe mula sa lungsod na siguro kasinglayo na ng Olongapo dahil walang katrapik-trapik. Nung una eh pumapalag pa ko dahil suki ito ng mga bush fire kapag tag-init pero suwerte kami at maulan-ulan noon kaya natuloy din.

Sa entrance fee na $10 kada tao, malaya ka ng mamitas at kumain ng cherries hanggang sawa. Kung nais mo namang maguwi, dagdag na $10 kada kilo pero kung mapupuno mo ang isang timba na katumbas ng limang kilo, kwarenta na lang ang bayad. Nung una akala ko napakadali namang magpuno pero dumaan ang halos dalawang oras at halos wala pa ding laman ang timba ko.


Pano ba naman eh pitas-nguya-pitas-nguya ako. Ni hindi ko na namalayan kung ilang kilo ang nakain ko. Madalas silipin ni Tristan ang timba ko sabay kutya, "I have more than you! Tita Chiqui! You have to stop eating!" Kinunan ko na nga ng litrato ang kawawang timba kasama si Tristan dahil baka pati ang katiting na laman eh mapapak ko. Nakaka-adik naman talaga. Ngayon lang ata ako nakapamitas ng prutas sabay kain ng walang sawa. Ilang beses ko ng tinangkang mag-strawberry-picking sa La Trinidad pero parati akong malas. Hindi maganda ang timing ko o nagkakatamaran na dahil trapik galing Baguio. Sa bukid naman ni Joyce, nakapamitas na kami ng mga dalandan na bagama't nakakatakam eh kailangan pang balatan kaya diretso na lang sa plastik kesa sa bibig.
 

Samantalang dito, pitas tuloy kain! Lalong nakakaadik  yung mga maitim-itim na dahil ubod ng lambot at tamis kumpara sa mga pula na may bahid pa minsan ng asim (pero masarap pa din!).

Madalas yung mga tangkay ng mga itim ay hindi ko abot. Gusto ko sanang gamitin ang mga hagdan pero nakakakaba dahil basa at madulas. Alam ni mister na lampa ako kaya siya na ang umakyat at namitas. Turo lang ako ng turo sabay abot sa mga nakuha niya. Pagbaba niya hindi pa din puno ang timba dahil lahat dumiretso sa bibig ko... :)

Nang lumaon, tulong-tulong kami ni Tristan, Mimi at Jun na "magpuno" ng isang timba. Hindi pa nga sagad kaya pagdating sa bayaran, wala kaming discount. Isang timba lang din ang napuno nila Bonnie, Carol at Kuya Cesar dahil nalibang din kakakain.

Kalahati na lang din ng mga cherries ang umabot sa bahay dahil naubos ko ni Tristan at Jun sa haba ng biyahe. Sa uulitin!!!

Books Galore

A couple of bus stops away from South Kingsville is the Yarraville Library, one of the four libraries under the Marybyrnong Council and the closest one in the neighborhood. I spent a refreshing morning today at the lib, something I should have started doing a month ago, and now I'm itching to go back. Only proof of residence is needed for a free membership and one can borrow up to 30 books for 3 weeks (now I understand why in every bus or train station I go people are reading/carrying a book)! The best part is I can borrow and return books in any of the four sister libraries (Yarraville, Footscray, West Footscray and Highpoint) so say I happen to have finished a paperback and just got off the train in Footscray, I can easily drop by the library and return it even if I'm registered in Yarraville. No need for an interaction even---books for return can simply be deposited in a bin from outside the library. Doesn't that make life so much easier???

First Christmas Shopping

In quest of the perfect Monito-Monita gift for Jimmy's officemate, we ended up doing our weekly grocery yesterday at K-Mart, a Greenbelt 1-ish mall in Altona Gate where we chanced upon a Christmas sale for decors! We were planning to buy our Christmas stuff at Footscray but J said why not splurge in the mall for a change since it's our first Aussie Christmas anyway? :)

So now our humble abode is finally Christmas worthy. We got this door sign for $4.50 (original price at $10).

Christmas socks for $4.50 each (original price at $7.50).

And this lovely 182-cm tree which cost around $45 elsewhere that we just got for a whopping $11.50! Adding up the balls, star and lights gives a total damage of $30 which is the average price of a plain tree half the size. :)

Next assignment: Christmas dinner and give-aways. Think, think, think.

A Birthday Party Slash Wives Club Thing

I made new friends last Saturday... Obet (Economics graduate from LB and a batchmate of one of Jimmy's brothers) turned "21" and we were invited to a barbie (que; Aussies are fond of shortcuts ending with "ie") at his place. It was my first time to meet the Evangelistas though J has sent me photos of them in the past. I simply adore his Malaysian wife Angela (witty, amicable and just all-around pleasant) and their uber cutsey kids Keanne and Kayla.