Friendster wasn't really created for blogging so no wonder it is a pain posting blogs in it. So after mulling it over, I've decided to move to a proper blogsite -- blogspot! I'm sure it'll give me a better blogging experience and you, a better blog-reading experience.
Hope you continue to visit my blogs and post your comments. Share with me your thoughts. See you there!
Tip: If you're on dial up, click PLAY and PAUSE until the video has completed streaming so you can watch it continuously. (NB: Filipino language used in Video.)
And while you're waiting for the video to load, read on...
I can't say I'm a very religious person but I'm comfortable with my current relationship with my Maker. If you have been painstakingly reading my blog entries, you'd understand what I mean when I say my journey to where my husband and I are in now is anything but easy. We have faced many obstacles -- leaving our budding careers in the Philippines, the accident in Malaysia and starting anew in NZ. We know we wouldn't have overcome all these just by ourselves, we know that a stronger force has been guiding us all the way.
For the longest time, I've made a promise to show my gratitude by serving the church but every time, something gets in the way. This year, Ronnel and I made a commitment to join Couples for Christ, with the gentle urging of my in-laws. The first stage to being a full member is to complete the Christian Life Program (CLP) which is a series of seminars on different Christian topics. I admit to being hesitant at first. My past experience with CFC wasnt that great and I won't expound on that anymore. But I decided to give it a go because I don't have anything to lose. With cynical eyes, I attended the first talk with Ronnel. The topics were mostly familiar for me especially since ten years of my life was spent in Catholic schools. I wasn't too hot on the singing and dancing part but I gave it a chance as I would be the odd one out if I didn't join it.
Soon after, I found myself opening up to new-found friends. My jaded eyes began to see a new light as I formed bonds with other wives. I remember being a little depressed because I felt pressured that we didnt have kids yet but I realized that I wasn't alone. Some couples spent ten years trying to have an offspring -- it's just the second year for us since Ronnel and I consciously made a decision to build our lives first before building a family. Ronnel looked forward to the delectable Filipino dishes served after each session. I also found myself enjoying the songs and sharing sessions --- I still dont jump and dance, nor I raise my hands and speak in tongues but I know I am not pressured in any way. And before I knew it, Ronnel and I completed the program -- wow, it has been eight weeks already?
To mark our graduation, we were asked to do a presentation. We decided to have a video skit (flashback High School years) which we shot on ANZAC day (NZ holiday). It was a pity that we had some technical issues when it was time to show it but thanks to technology, we have an opportunity to share it again -- even to our families and friends who are not here. So here is the video, enjoy!
It seems like I'm losing the will to write... I don't write as much as I did before. I blame the wii and our addiction to asian dramas and animes. Ronnel and I have been watching over a hundred episodes of Naruto for the past few weeks, plus, I find time to watch They Kissed Again (sequel to Taiwan drama It Started With A Kiss). That's on top of work and housework . So it's not surprising that I've been neglecting my blog, my keyboards and my passion for sharing our NZ adventures. But all's forgiven, right? Coz here I am with more photos! Im not even photoshopping them anymore..
Honeyko, the breadmaker. Here's Ronnel putting his years of breadmaking practice during his childhood... We suddenly had an urge for the pan de sal that we always had for breakfast during our stay with my inlaws (well, for ronnel, he had this everyday since he could walk and talk and he never gets tired of it!). So we asked Nanay for the recipe and tried it here. The first try, it was too hard and it didn't rise. Figured it was too cold. Second try, too sweet. Third try, it was perfect -- fluffy, sweet but not too sweet and really tasty! The Perfect Pan De Sal! Yay!
This year, I managed to coerce Ronnel to join me in the Round the Bays marathon. We did the 7K walk (didnt dare run in fear of collapsing) and truly enjoyed it. Had a great time with our friends Dave and Nic who set the pace for us. I honestly think I did better this time compared to last year! Too bad they spelled our last name wrong in the newspaper! (Rodrigeuz instead of Rodriguez)
To celebrate Ronnel's 30th birthday, we went to Picton (South Islands) and took the Sounds Cruise. It's not as exotic as it sounds but it was really relaxing (I probably slept half the time during the cruise because the sound of the water combined with the soft breeze was so relaxing.) We saw sting rays, stopped by different coves and admired the scenery. Too bad we didnt spot any dolphins or whales.
Well, first things first. We had our noche buena (Christmas Eve Dinner) at home with the Baloyos, Dazos and Dave and Nic. We played the stealing Secret Santa game and yeah, my luck struck out this time-- the gifts ronnel and I were eyeing were both stolen! Here are some pictures of our Noche Buena...
And now, it's beach time. I know it's weird-- for Filipinos, Christmas is the "cold" season but here in NZ, it's summertime so Christmas is spent outdoors, having a barbeque, sun bathing and going to the beach! Well, we did all three on Christmas day in Waikawa beach. My colleague (Thank you so so much Claire!) let us stay in her bach (sidestory: they call holiday homes here "bach". I thought it was because of the musician or something like, they left out the "e" from beachhouse. Apparently, it's an abbreviation of bachelor's pad) for Christmas since she's been encouraging me to go out of Wellington and see the countryside. Waikawa's not really far from Wellington, just an hour and a half drive and that's Ronnel driving cautiously (I can't count how many cars overtook / passed us.. haha). Anyway, here are the pics. Ok, no comments on how I've gained so much weight. The camera adds ten pounds.. and no questions on how many cameras were there. haha. You know what my new year's resolution is...
Home Sweet Home, Finally Blessed...
After several months of waiting for the right moment (probably a euphemism for saving up/looking for the right priest/waiting for good weather), we finally got our home blessed. It's been five months now that we've stayed in our new home and we realized the more we delayed it, the more we will never get around to do it-- so we finally set a date. Finding a priest was a challenge - we wanted it to be on Labour Day but it turned out all the priests were attending a gathering or seminar of some sort. So we had to postpone again but finally finally, we found a priest, and he was perfect. We invited some of our friends at work who have never attended a house blessing before and Fr. Mario took the time to explain what a house blessing was and why it was done. It was also a refresher course for us and our Filipino friends who joined us to celebrate the house blessing and Keith's 9th birthday (yes, it was a double celebration!). 
We're glad that our guests enjoyed the food -- it was a team effort. Doyeth and I had our menus and yes, even the guys had their own special tasks. We had the Pinoy version of Bbq (Keith's classmates were insisting they were kebabs), Doyeth had her famous sotanghon and shrimp meatballs (special mentioned by Fr. Redd). No, I didn't make carbonara but I did have my Bicol Express which was a hit with David (our previous landlord in our first Kiwi apartment). 
It was a great day of gathering for the people who are closest to our hearts here in New Zealand. It gives us so much comfort to know that in spite of being here in the country for only a year for us and just five months for Arnel and his family, we found people whom we call friends.
Now, Christmas is coming up. It's summer here but as always, Wellington's weather is still unpredictable. Monday was a bit rainy and cold but yesterday was really sunny. I hope Christmas weather would be better-- yup, we have things planned for Christmas but I wont say anything just yet. Hint: beach time!
I'm back from my hiatus again. It's been very busy the past few months that I had no time for blogging. So I'm just gonna write everything that happened in one go.
Residency
First things first. After the half year wait, we are now New Zealand residents! This was the dawning of a new day for us because it meant, we can now get a loan, which meant we can get a house! Ronnel and I have been wanting to have our own home ever since so that we can start our own family. I guess that's one in the short list of what he and I have in common. We are very good planners. He is the visionary whilst I'm into details. I remember the ordeal we went through looking for the perfect home. Buying a house here is so different from how we do it in the Philippines. In the Philippines, if you want to buy a house, just talk with the seller, agree about the price, and voila, it's yours. That's not how it works here. First, you'll have to check out several houses by attending open homes. We learned a lesson the hard way-- you must have a car when looking for a house to buy. The distance in a map is much farther than it seems. I remember when Ronnel and I had to walk long distances from one house to another at noon time (most open homes are on sundays midday-- don't ask me why). I think my calves are now cows with how big they became (yeah, lame joke). Plus, everybody who goes to an open home has a car... Well except us of course. I remember real estate agents asking us where we park, and we just smile in return. Anyway, we found the first potential perfect home and made an offer. Apparently, here you have to put down an offer first and if there is a better offer, then ofcourse you lose. We relied on the advice from the forums we frequent and gave a price which was below the seller's asking. It's not a surprise that we lost that one. Note to self: do not believe everyting written in the forums. Our second try was a bit different, this time we knew better so upped our offer a bit, but I guess it wasn't meant to be because the owner changed his mind and didn't want to sell his house anymore. Something good came out of that though coz the real estate agent helped us find our perfect home. My officemates told me that ofcourse, real estate agents will be nice because they want to sell you something. True, but we particularly liked this agent because she picked us up from our place, brought us to different houses and practically made house-hunting easy for us. She wasn't uppity or picky even when we had to sign papers on the floor (we had her drop by our flat -- and we didn't have tables in the lobby). And the most important thing, she brought us to this fabulous house in Johnsonville/Churton Park. It's in the boundary of these two suburbs so we have two addresses. That day, our agent brought us to three houses-- the first one was nice but it was in a difficult-access location. Plus, it had dog smell all over. The second house was the best we've seen so far. It was different from all the other houses in the market. First, it didn't really look like a house. From the outside, you'd think it was just this one-level warehouse looking thing. But when you go inside, you'll be enveloped in its charm as you go down a level and another and another. The backyard has an enchanting overlooking view of the city and best of all, it has a sun roof/skylight. I've never been inside a house with one before and I really wanted to have one with it when I saw Beyonce's house in MTV Cribs. It was really awesome but it was way over our budget. Anyway, after we saw the house, we were brought to another house which was within our $$range but paled in comparison to the previous one. We knew we just fell in love with the second house. After we looked at three houses, Ronnel and I had lunch and discussed what our options were. Apparently, he was besotted with the second house too and was already calculating how much we have to save if we wanted to get that house. It was really big for the two of us but we also had to consider friends who will be staying with us (read next section). The second house was the perfect fit for us because our friends can have a whole level to themselves. We would be living together but we wouldn't lose our privacy either. So, in front of our Chinese smorgasborg, we discussed what sacrifices we needed to make (translation-- I have to cut down on my shopping sprees.) I loved the house and I was all for it so there and then, I called the agent and we made an offer. This time we met the seller's asking price and even upped it a bit. There was competition so we had to make our best offer. It was the best we could give without turning into paupers. That was a Saturday. The following day, we went to church and prayed, hard that we get the house. The previous Sundays, we were unable to attend mass because the open homes were held on the same time. I was thinking maybe we were being reminded not to forget Him when making this important decision in our lives-- probably that's why we haven't found our dream house yet. This time we found it and we prayed hard for it to become a reality. It was Monday night when I got a call from my agent, she was shouting over the phone-- "You got the house! You got the house!". I was really happy when I heard that but it dawned on me-- shoot, I really have to cut my shopping down. I'll never gonna be able to change my phone anymore. But those are trivial, so I shook these thoughts away and focused on the most important thing-- we got a house now. But it's not done yet--there are still lots of things to do afterwards. First, we have to get a solicitor, then a loan, then a property inspector, then a valuer. Told you, it wasn't that simple. But for us, it was made easy because we had friends who helped us along the way. In every decision we had to make, I consulted with my own set of advisors at work. Sally, Dave and Kristan were my primary advisors due to proximity (we share a quadrant) while Maria and Alison were my senior consultants. They introduced me to the world of NZ real estate and its intricacies. They referred me to solicitors, mortgagors and building inspectors. I suppose we would have never survived the process if not for them. So guys, if you're reading this--- thanks! 
Friends
Arnel and his family arrived in NZ last June 3. We were especially excited to have them here as we missed having people to talk to in our own language. Plus, I wanted to catch up with all the gossip that I missed. Arnel was my officemate (and my seamate) in Standard Chartered Malaysia and he and his family are our good friends. We spent Christmas and New Year's with them back when we were in Malaysia and we enjoyed their company a lot. Plus, we liked their kids a lot too-- Keith and Kylee. They're nicer than the average kids-- not unruly and very well mannered (although Kylie still screams at me when she gets jealous of Keith hanging around me). We saw ourselves in Arnel and his wife, Doyeth as we had so much in common--- we even decided that we were probably soulmate couples. So you'd understand how excited we were when we heard that they were coming over. We knew that they would come to love Wellington like we do. You see, Wellington is not a city for everybody. I heard some Filipinas from Singapore came here to work and after a few months got really bored and moved to Australia. If you are looking for hip and happening places, I tell you, you won't find it here. But don't get me wrong, Ronnel and I love it here. We don't get bored and we never run out of things to do-- especially now that we have a house of our own. Anyway, back to Arnel. Just as we were in Malaysia, we'll be officemates here too (But not seatmates anymore coz he's with a different team). His boss is really nice as he offered to drive us to the airport to pick them up. The company couldn't arrange a place for them to stay so we offered our place. At that time, we were sill staying in our teeny weeny flat and we were a bit worried that we won't fit. But with a bit of compromise and sacrifice, we all managed for three weeks. It just made us appreciate our new house so much more.
The Great Move
It was time to move to our new home. It was really exciting that Ronnel and I couldn't sleep the night before. To save moving costs, we asked friends for help. We are blessed with really good friends with big hearts (big arms and big cars too). The pretty wives (ehem, Doyeth and me) prepared lunch to fill the stomachs of our in-house moving team. It was a succesful transition, well, except for getting lost on our way to our new place-- but as the saying goes, try and try and you'll get there. And we did.
And the dust settles...
I think Arnel and his family are settling in quite well in Wellington. He is his usual self at work-- dedicated and hard-working (he paid me to write this). Keith started school and made new friends while Kylee has to wait a year before she can join Keith to school. I guess it's gonna be a bit tough on Doyeth coz she's left home while everybody's at work or in school. But I think she's not bored just yet with all the korean and japanese dramas I lent her. And who knows, she might decide to work too once Kylee goes to school? I guess the most important thing is that they are happy and that they don't regret leaving Malaysia to start a life in New Zealand. Well, I wish them all the best!
What's Next
Yeah, everybody's been asking me if I was pregnant already. The official answer is, as of now, No I'm not. I guess when it's meant to be, it will happen. It's not as if we aren't trying, so hold your horses, who knows, maybe next month, next next month.... Just drop in my blog once in a while.
21 March 07
It’s been days since my birthday and I haven’t updated my blog on what happened on that day. A lot of friends have been asking for an update (side comment: I wonder why nobody’s commenting here if they are reading my blog… hmmm…). I’ve been quite lazy to update this lately since I’m not sure if somebody’s really reading it, then I get messages like, “how come you haven’t written about your birthday yet?” Ok, so here goes…
Well, I’m two years off the thirty mark so when you reach this age, birthday celebrations take a different meaning. It was a sunny Sunday here when I turned 28 (that was March 18) and the day before that, Ronnel and I already had dinner in a Mongolian Bbq restaurant that we haven’t tried yet. It turned out to be good but we liked the Filipino version better. The main difference probably was the sauce, the Filipino version was much sweeter but not as rich as the Kiwi one. The day before my birthday was “my day”. Ronnel and I agreed that I’d like to spend a day just by myself so I did just that. I had a haircut in one of the salons here and as expected, I had to stop myself from cringing when I looked at the price. You see, in the Philippines, hair cuts from top salons like David’s or Piandre cost about $30 NZ (P500++ or RM60) and that’s already a high end cut. If you go to the small salons, you’d get a haircut for as low as $10, and it’s a decent one too. So you’d understand my (especially Ronnel’s) dismay when I had to dish out $65 NZ (P2000 or RM130) for just a haircut. I was lucky I was assigned to a junior stylist, if it were a pro, I would have had to pay $85 which will make Ronnel cry. (Remember, I cut/shave his hair so he doesn’t spend a dollar on haircuts here.) But then again, I think it was worth it, coz I stepped out of the salon feeling really pretty – “feeling” being the operative word there. I had my hair cut really short, above the shoulders (as you see in the pictures) and I had two reasons for doing that – (1) I hate how the wind just blows my hair to my face, causing lipstick to stick to my hair and transfer to my face and (2) this way, I can have my next hair cut months from now. So there I was, walking on the streets of Wellington, with my new hip hair cut, enjoying the cold breeze while browsing through the shops. The department store was on sale so I bought some pans for cooking and baking. It was on my way home that I realised how simple my birthday celebration this year was. And I didn’t mean that in a bad way. For many years now, I’m used to having friends and family around and I miss that. Last year, my friends in Malaysia prepared a small surprise feast for my birthday and I was touched with the efforts they made to make it a great surprise celebration. In the Philippines, I usually cooked for friends and families on the day itself. I miss those days in a way but for some reason, I’m happy that this year, I’m not doing that. This year, it’s just me, myself and I – oh and Ronnel in the background! Kidding! Of course Ronnel plays a big role in my special day – he promised for just on this special day, he won’t be asking how much I spent. This is a feat for him coz he always, always asks this question. Every single time. So on my birthday weekend, he kept it to himself. But oddly enough, I didn’t spend much. Really. Aside from the usual grocery stuff and those cooking stuff, I didn’t buy anything special. We watched a movie when I got back from spending time with myself and had dinner. On Sunday, we went to church and that’s it. I also had calls from the people I love most – papa, ma, len, jan, auntie and lola who are miles away from me. On our way home, Ronnel greeted me happy birthday and asked if I was happy. I said yes and kissed him on the cheek. That’s what really matters, isn’t it? I am happy. So yeah, this is my simplest birthday celebration ever but it was also the most meaningful one.
Another nice surprise I got for my birthday—although it was a week too late—was this bulletin post from my best friend Marj. I’m posting it here to share it with you all. Marj is my long time best friend since grade school. We’ve been through a lot and we’ve lost touch for several years, only to find each other’s arms, giggling like how we used to back in 5th grade. I was really touched when she wrote this (actually, it was Ronnel who saw this first) and I couldn’t find the words to thank her. By posting it in my blog, I hope she knows how much I appreciate her friendship – how much I miss her and how much happy I am that we have remained the best of friends for the past 18 years. Looking forward to several decades of friendship!
-------- From Marj-----
I enjoyed this really fantastic book on food and raved on and on about it to anyone who would listen. Right away, I came up with a list of who must read it and one of them is my bespren Einge.
She's now based in NZ so I bought a copy for her. Alas, I discovered that DHL and Fedex don't come cheap so I put off the courier and emailed her to just let me know when someone's visiting them so I can send the book over.
Day before my birthday, my husband tells me that I have mail from Einge - it's the cutest birthday card ever! But wait, how cheap and thoughtless does that make me? I’m not so bad
really; it's just people like Einge that make me pale in comparison.
We were FAT friends in grade school. When my mom first saw her she was infatuated with Einge's lively eyes, glowing skin and sharp wit - I could not have been more annoyed but that
was because mama didn't know that Einge was the one who introduced me to the "dirty parts" of the Harlequin and Silhouette romance novels, and that she made me read Abante in 5th grade. My selective learning skills picked those up right away but not when she tried teaching me the Morse code or how to play the piano.
We read almost all books and made the library our playground. We also came up with our very own Vogue-like magazine complete with ads, articles and surveys.
We parted in High school then found each other again in college. school, boys, work... Einge and I were in and out of each other's lives, but no matter the distance between space and time, we always manage to pick up where we left off. We have a level of understanding and comfort as if we are never apart.
Einge and I are so alike yet so different. If we were coffee, I'd be instant - quick and simple, and she'd be espresso - double dose packed with a punch. A stranger doesn't need to
know her to deduce what a character she is.
Once, she saw a painting of a "laughing Christ" and she got all guilty wondering if God is happy with the kind of person she is. She's a chronic shopper whose venue ranges from Nine West to ukay-ukay. A fashionista who'd lift a 5-gallon water bottle just to show that she can - now how schizophrenic is that!
I was bridesmaid at her wedding and she was luckily in the country for mine. On instances of marital conflict, I'd flag SOS emails to her promptly answered by her wisdom from
being married two years ahead.
There are times when I wish she isn't so far away. But she's living her life, as am I. We catch up through our write ups knowing that when we post our blogs, we are assured of at least one reader in each other.
I miss you bespren - happy birthday!
29 March 07
Lucky Me!
I think I’ve inherited a lot more than my dad’s good nature as I won yet another prize! My dad is very lucky in raffle draws and I remember we have two of each appliance at home because he won stuff from either his golf tournament or some other raffle he joined. I’ve had my share of luck as I won an oven toaster here and there, an umbrella and some minor goodies. But I was still surprised and happy to hear that I won a backpack full of goodies from Griffin’s (a cookie company here in NZ). Ronnel and I often buy Griffin’s mallows from the Warehouse and at that time, they had a raffle draw where you just write your name and number and you’ll get a chance to win a prize. I was happy when I got a message from Griffin’s saying I won something. I had the parcel delivered at work and my officemates were teasing me that since I haven’t been in the country for a year yet, I am not entitled to win such prizes. Haha! Dave even told me it was unfair that I’ve only been in NZ for five months and I won something while he has been here all his life and he never won anything. I told him he probably has to join these raffles first if he wanted to win. It’s just a small gift but still, it feels great to win something. I just hope next time I win that Volvo or BMW draw.
Something To Look Forward To…
I will be attending a course up in Auckland on Monday and since it’s my first time there, I want to take the time to explore and visit new places. I’ll be extending my stay and Ronnel will be joining me there so that we can spend Holy Week there. We intend to visit the churches there and see some shopping malls (I’m having a shopaholic attack again!).
NZ Sevens
01 Feb 2007
Every so often, kiwis get to wear funky costumes and sashay along the road along with other sevens participants (I’m not sure what to call them). To a foreigner like me, it’s a bit hard to understand and take in but it sure is fun. Imagine bumping into Captain America or the teenage mutant ninja turtles on the street! Sevens is basically an annual international rugby tournament where instead of the normal 15 players, they have seven instead. I am not really sure about the details of the game but from what I reckon, it’s all brawn and intimidation. What do I know? I’m really not into sports – well, if you consider thumb wrestling a sport, fine by me. Anyway, if you’re interested to know more about sevens, here’s the site: http://www.sevens.co.nz/. But parades and all the activities surrounding sevens, that’s what I like! So on a sunny afternoon, my officemates and I left our desks for a while to watch the different sevens players in their uniforms on floats, surrounded by voluptuous babes and popular icons like Colonel Sanders (Go KFC!) and Austin Powers. On Sevens day, those who will be watching the sevens were in their best outfits – I had fun watching them and figuring out their costumes. Three of us from work volunteered to hold donation buckets on the street for Ronald McDonald Foundation and I was able to see the participants up close! 
Bitten By the Love Bug and Birthday Blues
14 Feb 2007
Ever since Ronnel and I got together, I learned to let go of those girly romantic stuff like expecting flowers and chocolates on valentines. Sometimes, I get envious when I see girls holding long stemmed roses on Cupid’s day but then I have to agree with my husband when he says that he’d rather spend money on the stuff I’d really enjoy for a longer period than something that will wilt after a few days. Plus, he says, everyday should be valentines anyway. Okay, so he’s not mushy. I think I’m mushy enough for the two of us anyway. So on Valentines, we went to this Korean restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try ever since we came to NZ. I think watching all those Korean dramas have influenced me a lot.
20 Feb 2007
It’s my hubby’s birthday! Every year, I try to surprise him and every year, he never fails to ruin my surprise. The first time I tried to surprise him was back in 1999 when I organised a birthday party for him. He ruined my surprise when he didn’t want to change clothes for his party and I was trying hard to convince him to wear nice clothes (well, understandably, I didn’t want him to show up in his shorts with all our friends and classmates there). Well, that went quite well and he was really touched despite him knowing in advance (a few minutes before the real party) that there was gonna be a party for him. This year, (no, I didn’t prepare a party for him), I bought an xbox game that he was eyeing on for quite some time. Mind you, it wasn’t just any xbox game. It was one of the few left around the country. He was trying to get one over the Internet but was out-bidded by somebody else. Stores here don’t hold the game anymore and the only store that had it was quite far from where we stayed. So he was a bit depressed when he couldn’t get hold of it. Well, I’m not his wife for nothing so yep, I made some other arrangement for the game to be transferred to a store so that I can pick it up. I guess luck was really by my side that time but then it just flipped on me when the store announced online that they had it in stock. When Ronnel found that out, he was so excited that he wanted to go to the store immediately to buy the game. I was in a panic. I had ordered the same game and it wouldn’t make sense for him to have two copies of it. So yeah, I had to fez up and admit that I actually had that reserved. There you go, another birthday surprise ruined. But in the end, he was really happy. He got the game and enjoyed every minute playing it. By the way, it was an Xbox NBA 2K7 game.
Wellington Walkathon
17 Feb 2007
Every year, Wellington has this Round the Bays event where everybody can join in to either walk or run seven kilometres. Now you know I am not into physical activity much so you’re probably surprised why I joined. Well, I guess my curiosity got the better of me and I just wanted to see what this event was all about. On the day of the event, my officemates and I wore our BNZ shirts and trudged to the meeting place. Wow, what a turn out it was. There were over ten thousand participants – runners and walkers alike. It was a fun experience, despite the fact that my feet hurt. My seatmate and officemate Kristan, accompanied me for the whole walk, fascinating me with stories about his twenty years with the Bank and other stuff. I knew I was slowing him down but I’m glad that it didn’t bother him too much – his favourite phrase was—“No, it’s not a competition” and he claims to be the least competitive person around. That works for me coz even if he didn’t compete with me, I’d still lose! Well, my predictions were right anyway as I turned out to be the in the last place in our team (sob sob). If you want to see the results, you can check it out at http://res.championchip.co.nz/default.asp?id=1095. (Our team name is Analyse This and you’d see my name at the bottom! Well, at least overall I’m 6,427 so that means I’m faster than the four thousand left.. ha ha).
Cuba Carnival
24 Feb 2007
The last weekend of the month was filled with surprises when we saw several stalls along Cuba street. These stalls are similar to our "tiannges" in the Philippines where all kinds of stuff are sold. The whole Cuba street was transformed into a carnival as several people from all walks of life check out the free shows, the food and the fun. I had a flashback of the fiestas we had in the Philippines and felt a little sad that instead of being with my family and relatives, I'm surrounded with people that I don't really know (or look like, for that matter). So yeah, I went home pretty depressed-- Ronnel says it's probably because I was unable to buy at least one item from the shops. He had his eagle eye on me all the time, so how could I shop?!!! Oops, no, it's not about that... i just started to miss my family and friends back home. :(
24 January 2007
Three Years. Wow. And everybody thought we wouldn't even last a week....
Yup, it's our third wedding anniversary today. And like any other day, Ronnel and I are so thankful that we've gone this far. Flashback 1998, when we first "officially" got together... Schoolmates and friends (respective sets) doubted we'd last for a week, then it became a month, then a year... whenever we broke up, a friend of mine will tell me, that we were never compatible in the first place. All advice I ever got was to move on and forget Ronnel. Well, as stubborn as I am, I accepted him whenever he came back. You see, I don't quit. I knew we could make it, and the more people tell me that we couldn't, the more I thought we would. Sounds like "You and Me Against the World" stuff? No, it's nothing dramatic as that. It was just a simple clash of personalities. We were so different from each other that people wondered what we ever talk about. I'm boisterous, he's quiet. I'm adventurous, he's not too fond of risks. I'm a big spender, he counts his pennies. I'm a dreamy romantic, he's the practical type. I'm not into any sports, he's the most sporty guy I've met. But that was then... over the years, we have made allowances, we have changed and met in the middle. Ronnel and I have taken each other's characteristics and melded it into our own. Make no mistake, we still have a lot of difference but it's fun to reminisce. So on our third anniversary, we had this set of questions that we answered and we're sharing them with you...
1) When was the first time that you saw me? What went through your mind then?
Nel: Probably when I applied for membership in JFA (UP Junior Finance Association), nothing fancy. Just wanted to get into a school organization as it would look good in my CV.
Einge: In a school activity, you were a contestant in a "beauty pageant" (they dressed up guys as girls for fun) and I thought, "I'd hate to be this guy's girlfriend. He's prettier than I am.".
2) When was the first time we actually met? What was your impression?
Nel: Can't remember. To be honest, I wasn't thinking of getting into a relationship that time. I was brokenhearted from several relationships. The only memory that I had is our summer class together. I didn't even know you were an officer in the organization.
Einge: Probably at the org, you were introduced to us as one of the org applicants. Other girls in the org "claimed" you as they had a crush on you and I thought you were obnoxious because you didn't talk to anybody.
3) When was the time you realized you wanted to be with me? Why?
Nel: Summer of '98. You were fun to be with. We were enjoying ourselves together. It was the first time I felt intimately connected with a girl.
Einge: When you told me you were going for a trip and you'll be gone for a couple of days and I realized I was gonna miss you. You said "I love you" then and I accidentally replied, "I love you too".
4) What were your thoughts during the early stages of our relationship? (While we were going out?) Did you think you'd end up being my husband/wife?
Nel: I didn't think much about the future of the relationship when we were starting. All I know is we enjoy each other's company and that we are extremely attracted to each other. You were the only one in my mind whom I would marry when we started working and saving for the future.
Einge: At first, no. I mean, we were complete opposites and I've seen that not working out for my parents so I was scared to make the same mistake. But over the years, I could see you change bit by bit.. more than that, I saw myself changing and I liked that too.
5) What are your thoughts now? Looking ahead...
Nel: I'm glad that all went well for us and that we still have each other despite the huge fights, misunderstandings and incompatibilities that we obviously have. All I'm thinking for the future is to have our own family. This is my ultimate dream for both of us.
Einge: I'm still overwhelmed with all the hurdles we overcame and the blessings that we've received so far. I know that there is Someone Up there looking out for us, looking after us. I also know that there will be more trials to come, more fights, more misunderstandings, but we will always make up in the end, because we simply cannot live without each other. 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, dear family and friends!
I’m sure everybody is curious about how we spent our first ever Kiwi Christmas. Let me then start by reminiscing how we spend our Christmases back in Malaysia and Philippines. Since I’m in a nostalgic mood, I’m going back to my earliest memory of Christmas. I think I was about ten (I have a short memory!) and we were living with my aunt and uncles. It was a cozy two-level house with several rooms. We occupied a big portion of the first floor while the other rooms were being rented out. The second floor was where my aunt and uncles lived. During Christmas Eve, my brother and I would tie our socks on the window (we figured it would be easy access for Santa there). The day before Christmas was a busy day for the adults. My lola (grandmother) would be up in the wee hours of the morning for the simbang gabi (Church mass at 4 am). Christmas for them are either spent in Manila or Bicol province but it would always be with all of us as we either go to Bicol or they would come join us in Manila. That year, my grandparents took the train early to celebrate Christmas with us in Manila. My grandfather usually is not so accommodating as he has to forego all those probable customers (he has a thriving bicycle shop in Bicol at that time). My lola would be in charge of cooking her special sinukmani (sticky sweet rice) and natong (taro leaves in coconut milk) while my mother usually prepares the food for us kids—fried chicken and spaghetti. I would be busy then cleaning the house so that it would be sparkling clean during Christmas Eve (I really don’t get that, I mean, it’s not as if we’d have guests, so why does it have to be clean?). My cousin, Vic-Vic, who was also my best friend at that time, was also busy cleaning their house and helping her mother cook their own Noche Buena (literally translated Good Evening but it actually is our Christmas Eve dinner). My cousin Vic-Vic lived a few steps from us as their family rented the other room in our small compound. It’s funny that we don’t just have one Noche Buena, instead, each household had to have their own. I never asked why, but it has always been like that. So on Noche Buena itself, Vic-Vic and I were the messengers as we brought plates of food from our respective households to the other. A rule in our household that time was that nobody touches the Noche Buena food until the clock strikes twelve but since our stomachs wont be able to last that long, my mother prepares a separate pre-dinner food so that our stomachs wont growl when we attend the Christmas mass at ten. After the mass, we would all go back to the house and re-heat the food. Only then we get to eat and open our presents. Our stockings would still be empty as Santa is only scheduled to drop by on the wee hours of Christmas. Everybody would end up burping as we fill our tummies with ham, queso de bola (edam cheese ball), sinukmani and other food we’d only have for this special day. I was the first apo (granddaughter) then so I’d have lots of gifts from everybody but my brother was becoming the baby of the crowd as he charmed them with his toothy smile (he was five then and way cuter too.. haha). I indulge myself by thinking that my uncles considered me as their favourite niece (they had no choice, I was their only niece at that time). I got great gifts from them, a bubble watch, game watch and my melody stationery. I’d go to bed with my Christmas presents beside me. On Christmas morning, my brother and I will race up to the window to get our socks to find out what Santa has left for us. In the previous years, Santa has given me a wallet, a watch and some nice stuff so this year, I was expecting something even nicer. Actually, I knew who Santa really was but of course I didn’t want to ruin it for my brother. But still, I was surprised when I opened my sock and found an apple and a note which said, “Dear Yeng, You’re a grown up girl already and you probably know who Santa is. I hope your gift last night was enough. – Love, Mama and Papa” As the selfish kid that I was, I wanted more than just an apple. My brother got a new toy to add to his collection. But then, come to think of it, I have been enjoying gifts from Santa for several years now while he has just been here for about five years and this is his second gift from Santa I suppose. So ok, I didn’t feel bad anymore. And at least I got an apple, right? The next year was different for us as there was a big fire in the house that we lived in so we had to move to another place. (I’ll tell you about the fire in another entry as it would ruin the jovial mood here). But we still made it a point to spend Christmas Eve or Day together with the big family. It was that way until I got married, well, minus the socks on the window, even my brother got a note too when he turned ten, I think.
When I got married, I was worried that I’d have to face the dilemma of choosing where to spend Christmas Eve—with my side of the family or with Ronnel’s side? I guess this has been solved for me when we had to leave for Malaysia. I didn’t like the solution to the problem but at least not one side would think we’re partial to the other. So, for the two years when we were in Malaysia, we spent our Christmas with our Filipino friends there. We would still have our exchange gifts but we added a twist to make it a game. We would pick a number, choose a gift from the pile and open it in front of everybody. If your number is higher than the previous one, you get the chance to stay with your gift or get the other person’s gift. It was always a joint effort for me and Ronnel. I guess we were lucky as he always got the higher number so even if somebody already took the gift I was interested in, he would just take it back for me. For two straight years, we always went home with the gifts we chose. When we left Malaysia, I remember giving that same gift I got to the other person who really wanted it during that exchange gift session but had a low number so had to give it up to Ronnel. I always felt bad for taking that gift away from her so I gave it as my parting gift.
Ok, so now, let’s stop reminiscing. I’m sure what you really want to know is how we spent our Christmas here in New Zealand. Let me start at work then. We had our team party at a colleague’s house. What can I say? It is definitely different from the Christmas parties I am accustomed to. For starters, this is the first party that we didn’t have rice on the table. What do you expect? This is a whole new world and rice isn’t part of it. Not that I was looking for rice, anyway, I am an Atkin’s advocate anyway so that’s ok with me. A colleague of mine prepared dinner for everybody and it was really nice. I made macaroni salad for dessert which actually became one of the main dishes since it was so heavy for the tummy. We had a painting game and I introduced them to the wonders of the magic mic. I think they enjoyed it since it was a huge improvement over PS2 singstar which only had about 30 songs in one disc. Well, of course, you had to ignore the cumbersome graphics and the minimal grammatical errors in the magic sing. I was really embarrassed when the magic sing flashed, “What A Excellent Singer!” in big bold letters. We were using a projector then so it was glaring big but it didn’t matter to them, my Kiwi officemates just laughed and enjoyed every song in magic sing – even Macarena!
Aside from the Christmas Team Party, we also had Secret Santa, which to us Filipinos is actually the Kris Kringle. We had it for nine straight days and the trick was to put the gift on the person’s desk while the person is away. For the nine days, I only got one gift while some of my colleagues had one every day. My seatmates would tease me and show off their gifts in jest and I would always tell them that my secret santa was probably planning a big big gift for me on the last day. It was only later did I know that my secret santa was actually indisposed so I had to be forgiving. It was no big deal for me, Christmas was all about giving anyway, right? And I have received so many gifts and blessings already that I have no right to ask for anything anymore. So I was really surprised when one day, I found lots of trinkets on my desk and a note from my other secret santa. Apparently, a seatmate of mine felt bad that I didn’t receive any gift during the Secret Santa period. Well, I eventually found out who my surrogate not-so-secret Santa and thanked him with a poem via email. Soon, everyone showed their poetic prowess at work and thanked their own Secret Santas with a poem too. Here are some poems they sent:
To my Kris Kringle……
When Xmas comes
around next year
I will give
a great big cheer
“I hope you
will be my Kris Kringle”
But you probably
won’t I fear
That is the end
of my poem
I hope it finds
you well
Have a Merry
Xmas
I hope your
head does not swell
Another one...
To my Secret Santa...
For all they said
and more, cheers,...
But I really just
want to thank you for the beers!
And another one...
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Mine was this one...
To My Other Secret Santa...
Thank you from the bottom
of my heart,
For all the goodies, the
tea, the earrings, and Christmas tart,
I know that you are really
really smart,
To take the place of my real
Secret Santa who now can't take part,
Of this Christmas game that
Ailua had us start,
You didnt really have to
do this, no need to go to the mart,
But just the same, I'd really
like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
----> My Surrogate Secret Santa's gift to me
On Christmas Eve, Ronnel and I had an early dinner as I prepared roasted Chicken wings and mac n cheese. We also opened the fruitcake given away by ANZ to its employees plus the half bottle of Chardonay in the fridge. I think my tolerance for alcohol now is a bit low as I’m face flat on my bed at 10 pm. But before that, we called our loved ones who were in the Philippines preparing for their own noche buenas. Thank God for cheap call cards…
On Christmas Day, I woke up early to prepare my specialty – Carbonara. I knew that this dish would never fail me. Countless of friends and party acquaintances have asked for my recipe so I had named it SEC (Special Einge Carbonara. Narcissist, am I?). I used reduced cream and light evaporated milk this time to lower the calorie count. I set my SEC aside as Ronnel and I went to attend the 9 am Christmas mass. The church was filled with people as everyone wanted to get that special blessing on the day Christ was born. My eyes were filled with tears once more when I remember how much blessings we received for the past years.
At about 1130 am, I got a call from Kuya Nestor that he was on his way to pick us up from our place. We were going to spend Christmas with his family and that was the reason I prepared my SEC. At Kuya Nestor’s, his wife, Ate Soc was busy preparing for our Christmas lunch. I met their kids, April and Philip. Aside from their looks, you wouldn’t think they were Filipinos. They definitely sound Kiwi already. Ronnel and I will probably have kids like them and we smiled at the prospect. We really like Kiwi life here and we are looking forward to raising our kids the Filipino way in a Kiwi environment. The meal prepared was scrumptious! My SEC paled in comparison and I thought of dropping the “S” as it wasn’t so special anymore. We had Kare Kare with a kiwi twist (Ate Soc put in broccoli instead of the usual Kare Kare veggies), caldereta with a kiwi twist again (Kuya Nestor put in olives), ham, baked mussels, shrimps, and sweet tarts made by April. I think I weighed 10 pounds more when I left their place. I whipped out my magic sing (What is a Filipino party without it?) and we sang Christmas carols and old songs. I made good friends with April that day while his dad belted out his rendition of Abba songs. I bonded with her as she was the only person in my age group during that time (except for Ronnel but he was busy singing as well). She showed me her collection of books and I was impressed with how mature she was. While I was stuck with my fiction romance-mystery novels, she was reading non fiction autobiographies. I was five years her senior but it felt like the other way around as I browsed her book self. She lent me a book to try reading and I promised to burn her a copy of Asian movies. I learned a lot of things about Kiwi teenagers life from her that day and I bet she learned a lot of Filipino stuff from me as well. What’s more, she also reads signatures! I’ve always read other people’s signatures and I haven’t had mine read so it was refreshing to hear her analyse how I sign my name. She still had to hone her skills as she missed some points but hey, what are the odds of me meeting another Filipino in Wellington who loves to read, enjoys shopping and reads signatures? It’s just too bad that she’ll be leaving for Auckland next month as she found a teaching job there. (If that wasn’t enough, she also has my dream job!). So we made an appointment to go shopping the following Thursday so that she can show me her favourite shopping places.
While I bonded with April, Ronnel bonded with the youngest Velasco, Philip, as they played NBA live in his PS2. It was a close match, but what do you expect, the younger, the faster, the better prevailed. I think my husband has to stick to playing with me if he wants to win. Haha.
Kuya Nestor and Ate Soc packed some leftovers for us (tapaws, we call that in Malaysia). This is very typical of an Asian, and I think it also says something about how thoughtful Filipinos are. Imagine, you already had people coming over to your house to eat and that wasn’t enough, you also pack food for them to bring when they leave. Very nice, isn’t it? That is why Filipino parties are overflowing with food as we make sure that there is something left for the guests to bring home. They brought us home via the scenic way which made me dizzy for a while (I am still not used to the winding roads here) and it was a good thing we stopped to admire the ocean or else I would ruin Kuya Nestor’s car mat. At home, Ronnel and I spent the rest of Christmas day dozing off. 
On Boxing Day, Ronnel gave me the best Christmas present. He told me he won’t be going out shopping with me and that he’d be staying home to play his Wii. He gave me shopping money and told me to enjoy my time alone. At that moment, I realized (once more) how I loved my husband so much. (Told you I was easy to please) Imagine, a whole day for me to indulge in my addiction – shopaholism! I heard bells and birds chirping and Ronnel’s voice in the background warning me to spread my shopping money until Thursday since April and I will still be going out to shop. I went out at about 930 am. The streets were still deserted but when I reached Lambton Quay, one shop called Country Road was teeming with shoppers. As curious as I was, I checked out the merchandise but didn’t want to queue anymore so I left the shop empty-handed. I went to the shops on sale and was delighted to find out that prices were really slashed. I bought heaps from the shops I’m familiar with – Body Shop, Esprit and Farmers. I bought a shirt and shorts for Ronnel, make up and lotion that I intend to send home to my little sister. It was only half past noon when I realized that I had no more shopping money left so I texted Ronnel to wait for me as I was going home to have lunch with him.
The day after Boxing Day (27th) was a working day for Ronnel. As for me, I was on leave as I was preparing myself mentally, physically, emotionally (and all those –allies) for the upcoming years I’ll be spending with BNZ. Yup, I have officially decided to stay on with BNZ. Remember in my previous post, I mentioned that I only had a 3-month contract with BNZ? Well, I am glad to say that I am now a full pledged permanent employee. It was a hard decision to make as there were a lot of complexities in the package, plus the market out there for BA’s is really thriving. For the past weeks that I’ve been checking out the market (ergo job-hunting), I learned that there’s so much out there to learn and to experience for someone like me. But in the end, after much deliberation with Ronnel, we decided that I stay with the Bank. As I’ve told my boss, in the end, the only thing that matters is where I am happy—and I am happy where I am now. So I chose to stay. So starting Wednesday, January 3, I am no longer on contract. I don’t want to speak ahead of myself but I think I’ll be staying with this Bank for a long time. I mean I am loyal and faithful, remember? If it weren’t for the reason that I had to leave the country, I would still be with my banks in the Philippines and Malaysia. Plus, my friends know how loyal I am to Ronnel, so there you go…
Anyway, on the two days after Boxing Day, while Ronnel went to work, I spent my mornings jogging. For the first time in my life, I jogged alone. And I loved it. I do not have to pressure myself to jog faster. I can just stop to catch my breath whenever I want (Ronnel hates it when I did this a lot the last time we jogged). I jogged along Oriental Parade and got to appreciate the things around me – the cool breeze of the ocean, the warm streaks of the sun, the soft cries of the seagulls and pigeons in the sky. With the loud voice of Fergie from my Ipod (a gift from my mom before we left Philippines), I jog happily, thinking of all the blessings I have received thus far. I couldn’t ask for anything more, well, maybe that the few tummy flabs will disappear after this round. After jogging, I cooled down in the library. I read the book, “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office” by Lois Frankel. I highly recommend this to all career women out there. It gives pointers to women at work on how to further their careers while having a balanced life. Great read! The next day, after jogging, I went home and prepared for another shopping session – this time, with my new friend, April. We met at Kirks and had lunch at Wholly Bagels. That was the first time I had a bagel for lunch and it was filling, not quite what I expected. Since I finished up all my shopping money during Boxing Day, I was on a tight budget (Ronnel upped my limit a bit but I couldn’t bear to spend so much anymore). April and I circled Kirks and Cuba street a bit but saw nothing that would interest us. We just stopped by a home shop where I bought a pillow (haha! Still couldn’t resist) and a CD shop where April picked up a new CD of a Kiwi band. Since we were near my home, I showed her our tiny place and rested for a while. As she had to catch the bus home, she went on her way while I had to buy Ronnel’s dinner. I gave her a small collection of Asian movies to watch when she gets home. I enjoyed the afternoon with her and felt sad that she had to leave for Auckland soon. 
On the 29th Friday, Ronnel was on leave as we wanted have a New Year couple day-out. We took the Wellington Cable Car to view the city from a breath-taking angle. The cable car wasn’t what I expected as I had a different notion of what a cable car was. Cable car in the Philippines and Malaysia meant a melon-shaped car suspended several meters up the air using cable wires. It would literally take your breath away as you fear that the cables would snap and you’ll fall into an abyss of rock and dirt. I remember when Ronnel, my brother and I rode a Cable Car when we were in Genting Highlands, Malaysia and the cable car stopped for a few seconds. Prior to that, there was news that a cable snapped so the cars were out of commission. That ride was one of the few given out after the fix was made. I was scared and thrilled at the same time. I said a silent prayer then and I think Ronnel and my brother did too, but of course, were too “manly” to admit. Anyway, the cable car here was nothing like that. It was a tram hooked to cables and a long rail to bring its passengers up the hill. It was a short ride but the scenery that awaited was enough to compensate for the not so-scary/thrilling cable car. There was a botanical garden and a museum where the guests can stay for a while. After loitering a bit, Ronnel and I went back to the car and headed to a restaurant as our stomachs were growling in agony. That same night, I gave Ronnel a haircut. Yup, you read it right. I cut Ronnel's hair! Well, it was actually more of a shave as I used an electric shaver to give him his New Year clean look. Actually, we were still thinking in Pesos and Ringgit and he couldn't fathom how a haircut here could cost 60 dollars. I think we're still in the comparing currencies stage and we still can't let go of how cheap things were back in Phils/Malaysia. Maybe we need a few more years here. In the meantime, I will be Ronnel's personal hairdresser. 
On New Year’s Day, Ronnel and I just stayed at home. We forgot to buy a phone card so we failed to call our loved ones back home. We just texted them our greetings and wished them a prosperous new year. I miss the New Year celebrations in the Philippines, especially the yearly reunions we spend with Ronnel’s family. Their family is really extended but close-knit as they all live nearby (imagine, four families within steps away from each other). Every New Year’s day, they have this all day celebration where each family brings food and presents. But what I miss most is the grocery game. They have this game where you will have to bring some stuff (preferably new) for “sale” in the game. All participants must have at least two items I think and you get to buy from the other participants based on the cards dealt to you (i.e. Kings would give you the chance to choose 3 items, Queen – 2 items and so on). I forgot the details but it’s something like that. I enjoyed being part of this as everybody brought really nice stuff and I get to practice my shopping skills without actual exchange of currencies. Hmm.., maybe, time will come that I can play it here with my friends too.
So on New Year’s Day, we are just cooped up in our place, surfing the net for new movies and dramas to download. I installed new software in my phone (I got the Handi TV so that I can watch TV in my phone – how cool is that!) while Ronnel ironed our clothes. He does ironing twice a month now to save power so he ends up with a pile of clothes fortnightly. Since it was New Year and I am a Filipino with superstitious streaks, I cooked pansit (rice noodles) which was deemed to bring prosperity and long life. I also wore polka dots so that money would pour in. Well, I’m not sure how effective this is but my family has been doing this for all the new years and so far, we are all still alive and kicking.
So there, that’s how we celebrated our first Kiwi Christmas and New Year. On Wednesday, both of us will be back at work and will be doing our very best to ensure that the blessings we’ve received so far won’t go to waste. I know Ronnel is now settled in his role and is getting more and more confident everyday. Who knows, he may be the “sifu” just as he was back in Maybank. As for me, I have still so much to learn in my role in BNZ and I am excited to go in full throttle. You know me, when I am into something, I put my whole heart into it. That’s why you have to bear this epic-proportions blog as I couldn’t just tell you what happened with just a few words… I hope you enjoyed my entry and now, you can close your eyes for a bit, they probably need a well-deserved rest…
Up Clause and Personal
It has been a very busy week for us and that means more pictures and stories for you, my blog readers… For starters, last Saturday, Ronnel and I went to the movies. Yup, it is a very very rare occasion for us to go to the movies. Imagine, we were in Malaysia for two whole years and we only went to the movies four times! It’s not that we don’t want to watch movies, in fact, it’s the opposite. We watch movies everyday… at home! Well, thanks to our favourite torrent sites, we get to watch the latest movies at no cost at all, except for the internet connection of course. But of course, watching movies at the movie house offers a different experience so there we were, at Courtney Place’s Reading Cinema, enjoying Tim Allen’s new Santa Clause movie. The movie was really good but maybe we’re biased because we both love Tim Allen, all the way back to his Home Improvement days. Anyway, we thought that Reading Cinema was called that way because there were subtitles or it’s a movie house for the deaf and thanks to Paul, we learned that it wasn’t that, they just called it Reading Cinema, as a brand.
Part-ay!
On Tuesday, BNZ Technology (this is the IT Division of BNZ, just like ISI for BPI and Scope for Standard Chartered) held its Christmas party at the Boatshed-- a multi function hall near the lake. As it was my first official NZ party, I didn’t know what to expect. It was supposed to be a summer theme but the weather wasn’t cooperating so it was hard to wear a sun dress or short shorts. However, since there was an award for the best dressed, some braved the cold weather and wore summer outfits. Our team went to the $2 shop to buy some beach balls and inflatable tubes but it was so funny coz they were for kids and couldn’t really fit our waists. (Ok, I know Wilson and the guys at Scope are already thinking, “Haha, it’s not small, you’re just fat, Einge.” My retort is, “Sorry guys, I’m not fat here, just curvy. And, I know you guys miss teasing me.) 
We Gotta Wiiiiiiiii
I guess you would have known by now just by looking at our avatars in YM that we got a Nintendo Wii! Well, it’s actually my Christmas present for Ronnel, knowing that he’s crazy about these game consoles. (He gave me a new battery for my phone and it's a little pricey coz we had to have it shipped from Australia. They dont have it here in NZ. Good thing, he still had some credit left in his Maybank credit card.) Anyway, Ronnel was thinking of getting either the xbox 360 or the Wii and I went for the Wii coz it’s really a different gaming experience. It’s like you’re really bowling or playing tennis and stuff. Ok, for those who have no idea what I am talking about, check this out : http://www.wii.com . Anyway, we pre-ordered the Wii from a local gaming shop, EB Games, as it was scheduled for launch on midnight of December 6. So on Thursday, at around 11 pm, Ronnel and I were at the shop together with other game freaks, queuing to be the first ones in the whole of New Zealand to have the Wii. We had our first Wii game on a Friday night and it was really fun. It’s the first time (ever!) that I beat Ronnel in sports, bowling even! I am very bad at any kind of sports, despite my sporty look. My friends told me that at first glance, they thought I was very athletic but they immediately changed their minds when they saw me play in whatever sports they asked me to. I honestly don’t know why. It’s not that I do it on purpose. I try my very best, I put my whole body and mind into the task, but I still find my face flat on the floor. My P.E. in the university was volleyball, bowling, aikido and cheering (not cheer dancing, but the one where you have to shout and cheer for the team). That was in that order because on my first semester, I wanted to check if my bad luck from high school would carry over to the university. Well, it did. I nearly flunk volleyball because I always miss my serves, I look far away, thinking I hit the ball, when in fact it was just on my foot. I was able to up my score because there was an option to write a thesis about it. I aced the thesis and flunked the practical. In bowling, I had a passing mark but only because my prof took pity on me and gave me a mark for effort. On the third sem, I veered away from balls so I took Aikido. It was still a disappointment. I couldn’t fall correctly and all the energy I could get from my opponent was used against me instead of the other way around. Again, thanks to the thesis requirement, I passed. So for the last semester, I made sure I wasn’t going to involve myself in any kind of activity that requires me to move, thus, I went for cheering. All I had to do there was attend my university team’s games against other schools and cheer for my team. I had a high score in that class. Yay!
Ok, so back to the Wii. Since this wasn’t really sports per se, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I was good at it. Imagine? My score in bowling was 144 points! I remember back in our Scope bowling team, I barely got a 60 and I cried in the washroom because I was ashamed of myself, thinking I pulled my team down and it was all because of me that we didn’t win or something. Of course, my friends told me that it was just a fun game and it didn’t matter if we won or not but I felt bad just the same, and as you all know, I am a cry baby. I cry in the movies, I cry when I read a book, heck, I even cry on those touching TV commercials. Oops. I’m talking about myself again and not the Wii. Anyway, the Wii is a great game. You can create your own character, called the “Mii” and just like an Avatar, make it look exactly like you. Thanks to Nintendo for coming out with this. Because of Nintendo, I have regained my confidence in sports.. hahahaa
Saturday Shopping Stravaganza
Have I told you I met another Filipino friend in BNZ? Well, my boss introduced me to Ate Jojo as they were under the same team years before. Ate Jojo and her family have been in NZ for more than 18 years and they were practically Kiwis. Ronnel and I had lunch with her and a friend of hers last Thursday. It was a filling lunch, from food and stories. We learned a lot as they gave us tips on driving, buying a house and a lot of other things to watch out for in Wellington. She asked me if I wanted to go visit a Filipino store on Saturday. How could I refuse? (Shopaholic mii, remember?) So on a Saturday afternoon, Ate Jojo picked me up from our place. Ronnel was left at home as he was playing with his Wii, I guess he couldn’t accept the fact that he lost to me in bowling. (enter my devil laugh….mwahahaha!) Ate Jojo brought her mom along as we drove to a well known Filipino shop somewhere there (I am geographically challenged). I bought boy bawangs, nagaraya and other Filipino stuff. After that, we dropped by Pak n Save. I guess it was the NZ counterpart for the hypermarts like SM and Carrefoure. But the really cool thing in Pak n Save is that you get to pack your own stuff. I mean you have to bring bags to save on plastic bags, I suppose. I didn’t bring bags so I had to buy from them. I got too caught up in shopping that I didn’t realize I almost filled my cart! In total, I filled 2 bags plus 2 boxes. I knew Ronnel would eat me alive if he saw how many I bought (and how much I spent!) so I sent him an SMS, warning him that I bought enough stuff to last the whole year (well, it was December.. hehehe). We stopped by Johnsonville mini-mall (all malls here are mini-malls for me, waaaah) to have a late lunch and they drove me home. When Ronnel saw how much I bought, he just joked about it. Hmm… I was actually expecting to be reprimanded and I had all these arguments on my defence. I mean, he had to carry about four bags and two small boxes of grocery (Ate Jo even had to help us) and he didn’t scold me or anything? And then I realized why… it was the Wii! He was playing all day and he was in a good mood. I think he mastered bowling already and was ready to take me on anytime. Told ya, the Wii gives a whole new meaning to gaming.
Watch out for my next entry as we will be holding our own team Christmas party. I'll be introducing my new Kiwi friends to the magic of the Filipino Magic Mic!
(Note: If you haven't read my previous entries, I suggest you do so to have a better understanding of my rants and raves, mostly raves though, below.)
Our First Project Runway
Who says what you learned in school can't be used in real life? Well, I'll be the first to say, No-uh! It's about two weeks before Ronnel receives his pay and we were running low on finances. We were holding on to what's left of our pocket money and we had to make the most of what we have. That's why at our flat, we had a lot of improvised stuff--- we had an improvised tabo (please refer to previous entry, "My First Number Two" for full explanation), recycled containers and we shared a toothbrush case (just the container, not the toothbrush itself). We bought some basic items like a quality peeler, ladle, printer and a blender. But for someone like me who loves to cook and bake but hates cleaning up, an apron is an absolute necessity. So we scoured the whole city for a cheap apron and couldn't find any. All aprons cost $30 and above. I couldn't allow myself to spend that much money for an apron though so I had a brilliant idea. Why not make one myself? Ok, so I went back to my 6th grade memories of how to make an apron and I remembered it wasn't that hard. So Ronnel and I went to this textile shop and looked for the cheapest apron material. We found some loose cloth for sale and it was perfect, except for the color-- which was dung brown. But that's ok. I could live with that. And so on a Saturday afternoon, this cute couple, Einge & Nel, were down on the floor, cutting and sewing their first project runway special. Ronnel did the threadin while I did the sewing. When my hands hurt, Nel asked if I could show him the back stitch so he can continue my work. Alas! His back stitch was even straighter than mine. So after three straight hours of toiling, we had made my apron! And it only costs $10, plus I had extra cloth for pot holders and stuff. Nel even wanted me to make him a pair of trousers. Ok, now, let's not go overboard...
My First Office Party
At
work, we have lots of tea(m) meetings. It's basically a meeting between
teams but with food. I guess it's the same anywhere you go. Food is a
great motivator. I remember in Standard Chartered when we had to work
on Saturdays and Sundays, our boss then would let us get any food we
like. I was the designated order-taker and I was practically the most
frequent customer of Dominos. My colleagues and I would order lots and
lots of pizza to last the whole day (we were at work usually from day
till night) and I was a bit worried that it would cost a lot so I told
my boss my concern. I remember her telling me not to worry about the
cost coz this is nothing compared to the effort we exerted and for
working night and day for this project. I looked at my colleagues then
and realized that yeah, food is a great motivator. So back to my real
topic. Last Friday was the birthday of one of my officemates in BNZ.
We had a small gathering to celebrate her birthday. There was an
abundance of wine, cheese, crackers and strawberries. It was the first
time I drank champagne at 4 in the afternoon! But the ambience was
enough to make me feel it was night time. The people were great. I
suppose as anybody would be in a new environment, I still had to
adjust. I have to practice my listening skills to understand what
everybody was saying and I bet they had a hard time understanding my
accent too. But just like how it was in Malaysia, I'm betting that we
would "get" each other perfectly as time passes. But in the meantime, I
think we'll have to use a lot of "Pardon?, I'm sorry, and Can you say
that again?". Sorry for the segue ways again. Now, back to the party.
I didn't know the birthday girl too much since it has just been a
couple of days since I met her but I believe she'll be as great as all
the others at work. I never felt so welcome in my life. I guess for an
Asian like me, this is all just overwhelming. It's the first time I
received more than three compliments in a day. Just because I did some
spreadsheet, I had been called "Super, champion, Great" in different
occasions. At first, I didn't know what to say. I actually replied,
"You too!" You see, back where I worked (in both banks), we show our
appreciation with a mere thank you and that's enough for us, anything
more than that would be over the top. So you'd understand why I'm a bit
overwhelmed with all the "happy" words I get here. I'm not saying it's
better here because I don't think it'll work if we do it in either
Philippines or Malaysia. I think people will think you're crazy if you
give out too many compliments and they'd think you're insincere. I
guess that's sort of a reverse psychology where we work hard so that we
can get the boss to part with that oh-so-hard-to-get compliment. Ok,
back to the party. My officemates were a fun bunch. Someone played an
80's TV soundtrack cd and it was funny to hear the music from Knight
Rider, Doogie Howser and MacGyver. There were free pretend-dance
lessons. I learned how to do the big box, little fish dance and could
now brave the dance floor anytime. I didn't feel left out even if I was
really a newbie. But I also didn't feel patronized just because I was
new. I was just there. It was a fun time and surprisingly, I had fun
myself. I had doubts and fears on how to mingle with them coz however
you look at it, I am different-- not just in color, accent or culture
but I guess in a lot of things too. But one thing I'm sure of is that I
never felt different when I'm with them. I felt I was blending! And
that's a big accomplishment for me.
Our First Pay Check
It
was payday! Well, at least it was for Ronnel but not for me. It wasn't
my second week yet so I don't get my pay till next week. But that
doesn't count coz I don't get to touch it anyway. Ronnel and I had an
agreement that my salary will be our savings (down payment for a loan
to buy a house) while his salary will be for our daily expenses. That's
fine with me since that's what we did back in Malaysia anyway.
It
was a big disappointment for the both of us when we found out how much
Nel received. Tax was 39% so you could imagine our dismay when we saw
his take home pay. All my dreams of getting a new digicam and food
processor ended quickly. I had to do some budget re-prioritization. But
we were ok with the tax being so much. It was because you really could
see where your taxes went. Unlike in the Philippines where the
government has to constantly remind us by putting up big billboard of
"This is where your taxes go.", here, there is no need to. Remember,
the library that was to die for? Plus, all the services here are fast
and of quality. It took us only a few days to get our tax number and
hopefully, our permanent residency application won't take long too.
Ok, so what was the first thing we did with Nel's pay? We bought pizza! It was no ordinary pizza, I tell you. You see, beside the flat where we lived was a pizza place called "Hell". Everyday for the past few weeks, we would pass by Hell and smell the aroma of pizza. It was absolute torture. People were coming out of Hell with boxes of pure pleasure with devilish grins on their faces. So we promised ourselves that once we have money, we will get one of those devilish grins ourselves. So on a sunny Friday afternoon, we went to Hell and ordered Lust, a pizza with pepperoni and salami on top. On the co
