Again while I am eating and reading the papers during the lunch break at work, this article caught my attention.
Shame, We really do not refuse anything that moves and always end up in the frying pan or in the ihawan! Poor fishy!
After 6 weeks of waiting, I got my new Philippine Passport. It is THE NEW passport. Brown/maroon cover. This project started September of 2007.
New Passport
Old Passport invalidated ecept with visa pages
Why did it take too long? because I applied in Sydney and They need to send application to Philippines then back to Sydney. I was told it is the same when you apply in Philippines, It will take 6 weeks. Well less the long queues since there were less applicants in the consulate.
My old one was still valid till 2011 but due to some countries who need to use the whole lot of a passport page and when migration officers just carelessly stamp in the middle my pages are almost finished, except for itsy bitsy spaces which is not possible for visas of countries that use a page.
Im planning to do more traveling overseas so that pushed me to get a new one. I hope this being digital, THEY SAY, it would be easier when I get back home. My new one is valid till 2014, wow!
One thing why i liked Australia is because of how they give importance to their animal and plant life. That’s why if you wonder, why does it take longer to be in the queue of Customs than in immigration because they did not want someone importing and smuggling a new biological creature in their environment that might bring disease to the country, or will be a biological enemy to the local wildlife and thus making most of only Oceanic found species endangered.
Anyway, while I was looking at the Mx paper, a free tabloid for train commuters, on my way to my TNT with Woodstock last Thursday, I read the article below:
Now, I felt ashamed and i was laughing too because what was written is true. Oh I am so ashamed again someone told me that some Filos collet the Ibis bird in sacks at night for food! 
We’re just like Chinese, maybe that’s one trait we go from them invading our country from the past.
Just like most of the aussies who love their (summer) weekends I was relaxing and spent my time of 7th of February in Brisbane. I knew 4 days ago that it’s going to be a very really hot weekend in Sydney at 40/41 degrees where I was staying. Hotter in those areas in the west. I was happy I escaped the heat. Weekend was wonderful, but not for all Aussies or people living in oz.
That Sunday night, I sent SMS to my family back in Philippines informing them of the good weekend vacation I had and telling them they should not worry about me affected by the bush fires in Victoria and Floods in Queensland.
That Sunday night, while waiting for my flight, flight were delayed because the smoke from Victoria is tat bad and to see the news that there were people killed/hurt and left homeless by the fire. While on the opposite north of the continent, North Queensland is flooded and are being challenged by Dengue infestation.
I am not used to see that a 1st world country/western country having such calamities. They were supposed to be “children of God” (idiomatic expression). So interesting to see how they react to this kind of drama in their lives. You still see that its very common compare it to Philippines when one house is on fire instead of helping them save the household, some people take advantage of the stuff instead, and just shows that men are such animals and even in a western world it also happens in Australia, just like stories during the Hurricane Katrina in US.
In telly, I also saw that they can be as hopeful as Filos, that they will still be able to get up on their feet and start all over again. The government and their fellow men are so helpful too raising charities and giving charities for the victims. Oz is so blessed to have lots of millionaires or people who have enough to share. Philippines would often rely on Foreign charity. Local support is still there but it is not enough. maybe because its not that there is not enough people who have enough but government funds is not put to proper use. Well who knows!
I’m glad to see that watching the charity shows in Tv last Friday, the victims still manage to smile depite that their homes were burned, just like how calaity-stricken-Filos when filmed.
I tell Australia and Australians that of course you will be able to get back on track on your feet and start all over again. Blessed are you for good support from government and fellowmen. You are still far blessed compared to 3rd world countries struck with or without devastation.
Just yesterday when I realized I already have been working with the company i am with for four years last Feb 1! I was not even aware not until I saw what date it is yesterday.
Funny huh. Yes I once forgot my birthday that was my 22nd I think. Now I forgot my job anniversary. Congratulations to me, this is the longest i made it through a job :)!
I’ve had 4 jobs after this, this is my fifth in my almost nine years of my career. It was usual that when i reach the 2nd year i get bored and i wanted to find better work. Never did I feel that way with this job. I am also thankful I still belong with them. two and a half years from the mother company and a year and a half with the merger, two sites, stayed on the same team ever since i joined.
Not long enough, last Tuesday, they announced that they will soon start the downsizing again of the company because of the “global economic crisis”. But they told us (i was not in that meeting i was out working for a project) that Oz office will be least affected. Well still who knows.
I’ve been using this word as far as I can remember when I was allowed to ride a jeep alone when I was young.
Jeep or Jeepneys are common public transpo in the Philippines.They are an evolution of the jeep – Jitneys that were left by the American when they left the bases years ago.
So when you ride a jeep and you want the transpo to come to a halt when you have reached your destination you say “Para.”
That is one of the most important things I teach my foreign visitors or friends who are very willing adventurers of the life and culture of the Filipinos.Even that sometimes it does sound funny when they pronounce the word.And these friends ask me why Para? And I just tell them it’s telling the driver to stop.
So I am 29 now and probably I have been using the word for almost 18 years now and I just learned from the book I am reading that Para means stop.Stop for Spanish.Why didn’t I ever think of that. I thought it was a Filipino term.I told my mom why didn’t she tell me that it’s a Spanish word for Stop.And she herself didn’t know! Having had Spanish lessons in her education! And she said they were never taught what it means.
Well now I know, what Para means.
It has been years if I can remember, Maybe when I was in High school when this verge of anger coming from the Filipinos where the Miriam Dictionary once printed that the definition of a Filipina is equivalent to a Domestic Helper.
Being a domestic helper is not bad.The outrage is because Filipinas are more than to being a Domestic Helper.And I wonder, does Mexicana means the same?
I remember that there was once a Fil-Am beauty queen competing for Miss Hawaii if I can remember, she was asked what does a True Filipina means to her. She said that a Filipina is the mother, sister, grandmother, helper, nurse, care giver of other people who can not or unable to provice care and love for their loved ones.I admit that is one of the most wittiest answers I’ve heard in a beauty contest.It is very true.
I was once in Malaysia with a wealthy friend we were talking about house helps and she was saying that there are more of Indonesians in Malaysia because they are cheaper.Filipinos are a bit expensive, and I agree and told her most of them are in Singapore and Hong Kong talking Asia alone.And she said, she have a friend who have a Filipina house help and her friend loves her house help because she was a University graduate of Education and that her kids have an instant tutor when they come back to school and she treats the kids as once of her own.She also does this friend’s pedicure and manicure.
It is the same with a Spanish friend he says a lot of DH in Spain and they do take care the needs of the family very differently than any other as they serve with love and care.So whenever this topic comes up I do not feel offended instead of being proud that Filipinas as one of the best DH in the world, yet sad that this women and some of them are mothers leave their family and kids back home to earn more money to lift the family from poverty.
Just lately on my stay in Sydney, oh how much I was delighted to learn that I’ve met some people who’ve become my friends that they work in Sydney as nanny.
Guess what? They ain’t Filipinas.So far I’ve met a Canadian, a French and Koreans.
When I told this to my mom and my sister they were surprised.Well I guess a lot of Filipinos will be as well.They will never think that the more superior race would do a job of being a nanny.They are more of our masters than being the “slaves” of somebody else’s home.
Anyway, I reckon Miriam Dictionary should be more open minded and am glad it did change its definition of the word Filipina.
One of the good things that when you get older is when you get wiser, for most at least, and it donned me that I am so blessed and lucky to have been born and lived most of my life so far in a third world country, The Philippines.
Unlike a number of Filipinos who despise their country, hearing them whine how poor the country is, how ugly it is, I am not one of them.
So why am I writing about this today? As how the news depicts, there is a global economic crisis, worse in 35 years or so where a lot of workers globally, in the first world countries laying off workers like Japan and US. Our company alone is laying off 8000 employees globally, hoping that when I get back from this Christmas holidays here in my home country that I still have my desk back when I get back to Oz.
Before I left Sydney, friends and I were talking bout the Australian government encouraging consumer population to spend to help the economy of the country specially this Holidays.
When I arrived Philippines, the news says that the Philippines is very least affected on laying off of workers in companies, but then a lot of the consumers complain that it would be a very different Christmas celebration for them as prices has gone up and life this year has been tough financially.
But then when my sisters and me went shopping for gifts for our Godchildren you still see a lot of Filipinos buying, the market is really packed. The malls are packed with shoppers and not just window shoppers but people buying stuff as you see 90% of the people walking in and out of the stores have their shopping bags.
Here in the Philippines you see is very Spanish influenced on religion as we do have the Noche Buena or Midnight dinner after the Misa Aguinaldo – the traditional Midnight Mass.
Where most of the Filipino families do keep a tradition of preparing a Noche Buena, this year a lot of mothers are complaining that they need to spend wisely and change their menus just to put up the midnight dinner. It is because noche Buena for most of the families is an opportunity for the family to get together this year, complete at least. And I am glad that I am spending my Christmas with my family this year. Having heard from SMS hours ago from Sydney from a Filipino friend telling me that Christmas there is very lonely.
This cases it makes me appreciate that even how little or simple the food we prepare for the midnight dinner we forget and set aside the global economic crisis in our minds, not allowing the family to think we really are going to suffer badly or let depression affect the real meaning of the season of sharing, love and peace of mind with the family.
Filipinos are commonly have sunny and positive disposition, even how poor they are they always tend to smile everyday and make jokes out of life’s cruelty. I reckon this is common in most people who lived in poor countries.
It also made me think that we are not unlucky to have Philippines included inside the Asia’s Ring of fire were all of disasters strike. Think, not all people experience earthquake, typhoons, floods and volcanic eruption. Not even just experiencing it. Most of the Filipinos survived more than 1 of this Nature’s disaster. These things, poverty and calamities did make us stronger and whenever we get out of the country, it makes us brush off simple hardship in life because we have been in some of the worse conditions in life. It makes Filipinos survivors.
Did you also wonder why in other countries when you go to a Church the audience or goers is not comparable to what we have here back home in the Philippines. I reckon it is because of poverty, the people are more likely to have “faith” and rely on this faith to help them get past of the hardships. I don’t mean it as a bad or good thing.
Sometimes, people of the 1st world should stop complaining and whining about what-they-think-hardships-in-life (including ungrateful 3rd world country citizens), as if they look around there are far more worse country than theirs. Think of Somalia and North Korea for example…Thanks God I was born on a third world country.
By the 3rd week of November, I thought of putting a few Christmas Ornaments in my flat in Rozelle as even I will be spending my Christmas Holidays with my Family in the Philippines. That at least 2 weeks before I leave for Philippines, there’s this Christmas feeling in my “home” in Oz.
It just seem that it has been 4 years that I have been always overseas whenever the December or Christmas season begins. That I always do look forward seeing the festive, Christmasy feeling back in the Philippines. Lights, Christmas Carols, Family and school friend Reunions, food which i can not describe the feeling to anyone abroad who asks me how Philippine Christmas is. It does feel Christmassy minus the snow.
Last year of 2007, 12 days before the Christmas eve I was on my own backpacking around the South East Asia met a lot of wonderful people. And brought two travellers with me back to my parents house, whom I think became my good friends. Went to Sagada and these Dutch and English friends of mine seem to have enjoyed the Holidays here, which is very different from the winter Christmas Holidays back in their homes.
Now I am back home again. It was a very sad/happy feeling or melancholic for me. Very different from what I felt from the past whenever I come back overseas. Arriving at the airport, seeing old friends immediately at the airport, seeing my family, days after going back to Makati, my former work area and home, visited my flat, meeting with my friends, shopping at the malls just walking at the place where I used to be at, and running at my former highschool/elementary University campus. It has not been too long for 8 months but i think i did miss a lot of people, the enviroment and the place a lot. I am sure it is going to be the same when i go back to Oz.
So far, I have just been lazing around, waking up late, eating lots at least still able to do runs at my old school oval, shopping for my God children, wrapping gifts.
I thought of cooking something healthy for the Christmas lunch/dinner and the family Reunion on my father’s side that the family always do celebrate on the 28th of December. Do a few more shopping of clothes and shoes as I do not have the small size aside from the kid size when i get back home in Oz. Just right now, I am enjoying the Christmassy feeling while it last. As I know it is always supposed to be different if i opted to stay back in Sydney and celebrate the holidays alone.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
3 more days and I am off for my Holidays! part of this is a tradition of getting my Deli from a friend every Christmas. This has been going on like 7 or 6 years. Wow i did not even think it was that long! My good friend is already in US and trying her luck with a career she is happy with and left with the business are her sons whom are my friends too, Dx and Mekong. This business has been there for quite sometime i think, and its a backyard business, what i mean is its not very commercial and it does taste very good. My Family always look forward to it every time i come home from Manila. Now that I am coming home for holidays I will not break the tradition and I am looking forward to it. I sent Mekong an email telling him my orders and I am surprised they already set up a website for the business and I am very pleased with the good work they put into it.
Anyway anyone in Metro Manila should give this a try and you’ll take my word for it :). And they do deliver and gift package as giveaways for the Holidays 
And they renamed it as Sankt Anton Swiss Deli
