five days to go...

just this week and i'll be in pinas
who is not excited?
i obviously am!!!

tuscany flowers...

not too impressive yet, but its not too bad for first attempt...

makes me happy!!!

ghie's top ten...

(credit goes to my very talented models...)

this is it!!!

got it today...

extremely happy!!!

photo shoot

feeling professional photographer ako kahapon
ang galing ng mga shots
ang galing ng aming talents - super best actor c lito at best actress c ruby
i'll post some pix later...

i learned... i realised

i wish this week to end and it did, though not as how i was expecting it to be... in short, it really is not over yet!

it was a very tricky week and i learned a great deal of things!

i attended only the first day of my TTT which earned me a very unpleasant email from the gods and no explanation was accepted, they understood but not accepted, ew! anyway, our facilitator was so great and i learned a lot. in particular, i learned about the "thoughts-feelings-decision-behaviour-results" process illustrated as an iceberg with only the last two visible from the outside... it is very very true! it helps you understand people better and makes you understand yourself better too... i'll carry that with me... and i'll share it with people...

this week makes me realise as well that people are by nature politicians... ah, i take it back... i should have said "makes me realise even more..." or maybe "confirms" suits more... i also realised that being nice always has a down side... earned me a very unpleasant "duh" look from puti during our meeting, she claims im only saying nice things and not being truthful... and i thought puti was nice, oh, maybe she is but she is tough...

the best part of this week is that learned a great deal of development points i need to work on... tito and lolo were laughing at me how lightly i took them with me and how i carried a cheery smile saying that i'll surely work on them... well, no one is perfect, what's important is you accept and move forward... that's what sydney taught me
(mmm... would have been different if in pinas? dunno, not there anymore... can't tell)

and lastly, i realised my hair is in desperate need of ate v!

survived just the first day

thank god its over... i mean the first day!

the removalist started 7:50am and finished 6:30pm
in 2 return trips of a big packed truck
bevs, sobrang kawawa ung mga removalist

on top of that, i also made 2 day trips for our little things
and a night trip for those left by the removalist
(me bonus kalyo at sugat pa!)

and now
our new unit is in a perfect mess!
the unpacking will be another pain!
dyos ko po!

so help me God

all i want is for this week to end
i know i can do it
i have faith
please

at the end of the tunnel,
there is light!
there will be!

* * *
pinagalitan ako ni lolo
i said sorry
i admit i was at fault
i said i'll make up

* * *

lilipat na kami this saturday
i havent packed my things yet
not a single bag/box yet
wala na akong lakas
pero im super excited
yey!

* * *

77 days to go!!!

*&#$%!

i feel so helpless,
i miss pinas,
i wanna go home...

dry friday

was so desperate to have a drink... have so many excuses to deserve at least...
so at 11, off to the city... wtf, the city is so dry, can't believe!!!
end of night.

.....

its a sunday, but im here in the office cos i have a LOT of things to finish... and they are all DUE, wtf! big part of it is my fault so i promised that i will clear things up yesterday (supposed to be), only that, i did not keep my promise AGAIN (as usual, old story)! obviously, since i got here in Sydney, its been so hard for me to work on weekends... if i do, its really a serious effort!

i had a big night last friday with a group of spanish friends... i was so desperate to go out and see a movie (make it happen) to relax my head as it has been a hell hell week, ive called and messaged my friends but no one was available... thanks to Maribel who offered to bring me along for drinks to darling harbour... and so, there i was in the middle of a spanish group (really, oh no!)... good thing, they were really very nice and i dint feel left out and aloine... nahiya pa nga ako kc d na tuloy cla nag-uusap ng spanish and needless to say that obviously, they would have been more expressive in their native tongue.... but the night went really well... i learned a lot of spanish words... even the not so nice words... and spanish slang you won't find in any dictionary (that's what they say at least! guess wikipedia or google is not that smart then jajaja)... it ended wet and chilly... next thing i know, i was already in my favorite brown bed, yipee!...

saturday is always an early rise day for me, by that i mean, regardless if my friday night was big or crazy or boring or late, i always get up early on a saturday, yes, call it crazy but the thing is if i sleep the whole day (which by the way, i very well can of course!!!), i will feel that i din't really have a weekend... part of the early rise this saturday was for me to go to the office and work.... but the dvd's tempted and so i've finished watching 2 dvds - underdog and picture perfect when my flatmates realised its time to get up... we had a quick lunch and off to burwood to buy rondz birthday present... hahaha cute cute nung card, yummy buns!!!... and of course, my little pink bear (mmm, not sure if nakita na nya, i guess sa kalasingan nun, kawawang bear baka nasa ilalim na ng kama)... needless to say, the food were superb!!!... fiesta!!! (fair enough, no help needed from five dock nga naman!)... super sarap!!!

now, my love for cab drivers: aaarrggghh f*cking pana who let us wait for half an hour when it was freezing cold!!!

while im blogging, im having a korean spare rib soup for lunch, now excited for dinner --- i want sushi train...

ok, ghie, stop procrastinating, last glimpse of darling harbour and the sunny view from my window... work time!!!

break break

im so pagod, seriously!
this day is so stressful, aarrgghhh!!!
in and out of meetings...
emails here and there...
call after call...
and, its not done yet!

but i deserve a break
10 minutes!

and in that 10 minutes, i've read about 5 posts of strangers!

its funny, amazing, inspiring, exciting, depressing, heart breaking...
to read other people's blogs
and how they write about their happy thoughts, sad moments,
their dramas, their dreams, their frustrations, their travels,
their work, their family, their partners, the list goes on...

bottomline is: its good to learn from other people's thoughts!

so what did i learn just now from 3 out of 5 posts i read:
love hurts!
hehehe wawa naman tong mga bloggers na to
well, what can i say
yes, it does!
hahaha

did i just waste my 10 minutes?

ku-ring-gai chase national park - west head look out

the road trip i was referring to in my previous post

passing through a "feels-like" never ending winding road, finally, here we are!!!

amazing view, as in!

mmm, kunyari hindi takot... ew!

the best shot eva' - feeling naka-gold sa olympics!!!

and, one last time...

til the next trip mates...

big night and big day

just came from the city
hinatid ko lang cna rondz and jaidy to 3 monkeys so they can have their long overdue 8 shots (good luck guys!)
wala na kasi akong lakas... tipong the mind is willing but the body is not..

anyway, i said we had a big night (referring to yesterday) and big day
indeed we had
ganto...

last night was bev's farewell so we had dinner with friends at tony roma's (aargh, their reservation process sucks! MLP please!!! ew talaga!)
pinilit namin c bevs mag speech... she did, and she cried... mmm with tears, and tears, and more tears, kakulay na ng damit nya ung pisngi nya (hehe ghie laughed, peace! jo(i)ke!)

then of course the fun continued at five dock over bottles of double black na ginawang sprite ni mamu jazel hahaha... nag exchange gift din kami, bevs, thanks for my orange (o-reyn-je) peter alex, color is so ghie!!!

bevs can't get over the sofa kaya dun cya natulog (nagsiksikan cla ni jaidy) while waiting for 5 am (well, its just about 2 hours anyway!) and then, eto na, time to go to the airport...

i hate goodbyes so i said d ako sasama sa airport... but at the last minute, i changed my mind cos i thought, yaw ko maiwan na sad, ewan ko ba, parang i dont feel good na d namin ihahatid c bevs on her last day in sydney, literally, ambigat ng heart ko (i actually blame bevs kc feeling ko pinasa nya sakin ung sadness nya, yay), ako pa naman ang nagsabi ng no dramas, muntik na ko maiyak when i hugged her, buti na lang dumating na c manong cab... but at least, i was able to compose myself sa airport... kailangan lang pala maghatid, then i was ok and im sure c bevs din... i have a feeeling na happy cya to leave aussieland...

i will miss you bevs, seryoso, but yah, see you again soon...

* * *
next thing was, i found myself in avis renting a car for a road trip... buti na lang friend ko na ung girl dun sa avis and she was willing to wait til 1pm kc dapat til 12 lang cya... yah, we decided we will do a road trip... around 10 tinatanong ko na mga peeps what plans, what they want to do, where to go, pero no one wants to decide, no one knows what they want... then around 12, sid called ruby... hmm i guess the cooper convinced ruby na gusto nyang mag road trip...

* * *
speaking of cooper, shet, hanep ang cooper ni sid... super cute as in!!! sarap nya idrive (bmw speaks for itself!), last night, i drove it to the five dock cellar without my license with me (yay, salbahe ka ghie, i realised only that i dont have my license nung nagbabaayad na kami nung drinks, duh!)... buti na lang walang guapong pulis... oih, noih...

* * *
our road trip: bukas na lang ang full story kc m already sleepy --- but it was really really great, it was amazing and it was fantastic, it was worth the drive afterall...

* * *
zoom zoom - dami ko nakita today, oih noih, nagpaparamdam ata cla... d bale, lapit na...

iphone...

it speaks for itself...

and i'm desperate...

exhausting saturday

it was so tiring but it was fun!!!

we started around 9 (which means we were up by 730, wow, again, wow!)

we checked i think about 7 or 8 units - each one of them have their pros and cons (obviously! needless to say!)
personally, not a single one really stood out at the first instance - by that i mean, yung tipong "pagpasok ko pa lang - eh, eto na, i love it na super!" having said that though, there is this one unit in Manta Place in Abbotsford - as of now, that's an option, wala kaming pintas when we were comparing it to the other units that we've seen, it could either be there's really nothing wrong with it (in short, its really perfect!), or we're just desperate and feel it is perfect! pero, while we were playing bowling, bigla kong naisip na meron cyang isang fault though not really a big deal - which is: given that the room doors are just a metre diagonally across the kitchen, pano pag nagluto, for sure, ung amoy ng food papasok sa room, just like now in five dock, umaabot sa room sa taas ang amoy, hmm... pero me naisip na kong way, not sure if it will work...

there's also this other unit in harbourview crescent that i was so desperate to see, but the agent was just so nice and wasnt willing to wait for us for few minutes - i can't remember san kami galing, then its traffic in paramatta road, so there's no way of getting there on time kahit lumipad pa ko (bearing in mind too that i have 4 girls with me na d ko alam kung ano iniisip while we're on the road - im sure, me inaantok, me natatakot, me kinakabahan, me watchful sa ibang cars and sa traffic lights, whatever! meron kayang relax lang sa kanila? its okay girls, d ko naman papatayin sarili ko eh, i mean drivers do care about their lives too hahaha).

so what's next? - dunno, really dunno! inspect more units? maybe?

* * *

then we had dinner at doytao in drummoyne to reward ourselves after those extraordinary efforts (yes, its extraordinary cos its saturday!). it's bevs' last saturday night in sydney, yay, she's leaving!!!

we also played bowling at the entertainment quarter - had one strike but i had so many canals! eiw!

* * *

aha, my driving bloopers! d talaga ako used sa hindi automatic na lights!

aargghh, going to dinner, naka semi-lights lang pala ako, yay, buti na lang napansin ni bevs! hehehe

eto pa, going to balmain, driving in the city, yay, i forgot my lights again, buti na lang nakita ni manong pub guard and he was nice enough to call my attention, thanks!

crossed-fingers, d ko na un makakalimutan promise!

* * *

olympics update:

matthew won gold in diving!!! fantastic!!! but he is an OS, but it doesn't matter, he is amazing! his last dive was almost perfect!!! funny how he cheered with the aussies when he got his medal and how he smiled when he got his rose, he is so OS!!!

hooker

"oh, my, god! annd oh, my, god!"
if you know me, you'll know exactly how i would have said that...

aussie has never won a medal in the pole vault event
but tonight
steve hooker won!!!
its gold medal and an olympic record
fantastic!!!

when asked how he feels, he said:
"i feel on top of the world!!! it is amazing"
i feel on top of the world too hahaha so affected!!!

and i was so touched when he said:
"i want to thank my parents - they are the most supportive parents - they are so great!!!"
makes me miss my mang ang pang

and, aussie as he is:
"im sure my friends are in the pub now kicking some beers for me"
"i know they are all watching, thank you australia"
yah, its already sooo late and im still watching, you are welcome

he also shared his medal to his coach:
"he is one of my best mates, im so privileged to work with him, this is his win too!"
that makes me miss my mentors

and for the last question - so how will you celebrate tonight?:
"i am with so many amazing people right now, for sure will find something fun to do"

go go aussie aussie!!!

* * *

needless to say cos its obvious
im so into this olympics
dunno why
boosting my appreciation of sports perhaps
mmm, maybe!

crazy friday

no, it's not the "crazy" i was thinking

neither was it what i'm hoping or expecting

this time, crazy means tame, and boring

its a shame, its friday night and im working

phantom of the opera

it was brilliant!!!
two thumbs up to the cast and the production!

hmmm... change career - gusto kong sumali sa production...

favorite scene: when phantom said "i love you christine"
i felt his sincerity!

another 2 years...

On behalf of EY, we are delighted to confirm the 2 year extension to your employment....

* * *

I hereby accept this extension offer.

Signed Angeline Marquez 19/08/08

* * *

that's it!!!

jones and tricket last grab for gold and they did it!!!

kasama cna liesel and libby sa 100m medley relay together with emily seebohm and jessica schipper!!!

and THEY WON GOLD and bonus WORLD RECORD PA CLA!!!

it was a good backstroke start by emily but the US is ahead, then jones put back aussie on the lead when she did her breast stroke, followed by jessica who led the butterfly lap... then what a great finish by trickett on freestyle!!!

YES! YES! YES!

HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!!!

i love the smile on their faces - very aussie!!!

hackett!!!

14:40 won but its not hackett! and it din't beat the world record of 14:34!

my heart cries... i am so sad, super!

14:41!!! his 14:38 olympic record last friday could have won him gold!!!

pero sabi nga nya:
"no regrets, i did my best and im happy with that!"

and his last words:
"thank you australia!"

no worries hacky, you are still the world record, you are still the olympic record and australia will always be proud of you!

no reason to be sad... more reasons to be proud and happy!!!

olympics

ewan ko ba, sobrang apektado ako sa olympics na to...

im sad na wala pa ding medal ang pinas, but on the other hand, im so happy for aussie aussie...

ang galing galing ni rice, ni jones at ni trickett - they are my favourites!!! attitudewise, they are awesome, they are so cheerful... ah, baka nakakarelate lang kc ako sa pagiging bungisngis nila... they are always happy!!! competitive pero ineenjoy nila ang ginagawa nila!

na-sad ako for jones when she landed silver in one of the events dahil kay soni, pero ok lang kc mabait din naman c soni (gusto ko din cya)... and un nga, happy pa din naman c jones! feeling ko humble cya!!! and she is pretty!!!

apektado din ako yesterday for trickett when steffen grabbed the gold from her , pero ok lang din kc happy disposition pa din c tricket... sobrang idol ko cya for being so positive... and lagi cyang naka smile!!! sabi nya nga: "You can always go what if? What if I did that better or what if I did this better? but why do that?, why not enjoy this moment and enjoy the achievement because it's a huge achievement. I have no regrets. I have got three medals at this Olympics, overall five and I am excited that I have still two races to come. "It's obviously going to push me further, not just in my swimming but in my life to always do things how I want to them and enjoy the moment, you never know when it is going to be your last one.''

tomorrow is THE day... and i can't wait!!! i am so excited!!!

tricket will try her best one more time for one more gold and so is hackett who will push his limits to win gold in the 1500m event (if ever, it will be his 3rd consecutive olympic gold for the event)!!! sobrang apektado ako... i really wish and pray na manalo cla, i really feel that they deserve to win!!! go aussie!!!

God, please help them... please please please po...

bad dream overruled

no, it wasn't my dream... it was a dream about me...

* * *

i din't go to work today cos im really not feeling well when i woke up, i think its to do with the super unpredictable weather... i did work though and i still am (except just now as obviously, i took a break to blog!)...

around midday, i received an email from claudia, one of my officemates and is a nice fried --- i was shocked!!! she had a bad dream about me and to quote her words "I dreamt that you got involved in a really tragic car accident (similar to those disgusting one that you see on TV) and wt a bad ending"... it took me few minutes before i responsded... in those few minutes, not too sure what exactly run into my mind... then i finally asked her details --- was i driving, was it in a car, in a bus, by myself, or with friends... then she replied " Actually, i dont have the vision of you before the accident (driving or not driving), but i have the vision of you after the accident (which was in a VERY bad shape, which was close to a piece of smashed tomato - sorry for phrasing it in this way). So, the vision that i have was you on the chair, but i cannot see everything outside of the chair. So, the vehicle could be either a bus or a car, and you could be the driver or the passenger. Unknown. Its more of the after effects which was horrible ie your family was in a bad shape after finding out of the news and they came to australia to try to make sense out of everythign, and i was trying to help put them in understanding what was happening, collecting your belongings, formal procedures wt the police, and your bunch of philipino friends was also around to help out... Anyway, lets ignore this as the vision was really quite disturbing to me.... Just make sure you keep safe and i am happy that you replied my mail (which means you are safe and alive)"....

bevs said: i interpret it as don't buy a car daw muna... mamu, wag na lang tayo pumuntang hunter valley. hehe. natakot!! nothing personal ha..hehehe. di kasi natin alam ang sinasabi ni dream. wala din naman mawawala kung magiingat.

ruby called and said: no more speeding...

yolaine said: not sure whether you need to care too much about it, I am sure everything will be alright and you will be in great shape all your life :D...

* * *

ghie says:

- thank you to claudia for not keeping this to herself and telling it to me. naniniwala ako sa mga matatanda na pag kwinento mo daw ang bad dream, it will mean the opposite (yes, long life in great shape!!!)

- sorry friends, no hunter valley and kangaroo valley this weekend (kahit bus or tour pa yan!), sa september na lang

- no cab this week if by myself (last week, twice akong muntik mabangga on my way home)

- lastly, si God na bahala sa kin, i have faith, i know He'll take care of me

pope is here!

yep, the pope is here!!!

and we are attending the wyd on saturday and sunday...

excited!!!

worried

im really worried...

plan has been set that my sister and i, with mng greg and bro joel, will go to thailand and singapore in december... wish nya kc mamasyal overseas, okay, fine... we'll go... i will start saving, obviously mabigat to sa bulsa...

earlier, i talked to mama...

ayan, na, i'm worried...

something in me is telling me, parang i want to take an extended leave from october...

god, please help me...

feliz kum pelanyos...

it's maribel's birthday today and it's also her housewarming party... they (with hubby jesus) bought a flat in hornsby and it is really really nice... hmm, makes me think how much could it be... ah, dunno! we brought her a cake as a birthday present and brought a champagne glass set as housewarming present... as expected, more than half of the visitors are spanish (umm, i just generalise them as spanish although they came from different places - spain of course, portugal, venezuela and brazil!)... needless to say, the spanish language dominated her house, which was fine cos they were nice people... funny maribel, at some point she was speaking to us in spanish too hahaha... with that, i learned some spanish words tonight... benga conyo means hurry up!, cartar la tarta means cut the cake, and feliz kum pelanyos means happy birthday... (i disclaim accuracy of the spelling of the words, i just wrote them the way i understand them and the way i should pronounce them if spelled in filipino)... it was a great night - feliz kum pelanyos senora maribel!

* * *

oh, earlier today, i went driving.. nagpabook kc c ruby ng driving lesson nya so sumama ako... i drove for an hour... yeh, i miss it, i can't wait to have my own car and just drive away!!! next week, pupunta na talaga ko ke kuya mar, yey, excited!!!

madness!!!

so what's next after the diamond shoe... anyone who knows ghie knows the answer!!!

but its not mine yet... yah, not yet... soon...

diamond shoe

happy happy happy happy and happy!!!

i have a new shoe!!! that's right, its not a pair, its just one and it has diamonds!!!

^ wink ^

rondz and bevs, eto na... =) i am super super happy - love it!!!

100th blog --- shopaholic!!!

its my 100th blog!!! wow!!! (thanks to rondz who inspired me to start this thingie! then to bevs na din kc naaliw ako sa mga blogs mo!)

today i went shopping - went to dfo, started off at the oroton shop finding myself leaving the store after 10 minutes of looking around, not that i din't like what's in store... the thing is, i love all of them and i got confused so i decided to visit the other stores first --- i wasted the next 2 hours hopping from one store to another and ended up not buying anything, for one, d ako shopper ng damit (bags, wallets, shoes are my life! - well, add watches na din, lately!), and two, ang hirap humanap ng size ko, anlaki ko kc!... ending, i went back to the oroton shop and ayan na.... blah blah blah... 3 bags, 3 folders, 3 wallets, 3 mirrors... ripped off!!! but am soooo happy!!!! teka, obviously, hindi lahat yun akin, most of those are my gifts to my friends!!!! basta, am sobrang happy!!!

yesterday naman, i received my salary letter... yes, happy!!! (though not happy happy, pero basta happy!!! hahaha) thank you to uncle erniyo and pareng mike!!!...

tomorrow, ok since me increase, i deserve either a new shoes or a new watch (ghie, isa lang, its either and not both!)... excuses, excuses...

after tomorrow, its time to start saving for my december trips with my family... so excited!!!

Gold Coast September 2007

i just realised that i haven't posted this yet...

"sama ka sa gold coast"?.... that started it all...

then i found myself booking flights for myself, ruby and rondz... since then, the excitement just builds up everyday... being a themepark and beach buff, going to gold coast has always been in my wish list since i came to australia... and it definitely is a wish that came true...

while i took care of researching for the cheapest flight and surfing the net for what the theme parks have to offer, rondz owned up the hotel reservation... flight + hotel + ourselves... 27-30 september... gold coast, here we come!!!...

counting the days to the 27th is a mix of excitement and harassment... too excited for the thrill rides and for the beach... that actually was our inspiration to beat harassment... things need to be done, work needs to be finished, bosses needs to be pleased... but no worries, everything's manageable - we'll finish our task and we are going to enjoy our holiday...

at this point, im reminded of sgv where going for a holiday is like a mortal sin... you can't be broadcasting to everyone that you're going on a holiday if you don't want to see raised eyebrows and if you don't want to hear the famous unbeatable "buti ka pa..." line which is intended to engrave a feeling of guilt in your heart... here in sydney, everyone literally shares your excitement when you go for holidays... no guilt feelings, no work dramas of that sort... you are free to be happy... and they are happy for you too...

alright, here we go...

27 September, Thursday - off to the central station at around 630 to catch a train going to the domestic airport. we were among the early birds at the check-in counter, had dinner at red rooster while waiting for the boarding time... hmm, this is also my first domestic flight in australia.... the flight was 1 hr and 10 minutes.. of course, our cameras are always ready for every angle... 3 auditors on board = perfect documentation...

i probably don't even need to write here the first thing we did when we reached the hotel... (hint: canon!)... then we spent the next half hour or so surfing the net and planning the days ahead... we only have 3 days, can't waste a single minute....

i've been to more than a couple of themeparks and have definitely tried more than a couple of fun and thrill rides - this excited me but at the same time worried me as i've set a very high expectation of gold coast themeparks and i'll definitely be so sad if it turns out turkey... as much as i can, i tried to keep the excitement and ignored the silly expectations...

28 September, Friday - Warner Bros Movie World... still kilometers away, i can already see superman and batman... wew!!!! yep, we're finally here!!!... with a map on one hand and a camera on the other, we bravely entered the park as if all rides are gonna be chicken...we decided to follow the thrill challenge itinerary as suggested on the map to make sure we don't miss the action-packed thrill rides...

we started the day with what WB Movie World claim to be the best in the park... SUPERMAN ESCAPE... it is the southern hemisphere's #1 roller coaster flying 100km/hr... we queued for about an hour but its definitely worth the wait.... then off to Australia’s newest thrill ride… BATWING SPACESHOT which launches 60m vertically through 4.5Gs then plummet back to earth in a breathe catching negative-G descent… tip: swing your feet to relax yourself… after a couple of photos and video of both rides, we’re off to LETHAL WEAPON where you’re strapped in 20 tonnes of steel and propelled along 765 metres of cold hard track. Dives, bends, rollovers, sidewinders, double spins, loops and plunges – it’s all here, now this is what I call the best rollercoaster ever… with that, its time to refuel for the next rides… we head off to GOTHAM City Café… too hungry? – the riddler combo (beef burger, chips and coke) is the perfect treat!!! Perfect timing as the parade is up next – love batman, who can be sexier than catwoman, shrek is there of course, looney tunes gang were there, but hey, where is superman?!... on our way to the next ride, we tried our luck on one of the games, unfortunately, we were not that lucky yet… the WILD WEST FALLS ADVENTURE RIDE drops 20 metres at 70 km/hr – the effects before the drop amazed me more than the actual drop, its probably because I’ve been to more than a couple of this kind of ride before... now the next one wasn’t how I expected it to be… SCOOBY-DOO SPOOKY COASTER… wasn’t scared of the coaster, but m so scared with how spooky it can get… the amazing lighting and sound effects really got us ducking, weaving, screaming and laughing…i guess scooby-doo gave us some luck… we went back to the “ball –shooting” game… its not as easy as it looks, you have to shoot a ball in a big pail but you have to have the right balance otherwise, the ball will bounce back! Ending: we brought home 1 biggie bunny and 6 smallish =)… that was the end of Movieworld’s Thrill Challenge – of course, we survived!!!

as we still have an hour before closing time, we din’t miss going around the park and getting amazed with the rest what the park has to offer… we went around looney tunes village, took some photos, brought some souvenirs, had ice cream before we decided to head off… it was SUCH a long day…

by the time we arrived at the hotel, we were starving, but that din’t spoil our excitement to soak in the pool… poor rondz as he has to go to the resto and order our food… he dint have much time to swim… good thing the food was really yummy… and I mean yummy!!! and, and, and!!! how can I forget, that this night is also what I call the “freedom” night… unfortunately, details can’t be divulged in this blog!... suffice to say, that IT was indeed a night!!! whatever that means…

29 September, Saturday… we started off really early, and by mid-morning, we are already by the beach – Surfer’s Paradise! The sun is soooo ready to burn our skin (not that mine can be burnt further, duh!). At the first instance, I favoured Surfer’s Paradise over Bondi, but I don’t necessarily think that this is a fair judgment. Oh, it also reminded me of Hawaii, yes, Hawaii… in front of you is the cool beach and behind you are tall buildings and hotels. No one’s ready for a swim yet, so after so-so clicks with canon, we headed off to SeaWorld! Entering seaworld made me feel like a kid again – I guess, that’s partly because of the smart kid we chatted with on the bus on the way. More so, when we pass by sesame street (not really a big fan that’s because I rarely watch it when I was a kid!), it makes me feel like going back to my younger years! Undoubtedly a roller coaster addict, I led the march to Cork Screw all the way to the very front of the coaster – it was great!!! Of course, we also did not miss the Pirate Ship. Although I would say, the Anchor’s Away in Enchanted Kingdom is much bigger, they both have the same impact on your stomach (yes, who don’t feel throwing up, raise your hand!!!). It was a good ride that gave us a birds eye view over Sea World. Next stop was the “Unknown” – I really can’t remember the name of the ride but I perfectly remember its entrance that says “Entrance to the Unknown” – that was a cool ride… true enough, every next turn is “unknown” – surpirise surprise!!! Now, hurry, hurry, and I mean, run… we can’t miss the dolphin show! I’ve been to so many dolphin shows already but this one really stunned me – those dolphins were hell amazing, makes me want to hug them… I seriously salute their trainers!!! After being amazed by the dolphins, we bid a quick hello to the polar bears and the sharks on our way back. We decided to take the cable car ride so we won’t miss the “Waterski Wipe Out”. That I would say is my favourite part of our Seaworld trip – one, because, I haven’t seen that kind of show in other themeparks I’ve been too before and two, because, those waterskiers were just bloody talented!!! They deserve a round of applause and a standing ovation!!! That was our day at Seaworld, now we are so ready for a swim! We went back to Surfer’s Paradise for a swim and of course, needless to say --- more pictures!!!

We planned to go to Brisbane but the cab charge is just not worth it… blah blah blah… we had dinner and next thing I know, I was deep sleep… no, I wasn’t drunk (missed the pubs! next time!)… just seriously tired…

30 September, Sunday… again up so early, its our last day and we have to pack our things ready for check out… “ano suot nyo?”… “pants na lang para direcho na sa airport”… “shorts ako, init kaya”… “e d na tayo makakapagpalit eh”… “oo nga”… “ cge na nga, ako na din”… everyone in jeans, off to Dreamworld… Excited? Ready! First stop, The Claw - tried traveling 9 storeys into the air, swinging at up to 75 km/hr? and wait, it also spins 360 degrees! who is scared? – ghie!, yes, nachicken ako while we were on queue… it feels literally being thrown up up, in circle and away! but duh, I love it and I really love it! Just right next to The Claw is the Wipe Out! The Wipeout spins, twists and tumbles you through a body-wrenching range of dumping breaker waves leaving you helpless - strapped in the middle with no lifeline. It was bloody awesome!!! Our next stop is a ride that left me twirled – I hate it but rondz loves it! I’ll never ride that again – er, I forgot the name! Cyclone is next – it travels 13 storeys with 1000 tones of high-speed, heart thumping, hair raising twists, and into a 360-degree loop and screaming sidewinder. It was cool and great but not very extraordinary compared to the other roller coasters. Ah, huge thanks to Cyclone, it gave me a view of Whitewaterworld – naku naku I want to go, I want to go, I want to go!!! Yah, right, we are in jeans!!! Okay, decide now, are we or are we not?! “Eto na, dapat kc nagshorts na lang talaga tayo”… Eh, no worries, thanks to that shop, ripped off $85 from my card for a pink thong, pink shortie shorts and a pink top… Don’t get too excited with Whitewaterworld guys, we can’t miss Giant Drop! - the tallest, free-falling ride in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World records. Free fall time is 5 seconds. The cruise to the top takes approximately 90 seconds. Falling 120 metres is the equivalent of falling from a 39-storey building. Giant Drop is the reason I insisted on Dreamworld (and yes, its my favorite). Aha, again, I felt so chicken on the queue – seryoso natakot ako although im really excited! Good thing, it took a while before our turn and then I was able to compose myself, eto na, the fear has died down, its now pure excitement!!! Okay, here we go… up, up, up, up, up… right, the view is great isn’t it, its amazing, we’re so close to the sky, tic tac tic tac, going down yet? dunno… yah, yah, couple of chats, then only who knows when… drop!!! Waaaahhhhhh…aaaaahhhh… aaaaahhhh… thank god, im still alive!!! That was fantastic!!! 2 rides we missed in Dreamworld are the Motocoaster and the Tower of Terror – we obviously wanted to go but the waiting time means we can’t go to the Whitewaterworld (the newest waterpark in Australia). Entering the waterpark makes me miss my family, especially my nephews and nieces – i’m sure they will love this place! Who wouldn’t?!!! Hyper as I am, run it is, not just walk… the park is closing in 3 hours. What can be a braver start than The Rip? It launches from a 16 metre tower into 12 metres of pitch black terror before blasting into a massive bowl of WhiteWater’s best. After the massive whirlpool of high speed revolutions, you are sucked into the corkscrew core, blasted through a huge curtain of water to experience a momentary weightlessness before launching into the plunge pool. That was a blast!!! Next stop is the BRO (Blue Ringed Octopus) – using specially designed sled mats, with your head first, slide from 16 metres high into a maze of thrilling twists and turns reaching speeds of around 50 km/hr. That was so great!!! The Green Room is up next. The almost an hour wait was definitely worth it. The specially designed 4 person cloverleaf tube accelerates from a 75 metre tunnel to a 15 metre funnel before literally dropping out! You are thrown into the upper hemisphere, off back-to-back vertical banks before a needle-nose splashdown that will give the most hardened of thrill seekers the chills. That was definitely amazing!!! And now… (drum rolls please)… I din’t know water parks have roller coasters too --- Super Tubes Hydrocoaster – it is a water-based rocket and the world’s very latest innovation in waterslide thrills and technology. That’s my favorite amongst the water rides – bloody awesome!!! What a day it was! Of course, we din’t miss some clicks, no way! And, obviously, we can’t hide the joy – no one can be more photogenic than us that day!!!

Needless to say that our holiday in Gold Coast is a blast!!! It was superb!!! I just love it!!!

In behalf of my Gold Coast buddies, i would like to thank our sponsors...

- Google.com for redirecting me to the right websites of the themeparks
- American Express for letting me book our flights...
- Jetstar for the budget airfare and the bonus bumpy landing...
- Sydney City Rail for the quick ride to the airport...
- Raddisson hotel for the nice accomodation, the daily morning transfers, and the luscious dinner...
- Gold Coast surfside bus lines for the great road trips to the theme parks...
- Rip Curl, Billabong and Roxy for dressing us up to the White Waterworld (what a rip off!)...
- Canon for our magnificent photos...
- Doritos, our official chips...

Lastly, what can be a better bonus if not dvds styled by rhie - it was absolutely fantastic!!!!

I can’t end without sayin’, “been there, done that, definitely going back!!!”…

traydor...

thought i have posted this but nah!

* * *

i felt so betrayed! about 10 months ago, i wrote a piece about someone i almost considered a hero...



i've searched google and have read about a news about fr richard - i was stunned - seriously shocked - stupidly affected and unreasonably hurt!!! part of me is saying he is still a "good" priest as he delivers the mass really good, but i can't understand the lies! but then again, who am i to judge - that maybe is the "human" part of him... i'll continue to pray for him anyway... wew, that was a long piece, haha :p

shoe madness!

okay okay... call it crazy, and yah, may be...

went to david jones...

next thing i know,

im holding 4 pairs of shoes,

and...

bloody $700 debited from my account!!!

crazy???

yes, but happy!!! so, its fine!!!

23/03/08

23 march = easter 2008!

i prayed hard...
i hope its the right decision...
fingers crossed...

i hope it will be in time for my 100th blog!

* * happy happy* *

:p

i hate him part 2!!!!

i really so hate him, yes, him again!!!

getting into my nerves!!!

* * *

oh well, why should i bother?!

yes, i am affected! but okay, i'll forget it now, right now!!!

stupid him!!!

leave me alone!

i swear i wasnt and i din't think about you before i slept...
i don't understand why you keep on showing up in my dreams...
im not at all pleased that you are spoiling my peaceful sleep...

please, you are already history...
id be thankful if you leave me alone...

i hate him!

i hate him!!! i hate him!!! i hate him!!!
i really do!!!

but who cares, i don't want to be stressed about him,
besides, i won't be dealing with him anymore, again, ever!!!

huh, good luck to you rude american dude!!!

project catamaran...

thank god its finally over!!! yes, project catamaran is over!!!

just an hour before i finally gave my clearance for the 3 groups, i suddenly thought of a random code for this bloody project and thought project catamaran sounds good... getting confused of what im referring too - aasb 7!!! i din't imagine it would be this stressful as we've discussed this with the client ages ago... apparently, something just went wrong along the way... which i thought is... too much work load, not enough resources... i could be wrong...

too many disclosures to validate...
for three groups...
too little time...
again, too little time...
it has to be done...
now!

bloody hell, all these numbers are haunting me even in my short dreams...
i even get to a point where my brain cells just refuse to think no matter how i stare at the spreadsheets...

and now its over... please, i need peace of mind...

* * *

two great people i want to thank: Yolaine - for being always so supportive and for bearing with my silly questions and of course, Kevin - for being such a legend (thank you really, i've learned so much from you too!) oh well, as you said "a catamaran is what aasb 7 should sail into the sunset on!" ...

we did it, its over!!! well done!!!

port stephens get away...

it was indeed a get away! it was so relaxing!!!

feels so great to be away from the city and away from stress...

it was a great time to have a chitchat with friends and appreciate what nature has to offer...

we hit the road early saturday and arrived at port stephens around midday, just in time to satisfy our starving tummies!!! the rest of the afternoon was spent at the beach and needless to say that i was bbqd - not that i care, i'm already black anyway!

after dinner, we enjoyed our stay in our very nice apartment and talked about all sorts of things, from love/relationships/religion/movies/music/places/bit of work which we decided to stop as its making us cranky/other people/other countries/lifestlyle/other people/etc etc, over bottles of beer of course, until everyone finally gave up and called the night/dawn off - it was almost 3 am!!!!

the next day, sunday, is a sunday of a liftetime for me! we went sailing!!!! that was really great!!! i haven't done that before and initially i was a bit scared when i saw the catamaran which reminds me of my near death experience on water when i was a kid - but good thing, my excitement ruled!!! thanks to ramesh who did all the work while myself and constance just sat in the catamaran like beauty queens enjoying the water splashes and the cool wind!!! (and oh, another thing, buti na lang, slim kami, otherwise, we wouldn't have sailed together, cos technically, the catamaran is just for 2!)

been there, definitely going back! still a lot of activities waiting....

weekend gateaway...

i can't wait for tomorrow... i'm going to port stephens with constance, derek, and ramesh...
im sure it will definitely be a fantastic weekend gateway...
away from the city, away from stress...
so excited!!!

*thanks constance for organising this*

ewan...

i decided to take a 2 minute break and here i am...

i don't know why i'm doing this, but i'm doing it...
been working really silly and crazy... like hell...
i don't understand either...
it's so frustrating...
it's disappointing...

now, i have to go back...

sigh....

lent

unlike everyone else, i dint write down a list of new year's resolution... cos i wasn't sure that i will be able to live up to the drama... instead, i made a single promise - which i thought (and yes, i know), making that promise is much much more silly that writing down easy to do resolutions...


anyway, the promise was: i will go to mass EVERY sunday and that means, not missing a single sunday...


and boom, i missed mass last sunday... and yes, i was really so guilty - i managed to wake up so early to play badminton and after that made my way to the beach to enjoy the last week of summer and after that? no mass... guilty! guilty! guilty! and i know, there is no acceptable excuse... i din't want to think i was too tired with badminton and the beach, instead i blame it to my disappointment with the church we are currently going to (which i would have written so much praises of in my previous blogs) - then i realised, that was more, much much more, silly and it is!!! let me say what the disappointment is anyway: frank as it is, i'm not so pleased with father x, not personally, just on how he celebrates mass - sometimes he is too in a hurry, which maybe fine, well, i take it back, not really fine, especially during consecration... i don't usually feel the solemnity of the consecration especially compared to how father richard does it before... the consecration is meant to be the most solemn part of the mass and yet, i feel, its just becoming as one of the parts... with that, i really feel disappointed cos i don't feel christ... im there physically but my thoughts are so so so far away and with this, i thought im just beefing up my sin collection (sad to say!)... enough of that, i hope im already forgiven... today, i was again almost tempted not to go to mass... but i guess, the angels won over the diaboliques... i attended mass... and this time, im happy, not very, but at least...

i was happy not because i am now pleased with consecration... i was moved with the homily... moved=guilty! yes, again!

i realised that we are half way through lent and i really haven't done anything... lent is meant to be a time for prayer, fasting and self-denial... so guilty because im doing the exact the opposite... i can say that before the lenten season, i've been doing my part, at least, to be a good christian (besides, we shouldnt be waiting for lent to be good anyway)... but call it the most perfect timing (i know its not an excuse)... the first half the lenten period happens to be my busiest week ever since i moved down under... i know, im presenting an excuse again, which i know is not at all acceptable... let's start with prayer: before i turned seriously busy (busy=coming home at 11pm for 2.5 weeks, excldg weekends), i can't and won't sleep if i don't finish the rosary, seriously!, but since i was going home so tired and late, i can't even get through the first mystery... so bad and im sorry... but its not too late, ill get back again... next is fasting: eversince, im not really a strict observer of the no-meat friday and less food for lent... i asked to be excused given that im so tiny and i guess i cant afford not to eat... instead, i thought giving up coffee and coke, 2 drinks i thought i can't live without and which are much harder to give up than meat or any other food for that matter, will make up... surely, it would... only thing is, i just can't... worst, my intake even increased from 1 cup/1 can to 2 cups/2 cans for those busy weeks, i needed them to have the energy to work... crap, im so bad, i know, and im sorry again.. but then again, its not too late... no coke for the rest of the lenten season... promise! then last self-denial: i was actually trying to save some dollars for something, but, being busy was a good excuse to reward myself with unnecessary things so i've been buying things im not suppose to be buying... well again, its not too late... no shopping of whatever for the reast of the lenten season... promise!!!

i promise to keep my promise!!! so help me God....

what about you? well, if you are like me, so unmindful of lent... its not yet too late, you can still do something....

others' blogs

i don't claim writing to be my passion.

by that i mean, i really don't consider myself to be a good writer, yes, not all, and its probably obvious too... they say, which i've always believed, that you can never marry numbers and words - you can either be a math wizard or a vocabulary wizard, but not both - unless you are among the genuises...

and yet, here i am trying to pool some words... my interest (still, not passion) on blogging was influenced by rondz who is really so into writing... at first, i din't buy the idea of posting my silly thoughts in the net, then next, i just found myself so into it too... let's just say, its an outlet or more so, an escape...

and so be it...

* * *

truth is, i can talk about so many things as so many things happened during the last three weeks but i don't think they are worth writing down... or, may be yes... well, in summary: the past 3 weeks = busiest weeks ever in sydney (at least, excluding the weekends)! that then is a good excuse for me to take friday off - i declare it my stress leave!

* * *

then i found myself reading other peoople's blog... at first, i felt it was an intrusion of their privacy which i realise to be an absurd thought as the fact that it is in the net, it means, anyone can read it (just as you are reading my entries now =)... i actually felt good reading other people's thoughts... some may be senseless as my other entries but they are definitely outnumbered by the more no nonsense ones... thank you fellow blog addicts...

* * *
i hope to resurrect by next week and by then i will have more sense and hopefully, that would include my blog...

definitely, maybe...

indeed, this saturday is a not a single second wasted day...

i started the day cleaning up the house - yes, yes, i can be very oc - mess gives me serious stress, seriously...
then went to the facial clinic to spend some money, not that i have so much to spend, i just have to (aray!)
then off to strike in eq for bowling - it was great as always

* * *

then off to hoyts for definitely, maybe...
the movie is about having a second look at the past to have a second chance at the future...
got these lines from the movie:
"it is not who - its when"
"i don't know and i don't know how to know"

* * *
i also promised not to buy anything but ended up going home with 2 boxes of sandals (oh well!)

tomorrow is badminton day... am lovin' my weekend...

am i in sydney?

call it silly and i won't disagree
i've been working like a slave since last week
this is seriously a sh*t

* * *
she: what are you doing? are you still doing treasury?
me: well yah, how can i possibly finish my own work, i spend the whole day talking to everyone - answering all their questions on treasury - obviously, i can only start my own work when everyone is gone!

most harassed word in the audit room = treasury

c'mon people, i only have one body, one soul, one brain!!! well, good thing, im a bit talented, i can listen to your questions and write a memo at the same time - how is that?! brilliant, stressful!

i can't wait for this week to end... can i call in sick tomorrow???

* * *

oh, looking forward to march 1/2 for a big getaway
at least, that lessens the stress a bit...