We spent the Anzac long weekend in Hunter Valley. It was a last minute decision. So last minute that I was only able to book our accommodations the night before we left. So Friday night I was frantically searching for things to see and do for the weekend. We left Tamworth later than expected last Saturday because we overslept. We went straight to the Hunter Valley Gardens. There were heaps of gardens inside like Oriental Garden, Formal Garden, Border Garden. They even have a Sunken Garden. My favourite is the Storybook Garden. I swear you'll feel like a little kid again. :)
Oriental Garden
A Mad Tea Party @ Storybook Garden
Sunken Garden
It rained on Sunday so we decided to just stay in our villa and chillax. We left Hunter at around half past 9 on Monday and in 3 hours we were back in Tamworth. It was a very relaxing holiday. I enjoyed a lot even though it seems we didn't do anything. :)
After soaking the eggs in the brine solution for 30 days (I know I may have overdone it!), I finally boiled all four of them yesterday. Here's what two of the eggs looked like with diced tomatoes:
The eggs were yummy but a tad too salty. Hehe. I'm going to make another batch later today. I'll probably soak this batch for just about 24 days. I've learned my lesson! ;)
I was able to book accommodations for us last night. It was so last minute, so not me. So here I am, writing this post from the villa where we are staying at. I love holidays! I’ll make a separate post about our holiday later.
On our way to Hunter Valley this morning, we stopped by the Muswellbrook Information Centre where a Big Thing is located. It is home to The Big Blue Heeler.
This afternoon, we saw another Big Thing at the Hunter Valley Gardens Village. We’re on a roll! Hehe. Here are photos of The Big Wine Bottle.
Our relaxing weekend is just beginning and I’m already invigorated. I love it! Later peeps. :)
Got this from my inbox. Somebody sent it to me ages ago. This is so FUNNY coz I AM MARRIED TO AN ENGINEER!
Why A Girl Should Marry An Engineer When Choosing A Mate Compare These Other Professionals To Engineers
DOCTORS
Supposedly, all women are after a Doctor, so don't expect your relationship to last more than 5 years. Eventually, he'll run off with some nurse from his office, or one of his young women patients that is pretending to be sick. He'll wait until you are stuck with a few kids to do this. This is not a problem with your Engineer husband. He had a hard enough time meeting you. It is unlikely he'll ever meet another woman in his profession.
LAWYER
Do you seriously expect an honest, trustingrelationship with someone who gets paid for lying? Once again, this is not a problem with your Engineer spouse. He doesn't have enough social skills to lie convincingly. An additional drawback to marrying a lawyer is when the divorce happens you will get nothing.
SALESMAN See honesty segment under Lawyer. Plus, he will be traveling to trade shows, etc.where he will be in the company of other equally trustworthy individuals. Don't be surprised when you get the invitation to show up on the Ricki Lake show. The company that your Engineer husband works at will keep him in a cage, often called a cubicle, until he is ready to go home to you.
TEACHER
The only reason he entered this profession is so that he could be surrounded by newly post-pubescent girls who idolize him.He'll be in jail soon, and then you'll have to look for another man.
HAZARDOUS PROFESSIONS, I.E. FIREFIGHTER,CONSTRUCTION WORKER, ETC.
Your husband, if he is not dead by some accident, will likely be crippled with a back injury, etc. just about the time you are at your sexual peak. The only hazards that your Engineer husband will face is losing his eyesight by staring at the computer terminal for too long. This hazard actually has some benefits. For one, he will not notice that you are getting older, since you will be a blur. He will remember you as when he first met you, because the memory will still be sharp.And If you think he is looking at another woman, and you ask "Honey, were you looking at her?", he'll honestly be able to say that he didn't even see her.
TOP TEN REASONS TO DATE AN ENGINEER
10. The world does revolve around us... we chose the coordinate system.
9. No "couple" enjoys a better "moment". 8. We know how to handle stress and strain in a relationship.
7. We have significant figures.
6. We have taken a course on the motion of rigid bodies.
5. Projectile motion... need we say more?
4. Engineers do it according to specification.
3. According to Newton, if two bodies interact, their forces are equal and opposite.
2. We know it's not the length of the vector that counts, but how you apply the force.
It's been a while since I posted anything. Here are some things that happened/are happening:
~ I've finished reading books 3 and 4 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian. Although there were some dragging parts, in all of the books, all in all, the series was an enjoyable read. Somehow, I got the feeling that there will be more books added to the series. I hope so.
~ There are some addition to my balikbayan box: Brita Water Filter System. I bought a jug and a box of 6 Filter Cartridges. The water bottle is a freebie. Brita is also sold in Manila, I just don't know if it's cheaper here. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I already bought it for them. The box is coming along pretty well. Though I can't send it yet. I have to wait til we get back to Sydney.
~ Another Blackberry was delivered this morning because we weren't satisfied with the first phone delivered last week. The screen looks like it might fall off. So my husband rang and ask for a replacement. Hopefully this one's ok so he can finally have it activated. I can't wait to pay with it!
~ Another long weekend is coming up, the Anzac long weekend in commemoration of Anzac Day on April 25th. Here's what I found in wikipedia:
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for their countries. Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.
Surprise, surprise. I still don't have anything planned. I'm madly searching the net right now for places we could go to. It's already Thursday. I hope I could come up with something or else we're staying in for three days.
The parcel that I was talking about in my last post was actually delivered, as it said in Australia Post’s tracking system, to our neighbour’s house, NOT ours. The said neighbour knocked on our door yesterday and gave me the parcel. I was annoyed because he had already opened the package. He said he thought it was his because he ordered something from eBay. I wanted to point out to him that the parcel had my name on it but decided against it. No point in arguing with him. At least he returned the parcel to me. I was also annoyed with AusPost for delivering the parcel to the wrong address. The parcel even said ‘signature required upon delivery’. Whose signature did they get? Oh well, at least my parcel is here now, safe and sound.
It’s a cookset for my mum which I’m actually going to send to the Philippines in June. I’m still filling the (balikbayan) box. We’ve been sending a box full of goodies to our families in the Philippines every six months since we’ve arrived here. It’s fun shopping for them. The cool thing is they also shop for me! If I want something in Manila I just call or SMS them and they try and get it for me.
I received another parcel this morning.
My husband ordered a BlackBerry over the phone on Tuesday night. He was told to expect the delivery by Thursday or Friday so I was surprised when the parcel was delivered this morning. Now I’m jealous. I want a BlackBerry, too! Haha. I still have seven months left in my current contract before I get to have a new phone. Bummer! I’ll just ‘borrow’ DH’s BlackBerry sometimes. Or should I just swap my iPhone for his BlackBerry? I’m just not sure if he’ll agree. :)
The title of this post is also my current status in Facebook. I love winter and all (because I get to dress up! haha) but I reckon it's a bit too early to be experiencing this cold weather. It's not even mid-Autumn yet and winter is supposed to start in June! Oh well. One of the downside of cold weather for me is experiencing back pains because of scoliosis. I sometimes have difficulty sleeping but it's alright, nothing major. My husband brought our polar fleece blanket out this morning because I was shivering in cold. I'm hoping to be back in Sydney before winter is well on its way because it is colder here in Tamworth.
On a totally unrelated note, I'm still waiting for this thing that I ordered online. It's been more than two weeks since I paid for it but I guess because of the Easter holiday delivery somehow got delayed a bit. I'm a bit worried because when I track my parcel through Australia Post's website it says it's already delivered. Where? I don't have it yet.
Forgive me for ranting. Now back to regular programming.
The following is an article my husband submitted for his fraternity publication. This was written in January 2009. As the newest migrant of Beta Epsilon sa Australia (BESA) that time, he was tasked to share his views about life in Australia in the few months that we have been here. It is written in Tagalog for maximum impact. :)
Note: We arrived in Australia on 29 June 2008.
Mahigit anim na buwan na kami dito sa Sydney. Matagal-tagal na rin pala. Parang kailan lang nung ihatid kami ng aming mga pamilya at kaibigan sa NAIA. Nakakalungkot na nakakatuwa. Di ko maipaliwanag. Sa sandaling paninirahan ko dito, marami na rin akong naobserbahan, napagmunihan. Eto at naisipan kong isulat yung iba.
1. Maraming bagay na iba ang tawag nila dito kaysa sa nakasanayan ko sa Pilipinas. Halimbawa: stroller = pram, comforter = doona, drugstore = chemist, bell pepper = capsicum (caps for short), tape receipt = docket, ketchup/catsup = tomato sauce.
3. May mga termino rin sila na nung una ay bago sa pandinig ko. O nasanay lang ako sa gawing-Amerikano?
Halimbawa: a lot = heaps, I think = I reckon, it's your treat = it's your shout, try it = have a go.
4. Dito kahit busog ako eh kumukulo pa rin ang tiyan ko. Napag-usapan na namin yan minsan kung bakit nga kaya ganun. Wala kaming maisip na sagot kaya isinisi na lang namin sa tubig! Hehehe. May fluoride kasi ang tubig dito. Di ko lang alam kung may kinalaman yun sa pagkulo ng tiyan kahit kakakain lang. Ang sigurado, matibay ngipin ng mga tao dito. Lalo na yung dito ipinanganak at lumaki.
5. Ang mga tatak ng produkto na nakalakhan ko sa Pilipinas eh iba ang pangalan dito.
Halimbawa: Magnolia = Peters, Selecta = Streets, Burger King = Hungry Jacks, Dunkin Donut = Donut King, Modess = Stayfree.
6. May mga salita na pareho lang ang pagbigkas subalit iba ang pagbaybay.
Halimbawa: curb = kerb, tire = tyre, harbor = harbour, center = centre.
7. Ang letrang "H" kung bigkasin dito ay 'heych' kumpara sa nakasanayan kong 'eych'. Ang letrang "Z" naman ay 'zed', hindi 'zee' o 'zey'. Naaalala ko tuloy, nasa Pilipinas pa kami ng asawa ko. Nanonood kami sa HBO, sabi ng commentator 'heych-bee-oh'. Akala namin may sipon lang sya kaya ganun ang pagkabigkas nya. Hehe. Ngayon alam ko na, baka dito sya sa Australia lumaki.
8. Ang shopping carts o grocery carts dito pwedeng iuwi hanggang sa bahay. Nakakaaliw! Nasanay kasi ako sa atin na laging may karatulang “No shopping carts allowed beyond this point”. E paglabas pa lang sa checkout counter andun na yung karatula.
Sa pagpasok ng bagong taon, naisip ko ang desisyon naming mag-asawa na manirahan dito sa Australia ay isa sa pinakamagandang desisyong ginawa namin. Mahirap sa simula pero ika nga ng mga Brods na matagal na dito puro sarap na ang kasunod.
As I mentioned in a previous post about Big Things, The Big Golden Guitar is the next installment. It is just four minutes away from where we're staying at here in Tamworth. This morning after attending mass and some window shopping, we decided to visit it. Here are some pictures:
I'm currently reading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. It's the first installment of the 5-book saga Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I wasn't able to watch the movie when it was shown here in Australia. I'm not fussed though. One friend said the movie didn't do the book justice. For me it's always the case. I mean how can you compress three hundred or so pages (heaps more for some books like Harry Potter) into less than two hours of film? Going back to Percy Jackson, I'm halfway through the first book and I'm really enjoying it. It's a very light read and the fact that I've always been interested in mythology is a plus.I know it's a young adult book but who cares? =)
Today marks our second month here in Tamworth. When my husband was told in January that he was being assigned here for three to four months, he wasn't a happy camper. He loves the hustle and bustle of city living that's why we lived near the CBD in Sydney. We talked about it and decided to give Tamworth a go. Two months on, I'd say we've adjusted to life here pretty well. As the saying goes, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade! :) Also, the realization that we're already halfway through our supposed stay here makes me want to weep. Haha.
For my birthday present, I have decided to ask my DH for a new Pandora bracelet. Yes, I gave into temptation. Madness all over again! He also got me three new beads/charms.
kangaroo and joey -- represents Australia in general but it means Sydney for me :)
guitar for Tamworth, home of The Big Golden Guitar (which we have yet to see, bad!)
Easter chick for our Easter Holiday @ Coffs
I was comparing my two bracelets when I noticed significant differences between the two clasps.
clasp of first bracelet
clasp of second bracelet
side by side, the newer clasp is bigger and its O now has the Pandora crown
I'll have my old bracelet and charms cleaned this weekend. Then I'll rearrange the charms between the two bracelets. The old bracelet will have a 'personal' theme -- family, preferences, characteristic, signs, etc. The new one will be my 'holiday' bracelet. I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done rearranging. Excited! :)
Day 3, Easter Sunday was Market Day. We went to about four different markets but surprisingly didn't buy anything. We were happy just looking around and people watching. We again bought lunch from the Fishermen's Co-op but I didn't get to take pictures. We had fish & chips and calamari & chips. In the afternoon, we went to South Park Beach, Park Beach and Coffs Creek to take pictures. Then my DH decided to go for a little swim at Jetty Beach. As usual, I didn't go near the water. I was happy taking pictures of him.
We left Coffs Harbour real early on Day 4. We wanted to beat the rush of people going home from holiday. I'm glad we did. We were back in Tamworth by midday. We were still able to do grocery shopping.
We had a great holiday. I wonder where we'll go next?
Day 2 at Coffs Harbour was spent sight seeing. We went to have our pictures taken at The Big Banana but we didn't actually go inside the complex. There were heaps of activities like ice skating and tobogganing but we didn't feel like doing any of those things. We then proceeded to The Clog Barn, also called Holland Down Under, where we saw a miniature Dutch Village. Then we had lunch at the Foreshores Cafe, one of the restaurants at the Jetty Strip. Here are some pictures.
Easter holiday is over. We're back in Tamworth, back to reality. I'd have to say this holiday is one of the most relaxing holidays we've had in a while. We didn't have any itinerary or schedule to follow. No pressures at all. We didn't get to REALLY explore Coffs Harbour but I'd say I've seen enough to fall in love with the place. Everything is so laid back. It would be nice to have a holiday home there someday. For now, it's just me dreaming. I have heaps of stories to tell I don't even know where to start! For now, here are some of the photos we took on our first day.
view of Muttonbird Island taken from Jetty Beach
salt and pepper squid and chips from the Coff's Harbour Fishermen's Co-operative -- so yummy!
Coffs Harbour Jetty
beautiful houses taken from the Jetty
schools of fish below the Jetty
customary cartwheel @ Coffs Harbour Jetty
cartwheel @ Jetty Beach
P.S. Thank you, God for the glorious weather that we had while in Coffs Harbour.
According to wikipedia, The Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures.
The Big Banana is located along the Pacific Highway at Coffs Harbour. It's not technically the first Big Thing that we've seen since some Big Things lists include The Big Hard Rock Cafe Guitar at the Gold Coast, which we saw last year.
These huge structures are fascinating. I plan to drag my DH to as many Big Things sites as possible. Our next destination is The Big Golden Guitar right here in Tamworth.
