ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS

its thursday, and you know what that means... its going out thursday! : )

i went to bankstown to see some family friends who were here for a competition. anyway, it was a looooonnnggggg ride. an hour inside the train and a bus ride to get there from the city. phewww!

anyway, im absolutely happy today because of the following:

1. got to see some friends from home-- thanks tita mian for the lunch

2. when i got home, got a letter from the house and i've been awarded a 500 dollar bursary to help me out. that's a month of allowance for me right there. but hopefully i get the other scholarships as well.

3. then, when i got to my room, checked my mail, and saw that i've been granted to work online. nothing fancy, its just a website where you get to write articles about places and events in sydney. so since im doing this blog already, i figured why not do this but with a little bit of cherries and ice cream on top to make every other person in the world read it AND get paid too. HA!

4. then, i finished my first assessment requirement for the semester, and it feels good!

5. lastly, my ears popped! its a good sign that im doing better than yesterday. i was actually carrying around a tissue box wherever i went. stupid rain.

so yeah, im ABSOTUTOOTELY HAPPY today! : ) 

rain or shine

umbrellas are essential. it is an object that protects you from the sun or from the rain, and that is why, if you're in australia, you better go bring one sturdy umbrella that will stand by you through strong winds and thick sunlight.

for the past days now, the weather's been REALLY REALLY weird. like yesterday, woke up with a gloomy weather, walked to school sunny, went back to the house windy, slept in rainy. what the hell right?

so now, i've learned how to wear the right amount of clothing that's suitable for rainy/ cold weather and sunny/ dry weather. i've also learned that i should always bring hat and a scarf just incase something weird happens along the day. hahaha


but yeah, umbrellas. : (

umbrellas are not cool here. nobody seems to bother to buy one. its like a pest-- its just there in the house, in the store, in the car, but nobody seems to bother that its there. so i did that too. no umbrellas, just walking in the rain.

and look where that got me... now im coughing and sneezing. stupid me for trying to belong. next time it rains, i will definitely use mine. no more pa-cool factor.

BOO.

ABC...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

we had our first disco at the house last night and the theme was ABC. Anything. But. Clothes.


i love how people really follow the theme here, cause everybody really took the effort to prepare what they were going to wear and all that.


it was really a fun night, but of course before we started partying we had our flag dinner, wherein people get to dress up or wear their cultural dress and each country pledges and stuff like that. and of course i was prepared for this night! i really brought my filipiniana so that i can represent the philippines well. i actually did the pledge for the philippines... nothing special, we just had to say this sentence in our own language.

anyway, back to the party.


my dress was made up of newspapers and tape. nothing fancy... but the best part of it was my earrings. i used my bus tickets. hahahaha although i didnt win the best dressed award (cause after an hour my top got ruined due to dancing and i had to take out my tape skirt cause i couldnt pee), i had a great time with everybody.

Pigeons vs. Churros

birds... never knew how annoying they could get.

apparently, here in sydney, even if your in the city, birds are just EVERYWHERE. and i dont just mean like up above the sky ha, they're literally EVERYWHERE you go, inside the mall, in the park, in school, backyard, whatever.

they're flying above you, they're walking beside you, they're standing infront of you... my gosh!

that's just when you go outside... BUT WAIT! there's MORE!

like for example, the other night, i was inside the dining hall eating my late dinner. i was by myself okay, and in my peripheral view i saw somebody moving. i really got scared, cause seriously, i was really by myself and i didn't hear anything okay, and when i looked at the my side, it was a black pigeon i think, walking INSIDE the dining hall. CRAZEEEHHHHHH!

so anyway, i was to Bondi Beach yesterday with a friend, and as we were walking from store to store, we decided to have some churros for our merienda. so we sat outside so that we could appreciate hot bodies and the the beach. so as our very yummy looking churros arrived... so did the birds.

seriously!

my friend and i were seated beside each other together with our churros. as we were eating our snack, a pigeon arrives...

as in it stood infront of our table, and he had those eyes... you know how you see a hungry person looking at your food... it was like that! he was attempting to get his share of our churros.

so you know what we did? we also looked at it with our own mean eyes... [i know this look stupid if you imagine it, but it really helps], it was a battle. we were both hungry [pigeon and us]

good thing my friend moved the table so it flew away, but really, it was almost as if it wanted to fly away with our churros.

yun lang. hahahaha


so yeah, bondi beach. its one of the many famous beaches of sydney. only took some pictures since i was too preoccupied to appreciate the half-naked surfer dudes and their abs, the bootylicious babes, gelato and churros, and the stores along the beach: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53711&id=100000056774910

OHHHHHHHH! for all the men out there, when i went to bondi beach, i literally saw two girls without their bikini tops while sunbathing. and to prove to you that its real, check out the background of this picture that we took when we were there:

the one lying down....

DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW? 

Everywhere, Anywhere

i got to walk around the city with my friend today.

went to the freemason museum, walked across hyde park, checked out the sydney tower, prayed inside st. mary's cathedral, the biggest church i've ever seen in my life before, and of course ate some food. : )

you can check the pictures from this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53453&id=100000056774910

i went to the freemason museum because my father is one, and i thought it would be nice to check it out for him, and i actually learned something about the freemasons today, here's the top 5 things that i learned about them:

1. the philippine grand lodge was established in 1917
2. australian logo has no letter "G" in it
3. they have a better "uniform" here, all golden and stuff
4. one brother actually invented Freddo the frog, my favorite chocolate from australia. (i know right!)
5. another brother invented MILO-- yes, the drink!

after going to the museum, we went around the city some more and just checked out the places. let me tell you how i label the places that i saw okay:


HYDE PARK: small version of central park in america with a touch of homeless people from the philippines in rizal park and tons of annoying birds

SYDNEY TOWER: eiffel tower that's round and looks like an airport tower

St. MARY'S CATHEDRAL: super HOLY place, parang vatican.


anyway, as i got to my room, i decided to watch Mao's last dancer. it a nice drama movie to watch, but i dont recommend that you watch it especially if you're far away from your family.

cause after watching the movie, i suddenly missed my family (but i still wont admit it you directly even though i know you read my blog hahaha). and i was like shouting in my room... "nayyyyyyy, tayyyyyyyy, asannnnnn na kayooooooo?" JOKE! di naman. hahaha


THE END. : )

Breakthrough

This is a good week.

let me tell you why i thought it was a good week for me:

1. I got to participate in all of my classes.

        remember last week when i told you that i was feeling a little bit stressed out cause i couldn't understand what the hell they were talking about? well, this week, i knew what they were talking about. : ) i really read most (let's be honest here, im not going to read all of that) of the readings that were given, and i participated actively in all the discussions.

2. Got to see paddington, even though i wasnt able to buy anything.

        just the thought that i was actually able to walk and not BUY a lot of things made me realize that i can actually do this. i mean the walking, and the walking, and what else... the walking and not buy anything. hahaha but seriously, walking around the places and getting to know the city was good, it was a good break from all the reading that i've been doing.

3. bonded with my floor-mates.

        this was a great experience, cause i actually felt like i "belonged" for once. im not saying that im a loser or anything, but for the past days, i felt like i've missed so much cause of all the readings that i've been doing so i haven't been really hanging out with any of the people in the house. anyway, we had our bonding time at max brenner, had some chocolate crepes and we had fun!

you can check out the pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100000056774910&aid=53058

4. lastly, today, i felt like i was a student again. i mean, i haven't really felt that i was meant to study... like i feel that im on vacation ALL the time. haha so yeah, being tired, being stressed and actually feeling like it was a longggggg day was good for me.


i just want to officially say that i'm really happy that i'm here. : )


special thanks to my parents for supporting me! hahahahahaha im very lucky. oh and papa, don't be tampo about the lego picture, you weren't there cause you were the camera man, and im not lying, look further and you'll see. hahaha

there oh!

PADDINGTON is CRAZY

Paddington is not a person. it's a lovely place near the city, where you get to walk this whole street full of antiques stores, boutiques that are hella expensive, art galleries and a lot of artsy fartsy things to see and enjoy.

i had the chance to walk through it with my cousin, Vianna.

we actually felt bad that we couldn't REALLY buy anything, cause even though it was half priced, it would still mean that i would not spend anything for about two to three week's worth of allowance. NO THANK YOU. hahaha

but it's a great place for any girl. i promise, especially if you're of of those people who likes finding special things or just appreciate different kinds of things-- THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU.

anyway, as we would enter a store, we would find a dress, or a pair of earring, but in the end the only things we could say was, "ang mahal naman dito." hahaha

it was a great day to relax since the only thing that i've been doing this week was read. : )

I could've been rich

For the past three days, i've been trying to catch up on my readings. i only have three subjects, but it seems like each subject wants to be more demanding than the other.

like what mama said, i asked for this.


i've been reading about UN and asia pacific politics-- some interesting, some not. i'm still half way through my readings because 1. its not the kind that you scan, you really have to read it or else you wouldn't understand the whole situation. 2. i have no and have never read any political book since i graduated from high school, 3. i need to read about 150 pages, three days is too short, and 4. break times are just awesome, without it, it be loosing my mind by now.

anyway, as i was reading through my book, i remembered my first deal with my dad.


when i was young, i hated reading books-- preferred to watch TV-- so my dad and i had a deal. it was a simple one: each book i read, i get 100 pesos.

and so i read. and he got poor. (i was smart enough to read short novels)

i read about three books in a week the whole summer... until it became a habit. to this day, i make sure that i read four to five books a year.


Let's go back to the present day.

so as i was reading and i remembered that deal and if the deal was still on, i'd be rich by now. : )

cause I SWEAR this is MORE THAN what a PERSON COULD READ and DIGEST in a day. its CRAZZEEEHHHH TALK!

Understanding Culture

last week, i forgot to share one of the WEIRDEST things that i EVER saw in my stay here... i think you would to.

anyway, as i was walking to broadway street, i came across this sign:

yep, its a missing finger all right. i've seen lost dog signs... lost books... lost glasses... lost bags, but a FINGER?! seriously? i dont know if it was true or not, but i just had to take a picture of it. this was AT THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET STOP SIGN POST (and apparently around campus). 

i dont know if i should believe it, if it were true, i hope s/he found her/his lost finger. if this was some scam, well i surely thought it was funny and gross at the same time.

if we were in the Philippines, nobody would put a lost finger sign but a sign like this: BAWAL TUMAWID, MAY NAMATAY NA DITO (saw it in EDSA). 

and this brings me to my restaurant moment. [i dont know how this is connected to my lost finger sign, but somehow it is]

last tuesday, i ate dinner with my friends in some thai restaurant (there's a lot of thai food here but not a lot of thai people-- just an observation)

and as we were done eating, i did the "check please" sign with my hands, like making a receipt thing that filipinos do. anyway, so i did, and the thai guy had this weird face looking at me, and i was like -- CHECKKKKKK please. felt so stupid doing and remembered that i wasnt in the Philippines. hahaha

ohhhh! and i have learned that they dont do takeouts, just take-aways or (doggie bag). 

and BASURA is not TRASH... its

and MAINIT is not HOT (as in mainit na tubig)... its 

so there we have it! 

i need some cooked water for my tea, and throw my rubbish in the rubbish can. : )

P.S. -- to stacy and carlos, i hope you get to read this, cause when i was taking these pictures i remembered you guys and what would be your jokes about it... your longggg, never ending jokes.

Koalas and Kangaroos!

you know how you wish your family was there so that they could experience what you've just experienced... well today, i wished my family was here... and my friends were here.

so ate, kuya and mama, if you're reading this-- THAT'S YOU GUYS!!!!!

since my friends and i dont have classes on thursdays, we decided to go to darling harbour and go to the aquarium and wildlife place and do some sight seeing. 

we had fun taking pictures and ABSOLUTELY got excited when we saw some koalas sleeping, kangaroos eating, dugongs swimming, and a cute little wombat burrowing.

and as for my friends who keep asking for a kangaroo... here you go,

but if you really want to see EVERYTHING that we've done for today, just check this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52286&id=100000056774910&saved


ohhhhhh! and i specially made an album for my brother, its pictures of things that are made up of LEGO. yup, as in lego, those brick things that boys buy to make things. : ) ENJOY! we saw it all over the aquarium and the wildlife area. [http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52288&id=100000056774910]

Ontology and More

Ontology-- the study of being


inside my brain: the study of being here? there? over there?


i completely forgot that my purpose here in australia is to learn and not to party. [btw, im also not partying-- if anybody of you have been assuming that]


for the past two days, i have met two of the most amazing professors i will ever have. im completely amazed as to how they do not just ABSOLUTELY stop talking, and both of them are men okay. they just really keep asking questions and explaining theories... and people would just initiate and respond to it. and i would be just like, "what the hell are we talking about now?"



anyway, i am really having a hard time adjusting to the complexity of the classes that i chose. mainly because i have never had a background in International Studies, so every word that they say is truly foreign to me.

but if you think that this will break my spirits down... you are... completely... and utterly... CORRECT. hey, a famous person said that honesty is the best policy, right? so here i am telling you that it really is breaking my heart. its quite hard that you are the only person in the room who doesn't have any background on the topic, its harder that you are also the youngest.

but, and there is another but, i refuse to give up. i take this as a challenge.

i challenge myself to READ all the readings from top to bottom [not scan it], to participate in discussions even though half the time i cannot understand what they are talking about [cause of their accents], do all my papers, essays ever so willingly and very... PRETTY? i guess.

let me end this by quoting my favorite actor:

as barney [from HIMYM] says it-- CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!