My Little Experience with iPad

After so many delays and false starts, the iPad has arrived in Australia.  Finally, it is here!

Apple lovers and gadget enthusiasts flock the Apple stores (there is a new Apple Store in Bondi Junction Mall that also opened last Friday) to have a look and feel of this new gadget.
 
We arrived at the Apple Store in George Street around 7pm and there was still a line outside.  We thought the queue was for those buying iPads so we bypassed!!!  We were there only to look and try it out so we confidently walked right in---and no one called our attention--so I guess, we just got lucky.

Lucky too that we got an iPad to try right away.  Believe me, everyone was taking their time fiddling with it.  The Husband tried it out and his first reaction was "Ang bigat ah" (it's heavy).  It was 680 grams (more than half a kilo) and your hands may feel the weight after just a few minutes of holding it.

It was bigger than I imagined.  I knew it was about 9.5 inches but it was way more better than using an iPod Touch or iPhone for typing, watching videos and playing games.   I liked that I didn't have difficulty typing in words on the iPad, my already small fingers fits in the keys!

A bigger screen means bigger words...bigger tweets!  Hello there tweetmates!

We found this very useful application called Epicurious which contains tens of thousands of recipes, organised thematically and searchable based on ingredients or keywords. You can even search based on what you have in the fridge The app creates a shopping list based on the recipes you’ve chosen and, once you’re back in the kitchen, it makes it easy to follow the cooking instructions on screen.  The good news is that the Epicurious is FREE! :)

We found a lot of Adobo recipes! :)

We tried playing the Marble Mixer game.  It was fun because it's two to four players.  I imagine playing this game with my 9-yr old cuzin Patrick.

We also tried reading the very interactive "Alice in Wonderland" e-book.  A great reading experience for kids and kids at heart.  Another free application.
Bigger images!!!!  "A Wife's Charmed Life" looks better in the iPad doesn't it?  Hehe.  Shameless plug, I know.  I'm just sharing the experience and fun with you. :)

For someone like me who is not an Apple fanatic, this is the only Apple product (to-date) that I saw myself using the minute I learned about it.  For the past months, I've found a lot of reasons why iPad can be more useful to my lifestyle and the possibilities of what I can do with it in relation to my work, blogging, photography and love for reading. 
 
During Saturday lunch with the Husband, I asked him if it is a good product and he said "Yes, but it is not a need for me so I won't buy it."  Then I asked him if it will be something good for me to have and he replied, "Yes, you actually need it more than I do."  That's nice to hear, I'm glad my Husband supports me with what I do and my interests.  With that, I told him maybe he can give it to me as an advance Christmas present.  I told him I'll leave it up to him on when he wants to give it to me---"Surprise me!" was what I said.  So we'll see what happens. 

Treats From Lindt Cafe

Since the start of the year, Chris' (the Husband) team had been working on several international projects. He would sometimes have a project with their international branches and he would have to work with them, in sync with their hours. Sometimes, that would mean he would be working in all wee hours of the morning because he'd need to exchange emails with people overseas. This does not occur all the time and a project usually lasts for a week or two only.  
Last week, his team surprised him with a gift. Chris was shocked and touched. The card they gave him amused me.

Since they can't find a card that says "Thanks to a Special Designer", they improvised by erasing the word "teacher". Still, I found what they did to him very sweet.  

What's more sweet were the treats they gave him...a bag full of Lindt goodies.

A box full of chocolates from their Connoisseurs Collection. 24 bite-sized chocolates to be exact.

 
Lindt's Connoisseurs Collection:
Dark and Milk Almond Roche, Citron Noir
The Truffles: Mint, Milk, White, Dark and Pistachette
Carmelita, Macchiato, V.I.P., Passion, Macadamia and Gianduja

Cute chocolates but rich with flavors. Lindt's chocolate (as in the their cocoa) is just exquisite.

Other than chocolates, their gift included a box of Delice!!!!! They're my favorite!!!!!

It's been awhile since I've had them and have hung out at the Lindt Cafe. I've been thinking of paying Lindt Cafe a visit soon but was just very busy. But I guess, the universe heard my longing and voila! Delice treats!!!

 

The gifts made my Husband very happy...and it made the Mrs. happy too!

For locations of Lindt Cafe, click here.

Blog Guesting at Wifely Steps

Hello and good day from the rainy Land Down Under!   Hope all of you are having a great week. 

I was asked by one of my bloggy friends, Toni of Wifely Steps, to join in the celebration of her wedding and blog anniversary by sharing my own wifely steps.

It was such a great honour to be a  part of her celebration so I especially wrote "Lessons Learned from Marital Fights" (click! click! click on the title) for her blog.

Please visit and share your thoughts.  Thank you!

Affirmation: Abundance Thru Positive Thoughts

Affirmation:

I create abundance in my life
thru the
power of
my positive thoughts.

 
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Abundance does not only refer to material wealth. It most importantly refers to some things in our lives that cannot be measured by money: family, friends and passions in life.

While I agree that financial wealth is important in having a comfortable life, I believe, more than ever, in having a positive outlook in order to create an overflowing of abundance of love from family and friends and fulfillment from the things we love to do.

Sending you an abundance of positive vibes and wishing you a great week!

Tag: Q&A Game

Tagged by Rick of Waiting for Wisdom.
  
1) A vampire or a wizard (and why)???
I'd rather be a vampire because I've always been in awe of Anne Rice's vampire stories.  I'm attracted to the kind of life they lead.

2) If you could change one thing about you, what would it be - if anything???
My temper maybe

3) Would you rather live like a rock star or like a president? (in other words: fun or power?)
A president, not because I want power, but because I believe I can do more to create a difference in other people's life by leading and helping.

4) What's your favorite cartoon character??? 
I like Astroboy.

5) What's your (most) guilty pleasure? 
Eating potato chips 3 nights in a row.

6) If you were a song, what would it be???
I would be "Defying Gravity" (song from the musical "Wicked") because I never want to do some things just because it is the norm and based on people's expectations. 


7) What's your biggest dream?
To make a difference in other people's lives.

8) Do you prefer to be the one who asks questions or the one who answers them, and why???
I prefer a balance between the two because conversations are great when there are two people sharing ideas.

9) What is your biggest turn off and turn on???
Turn on would be a person who makes me laugh.  Turn off would be a person who thinks and speaks negatively of people and things around them all the time.

10) Have you ever broken any law?
Not that I know of.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rick for honouring me with awards on his blog.  Thanks Rick!

Cupcakes for the Birthday Boy

It's been awhile since my Husband and I have baked cupcakes. We only do them now when we're asked to make them for parties. It's always a hit with kids and kids at heart.

Yesterday, we made Vanilla Cupcakes for my cousin Patrick's 9th birthday.

We chose green for the theme color because he likes Ben 10. For the decors on top of the vanilla icing, we put mini-marshmallows, green, blue & orange sprinkles and milk chocolate bits.

We surprised him by writing down a letter of his name in each cupcake and the number 9. His face lit up when he saw his name on them. My Husband was the one responsible for writing the letters.

 

We placed the cupcakes on the dessert table this way...

We don't have a cupcake stand yet but we have a three-tier platter that we brought with us. We plan to buy a cupcake stand soon for better presentation.

Patrick's Ice Cream Cake! 

 

As we were singing happy birthday to him....

 

We looked like his lady fans in this photo hehe...

  

And of course, photos with the birthday boy.

Recipe: Adobong Puti

Two nights ago, I shared in twitter and plurk that I was cooking Adobong Puti (White Adobo) for dinner. My update was followed by interest on how it looked and how it is cooked. And so I promised to share the recipe.

I never realized that there are some who haven't tried Adobong Puti. I thought it had the equal popularity as the normal Adobo.

Adobong Puti is simply Adobo without the soy sauce. However, I don't cook my Adobo the same way I cook my Adobong Puti.

Like Adobo, the Adobong Puti is a staple at my parent's home. Both my parents are good cooks. My mom's Adobo is to-die-for (when I worked in the Phils, my workmates ask me to exchange ulam with them whenever I had Adobo for baon), while my Dad cooks a mean Adobong Puti.

Although I never try to rival my parents cooking, I have tried to replicate their Adobo dishes to remind me of home and sometimes, just because I miss them. Not to mention that is one of the easiest Filipino dish there is.

Two nights ago, I think I succeeded in cooking Adobong Puti, one I think my parents can be proud of.

What you need:

Half a kilo of Pork (I combine two kinds of Pork: pork neck and pork shoulder), cut into cubes
5 cloves of Garlic
1/2 cup Vinegar
2 tbsp Canola Oil
2 cups Water
2-3 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste


What you need to do:

1. Put all ingredients (except Canola oil) in a wok. Cover and let it simmer over medium heat.

2. Occasionally mix and take out pork residue on top.

3. Cook until water is gone and only the oil from pork is visible.

4. Add Canola oil and turn up the heat to crisp the meat.

5. Cook until crisp and golden brown.

6. Serve hot with rice.

Kain na! {Filipino way of saying Bon Appetit!}

Belle Fleur Fine Chocolates

A few days ago, the Husband got me these cutie (pasalubong) chocolates from Belle Fleur. 

 

This is the second time he has gotten me these as pasalubong. The moment I saw the unassuming blue box when he arrived home, I squealed with delight.

Now, aren't they cute??? They taste yummy too.

Belle Fleur are handmade Belgian chocolates which only uses the best quality ingredients - high-quality Belgian couverture, fresh local dairy products and ingredients sourced from around the globe.

The chocolates are made daily and they don't use preservatives, food colourings or additives.

 

This is how small a piece of this chocolate is--super bite size!

Ideal for gifts, they have assortment boxes from AUD$15.00. Their stores are located at Petersham and Rozelle (see maps here). They're also perfect for weddings--they make heart-shaped chocolates with the bride and groom's initials.

Know more about Belle Fleur Fine Chocolates by visiting their website: Belle Fleur

Five Blessings on a Monday Morning

I know, I know...it's Monday once again.

But before we enumerate the reasons why we'd rather be somewhere else but at work, I'll share with you one exercise I do in order to help me feel better about going back to work after a great weekend.

As soon as I'm at the office and before I dive into work, I take a few moments to count five (5) blessings in my life.

This morning, the first five (5) blessings that came into my mind were the following:

1. My Husband and I starting the day together inside the train on our way to work.

2. A job that I really love.

3. Monday---I love Mondays because it's the start of the workweek and I like starting it at the office--yes, most of the time I really do.

4. A new week! A new week means a chance to start fresh, to forget about troubles from the past week, a reminder to move on. Don't you just love beginnings? I do!!!

5. That I had a great week! I was able to find time to rest, bake a cake on my own for the first time (promise, no help from the Husband), cooked hamburgers that tasted good and did some personal errands. On top of that, my Husband & I were able to accomplish a rush job to create a wedding AVP for Saturday (no sleep on Friday night just to beat the Saturday 10:30am call time--super stress!!!). Busy weekend but I had some down time to rest and relax.

This habit of mine gives me inspiration to face my Monday with a smile. It helps me start the day and week at work in a positive perspective.

Try it! Tell me what you're grateful for on this lovely Monday morning.

For a few more tips on how to have a happier Monday, please click here.

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Some Days Can Be Tough, But It Will Always Be Alright

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Tough days.

Busy days.

We all have days like these.

Days when we’d rather curl up in bed, sleep and just wake up when the tides are over. 

It’s always tempting to be lazy when I’m having these kinds of days.

But instead of being lazy, I force myself to get up from my cozy bed.

Take a shower to wake up all of my sleeping nerves.

Dress up nicely and put my lipstick on.

Yes, amidst the struggle, it is during these times when I put more effort in dressing up.

And yes, putting lipstick on is always a pick-upper for me.  I don’t know why or how, but it works. 

To look good is to feel good, maybe.

On days when responsibilities and challenges seem to be raining down on me, that’s when I double my efforts in saying to myself, “I can do this”.

Over and over again, I would affirm it.

I believe that tough days shall pass.

But moreover, I’m a believer that when tides are turning, something better will come out of it.

So I make sure I’m there to see moments unfold before me even if things can be overwhelming.

And I smile and enjoy the moment I'm.

Some days can be tough....but I know it will ALWAYS be alright.

:)

Litratong Pinoy : Estranghero (Stranger)

 

Litratong Pinoy

{original image can be viewed here}

Siya ang isa sa mga estranghero na nakikita ko sa lungsod ng Sydney. Siya ang tinatawag nating "shoe-shine boy" o taga-linis ng sapatos. Ako'y napahanga niya sapagkat kahit madalang na may umuupo sa harapan niya para magpalinis ng sapatos, siya ay matiyaga pa ring naghihintay at magiliw siyang magsilbi kapag naman may nagpapalinis ng sapatos sa kanya.

Maligayang Huwebes!

For translation, click here.

The Husband Has Voted

I was surprised to know that my Husband already voted and sent his Official Ballot to the Philippine Consulate on Wednesday afternoon. I thought he would leave it to the last minute but other than being excited and hopeful, he wanted his vote to count.


 
For registered Filipino voters here in Australia, the deadline is today at 8:00PM (Australian Eastern Standard Time), so I hope everyone who registered can make it.
To all of us Filipinos all over the world, voting or not voting, let's all pray for a fair and peaceful elections. Good luck to us all.


12 May 2010, 8:13AM (Australian Time): 
I forgot to mention but a few people asked if I voted.  I didn't vote because as of now, I am an Australian Citizen.  Maybe one day, I would be able to vote again once I acquire dual citizenship. 

Hilda and Evan...to Say "I Do"

Not too long ago, I wrote about one of my best friend's engagement and here we are now..just one more day before they say "I do".

 My Husband and I are looking forward to seeing them tie the knot and be a witness on how their special day will unfold.  We will be there as friends and as their photographers.  Can you believe it???  My Husband and I are actually doing this---covering our very first official wedding event!  We're so excited.


Two weeks ago, during Evan's surprise birthday party, we suggested to take a few shots at the park.  Two reasons: (1) we needed more photos for the wedding AVP {two of our other friends are working on it} and (2) we needed to have a feel on how we will go about our shoots with them--building rapport.

 
 These two are a natural in front of the camera...and so is Jasper, their dog.

Here's wishing Hilda and Evan all the best!   Cheers!!!!

Pre-nuptial: Hilda & Evan
Bicentennial Park, 17 May 2010
Photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, Copyright 2010