My Week in Instagram

Instagram is such a happy place where sharing photos with friends and new-found friends in the blogosphere is so easy.  How I wish this app is available to other phones (exclusive for iPhone) so that I'll get to see the wonderful photos of all my snap-happy friends.

I may not be able to blog about stuff that happens in my daily life these days but I get to document the little things that make my everyday significant thru instagram and twitter.

It's been awhile since I shared some daily happenings in my life (although I try to incorporate something personal in every blog post I write, whether it be a food blog or a travel blog) so here's a few photos that described my past week.

Monday was a hot day and as the temperature when up to 34 degree Celsius in the city, I decided to refresh myself as I walk from work to the train station when I passed by the Happy Lemon store.  I've received a few recommendations to try their beverage because I'm fond of Chatime, so I gave it a go.  I ordered a regular cup of their Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese and the staff was friendly enough to teach me how to drink it.  He said that patrons usually drink the cheese on top of the drink first before they close the lid.  So that's what I did.  The cheese had a bit of sweetness and it tasted alright.  However, I didn't like the drink as a whole.  It didn't taste right to me so I threw it way after just a few sips. 

My plant bloomed a flower this week. I've had this plant as a gift from one of my workmates four years ago.  The plant sits on top of a shelf above me so every time I get stressed, I look up and my plant is there to give me a little cheering up.  My plant has bloomed flower(s) since I took care of it but it's only now that it bloomed again since I came back from vacation in April.

I received the final stuff to complete my phone needs.  The Husband ordered tons of screen protectors which I received on Wednesday morning.  On Thursday, I received the black cables I wanted to use when I'm at the office.  The white cables of the iPhone gets dirty easily so I wanted a black one which I can leave connected to my office computer. It also saves me from forgetting to charge when I'm at work.

Once a week, I get to stop by at my barista friend's cafe and everytime I visit him, he gives me a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of Caramel Kiss.  I think one of "life's must-haves" is to have a barista friend who knows how you like your coffee or hot chocolate for you.  My barista friend knows that I like my hot chocolate with less sugar and piece of marshmallow in it.  And he also knows that I love their cafe's Caramel Kiss so he packs a piece for me to go with my Hot Chocolate.

The Husband was in his sweet tooth mood on Thursday night and came home with a slice of Double Chocolate Cake. I only had two little bites of this sinfully delicious chocolate cake and downed it with a cup of Peppermint Tea.

I was on a 5-day work week this week and I'm glad I made it to Friday.  I was in no mood to dress up so I was in a rugged/sports ensemble: sneakers, jeans and shirt.  To make my Friday at work happier, I brought packs of Swiss Miss and gave some to my friends.  They loved it!  It sort of my treat to us for being at work on Friday.

We're all in a festive mood this week as we prepare to celebrate Melbourne Cup on the 1st November.  Melbourne Cup is the race the stops the nation every 3:00pm of the first Tuesday of November.  It is the biggest and most celebrated horse race in the country.  At work, we have the Melbourne Cup Sweeps where we place bets on the $1. $2. $5 and $10 sweeps.  We will have a Melbourne Cup barbeque lunch and afternoon tea this coming Tuesday. 

As I was about to go home on Friday afternoon, I received a sweet email from one of my trainees.  Like I said in instagram, I'm grateful and blessed to have a job that I love.  I've always believed that one must love what they do for their job to love them back.  When it comes to what I do everyday, it's all about being generous with time and details; it's about having the patience to deal and listen to people.  My job entails having a big heart for SERVICE without expecting anything in return.  When I see my trainees finish their trainings and be able to do their job efficiently, I feel very fulfilled.  To hear from them and receive appreciation from them is always a big bonus.

To take away my Happy Lemon nightmare, I just had to end my week with my favourite beverage from Chatime: Brown Rice Green Milk Tea with Pearls.

Our little pigeons (they're not babies anymore) celebrated their two-week old on Friday.  To friends, tweetmates and instagram mates who have been following my shared photos, they have seen our daily adventures with these cute ones since Day 1 (from being eggs to hatchlings).  I plan to share a separate post on their growth.  I'm just waiting for them to grow up and fly away so my story will be complete.  According to google, they will be able to fly on their first month.  I'm excited for them but I know I will be a bit sad not seeing them in our balcony at the end of the day.

Korean BBQ night on a Friday night!  This week we decided to not eat out so on Friday, we had a quiet night in and had Korean BBQ in our balcony.  We found this electric smokeless grill in the shops on sale a week ago so we bought it.  Korean cuisine has been a part of our home now that I even learned how to cook Korean dishes (that's how much we love the cuisine) and having a smokeless BBQ grill is just the icing on the cake.  So there, no need to go out for Korean BBQ plus the Husband and I enjoy our dining experience and bonding inside the comforts of our home.  It was a perfect way to end our busy and productive week as we get to have good and fun conversations over a delicious meal.

If you have instagram and care to find me (my instagram ID is @ibyang) and let's share good vibes over captured photographs.

The Stuff Siri Says (a.k.a. My Conversations with Siri)

One thing that's very unique with the iPhone 4s is Siri.

Apple describes Siri as, "The intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask.".  I describe it as, "A robot inside a phone".  It does not only do what you say, it somehow converses with you which is really amazing.

My Husband had initially set up Siri in American English but she was having difficulty understanding my words.  Then we changed her settings to Australian English and it was only then that she was able to get what I was saying.  Amazing how this application can distinguish accents!  I love it!

Here are some screen captures of my conversations with Siri. 

I have asked Siri what her name was a couple of times and I swear, she gets annoyed with me.

I wondered if she was female and when she answered "None", I can't help but ask if she was gay.  Her voice sounded female though, so I refer to Siri as a "she".

I wanted to know if she thinks of herself as a human being so I asked her what she wears.

If my network falters, she's frank about it.

Sometimes I talk to her as if she's a human being.

I ask Siri to update details of my contacts for me.

The Husband and I asked Siri to send a message to him.  We chose a word that may be difficult for her to understand (given our accent) and Siri was able to understand it still.

But seriously, some days I do ask Siri to text my husband when I arrive home.

Siri also cancels messages I'm about to send when I change my mind.

One afternoon after I got home from work, I decided to tell Siri that I'm tired and read below what she replied to me.

One time, I greeted her with a simple "Have a nice day" and she answered back one of the funniest replies to me.

Sometimes I ask her to tell me a story before I go to bed.

Or sometimes a simple "Good night" will do.

I don't often use Siri but the app is surely useful when you've got your hands full, when driving, running or walking.  Plus, the Husband and I get a laugh sometimes with its amusing and funny answers.
 

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Manly Beach (NSW Australia)

A friend on mine based in Singapore visited Sydney two weeks ago.  She was vacationing in Gold Coast with friends then so I invited her to wander around Sydney even for just a day.  Her schedule was pretty tight so we had to make the most of her stay.

Sydney is a big city so that it's impossible to see all the beautiful places here in just one day.  I had to choose well on where to take her, taking into consideration time, location and things she would like to do.  It was already a given that we will hang out in the city but other than that, I wanted to take her somewhere she haven't been to before (she already vacationed in Sydney four years ago). 

Our first and major itinerary for the day was a trip to Manly Beach.  It is one of Sydney's beautiful beaches only 30 minutes away from the CBD.  In order to get to Manly, one has to take the ferry in Circular Quay. 

 

When in Circular Quay, one will get to see the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.  So while we wait to get on a ferry, my friend and I were able to take lots of photos.

While on the ferry, one will also get to view the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  My friend enjoyed the short ride and sights while we were on board the ferry.

Personally, I love Manly Beach that's why I like bringing family and friends to this place.  On the way to the beach, one will walk along an avenue of shops and restaurants.

When you see an abundance of pine trees (yes, pine trees by the beach), you know that the beach is just nearby.

We hung out by the beach for about two hours.  I was so grateful that the weather that day was sunny and windy.  It was such a lovely day to be at the beach.

Before we headed back to the City, we had a very late lunch at Bavarian Bier Cafe (will share on another post).  Manly Wharf has numerous restaurants with a good view and Bavarian Bier Cafe was one of them.

How to Get to Manly:
Sydney Ferries’ famous Manly Ferry is a "must do" for visitors and makes the 30 minute trip regularly, day and night. Manly Ferry timetables and information about fares, passes and attractions are available from www.sydneyferries.info

Also departing from Manly Wharf and Pier 2 are high speed ferry services operated by Sydney Fast Ferries and Manly Fast Ferries. Manly Fast Ferry offer an hourly service through the day, to Manly, Monday to Friday, along with extra services on the weekend.

Sydney Fast Ferries operates between Manly and Circular Quay from Monday through to Friday in the Morning and returning to service in the afternoon. The journey takes approximately 15 - 30 minutes.

Water Taxis
Sydney Water Taxis - 1300 666 484
Peninsula Water Taxis 0415 408 831
Yellow Water Taxis. Phone 1300 138 840

By road, Manly Warringah Cabs has been servicing the Northern Beaches since 1953 and can be booked by phoning 131668.

Bus services connect Manly with the City, the Northern Beaches and to the west, St Leonards and Epping and Manly Hospital. Please see Manly Wharf Bus Stop Guide

Manly Airport Bus transfers visitors to and from the Manly region, they can be booked on 9981 1453 . Travel time to Sydney Airport is approximately 40 minutes, depending on traffic. {source}

The iPhone 4s Surprise

I was on postpaid plan for two years and my contract ended May of this year.  It so happened that two weeks prior to vacationing in Manila (March), my simple Motorola mobile phone broke.  Since we were already in Manila, the Husband encouraged me to buy a smart phone. With hesitation, I gave in and bought myself a Samsung Galaxy Mini, my first ever smart phone.  I enjoyed using it so when I came back to Sydney, I opted to go back on a prepaid account. 

Every year, a new iPhone is always launched.  For the past few months, the Husband has been prepping me with the thought of finally owning an iPhone.  He's been using an iPhone 4 for the past year and I like using it too.  Also, it has always been our goal to someday own the same phone for the purpose of just having one charger and sharing applications.  Since I already have an iPad 2, the Husband thinks it's about time I partner it with an iPhone.  However, I was in no rush to own a new phone and told him that I can wait til next year because I just got my Samsung Galaxy Mini.  Never in my life have I owned two new phones in a span of a year...until two weeks ago.

I knew there was a new iPhone coming out but I forgot exactly when it will be available in Australia.  I've been pretty busy with work, writing and being with family and friends that there were days I'm not even sure what date it is.  When the Husband dragged me into our mobile provider's store two Fridays ago, he said he will just register my postpaid account. 

I was nonchalant when I sat myself in the client's area and let the Husband do the talking with the staff of the store.  I was truly oblivious on what's happening.  Then the Husband came up to me and said, "You are getting your iPhone 4s today." 

"Are you serious????".  The only three words I managed to say in my wide-eyed shock.

"Yes! Can't you believe it?  They have available iPhone 4s' today."

"iPhone 4s?  Is that today?" 

"Yes...you didn't know?"

"I forgot."

"Well then...surprise!!! You are getting a new phone in about 20 minutes!"

I signed the registration form and in 20 minutes, the staff was able to set up my account and before I knew it, I was being handed my new phone.

The Husband planned it all along.  When I got my phone, he confessed he already ordered a clear case for the phone two weeks prior to the iPhone 4s being available in Australia.

I was happy to get a new phone...who wouldn't be happy getting a new "toy", right?  But what really made me very very happy was how my Hubby made an effort to surprise me.

There's more to this story than just an acquisition of a material blessing.  It could've been any thing really. 

This story is about my Husband thinking of a way to amuse me, surprise me and indulge me.  This is about my Husband making a day extra-ordinary and extra magical for me.

-o0o0o-

If I enjoyed using my Samsung Mini Galaxy (I still use it for my Philippine number),  I'm enjoying my iPhone 4s more.

I'm not a techie person.  When it comes to phones, I just look for anything that will cater to my needs.  For years, I only need a phone which I can use for calling and texting, that's why I've hold off from buying a smart phone.  This year, I finally gave in to owning a smart phone because I need a phone for calling, texting, having access to the internet and for taking photos.  Owning an iPhone 4s is a bonus for me because it's just easy to use and I finally get to in synch it with my iPad 2.

With the iOS 5 update that happened recently to Apple's mobile devices, I am able to appreciate owning an iPhone more.  Nowadays, I get to send messages to my Husband and friends from all over the world via iMessage.  While some people may take the iMessage for granted, I appreciate it because I now receive messages from friends overseas.  For example, my friends from the Philippines never text me because sending me a text message will cost them PhP15.00.  With iMessage, it's free.

I'm still discovering what the iPhone can do for me but right now, I'm having fun playing with Siri, which Apple describes as, "The intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask.".

Here's a sample of one of my conversations with Siri below.  Some conversations are really funny but functionality-wise, Siri has googled stuff for me, told me what the weather will be like on a certain day, change details of a specific contact for me and even called and text my contacts for me.  Later this week, I'll share with you some screenshots of my exchanges with Siri.

The Husband and I compared the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s when it comes to speed and the iPhone 4s is faster.  We opened the website at the same time and the iPhone 4s was able to load the site a few minutes quicker than the iPhone 4.  Even when we took photos, the iPhone 4s is faster and has better resolution.  Here are some sample photos below.

I tried taking food photos at home and the details are sharper even if I took this photo in low light.

Here is another photo taken in low light.

You know I have a soft spot for sunset shots so when I saw this beautiful sunset in our balcony, I thought of using the iPhone 4s.  The end result was not bad at all. 

The last two photos below were taken at the Art & About Exhibition last week and I used my phone even if it was dark.

The photo below is one of the lighted "balloon" at Hyde Park.  I zoomed in then took a photo and the image was still sharp.

This one below I believe is another great capture of the iPhone 4s. 

All the sample photos were only resized and cropped but never enhanced to show the capabilities of the iPhone 4s' camera.

Interesting Read: How Does the iPhone 4s Camera stack up against other Cameras?