A Wife's Charmed Life

Grateful on my 35th

2012-01-31T19:55:00.000+11:00

I couldn't let January pass without having a (belated) birthday post. This month has been amazing. I've always been glad that I celebrate my birthday on the first month of the year. I feel like it's an advantage that I start my year celebrating my birthday and then focus on the rest of my year making my dreams come true.

My word on my birthday is GRATEFUL. It's been my word for the past few months and I plan to make it my everyday word. GRATEFUL is my word because when I say that word, it is actually my prayer of thanks to God.

I'm on my 35th year and even if I still have many things to do, I'm very grateful for every blessing that has been given to me, my family and friends. I value every blessing, opportunity and circumstance that I'm able to witness in my life and my loved ones' lives.

There were no plans for any birthday celebrations but it just happened. We have two group of friends whom we regularly hang out with and somehow the stars aligned that I got to spend time with them two weekends before my birthday.

My lovable Tweethearts had an 80's themed party on the first Saturday of the month. It was a day filled with downing delicious home-cooked meals and singing our hearts out with the help of a Magic Sing microphone. Birit kung birit! It was so much fun singing and dancing to our favourite tunes (mostly) from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. We all went home with tummies full and hearts aglow from our get together.

The following weekend, I had dinner with my dearest Kolokoys at Phoenix Parramatta and savoured the best Chinese dishes ever created. I shared the celebration with two of our fellow Kolokoys who were also January celebrants, Gary and little Bella. The Kolokoys have a very special bond. Throughout the years, we have grown together like a family and have witnessed each other's milestones. Compared to our past group dates, this birthday celebration with them was actually an impromptu celebration. A few days before Saturday, an email was sent and even if it was short notice, they all came. It was truly touching.

Two days before we left for Melbourne, we had a quiet dinner with my relatives. I'm so grateful that even if we scheduled it in the middle of the week, they were able to join us. Whether there's an occasion or not, I love spending time with them.

Now the Melbourne trip, was yet another unplanned short vacation. We were having breakfast one Sunday in December and decided to just go ahead with it. We were actually set on staying in Sydney. However, celebrating 2 big milestones (our 5th wedding anniversary and my 35th birthday), we had that big urge to get out of Sydney and be somewhere.

As mentioned in a previous post, our Melbourne trip was truly amazing: celebrating with friends, having gastronomical indulgences with the Husband, watching a game at Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open and being able to see one of the best tennis players of history, Roger Federer, made my birthday more fantastic.

Even if I was very quiet about my birthday at the office, the word got out and my workmates organized morning tea in honour of me.

And just when I thought that all the celebrations were over, the Husband went home last night with one of my favourite sponge cakes in tow. He made me wish and blow the candle on my cake as he sang "Happy Birthday" in Korean. Yes, in Korean!!! haha. How funny and sweet is that? The Husband said he thought that we should celebrate my birthday before January finally ends.

Five celebrations with friends. Five cakes. Four days in Melbourne. One tennis match I will always remember. Lots of gifts from family and friends. Sweet and touching birthday greetings throughout the month. The feeling that I'm loved and important to people whom I love too. Eternally priceless.

I'm GRATEFUL.

Discovered Inspirations: Create a Charmed Life in 2012

2012-01-30T14:17:00.001+11:00

Belated Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone! As a belated New Year post, I would like to share with you my first article for Ang Kalatas entitled, "CREATE A CHARMED LIFE IN 2012".

Although we will say hello to month of February in two days (how time flies!), any day is a good day to create a charmed life. So here are some tips I would like to share with you:

Everyday Living:

Start your day with a prayer, meditation or 10-minute silence. These activities guarantee a strong and centered spirit.

Never leave the house without making the bed. Tidy up the bed as soon as you wake up and it will surely give you a sense of accomplishment knowing that the first chore of the day is done.

When you wake up and look in the mirror, decide there and then that you are beautiful. Believe it and you will look it.

Never skip meals especially breakfast. It’s not worth having ulcers or any other internal bodily disorders just for the sake of looking sexy or skinny. Moderation to eating is always the key, not starvation to death.

Exercise! Physical activity assists in blood circulation and releases a neurotransmitter called Endorphins which aids in lowering the blood pressure and has been found useful in the fight against cancer.

Start the day with happy thoughts. If feeling a little flat or low or not-so-good, TRY, it will ease the gloominess somehow.

Write a journal with emphasis on two things: (1) Things I Learned Today and (2) Things I am Grateful for Today. When you have days when you feel depressed or sad, just read your past entries and it will surely make you realize that given unhappy circumstances, you are still blessed.

If feeling depressed or sad can’t be helped, just accept that there are days like these and you just have to go through them as gradually or as fast as you can. Give yourself some time to get things over with; however, it is not advisable to wallow for a long time.

Be friends with everyone you interact with—or at least be friendly (no need to be a snub). Everyone refers to people in your neighbourhood, the service staff of the restaurant you dine in, the attendant in the department store, etc.

Travel/Recreation/Leisure:

Travel once or twice a year, alone or with family or friends. Not only will you have a chance to relax but it will also give you the opportunity to re-connect with yourself (if alone) or your family or friends.

Learn something new. Attend pottery/art/photography/dance/coffee making classes—or whatever interests you. You may also want to learn a new language in preparation for your upcoming travel (e.g., a friend of mine enrolled himself to learn how to speak Spanish in preparation for his travel to Bolivia).

If you can’t travel, read travel books…this activity will help you enlarge your world.

You need not travel far in order to relax. Have a staycation! Spend a weekend at a nice hotel and just hang out the by the pool to de-stress. This will also be a good time to avail of the hotel’s spa services.

Maintaining Relationships:

The key is to spend time with family and friends and most importantly with you.

Have weekly or monthly dinners with friends.

Have weekly dates with your significant other.

Celebrate little milestones. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive dining out experience. Little milestones can be celebrated by having pizza night or sushi night.

Be there for family, relatives and friends by attending their parties (take note: you should be invited of course)

Never ever leave a sour note with a loved one. End fights as soon as possible. Time is precious and it’s never wise to spend it angry with a loved one.

Tell your loved ones that you love or miss them. Even if action speaks louder than words, our loved ones would still appreciate it if they hear us say the words “I love you” or “I miss you.”

Let our loved ones know that we appreciate them. Always say “Thank you.”

Financial Aspect:

Save, save, save.

Live simply. Live within your means and always be practical when acquiring things you want.

Aside from putting some of your money to savings, you may also opt to set up funds like a Christmas Fund, Birthday/Anniversary Fund, Travel Fund, Emergency Fund, etc.

I hope these tips will help you become a better “YOU.” Remember to focus on the positive side of things and always treat challenges as an avenue for learning as that is the best way to living a life of charmed experiences.

Let’s all have a charmed life!

Korean Cafe in Sydney: My Sweet Memory (MSM)

2012-01-27T13:21:00.003+11:00

This is my newest favourite cafe in the city. I discovered My Sweet Memory (MSM) last year during one of the weekends we had dinner at Strathfield. I've been hanging out in Strathfield because of the Korean shopes, cafes and restaurants there. However, I've been discovering a few more Korean restaurants in the city of Sydney lately and this was one of them.

My Sweet Memory (MSM) is a stationery cafe located in Bathurst Street near Townhall Station. It is a quaint and charming cafe that serves good coffee and delectable cakes and pastries.

They have a wide array of stationery items you can buy. They also sell shoes, bags and polaroid cameras.

Cute E-postcards. I hope they have a Sydney or Korea E-Postcard but they don't. Instead they have Tokyo and Paris.

I've been spending all my "Me" times at MSM. The staff are accommodating and they make good coffee.

I tried their New York Cheesecafe and it was indulgent.

Once I ordered their Coffee+Macaron for AUD$5.00. It was a good deal but the Macaron was average. That didn't stop me from enjoying my coffee though.

Whenever they serve your coffee, they always give a small sweet and crunchy biscuit which I love. The biscuits are also available in packed containers should you want to bring some home. It is also a great gift idea to loved ones.

My Sweet Memory (MSM)
95 Bathurst Street
Sydney, NSW

Back from Melbourne

2012-01-24T21:28:00.003+11:00

Just came back from a short vacation in Melbourne to celebrate my wedding anniversary with the Husband and my birthday. We had the best time as we indulged in great company, delicious food, a bit of shopping and relaxing and watching Roger Federer play at the Rod Laver Arena.

Was able to book us a table at MoVida Aqui, the best Spanish restaurant we've ever dined in.

A jug of Sangria

Bomba

Had syphoned coffee at Sensory Lab.

Dinner at MAMASITA, the best Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. Our dear friend Dith joined us.

Lunch at Dahon Tea, a classy Filipino restaurant in South Melbourne. We were joined by friends Lui, Abby, Nel and little Nixie. We also got to meet the owner and chef of Dahon Tea, Cherrie.

Had dessert at Chez Dre. They make the best cakes and great coffee.

Birthday brunch at my favourite brunch restaurant, The European.

Early lunch at Il Pomodoro at Federation Square. My birthday cake came in a glass! Creatively delicious Tiramisu.

Watched the 4th Round game of Roger Federer vs. Bernard Tomic and Caroline Wozniacki vs. Jelena Jankovic. I was extremely happy to be watching Roger Federer on the night of my birthday. It was spectacular to be back at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open and watch the games again.

I'm slowly shaking off my vaycay fever. I will share every detail of our Melbourne trip, our anniversary and my birthday in the coming days.

If you would like to get updates on food, restaurant & shopping finds, immediate updates on my wifely adventures and spur-of-the-moment thoughts, please follow my twitter account: http://twitter.com/ibyang . Thank you!

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Visitor Information Centre for Sydney Tourists

2012-01-18T13:23:00.001+11:00

It's that time of the year when Sydney is flocked by more travellers than usual. Summer in Sydney (December to February), celebrations of the New Year, Chinese New Year and Australia Day, and school holidays are a few reasons why wandering around the city is at its peak.

The city of Sydney is trying its best to assists tourists and locals during their travel. In different parts of the city, you can find Visitor Information Centres where you can ask for directions or assistance.

A Sydney Guide and Sydney Map are also available in this booth for free. The Sydney Guide are initially sighted in Arrival areas of the Sydney Airport. But in case you forgot to grab one upon arrival, they are available in Visitor Information Centres too.

Other than information about the city of Sydney and recommended places to go to, the back portion of the Sydney Guide has numerous coupons that offer discounts to several tourist attractions such as the Sydney Tower Eye, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Aquarium and Powerhouse Museum. These are very useful to any tourists who would like to save a few dollars.

Travelling to Sydney? Check out the Sydney Visitor Centres website and the City of Sydney website for information about the city.

Discovered Inspirations: Believe

2012-01-16T08:56:00.000+11:00

It always amazes me when I see a random image that reminds me of a happy moment, make me stop & realize or inspire me. Things like these are like little treasures I find along the way of getting thru my day. It's refreshing and priceless.

As the Husband and I were doing some furniture shopping during the Christmas holidays, I saw this inspiring message on a throw pillow. I took a photo so I'll always be reminded that "BELIEVE" is a verb. On not-so-good days, I will look at this photo to remind me to never lose faith in the people and things I believe in.

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
- Dale Carnegie

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
- Mother Teresa

Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.
- Thomas Aquinas

Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.
- Khalil Gibran

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
- Saint Augustine

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
- Thomas Aquinas

Wishing you all a great week!

Fashion Fridays: Inspired by the 80s

2012-01-13T22:50:00.002+11:00

January is my birthday month and I'm grateful that my month's looking pretty damn good. Two weekends in the lead up to my real birthday, I have celebrated and will be celebrating it with friends. I feel really blessed to have friends who find time to celebrate my birthday with me.

My first birthday party was held last weekend with my Tweethearts and we've decided to have an 80s themed party. So my inspiration for an outfit were Madonna and Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club).

(image source)

(image source: The Stiletto Effect)

I like seeing outfits that make me remember an era. I remember when my college friends and I would shop for clothes, we'd hear ourselves say, "This reminds me of a movie" or "This reminds me of the 70s!" when we see a certain outfit.

I don't exactly have an 80s outfit so as I thought of preparing for the party, I decided to come up with an 80s-inspired ensemble instead of going full on 80s. I wanted an ensemble that will remind me of the 80s and one that I can still wear any day. When I buy clothes, I try to be practical and find pieces that will be used for more than one occasion.

The Shirt. I didn't find it difficult to find a shirt that represented the 80s as it seemed that there are a lot of clothes out there likened to the style from that era. I found this pink chiffon shirt with heart graphics and I instantly thought of the movie "Pretty in Pink". It's pink, feminine and the style is similar to what Molly Ringwald was wearing on the first photo above. The clothing material is also perfect for the warm weather.

The Accessories. It's only recently that I've become comfortable wearing a pile of necklaces. I found this bundled necklaces in an accessory shop in Sydney on sale and thought that maybe I should learn how wearing these kind of necklaces. I wore this when I watched the KPOP Concert last year and since then, it has become a favourite of mine. The bracelet I wore is also my favourite from Swatch.

The Skirt. I love wearing denim skirts because they're so easy to pair up with anything. I already own a short denim skirt so I didn't have to buy this one anymore.

The Shoes. One of my last few buys when I was in Manila. I chanced upon this on my last day and was easily charmed by the feminine eyelets of this pair. Celebrities of the 80s wore short boots with their outfits and this pair of open-toe ankle boots were perfect as it is Summer here in Sydney.

So here's my interpretation of an 80s inspired outfit. Simple, feminine, a touch of ruggedness and a tiny bit of edge.

Ensemble:

Pink Chiffon Shirt: Paper Scissors
Denim Skirt: Esprit

Open-toe Ankle Boots: Unlisted

Bundled Necklace: Diva

Bracelet: Swatch

Taiwanese Cafe: ZenQ Desserts

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000+11:00

Asian desserts are fast becoming popular these days. The Husband and I got interested when we saw an Asian dessert cafe in Chinatown a few months ago because they look similar to the Philippines' Halo-Halo (heller??? Asian dessert nga diba? So malamang hindi nalalayo ang Halo-Halo).

Anyway, we've been hanging out in North Ryde area pre-Christmas 2011 when we chanced upon a Taiwanese cafe called ZenQ Desserts.

ZenQ Desserts is the sister company of Chatime. The difference between the two is that ZenQ offers more variety from desserts to drinks.

ZenQ's main ingredient is the Q Ball which is a traditional Taiwanese handmade dessert. It is made up of sweet potato and fresh taro mixed with tapioca and water formed into dough. After kneading, the dough will be shaped into a ball, then they boil it before serving.

ZenQ offers several dessert dishes but if you don't have a certain liking for some ingredients, you have the option of creating your own dessert. You just need to choose your sweet base and then let the staff know what toppings you like and they will put them all together for you.

The Husband opted to try their Grass Jelly with ZenQ Signature Q Ball and Pearl. It was moderately sweet and refreshing.

Since it is the season of Mangoes, I opted to try their Mango Shaved Ice with Mango, Mango Jelly and Ice Cream. I love the "Mango-ness" of this dessert. The Mango was fresh and sweet while the shaved ice really tasted like real Mango.

Other ZenQ desserts that I would like to try next time: their Honey Toasts!!!

ZenQ Desserts

Macquarie Centre

Corner Herring Road and Waterloo Road

North Ryde, NSW

Shop 223, Westfield Chatswood

Phone: 9411 6882

Korean Restaurant: Kaizen BBQ (North Ryde, NSW)

2012-01-11T12:12:00.001+11:00

It's been years since I've been to the Macquarie Centre and now that it is near to where the Husband works, we now have a reason to meet up there.

The mall has changed and I'm glad they now have more restaurants. And what do you know, they have a Korean restaurant! The minute Hubby arrived, I told him, "I know where we're going to eat".

Kaizen BBQ offers All-You-Can-Eat BBQ for lunch (AUD$32) and dinner (AUD$35). They also offer an All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu BBQ (AUD$38).

If you don't feel like gorging on lots of food, you can opt for their ala carte or their All-Day-Special meals that comes with miso soup, rice and salad.

The wooden interiors suggests a modern but clean atmosphere. The lighting helped in making the ambiance cozy and warm.

As soon as we're seated, they served us the Banchan dishes and I immediately noticed the cute bowls. Look, a star!

It was a cold night when we visited last year (pre-Christmas 2011) so we got ourselves a hot pot of pork and tofu with vegetables. It would have been a great dish had it not been too salty for me.

We weren't in the mood for BBQ (sometimes we're too lazy to really cook haha) so we opted to order their special meals. The Husband got himself the beef while I had the spicy chicken. Both dishes were good and enjoyable. Nothing fancy or spectacular. It's like good 'ol home cooked meal which gave us comfort at the end of a busy day at work.

For dessert, they have lots of cakes to choose from. Glad to learn that their cakes come from Hello Happy. We didn't indulge in desserts though because we were looking forward to having dessert at ZenQ (up next!).

We are looking forward to having All-You-Can-Eat BBQ here soon.

Kaizen BBQ

Level 4, Shop 408

Macquarie Centre

Corner Herring Road and Waterloo Road

North Ryde, NSW

Phone: 9805 0337

The Abundant Table (How We Said "Hello" to 2012)

2012-01-10T12:25:00.000+11:00

Like any Filipino household, we said "Hello to 2012!" with table laden with food and fruits. Like last year, I cooked Ham and Noodles, had a dessert dish, wine and fruits. The only difference for this NY's was I baked a bigger piece of ham (last year we had half a leg of ham) and had my first try at cooking Biko and Pancit Canton.

Thank God, the food had a great turnout. The baked Ham was juicier and tastier compared to the first one I made. The Pancit Canton, to me was average, but the Husband enjoyed it.

I was nervous about cooking Biko but was not able to buy from Filipino shops so I decided to do it myself since we had glutinous rice at home that I wanted to get rid of. It was surprisingly good. I was able to replicate the taste of Biko sold in Filipino shops.

I especially bought a few macarons from Adriano Zumbo's cafe because I love them and they're round. In Filipino homes, putting round food and fruits on the table symbolizes prosperity.

Fruits were abundant as I went overboard. The tradition was to have at least 12 fruits. But I think we have at least 20 kinds! I didn't keep count and I was confident in buying them because I got myself a Juicer for Christmas (Thank you, Husband!)

My mom and mother-in-law also advised me to light up seven coloured candles. The colours should be red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple and pink. According to them, each colour symbolizes an aspect of our lives BUT I forgot what they were. In the Philippines, one can buy these multi-coloured candles which has the same size and length. Since we don't have them here in Sydney, I improvised and didn't really care about lengths or sizes. I like lighting candles anyway. For me, lighting candles during New Year's symbolizes a more enlightened year ahead. I arranged the candles as pretty as I could and then placed it near our Holy Family statue. Nearby was a bowl of rice with coin, another suggestion of my mom, for prosperity.

At the stroke of midnight, we kissed and hugged as we greeted each other, watched the Sydney fireworks on TV and then prayed in front of the Holy Family.

I've recently opened an account with blipfoto which is a daily photo journal. Once a member, you are able to publish a photo a day. Since I cannot blog everyday but always want to document the things I'm grateful for everyday, I'm using my blipfoto account as my gratitude journal.

Let me share with you one of my entries where I shared my thoughts via my blipfoto entitled "A Grateful Life"

This was our table when we welcomed 2012. Our parents have taught us the tradition of having a table laden with fruits and food during New Year's. According to them, this invites prosperity for the whole year.

On New Year's, I felt very grateful for the past year of abundance and blessings. I was also very grateful for 2012 being more prosperous and abundant. Some days we may have dark clouds hovering over us but we always come home to a place where we have enough. Not just food, but with everything we need.

Thank you God, thank you Universe for always making sure we have enough of what we need and more.

Discovered Inspirations: The Secret to Happiness

2012-01-09T10:56:00.002+11:00

A hundred year old man shares the secret to happiness. His words are so spot on and this Coca-Cola video made my heart tender.

My name is Lolo Mario
I have been lucky
Lucky to have been born like you
To have friends and family
To live a happy life to this day
You have been born in challenging times
The world is a big place
It's so easy to get lost

To guide you, my advice is simple
Go find what makes you happy
Time flies by so fast
Don't waste it on nonsense
And no matter where you end up
Don't forget where you came from
Looking back on all my years,
I am grateful for every moment spent with friends and family

Now that I can see that 100 years
Is not nearly enough time to spend with them
Happiness is your birthright
Your friends and family will help you find it

Feel your heart at this very moment. And if you're unhappy, now's the time to do something about it. Life is short. Let's find the passion that will make our hearts flutter. Let's spend time with people who gives us enormous joy and who makes us feel loved.

Have a great week!

Korean BBQ at Home (a.k.a Our Christmas Dinner 2011)

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000+11:00

We've always loved Korean cuisine even way before we travelled to Seoul. Together with friends, the Husband and I sometimes dine at Korean BBQ restaurants in the metro.

After our Seoul adventure, I took the plunge of incorporating Korean cuisine in the household and learned cooking Korean dishes such as making my own Kimchi, Kimchi Stew, Tuna Pancake and Korean Fried Chicken. Our pantry showcases a heap of ingredients for Korean dishes (lots of chili and pepper paste!) and we even keep a separate area in our silverware cabinet for the Korean cutlery we bought in Seoul.

Three months ago, we bought a small, cheap smokeless griller and we've been having our own Korean BBQ dinners at home.

I usually cook a dish or two on Christmas Day but last year (which is technically just two weeks ago) was probably the most relaxed Christmas for me because I didn't cook. We instead had Korean BBQ on our balcony during sunset, ate, talked, laughed and drank Soju to our hearts' content. It was lovely.

The usual stuff we prepare for Korean BBQ: Sesame Oil, Chili Oil, Kimchi, Sliced Onions, Mushrooms, Lettuce and any other vegetable we may have inside the fridge. On Christmas day, we had bean sprouts so I just stir-fried it in Olive Oil and carrots then garnished with salt, pepper & Sesame Oil.

WHERE DID WE GET OUR BOTTLE OF SOJU? We find it difficult finding where to buy Soju but one of the Korean-Japanese restaurants we frequent in Sydney was kind enough to sell to us and let us take it home. According to the restaurant owner, the law states that bottled liquor should be drank in the restaurant and not to be taken home (because they are a restaurant and not a liquor store). What they made us do before we left the restaurant is open the bottle and re-seal it. With that premise, we technically just took home a "leftover" Soju.

We know we have shot glasses but on Christmas day, I can't find it (or maybe we didn't have it after all???). Instead we used our cute and adorable Sake glasses, a gift from our friends.

Our BBQs by the balcony is one of the best dining experiences we have at home. Other than just a gastronomical experience, the Husband and I get to bond more while we talk, laugh and eat. We have trees and a view in our balcony (we're on the 3rd floor) so it's just beautiful to sit out there as soon as the sun sets.

Discovered Inspirations: This Year by Chantal Kreviazuk

2012-01-04T08:19:00.000+11:00

As we welcome 2012, AWCL introduces a new feature called "Discovered Inspirations" wherein we hope to share discoveries and nuggets of inspirations that will help brighten your day and be a source of positivity.

-o0o-

From one of my favourite movies, "Serendipity", comes one of my favourite pick-upper songs, "This Year" sung by Chantal Kreviazuk.

I like listening to "This Year" anytime of the year. Some mornings, I'd start my day by playing this song and sing the lyrics inside my head (because I'm usually inside the train or bus when I hear my music via an mp3 player). On days when I need a little cheering up, faced with disappointments, have had a bad day or needing encouragement in finishing a task, I listen to "This Year" to make myself feel better and cheerful. With the positive message the song is trying to convey, it works for me. "This Year" doesn't fail to make me smile and feel like I can conquer the world again.

(video source)

This year, is gonna be incredible
This year, is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year, I'm gonna have fun

This year, I'll paint my masterpiece
This year, I'll be recognized
I can feel like I'll fall in love for real
This year, this year

January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh...

This year, I'll reach the pinnacle
This year, I'll get to the top
People will ask where she get that energy
This year, I'm never gonna stop

January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh, oh, oh...

This year, is gonna be incredible
This year, is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year, I'm gonna have fun

I'm gonna have fun
Just watch me now
This year
This year
This year

(lyrics source)

What about you? What song or songs that help cheer you up?

2011 in Review and My "Thank You's"

2012-01-03T10:27:00.000+11:00

Thanks to my Husband who found this heartwarming video online that I can't help but share with you. I meant to blog about this last week but I've been busy de-cluttering at home. We've been on holiday the whole of last week and took the opportunity to get the home organized and sorted out stuff we don't need.

Anyway, back to this video. I really hope you find the time to view this. 2011 was a big year for the whole world. A lot of stories of adversities, calamities and achievements. Stories that broke our hearts but renewed our hopes. A mix of the good and bad. Most of the things I learned in 2011 came from what the universe is telling all of us. In 2011, I opened myself to what the universe' messages instead of just rely on what is happening immediately before me. I was deeply affected by the calamities that happened in 2011, especially with what happened in Japan. It broke my heart and became an eye opener.

(video source)

Personally, 2011 had been a challenging year for me. Some moments were difficult and I'm relieved to have surpassed this year's most trying times. But my greatest personal learning is to never give up. Never give up what I'm dreaming for, my aspirations and my faith in God. Never give up on the people I love and believe in.

For 2011, I'm grateful for

...the everyday chance I've been given to do the things I'm passionate about: be a wife, have a career, write, take photographs, travel and explore.

....the chance to love and spend time with my loved ones.

...the opportunity to meet old and new friends, kindred spirits and strangers that turn into angels in my life.

...the gift to go back home to my motherland, the Philippines.

...the joy of falling in love with a place and culture: Seoul, Korea.

...knowing who my true "Hanes" are; I have always known I'm loved by my friends, but last year, some circumstances in my life have evidently shown me the friends who genuinely cares for me.

...the insightful lessons I learned from my mistakes and the challenges that pushed me to be creative and resourceful.

...little and big things that put meaning into each day, may it be milestones or disappointments.

Thank you 2011! You were a big adventure for me. It was not the best year but it was meaningful and still beautiful. As I face 2012, I shall bring forth your lessons on humility, simplicity and gratefulness.

Sydney Welcomes 2012 : Time to Dream

2012-01-01T13:15:00.001+11:00

The first 12 minutes of 2012, our eyes were glued to the tube to witness Sydney's fireworks display worth six million dollars and 15 months of preparation to cater to 1.5 Million people on the harbour and millions of viewers around the world.

This year's show was spectacular more than ever. It was the best I've ever seen that Sydney can come up with. They have more colourful and creative fireworks this year. They have also synchronised the fireworks in Darling Harbour. From the organisation, safety of the crowd and the amazing show, nobody does it better than Sydney. If you are travelling to see the NY fireworks in Sydney, it is always worth it.

And this year's fireworks theme is about dreaming and thinking of endless possibilities.

Discover the inspiration behind the theme for 2011 Sydney New Years Eve.
Dreams are interpretations, aspirations of our desires and hopes. Dreams have the fluidity, richness and depth that simple rational thinking doesn’t.
Australia was built upon dreams. From the dreamings of past millennia to the dreams of recent settlers. Whether day or night-time, dreams are our minds in free-flow, uninhibited and reflecting what we truly aspire to. From little babies to old people, we all dream. New Year’s Eve is when fantasy and aspirations flow. A vision for the coming year, with designs on a better life. The moonstruck and lovestruck may dream of fulfilment. The stargazers dream of the worlds beyond ours.

Australians dream every day, whether that’s by buying a lotto ticket, reading of the lives of celebrities, or planning a trip. Every NYE midnight is a blank canvas for us all. Like a white sheet of paper that stares back at a writer, artist or designer, the possibilities are infinite. And in the reverie that swirls around us as midnight approaches, it is a Time to DREAM.

(If you can't view here, click this video source)

(image source)

(image source)

Happy New Year! May we never cease to dream of endless possibilities. May 2012 inspire us to make our dreams into realities. Let's us all shine with positivity today and always.

Snippets of an Aussie Christmas

2011-12-27T10:16:00.000+11:00

Even though I miss being with our family and friends in the Philippines during this time of the year, I love spending Christmas in Australia more. Since I moved here, I intentionally don't go home for the Christmas festivities as I don't want to spend my holiday in the Philippines stuck in horrible traffic. In 2007, I went home on the 26th of December because somehow the Christmas shopping and parties had settled down a bit. Maybe someday, when I've mustered enough patience to wait in hours and hours of traffic, I would go home again on Christmas. But for now, I'll come home on a different time and make my family and friends feel like Christmas anytime of the year with my presence.

I love how simple and laid-back the celebrations are in here. Christmas in Australia is not as commercialized compared to countries in the west. The city and malls are not big on decors and lights but more on events that will entertain people.

I love that the Christmas rush and traffic here are not as terrible compared to other countries. Even if malls only extend their business hours on the last week before Christmas, traffic in and out of the malls still prove to be a bit of a breeze.

I love that Christmas celebrations here are spent in the comforts of our home or in parks and beaches, instead of the malls. Shops are all closed on Christmas Day and some open on Boxing Day (26th December). Shopping in all states resume on 27th December.

I love the simple way of gift giving--at work, most gifts were chocolates and pastries baked by my workmates themselves.

I love that we get to spend the whole week from Christmas to New Year on a holiday. We get to balance our time for family, relatives and other things we'd like to do during the Christmas Holidays because the Husband and I always have the week off.

Some very personal snapshots of our celebration with relatives:

Hope you all had a lovely time spent with family and friends during this time of the year!

Season's Greetings from AWCL!

2011-12-25T12:29:00.000+11:00

Dear Family and Friends of AWCL,

Thank you for the love and support you have given me and my blog. Thank you for inspiring me to write what I share. Thank you for the generosity of giving tips and leads. Thank you for the precious time you spend in my little home in the blogosphere.

From my family to yours....a very happy Christmas!!!

Ibyang

P.S. A special "Thank you" to my dear Husband, Chris, who plays an integral part in making it possible for me to maintain this site. Other than being the genius of the technical backbone of the site, he is mainly the reason why I am able to write no matter how busy I am. When my world seems all very hectic, he generously becomes the "charmed house husband" taking care of chores at home so I can concentrate on writing for AWCL.

Fuji Pan Japanese Bakery

2011-12-23T07:39:00.000+11:00

This year's Best Bread Discovery goes to....(drumroll) Fuji Pan Japanese Bakery! This is just according to me and the Husband.

Walking around the streets of Chinatown, we chanced up this small Japanese Bakery called Fuji Pan. "Pan" in Japanese means "bread" and Fuji Pan's bread and pastries are so much delicious than other Asian bakeries in the metro. Whenever we are nearby, we make sure to bring home some goodies from this bakery.

Our favourite from their breads are the Nicky Lawson (Pork Floss Bun) and the Sausage and Cheese Bun. We usually have them for breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Nicky Lawson (Pork Floss Bun)

Sausage and Cheese Bun

Snow White Chocolate

We've also tried the Snow White Chocolate which is bread with white chocolate fillings. The fillings has a very mild sweetness which I like.

Fuji Pan Japanese Bakery

605 George Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: 02 9283 2268

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Snapshots from Surfer's Paradise

2011-12-21T22:30:00.001+11:00

*Sigh*...how time flies.

I can't believe it's only been a week since we've gone to the Gold Coast. When we arrived back in Sydney a week ago, we dove back into our normal lives right away. Our short but well-spent vacation before Christmas was an eye opener to me. Seeing the life in Gold Coast for just a few days made me appreciate the more laid-back and simple life (if Sydney is laid-back, more so the Gold Coast). I will share my thoughts on this on another time, in a different entry.

Surfer's Paradise (Gold Coast, Australia) is one of the most iconic beaches in the world - as recognised by both the Discovery Channel and Lonely Planet. Three kilometers of golden beach on the doorstep of the Pacific Ocean, it is the perfect place to chill out & soak up some rays, go for a swim, catch a wave, stroll or jog, or just kick back & people watch.

I haven't downloaded our Gold Coast trip photos from our cameras to the computer but I have a few snapshots of the morning we spent lazing under the sun at Surfer's Paradise.

There was dessert cafe called Wendy's near the beach so I grabbed a Raspberry Smoothie to hydrate us and cool us down as we stay out in the sun.

Photo with Santa at Cavill Avenue...the beach not too far away from where this was taken.

The Husband and beautiful sky

Looking out the water

Then went back and lied down to relax instead

The weather was gorgeous (thank God!) as we stayed out in the sun for more than two hours. After we hung out at the beach, we found a Korean BBQ restaurant nearby where we had lunch.

More of our Gold Coast adventures in the coming weeks.

Hope your Wednesday was fun!

All photos taken by the Panasonic Lumix GF1.

Cake Pops by Jack Pops

2011-12-20T21:50:00.000+11:00

LOOK! One of the yummiest desserts sent to "A Wife's Charmed Life" this year from Jack Pops...

A loving wife and mom to two boys, Jackie's (my friend and owner of Jack Pops) love for baking led her to creating sweet goodies in the form of cake pops.

These are basically cake truffles on a lollipop stick. Each Cake Pop is carefully hand made into a ball shape, put on a stick then dipped in delicious chocolate coating. Jack Pops gives you that extra “wow” as Jackie decorates them with colourful sprinkles, jimmies, or drizzled icings or monograms. Should Jackie's clients request for a personalized Cake Pop design to cater to an occasion, she is also able to do so.

Jack Pops are always a hit at parties as kids and kids-at-heart enjoy the creative and delectable cake pops that Jackie makes.

For the Husband's birthday this year, I requested Jackie a special cake pop for him. Since my Husband is a photographer, she made a Canon Cake Pop for him.

Get to know more about Jack Pops by subscribing to their facebook accounts:

JACK POPS SYDNEY and JACK POPS MANILA

For orders, please email Jack Pops (Sydney) via cakepops5@gmail.com or Jack Pops (Manila) via jackpops.manila@gmail.com

Pete Evans' Pizza Masterclass at Myer

2011-12-19T21:53:00.000+11:00

I was doing a bit of Christmas shopping three weeks ago when I chanced upon a little crowd in the appliance section of Myer Sydney. I walked closer and saw Pete Evans having a masterclass on creating pizza. With nothing but time on my hands, I gladly joined in to learn a thing or two in making pizza.

Pete Evans is one of Australia's well-respected chefs and co-host of the cooking show, "My Kitchen Rules". His passion for cooking started at a young age of 13 years old. When he turned 17, he followed his calling and became an apprentice chef. He currently owns the following restaurants: Pantry Restaurant (Melbourne), Hugos Manly (Sydney), Hugos Bar Pizza (Kings Cross) and Hugos Lounge (Kings Cross). He has written a few books too: Fish, a collection of fish and seafood recipes; My Table - Food for Entertaining; My Grill, which covers the art of barbequing; and My Party, a book dedicated to cocktail food and drinks.

His Pizza Masterclass is part of promoting his signature pizza maker with Breville complete with a recipe book. He was just getting started when I arrived.

I was able to try at least four pizzas, all were delicious and had the perfect crusts. The last pizza he made was a Chocolate Pizza but I wasn't able to taste it. Creating the pizza with the use of the Breville Pizza Oven takes only awhile so the pizzas just kept coming. I was only able to take photos of three pizzas I've tasted.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

CHILI PRAWN PIZZA WITH SALSA VERDE

PUMPKIN PIZZA

Some tips I learned from Pete Evans:

Tomato-based pizzas are good for meat ingredients.
Use good cheese
Use good meats you can find in delis
Marinate Prawns in chili and oil before putting them on top of the pizza
Meat and chili are a great combination for pizza ingredients
Use Chili Flakes instead of fresh chili
Make your own dough -- it's easy!

Sources:

Pete Evans on MKR Website

Pete Evans on One Management Website

Affirmation: Surround Myself with Positivity

2011-12-18T21:42:00.003+11:00

Affirmation:

I will surround myself with positive people,

energy and images.

My Indoor Plant called PEACE LILY

Personal Reflection:

Being exposed to (too much) negativity is draining. Negative energy can suck the life out of you and doesn't help one bit if you are already feeling sad or depressed. While I understand that each of us may need some down time or time to wallow because of what may be happening in our lives, it is important that we have a certain consciousness in keeping the blues at bay for the sake of our health and well-being.

I've had my share of bad days once in a while but one of my biggest learnings in keeping myself together amidst having the blues is to surround myself with positive energy whether it be from the company of loved ones or doing something I love.

Here are some of the things I do in order to avoid negativity in my world:

I choose the company I keep. Being with people who do nothing but complain and see negativity in everything is exhausting. I know people who do these all day and I have nothing against them as that is there personality--they have every right to be what they are. But I can only tolerate negativity up to a certain extent so I choose my friends wisely. I love spending time with loved ones who exudes positivity as well.

I have dates with my girlfriends. I always tell my friends that they are the food to my soul. Whether it is in person, by phone or virtual chats, I try to spend time with my girlfriends on a regular basis because their presence simply makes me happy and sane.

I filter out and I tune out. With the accessibility of the online world, it is so easy for negative vibes to reach you. Nowadays, I seldom check in at Facebook because I've read a lot of negative shoutouts on a daily basis there (I mentioned to a friend before, "Ginagawang bulletin board ang FB ng kung anu-anong issue na hindi naman na dapat isapubliko."). In twitter, I unfollow tweeters who makes bashing on people a habit. At home, the Husband and I filter and regulate what we watch on TV. When we have long days at work, we tune out completely--we don't watch news on TV and don't engage in social networking. We didn't set up this rule though. It kind of just happened that we want to come home to a pleasant and cheerful home.

I surround myself with images that are life-affirming, optimistic or inspirational. In general, I like seeing pretty things because it simply makes me happy. At home, you can see photos of our travel on display to remind us of our happy adventures. I have a Peace Lily plant at the office and recently I bought the same plant for our home (see photo above). It has become one of my favourite plants because like it's name, I feel that it brings peace and joy.

I do the things I love. When one is pre-occupied and productive, there is little time to invite bad energy. I believe my good days has always outnumbered the bad days because I spend my time doing the things I love. I have a job that I love and outside that, I write, I read books, I take photographs, I travel, I take long walks, I love spending time in the kitchen, I have dates with the Husband regularly and I pray. These are moments that normally make up my day that gives me a sense of fulfilment.

I de-clutter. Clutter, litter and dirt are negative stimuli. I'm not claiming that I'm the most organized person in the world, but I try to make my world as orderly as possible. At work and at home, I try to practice getting rid of things I don't need so as not to accumulate clutter.

I have my regular "Me" times. I don't know how many times I've written about having "Me" times but here is this topic once again. I can never stress how important "Me" times are for me and for the Husband. I'm grateful that I have a partner who is very generous in giving me the space I need whenever I need it.

How do you surround yourself with positivity?

Enjoy the week ahead!

Fashion Fridays: "Happening" by Melissa Shoes

2011-12-16T13:56:00.001+11:00

It was fortunate timing when I checked my email one Sunday afternoon and received notice letting me know of some pairs of Melissa Shoes on sale. I hurriedly went to the site and voila! A pair of oxfords named "Happening" were up for grabs for only AUD$39.99! Found that my size were still available so I immediately bought it.

I'm a fan of Melissa Shoes because they are just so comfortable. When I saw the pair of oxfords, I quickly thought, "Shoes for Autumn!" It arrived a few weeks ago and I was literally jumping at the office when I put it on. I swear, it's one of the best things that ever happened to my feet!!!

As mentioned in previous posts, Sydney has been having cool summer days and nights. Most days we are still wearing jackets and boots. Our weather is more on the Spring/Autumn temps these days so I get to wear my new pair of Melissa Shoes now.

It's easy to pair up with pants...

or skirts.

Check out their online store for sale items today. They offer free shipping in Australia right NOW.

SYDNEYSIDERS: Melissa Shoes will soon open in Sydney! I will update you on when and where this will all happen.

Happy Friday!!! TGIF!

Nine Years Ago

2011-12-14T17:00:00.026+11:00

December will always be a special month. The moment December starts, I fondly remember moments that make this month special to me and the Husband.

Yesterday, we celebrated our 9th year syota-nniversary (a term I coined which means "our boyfriend-girlfriend anniversary") and we're blessed to have spent a part of it at Kirra Beach.

My prayer yesterday was all about being grateful. Grateful that we are still TWOgether. Grateful that we are enjoying our blessed life TWOgether. Grateful that we have weathered the bad times and cheered the good times TWOgether.

After nine years, I realized I will never get over how we became an "Us". It's a story that I will never get tired of telling. What started out as friendship turned out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to our lives.

Nine years ago, on the 14th of December, we realized we have something real. LOVE.

“There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn't expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some loves that don't go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be lucky enough to end up with somebody who has a little of that insanity. Someone who never lets go. Someone who cherishes you forever."
–Ally McBeal

Quick Getaway Before Christmas

2011-12-12T22:47:00.001+11:00

Before we get busier due to finishing tasks at work and celebrating Christmas, the Husband and I left Sydney and escaped to Gold Coast for a few days to enjoy life at the beach.

This has got to be one of the most relaxed vacations we've had as we have late afternoon walks by the beach, get on buses to in order to explore other beaches, enjoy our cup of coffee as we enjoy the view in our balcony and be kids for a day at Movie World.

Cold Taho at Gumballs

2011-12-12T22:12:00.003+11:00

I usually buy fishballs from Gumballs and never cared about their drinks. They recently renovated their take-away shop in Westpoint Blacktown and with the new facade emphasizing the drinks they offer, I noticed they serve Taho (Sweet Tofu or Bean Curd with Caramel and Pearls) and Halo-Halo. Apparently, along with the revamped of Gumballs, they introduced new drinks and desserts as well.

I got excited when I saw the photo of their Taho on the menu and ordered a regular cup right away.

It's Cold Taho and the packaging is likened to the milk teas served by Chatime and Easy Way. I love it! It is almost the same as the Taho I buy in the Philippines, only cold and not as sweet (you can request to add more caramel syrup).

Next time, I'll try their version of the Halo-halo and Sago Gulaman.

Gumballs

Click for Locations

Today's Weather: Sunny Morning, Gloomy Afternoon

2011-12-07T22:12:00.002+11:00

Can I just say I love my iPhone 4s? Since I've had one, I'm not afraid to forget my camera these days because it just takes good photos. Good enough to share in my blog. I'm also finding it easier to blog right away because I just send my photos to my computer and upload it without resizing or editing.

Sydney's weather is crazy these days. The rain spells last for days and it's cold again. We officially started Summer on the 1st of December and so far, we've had more days of rain, gloom and cold. We have brought our thick jackets, scarves and boots out and I'm wearing sweatshirts & pants and the Husband's beannie to bed. We've experienced cold Decembers before but I think this is the coldest December I've experienced.

This morning, the sun was shining and the blue skies of Sydney (which I love so much) appeared. I couldn't resist taking a photo. I was at the front garden of my workplace and this building is actually not part of the compound. With the gorgeous blue skies and great natural light, I realized this old building looked pretty especially with its detailed chimney.

I'm sure the whole of Sydney appreciated the great weather this morning especially when it became cloudy and gloomy towards the afternoon. My blue skies were gone too soon! One look out the window and Sydney is in a canvass of greyish white once more.

As I walked out the office, I looked at this building again and saw a different story to my photograph. With no light and a backdrop of whiteness, the pretty building turned out dull and daggy.

From a very sunny morning to a rainy, gloomy afternoon. Unbelievable weather. Maybe Summer is a bit late. Others say we will have this kind of weather for the whole duration of Summer (that's sad). But we'll never know, right? Whatever the weather may be, I just hope in the end we'd still have enough days of sunshine and blue skies before we meet Autumn once again.

Midnight Shopping at KMart

2011-12-07T14:28:00.000+11:00

One of the things we miss in Manila are the malls that open til late. Here in Australia, the shops close early (city area at 6:30PM and suburbs at 5:30PM), then each state has their late night shopping (in Sydney, late night shopping is Thursday until 9:00PM). One of my tips when travelling in Australia: know the business hours of the shop/mall you're in because it sometimes vary. When you are in Australia, it would always be safe to assume that the malls/shops would close early.

We're lucky that we have KMart which is the only 24-hour store in our suburb. We normally go there on a Friday night after we do grocery shopping. If we're not dining out with friends on a Friday, we hold our fortnightly grocery shopping on Friday after work so our time for rest, recreation and chores doesn't affect the weekend anymore. Since KMart is open 24-hours, we'd sometimes drop by and have a feel of shopping at night.

As mentioned in my Elmo The Rockstar post, we visited KMart two Saturdays ago where we had fun playing with toys during the wee hours of morning. We had dinner at our relatives' place and our little party ended at midnight so we decided to drop by KMart.

We were there until two-ish in the morning but didn't really buy much. We just wandered around and looked at prices of stuff, then compared it to other stores' prices.

Isn't it nice to shop when there's no one around?

We spent most of our time at the toy section where we get to play with (what else?) toys. It's so much fun because it was just the two of us and we're like in a big playground only that our toys were arranged in aisles haha.

The Husband saw these Angry Birds stuff toys in different sizes--Small, Medium & Large. Here are the small ones we found.

These are the medium-sized Angry Birds.

The Husband really really really likes them so we bought the medium-sized red Angry Bird. If you squeeze the head part of the toy, you'll hear the sound it makes in the game.

I, on the other hand, found the Care Bears Movie DVD and it was less than AUD10.00, so I bought it. I just can't resist something that reminds me of my childhood.

Even if it was already late, we went home feeling happy and rejuvenated..and not sleepy at all. Hanging out at a shop in the wee hours of morning with my favourite playmate in the world is so much fun.

Everything AUD$2.80 at Daiso Japan

2011-12-06T10:00:00.001+11:00

Finally, we have Daiso Japan here in Sydney!

Daiso is a lifestyle store from Japan that sells all their product for only AUD2.80. Its flagship store opened at Mandarin Centre in Chatswood this year.

Daiso is wasteland haven. Although the products are useful for any individual, knowing that the price is only AUD$2.80 will make you buy things you don't need so beware of hoarding.

Some of the photos I took during our first visit to Daiso.


Storage Boxes

Water Bottles


Coffee Filter		s

Lunch Boxes

Diningware, Glassware and Silverware


Kitchen Equipment	s

Colourful Socks

School Supplies & Stationery

Cosmetics

We controlled ourselves in buying things we don't need but ended up with a fair bit of stuff we think we need.

White Umbrella (we'll use for photography shoots), gift wrapping paper, heel cushions for shoes

Wash Cloth, Hooks, Pin Cushion, Assorted Threads, Neck Tie

Dotted Bandanas (can be used as lunch box wrap), Re-usable bag, Wet Tissue, Make-up Pouch, Foaming Net

Cake Slicer, BBQ Tong, Stainless Container for BBQ

Non Skid Mat, Dotted Pan Holder, Little Black Plastic Bags

Daiso Japan

Mandarin Centre

65 Albert Avenue, Chatswood

Phone: 02 9410 0665

Open 7 days a week from 9:00AM to 10:00PM

Things I Love: Cord Wrap & Skirt Hanger

2011-12-05T11:00:00.001+11:00

Chanced upon a home & lifestyle store called Howards Storage World and found a lot of great storage solutions and things useful in our daily life. If I had a lot of money, I'd gladly remodel our home and buy a lot of stuff from their store. But unfortunately not so I just chose two things that I really needed at the moment.

bobino Cord Wrap. Since it's such a hassle to untangle my earphones everytime I take it out of my bag, I just had to buy a Cord Wrap so my earphone cords can be organized. The Cord Wraps come in different sizes: Small, Medium & Large and can be used for any wires or cables. Check bobino's website for more of their products

4-Tier Hanger for Skirts and Trousers. This 4-Tier Hanger is such a space saver. I've accumulated lots of skirts for the past year (I've become a "skirts" girl lately) and it's a challenge keeping them in separate hangers. I'm grateful I find this last week and now my skirts are more organized.

Howards Storage World Australia

Website: http://hsw.com.au

Store Finder

Watch This: Elmo The Rockstar

2011-12-04T18:00:00.001+11:00

Whenever we have time, the Husband and I would always hang out at the toy area when we go shopping and there we would play like two kids.

We attended a party two Fridays ago and after, we visited KMart on the wee hours of Saturday morning (it was already 1 o'clock!) and spent ample time at the toy section. We got amused by this Elmo Rockstar so we took a video of his performance.

I love Elmo!

Training for Doctors

2011-12-04T17:53:00.001+11:00

Like employees who work in public office or private sectors, there are now trainings for doctors who may want to branch out to teaching or management duties. I know a few doctors who found fulfillment in the service of teaching students who want to someday be doctors as well.

In Oxford Medical, they offer several courses to doctors who may want to enhance their knowledge and skills and be more effective in their field. One of Oxford Medical's flagship courses is the Consultant Interview Course where one can learn the skills needed in medical presentations and responding to interview questions. For those who want to branch out to teaching, they offer a Medical Teaching Course , both run in Oxford and London, is aimed at giving formal medical education to doctors who would like to improve their teaching styles. To support this, doctors can attend the Teach the Teacher Course and be guided by different learning styles, learning theories, tips on how to handle difficult students and how to give feedback. For doctors who need to enhance their skills in supervising their subordinates and teams, they can enroll in a Medical Management Course as this will help them learn about performance management and personal effectiveness skills. They will also learn about management and leadership of specialist and multi-disciplinary teams to achieve the effective working and further development of services.

There are more trainings/courses offered by Oxford Medical so check out their website and find a course that will make your dreams come true.

Image Source

Korean Fried Chicken at Gallus Gallus (Chatswood, NSW)

2011-11-30T12:00:00.002+11:00

From discovering a cafe, we discovered where we to eat delicious Korean Fried Chicken in Chatswood.

After falling in love with Korean cuisine, the immersion won't be complete without having a taste of their Fried Chicken. Korean Fried Chicken is prepared in such a way that the chicken skin becomes thin and very crunchy, then usually bathe in spicy sauce or garlic soy.

We've found some Korean take away shops in Sydney that sells Korean Fried Chicken which I sometimes buy if I'm too lazy to cook. I also learned how to cook them at home (will share recipe later).

We've heard about a Korean restaurant named Hello! Kyochon before but haven't had the time to visit until it closed and was bought by another Korean businessman who named the restaurant Gallus Gallus (scientific term for Chicken).

A short chitchat with the staff of Gallus Gallus confirmed that they still cook the same Korean Fried Chicken they served when the restaurant was named Hello! Kyochon. There was a slight change in the menu as some Korean dishes were eliminated but their friend chicken remains their best dish.

It was rainy and cold when we dined at Gallus Gallus so we ordered their Seafood Soup to keeps us warm. Not very flavourful but abundant with fishballs, tofu and mussels.

Other than soup, we only ordered chicken, as in! They offer regular chicken, chicken in garlic and soy and chicken in chili sauce in half and whole sizes. Since the Husband wanted the garlic & soy chicken and I wanted the spicy chicken, we ordered half a chicken for each flavour. I had to ask the staff if we're allowed to take home leftovers (not all restaurants allow customers to bring home leftovers) and when they agreed, we ordered a whole chicken.

The smell of freshly cooked fried chicken was enticing. We smelled the chicken even before we saw the staff carrying the plate full of chicken to our table.

The chicken skin was amazingly thin but crunchy. The flavour of the chicken can be tasted thru the innards of the chicken. I enjoyed the spicy chicken as it really slowly burns the mouth while the garlic & soy has become my favourite as it had great fusion of salty and sweet flavours.

The leftover chicken we brought home tasted delicious still. I just chucked them inside the over and heated them up and they tasted great!

Nowadays, KFC has a different meaning as it can also mean Korean Fried Chicken.

Gallus Gallus

Shop 3, 76A Archer Street

Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: 02 9411 8766

Freshly "French Pressed" Coffee at Home

2011-11-29T17:43:00.001+11:00

Although I'm glad that the Christmas Blend is now available in Stabucks via Ready Brew range, I still love my freshly brewed coffee at home.

We usually buy grounded coffee but we recently bought a very cheap coffee grinder to complete our "coffee ensemble".

The reasons why we now buy coffee beans:

(1) the beans last longer on shelf compared to grounded coffee

(2) the freedom to control how many beans we will grind on a certain time

(3) control over how coarse or fine we want our grounded coffee

If you want to have good coffee at home, the cheapest and best way is to have a coffee grinder and French Press (a.k.a. coffee press). Using a coffee press results to stronger and better tasting coffee compared to coffee made by machines.

Fresh Coffee Beans + French Press = extra full-bodied coffee flavour.

I just love the smell of coffee beans

French Press-ing our Coffee

Our fresh cups of coffee

It may seem very manual and time-consuming but it works for us. We don't mind doing "manual labour" since it has resulted to better-tasting coffee. And if only for that, we know that the ritual of grinding and pressing coffee is always worth it.

Online Medicine Shopping

2011-11-29T16:54:00.022+11:00

From shoes, clothes, appliances and travel, everything can be conveniently bought online these days. Isn't that amazing? The world wide web is such a powerful tool for everyone to connect to loved ones and shop without having to leave the comfort of our homes.

These days, it is very important too for a pharmacy to deliver medicines via online. I found this website called Canadian Pharmacy Meds which is a Canadian Pharmacy that delivers medicines all over the world. They don't just sell Canada Drugs or deliver to Canada Pharmacy, but their company can ship orders internationally. All their medicines are affordable and customers can ask for assistance in filling in their prescriptions.

Their website is also very user-friendly. On top of the website, you can easily navigate to making or filling in an order, signing in to your account and whether to go to the Prescriptions or Over the Counter tabs.

Visit Canadian Pharmacy Meds and pay for medicines at affordable prices.

Fashion Fridays: The Face Shop in Sydney

2011-11-25T14:32:00.002+11:00

I first saw The Face Shop when I vacationed in Manila but it was only when I traveled to Seoul that I found interest to shop there because in Seoul, they give away a few freebies and samples. When we passed by one of their branches near our hotel, they were giving free gifts if you purchase a certain amount. I decided to try their lipstick and blush and they turned out to be good products for me. In return, they gave me a bottle of Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover and lots of sample sachets from their moisturizing line.

It was only in Sydney that I got to use the Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover they gave me and I love it! My skin loves it too. Other than removing make-up, it moisturizes my skin, keeps it soft and doesn't cause me any break-outs. I don't even have to wash and moisturize my face anymore after I've used it at night.

I believe there is a branch of The Face Shop somewhere in Sydney but since I work in the city, I couldn't be bothered looking for it. Thank goodness for online shopping, I get to buy my Korean make-up and cleansers online.

A few weeks back, as I was running late to meet up with the Husband in the city, he called me and said, "Guess what? They've opened a branch of The Face Shop in Townhall". What joy! And what a relief to have a branch so accessible to one of the train stations we frequent.

The endorsers of The Face Shop:
Kim Hyung Joong (from the KDrama Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss)
Park Min Young (from the KDrama City Hunter)

Now that I have access to The Face Shop, I can try out their other products which I find reasonably cheaper than other brands.

Customers are welcome to bring home posters of Kim Hyung Joong so I got a few to give to my mum and whoever may like him. See how massive the poster is (below)...spell HUGE hehe.

Speaking of trying something new from their store, I bought the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam last night. I figured since I'm already using the make-up remover, why not try the cleansing foam too. I love it as well. I easily felt that my skin is simultaneously being cleansed and moisturized while I use it. It doesn't make my skin oily too.

If you would like to visit The Face Shop, it is located at The Galleries Victoria (500 George Street, Sydney).

Fashion Fridays: Jelly Sandals and Rainboots from Holster (Updated)

2011-11-25T11:45:00.001+11:00

Sydney doesn't used to have as many rainy days as before and it is becoming worse. Now, it goes on and on for days. It's not that I hate the rain, I do love rain. But if it rains from morning til night, the whole week, it can be a hassle for everyone.

For quite sometime, I've been on the lookout for a pair of rainboots on sale. I do a lot of walking everyday and it seems practical to just wear rainboots when it rains.

This week, I tweeted about my need for a pair of rainboots because it's been raining the whole week. Two days ago, my dear friend Rache messaged me about pairs of wellies on sale and sent me a link to a website called Holster Australia.

Went to the website and found a simple but stylish pair of rainboots for only AUD$25.00! They were on sale! Ordered them online and arrived this morning--that was quick. :)

BEJEWELLED WELLIE

Fleece lined natural rubber and a removable jewel belt

It's the kind of rainboots that I've been looking for for the longest time. While I find printed colourful rainboots really cute, I feel that I need something more of a neutral shade so I can easily pair them up with my wardrobe. Plus, I wanted a pair that doesn't look too rugged or too "rubber" in appearance. The pair I got from Holster doesn't looked like rainboots. It actually looks like a normal pair of boots with blings.

And yes, the blings!!! Oh how I love that they give a little "oomph" to these pair of rainboots. If you don't want blings on your rainboots, you can easily detach them.

Another good thing about these rainboots is that it has a fleece lining so you don't really feel like you are wearing rainboots. It's very comfortable and keeps your feet and legs warm. It's perfect for Winter too!

Edited (26/11/11, 1:39PM): Since it was raining the whole day on Friday and it so happened that we're going to our relatives' place for dinner, I wore my rainboots for the occassion.

I looked at other Holster products and found a pair of Jelly Sandals on sale too. Now when I see Jelly Sandals, I think it's something I could wear during summer at the beach or at the park.

JEWEL GLADIATOR

The Jewel Gladiator jelly shoes has blings as well. With the right wardrobe, these pair can also be worn in casual affairs.

Check out Holster Australia for more rainboots and jelly sandals at http://www.holsterfashion.com/ . Good news: free shipping for Australia Wide orders. They also ship internationally so check out where they deliver.

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Coogee Beach (NSW, Australia)

2011-11-23T22:00:00.002+11:00

We just had our first Christmas get-together with friends last weekend. So it is with the life of Filipinos abroad. Our Christmas get-together with all our group of friends are celebrated in advanced as some will be going home to the Philippines for Christmas. And by the time the Christmas holiday sets in, that's when we spend it with family and relatives.

On Saturday morning we had a Christmas brekkie party at the beach with our Tweethearts barkada (friends). We were lucky that it turned out to be a sunny day---perfect beach weather--at Coogee Beach.

Coogee Beach is known as Sydney's Seaside Village. It is located just minutes away from Sydney's CBD and the Sydney International Airport. The place is easily accessible via train and bus. You can take the train going to Central Station then get on bus numbers 370, 372, 373 or 374. Any of these buses will drop you right on the beach.

Coogee is a family-friendly beach with lots of space for walking, doing sports activities and having picnics. You'll find shops, restaurants and cafe nearby.

First time at Coogee Beach

Pine trees are abundant and keeps the place attractively green.

The beach is popular for swimming as the waves here are not as big as the waves in other beaches.

One side of the beach was all sunny and bright, while on the other side, we saw mist (which I found out from my workmates on Monday was quite unusual) surrounding the area.

The view was beautiful though. A good backdrop for photographs.

Although the sun was out on Saturday morning, the breeze was cool and refreshing. We were there early so it wasn't as hot yet so the Husband bought us a cuppa.

A beautiful beach. Lovely weather. Fun time with great friends. Sharing good coffee with the Husband. One perfect moment and I couldn't ask for more.

Cafe: Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe (Chatswood, NSW)

2011-11-22T20:59:00.001+11:00

What do you do when the person you're supposed to meet up is running late?

I'm not really patient by nature and I used to get annoyed when schedules run late but life has taught me that delays can be an opportunity for some unexpected "Me" times and discovering places I never thought existed.

Last week's Thursday meet-up with the Husband at Chatswood was supposed to be at a Korean place that serves Korean fried chicken. And as I arrived at our meeting place on time, the Husband called to say that something came up at the office and he will be late for our dinner date.

I immediately went on "wanderlust" mode and walked around Chatswood and looked at shops and restaurants in the area. There was a Night Market at that time too but I had to go inside Westfield after a few minutes because it rained.

Since my legs were also needing rest from all the walking and I was craving for coffee, I went inside Westfield. Tucked in the corner of the 2nd level, I saw a cozy-looking cafe called Oliver Brown.

Oliver Brown is a Belgian Chocolate Cafe that serves great tasting chocolate and coffee. The cafe looks attractive with its contemporary design and iconic patterned tiling.

I just love it when restaurant owners are consistent with branding the little details inside their restaurant--like the cups and serviettes. It makes the service more personal. And yes, I always take note of these little things when I dine out.

I ordered a Cafe Latte and it was creamy and beautiful.

I love that they served a few bits of their Belgian Chocolate with their coffee. Their chocolates were delicious so I decided to buy some truffles for the Husband when he arrived.

I bought two dark chocolate truffles, two white ones and a nutty truffle. The truffles were not as expensive as the ones made by famous chocolatiers but they were good chocolate.

Another great cafe find during my unexpected "Me" time.

Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe
Level 2, Store 212
Westfield Chatswood
Phone: 9410 3774

Malaysian & Singaporean Restaurant: Temasek (Parramatta, NSW)

2011-11-21T21:44:00.002+11:00

I've been wishing to eat Hainanese Chicken in Sydney and I'm so grateful to one of my dearest friends for bringing us to Temasek Restaurant in Parramatta. On the Friday night we dined at Temasek, I discovered a love for Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine that I thought I never had. Why? Because Temasek made me a believer.

We made reservations for 6PM as we opted to meet up straight from work and to avoid the crowd. With the recommendations of our foodie friends, we ordered our preferred dishes in one go and in less than 15 minutes, our table was laden with delicious-smelling and mouthwatering dishes.

Sambal Prawns. Hot and spicy, this one surely throws a punch. Prawns were perfectly cooked and the sauce thick, flavourful and smooth.

Kecap Manis Sotong (AUD$19.80). Lightly-fried Calamari in sweet soy and a hint of spice. This dish is addictive with or without the rice.

Sambang Balacaan Kangkong (AUD$16.++). Likened to the Filipino version of Kangkong with Bagoong (Shrimp Paste). A mountain of Kangkong mixed with fermented shrimp. A harmony of salty, sweet and spicy flavours all in one mouthful. A perfect partner to almost all the meat dishes in the menu.

Nasi Goreng (AUD$14.80). Packed with flavour and all the components that make this fried rice irresistible.

Chicken Curry (AUD$17.80). This is the only curry that I love because it does not overwhelm the palate and my sense of smell. An uncomplicated dish that gives you a kick of spice.

Hainanese Chicken (Half Boneless at $18.50). I think the reason why I love this dish is because of its simplicity. Served cold in its unpretentious "whiteness" with the thick soy sauce and chili sauce on the side to help in enhancing the chicken's flavour. The chicken was tender and juicy.

We ate here two weeks ago and I can't wait to try out all their other dishes next time.

Temasek Singapore and Malaysian Cuisine
The Roxy Arcade, 71 George St, Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9633 9926

Open Tuesday to Sundays (closed on Mondays and public holidays)
Lunch 11.30am - 2.30pm
Dinner 5.30pm - 10.00pm (last orders 9.30pm)

58th Month

2011-11-20T18:34:00.000+11:00

Once or twice, we have forgotten to greet each other but more often, we'd realize what day it is and we'd immediately greet each other to acknowledge our day.

It has come to the point that we stopped counting time as we take each day for what it bring us, from the blessings we continue to receive and the challenges we face. We are grateful for each moment together. We're blessed to have achieved a balance of love, friendship and respect in everyday whether it be in the little or big moments.

Snapshots from the K-POP Music Fest in Sydney

2011-11-16T22:12:00.002+11:00

"Is this crazy or what?"

That was the only thought I had from the time I bought us tickets to the K-POP Music Fest Concert.

The Husband and I are not fond of watching concerts. The one and only concert we watched (one that I will always remember) happened years ago. Although we enjoy music and watching artists perform on stage, there's something about concerts that we'd rather wait for the DVD and watch the show in the comfort of our home. I fear big crowds that have a potential to be rowdy--there I said it. I know, I'm such a coward haha.

Anyway, when I learned about the K-POP Music Fest (thanks to my friend Trish who messaged me) and found out the line-up of performers, I got excited. With so much hesitation, I gave in to that excitement and got us tickets the morning they went on pre-sale.

I got us tickets away from the front so we can be far from the more energetic fans. We knew that most of the people who'd come would be young adults who may like to dance and jump around while we just want to watch, listen and enjoy the show. So I intentionally got tickets in the silver section. Luckily, we got good seats not too far behind from the front section.

This is the first ever Hallyu concert in Australia to celebrate 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Australia.

Here are some snapshots from the concert:

Shinee

Miss A

Secret

2AM

4Minute

CN Blue

All the groups that performed at the K-POP Music Fest in Sydney

Highlights:

Each group sang at least two to three of their hit songs.
Dance showdown that featured SNSD's Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, Yoona and Yuri and Shinee;s Taemin and Minho.
Song number from 2AM's Jo Kwon and Changmin, 4Minute's Gayoon and SISTAR's Hyorin. They sang Beyonce' "Halo".
Song production from BEAST's Yoseob, MBLAQ's G.O. and CN Blue. They performed Huk Gak's "Through The Sky".
Best highlight! 4Minute and Miss A performed Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head". Such a sweet gesture to Australian fans for doing this.
At the end of the concert, they called out all the groups to give a final bow and a group performance. They sang "Arirang" then handed out autographed plastic balls to fans.

The show started at exactly 7:00PM and ended at 10:00PM. I'm amazed at their punctuality and professionalism which resulted to no dull moments as groups came out the stage one after another.

The concert was a blast! We really enjoyed it. There were 11 groups that performed and the artists were all great and each production were visually entertaining. The money we paid for and time we spent was all worth it.

Starbucks Toffee Nut & Christmas Blend

2011-11-15T19:51:00.001+11:00

Knowing that their Christmas menu is already available, I dropped by Starbucks and had my coffee "Me" time with a tall Toffee Nut Frappuccino last Friday afternoon.

Starbucks was packed when I arrived. It was a warm day so most people grabbed a cup of frappuccino to go. I sat myself at the bar and watched people passing by while I have a quiet moment. Before I finished my drink, I made a call to one of my girlfriends in Manila and we had a bit of chitchat. It was like I was having coffee with her already. The "Me" time and my conversation with a friend was a good way to cap my busy week at work.

What's in a Starbucks Bag?

The Christmas Blend is also available in stores right now so I went home with a Starbucks bag full of Christmas Blend beans. I was also happy that they have the Christmas Blend in Ready Brew so I grabbed a 12-pack box.

What's also inside my Starbucks Bag is the Starbucks Re-usable Bag (last photo). It's smaller compared to a normal-sized re-usable bag. A perfect bag for lunch boxes etc.

Pretty Flower Boxes

2011-11-15T18:24:00.000+11:00

If you want to beautify the windows of your home, one suggestion is getting a window box. Once I was surfing online the other day, I saw this dainty window box and led me to WindowboxPlanters. They have different kinds of window boxes to choose from but these two photos are my favorite.

These window boxes can turn a boring window into a charming and stylish window. You can also place them in the rails of your balcony. Other than make your house lovely, it gives more character to the look of your house.

Wouldn't it be lovely to look outside your window or balcony and see beautiful flowers in classic flower boxes? If it were me, I'd always sip my tea looking out the window if only to see the flowers by the window or maybe hang out by the balcony more often. Seeing flowers outside my window or balcony will surely help me relax.

Have Starbucks Anywhere Via Ready Brew

2011-11-13T21:09:00.001+11:00

Two Fridays ago, I dropped by Starbucks to know if they were already serving their Christmas specials (I want my Toffee Nut Latte!) but turned out that they weren't. Not too disappointed as I was assured by their friendly barista that it will be served the following (this week...yay!) Plus, I discovered the new Starbucks via Ready Brew.

It comes in two flavours: the Italian Roast, strong and bold and the medium roast Columbia. It is available in two types of packaging: one that contains 12 sachets (AUD$9.95) and the other contains 3 sachets (AUD$3.95).

I bought the Italian Roast in 12 packs and the Columbia in 3 packs. The Barista reminded me that the Italian Roast is a very strong coffee and I told her I like my coffee strong.

-o0o0o-

Last week, I met someone who has never been to a Starbucks and have never tasted their coffee. It was refreshing to meet someone who hasn't tasted Starbucks. But it's actually no surprise. Here in Australia, we only have a few Starbucks branches and people are not dependent in Starbucks for good coffee. In Sydney, you can get great-tasting coffee in every corner.

Since I have Starbucks Ready Brew, I brought two sachets for my friend and she chose the Colombian blend.

For the first time in long while, I had coffee at work since I was left with the Italian Roast blend sachet, might as well have a cup myself.

When my first cup was about 3/4 empty, I decided to fill in my cup with water again and it was still dark and flavourful.

I'm glad that we now have Starbucks Ready Brew in Sydney as the Husband and I sometimes had to buy bottled Starbucks from Korea in Strathfield.

Ready for the K-POP Music Fest in Sydney?

2011-11-11T12:00:00.002+11:00

For more than two months, I've been waiting for the K-POP Music Fest to unravel. I somehow forgot about it in October because life was just busy. Yesterday, I realized that it is happening in a few days. How time flies!

The organizers sent out an email yesterday and for those who weren't able to buy tickets to the concert, YOU CAN STILL JOIN in the fun that the KPOP Music Fest Outdoor Event will bring.

The KPOP Music Fest Outdoor Event will be held from 12 noon to 5:00pm on 12 November at the ANZ Concourse. Everyone will get the chance to join in activities, eat from various food stalls, buy souvenirs and watch unexpected performances from famous KPOP groups in the evening.

For more details about the concert, please check this out.

Season of the Purple Trees

2011-11-10T20:42:00.002+11:00

In Spring, you'll see Sydney in a certain purple glow around late October to early November as the Jacaranda Trees come in full bloom. Some places around the world may have Cherry Blossoms during Spring, but in Sydney, we have the Jacaranda Trees that signify that Spring is nearly over.

I've fallen inlove with the Jacaranda Tree since I've moved here as they're really beautiful up close. I'm lucky enough to work in a place where I'm able to see Jacaranda Trees as I walk to and from work.

This week, I've especially allotted more time for walking after work so I can bask under these lovely purple trees.

*All photos taken by the iPhone 4s Camera*

Things I Love: Banana Case from Morning Glory

2011-11-08T20:45:00.001+11:00

I finally got around to using the Banana Case I bought from Morning Glory (Chinatown branch) two months ago.

It took me awhile to use it because the prices of Bananas skyrocketed due to the floods in Queensland. Now, the prices of Bananas have gone lower (less than AUD$4.00 per kilo) so I bought some right away because I've missed having them for morning tea.

I've always wanted to buy a case for my banana because I always bring them to work for my morning tea. I've seen some stores sell them but found it pricey (from AUD$11.00 to AUD$15.00). When I visited Morning Glory in September, I found these cases in different colours and for only AUD$2.99! Such great value for something so useful.

I love it for keeping the Banana I bring to work in "healthy" condition--no bruises and definitely not squashed at all.

An Illustrated Guide: Macaron VS Macaroon

2011-11-07T19:30:00.001+11:00

Confused as to how to pronounce Macaron and how it differs from Macaroon? Hope the illustration below helps.

Source: CakeMistress