Around the Office

Houses along Seafield View Rd where I pass by to get to Park Rd for lunch.

Along Grafton Rd:  Auckland Museum on the left. Zeacom building on the right.

From Madeira Lane going to Khyber Pass.

Symonds Street where we eat either Malaysian or Thai food.

Chasing the 211 bus along Symonds.

Barely 3 minutes after hopping on the bus, I see Bike Barn everyday.

Work and People

It's tough to be away from hubby and my two small kids. I'm already missing so much of my daughter's many firsts. She can already say Papa and No. And I think I heard her say Mommy yesterday over Skype. She just turned 1 when I left home and I really felt crushed when they couldn't make it for Christmas. Have received similar reactions when people find out about my situation, especially my colleagues. They're often surprised to find out that I have kids, and even more surprised when they find out that I'm away from them.

Over team lunch yesterday, I realized that the tenured folks are more comfortable with seeing and knowing management, and not having one who is overseas. And that they're not too comfortable with continuous change as it really shakes up their comfort level. I guess it's coz we work in a Kiwi-built company which was sold to a Canadian multinational with headquarters in the US. As with everything else here, it's a small and tight community with a strong provincial vibe. And this already being in Auckland, the financial capital, people are still laid back and moves at their own pace. They completely understand family time. I even moved schedules and resources around so people can leave early to attend school/ their kids' activities. In a way it's good that my manager understands this. She'd tell people that they should go attend to their kids otherwise the kid won't make you forget that you've missed that important event for the rest of your life. Hmm, I wonder what was it that she missed coz of work that made such an impact to one of her kids.

I've seen the personal side of people. The big old man had to rush early for a kids' birthday party. Once they go on leave or if it is a weekend, they're absolutely untouchable as people here respect time off. Non-work time is spent on fetching kids, attending school events, gardening, traveling or simply going on training for the next football season or the next marathon/ triathlon or what have you. Another one likes to carry his camera every time he goes out for lunch so he can shoot. There are those who come in on a motorbike, wearing a full suit and helmet. The Moms are hands on Moms and the Dads are hands on Dads. Having extended relatives to help with the kids are a luxury otherwise, smaller kids are left daycare while the bigger ones are ferried to and from school.

Work is just that, work. I see how personal time is valued here.

What I Usually Eat

I left the office feeling a bit dazed with the onslaught of meetings, emails and escalations. I had to make a hard stop as it was already quarter to 6pm. That's considered working late here as people are gone from 4pm onwards. In haste, I found myself hopping on a bus that makes a turn to the park, just 2 stops away from my usual route. I got off and went straight to the nearby grocery as I had to grab a couple of things for dinner and for my first attempt on the oven.

Dinner was sliced pepperoni, eggs and cheese sandwich with yummy aioli dressing, and some salad greens. I thought I'd sample the blueberry muffin recipe tonight but as there weren't any blueberries in the shop, it'll have to wait. I've been browsing for recipes on blueberry muffin and quiche as these were my faves. I thought it's easy to make and that I should make some for myself. If I'm happy, then maybe I'll be making more for my friends.

Since I have an oven, i just thought that it's high time that I get to try out all those simple, just pop in the oven type of recipes. So this will be something for me to look forward too. Tomorrow, I'll be grilling salmon for dinner c/o this grilling appliance that my friend gave.

So breakfast will probably be french toast. Will also make some croissant sandwiches for lunch since I'll be on a call until 1pm tomorrow. The croissant at Countdown is really good, warm or cold. It doesn't break and is very soft unlike those that I've had back home. They sure are a better option than sandwich loaf.

Japanese takeaways are popular here. I usually get a teriyaki rice meal from $5 to $8. We also eat at either Thai or Malaysian for Friday lunch. The meals cost a minimum of $12. The cheaper alternatives are the cafes along Park road offering $3.50 sandwiches or pies. I do make sure that I get some vegetable servings in my meals. And I have avoided coffee for quite a while now. We now have two coffee machines that can make really great brews, cafe style. I just don't know how to work on those air and milk frothing which is good coz I've the perfect excuse to skip on caffeine.

I got enough rice and pasta to make me fat. Though I often struggle with their complementary ingredients to make them flavorful enough to eat. Living alone is no fun especially when it comes to dining at home.

Moving to the Burb

The mad rush for Christmas dissipated early this week. Now it's all about keeping the house tidy and just making it homey.

I moved to Mt. Albert, just a 15 minute bus ride from work. It's a back unit of two and it's handy to shops, the Rocket Park and schools. Like what my friend Al said, he won't be surprised if me and my family would stay here for a while, until  we get our own house. So what was the absolute basics that I purchased prior to the move? A duvet, wok, knife, chopping board, a set of cooking utensils and dinnerware.

My friends lent and gave me the following: foam bed, duvet cover, bed spread, bed sheet, coffee table, chair, two foot stools, a small sauce pan, 2 kilos brown rice, a jar of brown sugar, some iodized salt, 1 whole roast chicken, 2 plastic buckets, an empty jug of milk, some homemade biscuits, and fudge brownies.

The unit only had a an electric stove with oven so I was able to cook whenever I felt liked it. I didn't have a fridge though and washing machine for two weeks so I couldn't store perishable food and I had to hand wash my clothes. The delivery guy told me that the washing machine weighed 80 kilos and he complained that he couldn't move it in place coz the bathroom door was blocking it. So he left and when I tried it myself, funny how I had no problem positioning it in place (of course it was still heavy!) without having to remove the door. I also got an electric kettle, broom, clothes' airer, grabbed a microwave and rice cooker that were on sale, and bought a couple more duvets for the rest of my family. The other day, our IndoorOut table and benches arrived. They were surprisingly easy to assemble.


So today I did my first laundry with my new front loader. It's sunny outside and I was able to use both the clothesline and the airer. I'm to go and look for mattresses today. Am not in a hurry to buy but it would be nice to see what's actually out there instead of just going through mailers.

The plants need some trimming and I need to do some weeding. I need to find a rake, shovel and garden gloves. And maybe a garden hat too as the sun's heat here is just too much that you can actually feel it going through your skin. Skin cancer in the making. Gosh! I need to get a sun block too!

My version of a Work-Life Balance

Work is anything that concerns my current employer: inductions, interviews, meetings, calls, planning, presentations, negotiations, consultations, having a chat with colleagues or simply just settling in.

Life includes hosting friends on a Saturday, finding rental properties online after work and on weekends, arranging for property viewing and applying for tenancy, applying for a loan, working on INZ docs by arranging a few visits to the printer room, the JP and the post plus a few phone calls here and there, checking out clearance and on sale items, my weekly laundry and grocery shopping and of course, my daily chat and call from home.

Friday lunch:
Bacon potato salad and Veggie quiche at Columbus

It's been so overwhelming these past few weeks. I spend at least 1 hour everyday walking as part of my daily commute, on top of the daily 2 hour train ride. It can really be exhausting to juggle all these things, to be physically and mentally drained.

This is why I give in to little treats from time to time, ice cream after dinner and lunching out on a Friday. It's only during meals outside the office where I can really clear my head. And yet I still try to take advantage of the free paper in this coffee shop and at home to scour for home deals.

What's That Smell?

Last Friday most of us moved desks to align with the new team assignments. It was only this morning that I noticed something different. There was a faint scent in the air, like stepping into a guy's bedroom! I was a bit bothered by it but since I was seated in a "central" location, then I just have to bear it.

I'm used to working with guys but at least our Pinoy men shower everyday and change into clean clothes everyday.  We do have a shower and I have noticed some of the guys using it coz you can smell them as they'd pass by. Across me sits a Russian, on my right is a Singaporean, across the floor are some Asians: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, a Canadian was seated at the end of our cube while the rest are Kiwis, a German, a South African and I don't know what else. Everyone has an accent so I feel ok not to carry the Kiwi accent. But regardless, I still have to deal with that certain smell in the air! And it's not even summer yet. Oh no!

But despite the distraction, I finally had the time to do some paperwork. I like working with Visio. I'm not really a big fan of PPT. There's just so many Smart Graphics that it makes me feel dumb coz I can't pick the right one for me. What a day it's been! No meetings and I had the whole day to myself! Bliss!

Tomorrow the meetings start again. Argh!

Anzac Biscuits

Marlene packing away some biscuits for me

It was a warm and sunny Saturday. I got my laundry done, and the dishes washed. I've dropped my docs to the post and still had time for afternoon tea with a friend. I brought some grapes with me so we can nibble on it while we chat. 

I guess if you're older you tend to focus on people more. Work I suppose didn't matter if you're 60. What matters to Marlene nowadays is the well-being of her friends. There's a house along View Road that was falling apart. An old man lived there and he didn't have electricity. The neighbor gives him food while a common friend checks in on him whenever she could. Marlene, bit teary-eyed, feels sorry for him and she said she didn't understand why he had to do that to himself. He's depressed and he's alone.

There's a commercial on TV that talks about a group that supports people who are depressed. Depression seems to be the biggest problem here. Kiwi attitude is a can-do attitude, independent and likes DIY things. So perhaps, when people grow old, they try their best to go about things as how they usually would. Their kids had moved and started a family of their own. But maybe not all children wants to look after their old folks. My clueless kababayans mock depression. They couldn't understand why most Kiwis are affected by it. I mean how could they. They're young, and have just started their adventure here as a migrant. They're probably too busy living their lives that they may have not even thought about their aging parents who're left back home. It's a big thing and I hate it when it's just being brushed aside by clueless folks.

So Marlene packed away some anzac biscuits that she made. She said it's time for her to do some baking anyway. Those were Al's favorite. Al just arrived while I was stepping out of the door. He had a pack of biscuits for Marlene. It looked like it had chocolate coating. Al drove his dingy to Charlie's. That boat had been sitting in their backyard for ages and he's only used it once, then fell over. He and Marlene were too busy working that they didn't find the time to take the boat out in the water. And time just passed away until it was too late for him. He suffered a stroke a few years ago and both he and Marlene are just living out their days in their lovely home along Waitake Road with their old dog.

I guess he was curious about how I was faring with my job. I told him that I was doing ok and was just trying to get used to the people that i work with. He did say that I shouldn't be affected or offended by how Kiwis talk. They sure like to use the word "rubbish" and say it roughly, pirate style. That's just them being Kiwi expressing themselves without a care on whether they sound offensive or not. So that's well noted.

I'm just glad to have spent the afternoon at Waitake and not in my room. I get so homesick being in this house.

Lunch and the Feeling of Isolation

It's the last day for one of my colleagues. He's moving to another company and is getting married. I noticed plenty of differences from how we do lunch with the team from back home. Of course we just walked for a couple of minutes to the restaurant. Most of them had beer. Nobody was carrying a camera and everyone was just chatting and being social. Nobody was on the phone. People started to eat as soon as their food came. It was lunch as usual and people did not linger in the restaurant for more than an hour. In fact, it was ok to leave early after finishing your meal. And since it's a farewell lunch, and not a company event even if it meant 90% of the R&D team being there, we had to pay for our own meal!

Lunch was ok though I did feel a bit tipsy since I was hungry when I had my wine. Food arrived a couple of minutes later. I was amidst people who just talked. I didn't feel like talking to them though I did say a few words. It was boring. I didn't think I was productive today since upon returning to the office, we had to move desks. By the time I was already settled in, 4:30pm was looming. I was sleepy and got this headache.

I had a conference call in the morning at 9am. When I returned to my desk, people began to disappear! I thought it was too early to be leaving for lunch, then I figured, maybe they all just went to the lounge. I checked and yes, everyone was there. It was a farewell speech and best wishes to our colleague. Now why didn't I know about this? Was it because I was I was in a meeting, talking to people in the US? It wasn't even in my calendar. I really felt disconnected that time. I have a unique role hence I need to push myself to people. This is the only way for them to know me and me to know them. They seem supportive but who knows how things are going to be like. I never felt so much like an outsider, the new girl. But I'm no longer the new person. Scott just started this week and a few others are starting this November. Oh well!

Office Induction

I had a full calendar on my first few days at work with the company induction program. I did find the chance to talk to my primary stakeholders. I restrained myself from charging into crisis-like cases. I have seen enough to be able to assess the state of the team. And I have concluded that there's still plenty of work left for me to do before I can be comfortable with things being BAU (business as usual).

First impressions: People are very helpful. whenever I'd ask somebody on where someone else sits, they'd stand up and take me directly to that person even if she's in the middle of work. This seems to be rather consistent with the folks there since I've been to the office a few times before.

Pinoy portfolio: There are three Filipinos in the company. One is my boss, who claimed that everyone else is scared of her during my interview. There's me on a management role. Then there's the Senior Test Analyst who pretty much just keeps to himself. I have felt the pressure on my job on my third day at work. Now I just need to strike a balance between meeting expectations without causing a rift on the relaxed Kiwi work environment.

The Social Scene: Yes I'm guilty. I have missed the pizza and drinks night of the social club last Thursday. Well, I do live far from the CBD and I don't have a car yet. Then I decided to skip Friday afternoon drinks at the lounge. I just hurried home just like of them since it was a long weekend. Not that I had to rush. I'll  take a peek next Friday.

Friendly Folks and Crazy Folks: I've got batman who helped setup UMC in my Outlook and in setting up my laptop to be able to access VPN. He's a kid and I guess he enjoys what he's doing as being part of IT support together with his mate. A man with a kind face and a built like Santa Claus approached me and introduced himself since he passes my cube everyday. A nice young lady with an interesting name "Ekta" spared a couple of minutes of her time talking to me. Then there's the overstressed Kiwi customer who's now based in the US. I guess it's difficult for a software engineer to transition into a customer-facing role as they seem to panic or get stressed easily with the demands of customers. I appreciated the effort of one of my stakeholders who approached me after her meeting so we can proceed with the induction. She's got a strong personality like my boss and somehow I think she's great. And the whole time I've been working closely with Dan who's accomplished a lot for the team and has been guiding me towards the ins and outs of one of my roles. He's very talented and I think he's on the right track and will go far. I have met a lot more not just face-to-face but on emails as well.

Short term goal: So the company may be smaller compared to those that I've worked with before but the environment is still similar. The work is somehow the same but of course, the organization is different. I will keep the engine running smoothly and figure out how else I can make things more efficient. And yes, I will do great!

My Daily Walks

 I now take the train to go to work everyday and just getting there, to and from the house takes about 20 minutes of walking.Plus an additional 11minutes of walk from the train station to the office. I took a few shots to share my scenic route which I find interesting. The walk helps me clear up my head from the pressures of work. And even if it's only been just a week for me, I know I've got plenty to think about already. Lotsa things needs to be sorted and customers need to be tamed.

So off from the platform is a quick walk up the path and on to the left, crossing the bridge towards the Oratia Stream Walk and Cycle path. I chose to use this route on a daily basis instead of following the main roads since it's more quiet and I'm less at risk of being run down by stray vehicles. Cars drive fast in these roads and I do see some crash marks in the roadside reflectors. It could be fatal if a pedestrian is caught in the middle of it.

I rarely chance upon people who use this path. Once or twice I did came across a cyclist running towards the opposite direction. At past six on a spring evening, the path is still bright as the sun won't be setting until around 8pm. The trees with their dancing branches are the ones who greet me everyday. Sometimes they cast a shadow, other times they send a silent howl. Sometimes I see a kid or two playing with their dog within their backyard. Yes, people do live inside those houses bu you can't tell from the path if they're there or not. It's weird but I do feel a sense of comfort when I see a homeowner mowing their lawn or trimming their bush. It feels sad sometimes whenever I pass by this path. I can't help but think about all this space around me. I can't help but think about how my kids would love to run around the same path. It'll be a delight to see them thrilled with the open space, running and stumbling and then standing up and running again. That's how I remember Max when he was younger during our walk along Riverbanks. This is a much better place for him. And knowing that Rose is now busy on her feet. I'm sure both of them would be thrilled.

Now this looks like a common bush with pink leaves and I have seen this in other houses too. I could've composed this photo better but it's windy and my fingers were getting numb. I did try to capture the contrast of those pink leaves against the usual greens. I like that the picture came out nice and soft, though it looks a bit overexposed.

Somewhere near the end of the walk are these benches. I saw an old man sitting in one of those benches previously. He did look like a bum but I thought it's nice that you can always opt to sit down, relax a bit before you head on to the remaining 10 minutes of your walk. The path forks as you approach this part. I turn right to where the Millbrook Garden is, towards the exit to Millbrook Road.

Crossing the very busy Millbrook Road isn't easy but it should be safe because kids cross this road everyday to get to school. The Sunnyvale school sign tells me that I'm almost home which is great coz that means I'm just a few more minutes away. There is also another entrance from along Awaroa road but this is closer to the Oratia exit. And the view from here is great as you walk up towards the school. You're lead to a wide opening with a lovely grassy hill on the left. Sunnyvale Primary School is painted yellow and you know that it's for kids because of the artwork displayed on classroom windows. The pathways are open to the public and I did see some signs saying that the premises have security. And that there's a neighborhood watch around the place too.

Now after I cross the school grounds, I then exit towards Ribblesdale Road. I find the houses here as big and they usually have a few cars parked outside. It's the barn-type looking green house over on the left side of the road that caught my attention here. That isn't common in terms of architectural design but I guess the owner did a great job in maximizing their small space. I do see my neighbors here especially on weekends. One of the houses n the right loves to play loud music on a Sunday morning. And you do see people & kids hanging around on the deck. At the end of this road is View Road, and just a minute from the corner is the dairy and just across it, is our house.

Meeting Marlene

After mass, an old lady picked up a mail that may have been blown off by the wind. We were standing across no. 45 and the mail was for no. 21. It's a bit off our way so she just placed the envelope in the mailbox right next to her. She sounds Filipina and when I asked, she is. Her name's Marlene, short for Maria Elena and she lives along Waitaki. We had a bit of a chat right there on the corner of James Laurie and View Road. It was getting cold just standing there so I decided to walk her to her street. She invited me in for tea as soon as we reached her house. So I thought, why not?

Her husband is Alan Evans and both are senior citizens. Alan's a Kiwi and is just about my father's age while Marlene just turned 60. She is from Iloilo. They have a 14 year old dog who kept barking since I stepped in. Their house, as she warned, smelled a bit like their dog. She has a wild garden, and she says that it's better to have flowers that tend to themselves. She's not getting any younger. She offered me coffee, while she and Alan had tea. It came with some homemade cookies.

We talked about everyday things, about how her brother has come down with a kidney disease, and how her sister turned out to be anemic. Her concerns were centered around health which she admits is something that you're likely to get used to as age starts to creep in. In between she'd ask how many teaspoons of coffee, or sugar, and if I'd like some milk with that. I shared a bit about myself too and on how I'm still new to the place. She talked about her neighbors like how that young family across the street often goes out every weekend. Maybe they have itchy feet she says. She told me about how they brought a friend who lives on the same road to the hospital since she has breast cancer. She's still very careful with her comments and I guess that's the best approach to be able to get along well with others. She'd often say that well, to each his own.

Marlene has silver hair. She told me that she's the only Pinay around here, or at least from those that she knows, who doesn't dye her hair. She has allergies and she'd rather not put herself at risk with hair dye. She also tells me how she's willing to pay a little extra for sugar-free and saltless dry goods. She came here to NZ when she was about to turn 37, back in 1989. Her political views are still left with the Aquino - Marcos era. She didn't tell people that she was pro-Aquino when she arrived here coz there might be Marcos loyalists who moved here too.

It's also quite rare for me to find people who's never used the computer before. They don't have a computer and they only use a mobile phone for emergency. They still are the type who would ring people at home. She had to convince her husband to get themselves a microwave. Her life nowadays seemed to be centered on their dog, the tooks (chicken) which still lays some eggs for them, the pigeons, and neighbor's cats which she feeds, and her garden. They ran a business for a while, plastering, and she used to work at Rustan's doing accounting work I think. I didn't ask for those info. She just shared things with me as I have with her. It's not the first time that I've had a casual conversation with an older folk. Yes they have their views but they too are very open to hear your side of things. It's different when I talk to people who are younger or is within my age group. They usually find it compelling to have an opinion or a say in the matter. I guess I'm like that myself sometimes and I just couldn't help it. So does age make you go step back a bit, and this time, keep quiet and just really listen? Or maybe I myself am getting older. We exchanged numbers and here's another person in my very short list that I look forward to visiting again with hubby and the kids.

Getting Job Offers after 8 Weeks

Since I arrived about 8 weeks ago, I spent at least 8 hours a day working on my applications. This includes customizing my CV and cover letters to fit the job, calling recruiters and HR, searching and registering at LinkedIn, Seek, the careers section of the company website, TradeMe, emailing new acquaintances and googling. I've attended migrants seminars and I did went out a bit to introduce myself to people. I stayed in touch with fellow new migrants via email. I could've slacked a bit especially during my first few weeks of arrival here. I got a very tempting offer for a free 3-day vacation trip just outside Auckland. I get regular invites to chill out time with my friends here which I welcomed whenever I finish my business at the city just so I maximize my long trip to the city. But of course I had to keep focused so oftentimes I had to decline those which seemed to me like distractions and unnecessary expense.

Determination and Focus is key

When you attend seminars for migrants, they'd often encourage you to volunteer so you can get that local experience that some employers are looking for. Recruiters on the other hand can present you with contractual roles which are definitely worth thinking about especially if you're running out of funds. I'm fortunate to have been presented with these opportunities even if I didn't pursue them. The volunteer work meant shelling out money for me because the location is too far and that the honorarium of $7 a day is not enough to cover my transport cost. The contractual role could've been great if it was presented to me a month ago wherein there weren't any progress with my applications. It was just a week's contract and the expected return is perhaps enough to sustain me for the next two months. The recruiters are a big help in terms of presenting you with opportunities that aren't advertised yet. They'd help you work with your CV and will give you all the support needed to help you prepare for that interview. I did see how they get to push employers to act fast to speed up the recruitment process. Internal HRs does work slow and it does help if you push your way forward so that they'd notice you or at least give you feedback on the status of your application. It did help that I copied the hiring manager when I asked for a follow up. I got the feedback that I needed almost instantly.


For the past week, I've been working on 4 job applications that progressed to interviews almost at the same time. I managed to squeeze three interviews in a day. These series of interviews actually helped me gain more confidence and also helped me practice in giving effective answers during the interview. I then progressed from the first to the second interview up to the verbal job offers in less than a week.

At this point, I have already withdrawn my applications from the other two and I will be giving my acceptance and decline to the remaining two employers this Monday. It's been quite a ride and I definitely look forward to starting out again in the employment scene.

I Gotta Feeling

I think waiting is a good thing because:

1. Lalabas na tamang-tama ang pagkaluto ng chicken BBQ -- dinner namin kagabi yan
2. Di na dumating ang bus kaya pumunta na lang ako sa Britomart where not only did I get my train ticket, nakapag top-up (load) rin ako sa Hop card ko na paubos na ang load
3. May mga tumatawag na lang bigla na opportunities for work just when the week was about to end
4. Hindi humaba ang leeg ko kakatingin sa mga street signs at landmarks since I took the train. Mahirap abutan ng dilim kapag mag bus dahil halos wala ka makikita sa labas. Puro bahay lang kasi, mga suburbs and they all look the same at night.

I won't get ahead of myself since i'm still at the beginning stages of my job applications. So like what I always tell my friends here, go lang ng go! As I see postings from places outside of Auckland, I realize that wherever my job would take me, it'll always be to a place where I'm sure to have a great time with my family.

While searching for work, I came across New Plymouth which was described as the best place to live in for families and the most self-sustaining city in the world. Wow!

I also came across Hepburn Park at Glendene which is probably roughly 30 minutes away from here by foot. On its edge is the Whau River. It's probably worth visiting since it's just across the Great North Road bus stop where I get my ride to the city. I'm already thinking of checking it out this weekend.

So the train was 4 minutes late yesterday morning which made me brisk walk to no. 5 High Street. Good thing I was on foot since the building number was made noticeable on the floor, right where a doormat is usually placed. There I met this lovely girl Kate, who was confident to have found a perfect match - me, for a client of hers. We'll see how it goes.

I'm expecting some updates by next week and I've got this strong feeling that my wait is coming to a close.

Sunny Saturday

Day is almost done. I didn't do much. Certainly took a break with the laptop.

Today i did things differently. I slept in, stayed in bed for as long as I could. Then I took a bath. By the time I stepped out, my flatmates were already having breakfast and Ningning was already next door. I took my time eating, made tea with milk which again was taken notice of. They said I'm already a Kiwi. But what's a Kiwi anayway? I've been making french toast for my family back home for at least a year now. I've been drinking tea with milk with my hubby.

It's a Saturday and I tried not think about anything. The sun was up and the weather was nice. I stepped out and said hi to our neighbor. Shane drove the car out from the garage and parked it by the greens. He started cleaning it. Arnie was busy doing the laundry. Tita already had her cushions and mats set out under the sun. I sat there in front of their house, went through the newspapers with Ningning. While everyone else were doing their chores, I tried to keep myself and Ningning busy by pretending to read the flyers and catalogues that we got from the mailbox. At least her parents can go on with their chores, and the same with Tita. Ningning loves runing to Tita's house especially when Tito Ivan is there. They're like the best buds (Our next door neighbors are in their 50s and they don't have any kids). Tita said that the three of us ladies should go out walking every now and then especially now since the weather is getting better. Arnie and I agreed and of course that also meant bringing Ningning with us on her bike.

It's nice to be outside and bask in the sun for a bit. Later a man arrived delivering an empty balikbayan box to Tita. She told me that she just calls that guy whenever she has something to be sent to the Philippines. She also told me about how everything here are always on sale and that it's easy to buy things coz they're often sold at a bargain. She's a simple folk and I think she's nice.

Ningning was running around outside barefoot. Tita said that it's ok since there are no broken glass here. Later I decided to vacuum my room, then I went ahead and vacuumed the carpet in the sala and in the dining. It felt great afterwards, to finally sit on a clean carpet. I went through the rest of the papers by the glass door. I found out that Auckland has the largest indoor climbing facility here in Australasia. Of course nobody but me would be interested in this. I miss those nights wherein my teammates and I would go to the Powerplant mall after office hours, and spend 2-3 hours wall climbing. Those were the days.

Then my flatmates drove out for a while and gave me the liberty to cook whatever I want. So I did. I cooked some spaghetti, using leftover mutton, eggplants and bell pepper. I tried to scoop in as much brown sugar as I could to make it sweet. Then I've added some cheese for that Filipino style flavor. And that's the most that I could do with the Watties spaghetti sauce. It tasted close enough to Jollibee. By the time my flatmates came back, I was already in my 2nd serving. I'm glad that Ningning liked it and she enjoyed it so much that she insisted on sitting at the dining table longer than usual. At least she had a full lunch.

After lunch, I went back to my room and watched a movie and two episodes of Modern Family. Now it's half past four. The sun is about to set. It's good to take a break once ina while. I wonder how things are back home. Hubby and Max are going to a birthday party today. I'm sure it'll be a blast!

Fresh Fish Market

How I wish all fish markets in Manila will be turned into something like this. A nice and clean retail store where all the fishes are laid out neatly on ice, and are labeled properly.

Or if they're shellfish, at least they'd be stored in a big tank with running water. That way they'd stay fresh and the smell won't be as nasty.

The fish market here serves three kinds of fish: fresh fish (uncooked), bottled and processed fish products that is located at the dry goods area, and restaurants serving fish and chips and other dine-in fish-themed meals. There isn't that much variety on the choices of fresh fish. Maybe it's because of the season? Or it's because it's past noon already when we got there. But in any case, I think fish here is expensive compared to our fish choices in Manila.

And so, this fish market is at the harbour area. In suburbs, like where I'm staying right now, you can only get your fish from PaknSave and other supermarkets, where the fish is most likely frozen. There could be some fresh choices but who can guarantee freshness when you're getting it from the supermarket?

On our way back, we had to cross a foot bridge. Much to my delight, I saw it moving up either coz it's scheduled to move up or that a boat was about to cross. I didn't see any big boat attempting to cross though.

Sky City and St. Patrick's Square

Sky City Tower and Hotel Casino

Sunday morning at the city can be full of surprises. We headed to McDonald's for breakfast where I sampled Auckland's version of sausage muffin with egg. The sausage tastes and looks like real food! Meaty and all compared to those that I buy in Manila which obviously was just processed food. It was enough to keep me full at least for the next two hours. Myn and I walked around a bit since it was still early and there's not much to do in the apartment. The mall opens at 10am and the mass in the nearby church won't start until 11am. Oh, what to do?

Our random walks led us to Sky City. I've seen it, i've passed by it several times and has even waited for my bus outside that building but i've never really been inside it. So that's what we did. We went inside, checked out their souvenir shop, the cafes, the casino, their tourist offerings. Buffet lunch is at the restaurant near the top of the tower. The illustration shows how high up you are like when you're at the view deck or at the revolving restaurant. It don't think it's a toddler-friendly place. It reminded me more of the hotel-casinos in Macau.

St. Patrick Cathedral

A few paces from Sky City is Queen's street. I think I was trying to recall where I saw that gothic style church then Starbucks popped out. We came in, had some drinks and cake. Mynn loved their cinnamon. I enjoyed the banana walnut, tastes like home. Finally Anne called. She's up and we're to meet her at the church.

This Sunday's celebration was again something that I actually enjoyed. They have a really good cantour (a man dressed in a red robe with an angelic voice like those from Broadway). The priest, Msgr. David Tonks was like a character lifted off from those bedtime stories. He sounds like a storyteller, really nice and warm. There's a portion in the mass, just before the homily when the priest called all the children. These children were gathered into two groups, aged 7 and up, and those who are 6 or younger. They're herded to two separate doors for a cathecism class I suppose. When they came back, the bigger kids were mostly carrying a piece of paper with some art work on it. Hmm, that really made me very curious as to how they manage these kids. And there's this man who greeted us by the door, handing out flyers (songs and the newsletter) and arranging people as to how we are to occupy the seats. He makes people feel welcome upon stepping in the church. St. Patrick's Cathedral by the way has only been reopened about 5 years ago if I remember correctly. I hope it doesn't turn into one of those event places so it remains sacred.

My First Salu-Salo

Teya's munting salu-salo

Remember the KCS seminar organized by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce? Well, one of the Pinay ladies there invited us to her son's 6th birthday celebration. Of course I had to go! It's about time that I'd go out and meet people. It's different when you're just tagging along and of course it's great if you're the one who's actually invited.

We've been exchanging a few emails me and the girls. So it's great to see them again on this cloudy & windy day. I had my eyes set on those baked clams. The barbeque was great and there was spaghetti, salad, biko, lasagna, and kaldereta. That's Teya's version of a munting salu-salo.

Just hours earlier, I was sitting in my room contemplating on whether or not I'd take that 30 minute walk to the mall. It was clearly windy outside and there's the forecast of rain. I probably would've cried the rest of the afternoon if I decided to just stay put. It was too quiet in the house and my flatmates were out. The weather just wasn't cheery at all. So despite the distance, I'm glad that I got myself talking to young folks, all Pinoys here at Remuera. I even had a tip for my job applications. That's my takeaway actually, apart from the boxed food that Teya packed for us. The guests were all young Pinoys who's only been here for less than a year and they just had the guts and perseverance that got them landing on their current jobs. So it was just chance that most of them were from the same high school, and that we were the new addition in Teya's small circle of friends. I'm actually looking forward to bringing my kids to her house so Max can play with Sam and Rose can play with Isha.

Don't you just love it when people just want to get together? Especially if they themselves love to play host? I did promise myself that the next time that we're having another get together, it'll be on me coz that's going to be on my first pay check!

Signs of a Cold Morning

Waking up early means being up before 6am. That's been the case for me for the past few days since I had to prepare for those job application requirements. And most importantly, I had to eat heavy breakfast coz any trip outside of Sunnyvale meant long walks to the bus stop and to my target destinations.

I don't really notice the temperature outside my room since I always leave the heater on overnight. But stepping out to the loo, brrr, it's definitely chilly! Yes, I do wear my jacket or lately, my shawl whenever I had to take a toilet trip. So how do I know if it really is cold outside, meaning, temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius?

First, the sun's still not up and it's already seven in the morning. It probably means it's just cloudy or that there's some possible showers later on in the day. Worse, it's already raining outside!

So the sun's up but you can't see anything through the window. Why? That's because there's fog on the window pane. Worse, is that there's fog along the driveway and you can barely see a thing outside. Thick fogs seems to be common here in the west, but I've only experienced it (awake) maybe twice since I arrived. And it doesn't usually last that long.

Even if everything is clear and sunny outside, I think it's important that newbies like me should check the air outside. I did see 6 degrees on my netbook's desktop widget but I found that hard to believe since the sun's up! So just to be sure, before leaving the house, I do take my arm outside our sliding glass doors, just to get a feel of the air. Sometimes, I don't even have to do anything coz it's already biting cold in our living room. And I really don't think that our house is well insulated.

It's nice to be walking outside before 8am. However, I often had to wrap my neck with my pashmina, and cover my head with either a bonnet or the hood of my coat just to keep my neck ad head warm. These past days, the air was cold and dry. And I had some difficulty catching my breath during those long walks to the bus or train station. The air was just too cold for me to breathe in and I can see smoke coming off from my mouth as I try to exhale. I guess it's just me who's still too sensitive about this. The school kids go around in their school uniforms, wearing shorts or short skirts. And here I am already wrapped up but still shivering! Brrr!

Finally Some Progress

With high hopes in getting permanent residency soon!

Getting the right keywords into your CV really paid off. I finally got the attention of some recruiters who, fortunately has a good range of clients with vacancies that are a good match for my skills. The calls, the meetings, that terrible exam, those long JDs (job description) and the interviews kept me busy and on my toes these past few days. I do keep tab on the roles and channels that I've used to send my applications.  This helped me in ensuring that I'm not doing any double ups. And yes, I do continue sending my applications to whoever is willing to forward my CV.

NZ Immigration branch office

So after my 2nd interview this morning, I took the train from Grafton to Sturges. I went to my immigration adviser's office in Western Heights for a courtesy call. It's been standard practice of theirs to have their clients visit their office upon arriving at NZ whenever possible. It's been a month since I've arrived and it's just today when I've finally made that visit. But before that, I got to tag along with Alie in getting some paperwork done, including dropping off some documents at immigration. Hence the photos here. They had clear zip locked envelopes and a scotch tape available for document drop off. This means that you can just put a set of documents in that clear envelope, then tape it to ensure that it doesn't get opened by anyone except the assigned immigration person I guess. Alie said that brown envelopes were used before but people just kept bringing them home. At least with this clear plastic, you know that they're being recycled every time.

I like the fact that it's been a busy week for me. My KCS friends have also been sharing job leads. In fact, I'm looking forward to see them in the kiddie party tomorrow.

Pista sa Manurewa

It didn't exactly occurred to me that going to Marewa to hear mass was actually going to a fiesta. Ang daming Pinoy!

The feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz was celebrated at St. Anne's Church in Manurewa. The main celebrant was Bishop Patrick Dun, the Bishop of Auckland. He was joined with 7 other priests, mostly Pinoys. We didn't make it to the procession at 12:30pm since we arrived at past 1pm, when mass already started. Good thing we still found seats, near the front!

Hearing mass was like being at home, attending regular Sunday church in Manila. It's the first time that I've actually seen so many Pinoys, and a lot of them were wearing barong tagalog or a terno. They were really dressed up! I was too casual! I'm dressed like a student, wearing long-sleeved striped green shirt and a pair of rubber shoes. I was easily identifiable i think. Hehe! Actually, I didn't know what to expect.

I knew that it was going to be a long drive. My flatmates didn't mention anything about the feast. They just invited me since it was South-East. I've never been to that side of Auckland before, except the airport which is technically part of southern Auckland.

So I got my second blessing as new migrant this morning. Afterwards, everyone was invited to merienda cena at the parish hall. Some guy was distributing flyers for remittance and balikbayan box delivery service. Smart move!

We saw Fr. Carlo again which delighted my little companion. After saying hi to my recent acquaintances, and after getting the email address of a potential colleague, we headed off to Pakuranga to get some milk.

Pakuranga I think is part of Eastern Auckland. There were a lot of junk in front of the houses. I guess it's spring cleaning day. According to my flatmates, people just leave their stuff outside and anyone can just pick them up. What's left will be picked up by the garbage collector. We've actually seen 2 pick-ups loaded with "scrap". We saw a car with kids holding on to a foam mattress on their heads at the backseat. People are
quick in getting the good stuff.

We bought a box of apple pies and a bottle of soda at Countdown. We brought these to their friend who lived at Pakuranga. She works at Nutritia as QA so they get a big discount for the box of milk. I can't say much about the place but it was an interesting drive since I got to see Rainbow's End, have seen a Maori flag hoisted in one of the old homes, and have actually seen a rainbow while passing the motorway. This side of Auckland, isn't as nice as from our place in the west. At least that's my first impression.

Sunny Birthday Morning

Along Milbrook Rd

Can you see the leaves dancing with the wind?

I've really made plans for today. I made my birthday hidden in FB so my flatmates won't be bothered to make any fuss. I was up by 6am, as usual and got ready for the 9am mass. The church was only a 10minute walk so there was plenty of time. I called and left a message at BNZ, hoping to get a call back. I put my phone on mute and then headed off to church. It was only 9:30am when we finished and my bus was scheduled to arrive at 10:20am. What to do with all this spare time? So I bid adieu to Holy Cross church and took a stroll to the bus stop at Railside Rd. Midway during the walk, my phone rang. It was a recruiter, and she seemed really interested in my skills and can already think about possible opportunities for me. We talked and then scheduled for a meeting on Monday morning. All that chit chatting happened along the windy View Road. I felt elated since she sounded really positive, giving me hope for the next few days at least.

It was 10am when I reached the bus stop. Hubby messaged me and it was my first birthday greeting for the day. I was contemplating on proceeding to New Lynn where I am to walk in to present myself for the Library Shelver role. Today might not be a good idea as who knows what Monday will bring.

So I'll have the meeting with Lynn in the morning, and then with Lulette in the afternoon. For sure at least one of them should be able to find me something. I always thought that some good news will come to me today. And the call was indeed something positive compared with how things have been for me the past few weeks.

So walking back, I've decided to make a turn to Millbrook Rd. It was literally along a brook, which i think is part of Oratia streams. It was a lovely walk, the sun was bright and it was just cool enough, not biting like the previous days. I took my time and tried to remember the things that I was seeing. The stream was clean, the trees along this road are big, and old. The houses on the left side of the road are tucked away, up in steep driveways nestled along rows of trees and bushes. And for the first time, I actually took off my jacket!

I was excited to get home and read Lynn's email, which I did. Then I got two more mails from fellow Pinoys about job opportunities within their companies. I've sent them my applications right away. When I realized that it was already lunch time, I was able to scour some leftover mussels and rice from last night's dinner. Burp! It's a good way to start the day.

Let's Talk About Cheese

I know dairy is one of the biggest industries here in NZ but looking at the choices of cheese in PaknSave here at Henderson, there really isn't that many choices, nor variety, even with their milk! I heard that we probably have the biggest PaknSave store in this side of Auckland but to me, it was only something like a trip Shopwise, with more aisle space. I guess nothing beats SM Hypermarket.

So going back to the dairy products, the choices here are mostly NZ-made/ owned products. I guess they're controlling imported stuff from Europe. I still think that there are more choices in Schipol airport that there is here in the local big grocery. Anyway, what do I know about cheese? I've only been challenged into trying that stinky cheese in Svendborg coz I let my colleagues try the balut when they were in Manila.

Now what do I like with PaknSave? I can't really tell at this point coz I have completely submitted myself to my flatmates' food preference as they were kind enough to include food in my rent. We don't eat Kiwi style here, instead, I get a daily dose of everyday Pinoy meals with some slight alterations on the dishes but basically, we do have nilaga, sinigang, embotido, or just plain steak on a bed of rice. Yes, I've been eating rice meals morning, noon and night. I even get to eat leftover chocolate cake and raspberry muffins for my morning or afternoon tea. And it's all home-made.

Oh my, is that my belly bulging again?

Ups & Downs sa Ikatlong Linggo

Ang buhay ay sadyang ganyan!

Lumipas na naman ang aking maghapon. Ano ba talaga ang na-accomplish ko today? Submitting online applications doesn't count. Although, i was able to talk to another recruiter kasi yung kausap ko yesterday parang madali siyang nag give up. Sana mas ok ang network nitong isang to. Babalikan raw niya ako tomorrow. I'll be calling another one tomorrow then magpe-presenta rin ako sa bank. Kundi ako magtatawag, baka walang pumansin sa kin.

Di pa rin ako nakalabas ng bahay today dahil hapon na when i decided to take a break. Nakakapagod rin. Para akong may hinahabol na deadline sa office, and knowing na ang dami ko pa dapat tapusin. In a way it's good kasi i can still tap more resources and alam ko marami pa ako opportunities. Kelangan lang talaga is timing and swak ako sa role. I'm really looking forward dun sa Library Shelver role. Bibisitahin ko yun para mag prisinta ako. I applied online na naman. Kelangan lang talaga na mapansin ako. Buti rin at actively networking, rather continuously tapping her peers para ipagkalat ang CV ko. I even applied for a junior na role para lang sa higher chance na magka-project ako.

That's the difference here, kahit na anong dami ng experience mo, kung wala ka naman kakilala, hindi rin papansinin ang CV mo. 80% network and 20% lang ang direct application.

Everyone from my flatmate, to Myn, even to my relatives, they all had the same message, di raw ako mahihirapan makahanap ng work kasi firstly, I have work visa. That's a big moral booster and I do hang on to their words. Siempre medyo naiinip na ko kasi i'm not used to not knowing what tomorrow's gonna be like for me. It's tougher this time around coz I have family already. It's completely different when I was still single. Siempre mas malakas ang loob ko nun and less ang worries.

Everyday pala I have this sturggle. I should be able to withdstand the cold water kasi mahirap timplahin ang tubig sa shower, either too hot or too cold. Mahirap tiempuhan yung maligamgam. In the morning kapag naghihilamos ako, or kapag time na maag toothbrush, ang dami ko nasasayang na water kasi inaantay ko na maging maligamgam yung tubig. Sorry mother earth but di talga kaya ng powers ko ang lamig. Di pa ako sanay. Whenever I wash the dishes, I wear rubber gloves, yung pwedeng pang garden para di mamanhid ang aking hands.

Everyday tanawin

Di naman sana naging obvious ang pagkamangha ko sa dusk kahapon while riding the bus home. Ang ganda talga ng view ng West Auckland from the motorway. Siempre mahaba yung motorway, medyo traffice pero grandioso ang dating ng dagat, mangroves, mountain range at ng mga sumusulpot-sulpot na kabahayan. Pinigilan ko lang ang sarili ko na tumayo sa tabi ng bus driver where the view is just awesome kasi bawal pumwesto dun. Masunurin sa mga rules ang mga bus drivers and most of the commuters. Pagbaba ko naman sa bus stop, dun sa malapit sa 'min, yung sinag ng araw na bumutas sa kaulapan at parang spotlight ang dating na nakaturo sa direksyon ng bahay namin ay isa na namang oh wow moment! Kesehoda na napakalamig ng mahinang hangin, kung saa'y nanginginig na naman ako na lubusan, manhid na naman ang aking mga kamay, nagawa ko pa ring ilabas ang camera at mag shoot! 2 clicks lang kasi naghahanap ako ng magandang frame/ composition. Maulap na kasi dahil padilim na. Sloping ang kalye sa amin so dun dapat ako sa upper slope ng road. Ganda kasi ng view ko pauwi, kita mo na pababa yung kalye, tanaw ko yung roundabout that leads to our house, and sa dako palayo ay ang mountain range ng waitakere siguro iyon. Basta, puro bahay naman ang makikita mo na naka pwesto sa slopes ng kabundukan.

First attempt to capture the sun ray along View Rd

Gave up and just tried to compose it along View Rd

So folks, kahit pa 1 hour ang biyahe from CBD to our house and vice versa, ok lang rin kasi magandang tanawin naman ang araw na araw na sumasalubong sa akin.

Celebrating Father's Day

 So it's the first Sunday of September and everywhere in NZ, most of the fathers are probably enjoying breakfast in bed right now. And I always thought that Father's Day is celebrated in June for the rest of the world. 

In a morning show, some celebrity guests were asked about father's day. They thought that it was getting to be too commercial nowadays but those young dads certainly wouldn't mind enjoying the day, just relaxing at home, having breakfast in bed and then enjoy a game of rugby on TV. Another dad did mention that they will probably have a trip to the park. Hence, no fancy eating out at restaurants or checking in at hotels. It's all about family bonding time.

I didn't see the hosts doing any advertising for father's day gifts. I guess that's what makes it different here. They don't babble on products and things that you need to buy. If there is advertising, it is clearly stated on the TV monitor that the segment is an advertisement. Hence, viewers don't get confused about personal endorsements and actual paid advertisements.

Here at the house, we were surprised by Nanay Arnie with a personalized chocolate cake and some cupcakes that she made last night. Our day was simple. We heard Sunday Mass, had lunch at Nando's, a Portuguese flame-grilled chicken house, then went shopping with the mom and her toddler while the dad went home to get some sleep (he had to work in the evening). More than two hours in the shopping malls, no stroller and then a 30 minute walk towards home. My legs were killing me!!!

Back home, i got myself a big chunk of chocolate cake and two glasses of water. Then it was time to Skype. 

Ang sapa ba ay stream sa ingles?

Twin Streams Project marker at Sunnyvale

Di ko akalain na kapag may sapa sa paligid, ito ay pwedeng maging dahilan para gawan ng cycle and walk path to encourage people to use it instead of taking the sidewalks. Sa halos araw-araw na pag-aaral ko ng mga mapa ng Auckland, parati kong nakikita ang ganitong daan. I haven't explored it yet coz I'm not sure if these are as straightforward as you'd see them in the map. Kasi if not, baka maubos oras ko kakahanap ng exit and I might miss my next bus/ train ride.

So I finally decided to take on that path last Thursday since I got home early (wala pang 5pm nun). There's the Twin Streams walk and cycle path just a few minutes from the train platform. There's also a car park just off the train station for commuters who want to leave their cars. If you live in the suburb, having a car is critical otherwise, you'd spend most of your time walking at least 10 minutes just to reach the major bus and train stops. And Auckland is known for its dynamic changes in the weather so it's not always guaranteed that you'd be able to keep yourself dry.

It was a leisurely walk. I loved the smell of freshly cut greens. I can even see the tracks made by the lawn mower. Every household around me were in the process of trimming their wintered greens. Later on I found a small playground and a bridge tucked behind the path. There are fences with backdoors that gives the house direct access to this little path of green. At some point, the pathway split. I felt that I was going farther from my route so I headed to the direction that seemed to go straight to a street - Millbrook Rd. 

Looking at the map and then at the actual surroundings, I had a feeling that if I took the left way, I'd probably end up near Henderson. I've walked that direction already just by following the streets and it took me almost 30minutes to get there. It was getting late and I know coz it's getting mighty chilly again! So I traced my way back to the house.

Seeing the familiar streets of Awaroa and Wattle gave me a sense of achievement for at least I know now what's in there. And it would probably be worth exploring some more next time. I can just imagine how discovering places like this could be such a great adventure especially for kids.

Land of Migrants

Kiwi Career Success Seminar
at Auckland Chamber of Commerce

Helen, the lady wearing a red top, kept me busy for the past three days. She facilitated the KCS seminar which covered things like the Kiwi work environment, tailoring your CV and cover letter and basically just equipping us migrants with all the right tools and linking us to their members. Did you know that 80% of jobs in NZ are not advertised? That most of the businesses here are SMEs. And that networking is essential? And it's often important to have NZ work experience. With this goes volunteer work. Volunteering seems to be well advertised to migrants as the best way to have their first NZ work experience.

It's great that there are so many programs here that aims to help migrants get settled. Maybe it's coz NZ is the 2nd highest migrant-welcoming country in the world. They even got all these refugees.

During the seminar, we found out that there were a handful of us who came in via Silver Fern Visa. We all got some strict personal deadlines on job seeking. There were the wives of principal applicants who are now looking into joining the workforce.

It's also a good experience just to be around people with different cultural backgrounds. Each one shared their challenges during job hunting and the cultural differences in the recruiting/ job application scene. After our mock interview session on day 3, everyone wished me well for my two interviews today. And that alone is already a big pat on the back for me for they've certainly given me that moral boost.

Walking Along Symonds Rd

Motorways, and the Familiar Routes

In one of my walks at the city, I had to cross a bridge to get to where I'm headed. And the bridge was actually on top of this motorway. It was a Sunday and there weren't much people in the city, except maybe tourists or city-dwellers. I took a photo of the motorway coz I think that's one of the many ways for me to reach home, which is towards Waitakere.

I like the walks though it can also be challenging for me not because of the distance but because the wind can get too cold even if the sun's up, especially in the city.

Then in the middle of this busy road called Symonds, my eyes fell towards this patch of green which I first thought was a park.  There it was, looking exactly as how they do in those spooky movies. An old graveyard, and there were quite a few patches of these in Auckland CBD. I'm ot sure if they're kept there for heritage purposes but they sure do give some character to this unknown city.

Graveyard near Grafton Rd

Then I finally made it to my destination, The Langham. I went inside the lobby where it's nice and warm.

Sunday lunch with the Cityfolks

With Myn at The Langham Hotel

While it may look familiar, the Langham brought so many corporate memories from home. So there I was being the first to arrive at the hotel since I'm the one coming from the suburb. Myn and her friends
lives in an apartment within the city and being around them brought a very familiar vibe. As if I'm back in Makati again.

These kind folks that I've met over at lunch takes joy in finding some good market finds for fresh seafood, in filling up their luggage with all Filipino food ingredients despite the risk of it being quarantined in the airport, and of course in the many holiday adventures that they've tried, or have at least considered or just looked upon.

They're all practically neighbors and everyone liked good food, whether homemade or as takeaway. They know where to find them in the city. They've been mostly living in Auckland for at least 4 years and enjoys the convenience of city-life.

After lunch at Eight w/ Waltz, Myn, Joy & Anne

Family Places at Auckland

Yesterday I went to places that's great for families with small kids. At Crystal Mountain, guests are encouraged to pet farm animals, ride a pony and ride a train. They even have some kiddie rides,  including a small rollercoaster where my two-year old flatmate simply had a blast! Afterwards it was late lunch at Western Springs Park, just across Auckland Zoo. There were so many families out today coz the sun's out and it's probably the first warm Saturday after winter. We still have the zoo in our itenerary for the day so eventhough it would have been great to just lie around in the park all day, we had to go again.

Auckland Zoo was full! There were a lot of folks with small kids, mostly toddlers either strapped or on strollers. The zoo got a variety of animals and blends in some natural history of NZ as well as some environmental campaigns.

We were in there for about 3 hours and I really felt exhausted. I've been out all day the day before and here I am again walking about. 

Kangaroos

 After the zoo, we drove to up to One Tree Hill. The hill is like a far with sheeps grazing in the pasture. That's the interesting contrast that's probably unique to Auckland, having a farm or a horse in one's backyard within Auckland. The house owner on where we went to just a few paces from our place owns a horse! And i see a lot of boats parked next to the garage in the homes here.

Sheep in their pasture, One Tree Hill

As the sun sets, I got occupied with trying to feel my numb fingers and in trying to get a nice view of Auckland at dusk. I can see how big Cornwell Park is and how many Sakura trees there are. I'm sure it's all going to be beautiful when the flowers bloom. I miss my kids more.

Dusk at Auckland Central