Filipinos you meet everywhere including those in Sydney will share their immigrant stories at the drop of a hat, including their hard-earned dos and don’t’s in the new country. I can understand why. It’s because moving to another country and leaving your roots behind is such a life-changing event that requires a big paradigm leap. It’s a real watershed. You go through battles and hardships to embrace a new life and many insights are picked up along the way. It’s a perfect dramatization of the hero’s journey which writer Joseph Campbell likes to talk about. Every life is indeed a hero’s journey. The immigrant story is, I suppose more literal than most. And every hero likes to pass on wisdom to the uninitiated.
The newbie’s job is to sift through the nuggets and see which one can be fashioned into the right amulet that will protect him and further his own journey to the promised land.
–Leaving Manila and our comfortable life is in the eyes of many quite baffling, and yes, even crazy! I agree. But at the same time, life is about growth and discovery probably even more than just being comfortable if one wishes to suck the marrow of it. There is little growth that happens in a comfort zone. In the unknown, one’s senses are awake and astute as they make sense of life’s new configuration. In many ways it’s as if I have asked life for a renegotiation. I have asked for a different contract. I just hope I am ready to take whatever it brings to the table.
–In a new setting, it is not unusual to meet aspects of oneself that you never suspected were there. In my case, the obligations of house cleaning and all that have allowed me to discover some joys I would not have dared try voluntarily before. So far, I am enjoying my slot at dish washing. I find it is quite calming, and the act of submerging a dirty dish on hot water, and washing it, as a metaphor for baptism does not escape me. Our Catholic tradition says that one is cleansed of sin through this sacrament. In zen, the act of cleaning dishes is a good metaphor for discovering ‘original face’. (‘What was the plate like before it was contaminated?’). There isn’t anytime or any place, including the most mundane situations where one is not given the opportunity to have a spiritual experience.
Ken Wilber, my favorite writer talks about the only ‘real job’ he ever had which was washing dishes for Red Lobster restaurant in the US for two years. He says that as much as it was work, it was also part of spiritual practice. When one thinks about it, what isn’t part of spiritual practice?
–The act of settling anywhere, or to be more accurate, getting settled somewhere is as much a psychological act as a physical one. One meets the resistance that resides inside oneself. In my case, I know I have this fear of the driving test. The cars are built differently and the roads are facing the wrong way, as far as I am concerned. But I also know that our lives here would greatly improve with more mobility and so I must conquer this fear and go for a license asap. I also know that just recognizing a fear is already a gigantic step in overcoming it. The rest is not resisting the learning that I need to do to pass the test.
–For the moment, I find I have so little time to blog. Lydia and Erica are sharing this computer and so I have limited access. And very often, even when I do have access, my grandchild Ananda is forever pulling ‘wowo’s hand to go here and there, or do this and that. I thought I was through with childrearing already but apparently, I am not.
Just last night, I was getting philosophical and was telling my kids how strange it is that we had been thrown together into the same family. As souls, did we have a say on which circumstances, country, genes, social situation we were going to inhabit when we entered the world of time? Who knows! And how is it that we now find ourselves together in this strange place living this life that we’re living? Was there a purpose to all this? What is it then” What is the great mission for us, if any? Last night, we all felt a quiet, comfortable kinship that went beyond the familial relationships we had. In the closeness, we all felt lucky and even assured to have a shared destiny. But why God threw in Ananda at the last minute is still a big mystery to us. Ha ha. Who knows, maybe my great mission in Aus is not to do any great thing that is measurable in terms of the material. Maybe it is the simple task of helping raise this child!
Enough of the mystery for now. Ananda needs a nappy change!
****For a light video report on how we are doing here, watch what my daughter Ala creatively put together!****
Hi Jim, glad to see that you and your family is settling in nicely to your new surroundings. Looks like you guys will have to make do without the maids, LOL! 😀
Hope to read more of your adventures in OZ… Cheers! 😀
By the way, that was me posting the first comment, hehe. 🙂
“To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury;
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable;
and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard,
think quietly,
talk gently,
act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages,
with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasion,
hurry never;
in a word,
to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.”
– William Henry Channing –
Just wanted to share the above with you. Sometimes life is really not as complicated as we make it out to be – don’t get me wrong, I don’t think life was meant to be easy (how boring would that be if it was!) but simpler than we think.
Hi Jim. I showed my husband (who is British. We live in New Zealand) your first reality video that Ala produced and he found it amusing the ‘new’ things that your family has discovered like washing dishes, hanging out the washing, etc. I told him it’s so common for Filipinos moving to another country to undergo a big change like doing the house chores. He said he can relate because of what I have undergone myself when I first moved to NZ 4 years ago. Having never had to do any house chores or any type of cooking when I was still in the Philippines, it was such a big adjustment for me having to do it all but as you said, you discover more of yourself when you step out of your comfort zone. Kaya ko pala maging independent and it took leaving my homeland to be with my man to make me realise it.
Enjoy your new discoveries in Aussie!
Your former pansitan neighbour,
Christine
Hi, Tito Jim! I’m sorry I missed your despedida-cum-‘SLNPS reunion at Lena’s. If I were invited by the organizers, I would’ve been there.
But then again, I don’t really feel comfortable being around production people. I can count in one hand those who’ve remained nice and down to earth. 🙂
Anyway, please know that you and your family have been in my prayers. Take care of one another, OK?
I hope to bump into you again someday. I see my family emigrating to Canada in 2-3 years, if not sooner. 🙂
Hope you get a driver’s license soon!
Regards to Tita Lydia and your angels.
this post gave me that comforting feeling that no matter where life take us, the journey is always worth it.
cheers, sir jim!=)
Hi Jim,
You might want to consider having a couple of sessions with a driving instructor before taking the test? You can find them in YP or ask your neighbors for any recommendations.
snglguy–salamat
anonymous–this is beautiful. thanks.
Christine– ha ha! All pinoys REALLY go through it, I guess!
teena–Yes, we missed you. So you’re moving to Canada huh? It seems everyone’s moving out. Keep in touch.
Jey–yes. It IS always worth it.
Boni–uyes, I intend to do that. Did some driving the other day and I wasn’t half as bad as I thought I would be. Will get a teacher soon.
Jim
Jim,
Great blog. I wish I could write like you. You should write more books and share more of your thoughts and wisdom with everyone.
There was a reality show so much like your family situation that was shown in PBS. The producers hand-picked families all over the US and transformed their lives as early settlers in the early 1700s (that’s as far as I remember) Lesson of the story is the family became very close as they all have to do their chores together. There were no modern conveniences like appliances, TV, Computers, etc. I guess, you can track it down in PBS.org if you want to see it.
I’m sure your blogs are gaining more audience because of this.
Keep up the good work!
Ray
ey jim
some things went into my mind that got me into your blogspot.
there’s this breakthrough band here in manila called “up dharma down”
where its vocals reminds me of meagan aguilar. i wondered why she never
persued her musical career. i knew she had an album and has this great
vocals so refreshing from all the regines and contest champions.
all of these lead me to remembering to one of tv’s greatest moments
(for me). remember when freddie and meagan performed ‘anak’ in sa linggo
na po sila? isn’t that something? i don’t know. i never really liked
the song, but that performance was somewhat profound. it’s sad nobody
talked about it. i remember seeing danny javier teary-eyed.
can you tell me something about that one sunday afternoon? was there
a rehearsal?
salamat.
gilbert
dripsstation@yahoo.com
ray–yes, I did hear of that PBS show. The fact that we are outside our comfort zone and trfying to build a new one has made all of us closer. I hear it from a lot of immigrants that the family usually gets more intimate.
gilbert–The Aguilars had a sound check and ran through the song once with the band when they came out in our show. Meagan and Freddie are two great artists. I like artists who do NOT try to sound like foreign/american artists and who try to express with a native voice. Substance to me is greater than style. The Aguilars have both. Meagan has not been active lately and that is sad. Maybe she’s just in a rut as some artists suffer from it from time to time.
Sadly, Philippine media is skewed towards the gimmicky, the shallow and not the substantive. It is sad there is very little coverage of the fact that Mon David won one of the most prestigious jazz singing contests in England recently besting the big names who joined in. As far as I know, only Nestor Torre wrote about it.
hi jim,
de quiros also wrote about it
http://dequiros.blogspot.com/
http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=70880&col=77
nakakatuwa po yung video ninyo! hope it will be a regular thing. you’re such a creative family!! =)
hi jim,
i congratulate you on your migration to Australia. welcome to the real world now!
In my opinion, the real reasons why you left your dearly beloved homeland are the ff:
1) medical care here is free! back home, it will cost you a fortune if you want to get quality health care.
2) peace of mind when you retire. you can avail of the government social security benefits and other perks.
3) getting a good quality education through the HECS. That means, not spending a fortune to get a degree.
4)to distance your apo from her father as far away as possible.
regards,
Anton Aquino
anton aquino–in my opinion, you’re reason for writing what you think are my reasons for moving here shows a lot of presumptiveness on your part.
Who are you to presume you KNOw my reasons other than what I have written? Ask yourself why you feel you can speak with authority about something you know nothing about so you may know why you even write with such gall.
Before you presume to “know’ me, know yourself and your motives. When you have done that, then I will congratulate and welcome you to ‘the real world”.
Mr. Aquino:
Regarding the apo, unfortunately, our reasons are alot less telenovela-ish than that. I’m sure it would have made a nice drama. Something to break the monotony in the “real world”.
Sorry to ruin it for you. 😉
I enjoyed watching the video Ala created. Wow, it looks like a real life adventure, and Ala is really adjusting so well. Ananda looks adorable. She’ll have very little memory of the Philippines.
I wish you all the best and may you all survive the first grueling year. Oh yeah, we (here in the US) are celebrating 100 years of Filipino Migration to the U.S. this year.
Niknak
Jim,
I used to live comfortably in the Philippines. Di labis, di sobra… tamang-tama para sabihin ko na okay na ako sa Pilipinas. In 2000 I built a house for my family. Less than a year in that new house, we decided to move to the US para makipagsapalaran. Parang di namin maintindihan kung bakit namin ginawa yun. Pero ganun talaga. May mga bagay na di natin maintindihan.
Minic (www.minic.us)
To Mr. Aquino,
I am just wondering if those were YOUR reasons for moving but just in denial…
Leave other people alone. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things. You don’t have the right to “put words in their mouth”.
Eto naman si Anton (Antwan) De Aquino napaka-kontrabida. Hindi naman si Erap to eh. Hindi katalo to, ‘tol. Baka pakanta-kanta ka pa
diyan ng “Pumapatak” eh, para kang hipokrito.
Baka naman nagkakaganyan ka lang kasi, ‘di ka maka-alis ng Pinas at na-stak ka diyan, pawis-pawisan, habang umaahon sa baha. Na-iingit ka lang kay Manong Jim.
Oh, baka naman na sa esteyts ka eh, kumukulekta ka lang ng unemployment at ng welfare, eh talagang hipokrito ka. Ikaw siguro yung gustong-gusto kong tanungin, “Paano ka nakarating dito? Sagot mo, “Bakit?” At ang sabi ko, “Kasi ang pangit mo, eh!”
Pero si Antwan eh, ika nga, kung-baga sa “teks” eh, pang-gulo. Hindi iikot ang mundong ito kung walang taong katulad ni Antwan. Walang hiya, malisyoso katulad ni Hitler at ni Hugh Hefner. So relaks ka lang. Be nays, ok?
Ayos ba Manong Jim?
Boy Dimonyo
Hi Jim.
I am a newbie so to speak when it comes to blogging. I enjoy reading blogs written creatively like yours and your daughter Ala. Naku Ala, bigla akong naging instant fan mo. Like you guys, i am an immigrant (USA)who can certainly relate to your stories.
And to a certain Mr. Aquino, kaya di umaasenso ang ibang pinoy eh dahil sa ganyang mentalidad mo. Ang galing-galing makialam sa buhay ng may buhay, pero sarili nyang pamumuhay, di maiayos-ayos. Mas marami ka pang dapat pag-aksayahan ng oras mo, paggamitan ng utak mo, at ibigay ang opinyon mo…spare the Paredes family, ok? Isa ka tuloy sa maraming rason kung bakit nakakaturn-off talaga ang ibang pinoy!
Take care Jim. Say hi to Ala for me. (kala mo naman, sobrang close kami ano?? hehehe)
yehey!!! sa wakas… anjan na rin kayo sir Jim!
Hmm.. parang pinoy big brother family edition ang buhay niyo jan ah. Kinaabangan araw araw here sa blog niyo. =) Well i missed reading one blog entry. babalikan ko lang po muna. =)
Any Filipino migrators too na kasabay niyo din? It’s good thing na may mga Pinoy jan na nagmamalasakit sa kapwa. =)
nagustuhan ko yung sa “Dishes”. and the thing you said about growth… “there’s a little growth in comfort zones.”
I understood very well. =)
I have been reading your blog and your children’s blog in the last two years and I must say you all have what it take to make it anywhere.
I always become sad when I have friends who leave the country to work abroad,mainly because they’re left with no other choice. They need to become OFWs to put food on the family table.
Your story on the other hand is quite inspiring. And I actually feel happy to learn about your adventures in Australia even if I don’t know you personally.
A lot of people, relatives mostly, have been bugging me to move to other countries. Right now, I don’t want to. I don’t know if I will ever want to.
I guess your story tells me there’s a perfect time for everything.
It sure is fun to read about your ‘new’ life. Good luck.
I have been reading your blog and your children’s blog in the last two years and I must say you all have what it takes to make it anywhere.
I always become sad when I have friends who leave the country to work abroad,mainly because they’re left with no other choice. They need to become OFWs to put food on the family table.
Your story on the other hand is quite inspiring. And I actually feel happy to learn about your adventures in Australia even if I don’t know you personally.
A lot of people, relatives mostly, have been bugging me to move to other countries. Right now, I don’t want to. I don’t know if I will ever want to.
I guess your story tells me there’s a perfect time for everything.
It sure is fun to read about your ‘new’ life. Good luck.
got a question jim…
i know youve been to different places around the world.why did you choose australia?just curious.
hi anton,
i congratulate you on your migration to the state of ignorance.
you must be very excited!
In my opinion, the real reasons why you are being presumptuous are the ff:
1) you’ve had a rough childhood, perhaps you were abused as a child by a family member.
2) you’re going through a divorce right now. your wife can’t stand your promiscuity.
3) your life is so miserable right now, you’d do anything to be jim paredes.
regards,
Simone Cojuangco
Hi Tito Jim (I’m sorry, even though I’m a complete stranger and I basically grew up in Australia, I feel that I just can’t break the habit of respectfully addressing someone older, wiser and more experienced in life as ‘tito’, even if it’s towards a complete stranger over the internet!)
I’m a bit embarrassed to say that as I grew up over here I’ve been deprived of anything APO related except for the fact that I know that my parents once went to see you play in sydney a few years ago and that my dad designed a house in Alabang for Buboy Garovillo. But even though I don’t know much, your legions of fans are a testament to your inspiring presence as a media personality and from what I have so far read in your blog I can see why.
What drew me to comment is not your pop-icon celebrity status, but that in your recent posts, I sensed the same courage and tenacity that my father and mother persistently maintained when we first moved here. Although I was only four at the time we migrated to Sydney, every few years my mum or dad would retell the hardship they overcame in the first few years of settling in, and the older I got, the more I understood what they went through for my siblings and I. For our family.
That you are open to exposing your family’s everyday challenges with adjusting to a new world and a new life, particularly without household help, with only yourselves and each other as ammunition against disorientation, gives me comfort in knowing that people out there will learn just how easy it ISN’T. I think it’s nice that you’re showing that no matter where you are on the social ladder, everyone has challenges to face.
At the end of your post where you wonder why your wife and your three children were (randomly?) thrown into the same pot, our family also constantly wonders the same thing! We are the quintessential bag of mixed nuts. Even though it’s a lot of work trying to keep us together, we’re our own tribe. And after 19 years of picking up after one another, it’s made more and more apparent just how much of a team we are (no matter how much we try to hide it).
You’ll all settle in in no time 🙂
Best of Luck,
Michelle
grabe! ang dami ninyong fans Tito Jim! So glad to know everything is coming along 🙂 XOXOXO
hahaha. nice. i saw you washing your dishes here too 😉
wax on… wax off…
~C (for Cups and saucers)
P.S. just saw the video! you guys rock! loved it! good to know that you guys are using YouTube.com to make your transition more entertaining.
keep us entertained. i love the Parades reality TV show idea! it’s a lot better than the crappy reality TV imitations in Manila, and way better than those stupid Osbornes! there i said it.
please send my regards to the rest of the Paredes clan.
~C4???
P.P.S. one more thing. just a small correction. Ken Wilber did not wash dishes at Red Lobster. he did the washing at Red Roster Restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska. he’s not that cool even in washing dishes either 😉
keep it flowing Jim. enjoy your new adventure…
~C4???
Welcome to the greatest country in the world, mate! It is truly the greatest because life’s too short to be spending your life in a place that you don’t consider to be the greatest. 😉
Good luck with your driving. As you said, it’s not as difficult as it seems.
Siguro na-sabihan ka lang na mahirap mag-drive dito and you carried that pre-conceived notion with you.
In light of that little example, you’ll find as you spend more time here that a lot of paradigms you hold dear will eventually be broken.
Keep an open mind, critically evaluate your belief system all the time. Just because something is “traditional” (or makes perfect sense in the Philippine setting) does not necessarily mean it is the best belief.
seems you’re having lots of nasty commenters these days jim..don’t mind them,you’re too tough for those types. i felt pain in my heart while reading it too but pls don’t let those kind of peeps stop you from sharing those wonderful and challenging things you’re experiencing now. *hugs..
Hi Sir Jim,
Remember me? I was in your class 1st semester. hehe! Beadle of course.
I was surfing the net and found your blog. I’m glad to hear that your hero’s journey is doing great.
We graduated 2 weeks ago. My journey is about to begin… hehe!
P.P.P.S. i usually don’t engage in senseless debates and name calling, lalo na kung kababayan. but it’s so much fun to poke fun at Mr. Anton(a-hole)Aquino because he so deserves it. so here you go Mr. Antwan, take this and be gone! 😛
~C4???
niknak–salamat sa good wishes
minic–I know exactly how you feel. People gotta do what they gotta do. Not everything is logically arrived at.
anonymous, boy dimonyo, Imelda and Simone Cojuanco–thank you for the ‘defense’. I think he got the point.
greenmangoes–yup. nandito na kami talaga., growing outside our comfort zones.
raz– you are right. there’s a time for everything. But then again, maybe moving out is not for you.
Kristine–I liked australia because it is very family oriented and is not yet quite neurotic. It’s a first world country but not quite like the trest. It’s not even that modern really and I say that as a complimemnt. The eweather is, compared to Canada which I seriously considered also is more to my taste.
michelle– I loved what you wrote. And yes, we hopefully will settle in no time.
Patring–glad you dropped by. We are waiting for you here.
chaos– thanks for correcting me on Ken wilber’s employment. Glad you enjoyed the video.
benigno–thanks for reminding me of my mantra. I believe in embracing change. I need to be reminded when resistance comes up. salamat.
Mary Rose–How nice to hear from you. Of course I remembedr my most efficent beadle ever!! I hope you have an exciting adventure after grad. Please keep in touch an d update me with what’s happening gto you.
Jim
teka, pahabol…
A Mastercard commercial
dedicated to the adversary:
Plane tickets to Australia – $5,000
A five bedroom house in Australia – $455,000
Finding out your neighbor is Anton Aquino – Priceless…
Hello, its nice to hear that you and your family are settling in well in Australia – its a great country filled with so many opportunities for you and your family!
Driving can be quite confusing here (with all the signs and symbols to remember!) Don’t be so worried about the driving test! Get a driving instructor to show you around the different routes that the testing officer may take you. I suggest doing the test at Castle Hill rta (the roads are wider) or Mt Druitt rta (its a lot easier to pass the test there!) – depending on which one is closest to you! Its best to ring in and see what dates are available as some rta’s can have a waiting period of about 1 month and the times (between 10am – 2pm would be the best! less traffic on the roads!)
Best of luck! 🙂
ana
there’s no point passing the test if you don’t feel confident driving yet.mahirap nang malito habang nagda drive…eh buhay ninyo ang nakasalalay dyan…and be aware of school zones dahil may oras na 40km/hr lang dyan…
Mate, you’ll be inundated by advise from fellow Pinoys around here.
But one thing about this place is that there is no shortage of publicly-available information. You can pretty much survive here on info provided by Government. And you can avail of government services directly without the need for fixers or middlemen. Everything here is designed for self-service, even disabled people can get around here pretty much unassisted, and you will pretty much get fair treatment.
That’s all counter to another one of those Pinoy paradigms — you will get a lot of “advise”, but at the end of the day, you alone are accountable for the decisions you make and courses of actions you take because everything here is transparent, fair, and applicable to all.
Basta lang do your homework and evaluate all the advise you get in the context of the available info.
Hi Jim,
Greetings to you and your family. In your post, you mentioned about Ken Wilber, I recently joined an internet community, zaadz.com. Most of the members are also practicing Zen. I’m just wondering if somebody invited you to join. I am very interested in Zen but I have not started on anything yet.
Being an APO fan, I really appreciate your sharing of your experiences. Your daughter did a good job with the video. I enjoyed watching it.
Goodluck!
Reading your post and watching the video put me in a nostalgic mode. It was almost 4 years ago when I decided to try it out in Chicago from Manila.
I remember the days when I slept on a sleeping bag in my bare one bedroom apartment. I had no furniture. I had no car. It was in the middle of winter. Grabe… hirap talaga. But, it is worth trying out new things.
I wish you and your family the best. Something that helped me appreciate the transition… A Poem: Ithaca
http://www.polyarchy.org/enough/anthology/poems/cavafy.html
Maria–Are you in the Philippines? There is a zen community that is very active. It is a great zen community. That’s where I discovered it, If you are interested, send me a letter in zaadz and i will give you the contact no.
benigno–I think I am drowning in advice already but like I said, I pick the nuggets that I can use as an amulet to help me with my own journey. Some are precious for me to use. DSome are precious for others but have no use for me. And yes, thanks for the advice.
Mario–Ithaca made my hair stand.,. It is so beautifully expressed. Thank you thank you thank you! I shall keep this poem with me.
Anonymous–salamat. But please, no more Anton A bashing!
Hi Jim, Good luck. Ganyan din ako nung bagong dating dito naman sa Canada. I know the feeling of excitement and sometimes uncertainties. Ang maganda nga lang ibang challenges naman ang nararanasan. I failed my driving test on my first attempt, nakakainis na nakakatawa..kung gano kadali kumuha ng driving license sa Pinas sa ibang bansa papahirapan ka.
hello jim and family!
ipinakita ko sa husband ko (dutch ito at napanood ka nya sa isang concert dito 2 years back..cool mid aged guys daw ang APO, sabi ko, syempre ha ha) ang video na ginawa ni Ala..kahit pagod ay may ngiti pa rin sa mga labi ninyo 🙂
being an expat myself, i respect your decision to move, tama ka, kanya-kanya tayo ng reason at walang sino man ang dapat humusga sa ano man naisin mo. (i read the previous posts/comments)
tunay kang pilipino kabayan, dahil taglay mo ang tapang na sumuong sa kakaibang mundo.
kumusta fr. Holland
ps. your apo Ananda is a cutie!
wow. i dont know what to say. (most efficient daw. hehe)
yep. i’ll update you with stuff once i figure out what i’ll be doing and what i really want 🙂
how’s oz? will you be teaching there too?
Hey APO Jim,
I’m so glad nakita ko yung link ng blog site mo from a friend’s blog. Been an admirer of the APO. For me, institution na kayo sa Pinas (ooops! doesn’t necessarily mean na pinapatanda ko kayo…in terms of achievement baga). Sayang ang mga taong katulad ninyo na lumilisan sa Pilipinas. You’re such a treasure. Pero di ko kayo masisisi. I myself decided to migrate during Erap’s term. Btw… like you, I was one of those who flocked to Edsa during Edsa Dos. Kita ko nga kayo eh. That’s one of the things I admired you the most. Di lang kayo basta entertainer. You’re not afraid to take a stand and voice out opinion on important issues. Well, of course gusto ko din ang music nyo. Although Blue Jeans is not my generation, I love listening to it. Also yung American Junk. I bought your best of APO album before I left the Philippines at lagi ko siyang pinapakinggan sa sasakyan while driving.
Mahirap magsimulang muli ngunit sa patnubay ng Diyos at tiwala natin sa Kanya, sana ay makakamtan ninyo ang inyong mga adhikain dyan sa Australia.
hi jim,
sorry if i have offended you. in case you’re in the neighborhood, i would like to invite you for a cup of coffee. i’m based at Elizabeth McArthur Park near Samantha Riley Drive.
regards,
Anton Aquino
Nakow…Hmm…
Teka, baka “Fatal Attraction” yan, Mang Jim. O ider teroris o gusto lang mag-stablish ng fan base ng Apo sa Oz. Pero di ko titiwalaan ‘yan.
Okey lang Anton, me kape naman sina Mang Jim sa bahay. Tenk yu na lang. Dyas lib dem alon, ok?
Boy Dim
scud– Oo nga. Kung anong dali sa atin, ang hirap dito. But I will pass it!
thess–thanks for the bisita. I agree. My apo is a cutie talaga!
mary rose–If I can I would love to. I may have to get certified though.
Apo bodz–salamat sa iyong magandang salita. Tama ka, kahit saan pa man ang Pinoy, Pinoy pa rin siya.
Anton–No worries, as they say it here. Thanks for the coffee invitation. I will take you up on it one of these coming weeks.
Boy Dim–Let’s give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Peace on earth and goodwill to all, ika nga.
Champyon ka talaga
Mang Jim.
O, Anton, suerte mo talaga, mukhang
may praybeyt odiyens ka pa kay Mang
Jim. Mukhang naka-gimik ka a.
Let me ekspleyn, ang ibig sabihin ng “give him the benefit of the doubt” ay may mga isang daang OZ Swat Team at sniper doon. Okey? So ingat ka lang sa mga biglang galaw.
Sigurado ka ba Anton na hindi mo
binasa yung “The Catcher In The Rye” ni J.D. Salinger? Wala lang, tinatanong ko lang.
Okey, enjoy your coffee (kung matuloy)
Boy Dim
Hi Jim!
il just share some funny situations when i first arrrived in sydney some years back.
* went to pizza hut for a take-away (take out or to go sa pinas).. i asked for hot sauce.. the girl at the counter didnt understand me.. to the point, that i got annoyed and asked her if we’re talking same language?.. in the end its chili sauce pala dito..
* my lola came for a visit.. after driving and walking around sydney.. she told us gusto nya australia kasi may public restroom in every street. yon pala.. yong restrooms na nakikita nya eh.. “to let” signs sa mga buildings or houses.. kala nya sa “to let” (for rent or lease) eh “toilet”!
* naloka ako sa toilet!! meron pang poo and pee.. para makatipid!
* tumakbo ako when i encountered my first older guy stranger who greeted me and called me “love” … kala ko DOM!.. he was just being nice pala.. now, im so used to being called love, sweetheart, darl. so now whenever my bf calls me that.. i dont find it sweet anymore!
* first time i walked home from a station to our house after a night out in the city.. it was so quiet.. it felt like im in twilight zone.. so i walked in the middle of the road.. just in case, someone show up.. i can easily run.
* shock ako.. di sikat dito basketball.. criket, rugby sikat dito… kaya miss ko sobra months ng july to early oct (uaap season)..
* di uso kutsara dito.. puro tinidor!
oh well, i realised later on.. that aus is one of the safest place to live and everyone try to live in harmony regardless of color, background, age, status, sex. Im sure, in no time.. u and you family will have ur own “united colors of benetton” kada.. and ul appreciate and enjoy their food and cultures. greek, leb, indian, fijian, tongan weddings are really cool!!
welcome to aus!! share ka ng funny experiences mo while adjusting dito sa aus!
Hi Tina,
Thanks for sharing yor hilarious stories. Tawa kami ng tawa ng wife ko as we were reading it.
Jim
about the dish washing part, i agree. washing dishes to me is almost cathartic.
Nice site!
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Thanks for the great post, nice site to! It makes be want to do up my blog. What software do you need to get started? I hear a lot about this WordPress?! Shawnda