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Ibyang

Friday Special

Friends have been wondering why I’m almost always on a day-off on Fridays. The simplest explanation would be, in my office, an employee is entitled to 2 days-off per month given that he/she is able to render 140 hours. That’s why some weeks I only go to work for four days. I usually take Fridays off coz Mondays are the craziest day at the office so I need to be there.

Anyway, this day-off is the first time in 4 months that I spent by my lonesome (just like old times) because the husband already started work this week (thanks to everyone who prayed and gave their enormous support). I was actually looking forward to another day out with him but surprise surprise, he got called in to start work last Tuesday. So now, I’m back to spending one whole day of “Me” time.

To make my day a little more special I decided to watch Mamma Mia! (I enjoyed it very much) and try out a new cafe named “Cafe Mondeo”.

I’ve been thinking of having coffee at Cafe Mondeo for like a year already but the location of the cafe doesn’t allure me. However with the closing of Starbucks, I thought that today would be the best day to try it out.

I only ordered my usual Cafe Americano and a Caramel Cheesecake.

But I didn’t eat the caramel bit.

I got amused by their chair…do you remember the chair from Pepper Lunch? Now look at Cafe Mondeo’s chair…

Eyeluvit!!!! I swear when I get rich, I’ll get myself someone who can customize my chairs for me and have something carved on it.

Then they have this very big photograph on the wall with a quote that said…

Poetic but very true. =)

I had a very long day today. Slept late last night because we attended Fr. Suarez’s Healing Mass (that’s a different blog altogether as I’m still collecting my thoughts from the wonderful and miraculous thing that has happened to me) and woke up early still because the husband wanted me to prepare breakfast for him and see him off (and I thought I could sleep in late but noooo). Was up at 5:30am, did the laundry while getting dressed, then at 10am I was already at the mall. Home at 3:00pm, went online, cleaned house, folded clothes, prepared dinner, cleaned up the kitchen. Now, we just finished the koreanovela we were watching for the past two weeks or so. Wow, I had a productive day. I feel happy, tired but relaxed! Pwede bang maging tired pero relaxed???? Maybe, coz that’s what I’m feeling right now.

Okay, I’m off. I’m really sleepy now. Need to catch up on lost sleep. Good night and have a a great weekend!

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Snowy Mountains – Epilogue

An entry I made on my Ibyang Doodles site:

Monday, August 11, 2008

After The Snowy Adventure

If only I could capture a certain moment in my hands and just enjoy watching it again and again, I would capture my Snowy Mountains trip.

The trip was one of the most perfect travels I’ve had. A shared travel with my husband and friends, it was planned but we managed to make it spontaneous, it was full of laughter (a pure celebration of good times), the weather was beautiful (sunny and windy during the roadtrip…then snowfalls all throughout our stay in the Snowy Mountains), safe and sound travel, spur-of-the-moment stopovers…it was sooo much fun. I dreaded going back home to our normal lives.

It was beautiful while it lasted.

Posted by Ibyang Sanchez at 10:26 AM
And now let me just say thank you to our wonderful friends: Jojo, Jackie and godson Caleb; Jore, Pam, baby David, Mamita and Jenny, for the lovely company all thruout the trip. It was fun and fabulous!!!! Until now our laughter resonates so loudly it still very vivid in my head (and heart!).
And thank you to my husband, whom I’ve waited for so long just so I could experience a LOVEly winter adventure. In The coldness that the Snowy Mountains weather has brought me, you have been my source of warmth . This is my 3rd winter as a migrant in Australia and I’ve been putting off going to Snowy Mountains for the past two years, just because I want to experience it with the husband. Just like any other shared experience with him, it was all worth the wait.
Each Snowy Mountains memory will never be forgotten.
From the preparation:
To the more than 6-hour roadtrip:
To arriving at Alpine Village and waking up to the morning greeting of snow:
To enjoying then snowfalls at Perisher Blue:
To finally having our last stopover on the way home:

Some things you need to know:

  • That Australia’s winter is from June to August. You usually hear Aussies say “Christmas in July” or “Christmas in August” because when the other side of the world is experiencing the hottest of days, we are experiencings the opposite.
  • Not all of the states in Australia has winter. We are such a big continent that the other half doesn’t have winter.
  • During roadtrips, you will see endless landscapes of Australia. This is such a beautiful country, it’s so mesmerizing. And expect animals crossing the street!!!–and kangaroos skipping infront of your vehicle (gasp!).

One amazing thing I learned:

That when snowflakes fall on you, it is indeed star-shapped! I thought it was only true on TV/movies that I see…but it looked like star crystals. If only it won’t melt, I could’ve kept it.

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Litratong Pinoy: Nag-iisang Bandido ng Buhay Ko

7 August 2008 7 Comments Category: Litratong Pinoy

Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy para sa linggong ito na may temang AKO (o parte ko).

Siya si Bandido, ang asawa ko. Bandido ang alias nya sa dati naming trabaho kung saan dun ko rin siya nakilala. Nitong nakaraang Martes lamang may nagtanong sa akin kung bakit Bandido ang tawag ko sa kanya, at eto ang sagot ko:

“ang history nun ay nanggaling sa dati naming workplace. yes, office romance ang drama namin hehehe. in the department where he belonged, there were two christophers…so pag nagtawag ang boss ng “Christopher!” dalawa silang tumatayo…so yung isang officemate namin, bigla syang tinawag na “Crispulo Bandido” (i think that name came from an old pinoy movie–not sure) na na-shorten into “Bandido”, na may variations pa na “Bands” or “Bandits”. simula noon, yun na ang naging pangalan nya sa buong company :).”

Si Bandido ang umuukupa ng napakalaking parte ng buhay ko. Bukod sa pagiging asawa ko, siya ay isa sa mga pinakamatalik kong kaibigan. Isa siya sa pinakamabait na taong nakilala ko at nagpapasalamat ako na siya ang naging kabiyak ko. 🙂

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