Ibyang
Ibyang

Deep Thoughts

Wednesday Flowers and Reflection

A fresh bouquet of flowers were waiting at my desk this morning when I arrived. They came from one of my trainees who wanted to remain anonymous but (according to my workmate) profusely sent her appreciation for all the work I’ve done in running the training program that she’s attending. 

It’s made my heart tender as I start my Wednesday on a sweet note. My trainee’s thoughtful and sweet gesture made my day! I wish I could personally say thank you but nevertheless, I’m thinking good thoughts of her and will say a prayer that she’ll hopefully feel how grateful I am.

Oftentimes it’s not the grand things that make us truly happy and appreciated. I’ve always been contented and fulfilled just seeing all my trainees present in their workshops, learning new skills and improving their craft. They don’t even have to thank me for it. The mere fact that they make an effort to learn is enough for me. Knowing that I’m a part of their successful careers makes it all worthwhile. 

The past few weeks have been quite stressful at the office. Some days, I’ve lost the equilibrium I have maintained and always enjoyed. But there are two words that helped me soldier on: determination and passion. Determination is what helps me bring order in every tangled a situation there may be. Passion is my fuel, the stamina of my heart, mind and spirit. 

Receiving flowers is the icing on my cake, a bonus that can never be measured. On days when things are getting rough at work, I will go back to moments like these to inspire me to serve more.

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Musings Over A Cup of Toffee Nut Latte

It’s very seldom that I go to Starbucks now. If you follow this blog, you’d know that I’ve been frequenting other cafes when I go out. But when I had my “Me” time yesterday, I decided to reunite with my favourite seasonal beverage “Toffee Nut Latte“. Drinking this helps me feel the Christmas spirit and somehow brings me to happy memories from my other home, Manila.

The Starbucks I used to frequent had a new set of staff. I was kind of sad and missed my old barista but the new one was good as well. He made my Toffee Nut Latte perfectly sweet (no need to add sugar). 

A few musings while I was enjoying my cuppa:
Starbucks coffee is really expensive. My tall latte with whipped cream cost me about $5.30. Most cafes here charge less and taste better. I find more value buying their coffee beans and making coffee the way I like it.

Husband and I unconsciously choose to have coffee at home since we’ve had the Nespresso. And because of that we are saving money. How? We save on petrol, we save on time going out, we save on money because we are not tempted to buy things we don’t need when we’re out and most of all, the Nespresso coffee pods are cheap (a coffee pod costs between 68cents-70cents) and yet we get great quality coffee.

Drinking coffee in the Philippines is expensive. Yes while having coffee, I thought of how expensive it is to maintain a “coffee lifestyle” in the Phils. Wala lang, naisip ko lang. Let’s not do the converting of dollars to peso because that’s not the point. I just have this comparison. The money you pay to buy a tall latte in the Philippines is equivalent to a few  train rides in the MRT; while in Australia, a tall latte is equivalent to one train ride. Also, we can find a good cup of coffee in Australia from AUD$2.70 to $3.50. The Phils has cheaper alternatives but in general it still seems expensive to me. While drinking coffee (in cafes) in Australia is likened to a basic commodity, drinking coffee (in cafes) in the Phils seems like a luxury. 

So there, just a few idle thoughts of mine yesterday. Have a lovely day today!

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Aussie Life Series: Darling Harbour on a Friday Afternoon

I’ve been tagging some of my photos #AussieLife in instagram which simply shows life in Australia. I’m celebrating my 7th year of living here next month and it still gives me goosebumps at the realization that I live in Sydney. I love this beautiful city. I love how laidback this country is. Life here is not without heartaches and struggles but I’m always be grateful for the blessing of being here.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a quiet afternoon at Darling Harbour. It is one of my favourite places in the city. It has immensely changed with the development of the Tumbalong Park and the new dining district Darling Quarter that boosts of several restaurants.

Here are few photos of that lovely afternoon. While things may have progressed in Darling Harbour, the laidback lifestyle still remains.

At Darling Quarter.  This place is a mixture of business and leisure establishments. They made this park for kids and kids-at-heart. They have two tables for those who would like to play table tennis which proves to be a good diversion for professionals during break from work.

At another park of the park in Darling Quarter. People sitting on chairs, relaxing. Some are with friends chatting, some are listening to music or reading quietly.

The Beer O’Clock Crowd. Being a Friday, some people get off work as early as 3:30pm and have a drink with friends. 

Relaxing by the Harbour. This is one of my favourite spots in Sydney. It’s just beautiful to sit here and enjoy the lovely little harbour and blue skies.

Blue Harbour. Australia’s got the bluest skies you’ll ever see. I never get tired of saying that as much as I never get tired of looking at the blue skies here.

The Seagull. He willingly paused so I can take a photo of him. You know the movie “Finding Nemo”? Those birds that kept saying “Mine, mine, mine!” were inspired by the seagulls in Australia. There are tons of them in Sydney and they like eating chips. And sometimes I do imagine them saying “Mine, mine, mine!” when we throw out food to them.


It is normal to see a stroller parked in front of a restaurant. Parents sometimes leave baby strollers in front of restaurants due to space concerns and that’s okay.

The Happy Hour Crowd. Happy clicking of beer bottles, wine and cocktail glasses are in full swing as soon the sun sets. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing Sydney in my photographs. Till next time!

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Being True & Tactful and Having Filters

Sharing with you my favourite quote from Dr. Seuss as illustrated by http://chrispiascik.com

I have this quote saved on my phone to constantly remind me to stay true to myself at all times. When I’m wanting to say how I feel or think, I look back to this quote when I need to decipher a way to express my truth without being offensive. This quote also gives me comfort knowing that I have family and friends who are always ready to understand the feeling behind every word I say.

Over time, I have learned to be careful on what I put out there. Whether it may be personal or digital, I make sure that what I say is based on my truth. And if my opinions may or could have hurt anyone, it wasn’t intentional and I bear no malice.

I have learned to filter what I say and write. Until I’m sure of what I’m about to express, I will not let it go. I will let a story show its end before I tell you what happened. Sometimes, I only share my thoughts when asked. While I share my random thoughts online, I have learned not to abuse the freedom of having access to social media. Once in a while I may fail to be mindful, especially when exchanging opinions with online friends, but most of the time, I try to be tactful. 

I have also learned to filter the things that make up my world. I stay away from people who are negative and those who bring out the worst in other people. Instead, I spend time with people who offer genuine friendship. I choose what I read, ones that cultivate productive thoughts and learning. I choose how I spend my time well by being aware of my priorities and values all the time. By way of filtering, I’m able to spend more of my time on people and things that truly matter.

Wishing you a week filled with things that make you happy!

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It’s Nice To Be Someone Else’ +1

Isn’t it nice to be someone else’s +1?  And even more wonderful if that someone is a person other than your partner or spouse.  

I’m not saying I don’t jump for joy at the thought that I’m my Husband’s +1. But you gotta admit that when you’re taken or married, there’s really not much surprise there. I will always be grateful that being married entails I’m secured for life that I’m my Husband’s +1 and he mine but what I’m talking about here is that it’s nice to have friends who consider you as their +1 (other than their partner) too.

At this time and age, it’s not easy to maintain friendships. Time spent with people is an investment and it is something that you can never take back. Time spent with loved ones will forever be in the bank of our memories.

I’ve been fortunate enough that I have girlfriends who will go out of their way just to spend time with me. It is always a blessing to know that a friend of mine will invite me for coffee or tea because she has a +1 invite. It may be a small gesture but it is one of the sweetest things that make my heart tender.

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