Ibyang
Ibyang

January on Ibyangram

Ibyang + Instagram = Ibyangram

While my instagram photos are shared on my twitter page and sometimes on my tumblr and fb page, I would like to have a monthly dump of ibyangrams on AWCL too. It is thru instagram that I share everyday moments and random finds. I use instagram as my real time mini-blog. Every end of the month, I’ll be choosing a couple of photos from my instagram and share it here because I have something more to say about a certain ibyangram.

My January was about milestones and celebrations. Other than welcoming the new year, the Husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary, my birthday and the lunar new year. The year’s first month is always about knowing how truly blessed and how enormously grateful we are for a having a good life together. We know this everyday but rings very true on special occasions.
We’ve gone back to our daily grind of routines. It wasn’t that hard to come back to work because I went straight into it on the second day of the year. The start of the year looks promising. Our January was occupied with the things we care about and we’re very inspired that it will stay that way the whole year. 
Here are some of the things that made up my January….

First day at work. Enjoying the silence of my office so I celebrate with a strong cup of UCC Blue Mountain Coffee & Speculaas cookies for morning tea.

Brought the Husband to work so I treated him to an Eggs Benedict brekkie. On the other hand, I had Eggs & Toast with Bacon.

First Friday mass at St. Mary Mackillop’s Chapel. Said a special prayer for my parents who are celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary today.

I found a piano and when I sat down, I realized that I’ve forgotten how to play and that made me sad.

My version of Laing composed of Kangkong leaves, light coconut milk and shrimps.

Stir-fried Ampalaya with scrambled tofu and egg. One of our favourite meals at home.

Shared a Club Sandwich with the Husband during our dinner meeting/travel planning.

Making good use of the our phone’s calendar in scheduling travel itinerary. We note the train we’ll get on, its schedule & other information for easy reference.

Late lunch at Grill’d: Chicken Caesar Salad, Chips & Beef Burger.

Tea time! Chocolate shakes and some Churros at Chocolateria San Churros.

Storm Trooper Cake and Star Wars Cupcakes in celebration of our friend’s birthday.

Will travel. Will write. A wall in Coco Cubano that showcased vintage items.

A Yukata Kimono and a pair of Geta (Japanese wooden footwear). These are old gifts I treasure from a cousin who lived in Japan for a few years. 

Anniversary dinner at TGIFridays. 

Happy 7th year to us! πŸ™‚ 

Baked Kale Chips. I snack on these in the afternoon or partner it with soup during dinner. 

Hubby’s workmate got us some treats from her Japan travel. It’s like she read my mind! Grateful she got us my favourite Kit Kat Sakura Matcha. 

A happy Ibyang Day! Happy birthday to me! πŸ™‚

Australian Open dinner! Korean Fried Chicken & Dokkboki from TwoTwo and a thin-crust pizza I made which consisted of Hungarian Sausage, Ham & Onion. On TV is the Federer vs Nadal semi-finals.

Nespresso Self-Serve System. Coffee shopping made easy.

What an apt coincidence that the latest Nespresso magazine features Tokyo.

Birthday celebration with family. They got me a pretty Sleeping Beauty cake! πŸ™‚

Baked Eggs with Chorizo, Beans & Sourdough Toast. Birthday breakfast courtesy of Coco Cubano.

Peanut Butter Besos. A yummy concoction of chocolate and peanut butter. So good!

Happiness is a surprise catch-up with a dear friend from Melbourne!

Happy Seollal! Sae Hae Bok Mani Ba Deu Seyo! μƒˆν•΄ 볡 많이 λ°›μœΌμ„Έμš”! Celebrating the lunar new year with Wagyu Chuck Steak & Udon.


I hope your start of the year was just as fun and filled with good memories. πŸ™‚

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Sydney Festival 2014

5 February 2014 0 Comments Category: Aussie Life

Other than seeing the giant Rubber Duck in January, the Husband and I also went to the city to see the Festival Village and The Sacrilege, both attractions as part of the Sydney Festival 2014.

We went out one early Saturday morning in January and started the day by having breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien. 

Ahhh coffee. We had quite an irritating encounter with the first cafe we went into that morning that we had to cancel our order and moved on to Le Pain Quotidien. Our latte and flat white cuppas efficiently arrived and all was well again.


My breakfast was eggs, bacon and sourdough toast. The scrambled eggs was one the fluffiest and tastiest I’ve ever had.


There were different spreads available and free for those dining in at Le Pain Quotidien. My favourite from the lot are the Blueberry Jam and Noisella.


After breakfast, we walked around Hyde Park and saw a giant inflatable castle called Sacrilage. Stonehenge is reimagined as a life-size inflatable castle– with everyone invited to have a bounce. This new work by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller has become a contemporary art feel-good hit. A cheeky, family friendly collision of history and art, Sacrilege is a chance for aspiring Druids of all ages to play with the past.


Explored the Festival Village to see what’s in it.

There were a few food trucks that served food for lunch. The line-up of food trucks were quite interesting but most of them opened in the afternoons.
Sydney Festival 2014
There was an outdoor library for bookworms.
Sydney Festival 2014
Cheerful blooms at Hyde Park that brought a smile to my face.
Sydney Festival 2014
We only stayed at Hyde Park for about an hour, just enough to feel the warmth of the morning sun and get a bit of exercise from the walking and exploration of the park.
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Happy Ibyang Day! :)


Today is Ibyang Day! πŸ™‚

As a treat to myself, I took the day off from work, stayed home, read a good book and took a long nap. Right now I’m watching Australian Open on TV while I reply to greetings from loved ones. As a bonus, the Husband stayed home with me too (he was supposed to work but changed his mind this morning) and he made coffee for me…twice! 

To everyone who remembered and sent good thoughts my way, THANK YOU! I’m blessed and grateful you are part of my life. 

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7th Year: Seven Things We Are Grateful For Today

Seven years ago, we said “Yes!” to a lifetime adventure called Marriage. 

Seven things we are grateful for today:

Our faith in God and the values that we share.

How much we adore each other. That after all these years we have remained in love and still find each other’s ways cute and adorable. That we are still cheesy and make an effort to surprise each other. 

That we are the best of friends. There’s magic in being the best of friends with your partner. We just have so much fun! Also, there’s so much respect that goes into a relationship when you treat each other as friends. 

That we have family and friends that support and love us. Our life together has been blessed by wonderful people around us. 

We are blessed in lots of ways, everyday and always. Married life isn’t always rosy but at the end of each day, there will always be something/s to be grateful for.

We share our passion for the things we love: travel, photography, food, books and writing.

Our hopeful dreams and positive outlook for the future. Brought about by a few challenges through the years, time has taught us to be resilient together. As a team, we learn our lessons and move forward together.

-o0o0o-

Seven years…what a great milestone. Thank you dear Husband for seven wonderful years. πŸ™‚

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KAWA Pro Strap For Your Camera

19 January 2014 1 Comments Category: Photography

Our photographer friend, John Fick has launched a project on Kickstarter called KAWA Pro Strap and is currently working very hard so that he’ll be able to share his product worldwide. If you are into good quality products, please head on to his page and help support his project. Being a professional photographer, John’s KAWA Pro Strap was made with an ergonomic design that is durable and stylish. KAWA Pro Leather is made Genuine Leather designed by Professionals. All beautifully crafted by a Master Artisan, built for Comfort, Style and Durability.

KAWA Pro Gear showcases a perfect modern style for the new breed of professional photographers who want to look their best. Leather camera gear that gives you simplicity with functional design.
Its unique features include:

  • Comfort – The only genuine camera leather strap that is built for comfort. With Ergonomic Design that conforms and adjusts to any body type for an excellent fit.
  • Modern Style – Made for simplicity with fashionable and sleek design.
  • Durability – A Camera Leather Strap reinforced with unique materials for durability and lasting quality.


Visit KAWA Pro Strap on Kickstarter and make a pledge not later than 12 Febuary 2014.
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