Fresh Starts

I'd just like to inform you regular visitors to the Abstract Musings that we are transferring to a new site. Now i bid adieu to blogspot and head for a refreshing start. check out our new site by clicking here.

From the Land Down Under...

Finally, I have found the time to post. i know i've been offline for almost a week and probably you guys are wondering what has happened to me. not to worry as i am very much alright and pretty happy now that i am with J. :)

i arrived in Sydney last march 8. it was quite a bumpy ride, but i didn't get any motion sickness. my agent checked me in on a good seat -- one that's near the toilet! hehe... Qantas served us two full meals and the food was great. I didn't get much sleep though. I guess all that excitement and anxiousness kept me from dozing off.

when we landed in Sydney, there were lots of foreigners who also arrived at the same time as our trip. to my disappointment, the immigration department was packed with Europeans. Halos mahimatay ako sa amoy! Ack! LOL! it's a good thing it took me only 10-15 minutes to get them to put a stamp on my passport. otherwise, i'm sure i would have had a sneezing fit. hehe...

At the customs area, i really had nothing to declare. but since i had some valuables and gifts from our wedding with me, i didn't want to take the risk so i queued up at the 'something to declare' area. the lady just asked me what i wanted to declare and i told her the details. she then asked me to bring my luggages to the x-ray machine. i thought they were going to go through my stuff (which, by the way, i was afraid of because i had so carefully packed my clothes), but to my surprise, the guy there just placed my bags back on the cart after going through the x-ray machine and told me that i was free to go. phew! :)


when i came out, J was already there with his videocam. Kala mo artista! LOL! :D

We checked in at the Medina, near the central station. The two days were spent sightseeing. We were able to visit Darling Harbour, The Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Manly Beach, Sydney Tower, Chinatown and downtown Sydney.

As of this writing, am now in Canberra, still trying to settle in. I have yet to get my clothes out of my luggages and put them in the closet. the weekend was pretty busy since we arrived. we had to get my medicare number and open a bank account for me. the welcome parties are killers! mukhang tataba ako dito. LOL! the filipino community here is very big and close-knit so, it isn't that lonely here.

More kwento to come...

a not so happy birthday

yesterday marked the big 3-0 for me. and yet, i still feel like i'm in my early 20's. where did all the time go?

there was no big celebration at our house, since we had that early despedida party last Saturday hosted by my mom. and also probably because, there was an emotional strain in the air due to my impending departure. there were only six of us (me, mama, brother david, our two household helps and baby G) having a real quiet dinner. it was too quiet for a birthday celebration.

and to cap the night off, i spilled buckets of tears while i was talking to J on the phone. i guess i just wasn't good enough in keeping it all in.

i hope, when when my mom drops me off at the airport on Tuesday, she can be strong for me and won't let me see the tears in her eyes. otherwise, i am almost a hundred percent sure that i'd be an emotional mess at the departure gate. *sigh*

last minute details

it's the first day of the month. this signifies the start of a lot of things for J and me.

for one, both J and I are celebrating our birthdays this month, with dates just five days apart. :)

another thing to look forward to is my departure on the seventh for my trip to Australia. Only less than a week left before i haul my belongings to be with my husband at last!

time is of essence right now because i have to finish packing things and running errands before i leave for good. apart from packing my stuff into luggages and boxes, i also had to make some last minute visits to my dentist and to the salon. the works! :) tomorrow, i will be picking up my plane ticket at my travel agent's office and meet a good friend for lunch. for some reason, i have been putting off packing, but hope to do them during my last few days in Manila.

i am excited alright, for this is what J and I have been waiting for months -- to be together! but, i am also feeling sad because i'll be leaving my family behind.

by next week, i will be in a different land, with major adjustments to face and new people to meet. when you think of it, it can really be scary. but i'm up to it. at least, i don't have to face them alone. i have J with me. :)