Left Down Under, Now Wandering in Vancouver

WHEN I created this blog in 2007 in Singapore, I never knew that its title would be so prophetic - "Wandering Princess..." Having traveled and lived in so many foreign countries for the past eight years, I am now on my third continent, amazed and grateful for the experience and opportunities that I didn't see coming. I'm learning that life is indeed full of surprises and that a way to enjoy it is to embrace change.

Australia is a really great country to live in. I enjoyed Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne very much. The spaces are massive - parks, subways, buses, beaches and churches; the local produce succulent, fresh and varied. I experienced my first winter in Sydney in June while the rest of the world was going sunbathing and swimming in seas. For someone who had lived in the tropical island of Singapore for six years, it felt like stepping out of a warm oven and into a pool of chilled mixed berries smoothie. I saw kangaroos everywhere, even in supermarkets' frozen aisles. I can say that my listening skills improved a lot in Australia since understanding Aussie accent(s) was quite a challenge at the beginning. My stay there has been a memorable one not only because of the good friends I met through BSF and Hillsong, but also because I got engaged and married there. ♥

But somehow deep down I knew then that the land of Oz was just a transitory phase. Just when we had acquired a cultivated taste for vegemite and beetroot, we found ourselves moving 14,000 kilometers away from it. 

Vancouver is an open door. It's a relatively great city like Sydney yet so different in vibe and culture. There are still unfamiliar places to discover, new friends to meet, and more food to taste but I am in no hurry. I don't know how long will we stay here and what other surprises await us. What I'm certain is I am meant to cherish all I've been given today. =)

English Bay Inukshuk 

8 Things I Love About Sydney (So Far)

EIGHT months of living in Australia has been awesome! I'm really grateful for the opportunity to experience life down here, where beer is like coffee/tea (they drink in the morning and for afternoon breaks), where the sports capital of the world is located (Melbourne), where I was referred to as 'mate', and where I was introduced to the most interesting jam I've ever tasted.

Photo by Anna Hwatz on Flickr

Here are my eight reasons why I love this place.

Quality of Air
In New South Wales (the state where Sydney is), the average daily air quality index is around 30 which is rated as very good. The city streets and the suburbs are lined with giant trees, that's why I always look forward to walks in the parks and to waking up to the smell of fresh air. Malinamnam ang hangin!

A Mix of The Old and the New
Bilib na bilib ako sa mga architects and engineers who created the buildings and common places in Sydney. Some of the architecture here were built in the 1800s but they are still functional and well restored. In downtown Sydney, you will notice that modern and ancient architecture stand side by side that for a moment you'd get confused as to which era you belong, but for me this gives it a certain vibe of cultural and artistic dissonance that I appreciate so much.

Multiculturalism
Refugees, migrants, students, and holiday visa workers are all welcome here. I've met a couple of Europeans and Asians who quit their full time corporate jobs and decided to come here to work in a farm sorting potatoes! How cool is that?

Hillsong Church
Holding services in a converted warehouse in the city (as well as other campuses), this church has raised up great leaders and made impactful worship songs that have attracted a huge following. Ibang klase lang talaga how they make songs that seem to echo what your heart wants to say in a prayer.
They have a new setup for Saturday night services, called Keeping It Real where speakers, instead of preaching, form a panel to discuss a common issue/struggle/problem they have encountered and how they became victorious afterwards. This new series is the most authentic, practical and enlightening service I can get.

My BSF Group
One thing I really look forward to every Monday is going to our Bible study group. The insights I receive every week from the grandmas and the younger fellow believers are tremendous. BSF is an international organization that teaches the Bible for free. They give us free reading materials to help us digest and reflect on a book of the Bible and apply it in our daily lives.
What I really admire about the grandmas in our group is their humility, wisdom and gentleness. I always find myself leaning in every time they give their answers to the 7-day questions.  

Double-decked Trains
OK, I know not all countries can have large railway tracks, that's why Sydney is lucky to have a large space for them. Their trains are massive and they have two levels of passenger area. Although the intervals of train arrivals are longer here (10-15 minutes during peak hours), commuting for me is still such a comfortable experience.

Fresh Produce
My tummy is always having a feast! Australia is undoubtedly blessed with rich and fruitful soil. I have not been to the farms but seeing the variety of fresh produce being offered in the market (and also by watching the telly),  I can tell that the land is very fertile. These are the average prices of some of my favorite food to eat:
1. Rocket, 1kg = $3
2. Raspberries per pack = $5
3. Brocolli = $2
4. Ground Beef, 500g = $3
5. Hass Avocado = $2
6. Truss Tomato = $1.20
7. Brushed Potatoes, 1kg = $2.33

Photo from ABC net

I also like that the groceries here have self-checkout counters for express shopping. Saya!

Winter Spring Summer and Fall
Since June, I've always come home to darkness. I knock off at 5.30 and my house is 10 minutes away from the office. But just yesterday, when I left work at 6, I was treated to an amazing sunset ushering the coming of spring. It is such a magnificent feeling to witness the changing of seasons. Now my closet has been compartmentalized, one section for winter/autumn and the other for spring/summer ("and I have an additional excuse for more shoes"- Lyubo), and certain activities are set aside for more season-appropriate ones. As a girl from the tropics, I find this quite a big deal. Now I finally understand it when they say "seasons of life". :-p

Thanks for reading! =)

Untitled

I was walking around the 'hood the other day just people watching when I suddenly came up with a short poem. Not out of insecurity but out of curiosity, I asked...

Freckles and pointed noses
Paper-white faces with cheeks of roses
Deep wells of brown, green,
And sometimes blue
Wonder if they’re saying
I’m beautiful, too? 

A Done Decade: Farewell, Twenties

 Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty. -Robert Frost

I love to be in my 20s. I had the grandest time living it - finishing college, enlarging my network of friends, working in the corporate field for the first time, committing a lot of embarrassing mistakes, falling in love, making life-changing decisions, knowing God, moving countries, saving for a house and insurance, and becoming completely independent. Sure, there were some things I'd rather not do if given a chance to re-live my life, but looking back I realized that even the silliest mistakes gave me something valuable to keep.

For some reason, now that I hit 3.0 I don't really feel pressured or anxious to join the society's cultural bandwagon. I often hear people say that once you hit a certain age, you should have already accomplished something revolutionary and have made a mark in the society. Jesus started his ministry at 30. Martha Stewart made a career change at 30 and became a billionaire in her 30s. Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity at 30. And my favorite comparative analysis - my grandmother already had seven children by the time she turned 30. 

At Madame Tussaud's wax museum

But never mind Einstein or my grandma! Life is not a competition where we are required to collect as many medals as possible. I've come to realize that each of us has a unique background, a unique set of experiences and competencies, and are created for a specific purpose that's not like everybody else's. So let's just make the best out of what we have and be who we are supposed to be.

Saying goodbye to my 20s has given me the courage (as well as a good excuse) to grab the opportunity to move to a new continent. I left a promising job and six years' worth of friendship and books to migrate to a country with reversed seasons. I have yet to settle in completely but I am definitely enjoying the change of environment (oh so much space)!

I consider 3.0 as a rebirth. I know I am about to enter into a new season opening up to a different set of issues and challenges but the past decade's memories are not far behind me. I'm expecting some major changes, especially on the anatomical front (ugh) but I hope to still be the same girl who's in love with life and her Creator.

Here's to Jules 3.0 promising to be the best daughter, friend, worker, and princess that she can possibly be!

So help me God.