My 3 Sparkles this Season!

I.  FOOD!! - Who would deny that food is one of the most important element to spark up one's season?!  No matter how slim I may be, never underestimate my appetite for good food! :D Below are some of the delectable dishes that I've had this season:




Rub Ribs & Bbq

No frills American grub. Ribs, Wings, Rings, Fish, Chips and a lot more!
https://www.facebook.com/RUBRibsBBQ#!/RUBRibsBBQ?sk=wall

 

Dry Rubbed US Beef




Baby Back Ribs Family Brunch!

 


Fried Oreos with Vanilla Ice Cream

 

FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.





Lugang Cafe

"Lugang Café is the home of truly authentic Taiwanese and Cantonese dishes and more!  Cozy up in our warm interiors and get the best service from our friendly staff. Cap the day off with friends and loved ones over our special coffee-Relax, unwind, savor, experience."
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lugang-Cafe/195092840524714#!/pages/Lugang-Cafe/195092840524714?sk=info





Silk Melon with Dried Baby Shrimps

 

Taiwanese Stewed Minced Pork



Broccoli Sauté With Garlic



Black Pearls and Coconut with Fresh Fruits



FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.

Melo's

In 1987 Carmelo Santiago established Melo’s, the first restaurant in the Philippines to offer Certified Angus Beef, his personal favorite. Twenty years later, Melo’s is now known as one of the best places to savor authentic Wagyu beef, a delicacy that is all the rage in today’s global culinary scene.
http://www.melosteaks.com/



Pumpkin Soup

Wagyu Beef with Steamed Rice :)



Halibut (Canadian Fish) with Salsa Verde





Grilled Lambchops in Cranberry Mint Sauce

FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.






The Frazzled Cook

The Mancuyas and the Lees have come up with this unique and homey restaurant that will surely please your taste buds!

A restaurant put together with the mission of serving good comfort food with a cozy homey ambiance.

http://www.thefrazzledcook.com/

 




FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.FOOD.


Annapolis Seafood Palace Restaurant

Good choices of sumptuous Chinese cuisine
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annapolis-Seafood-Palace-Restaurant/105056946195808


Well, this season is not only about filling in the stomach.  More than the food and parties, it's the companionship that matters, making it more enjoyable.  As such, my next sparkle would be the people :)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

II. RELATIONSHIPS - People are priceless.  No matter how extravagant the gifts we may give or receive, it is nothing as to compare with the relationships built through time.





JEC TECH Crew @ Rub







OFG Joint Cell @ Max's Restaurant

 





家庭 @ Melo's





Too bad I don't have pictures with my relatives this year and was unable to see my blockmates, HS Amigas, and other friends this December :( 

Weeks before Christmas day, I was literally feeling down and depress.  For one, we were required to exert extra effort at work as peak season really demands a lot of time and energy.  Most of my days and weekends are spent at the store trying to sell as many shoes and items as I can.  I felt down, that instead of spending and cherishing this season with my loved ones, I was stuck on the call of duty.

Secondly, I can't help but be devastated by the number of bad news happening around this December -- that which includes the death and destruction of certain locals and areas by Sendong, the sudden critical condition of a certain gal who was supposed to get married last December 18, the mother of an old friend who has cancer, and my dear sis-in-Christ who was also depressed by some particular issues.  Looking around, what could the meaning of Christmas be if all these are happening right now?

Yes, I was feeling so exhausted and depressed that I couldn't feel the spirit of Christmas to the point of getting cold to God, Himself... 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

III. JESUS.. - But then again, ultimately it all boils down to Jesus as my best sparkle this season.  How did I get back on track?  Thanks to Jesus who is constantly guiding me.

Usually we celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Christ.  What we fail to consider is the whole picture..  Why is there Christmas?  Was it to give us a one-time, big-time event annually?  Was it just to gather all people on this specific occasion?  Was it to sell more shoes? Indeed it works!  But kidding aside, I know it's something much more than shoes, food, events and parties, gifts, even much more than the birth of Christ itself. 



Jesus Christ Born in a Manger



We can never stop on the thought that Jesus was born during Christmas.  In fact, I've read articles that December was unlikely the month that Jesus was actually born (that would mean more research to me so I could blog about it soon)!  The point of the matter I guess lies on this annual reminder about who Jesus really is. 

Jesus came that we may have life abundantly.  Jesus came to show us how to live in this world.  Jesus came to teach us about the true nature of God.  Jesus came to serve the people, to be persecuted and to ultimately die on the Cross for our sins.  Jesus came for you and me.

One thing I definitely learned this year, was that all things here on Earth are just TOOLS.  Gifts are tools to show people we care.  Events and programs are tools to consolidate people at a particular time.  Work is a tool for providence and for building social networks.  Money are tools used to help nurture our self and the welfare of others.  The list goes on.  That's why when we embrace this earthly tools, we may lose focus on the heart of the matter.  We may be drifted by the so called "Christmas Rush" that we may fail to see The One.

So how did I get back on track?  Jesus told me to slow down.  To appreciate the little things.  To not expect what I would be getting this season but what I would be giving.  To see nothing else but Him in every situation I was facing.

Looking back, I praise God for not being sick in the midst of my 13-day straight work (was just after that I got cough and colds O.o).  I praise God for the ability to sell around a hundred pairs of shoe in a week  :P  (as i said to myself before that Sales isn't my field).  I praise God that I was able to get to know the Sales People from my assigned store, to know about their lives and connect with them.  I praise God that I've had the experience dealing with different kinds of customer.  I praise God that despite of the "panic buying" of shoppers I witnessed daily, He comforted me to be still and stand my feet on His grounds.

As for the devastating news around us, these will continue until God knows when.  Maybe we've been celebrating Christmas in the wrong way.  Or maybe we've been living life the way it wasn't created to be.  Isn't it ironic how we begin to see and care after we experience tragedies?  No matter what the reason is, I know these exist to remind us the great power of contentment and faith in Jesus Christ;  to appreciate what we have;  and for us to present (v.) ourselves as a present (n.) for other people -- not only during December but everyday of our lives. 

Happy Holidays! :)

LOVE (III)

This entry is inspired once again by the book “the good and beautiful GOD” by James Bryan Smith. I’d just like to share that having this book is an answered prayer. Before stepping foot at the latest SMX Book Fair, I prayed to God hoping that He may reveal more of Himself to me through the books that I’ll be buying. True enough, timely counsel has consistently been given to me by God through this book, more than what I’ve imagined getting. My previous entry, A New V.M., was also inspired by a timely counsel from this reading. I hope to blog more of it if time permits.

A month ago, I find myself wrestling with thoughts about the word LOVE. I pondered about the society’s definition, on how that 143 word has been rampantly “clouding the nines” everywhere. The way I see it, love has been said if there’s a mutual connection at least between two persons, or in the case of none, if one feels strongly for the other. So what about the case of the other? Can that other still say 143 to the one given that there’s no mutual connection?

Honestly, I’m a kind of person who doesn’t easily say those sparkling words. If you would really know me, my head is often on top of my heart. Then I started thinking if it is God who I’d be telling it to, will I be at ease? I once surveyed in FB: “can you directly tell God, I Love You?” and to my surprise, I got too many yes and of course! feedback. I was like “Wow, really? As in honestly ah?” We are sinners, unworthy for God’s love so as to say I love You to God. Everytime I think about how God truly loves us; unconditionally and sacrificially, it makes me creep down, the feeling of wanting to hide from Him; we’re like a blot of ink in a pure white background. Just imagine that picture, don’t you want so much to cover that ink stain from the scene? Shameful.

The poem below I’m about to share comes from the book I mentioned on top. It revived me with a new and teary perspective. Love. God. 2 different definitions but 1 in nature. (Please bear with this lengthy entry)



LOVE (III)

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey’d Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d any thing.


“A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here”;
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”


“Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.



This poem was made by a 17th century pastor named George Herbert. Since the poem is quite old and the language is difficult, James Bryan Smith explained what the poem means (at least to him) in an attempt to offer some insights into it.






Pp104-107 ***********






• Love bade me welcome. Right away Herbert tells us bout the nature of God – Love (I John 4:8). Through out the poem, you can substitute the word love with God. “God bade me welcome.” God invites us in.


• Yet my soul drew back. But what is the soul’s response? When God draws near – really near – it is natural and even right for us to draw back. After all, God is holy and righteous.


• Guilty of dust and sin. Herbert tells us why we draw back; he never says we are anything other than guilty. You and I all know in our hearts that we have failed, that we have fallen short of God countless times, and we draw back because we are guilty.


• But quick-ey’d Love. Herbert describes God’s sight as such. God sees us fully and completely. He watches us, yes, but with the eyes of love and compassion.


• Observing me grow slack / From my first entrance in. Growing slack, in the 17th century, meant hesitation. Do you see the movement? God invites us in, but we draw back. God knows why – we feel guilty. So what does God do?


• Drew nearer to me. God comes closer. He sees us falter and steps towards us. Even as we faint and fall away, God draws closer to us.


• Sweetly questioning. Here begins a kind of gentle argument. God draws near and asks us a question. With my earning-favor narrative well in place, I am sure God will ask, “Why have you sinned so much?” But it is not so.


• If I lack’d any thing. God’s first question is not, “What do you have to say for yourself, you rotten sinner?” but rather, “What do you lack? Do you need something?”


• “A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here.” We lack a sense of being worthy. Most of us feel unworthy before God. (my thoughts: I’m guilty of this)


• Love said, “You shall be he.” Love responds to our doubts about our worthiness by saying, “You are worthy. You are because I say you are. You are because of my love for you.” Augustine once wrote, “By loving us, God makes us lovable.” Our worthiness will never be merited, achieved or earned. It is given to us as a gift, and a gift can only be received.


• “I, the unkind, ungrateful? ah my dear,/ I cannot look on thee.” But we have a hard time receiving gifts. After all, the whole world runs on merit, on earning what we get.


• Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,/ “Who made the eyes but I?” This is a shocking image. Can you imagine God smiling – about anything? About you? Look at God’s marvelous response: “Who made your eyes – wasn’t it me?” We say, “God, I am unworthy to look at you,” and God replies, “Can’t you understand that those eyes, the ones you can’t lift up to me – I made them!”


• “Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them.” “Yes,” we answer. “But [there is always a ‘but’] I have marr’d them. Herbert is saying, “Yes, you made my eyes, God, but I have not used them rightly. I have looked on things I should not have; I have marred them by my own actions.”


• “Let my shame / Go where it doth deserve.” Once again, the poor soul argues. It is here in the poem that the soul cries out not for mercy but for justice: “I am not worthy – give me not what I want but what I deserve.”


• “And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?” When we reach this important place, God steps in and says, “I will not disagree. You have failed. And you deserve to be punished for it. But – pay attention to this – do you not know who bore the blame?” God is saying, “Jesus bore the blame. My Son took your shame and you bear it no more.”



We need to stop here for a moment. Sometimes people talk about God’s love as being this cosmic good feeling toward all people with no regard for justice, as though sin were no big deal. This is why many do not think of themselves as sinners. God says, “Your sin is real. The penalty is death. But my Son, Jesus, took the blame. He nailed your sins to his cross. He is the judge judged in our place.’ ”

 • “My dear, then I will serve.” Quite often the message of grace makes us feel guilty, instead of making us feel joyful and free. And there are many preachers who preach with that effect in mind: “Don’t you know, young man, that Jesus died for you – don’t you feel guilty about that?” and the intended response is, “Yes, yes I do. I’m sorry, Lord. I promise to do better. I’ll try harder to do better – I promise! I’ll even die on a mission field for you. Just give me a command, and I’ll do it. I owe you, God.”


• “You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.” In response God says, “Sit down. Rest here. Feast with me. Be with me. Enjoy my presence, and let me serve you first. I don’t need you to serve me. I don’t need you for anything. I made you because I love you, and what I really want is to be with you. My deepest desire is not that you go off to try to serve me, but that you would let me love you.” (my thoughts: wow.. this part struck me the most)


• So I did sit and eat. This is what God wants most of all. He wants to serve us, to see us feast and rejoice in his goodness. One day we will serve others, but only as a response to God’s love, not motivated by guilt.



**********



How humbling the poem, noh? I mean the fact that we want to return the favor to God out of guilt has pride in it, like we can’t accept the grace that’s been given as a gift, like we want to prove ourselves to God because we see how unworthy we are, instead of seeing how gracious and good God is. Everything here on Earth, everything we do in our lives; all really is not about us.


God is truly amazing. As much as I love poetry, this poem will always be embedded in my soul to remind me of God’s unfailing love. May we be reminded always. Only when we start to understand the true loving nature of God will we only start serving others out of love as well :)



A New V.M.

 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  ~ Luke 10: 27

This is the principle of the greatest commandment of God: LOVE.  Yet many times, we fail to see Its deepest nature: SELF-SACRIFICING.

It’s been long since I last wrote my entry.  I’ve been pre-occupied with many things and thoughts that brought me both closer and farther from God.  Given now with the current struggle, I had to recompose myself outside the margins of God, I thought.  For a couple of sleepless nights, my heart was hard, enough to shut God silent.  Until few hours ago, I opened my book entitled “the good and beautiful GOD”, earnestly searching for comfort and when finally found cried honest tears once again…

In the book, I learned the nature of GOD as Self-Sacrificing.  Going back to the verses on top, God’s greatest commandment was all about LOVE.  I think that’s the chief purpose of why we are created, to fulfill that meaningful duty.  And Its deepest nature?  I could have said Unconditional.  Yet only God has the capacity to possess that nature.  What comes next after that, I believe, is Self-Sacrificing.

“God, who is completely free, chose willingly to enter into our world as a vulnerable child and to endure insult, torture and execution as an adult.  God did not have to do this.  If Athanasius is right in saying that the only way to solve the human problem (corruption, alienation from God, loss of the image of God) was by God stepping in Himself, that still does not mean that God had to do it.  There is nothing that compelled God to save us in this way.  In choosing to save us in this manner, God risked unrequited love.”  pp 138-139

We often wonder why God allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to undergo the most brutal and shameful death just to forgive us of our sins.  God being omnipotent, couldn’t He just snap His fingers and instantly grant forgiveness without the need to sacrifice His Son?  These have been one of the common distorted views of most people, including Christians.  Yet from the passage above, one can draw the true nature of God being Self-Sacrificial; not just that He sacrificed His Son which may entail coldness from his part, but rather God Himself, chose to save us by entering our world through a perfect human body, Jesus.  It is that God and Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) are one in entity.  God Himself, our Creator, our Redeemer.  Most of all, the last bold sentence struck me.  Where He created Love to be the most precious thing, He risked being unloved by coming to Earth to offer Himself in vulnerability to His creation, submitting Himself completely in His very creation that rejected Him – revealing His love in the most powerful manner possible – Self-sacrifice!

Is there a point sinking in you already?  Self-sacrifice.  I’ve read that this applies more to the spiritual leaders that God has called to step up.  Selflessness.  Serving instead of being served.  There will be a lot of spiritual attacks, specifically aiming emotional baggage that will discourage many spiritual leaders and be weary.  We just cannot settle for the human reasoning of ‘selected indifference’ to comfort us.  We need to battle the spiritual attacks by the feeding of God’s Word.  Only then will we see things according to His perspective and will.  No matter how tiring or fed-up you may be, no matter how weak and hard sacrifice may seem, and no matter how discouraged you are from nonreciprocating care, I am now reminded that God Himself, the One whom I serve, chose to undergo the highest form of all sacrifice because He loved us.  And we in our small moments of sacrifice, feel something of what God feels (freedom, release, exhilaration, purpose, meaning), if only for a few moments. 

I wondered why God gave me a new and different vision mission lately.  Deep within me, I know this is the valuable and lasting essence in our God-given life, no matter what our ministries are.  Ask me what that vision is?  Press HOME in your keyboard and refer to the top most verses again :)

The Clothes You Wear

Found this brief personality quiz in my friend's blog and thought of trying it too.  Pretty accurate survey? Try it out yourself and tell me :p

 

 

The Clothes You Wear

What others see from your style
Although to the untrained eye you may seem like a plain dresser who avoids trends, you actually wear carefully designed accessories and clothes that emphasize your uniqueness. You value your freedom and have an artistic mind. You are neither aggressive nor timid, but you believe in yourself.
 
What your nightclothes reveal
You are friendly and always in good mood. You are candid and helpful, and can be sexy at times too.
 
What others see from your ties
You are a happy and contented person. You are protective of your friends, honest and tidy. You are hardworking and like to be the person in charge.
 
What others see from your belts
If there's not a single belt in your wardrobe, you like freedom and are opposed to all kinds of rules. You are creative and very good at work that requires you to stretch your imagination. Your main downfall, however, is that you can be very moody.
 
What others see from your shoes
You are a person who loves simplicity and is sincere and open. You are pleasant to be with, easygoing and always in a good mood. You neither want to control nor be under someone else's control. You don't care much about how you look, and know that it's what's inside someone's heart that's important.
 
What others see from your earrings
You are probably a free spirit at heart with artistic talent. You are absolutely unique and are always coming up with lots of great ideas. Being happy is your most important goal.
 
The last analysis
You are probably a clever and adventurous person. You love to learn new things, and enjoy socializing with friends. Although you enjoy your freedom, you cherish peacefulness and like to spend time alone with your thoughts.




http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test102.aspx

Parable of the Lost Cellphone

One lazy day, work was slow,

Clock hits 8 so it’s time to go.

Got my headset and turned on my sounds,

Walking my way towards the home bound.

As I stepped on the stairs of MRT,

Something cut off my MP3.

I reached for my bag pocket to check,

“Waah my phone’s gone what the heck?!”

That was my first and fast encounter,

That made me burst out of anger.

Negative vibes throughout the night,

All the goodness loss out of sight.

Someone then told me that I should be grateful,

That I was unharmed and got home in whole.

After years of independent travelling,

Up there is my Guide still always watching.

Our news covers a heap of tragedy,

That makes us realize how blessed we can be.

Let’s offer to the Lord a heart of gratitude,

As he gave His life to save the multitude.

Australia Amnesia

Australia Amnesia

April 15, Friday (6:30pm Phil):

 I’m in the airplane at the window-side seat, 1st row on the left wing near the mini-pantry around the mid exit. I stared out of the windows. Down there was like a city map in lighted dots, sort of ant-like creatures moving on lanes with their antennas glowing. Well, those were cars in real life ;) As my eyes rolled up, I see a glow of horizon shading from dark brown to orange to yellowish to cream. Ahh.. The beauty of sunset right before my eye-level :) Welcome to my escapade; a temporal amnesia for rest and exploration in Australia :)

 ***

April 16, Saturday (10am Sydney):

Sydney is shaking! Up and down! O.o and so is my head. 9hour flight to Sydney on top of a 2hour connecting flight. Haven’t had a good sleep. We’re now heading to domestic airport to travel another 2 hours toward Cairns, our 1st destination of escapade! :) Domestic flight airport is few kilometers away from international. We hopped into a taxi and the flag down rate was around $4 point something. As second ticks away, the meter went crazy! Every second increases the fare by $.05!, every second whether mobile or immobile! It took us a total of $25 just to transfer to another airport in about 10minutes! Say hello to the new standard of living here!

 ***

April 17, Sunday (9:10pm Cairns): Escapade # 1: The Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns is a small city in Queensland with friendly outgoing people; tall, white, and well, yeah some handsome ones with nice smiles :) Kidding aside, what I love here is their discipline on the road. Most of the drivers do stop 5 feet away from a pedestrian, giving way, as compared to the Philippines wherein driving is equivalent to racing like there's no more tomorrows! The city houses a lot of open-air pubs so I guess meeting-up and drinking are the main social activities here. Our hotel is located near the beachfront. That leads to our #1 escapade: The Great Barrier Reef.

Main activity of the day: Scuba diving up to 20feet deep (how shallow I should say, just half of our local introductory dive!). It’s a sunny day. I went down and saw the wonderful underwater creatures; myriads of coral ranging from small to big, rounded to thorny, singles and chunks. Fishes are a big eye-catcher ranging from bright colored ones; yellowish angel-like, multi-colored stripy ones, reddish carp-like, and glowing-blue discus-like. A reef indeed for those healthy fishes :)

As I swam along, the instructor pulled me to kneel on a spot. As I turned my head, there was Wally! :D





The main attraction of the Great Barrier Reef lies upon a huge fish of about 6 feet long and 5 inches wide named Wally (pen-name from the scientific one hehe). He’s multi-colored scales shines from bluish green to reddish orange beneath the sun rays. What’s cool is he’s not afraid of people! Given the size, it also is a friendly fish. I’ve gotten the chance to get close with Wally touching his soft head towards his tail. Amazing. A connection with a different kind of underwater creature. Wally definitely made our visit worth the experience!

***

April 18, Monday (10:20 Warimoo) On a Train:
I’m currently on a train traveling 2hours from Sydney (back from Cairns) to Katoomba. As I sat here waiting, time tells me to write.

People here are amazing; strangers interact with one another engaging in good conversation as they sat next to each other for the first time (maybe this simple activity is the basic reason why western influences are strong). Diversity in culture can be found in Australia; from Australian to American to Korean to Indian to Chinese to African to Arab to Japanese etc. People weren’t jampacking (or maybe due to off-peak hours). Seats are cool here in the train; you can pull the backrest on opposite directions depending on where the train is heading. Weather is nicely cold of around 20degC.  People are disciplined and trusted. Everyone takes time to do everything; self-service ordering, self-service cleaning up, even self-service counters / cashier <="" to="" we="" what="" will="">>. You can even see old-aged couples still having the strength to pull their own luggage. Traffic isn’t so bad. Many prefer to walk.Cross the street and a-meter-away car would yield. Everyone seemed to be thinking in a straight direction that sets off an impressive country.

What truly is the composition of a good society? A good micro-culture directed by good governance maybe? I couldn’t exactly state how the government here is doing. But to my observation, no doubt, it’s better than ours..

I haven’t seen a single church since my travel here started, or maybe I wasn’t yet too observant of that. One of my journey goals here is to reconnect with God. To be honest, seeing a lot of independent individuals empowers me to think that I too can do life on my own (physically and spiritually speaking). Maybe this is the danger of such society exposed too much on the ‘self’. Oh well, these are only observations. I still need to embrace life here if I was to conclude. More learning and fun on the coming days! :)

***



Three Sisters Rock, Blue Mountain




Jenolan Caves



***

April 22, Friday (connecting thoughts of the day at Sydney):
Let me write something about the past 2 cities I’ve visited. To give you a look on what Cairns and Sydney is about, here are some observational keywords:

Cairns: Flip flops, Beachwear Everywhere, Barefoot walking, Shorts, Laid-back, Pub, Drinking, Smoking, White people, little diversity of Culture, 4pm store closes, Beach, Relaxed.

Sydney: High heels, Platforms, Dresses and Make-ups, Pub, Drinking, Smoking, Shopping, Fast-track living, various cultures (as in various from the ones mentioned above), "City-Lifestyle", Pressure, Explore.

Getting on Sydney with different race inhabiting, it feels so interesting to live in such and explore; to be independent and blend-in on what the city has to offer. Since day 1 until now, our trip has been a blast! It really feels so wonderful to witness how different people move on their own, and to learn from them. I felt the saying of how young ones wouldn’t want to come back home once they get the feel of living abroad. Could it be that I might reconsider this? But where? And when? Hmm… :)

***

April 24, Sunday (10:10pm Adelaide):

Adelaide: “The Streets” (suburb lingo), Pub, Drinking, Smoking, “Pokies”, Medium-variety of culture with part-time students/ workers.

We arrived here yesterday. Our hotel is situated in the city, yet few meters away are a lot of bars and “Pokies”. I can conclude that drinking and smoking is rampant here in Australia, yet this specific area, there are legitimate “pokies” and stores that encourage “pleasure”. I was really distracted and annoyed. Felt uncomfortable walking in such lane when we’re just browsing thru for a decent restaurant. Exploring this place wasn’t part of the plan, except that it’s an overnight accommodation for our coming escapade. I don’t know how Adelaide really stands but with all these, I wasn’t satisfied.

Today is Easter Sunday. Few people are out as most stores are closed. We got to spend the day at Kangaroo Island (2 hours travel by bus and ferry from the hotel) and witnessed many majestic things. Paint this picture in your head:

Beach and rocks + waves rolling high + Fur Seals resting and singing on the rocks + sunrays = Breathtaking landscape

Vast land + Big trees + Green grasses + Group of kangaroos resting under the sun + Sunny skies = Instance of awe

Sounds good? :) These are what I commonly see at National Geographic/ Animal Planet shows and now, it’s really so amazing how I can witness these pictures first-hand. No amount of words can paint the beauty of it’s details. All elements are combined towards one purpose: Glorifying God for His Wonderful Creations :) The locals here try to protect and conserve these natural things and creations. Hopefully, the future can still preserve the intricacies of nature :)

 

I thank God for this day on how some things can go unsatisfying yet turned out to grab my attention back to Him again. I haven’t had much of my QT as the days we’re hectic to make the most of our stay. I was reminded to pause for a while from all the earthly things and to appreciate the beauty of just the wonderful things made by God, Himself. After that, feels like nothing else out there matters anymore.. :)

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April 26, Tuesday (7:35pm Melbourne) On a tour bus heading home:
Our last destination for this day was the Penguin Parade at Philip Island. Let me just say that the little penguins were so cute! Think about Happy Feet’s Mumble when he was still young :D

Our tour guide briefed us about penguins prior to seeing them: 1.) Penguins send usually either their bravest or weakest to check on the area first if it’s safe or not before the batch comes out. 2.) The male penguins will build or find a house hoping for female penguins to come by, and when the latter likes the house, she’ll settle and they’ll mate. 3.) Penguins make a funny pig-like crying noise when they find a mate. 4.) Penguins come back to the spot where they were born and will bear their babies there. 5.) Their feathers are 5x thick to protect them on the cold and they shed once a year. 6.) Penguins are birds, not fish (just in case some may still not know lol).

Actual Scenario: Sun was already so low that it’s almost night time. There were wooden paths and stairs built for people. Outside those were already the penguins’ property; ocean to shore towards grasses and bushes. The lights were so dimmed, much like a lantern hung for every meter lighting the place. We were on the wooden stairs similar to an arena structure on the shore.

6:20pm; a little penguin (about an arm-sized high with dark bluish feather on top and white on the tummy part) came walking by, alone! Amazing how brave (or weak) he must be :p He stood there for few minutes. Then another one came walking by him. After about a quarter, many penguins swam out of the ocean making their way towards the shore to the grasses! <="" of="" penguin="" the="" to="" walk="">They scattered everywhere in the bushes!  After about 10 minutes, another batch came walking by.  They stood there for a while.  This time, it’s a She.  The female batch then walk towards the bushes, scattered.  After such time, we can hear funny pig-like noises crying out!  Boom!  I even saw a couple of penguin raising their wings sort of embracing each other.  So cute!  There were even some group of females walking pass a male and you can’t help feel sad for the latter, “busted”..  He was left there alone looking out, waiting.  So cute!!! :p Perhaps another batch might come by his way again :) Everything was really amazing! I was smiling the whole time thinking how cute they were even in the "courtship" period :p Too bad no photos are allowed as the flash might damage the sensitive eyes of the penguin . Overall, i'd say it's a must to take that tour and see them! :P

The night ended with the skies so bright lit by countless stars above, as in countless! Imagine a scene full of nature where no hard constructions took place (no skyscrapers AT ALL). The skies were so wide open giving way to visibility to a heap of stars! That’s Philip Island, a small island about 3 hour drive from Melbourne, hectares of green lands and free animals roaming around. The evening was so memorable and I’m so in love with the landscape, the penguins, and the stars, oh so lovely :)

Koalas sleep around 20hours a day

They are the only animal to eat eucalyptus leaves which is a low-energy meal that's why they sleep most of the day.  They don't drink water unless they're really sick.

Koala has a smiling face whenever they sleep :)

Feeding a wallaby :)

Wallaby, a family of kangaroo but smaller in size

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April 29, Sunday (2:44pm Melbourne):

Melbourne: Black tights, dresses, boots, tunics, loose shirts, flats. Various cultures in friendships and relationships. Shopping galore, additional discounts for tourists. Tram, uniquely-Melbourne driving. Self-serve cashier!

*Sigh.. Today is the last day of our trip. Is this really it? I don’t feel like going home yet. Everything is new here and going back means living the old life once again, so to say.

Traveling is like going on to another dimension having the opportunity to learn new things and blend in with new cultures. It’s pretty interesting that every place has its own identity. That’s what makes traveling fun, aside from the temporal amnesia of stress and responsibilities back home hehe.

Well, I guess this is it. 15 days of rest and exploration. It’s time to go back to the real world once again. I thank God for the wonderful things I’ve seen and learned, for the breathtaking moments and all the revelation of important things in my life from God.  He is indeed Majestic! Time to wake up! :) I miss my friends. Home Sweet Home :)

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