Spring Time at the Auckland Domain

My only gripe with spring is in the words of Mark Twain "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." 

and of course that makes me sick, and sneezy and eyes watery and... and... but oh what a beauty

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

Have you ever read or perhaps seen the movie of Alice in Wonderland?  This is the famous dialogue she shared with the Cheshire cat

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cheshire cat.

“I don’t much care where – “said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go” replied the cat.

From my personal experience it is true – in those times when I planned what I wanted to accomplish, I was most like to achieve what I set out to do. I guess the important key is to know what you want, and where you want to go and defining for yourself how to get there.

Not everybody would take the path you chose, and well you might get a few raised eyebrows, but at the end of the day, you know that success is arbitrary and so is failure. 

Focus on what you really want and what makes you truly happy. It could be your little boy’s laughter, the husband’s warm smile and tight embrace.  A day out in the ministry or a walk in the park…or simply as mundane as dark chocolates with a hot espresso.

However, at the same time, you have to strengthen your strengths. Living the life you want after all really means knowing yourself and the things that are important to you.

I often ask myself, “If I do not have to think about anything else, and money is not a question what do I want to have, do in my life?” And I often find myself answering in this line of thought…"I would like to be embrace in beauty, to look good, to feel good, and to be happy.”  I would then think of ways how I could manifest that feeling so others could feel that too.  It may sound “self-helpy”, but then again, you can never negate the power of the mind and positive thoughts can really lift a person’s mood.

I am not writing these from a life expert point of view, but I am articulating these thoughts for the benefit of no other than myself.  Because mind you, I can expertly drown in my own drama and I could really make mountains out of molehills you see….   

I guess the bottom line is, do not be like Alice.  Know what you want. Be like my 4 year old.  Last week he wanted McDonalds for his weekend treat, and just this morning he told me, he wanted 5-dollar pizza for this week’s weekend treat.  Such a tiny human being but can politely (“Please mommy, I want 5-dollar pizza, thank you”) and firmly tell me what he wants.  I guess it works for him, because he seems very happy.  Sans the tantrum moments when he is sleepy or tired, he is always either laughing or singing. 

So which way ought you go from here? Well, dream a little, plan a little, decide what you want, shutdown that laptop and go out there live that life.

 

Have a lovely weekend you all! 

Well hello there Spring!

It is a truth universally accepted that (channeling my inner Jane) spring always holds a promise of good things to come.  It’s more than just about hearing birds chirping early in the morning, or an official start to longer days and shorter nights.  While it has a lot to do about the weather, but I think it’s more than that; it’s nature’s way of telling us all that winter has finally bid adieu and won’t be back for the next 6 or 7 months.

..if we could all see the world through the eyes of a child
 we would see the wonder and beauty of everything...

There are many things to love about this season. Sunshine and spring showers always equate to rainbows! Any who doesn’t love rainbows?  The grass is green and the trees are in bloom and so are the pretty flowers (cherry blossoms and tulips are just love!). And there’s the anticipation that summer is just around the corner... and so, you start to plan your holidays! Ah Spring!  It makes us feel all young again.  It’s a clearing, refreshing and renewing season and it literally puts a spring in your step (it does to mine)

However, having said all that, spring still is not my favorite season :).  I am a late summer early autumn kind of gal when autumn is chasing summer away and the latter is adamant to stay. The season when farmer’s market and the grocery aisle spoils you with bountiful produce.   I digress! 

Well anyways on to spring, despite it being the prettiest and daintiest season (me thinks!), there are also several reasons why it is booted out as being my fave.  I am not really keen on the fact that the weather send really mixed messages, so you never really know when you need a hat or bring an umbrella.  And on top of that, bugs, bugs and more bugs! So you better do your spring clean.  And while pretty flowers brighten your day, the dreaded hay fever surely does not. It also means that seasonal cyclists are back on the road. Oh yeah…it’s probably me being a lousy driver and having inhibitions of sharing the road (oh well…)

But still you can never ignore the beauty of spring.  I know these snippets of photos will never do justice to the true beauty of spring but anyways soak in the splendor of New Zealand spring.

"Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?"

~Neltje Blanchan~

My first time to see snow

Thank goodness for the first snow, it was a reminder that no matter how old I have become, there is always something new to experience.  Cliché as it may sound but I was transported momentarily to being my 5-year-old self where everything is a sense of wonder and discovery and excitement on learning and experiencing new things.

This little fellow had his first real snow experience when he is over 3.  I had mine at over 30...not much of a difference, just a zero at the end ;)

I am now ever more excited of forever when I'll have all the time in the world to experience the  beauty and wonder of our Creator’s creation.

Bag Crush Diaries: Lunch and Crushing on MK's Sutton Saffiano bag

I seldom go out for lunch on a weekday.  I brown bag my lunch #frugalme because aside from saving moolah, I don't like the chilly wind despite the sun being so bright and sunny.

But since friday was relax at work yesterday and the sun was out shining (yes it's still chilly) I braved the chill and had japanese lunch with my colleague  near our work at Bien Izakaya.  Ordered some sushi, which just tasted normal (nothing fantastic) but the teriyaki tofu don (fried tofu with teriyaki sauce on rice) was yum.  Too yummy that I forgot to take a photo of it and realized only after my bowl was empty.

Lunch at Bien Izakaya Newmarket

But really the highlight of  my lunch out yesterday is meeting my latest bag crush.  There is this new store in Newmarket that I passby on my way to work from the train station.  I have been wanting to in and have a look; but it was only yesterday that I found the time.  And when I stepped in, I was greeted by my latest crushie.  It wasn't crush at first sight because there where a lot of other items on display that distracted me.  But I guess this little beauty stood out.  The picture below does not do any justice...

But maybe this would help you understand why 

And since it comes with a sling, you can carry it as a sling bag or cross-body for a more causal laid-back look...

The tote comes in small/medium and large.  I am liking the medium one.  And my matrona status would probably carrry the bag like this ;)

You can check out more of the store's display at Newmarket (The Brand Warehouse).  

What have you been crushing lately?

The Joy of Picking Strawberries

Its mid of spring and that means....Yes, summer is just around the corner!!! 

And nothing feels more like an NZ summer than picking your own fresh strawberries...Or for this little fellow, more like squashing them :)

Strawberry picking at Massey Orchards and Garden summer of 2014

He definitely have fun crawling in the strawberry field

Can't wait for summer and tick off our summer bucket list!

What's your summer bucket list?

Reset

“Is it really over?”

For the past couple of days, I have caught myself asking that question after the alarm in my phone beeps and I realize that today I have to be in front of my computer sitting in my office by 8:30 AM.

Yes folks, holidays are over and we are back to regular programming. 

While over half of the first month of the new year is over, I haven’t have the time to reflect on the frenzy of activities that my little family has embarked last year. 

When we packed our bags and left sunny Singapore to start anew in New Zealand (pun not intended), our purpose and aim as a family was to find a place “relatively safe” which offers great work-life balance to raise a family.  To sum it up nicely, “to have an abundance of the most important things in life”

Fast forward from March 2014 to today, I guess, we might have slightly lose focused on the aim.  While we strive for abundance, the important thing was getting blurry.

We wanted “abundant” time to spend with each other, but it has been replaced by long commutes to work.

We wanted “abundant” after-work energy to spend time meditating on our personal study and family worship, but it has been replaced by abundant energy drainers that left us tired and sadly undermining the quality of our spirituality as a family.

While I don’t believe that it has to be January 1^st for me to look back and hope to create a fresh start on an area on my life that needs to be overhauled, but when the hubby firmly declared that we need a reboot, I am with him 110%.

I know I’m probably not the only one who has wished that we could find a reset button for life.  When times get tough and we feel overwhelmed, there really has to have certain ways we can hit reset, right?

I guess for us, it going back to the aim and purpose of our family.  And no we are not changing the family mantra.  Yes the aim is still “to have abundance in the most important things in life” and this time is to really making sure of what is really important. [Phil 1:10]

 More field service time and a regular bible study perhaps

More family time

More energy

More vibrancy

I know the reset button isn't magical.  It's not like waving a magic wand and your life changes in a blink of an eye.  It's hard work people.  And so, we are taking it one step, one day at a time.

Cheer us on, please :)

How do you catch time?

time flies, time zooms...the only way I know how to stop it - take a picture of it

I guess I can now relate to the irony of this statement.  “The days are long but the years are short.”  It seems like only last week when we first set foot in this country, but now it’s November, in a month or so, the year will be over.  Whew! Time flies indeed.

We get caught up with the daily to-dos and the list never gets cleared, it keeps getting longer. The time and things just pass by in a blur, and then we wake up a year older.  Now that I’m a mama, I’m becoming more emotional.  I want to capture every moment and experiences I have with my little family.  I want to snap photos of my toddler who is beginning to have his feisty personality shine.  And when I capture an adorable antic of his, I become that proud mama, ready to share to the whole world how amazing my little boy is.  And at times, I just want to keep it to myself and freeze that special moment I share with my toddler. 

There is no stopping time.   It flies whether you are having fun or not.  The choice is yours.  And I want to consciously take an effort to make the right choice.  Time well spent, a life well-lived.  It's never easy amidst the busyness of life, but it's never an impossible feat.  

How about you, how do you catch time?

Snapshots from my weekend with my family.

went for a crochet tutorial session after Saturday field ministry and I made my first granny square, yay!!!
hopefully beanies and scarves for the little one soon ;)

caught the little one rummaging through my bag, he found an apple :)

barefoot at the park after the meet....

lovers at Cornwall Park ;) 

Hopping on the DIY bandwagon

I may be a career woman, a working mom that is, but I am a homemaker at heart.  And so cute knick knacks that makes a home homier really draws me.  But home-decorating can be expensive as what we have learned when we moved to our rental unit in the suburbs. And since we live under the down under, whatever is not made or grown here are imported and thus quite a bit pricey.  Well I think logical reason dictates that importing goods into the bottom of the world has to have a hefty price tag attached to it.  Anyways, I digress.  Now back to the cute knick knacks for the home.  *insert big smile*

Have you heard about Pinterest? Well, if not do check it out.  I think it’s an awesome site with an extensive curation of all things DIY and more.  A lot of businesses advertise there and it has also become a platform for people to showcase their crafty talents.  With Pinterest, Etsy, Instragram and felt.co.nz (the web is not short of crafty DIY inspiration), I too was inspired to be able to transform one thing into something beautiful and useful.

And when the sweet hubby gifted me this as a wedding anniversary present,

 

I squealed with joy! Yes that’s an exaggeration, but really while some ladies would prefer diamonds and pearls (but I don’t mind receiving these either *hint* *hint*), I was really happy with this gift because I can now find out whether I do have the makings of a domestic diva. :)

And so these two sealed the deal.  I am now hopping on the DIY bandwagon. 

So far these have been the projects made.

Throw pillows for the couch, to lean on or rest your head while watching the telly (that’s TV for us!).  And it’s amazing how these simply pulls together a lively spring aura for the living room. 

Cute matching curtains for our tiny toilet window. This pretty curtains can make doing your “business” here more relaxing.

With these small projects, the homemaker in me is equally pleased.  Casa de Martinez just got a little bit livelier and homier.  Just in time for the spring season!

I really do hope I can come up with some more.

How about you, any DIY projects lately?

What I've been up to -- learning the ropes

It’s been exactly six months since we first set foot in New Zealand.  With two huge bags in tow, the hubby and I bid farewell to wonderful friendships we have made in Singapore and with a heavy heart but filled with anticipation and excitement (what irony!) we were ready to start the next chapter of our adventure.

It’s been 185 days of ups and downs, highs and lows, everything you might expect from a BIG move from one country to another. House hunting, job hunting, and all the nifty gritty of setting up bank accounts, taxes, internet connection, mobile phones, insurances, etc. etc.

My how time flies.

We arrived at the close of summer and in a matter of weeks, the leaves started to fall.  And slowly winter crept in to replace autumn. 

Reflecting on our last six months, I can sum it up in one sentence.  “What a learning experience!” And the learning continues.  As they say “You are never too old to learn new things!”

What I have learned/discovered so far is that you cannot drive anywhere in New Zealand without passing fields of sheep and cows along the way.  And the rumor that there are more sheep than people in NZ, well I think might be quite true.

You pay rent weekly and not monthly.  It has its pros and cons.  I guess it helps guise the high cost of living as acceptable, coz when you sit down and do your maths, wow rent is “bloody” expensive ay.

You have to have patience in waiting for customer service to attend to you.  We waited for over a month before we have our internet connection.  And when we moved house in the suburbs another month of waiting for it to get reconnected.  Or was this just a bad case of chosing the wrong service provider for our mobile and internet lines?  Oh well, benefit of the doubt....

I learned that kiwi is not just a fruit, but it’s a flightless bird as well.  And Kiwi is also the name of the people of New Zealand.  Confusing ay?  Well you’ll get used in how to use it contextually right.

While Singaporeans like to end their sentences with a "lah", kiwis on the other hand end it with an "ay". I have been replacing my "lahs" with "ays" lately, guess I'm going local now ;).  Kiwinism (as how I like to call the kiwi slang) is quite an interesting topic that merits a blog entry of its own.

Driving in the left is ok, but wait till you get to the roundabout and then it’s a completely different story.  The hubby puts it simply, always give way to the right. Yeah right! Confusing ay!

And as what the hubby and I have learned, you will soon get over the stress of driving in the motorway (freeway).

A car and a house content insurance is a must!

Getting rid of your rubbish is expensive.  We have to buy a $2.50 bag that holds 10kg of rubbish.  Place your rubbish inside any other plastic bag and the garbage collector might just leave that bag in the curbside.  While back in the Philippines, if we want to get rid of extra boxes at home, we can turn it into cash by selling it at the junkyard.  While here, instead of making extra money from those old boxes, you have to pay to get rid of them.

But that’s a price you have to pay for living in one of the most beautiful country in the world. No matter where you are in NZ, you are approximately 10-15 minutes’ drive away from something spectacularly beautiful.  The scenery is just incredible.  From beaches to mountains to lakes to glaciers and even volcanoes. And artisan vineyards to boot.

And for a coffee lover like me, I just found paradise. :)

As our adventure unfolds, we are learning the ropes one step at time....

Spring has sprung in this side of the world



pssssttttt bawal yan ;) for your eyes only

The birds are chirping, the maple trees are budding and the daffodils are blooming.  Yes, indeed, spring has finally sprung. 

But for the locals and those having lived in this country for a number of years, most of them have commented that this time round the start of spring has been a disappointment.  Well for a newbie like me, it’s quite a welcome change from the cold gloomy winter I have had experienced a couple of weeks back.

Yep, we have made that BIG move from one country to another and that very well explains my very long hibernation. J Hopefully with the start of spring my blogging mojo would be back so I can tell you all about our experiences here in the land of the long white cloud – Aotearoa.

Do join me and my family in our adventures in New Zealand.  Kia Ora and till the next post.