HAPPY OZ ANNIVERSARY TO US!

A year ago today, the four of us packed up our stuff and left the only country we have known our whole lives and we embarked to start a new life in a place we had never been before. Talk about an adventure! I had never done anything so daring before. I had only seen Australia in pictures. The only image I had of Australia was the Sydney Opera House, and pictures of koalas chewing on eucalyptus leaves. I mean, at least with America, I had images of actual houses and suburbs, scenes of everyday living, not just tourist attractions. We did not know more than five people in Australia, and those five people had only been in Australia 6 months longer than us (I am referring to the Mangahas family). This move was really a leap of faith.

I must admit, this past year has been the lowest we have ever felt, collectively as a family, and yet, it has also brought a certain stability into our lives. Rather than dwelling on the downside of this past year, I choose to celebrate the achievements that we have attained, both individually and collectively. This is my own SONA -- State of the Nation Address.


1. DRIVER'S LICENCES! Edge got his on the first go, a major achievement if you ask anyone who has tried converting an oversears licence. We had heard horror stories of people who took the driving test 11 times! (I do admire that person for his perseverance and determination though!) I got mine on the much-publicized second go, which isn't too bad. Most of my friends (all 4 of them!) got their licences on the second go as well.

2. BEDROOM SUITE! For the first time in my life, I had bedroom furniture that matched. After sleeping on the floor for 2 1/2 months, I decided that enough was enough. We found a store that sold us a suite composed of a wooden frame, an orthopedic mattress, two sidetables and a tallboy at a 12 months interest-free plan. We will finish payment for this in January 2006.

3. CAR We felt so sorry for ourselves pushing a full grocery cart home, with two kids in tow, under the hot summer sun. To make things worse, the sidewalk was not even, so the cart would keep sliding off to the road. Thank goodness for angels like my cousin Angelica, who lent us her car for a couple of months. When she had to get it back, we just couldn't bear the thought of pushing that cart anymore, so we applied for a loan. After only 5 months in the country, the bank approved our loan and we were able to buy a second hand car that could pass for brand new. And we got it at a really good price too.

4. THE KIDS ARE IN GOOD SCHOOLS We were able to find good schools for Diego and Luis. Luis' daycare is just wonderful, with caring and affectionate teachers looking after the kids. Luis has learned so many things like his colors, shapes and some letters. Diego is at a good school too, and is doing quite well. Although we are giving him this first year to adjust, he is starting to show good skills in Math and Reading.

5. WE HAVE OUR OWN PLACE After living with Tito Jim's friends for a month, Edge got a job, found our own apartment and filled it up with the necessary furniture and appliances. Our house is now almost complete. The only room needing some help is the sala!

6. LUIS HAS WEANED FROM THE BREAST AND BOTTLE Last Christmas, I told Luis that we were going to stop breastfeeding. I expected it would take us at least a month to finally get it done, but he did it in a week! Before, he would need to nurse to get to sleep. Now, just like his kuya, he likes to hold my ear to put himself to sleep.

7. LUIS IS TOILET TRAINED With much help from his daycare, Luis does not wear diapers anymore! This has saved us a lot of money and has lessened the number of diapers that are non-biodegradeable!

8. DIEGO HAS A GOOD APPETITE In Manila, Diego was such a picky eater, and was so payat. Now, although still payat and the second smallest in his class, his cheeks are filling out and he has outgrown many of the clothes we brought from Manila. It is not difficult to feed him anymore. He eats what we serve, and he finishes it without any threats from us!

9. I HAVE AN ALMOST-JOB I applied at the Department of Community Services and they have me on an eligibility list.

10. The kids are being brought up the way we want because it is being done by us parents, and no one else. Although sometimes I want to pack them into balikbayan boxes and send them home to Manila, I am quite pleased with how they are turning out.

11. I'VE LEARNED SO MANY THINGS like cooking. I'm now an expert at washing dishes and I derive great satisfaction at seeing a pile of dry, clean laundry. I came up with this blog, figured out how to alter it according to my specifications (though I'm still frustrated because I only have Photo Editor and Paint), and I've taken up baking again (much to the dismay of all our waist lines)

12. WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP I really felt that this move would either bring us closer together, or tear us further apart. I'm glad it was the former. Myrene told me that this is usually the case. Because you have no one else but each other, you form a stronger bond. We laugh a lot more than we used to, we tease each other more, and we play with the kids a lot more too.

So although our careers have been in the pits of despair, this past year has not been a total waste of time. I guess we really needed this time to take care of things that we were too busy to take care of in the hectic pace of our lives in Manila. I guess this is happening to us now, before our lives here in Sydney start to get hectic as well. This first year has been about strengthening the foundation and laying the groundwork. After all, you need a solid foundation if you're going to build a skyscraper, right?

Hopefully my SONA next year will list more achievements in the area of careers and fulfillment of dreams. Among our goals for next year are to get permanent, full-time jobs that pay well, start saving to buy our own house in a good neighborhood, and travel to the US for Edge's family reunion.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?