Saturdate with friends

I have been living in foreign countries for more than four years now, and I must say it's one of the best experiences in life. The initial move was daunting as I knew I was traversing unfamiliar grounds where I would encounter people from different cultures with different languages. But being surrounded with people who are different from me is a very pleasurable learning experience because these people compel me see the world through a different vantage point. I really enjoy meeting new friends and actually forming a tight bond within our close circle. But I like to keep my circle of friends somewhat small because a big one is definitely doomed to collapse. Luckily, I have already met a number of friends whom I think will stick with me through thick or thin. When living in a foreign country, the best way to survive is to have really good friends whom you can laugh, cry and eat with!

I really enjoy trying all sorts of dishes. When I was living in Belgium, I would normally spend almost every Fridays nights having dinner with friends. Food makes jokes a lot funnier for some reasons. 

Moving here, I spend my Friday almost in the same manner. And maybe even better because I go out a lot on the weekends too! 

Yesterday, I went to my friends' place and spent more than an hour playing in the pool all by myself. I was having fun a lot until I realized I was the only person in the pool and the people who saw me smiling on my own probably thought I was crazy. After realizing how weird it was I was smiling on my own, I tried to keep the smiles to myself so they would not think I was losing it.  

It was getting dark so I went inside my friends' flat where we spent the rest of the night chatting and laughing. They cooked a lot! And they were all very delicious. They cooked Chinese food (because they are Chinese). Even though China and my country of origin  are not in very good terms, I cannot bring myself to fully hate China because I have Chinese blood myself. Doing so would be tantamount to hating my own ancestors.  Anyway, I really love my friends--whatever are their nationalities!

I really enjoyed my Saturday. Meanwhile, I gotta run again as I need to meet my girls in the city today. Life is good when you have awesome friends.

Holidays

I got back to my flat yesterday and since then I have been tidying up my nook, cooking, daydreaming and planning for the weeks ahead.  I really love holidays! But I can honestly only enjoy 4-5 weeks of holidays. The first and second weeks are vibrant and colorful. The lack-of-purpose-in-life feeling begins to kick in come the end of the third week. On the fourth week, boredom crawls through every inch of my skin. On the fifth week, I start thinking about ways to kill boredom. On the sixth week until who knows when, I start running aimlessly on a limbo and start imagining what life would be like if I lived in hell instead. Taking long holidays isn't as gratifying as short ones because money does not grow on trees. But maybe if I could grow a money tree in my backyard, it would have been a different story. I would definitely wander around the world through land, sea and sky! 

Goals 1 to 5 for 2016

For someone who loves sunshine but hates UV rays!

The sunshine of my life.

I've been sitting on a makeshift study table for nearly an hour now while patiently hoping a trickle of inspiration would drop off the sky so I can finally type the first word for a paper which I ought to write to pass the first year of my PhD. Instead of waiting for that trickle of inspiration to come, I thought maybe it would be more efficient if I try to scoop some of the thoughts which are causing distractions. I have honestly been a bit down since my 27th birthday--when the person I loved the most in this planet could not remember me.  But just the other day, she finally remembered! And that smile of hers just painted my black and blue universe with all the colors one could possibly imagine! 

The past few days, I have been pondering on what I am passionate about. Suddenly it struck me that I really love old people. Had I pursued medical school, I would probably opt to specialize on geriatrics. When I visited a nursing home just this month and I thought it would be awesome if I could do volunteer works if I had time. Old people make my heart melt in the same manner as kids would do to kindergarten teachers. Hopefully, I can do some volunteer works next year. Although I think it would be quite difficult to go to nursing homes if I don't have a car. It's so inconvenient to live in Australia without a personal vehicle. I'm planning to get my license soon so I can start learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road. One reason why I decided not to get used to driving in Philippines is because I knew I was going to live in Australia. I have the poorest sense of direction one can possibly imagine. A simple "left or right" is honestly like a maze in my brain.

Having blurted out the paragraph above, two of my goals for 2016 are: (1) get a driver's license and (2) visit nursing homes.

I also want to do more physical activities. This year I learned how to ride a bike for the first time. To ride the bike, it took me one day and 30 bruises! My grandma did not allow me to ride a bike when I was young because she did not want me to get hurt. But cycling seemed really fun so I decided to learn. I couldn't be wrong! Hence, another goal for 2016 is: (3) go cycling by the river in Brisbane!

I also want to conquer the ocean. But this goal will probably be more difficult to achieve than most goals because to do it, I need to overcome my phobia! I nearly died drowning in an open ocean when I was 7 or 8 years old. I will never forget the moment I woke up by the shore! Boy, it was good to breathe fresh air again! I don't think I will have any problem learning how to swim. It's just the fear of drowning that I have to face. Death came so close; I would not want to be near it, right? But to be happy, I need to conquer my fear because I really love going to beaches. The sun is a different story though. I'm vain and I hate ultraviolet rays! My fourth goal hence is to (4) Swim!

My fifth goal is to relearn things which I have almost already forgotten. A couple of months ago I bought a guitar and I was so shocked I could still play one! Next year, I will save up to buy a keyboard so I have something to do in my room when the rain starts pouring outside. I think I like the piano more than the guitar. However, I am very poor at reading notes. Although, when I was playing "River flows in you" by Yiruma, and there were numerous slips here and there, my brother came and asked, "is that River flows in you"? I said, "It is, but a really bad version!" My fifth goal therefore is to (5) relearn playing the piano and guitar!

I will continue writing about my goals 6 to 10 when I get back in Brisbane. The trickle of inspiration just dropped from the sky! I need to get some writing done while it lasts...

Hungarian langos

Hungarian Langos

Enjoying my meal with my friend.

One of the many things I enjoy doing is going to the markets (anywhere in the world) and sussing out the freshest fruits and vegetables while glancing everywhere to look for something to nibble. I really enjoy buying farm products and trying different kinds of food that's why the Davies Park Market in Brisbane is one of my favorite places to go to when I have nothing better to do. I have not been there for quite some time because I have been extremely busy the past few months (although I  must say I cannot vividly recall what  actually transpired the past two months). Finally, with time in my hand, my friend and I went to my favorite market!

After having coffee and taking a brief tour of the market, we went hunting for food! The first thing that caught my eye was the Hungarian langos. I was starving and the display looked great, so without thinking twice, I immediately ordered one langos with mushroom! Luckily, I saw how they made my food (I also really enjoy watching how the food is made). I was shocked to see a big deep frying pot! They were going to fry the dough! Oh no! I am not really a healthy eater--but I prefer baked dough over fried dough.

I was watching the dough swim inside the cooking pot until it turned golden brown. Once brown, the cook let the oil drip for a while. Then she grated cheese and spread it all over the bread. I am not a big fan of cheese, hence, watching her spread cheese all over my bread was not really an exciting activity. I stood aghast. Finally, she topped it with grilled mushrooms. My saliva dripped a little bit. But then she topped the bread with grated cheese again! No! No! And for the finale, she made concentric circles with the sour cream. I love sour cream; but after watching her fry the dough and spread cheese all over it, I did not think the sour cream was an excellent idea.

I stood watching with a pensive look. I did not want to eat it. But because I am a poor student, I was starving and if I would not eat it, I would die, I took a bite!

I took a bite and the angels in heaven rang the loudest bells while I cursed "What the?!! This is delicious!" After all that drama, I enjoyed the Hungarian langos and finished it as fast as a barbarian could. 

My 27th birthday

I flew back to the Philippines last November 7, exactly 27 years after my birth. I was initially not planning to take a two-week vacation off the endless list of PhD chores, but urgent matters at home sucked the last drop of sanity such that I decided to board the earliest flight I could possibly hop into. The earliest possible flight was on my birthday as I had to attend a conference and a symposium a week before that. I was so ecstatic to finally see my grandma, who had been sick since September. The last time we Skyped, she asked me when I would go home because she badly wanted to see me. My parents and brother greeted me at the airport with their warm hugs; and as soon as I entered the car, a box of happy-birthday-cake "greeted me" with exuberance. I blew the candle while forgetting to cast a wish as I had a long list of wishes for this year; I did not know what to ask for first. Nevertheless, I was making countless wishes while my dad was driving us all home. When I arrived home, I dropped my luggage and hastily ran to my room where my grandma was sleeping. I was hoping to see her face light up when she would finally see me again. I turned the lights on and the pink walls seemed to exude the vibrant energy which I stored in my room for years. In the middle of the room, was my grandma! I crawled to her bed and gently shook her to wake her up. Her eyes flickered and gazed at mine. Ten seconds past and she was still as though gazing at the seemingly boundless universe filled with void. I gently shook her again and said, "grandma, I'm home!" Her eyes pierced the shadows of the memories we shared. She did not remember me!

First apple in months

 

My flatmate was telling me about how much she loved the apple she just bought. I was intrigued because I never had an inkling for apples. In fact, I'll probably only eat one when I'm starving to death or if it's the only fruit left in the planet! She told me she used to hate apples too not until she arrived in Australia. "Would you like to try?" She asked. I said no. Would you like to try? I said no. Would you like to try? 

The third time she asked me I finally agreed. Then I took my first bite! I thought I was going to fall into a deep slumber like what happened to Snow White when the evil queen tempted her to take a bite. Unsurprisingly, I'm still alive. And it didn't hurt when I ate the entire fruit! But no, I don't think she made me change my mind. I still don't like apples. I don't know why. This is one of the many things science can never explain!

Nespresso capsules

While roaming around Brisbane yesterday, my friends and I made a brief stop at the Nespresso store to try a random cup of coffee. We tried 3 out of the 23 different coffee variations: (1) Vanillo, (2) Caramelito and (3) Dulsão do Brasil. The names of the first two coffee varieties I mentioned are descriptive. Vanillo has a hint of vanilla flavor while Caramelito has a subtle caramel taste. I cannot, however, write a concrete description of  the Dulsão do Brasil espresso because my friend poured a stick of brown sugar into it and the sweetness was too overwhelming that I simply refused to drink it. Maybe I have peculiar taste buds; but I really love the bitterness of coffee.

Among the three, the one that won my heart was Vanillo. I was easily captivated because vanilla latte happens to be one of my many favorites. I actually have two favorite coffee aromas: vanilla and hazelnut. The latter was out of the list so it was not really a difficult choice to make.