thankful for 2009

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.”
- Charles Dickens

sheepish

i often find myself reading magazines from back to front
this may have something to do with 12 years of chinese schooling
i don't speak or read the language, but at least i still know how to read that way

thankful i can read inside a mobile vehicle now

so

short stories or films or animation
make one feel exhilaration and dejection
but only to end as soon as they begun
oft without resolution

can't get enough of them

mad about madness

i grew up in a small town
where technology took some time to reach
maybe that explains why after having adapted to sydney's cold winds
i still can't stand cold air from air-conditioners

thankful for long train rides, despite
make me savor the book i am reading
thankful even more, for not missing my stops

kokoro

i enjoy listening to young artists perform.
today, i watched satsuki and tim performed at chatswood mall.
al fresco music is a delight to bask in.
thankful i have time to stop and listen
on my 2 feet, leaning on a post

it's the 3rd already

changed bed sheets
laundered winter jackets
kept winter boots
made chicken meatballs
a packed domestic day

magnum ecuador dark

so what, if you knew
you didn't have to bawl like that
such display of tears, what drama
you didn't have to groan so loud

right, some gentleness would do
enough of the incessant outpouring
i give you this, your cold's never bitter
i am today but gone tomorrow

dear rain.

library tomorrow, maybe

you are not mine
oh so far away
you give, i take
selfishly, greedily
not wanting any less

seeing you or not seeing you
i don't really think about
it is the goodbye the grips me
to see you and not touch you
tears me apart

the setting sun

caffeine-free night cup

book in hand
back in bed
raised to the eyes
thumb flips through the pages
the smell of a new book

surprisingly funny
giggles break the silence
sadness palpable
crickets' song
catcher in the rye

thankful for walis tambo

the maguindanao massacre made it to the nsw primetime news.
i am at a loss for words.

erratum: grapefruit is NOT pomelo

using a straw when drinking can be cheering
however, plastic drinking straws end up in landfills and oceans
a waste of resources as they break easily when i try to reuse them
thankful for the makers of stainless steel ones
i can now drink my milk from a carton using a straw

give and take

volunteering for vinnies curbs my shopping appetite
i help out in the sorting of donated goods
seeing all the stuff people bring in helps me see i don't really need much
thankful i can be in an op-shop and not bring anything home

the park is being mowed

hump day

that is wednesday
when the work week reached the midpoint
and expected to go downhill til the weekend

i also learned that macdonald's is maccas

purple trees

it's the time of the year when jacarandas are in bloom
if trees were words, jacarandas punctuate paragraphs beautifully.

thankful for the clean, crisp smell of rain.

not late for work anymore

waking up to a ready breakfast
bringing proper packed lunch
coming home to a hot dinner ---

thankful ma's in sydney
up by 3 pounds, yay!

this is not courage

thankful for the luxury of choosing jobs
and for change that keeps me on my toes

finally have the clarity to write down the realization:
i can't live with "just a day job"
i want a job that i like doing to fund for other things i like doing

to rosemarie, who never tires of searching with me
my ever-changing soul

bean bug

i am not a big fan of the tellie
but once in a while, i enjoy sitting in front of the tube
these days, aside from the evening news, 20to1 on tuesdays and border security on sundays
i watch flash forward on mondays
last night was the apprentice australia
thankful ada is here to tellieducate me.

spring interrupted

thoughts that occupied me on this morning train ride:
what makes one read another person's story in a magazine?
or what is one trying to find while going through items in a newspaper?

thankful i was awoken in the middle of my night by a call from ivy.
the hour chat's was delightful.

filo shop

this post should have been about green mangoes
which i had on the weekend.
the same weekend ondoy dropped metro manila a surprise visit.
thankful family and friends are safe.

new bathroom sink taps

i missed swim class today.
thankful there's nothing a 600ml carton of strawberry milk can't remedy.

a day at a time

picky eater that i 've become
i have been pushing myself to try new things
tonight was bbq lamb ---skewered spicy lamb bits grilled to perfection
went down well and will probably eat them again

it's a thursday and i am thankful.

mar 4, 5.30pm

listening to an indie rock album
the unfamiliar can be a sort of refuge:
thankful to know i still allow the new to surprise me.

thankful for tea

for friomixx iced tea
for starbucks zen iced tea
for ersao bubble green tea
for sunkus circle k genmaicha
for kirin milk tea
for coffee bean and tea leaf strawberry and cream tea
for easy way iced green tea
for boost mango green tea mantra

still more sleep for me

today i read,
"your brain is more active sleeping than it is watching tv."
hah, just when i thought i am giving my brain rest.

friday again

i often hear myself complain about how overwhelmingly hectic my day can be
or how crazy the schedule is or how drained my brain is at the end of the day
which usually translate to physical lethargy

however, saying "i love what i do" out loud
telling a colleague how i feel about my work makes a lot of difference:
a confirmation that i am not just putting up with this job.

"if you'd win the lotto joy, would you still work?"
"definitely would."

"sorry i made you think this morning joy."
"no worries chelsea. i find it rather cool to be paid to sit and think."

winter, just a day more

psalm 88, a prayer of despair

prayers do not guarantee answers i want
but thankful they make me
"pursue Christ not happiness
pursue life rather than relief"

baked cheesecake

this weekend had been very social
hanged out with older friends
reached out to new ones

thankful for free food
and take away fruits
lemons freshly picked from the tree

soft chewy nougat

my workday started with so much to do
it was so overwhelming i did not know where to start.
now that it has ended,
thankful i can say something had been done.

listening to a drilling sound

white, beige, gray and blue
were all the cable colours i knew
until today when a boy so keen
installed alarm units with cables,
the colour green

easy way iced green tea

ta, when saying grace for a meal,always thanks God for the work each one of us had done for the day.
now, i try to do the same.
i have learned from him not to take being able to do what i do for granted,
as one day i may not be able to do the things i can today.
i thank ta, for imparting this simple truth.
and i thank God for His enabling.

26.1 kilos

i have a love-hate relationship with airports
as they are both bringers and takers.
selfish that i am, i'd rather get than give.
however, i don't really own anything, much less anyone
and i cannot give what isn't mine ---
i can really then just be thankful for what falls in my hand.

thankful for time with ivy
thankful we were able to help her check her baggage in
thankful too we were able to fare her well.

for a red playfish shirt

i had been scrubbing other pets clean in pet society.
could be because i wanted to earn coins to spend.
could be because, just like coloring a page, keeps me on it.
unthinking, unblinking.
hugged pets in exchange for gold coins
gold coins that bought my night's sleep.

fabric softener

once i was a worm
and i saw the lady neighbor across the hall
saying goodnight and/or goodbye to her man.

she was inside her flat and he, outside her door
she was covered in a blue robe
he, in a dark grey suit, carrying a backpack

a screen door divided them
each standing still in his place
no words, just that

i wonder,
how many goodbyes does one need to hear
to finally let the other go?

i deem that picture very sad
moving sad
and i am still a worm.

processing

watching digits turn purple
color yellow to gray
winter's bitter and i am cold

trees shudder, leaves fall
nothing to hold on to
baring all

thankful spring is sure
unlike most things

cuppa anyone?

nihonggo and french are music to my ears
it is a norm to hear different languages about in sydney streets
but these 2 stand out
i am always stopped to enjoy their melodic rhythm

i sat opposite a french-speaking couple in the train once
they must be canadian-french,
as they didn't look parisian french to me

they boarded the train in excitement
the girl saying something about her mobile phone
and the guy showing off he knew just the thing to do with it
they then settled in the seat in front of me
giggled some and resorted to whispers

thankful i can distinguish one language from the other
thankful too for the opportunity to eavesdrop ----
if you can call listening without understanding that

gone just like that

upright is a nice number, let me tell you why
i got a 3 in cs12 and almost touched the sky

turn it around to face away from me
it is an, the letter next to d

lay it on its back and atch the sun rise
but sometimes even that doesn't suffice

bend it then, please don't let this end
i know now, not everything i can end

3 is a beautiful number, i musn't ask for more
stop, breathe, i can't count to 4

waiting room

we bought an ensemble bed for the other room
it is more inexpensive that way
however, after putting on the sheets
it didn't look right

i then decided to get bed skirts
got a brown one that was on sale
with a couple of dollars more
the room suddenly looked much more homey

ivy's arriving today.

practice some more

i can eat lollies all day, glen
you can eat anything all day, josephine

where's my headphones, josephine?
i ate them, glen.
found it! but i sure would believe you ate them.

got some colds going there, josephine
could be swine flu, glen
haha, possibly, considering the way you eat.

blink to link

i got the window seat in the train today.
window seat is a premium, especially at peak hours.
and whenever i get a window seat,
i consciously choose to look out the window:
no reading, no ipod.

then my attention shifted to the girl in the seat in front of me.
she was wearing her hair in a ponytail,
tied in a purple ribbon, adorned with a black furry cat.
she was saying 'Ko-ga-ra', as the trained stopped at one station.
'That's right, Doll, Kogarah.' her grandmother encouraged her.
she was on her way to the city with her beaming grandparents.
her blue twinkling eyes must have that kind of effect.

may i always remember to look out the window.
'Rock-dale'

may i always find something new out there.
'Syd...nam'
'That's correct, Love, Sydenham.'

may i be totally immersed in looking out instead of thinking of writing this.

with glasses again

i have a larger optic nerve head circumference than the normal population.

must be born with it.

but to have a baseline, images needed to be captured.

i also did the visual field test and failed,

as expected for first timers: could be my eyes are tired.

but i guess i failed miserably, i need to go back to do a retest.

thankful the tests were covered by medicare.

these images, however, are not.

2 Chronicles 25:9

Amaziah asked the man of God,
"But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?"
The man of God replied,
"The LORD can give you much more than that."

that cracking sound

i didn't have one until today
since arriving here 11 months ago.

a stapler. yes, i can be happier.

no wonder bears hibernate in winter

caught my 8.19 train.
learned that a very sunny morning does not translate to a warm one.
but when it is raining, i can be sure that the dampness and wind will chill.

thankful for jumpers, long johns, jackets and brollies.

simpliciTea

i got a hug from the tailor who altered my jeans:
"how are you today, doll?"
"i'm very good, thank you. it is a very chilly morning though."
"here let me give you a hug."
i gave him back one.

mouldy

when i cleanup, i really cleanup.
during the scrubbing time, i usually find myself taking pride in my "clean"manship.
then i remember mama, from whom i learned this ability.
mama, who categorizes hanging clothes, thank you.

a commoner

i love wooden pieces of furniture and
a recycled pine timber magazine rack for the toilet tops my recent list.

thankful lem installed it for me.

joel

he used to buy hardy boys and nancy drew books.
then later, he'd borrow books and bring them home
and share them with me and ivy.

he did not deliberately share them ---
he'd just leave them for us to read
and he most probably returned them late
for the benefit of the slow reader that was me.

he is older
my only blood brother
and he taught me to read.

thank you.

waldorf salad

1 red apple
1 green apple
1 carrot
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon lime/lemon
3 tablespoons sour cream (half of the 300ml tetrapack)
cilantro (optional)

cut apples in cubes and add lime to keep apples from oxidizing
cut carrot in cubes
mix all ingredients in a bowl
refrigerate and serve cold

thank you tita florence for the recipe :)

isang talata ng buhay

this week has been showers and more showers have been forecasted.
this morning, however the sun came out and is still hanging out.
like an exclamation point that brings a surprise,
or a respite, like a comma, in a very long sentence.

on the train, thankful that when i looked out the window
i saw trees and not me
thankful too for the light, that enables me to see.

uniden

tet called me up on the landline.
we chatted for an hour
it was a delightful time

we laughed about work circumstances
growing up and still being children
being in a new place and braving the cold.

thankful sydney doesn't really freeze.

even more so

i haven't had extreme lack of sleep for the longest time.
i slept 5am this morning. woke up 8ish.
thankful my sister is my friend:
a friend who stays up for a chitchat, regardless of the distance.

unbeanie

my hair only gets blow-dried
1. after a haircut
2. during weddings (or other occasions) when my hair gets done by a pro

last night, after swimming,
i discovered the joy of the hair dryer:
a dry hair means less chill when walking in freezing evenings.

approx. 18 pieces

happy independence day
dance in celebration
but no chacha please

i am grateful for my motherland ---
may you find freedom in independence

excuses excuses

for someone who is so eager to minimize my carbon footprint,
i waste so much water and electricity when taking a hot shower.

it is the one vice i indulge myself in:
it soothes a tired soul and it relieves headaches.
i know i should be getting that 4-minute shower timer.
i can finish in less than that actually, but
there's always the extra 5-minute indulgence of just standing in the shower.

thankful i can compensate though:
i don't use a heater much in these cold days:
i put on warm clothes and recently got myself wheatbags from ebay.

difficulme

sinagang pork ribs for dinner.
thankful for ate josie,
who introduced me to tamarind paste in a jar.

what's the difference between a long soup and a short soup anyway?

solutions

i still cook rice the non-rice-cooker way:
finger measurements, changing heat requirements and all.
in a technology-driven time,
i realized this while lowering the heat and
enjoying the scent of boiling rice.

thankful for old ways.
i don't think i'll be getting a rice cooker anytime soon.

kronos

with 3 consecutive weekends of hosting meals behind us,
i marvel at how liberating a washing machine is.

thankful for friends who take the time to share their lives with us.

catalogue shopping

australia is very print-media oriented.
i think so, given i work in a web-to-print software business.

i compensate my shying away from books with reading ads.
today, i had a good laugh:
"Personal Trainer... My place has a gym. Other fertilities include an outdoor pool, sana..."

bic runga

i sat across 3 reading ladies on my way to work.
one just started with her book,
the younger one was in the middle of hers
and the other lady was almost finished.

tightly pressed lips. deep concentration.
a different world. entirely their own.
and i was in theirs,
constantly going back to mine
musing when would i bring a book...

then the train stopped.
they were replaced by a man
with an aqua-blue ds lite console.
i think i'd like one too.

buttons

train rides can beat apples in waking me up in the morning.
today, an 80ish man, who was carrying a bagpack,
excused himself to be seated in between 2 strangers in the seat in front of me.
i'd say that's unusual.

5 minutes into the ride, he took out an ipod nano,
unlocked the switch, put on his earphones, selected a playlist,
switched the lock back on, leaned back and had fun.

i knew he was having fun as i spent the rest of the ride
staring at the back of his dancing head.
nobody's too old for an orange gadget.

go figure

since march, i have been picking up dropped coins.
most of them are 5-cent ones.
however, one time i got a 2-dollar coin
and a 50-cent recently.
i now have a total of $4.60. i keep them in a jar.

today, i swam 25 meters straight.
when i double that distance, i can start to learn how to surf.

8.13 train

i went to work extremely satisfied ---
i was able to bring a fair amount of rubbish out
in time for the pick up.

lem had removed the carpet from the room.
the rolls can't just be dumped anywhere, anytime.
then there are the styrofoam from whitegoods.

a third of them now gone.
the rain celebrates with me.

cool and sunny, bitter candy

if sugar is sweet
i am brown sugar
if a crayon's yellow
i am bland
if a wheel's turning
i am musing

tea leaves may be bitter
i have fallen
music makes melody
i can be dainty
recycled paper white as snow
i cut, i know

thankful i am a confused who i am
looking forward to what's yet to come

a brighter shade of you

i pale with routine.
today's a break.
surprised.

i went home 30 minutes earlier than usual.
took a walk, then swam a bit.
refreshed.

strangers in the net

i have this in my form:
onchange=javascript:this.form.submit();

and i kept on getting this on my error console:
this.form.submit is not a function

after ogling and googling to the brink of frustration,
a Michael Sharman saved the day:

This only seems to happen when you have a form element named “submit” already on your page,
so the browser treats that “submit” element as an object which is of course NOT a function.

hah! thankful.

5 cents

today i learned that it is easier to go down an escalator that's going up
than it is to go up an escalator that's going down.

i enjoyed the walk in the rain.

bankstown rsl

lem loves chinese food
as much as he loves the not-so-chinese me.
maybe slightly more.

today was buffet lunch.
with chris hia and family.
and more family.
thankful we're adopted :)

gumboots

"Shoes make me happy...I'm superficial...whatever..." - Rubi Shoes my love for the rain would make me appear profound - hopefully. and this is my love-child ->

day street

after being used to daylight saving for 6 months, now that it's 'off'
i find it a little strange that it's already dark at 5.30 in the afternoon.
made me hurry, to finish my tasks and go home.
thankful for winter solstice.

bread top

i never had problems answering phone calls
until recently when i had to take business calls in the office.
i couldn't get the caller details correctly.
and my boss and i had a laugh about my being a lousy secretary.

thankful this week is different.
it is good to know there's a lot more to be learned.

sate mi

i am not a chef.
but am thankful i can cook a bit.
and the dishes are actually edible.
a cool night.

the lion treasury of children's prayers

i thank You God for this amazing
day: for leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any --- lifted from the no
of all nothing --- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

E.E. Cummings

cha cha

people rushed out of the train then packed at the base of the escalator.
when my turn came, a guy motioned to me to go first.
i hesitated at first.
then decided to go for it at the same time he already changed his mind.
this dance went on for several seconds.
then finally, i muttered, "i am so sorry. thank you", and smiled.
i climbed the steps shaking my head a bit in amusement:
i caused delays for some during rush hour,
chivalry's not dead,
and i was still early for work.

boost

a sitdown breakfast is a treat.
weekdays, i usually wake up with just about enough time to get to the office.
weekends, lately, had been busy too.
today, however, i woke up earlier than usual.
puttered about the place, had a lazy breakfast, before preparing for church.
happy.

unhomogenised milk

we have found the unit we would like to transfer to.
it is beside a nice park. shops are a short stroll away.
and the train station is nearby. a quiet neighborhood.

if all the paperwork goes well,
downpayment is due next wednesday.
after accounting finances, sobrang sakto!
God's provision is indeed more than sufficient.

makabagin

last saturday, instead of walking for unit inspections,
we did the coastal walk from bronte to bondi.
the best part was watching the waves, forming and crashing
over and over again.
and they were the only sound that could be heard.
i'd give up tv anytime --- this one doesn't have reruns.

brown cow

i am never good at preparing for exams.
i cram a lot, and as some say, practice makes perfect.
however, each time, i'd say it's God's grace.
everything is. really.
last tuesday, i got my blood test results.
i got a perfect score.

fridays

i love the sea, the ocean breeze and the sand.
i dip and stay in it as much as i can till i turn prune-y.
but i can't swim. not swim swim.
then there's ian thorpe aquatic center.
a 10-minute walk from my office.
thankful for swimming lessons.

be

almost 7 months in sydney and i still marvel at how beautiful the city is.
i delight in walking its streets, climbing its steps, breathing its air.
plus the weather's just right.
thankful for opportunities to travel and discover new things.

ebay-ing

i love sugarcane juice.
i used to get some whenever i visit ongpin.
it comes in brownish color, the color of raw sugar.

last friday, in sydney's chinatown
dixon food court boasts fresh sugarcane juice
it comes out bright yellow and tastes a bit lemony
sweet all the same. refreshing too.

it turned brown a bit later.
now i know freshly squeezed sugarcane juice.

summer's gone too soon

being so used to having doctors around back home,
i find it rather unusual to be surfing for healthcare on the net.
thankful the doctor i visited today is nice.
looks like he found another regular patient.
will see him again tuesday at 12:15.

window shopping

i have this penchant for shoes.
maybe because i am a girl.
maybe just because.

then there are shoes that cost more than an asus eee pc.
armani, jimmy choo, yves saint laurent, to name a few.
thankful there are posh deparment stores ---
where i can always try and see if the shoe fits.

trail bars

train rides on a rainy day that go through tunnels
make me look inside while trying to look outside the window:

a girl was chewing on a banana bread breakfast while sipping on her cup of coffee.
(cuppas need to be attended to immediately as they turn cold really fast.)
then there's a couple where the guy was profusely saying sorry for something he did.
(the girl kept assuring him all's well, but he just wouldn't stop saying sorry
and if he'd say sorry again, i...turned to the window.)

however, windows double as mirrors under these circumstances.
and it is rude to openly stare and gape at people.
so i turn my thoughts to the color choice of the clothes that i wear.
it is usually dictated by what's next in the laundry line:
whites alternate with colors.
so the past week, despite the city being grey
and most were clad in black trousers, black suits, black boots,
black pumps, black bags and black hats, i was wearing white.

last night was laundry night.

today's a sunny day and i am wearing a grey shirt
under a denim mini dress with black flats.
thankful i can put a pair of sunnies to good use.

comic relief

called mama's phone and papa answered.
we talked for several minutes
asking how each other was doing
and reflecting how fleeting life can be.
out of habit, i asked him if he already had dinner
he answered not yet and that i should eat soon too.
i told him it's past 10 and had mine hours earlier.

"kinsa diay ni?"
"si joy, pa"
"haha, abi nako si ivy."

papa and mama often mix us up.
i called ivy after and confirmed that
when she called papa minutes earlier
he thought she was me.

thankful i was able to tell papa i love him
before hanging up.

done deals

bondi junction station is the end of the line
so the train departs on either of the platforms available.
mornings would be rushing down the escalator
and deciding where to sit in the train:
platform 2 is wrist watch to the door
platform 1 is wrist watch away from the door.

thankful for things that let me distinguish my right from left.

contact lenses

being able to see is fascinating.
being able to see letters that form words that become sentences are better still.
being able to comprehend and muse some are indeed a treat.

thankful for short stories.
they are a good company in train rides where people don't have mouths,
ears plugged and eyes averted, in sleepiness or in dread.

coles so close

lee kum kee
fine shrimp sauce
with kare kare

a walk to the mall
cool twilight breeze
clinking of keys is bliss

bungang araw

place clothes and 2 1-dollar coins
then close the lid to the start the washing machine
once filled with water, add the liquid detergent
26 minutes after
transfer the clothes to the tumble dryer
then for an hour listen to the whirling sound
and enjoy the clean crisp smell that fills the air

take out the very warm clothes
fold them or hang them to dry some more
but not before taking in the scent of green apple from each one

indeed doing the laundry has its perks

missed sydney festival 2009

if living in the eastern suburbs deprive me of sunsets
sunrises, i think, would make a good substitute
a sunrise is different from a sunset as it is peacefully cheery
a stark contrast to melancholy

today, after barely 4 hours of sleep
[watched verdasco give his game to nadal]
i was smelling the seaweed-y smell of the ocean at dawn
the smell seems more subtle in late afternoons
i think this is because hundreds of people already sniffed most of it
and the sun dries what remains

thankful for the salty dip in the sea i share with sharks

banderitas

took the bus to work today.
it was a nice ride as i could see the morning drizzle.
missed my stop. walked 4 blocks.
thankful for new things.
thankful i can afford to be late for work.

backview

it was a scorcher of a day yesterday at 41 degrees.
the hottest day we've experienced here in sydney.
even with sunblock all-over, i wasn't spared by the sun's burning rays.
lem and i were out most of the day as saturdays are our usual unit-hunting day.
thankful today is 25 degrees.
thankful too for the heat, makes me acknowledge the lack of it.

coming full circle

david cohen, in august 1991, bought me a book: the bridge across forever.
i am refraining from buying books, until i saw this one at vinnie's last sunday.

thankful for second-hand stuff. being second is indeed a celebration.

letter writing

"i wish you'd learn how to love dave."
"achie, how is it to love? will my doing this be loving?"
"i also don't know. i wish i do and i wish i can help you. but i am learning myself."

dave, know i am growing with you.

memory gap

so it's been 5 months. and i am now a regular employee.
yes, the grueling 3-month probationary period is over.
i can now work harder as the coming months look to be more grueling.

today i finally made an acquaintance with someone working in the same building aside from my officemates.
"the name's john, by the way."
i hope i won't forget.

watching the tennis

movie buff that i am, i missed a lot of good ones.
i might have been so young, or i might have not enough funds.
last night was silence of the lambs.
thankful for second chances.

ogenki desu

i'd always say i don't miss japan at all, not even after living there for 8 months in 2007.
i was wrong. i would often find myself craving for ramen, maki-sushi, udon and somen.
and i just love ocha and genmaicha. the list goes on.

yesterday was buffet lunch at yutaka restaurant in bathurst street.
thankful for cravings. even more thankful for cravings satisfied.

72% Cocoa - Dark Ghana

then there are days that i am not up to anything:
my brain refuses to cooperate and i need to work and earn my keep.
my mood is swinging from right to left , up and down.

thankful i can write about these too.

basking in the smell of rain

ever notice how some smell transports you several years back to remind you of a place or food or somebody?
i have those moments and they stop me on my tracks.
i wallow in them, i think through which object i associate the scent to.
only when i finally decided i have pinned down the one that i go on my merry way.

funny that scents i remember are always comforting and good and happy memories.
i thank God for selective amnesia.

3B pencil

being here at sydney, there are many things that takes getting used to:

some mirrors in public toilets only reflect my forehead.
there are some items that are not available in the shop, until i look 3 levels higher up the display shelf.
or being asked for an id before being admitted to a restaurant that serves alcohol.
then there's being bumped into without being noticed.

thankful i can speak english.

dessert after breakfast

for someone who's been trying to choose to be selfless each opportunity, i am one hypocritical gal.
i mix so many things up. and i make quite a mess, a subtle mess at times, to those i profess to love.

but hey, i am loved. despite. and loved deeply, unconditionally, faithfully and with full of hope.
grace in action. i am thankful.

flies are meant to fly

days without planned activities are very hard to come by for me.
maybe because i bump into things i want to do or places i want to see all too often.
but they do come by and today is such a day.

i spent my morning ironing clothes while watching tv --
there's alicia keys in london, then ellen's show then oprah.
that's the arts, comedy and financial advice one after the other.
after chewing on these potato chips, i'll be moving my butt
and find a decent callcard - i want to hear my shobe's voice.

i am thankful God gave me hands, really.