Friendly Folks

smiles come easily to the lovely girls of Nurture Spa

Coming from the Philippines where the people are known to be friendly, I was pleased to move to Australia where the folks here are undoubtedly friendlier. Where the Pinoy seems to wear a permanent smile yet is careful not to make eye contact with strangers much less venture a "Hello" (too bold!), the Aussie is not shy to look you straight in the eye, smile purposely and bid you a warm, non-threatening "G'day, howya goin'?" (g'day is indeed still commonly used in the country, maybe less in the city). It is courteous to give a quick reply "Good, thanks" etc. but you are not expected to carry on a conversation unless you know each other, in which case, it is but polite to stop and chat briefly. It is not uncommon therefore to see folks exchanging pleasantries in the middle of a footpath or hold people up at the supermarket check-out. People behind them usually don't mind the small wait. Woe unto those who show rude behaviour. S/he'll be tagged "feral" (see "Strine II"). In a small town where the six degrees of separation I swear is halved (see "First Step in Aus"), word will spread fast.

my new Aussie mates

Equality seems to be a given among folks here no matter the circumstance. There don't seem to be any rigid rules in choosing whom to socialise with. I love that my husband's family and circle of friends include people from differing walks of life. There's a lawyer, an engineer, a wheeler-dealer, an electrician, a painter, a school principal, a labourer, a builder, a teacher, a truck driver, a farmer, a shopowner, a cleaner, a reptile handler all breaking bread at the same table. No one thinking of himself more highly than the others, at least not in public (he'll be lynched!). The camaraderie is genuine. Income and education, I find, do not define their relationships. How refreshing. 


The cultural difference is obvious yet the significance is quite profound. Pinoys have a social ranking that is still deeply ingrained and even in this modern day and age is still very much observed. This prevents the poor from socialising with the rich and vice versa. Must have started from that darn Spanish era which conditioned the once-proud indigenous Pinoys to believing that they were second-class citizens, indios, therefore unequal to the ilustrados, the white people, and may not raise their eyes to the 'superior' Spanish (swine). Racism in the 1800s was rife and destructive. Sure damaged our national psyche no end. The Pinoy "shyness" must have a psychological history. Also very Asian I reckon. I am not a historian (flunked history in high school), just an keen observer of human behaviour.  

Could it be that the lack of eye contact indicates perhaps the perception of being less than equal? I have observed that to be the case with domestics, and truly the employers exacerbate it. But it could also be a deep sense of humility---not assuming oneself to be equal. I like this idea better. Although, I am not of this mould (I'm more the equal mould), I do appreciate this pinoy trait. Entire movies have been produced dedicated to this theme. Even the great boxer Manny Pacquiao, who has recently been elevated to a global cult hero (and rightly so), calls himself not a congressman but a public servant. You gotta love that humility.
Back to the friendliness of the folks here.....one of the first things I learned to do when learning to drive on the other side of the road was to greet the drivers of oncoming cars. Just a simple wave or even just raising the index finger (no, not the middle finger, unless you're looking for trouble) to acknowledge the other driver (with fleeting eye contact), I thought was a rather nice custom. I discovered that the farther you get from the country, meaning the closer to the city, the less drivers wave at each other. Case of courtesy becoming less common. Everywhere you go though, people will start a conversation with you and I have learned to respond in like cheerful manner. Nice that Aussies don't have the same historical baggage we Pinoys carry. Everyone starts on an equal footing. Everyone has the same opportunity to have a say. There are, however, a certain group of folks that carry on about being disadvantaged despite the many advantages given to them on a silver platter. THAT I cannot comprehend. In time perhaps........

Where are all the people?

watch out for tumbleweeds when windy

The first question I asked Stan upon landing in Mildura---where are all the people? (see "First Step in Aus"). The first big culture shock was discovering how few there really were. To put this in context, Australia has a population of 22 million scattered over 7.68 million sqkm for a population density of only 2.9 per sqkm, if you include all the uninhabitable land (70%). Now Mildura has a population of 60,000 spread out over 48,000 sqkm which makes for a population density of a lonely 1.2 or less than two people for every square kilometer. No wonder people say the Mallee (the general area which Mildura belongs to) is a good place for those who don't want to be found. Images of tumbleweeds rolling down seemingly deserted dusty country roads accompanied by the opening notes of some western movie flashing through my mind only to realise I'm not imagining it, I am actually in it. 

elbow-to-elbow heaving Manila population

Boggles the Pinoy mind doesn't it. Sure boggled mine. Coming from Manila with 12 million people crammed into only 638 sqkm that's a staggering 18,800 people elbow-to-elbow in each sqkm!! The entire Philippines registers at 307 per sqkm (a suffocating 92M people sharing 300,000 sqkm). I imagine THAT's mind-boggling to the Aussies. We have the dubious honour of ranking 43rd most densely populated country in the world. Australia ranks near bottom at 233rd (bottom was Greenland @ .03; does that include the penguins?) The US ranks 178th with 31.6---chances of being found if lost = quite high. 

Now why am I laboring over this? Aside for my fascination for stats and numbers (getting nerdy in my old age) I have since figured that population is key to understanding why things are the way they are, why systems work the way they do and why they don't, why possibilities exist or don't exist, why opportunities abound or don't abound. The basic law of supply and demand has influenced my pragmatic world view; my background in economics has something to do with it perhaps. A wise reader commented in my Philstar article  last week about the overabundance of people in the Phils. accounting for the luxury of cheap labor (echoed my observation that where there are so many lives life can be cheap; see "Driving on the Wrong Side").  

kids sports @ Saturdays

The opposite can be said of Au. With so few lives, each life gets a fair shot at the many available resources. This is  clearly evident in sport (singular is how they say it, not plural). Australia is well-known for its growing and continuing domination in the world of sports. This, of course is not by accident, it is by design. It starts with school-age children who are given every opportunity to play whatever sport they want; not just one but all available (football, netball, tennis, cricket, soccer, rugby, basketball, archery, rowing, athletics, gymnastics, track & field, swimming, etc.) and if it's not offered by the school the kid can access it in the community for free. How lucky is that? Talent scouts are continually on the look-out for the rising stars. Once identified, the kid is invited to join the commonwealth-funded institute of sport that sponsors him/her with sport clinics, equipment, professional coaching, etc. everything the athlete would need to reach his/her full potential. 

My step-nephew Jordan, at 10 y.o. was invited to the institute for showing promise in golf. His talent got him into the system which funnels the best and the brightest to eventually represent the country.  He comes from a small town of 18,000 and was selected from a handful of golf-playing children. His talent is obvious but if he were born in a larger town, he would have had to compete harder. Less people, less competition, more resources to go around. He met Tiger Woods (before his fall) and had front row privileges at the Australian Masters. How well-placed was he?  He's 14 now and is looking at a career as a pro golfer.   All this to say, having less people certainly increases one's chances of accessing funds and taking advantage of golden opportunities. Another clear example is in the workplace. The smaller the town, the smaller the talent pool. It's not unusual then to find unqualified people occupying senior to top positions. Especially true in government and government-funded agencies (sounds familiar?); not so much in private enterprise. I had this perception of Au as a very advanced economy lead by forward-looking dynamic people, being a first world country and all (I've also had interactions with Au and Aussies in my previous life working for an American company which fed this perception). So when I came as a permanent resident, I was quite taken aback to discover that this is not always so. I was even shocked to discover that some parliamentarians (politicians that govern the country) do not even have degrees! 

It never ceases to amaze me (e.g. dumbfound or impress, whatever the case may be) that in this vast and wondrous land of opportunities, it is not so much what you know but what you do with it (experience) and for the top positions who you know, that gets you the job. This latter bit would be the same back home. I had to downplay my degrees when job hunting here because they almost seemed irrelevant. My son, through sheer hard work was promoted manager in only four short months. He hasn't finished his degree but he has a treasure trove of knowledge and experience in the fitness and nutrition industry that was duly recognised and acknowledged by his bosses. Yes, I am very happy for him and rest assured that Au is the best place for him to realise his goals. Best decision ever. I doubt if the same could have happened in Manila where a degree is basic requirement for most entry level jobs, more so for management.  

Singing Cooks & Waiters resto in MNL; yes even
the security guard sings! must go see

On the other end of the scale, having less people means lots of DIYs (do it yourself). Multitasking abounds. For example, most small cafes have perhaps two people working at any one time--the cook and the waiter. Both wear several hats. The cook is also the dishwasher (puts dirty dishes in the dishwasher and takes them out). The waiter is also the maitre d', the cashier and the cleaner-upper. In the Philippines, every task has a person assigned to it. Employment generation for the masses. Don't forget the security guard. Manpower is cheaper than electronic security devices and industrial dishwashers. I swear, I will tip more generously on my next visit to Pinas. 
I get very annoyed (even angry) every time I hear people here complain about this, that or the other. I'm sure if they knew how people in less prosperous countries would kill to have what they have, they'd complain less. Maybe not. What to me are privileges, many Aussies (mostly the ferals) consider their right. Feeling entitled, it becomes almost a disincentive to work hard.  Strange but true. Very alien concept to where I come from where  one has to earn everything, nothing comes for free. And that's from having too many people that stretches our dwindling resources. Imagine if we had half the population with double the GDP, how much better off everyone would be. Until the Catholic Church stops demonizing population control, a prosperous Phils (circa 1960s-70s) would remain a dream. Case of less is more. So there.

Lure of the Great Outdoors

dining outdoors with friends @ Robe, SA

It's obvious that the average Aussie has an enduring love affair with the great outdoors. Having 4 seasons with temperate climate helps. Weather is not as predictable as it is back home where it is easy to take the lush tropicana for granted. But I believe it's more than that, they appear to have a close affinity with the land. It's so refreshing to hear them speak so positively, almost lovingly about mother nature. There's usually an element of awe too. This is evident in their expansiveness---gorgeous, fabulous, fantastic, beautiful---are words more oft used to describe how they see their environment even in the driest, greyest, dullest drought-stricken areas (oops I just revealed how I see it ha!). Sun-worshipping is their favorite outdoor activity (small wonder why Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world!). Outdoor dining wins hands down over indoor. 

water-skiing @Murray River, campers at back

They also love going barefoot anywhere they can get away with it. And going hatless even in the heat of day. I have taken to wearing hats to avoid the sun (a favorite outdoor activity of Pinoys: sun-avoidance) rather than use an umbrella. Umbrellas are almost nonexistent here. Even in the hottest of summer days, warm fresh air trumps stale airconditioned air anytime. A trend slowly picking up in Manila although I would hesitate because of the horrendous pollution and the sticky humidity. Quite uncomfortable rendering one looking like a limp rag. In Manila, I'll take the stale air-conditioned indoors over the warm carbon monoxide-laden outdoors anytime thank you. 

Mildura motor show draws a good crowd; default 
dress code for most everything is CASUAL

Events and activities they will do outdoors if they can help it. Water-based events such as ski races and fishing comps are very popular. Land-based such as motor shows and market days are convenient excuses to celebrate the great outdoors. They do know how to have fun. I am loving it. I've always been an outdoorsy person, but I am more so now having married a man of the bush.

caravans, a common sight on the road

This love affair extends to their golden years. Grey nomads. The common goal of the true green-and-gold Aussie---to explore the country on wheels in their greying years---at least the baby boomer generation of which I am told I'm part of (I don't mind, even though I feel and look more gen x. Heck I'll take both and enjoy the best of both!). Something like retiring on the road. The wander years. Fun! Entire magazines are dedicated to it dishing out advice on caravans, camping gear, destinations, hot fishing spots, stopovers, toilets guide, etc.  It's a common sight---a car or 4WD towing a caravan, a smiling relaxed older couple at the helm. 

typical caravan park

The countryside is replete with very comfortable caravan parks, a friendlier alternative to motels. Now, motels in Au do not have the same seedy connotation as they do in the Philippines, e.g. infamous for quickie illicit liaisons, places of ill-repute no self-respecting Filipina would be caught dead in. In fact, they're quite respectable places offering accommodation, nothing else. Hotels, at least in rural Au, are not the same as hotels where I come from e.g. high-rise places offering accommodation, fine food, conferencing facilities, entertainment. Hotels are in fact pubs where the community congregate after work for drinks, a feed, a game of darts or billiards, or watch some sport on the telly; normally no accommodation offered. 

my neighborhood pub/hotel

It's where the latest goss is shared between gulps of one's favorite ale. It's a good place for the traveling grey nomad to get the latest news from the bartender who would normally be the owner-publican (no not the anti-Christ character of the Bible, but the person that mans the pub. I felt so silly reacting like an offended Catholic upon hearing that word for the first time ---images of Christ being persecuted by a mob of publicans and sinners flashing through my mind ha!).

tyranny of distance; Mungo park 
far from everywhere

Travel, in general, seems to be in their blood. And why not? It'll take a lifetime to explore all 7.68 million sqkm of this vast and wonderfully diverse land. It's kinda by default that they have to travel anyway to cover tremendous distances. They even have a catch-phrase for it--the tyranny of distance. It used to boggle my mind  that it was nothing to them to drive 100 km for a meeting or a party then drive back the same day. What with such good roads and little traffic, 100 km would only take an hour to drive. As a Manilena, driving that far meant an overnight stay and certainly at least two hours of stressful driving one-way. I remember doing the commute from Subic (where I lived and worked for 4 yrs) to Manila and would pride myself if I covered it in under 3 hrs, all 160 km of it!! Must be better now with the new highway that's supposed to cut travel time by half. The only times I would come back the same day was when I hired a driver. Otherwise, it was too much for me. Now 4 years onward, it's nothing to me to drive for meetings 200+ kms away and come back in time for dinner. Certainly distance does not impinge on my quality of life these days. Most, except the ferals (remember this from Strine II?), are even overseas travel-literate which accounts for their warmly accepting manner. Nothing like exposure to other cultures and way of living to expand one's understanding and raise one's level of tolerance for human differences. 

@ Mungo Park lookout; the vastness behind us

Our personal homage to the great outdoors is our humble nipa hut (see The Aussie Barbie). It allows us many hours of outdoor enjoyment in comfort. Not to mention the business that Stan runs allows him to stay in close touch with it.  Me too from time to time when they need a female perspective or a spare cook. Someday, we will hit the road like a couple of smiling  relaxed grey nomads and carry on the happy tradition of our generation. Until then, we will strive not to let work get in the way too much of our travels.

Costly Living

Anyone who fills out a visa form is warned repeatedly of the relatively high cost of living in Australia. (And no, it's not because of the number of relatives you may have--the more relatives, the higher the cost---harhar). It took me many months to come to terms with the reality and stop converting everything to pesos.

 It was too stressful. I had to  start enjoying the experience of shopping and stop regretting being parted with my money. I figured I can always make more (have to stay positive you know). The basics I had little option but to accept.  But I would search high and low, even do the rounds of the nearby supermarkets to get the best deals. 

Woolworths, Coles, Fishers, Foodworks, I have all their loyalty cards. No such thing as loyalty as far as I was concerned though. At least not for food, no sirree. Whoever gives me the best deals gets my hard-earned moolah. I've always been an "aware" shopper, e.g. I carefully study the ingredients and compare items on a cost per gram/ml/unit basis. I unashamedly would whip up my trusty pocket calculator in the middle of the aisle. Even if I end up paying more for bulk purchases, at least I am satisfied with the knowledge that I was squeezing the best value for money. It's from being a single mother for so long---being self-sufficient also meant being wiser and more frugal with money than the normal housewife or houseband. Thankfully, there aren't many point-of-purchase promo girls hawking their products in our neck of the woods. 

  SM Supermarket on a weekend

Unlike Manila where there might be one in every aisle! It's the cheap labor you see. Hiring people is cheaper than printing catalogues.  Besides, it's employment generation for the masses. I would often take pity on them and end up buying their stuff or at the very least taste it. Hey, I've been in sales and it's a tough job so I do have a soft spot for the hard-working sales people. Even though what I sold were worth several 000's more, the effort is the same. God bless the sales folks. But I digress. Typical items in my cart: rice @ $2+/k, multigrain bread @ $3.50/loaf, eggs (large) @ $3/dozen (caged not free-range--I honestly do not see the fuss about this. You think the chook prefers to work for its food than just wait for its food to come to them? You think it even cares?)--I've since reconsidered after seeing a documentary on chicken factories in Au where the chook is crammed in small cages. They give us food so we owe it to them to provide them good quality life, chicken breast fillets @10/k,rump steak @ $16/k or eye fillet @ $26/k for the odd occasion, barramundi fillets @ $15/k, tiger prawns @ $24/k, 200 gm jar of good instant cofee (Moccona or Nescafe Gold) @ $15, brown sugar @ $2/k, assortment of vegies worth $20, fruit in season another $20, bananas @ $1-3/k--they only sell the bland cavendish---I will only buy if less than $1 remembering that the tastier variety in the Phils cost only a dollar for a whole bunch!! 

Tagaytay fruit stall; $1 for a whole bunch 

Permanent wet markets are non-existent where I am so everything has to come from the supermarket. Although there are a few mom and pop fruit and vegie shops that cut out the middle man, alas their prices are not competitive.  

Home-made goodies are not cheap

I try to support the local farmers by visiting the weekend country markets from time to time. I am fortunate to live in  Mildura, the foodie haven, the food bowl of Au. I go for the ambience, for the odd home-made fig jam, for the unique hand-knitted wool scarf, for the lovely feel of community. You'd think though we'd get wholesale prices for our food and wine? Not a chance. The economies of scale, law of supply and demand at work. If we only had more people the cost would be spread out more? I reckon. In fact, the farther from the major cities, the less people, the higher everything costs. 

street musicians at Myer Bourke St., Melbourne

Apparel. I could not for the life of me bring myself to buy clothes here for the first couple of years. I kept comparing prices and could not psychologically justify the purchase. An ordinary T-shirt would cost anywhere from $20-30 and they're well, pretty ordinary (read ugly). Dresses over $100. Nikes $120++. Unless I chance upon a sale, I would not voluntarily shop for clothes or shoes. My internal dialogue would go like this "$100?!! For that money I could buy several cool outfits in Greenhills or at least 3 pairs of killer shoes in Greenbelt". I cringed at the prices and lamented at what I could buy for the same money back home. The worst part of the shopping is most of the products are made in China!! What the? That was my first major disappointment--even the designer brands are made in China. Heck I'll just wait for when I'm next in the Philippines and shop till I drop! If the exchange rate holds up (1:42 last I checked) I'll have plenty of change for a daily massage. Yey!

Ahh how I miss the cheap massages

Pampering and other girl stuff. The first thing on my to do list when I get home: get a massage. Then second thing: get a massage. Third: get a massage. Yes, I LOVE massages. Swedish, shiatsu, thai, detox, reflexology, reiki, volcanic stones, I LOVE them all. I used to have them weekly before the big move. At P250 plus tip ($6 ridiculous!), how could I not? Home service to boot. Since moving, I can count them with the fingers of one hand. At $50-80 a pop it is not difficult to understand. Now if I can only get my dear husband to give me a proper one every week I wouldn't be so homesick for one ha! Hair colour (regrowth only) is $40 which I have to do every 3-4 weeks. Haircut @ $20. My hairdresser does a good job but I miss the extras they give in Manila---the shampoo with head massage, blow-dry and styling, the back rub whilst waiting for the dye to set. The cup of coffee or cold iced tea---all for $10-12. Sigh. I've never gotten a manicure or pedicure here because I refuse to pay $30-50 for what costs a measly $5-10 back home. And I even get a nice hand and foot massage with the nail job. Yes, us Pinoys like to give as well as receive massages. Bikini wax is $20 vs $5 in RP. Because of high cost of maintenance here I've resorted to DIYs (do-it-yourself). I wouldn't recommend the waxing though eowww!

all for $8!!

Eating out. An average 3-course meal (starter, main, dessert) costs maybe $80-100 for two, drinks not included. Beer @ $3, glass of wine @ $7, coffee $3.50. My Aussie guests went berserk in Manila with beer costing only 50c. One of the best fine dining places in Manila, La Cocina de Tita Moning costs under $40 per head but that's a 5-course gourmet feast++!! A regular upmarket meal in Makati might go for $60 for two including drinks. A quick chow at a fastfood or takeaway shop maybe $8-10 vs. P100 or $2.50 at a regular Manila food court. Stan's best food experience is at Market Market fresh seafood center at Fort Bonifacio where we ordered garlic crabs, two huge plates for a measly $8, rice included. I shudder to think how much it would cost over here in Au. 

yabbies for $16 (plain steamed) sigh...

The closest thing to it would be yabbies, taste like a cross between a lobster and a prawn, yummy but hard on the pocket @ $16-22/k!! We love eating out when we're over there more so than over here for obvious reasons.

But what makes the biggest difference overall, aside from the costs, is the quality of the customer service we get anywhere in the Phils. Waiters, salesgirls, etc. patiently hover over you awaiting your next order. It's almost embarassing if you're not used to it! I think I wouldn't mind so much paying the high price here if the customer service is there. But it's not. Nearly everything is self-serve. Your fill up your own tank. You pump your own tires. You pay for your meals at the cashier (even the upmarket ones). You get your shoe size among the stack of boxes yourself. Vendors are friendly enough but I guess I was looking for the extras. Oh well, I'll get plenty of that when I get home soon enough. Can't wait.

Strine II

Nuances of Australian English took me a while to get.  Only when I began noticing people other than my dear hubby using words the same way did I stop taking offense---umm something like two years ha! Two years of angst, most of it needless but some needful. Very early on in my migration I had resolved in my mind to gamely climb the steep learning curve of adjusting to a new culture. The onus was on me being the immigrant. The steep learning curve of adjusting to a husband is another matter (see Adjusting to Adjusting). Some of the more common aussieisms that threw me for a loop:

blank look

I couldn't tell you. Or else what? You'll have to kill me? I asked, wondering what the big secret was. I couldn't tell you. He repeated with a blank, end-of-discussion look on his face. I didn't know then that the blank look was genuine. My patience was running thin. What's the big deal?? Why couldn't you tell me??!! Ready to strangle him. He, on the other hand was getting more and more bewildered by my insistence over what to his mind was clearly nothing. Literally. His learned response to my growing annoyance and utter confusion is like fuel to fire---silence. Arrrrggghh. I couldn't tell you is Strine for "I don't know". I had come to that understanding after many a frustrating moment. My powers of observation do not seem to work when it comes to my nearest and dearest. Only from hearing it often enough from other folks, not so near nor dear, did I deduce the meaning. Yes, dear Watson, one must be objective for one to come to the correct conclusion. Ahhh, Sherlock I am not. For some reason, it is quite uncommon for Aussies to say "I don't know" when they can say I couldn't tell you. Why? I couldn't tell you.

Or not. Are you coming to the barbie or not? Will they be flying with us or not? Would you like a drink or not?  Relax. Not meant to be an ultimatum, just an expression. I've had to consciously dissociate my instinctive defensive reaction at the words from interfering with the innocence of the question. Must take the tone into consideration, always. And it's usually warm and friendly. Phew. My aggressive American training really has no place here. In fact, aggressive behaviour is frowned upon among country folk. Laid back, relaxed, warm and genteel, it really isn't necessary. Aggressive behaviour is associated with drinking and the low-ed, low-income bracket, the ferals. 

feral camels are considered pests in WA

That's another aussieism. It can also refer to stray animals, unwanted. Feral cats. feral goats, feral camels (yes, there are camels here). Feral folks, from how I've observed the term used, are probably the equivalent of the squatters in Manila. Although, there aren't technically any of that in Au, the lack of social manners would put them in the same class. No class. Uncouth. Low breeding. Inbreeding. Yes, there is a dark side to any culture after all. No matter how prosperous. Stan and I have a standing joke--every tiny town we pass through we break into the opening riffs of the banjo in "The Deliverance". Can you hear it? If you're there longer than two blinks you won't (joke, don't shoot!).

typical small town, popn < 200. wheat silo at back

Half past. The time is half past ten. Let's meet at half past seven for dinner. A variation could be--Tea will be served at a quarter to one. Or Conference starts at a quarter past two. Get it? I've never heard a native say the exact time to the minute even when they're looking at a digital watch! Bit softer with the time. Not exacting. Quite Filipino in that they too are not very strict with time but not as abusive with it like the infamous "Filipino time". Aussies allow for a few minutes late start to anything. Not a whole hour or more.

Aussie Rules football is HUGE in Au you reckon? Yeah naah.

Yeah naah. So what is it, yes or no? Both. Confused? Just go with it. It's a very safe way to say you agree but not quite. It seems like a good way to deliver an honest opinion without outrightly disagreeing. "Geelong is the best footy team ever you reckon?" "Yeah naah Carlton's won more premierships overall." Similar to how Pinoys say "siguro" or add "naman" so we don't sound disagreeable. Although soft is not a word commonly used to describe Aussies, it seems appropriate when it comes to expressing themselves. Simply add the gruff no-nonsense tone.
You right? This one's easy. Shortcut for "You alright?" I'm right. A much used aussieism--You'll be right mate. Offering reassurance. They're so tough nothing can ruffle them. At least they like to think so. In my work with communities in drought, I find this to be the biggest barrier to recovery. This very coping mechanism becomes a convenient cop-out. Similar to the Pinoy "Bahala na." Only diff is Pinoys tend to lean on a Higher Being whereas Aussies tend to lean on themselves. A balance between the two would be perfect, in my opinion. 


Shits.I never knew there's a plural for it. Like you's (see "Strine English"). The isolation has caused them to make up their own rules it seems. Got the shits. Unhappy, upset, angry, hormonal, menopausal, wait that's me ha!


I reckon. Originating from the Pommies (Brits), it means "I think so." Reckon and think seem to be interchangeable here. Can also mean to agree or believe something to be right. You reckon I have a hope in hell of mastering strine? I reckon. Smile.

Septem"BER"...start of Christmas

Ahh it's September already, the first of the "ber" months, signalling the start of the Christmas season--Pinoy style. I think it was meant to be "brrr" as in cold. But since I am in the southern hemisphere where our Christmas is the height of summer, I will stick to "ber". Pinoys are known to have the longest Xmas season (September to January till Three Kings). Any excuse to celebrate. Where have all the months gone? When I was just getting used to writing 2010 it's nearly time to change it to 2011! Time flies when you're having fun. Err, that too. More like my age catching up on me so the days begin to merge into one big blur. I found this in my archives. I wrote it in 2007 in Multiply (the precursor of FB, now inactive). Feeling nostalgic, it is as relevant today as it was back then. My updates in italics.


My First Aussie Christmas

Not my first Christmas away from home but my first without my baby.  Never mind I'll see him soon enough. Though Stan and his family are very warm and inclusive I can't help but feel homesick and find myself pining for my Pinoy Xmas. I still do, four years on.  

just like back home the youngest get to play Santa

So what is an Aussie-style xmas? Much the same as a Pinoy xmas except no midnight mass and the big day is xmas day itself with as many family members as can make it together for lunch or dinner (or is it dinner and tea?). Then kris kringle after (exchange gifts). Yes, my new family is very family-oriented so I am quite relieved. It's summer time, quite warm verging on scorching. Takes a while to reconcile a lifetime of experiencing xmas in cool weather with a hot and sweaty one. 

leche flan was a hit beside the pavlova

I was asked to bring a traditional Filipino dessert so I brought a leche flan. Despite the fact that I didn't flip it upside down nor did I make the caramelized sugar topping, it was a big hit. My mother would have been proud of me. Besides, my Aussie family wouldn't know the diff. It went head-to-head with the traditional Aussie faves the pavlova and the trifle--all made with tons of cream (wreaked havoc to my lactose-intolerant tummy).  

typical drive-in liquor outlet

All day eating, drinking, merry-making, drinking, laughing, drinking.....did I say drinking? More drinking. Much like Pinoy xmas with less copious drinking. The bottle shops have their best sales (yes, drive-in liquor stores imagine that!)
What do I miss aside from the obvious? The lights glittering in every home, the xmas jingles incessantly playing in the malls and radio(yes, believe it or not, that too) the caroling from house to house and the skillful dodging, the cool, crisp December air.......the general smell and feel of xmas in pinas. I miss Dad's garden lights artfully decked to lend focus to the magnificent parol (Christmas star) in the middle. I miss decorating our 10-ft tall xmas tree, wondering whether the vintage birds will hold up, remnants of Mommy's prized collection.  I miss turning the xmas lights on as soon as it gets dark, quietly basking in the twilight glow.  I miss seeing the gifts multiplying daily under the tree wondering which ones are mine.

xmas 95

I miss putting the goodies in my nephews and nieces xmas stockings, hoping to fill them up on a shoestring budget. I miss the misa de gallo, the puto bumbong, bibingka and all other traditional xmas treats. Most of all, I  miss taking everyone's photos while they open their presents after the chaotic exchange. We have that too here in Au, just a much smaller crowd. A flurry of colorful wrappers madly being ripped and torn then the ooohs and aaahs and thank yous.  Some genuinely pleased, some hiding unsuccessfully their disappointment.....ahh kids at heart, aren't we all?  Peace time among the siblings.  Nice. The days in between Christmas and New Year was quite special for my family. We'd trek up to Baguio and spend a few days at Teachers Camp (Mommy was a teacher which gave us access to it) to enjoy the cool weather. We'd  gather dry twigs and fallen cones from the pine trees and toss them into the fireplace---about the only time we'd experience one---and toast marshmallows. We loved it and our kids did too. Simple fun. Simple bliss.

ubiquitous sight starting September

traditional belen

I miss the ubiquitous parol, the Christmas star. I still have not gotten my parol but I will. I much prefer the traditional ones made of papel de hapon or the plain five-pointed star made of capiz shells. Simply elegant. And what about the manger scene. It's rare in this part of the world it seems. Every Christmas I manage to cajole Stan into checking out the Christmas lights competition in town and every Christmas I am disappointed that not one house has a manger scene. I shouldn't be surprised really. I've been working with communities over the last three years and observe that religion, or believing in a Higher Being, is not prevalent among the younger generation (including mine). Good and bad. Good, in that they're quite accepting and tolerant of others beliefs. Bad, in that in times of desperation, they have no one greater than themselves to turn to. This has led to many doing very desperate and drastic deeds. The correlation is arguable but certainly religion as a coping mechanism is very much alive and kicking back home. And certainly people are much more content and thankful despite the wide disparity in economic standard of living. But that's for another blog. Anyway, about the belen (manger scene) I've decided that this Christmas I will have one in my yard as a testament to my faith. So shoot me.


Focusing on what I have, not what I don't, is my mantra these days. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with my long-standing email tagline "Got a lemon? Make lemonades. But don't forget the sugar." Truly, a thankful heart is a happy heart. Pass the sugar please.........

Driving on the Wrong Side

I've been driving 30+ years in one of the most challenging road and traffic conditions in Asia (so non-Pinoys swear) so I thought driving in Australia, with its' wide roads and its' courteous law-abiding drivers, would be a piece a cake. I was wrong. Again. Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road but they're also very strict about obeying road signs. Hefty fines magically appear in your mailbox with a stern warning to pay up or suffer dire consequences. Trigger happy speed cameras abound. In short, you will be caught red-handed and there's no escaping the law. You also get demerit points in your driver licence. With most everything computerised, the long arm of the law is attached to a vice grip you cannot talk your way out of. 

road sign along EDSA competing with billboard ads

You know you're Pinoy when you understand what a double whammy that is. In the motherland, road signs, road markings, speed limits, etc. are generally regarded as  mere warnings, a guide to navigating one's way through the organised chaos that is Manila traffic. They often get lost amidst the myriad of advertising billboards that compete for the Manila driver's attention and oftentimes get superceded by the MMDA traffic enforcer. Speed limits in the main thoroughfares are hard to exceed because the sheer volume of vehicles calibrate the flow to a painfully slow pace. I chuckle to myself every time I hear people here complain about the "traffic". The big cities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney combined do not come close to what Manilenos put up with on a daily basis! "Traffic" to country folks is maybe a 10-car build-up in a roundabout, umm perhaps 20-30 sec of idling. What joy. 


The amount of idling we get in Manila is so bad it provides business opportunities to the enterprising. The busy city streets become moving fast-food centres. The slower the flow, the more business is generated.

peanut vendor 

 Oh how I miss the freshly boiled peanuts and the hot kropek. And what about those nodding dogs for the dash? The latest products on the shopping channel? Not just a fastfood centre but a shopping mall too. These vendors risk life and limb to earn a few pesos. OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety) will have a field day. But I digress. I just had to stick this photo in. 

Back to driving in Au. Pedestrians have right of way. How refreshing. Vehicles have to do a full stop before zebra crossings when pedestrians need to cross, wait till the last one steps off the road and is safely on the curb before proceeding. Very civilised. I feel so safe everytime I'm the pedestrian. So opposite back home. No  regard for safety, people cross busy Manila streets at great risk. They cross everywhere, on zebras and off. Cars do not stop, much less slow down for pedestrians. Cars, not people have right of way. A sign of low regard for human life perhaps? Life, when there are so many lives, is cheap it seems. 

emu

No honking of horns. You know an Asian is driving when you hear an impatient honk. Busted. It's considered rude. The horn is so rarely used here in the country that one can go without it (not the same in the big cities though with a high Asian popn ha!). Many months ago Stan accidentally hit an emu while out in the bush. Now emus I am told are very dangerous creatures once you collide with them because their heads are so hard and their necks so long that a head- on collision might mean coming eyeball-to-eyeball with it. Thankfully, this one didn't. But it did damage the entire front of his 4WD including the horn. He's never noticed that the horn didn't get fixed until I had to borrow his car for my drive test. 


I got my Victorian driver license early this year. I was driving with my Philippine license prior without any incident. Ok, ok I had a few scary moments my first couple of times on the road-- I realised I was on the wrong side upon seeing other cars coming straight at me yeow! Fortunately, people here are kind and forgiving, all I got were dirty looks ha! Other than that and checking my orientation at all times (making a right turn was tricky) I was fine. So applying for an Australian license should be a breeze right? Naaahhhhh. It's much harder because I had to unlearn 30+ years of "different" driving habits and learn new rules on top of getting used to driving on the other side. All my instincts taught me to look to the left before the right. Here it's right then left. Doh!

typical Manila traffic

A1 driving school taught me all about "defensive driving" in the wild wild streets of Raon where metal and human bodies come within inches of the other (surprisingly very low casualty rate). Dodging vehicles left, right , front and back with nary a scratch was an art. Vicroads admonishes me to drive "cooperatively". My re-education was a process of taming my "survival driving" style. Hmm, I might not have the guts to drive back in Manila again, we'll see. 

Securing a Victorian driver license is a 3-step process, the first two are theoretical exams and the last is a drive test. I ace'd the first two and was confident I would ace the last. I had three go's and finally passed it the fourth time aaarrrgh!! What a blow to my ego. I kept flunking the speed test (yes, you have to maintain the speed limit up to the point where the sign changes, not a centimeter before!) and the head turn when switching lanes or turning a corner (have to do a stage drama turn of the head.  With my long hair, I look like I'm shooting a shampoo commercial!). I was a few hundred dollars poorer too. Waaah.

hard-earned licence

Each drive test had a fee attached. I swear those Vicroad guys saw me as a cash cow aaarrrgh!! Nevertheless, I kept going. I would not be defeated. Finally, they must have figured they've milked me enough, my fourth and final go, I got the nod. Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah. I heard the chorus in my head. Euphoria. Finally. With a thankful and triumphant smile I posed for my photo ID and got a ten-year license. A bird in hand, you know.