Thank you series: Apparently Mandarin can be fun!

Tomorrow will be our first month anniversary in China; and after just a few podcasts and book reading, I felt like giving up on my dream to learn Mandarin. That was until I stumbled upon this site - askbenny.cn. This is such an impressive site that makes learning so much fun and interesting. I begin my journey today as a white belter and now I wonder on when I will get my black belt :)

Xie' xie askbenny.cn. Zài jiàn!

Thank you series: Praise God!

Today September 21, 2008, we attended Sunday mass online. Thanks to the Internet, my hubby and I got our weekly dose of spiritual sustenance. We also had a very intimate and rewarding reflection and we talked about the gospel and our realizations. It's amazing how He is working in us, molding us and preparing us for greater things.

Truly God affirmed me today through this mass and the gospel. He has consoled me once more and I know that I need not worry because I am exactly where I should be.

All I can say is Praise you Lord, I cannot thank you enough for all the blessings you have showered me.

Thank you series: Party people!

Last Friday night, September 19, I had so much fun as I danced the night away with a couple of friends. Think I got a little dizzy too after a few glasses of Vodka and a sip of Tsing Tao. I wasn’t drunk but I had the need to relieve my drowsy head through dancing. My hubby didn’t mind, afterall I was grooving with a Filipina friend and he was just a few feet away watching me hehe. It’s been quite a while since I enjoyed nightlife. Not really much of a bar person since I don’t appreciate loud music but the music that night was fun and I missed dancing to the song of . . . Y M C A!

"My dancing partner!"

"The two C's, CK and CW."

"Behringer Boys"

My last two weekends were a blast, thanks to the growing Filipino community. Lots of good food and great company! Welcome to China guys!

Here's a few more photo's of our Barbeque day last weekend.

"With my friend Yoko..and of course... the barbeque!."

"Jason and Chalito, our food guardians!."

Thank you series: Such amazing trees!

On our second week here in China, Jason and I decided to take an outdoorsier walk towards the mountain. The truth was we needed the exercise but we were not yet ready for the gym. So we figured that this is the best compromise for us – sightseeing with exercise.

"This is me enjoying the view."

Our goal was to reach one of the hotels in the area and on our way there we came across a pair of amazing trees. They were ordinary trees planted along the sidewalks of our community and what were astounding about them were their roots. Unlike most of the trees I’ve seen in Manila, those that usually break or take off the cement that surrounds them, these trees adjusted to the grooves of the pavement.

"This is Jason showing the path with trees."

It was a surprising sight to see! Hmm…If trees such as these can adjust to their surroundings, no matter how awkward, then…so can I. :)

“Look at the roots!”

Thank you series: I love my cute slippers!

September 6, 2008. I will begin my next series of blogs, which will be honoring the virtue of appreciation. I will look for reasons to smile and thank God. Big and small things deserve our thanks! Again this is my commitment to cheerfulness!

As a first, I say thank you for my slippers. Why? Simply because it’s cute! Everytime I see them they make me smile and feel young hehhe! Not only that, they certainly feel good for my feet! :)

"Cute eh?"

Settling series: My first pang of homesickness

September 2, 2008, I miss my friends and family terribly – my dad the most. I’m very close to him. We share a bond that I am proud of. My dad is my parent, my protector, my consultant and my friend. We support each other and I’m not used to the idea of not being physically able to support him or his plans.

Most of the day, I spend in our condo. My husband heads to work early in the morning and arrives around 7:30pm. I’m an only child and am very used to being independent and able to find ways to keep myself occupied. I can always find something to do. My laptop and the internet is my ally, but still I always feel a pang of sadness after a quick chat with friends and family. I miss the surprise parties, the celebrations, the get in touch moments at coffee shops, I can go on and on. I felt more homesick when my childhood friend Jacque sent me a link to her blog.

Then again, I guess I’m really blessed with great friends and family. The fact that there a so many people to miss means I’m sooo blessed with great people in my life. :) I’m online almost everyday and I’m glad for all the messages and calls I’ve been getting. See you all soon guys!

PS. Thank you for all the Despedida parties and celebrations you’ve prepared for us. I miss you all and see you soon!

"Despedida and Subic trip with Dad and Mommy Mariz."

"Despedida with Opposwim."

"Despedida with Nine."

Setting series: I get connected to the net

On September 1, our internet connection was installed and I am ecstatic. My hubby and I were so ecstatic that we spent that night eating dinner while watching youtube – TGIS. On this night I learned something about my husband, he loves old teen shows. Oh my, he even outdid me! He can name all the characters when I can only remember one hehe. Oh well, I’m just glad I have my favorite sago. I’m not much a fan of TGIS but any local show was great to watch at this point... and yes, the sago drink was great!

"Our dinner table."

"TGIS"

Thank God for the internet, I also have a wide choice of movies and videos to watch. So far I’m addicted to the movies and TV episodes based on Jane Austen novels. I’m such a sucker for romance! :)

Settling series: Jason shows me around China

August 30 and 31 is our first weekend in China and my hubby decided to take me around town. Mostly still part of our furnishing days. For the first two weeks our strolls usually involved groceries and malls. My dad even teased me about us gaining weight since all we did was go to the grocery. We’ll that’s us. My hubby just won’t allow our fridge to run out of food.

"Inside a mall.""Outdoors."

In one of our food and furnishing shopping days we learned the value of photos. Funny actually, for non-chinese speaking tourists in China photos and cartoons help you get by in this country. Just point at a photo and you can order. However, we also suggest that you look at the pictures intently. Better yet learn to ask and clarify the ingredients of your food. In our haste to have our lunch that day, we accidentally ordered a soup with pork intestines. I really thought it were beef strips, much to my shock as my hubby and I took a sip of our soup!

"Maybe it's good, lets try."

Another thought I’d like to share so far is that a smile counts, yes more so in a country with a different language than our own. I smile and I get a smile back. Locals help me more and are nice to me. I learned a few Chinese words, combine it with sign language and a lot of smiles, and so far it has gotten us somewhere. I guess as a PR and Marketing practitioner, I am working on different level.

Settling series: The adventure begins as we furnish the apartment

August 29, 2008, Our first week was spent mostly shopping for grocery and furnishing. It took a little longer than expected because I dared not go out alone since I wasn’t comfortable with the idea just yet. I was not familiar with the place and I was hindered by language barrier. I mean this is truly the first time I felt like a kid learning how to talk and write.

"Our first batch of groceries."

Thanks to my husband’s colleagues, CK and Beng, we had several evenings of good food and conversation. They took us out for dinner and showed us around.

"Lady chef prepares our yummy dinner."

Also on a lighter note, I did enjoy our “shopping adventures” because Jason and I met new, Chinese, friends. It was a pleasure to bump into them since they offered the luxury of language. They were blessings from above, speaking to us in English, and assisting us with our purchases. They went beyond their call of duty. In them I saw my first impression of China. In them I saw discipline, perseverance, industriousness and goodwill.

A New Beginning

Today, marks a new beginning for me. I create a new blog site as I start my life offshore with my husband. We just relocated here in Guangdong, China to further his career as an Engineer and to explore the world together. We've always wanted to travel and this is a step towards our dream of enjoying a full life together. I look forward to our upcoming trips to Macau and HK Disney. I think it's time for me to explore more of the Asian region since I've been to France, Italy and the USA.

"At the airport waiting for our plane."

"At the plane."

"A few more photo ops."

We arrived in China last Sunday, August 24, 2008. And since then we've been busy settling with our new surrounding. I love the fact that we are staying in a very peaceful place, a community of condo's. We've almost completed our furnishing shopping, just a few more things like the shower curtain and potholder, and we're done.

"Finally arrived in our apartment."

To all my friends and family, who will miss me. I miss you too. We are not that far away, especially with the Internet. I'll see you soon.