Migrant thoughts and Raising a bilingual child

It seems I have a lot of time on my hands to be pondering about thoughts on being a migrant and raising a bilingual child. But I don't have all the time, in fact I have a million things on my to do list. However I want to linger on this topic and just think.

Hubby and I wanted to temporarily leave our Sydney home and head back to Manila home for a couple of years. A number or reasons pushed us to move back. One of the major reason being to spend time with family and friends. Not so much for us, but for little B. Hubby and I grew up basking in the love from our grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, other family members, and friends. We wanted to have our little girl experience a happy childhood filled with memories of time spent with family and friends. That more than anything else pushed us to consider to move back for a while.

Now, we are not as convinced about the move (yes if only for family reasons - but we realised this is not a simple equation - so many considerations!). If only it was simple decision!

As much as I would like to write endlessly about moving back home to Manila - I am now in the mood to research about raising a bilingual child. Having one of those moments! I am delaying having to work from home now.....

A crafty weekend

I have been trying to utilise my creative skills lately by coming up with crafting ideas for my little girl to do during our time together. I guess it has not been the easiest time for me to come up with something, as I have been extremely busy with work. Having said that though, I have managed to come up with a few things! It is a good thing that Halloween is still in the air and that Christmas holidays are coming soon. I have made these two the theme for our creative sessions!



For tomorrow’s quality time with her we will make a poster. Making custom poster frames should not be that difficult if one is doing that in a controlled and adult environment. However with a small child who is three years old – it is a disaster waiting to happen! Oh well, it is all in the name of good bonding fun between mother and child, so we are going ahead with it! I am quite excited to make a poster, and I have made a mental note to try and see the activity from her eyes, with the zest of doing something for the first time! Certainly I will post photos from the activity before, during, and after the mess takes place! Check it out once it is online! Surely other parents looking for things to do will find this to be a good activity. It will not be a very professional looking creation, but nonetheless an artwork and masterpiece for the baby books!



Hubby has been quite supportive of this plan and has offered to help with the manly wood work stuff that needs to be done, as well as purchasing the paints, paintbrushes, glitter, and beads. I on the other hand will take care of buying the scrapbook making tools which we are using. I am even thinking whether my little girl and I should walk down our street and collect dried leaves to put on as border! I think this sounds like my creativity side is working and I'm on a roll!

This employee engagement weekend

I just found out yesterday that I won’t be alone in skipping the employee engagement activity! I am quite relieved to know that at least on the day following the event I wouldn’t be the only one not able to relate to the stories from the exciting and action packed weekend. Although I would have wanted to make it, I suppose there is next time. I have to attend to other things for now. Would have been nice though that they are celebrating it at Tasmania! I have never been there and so the idea of going to a brand new place would have been exciting! Oh well, next time!

Clouds and Trees

I love sunsets. They are even more beautiful when there's a bit of cloud in the mix. It's a bittersweet feeling though because the day is coming to an end.

No dental practice for sale

Hubby, the little girl and I are heading off to the medical centre this morning for some tests to be made on hubby. He hasn't been feeling that perfect lately, dizzy spells and all. I keep joking him maybe he is pregnant! Haha! On the serious side though, really hope it isn't anything too serious. I have been working from home lately which is good - but for the wrong reasons. I want to be near them if an emergency comes up. I hope that there wouldn't be any dental practice for sale at the medical plaza we are visiting. When businesses fold it affects the businesses around it - and we love this medical clinic we are going to! So hopefully the entire plaza is filled with thriving businesses!

Why apple??

The way Apple designed the usb ports on their MacBook 13" is such a failure. I could live with two USB ports,  but why cram them right next to each other?  They could've just as well put just one!

My usb port

My best friend's wedding decorations

Exactly one week from today, my favourite and best friend is getting married!! I am very excited to see her walk down the aisle and marry the man of her dreams! I am also excited to see how her wedding decorations all fall into place in the bigger picture. They are having a rustic wedding at a farm one hour south of the city, and it is a very elegantly vintage venue. If I was to have our wedding again, I would not mind having a similar theme as them! Surely it would be lovely - now just praying for blue skies and great weather!

Our company's employee engagement activity

Every year my company creates a conference for all the employees to attend. It goes on from friday to sunday, and at a destination that is a surprise up until a week prior to the event! Being new to the company I would have wanted to attend this employee engagement activity, however it would mean being at work nearly for ten straight days (or feels like that). I feel I work so hard during the week and don't need to spend another three days with colleagues at an offsite location. That's just me, I suppose other colleagues might look forward to it.

On another note about dental practice valuation

Still blabbing about my great dentist today! I never was a fan of them when I was younger - although when I was trying to get into university, I admit to have considered being one! And a number of my friends ended up being dentists - who are still practicing until now (lucky them). Who would have thought that a lot goes on about dental practice valuation. My two lady dentist friends have mentioned this to me on separate occasions which makes me think it is something they teach at university for future dentists. I don't see why it shouldn't be taught in class - as a lot of these dentists work at their own practices!

That dental practice for sale

There are so many businesses out there that are folding especially now that times are harder, and competition is everywhere. I just did not think that dental practice for sale was a sign that I would see from two blocks where I live. I would assume it happened to retail shops that sell dresses, or children's toys. But oh well, I guess that's life for us. I'm glad that the dental clinic that we are used to visiting is still very much in business. It can be stressful to try and find a good dentist around here. My little girl is quite happy with how our dentist is, she is what they call to have light hands.

That thing about personal word of mouth marketing

The advent of different social media and social networking sites has made life easier for the ones searching for the best marketing strategies. What used to six degrees of separation from one unknown person to another in has now been reduced to four.  Sharing a link in a networking site and having it go viral in a few days is a quick, easy, and practical way is by personal word of mouth marketing to make sure the word gets around. Bloggers have been targeted to promote businesses through their blogs because of the personal interaction the writer has with his readers where he can easily endorse products or services and get positive results. It is however important to find the right persons who will be able to channel the news from the top all the way to the bottom.

Kite Festival at Bondi Beach

I loved flying kites when I was young. My sister and I would make one out of old newspaper and a couple of strands of very thin and flexible wood. I could remember flying those simple kites so high up!

Here is a photo from our beach day out on Kite Festival day. Lots of fun and lots of kites!

My family group

I have been working on one family's huge trip for June next year. They are doing such a fabulous itinerary, very extensive and at the same time very detailed. I am taking care of all that small details of the family reunion trip, from the band transportation to the welcome cake at the hotel for the grand matriarch's birthday. So much going on if I may say so, and as much as I would love to have the time to plan it all out day by day (for that 30 days holiday) - it can get exhausting. After all, there are 22 passengers on my list. The age range is diverse and origin cities various too. I am sure it will all be worth it in the end, if only I can finalise all the flights before the end of this year. It will give me time to sort out the hotels and tours early January. Oh how I am wishing I have an assistant to delegate some jobs to. Hmm, that made me think. Maybe it is worth hiring an assistant even just for this task. I know there are virtual assistants that can be hired over the net, for a fixed period and fixed amount. I will need to research this now, or maybe just ask my hubby to research for me! I'm sure he will oblige!

The thing about unsecured small business loans

I am wondering whether I should have just been in the finance and banking industry, since I have been mingling with small business and talking about unsecured small business loans all the time lately. We are off to the local markets tomorrow and surely more small businesses will have a stall set up. For some reason when I start a conversation with them these topics on finance always come up. As a small business owner I guess these things are always on their mind, all the time and every time. I could understand why. It takes so much effort and time to run a business on their own. It takes up a lot of family and self quality time too!

Looking forward

I got this message from my fortune cookie at the Chinese restaurant :) And somehow it made me excited! Yes!!!! Bring it on ... Soon, please!!

So much about unsecured business funding

Unemployment is a sad reality. Aside from the obvious financial effect of being unemployed there's the psychological side to it. At one point self-worth goes down. But being in a country that's relatively economically successful meant that the next job is just around the corner. What if I go one step further by starting my own small business? Sure I'm going to need a loan and more information on unsecured business funding, but the rewards would be more fulfilling because the challenges will be greater. I'll be my own boss, I will have a greater sense of responsibility. I'll be my own boss. I should really stop letting ideas float out of my head into thin air and start putting them on paper. 

Thinking about my unsecured business line of credit

Sometimes I wonder how the assessments are made about qualifying sole traders and offering them with unsecured business line of credit. I have been approved for one, but one of my acquaintances who runs a more successful business was declined. I guess there's a reason I decided not to pursue a career in finance! Perhaps if I studied the industry in depth I would not be asking myself these questions. Then again, I can always contact my personal banker and have her explain everything to me step by step! Or if she's too busy I can always count on my dad to know everything!

Current affiliation and employee engagement

My current business affiliation is very big on employee engagement and worker satisfaction. There are reminders of this in and around the office head quarters in the city by means of poster. I also get constant emails about wanting to participate or engage with agent communities that I belong to. Today was quite a special one on that note as I was gifted by one of the business managers with a book that made me think about my talents and strengths and focusing on this rather than my weaknesses. I found it a powerful message that aimed to involve workers. If only my previous company offered this too!

Sweet wedding cake toppers

There's this bakery that I pass by on my way to work. As one can imagine they always have beautiful displays of cakes. From the regular (but still a treat anytime) chocolate cake to creative birthday cakes to grand wedding cakes. It's the latter that really amazes me. Layer upon layer of sweet delicious cake lavishly decorated is tastefully created. But a wedding cake isn't complete without the wedding cake toppers. This bakery doesn't seem to run out of ideas on what to place on top of these cakes. From the traditional bride and groom figurines standing side-by-side to the funny ones like the bride in a dominating pose over the groom. Couples will never run out of choices. It's the little details that make wedding cakes memorable.

Kookaburra



... Sits on an old (gum tree) green pipeline...

Traditional versus sand ceremony

I have a good friend that is in every essence very traditional. I've known her since we were young and I could remember she would never stray from her family's traditions. She says those traditions go a long way back, passed from one generation to the next. But understandably us humans have the tendency to want to break away from the social norm. We want to be different. So come her wedding day, she did just that. My friend changed a few things. One part of the ceremony I found really nice was instead of using a traditional candle, the couple used sand and had a sand ceremony. It was very thoughtful. Two different coloured grains of sand were mixed together to symbolise unity that can never be broken apart just like sand. The grains may have different colours but it's impossible to completely separate them once mixed together. It was among other things my friend changed in a traditional wedding, but I could actually see she wanted a deep and meaningful ceremony. One that she and the groom will remember for the rest of their lives. That's what matters more than tradition anyway, in my opinion.

My personal word of mouth marketing

While it's true that when a person has had a bad experience he/she is most likely to share it to a friend or relative it's equally true that experience will be shared when it's a good one. I for one see to it that I let friends and family know of my good experiences. I have a good meal at at restaurant, I tell them about it. I find a good bargain at a mall, they'll surely know about it. I'm always careful not to say negative things about a service gone wrong or a food that isn't so satisfying. All too often you hear people say company A are a bunch of crooks or product B is a total ripoff without even justifying them with an explanation and that's very damaging. In my opinion, personal word of mouth marketing is very powerful. So much so that companies focus on putting a good word on their products and services. It's good because then you know competition is tough and competition can only be good for the consumers.

Talk about Midland Texas auto loans

My husband and I are looking at purchasing a brand new car (for a change now!). Our current trusted vehicle is an old camry, that while it does function well for short drives, we are not sure how it would work if we used it for interstate travel. We're not looking at doing the long drive anytime soon, but hopefully by  next year we would take out an auto loan or speak with someone about Midland Texas auto loans and get on with that trip in our new car! When that time comes and we purchase a new car, I don't mind having the old car and leaving the new one to hubby. I would be too conscious to drive the new one, considering I am not the best driver in town!

Cathy and Mark's wedding decorations

I've only been to a few weddings and I thought each and every one of them were great. All details of wedding decorations has been paid attention to. From the flower arrangements right down to the table napkins. No couple wants an ordinary wedding. Even simple weddings have a subtle flare to them. Some couples go all out because they want the best. Money is not a limiting factor. Though it's true most of the time that if you want the best you have to be prepared to spend big, it's not always the case. I went to a good friend's wedding  just a couple of months ago that was really amazing. The flowers were beautiful and the arrangements were exquisite. The cake was impressive too. What made it truly amazing was I never would have guessed that it didn't cost an arm and a leg. There are wedding decorators out there that can compete with big businesses. People just need to know how to find them.

A thing for personalized napkins

I think I have a dozen of special napkins for different occasions kept in my cupboard. Over the past four years I have accumulated more than the number of parties I have hosted, but I believe one can never have too much napkins! I sometimes find myself passing through a shop where they sell irresistibly cute ones that I just have to buy. I especially can't resist cute patterned napkins. Admittedly though I have not tried to have personalized napkins made yet. Which gives me the idea to have some made for my daugther's third birthday party in two months!

Understanding unsecured business loans

I might have been absent from uni class when the teacher was discussing unsecured business loans. I am lucky enough to have a personal banker who explained this to me before I took out my loan. With a clear understanding of how this works and what it entails, I am more confident about knowing the fine print of my contract. The next time I am faced with a banking definition dilemma I will not hesitate to ask my personal banker to explain. Either I do that or ask my best friend, who is a bank manager - surely she will know the answer!

Do you know of dental practices for sale?

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have pursued a career in dentistry. It has always been one of those things that I would never really know what could have been - but everytime I see or hear about dental practices for sale or under valuation process, I just stop and think. I would like to dream about being a pedia dentist, it would be so much more challenging to have little ones as patients. It means being able to know how to manage their nerves and get things done. Perhaps I could still shift careers now?

Much a do about wedding decorations

Weddings are just a joy to plan! At least in the beginning when one has the luxury of not rushing and just flipping endlessly through magazines or surfing through web pages for wedding decorations. I especially like conceptualising the whole theme and cutting snippets of ideas. My little sister's wedding was a magical one even if she was a bit of a bridezilla. I know that all the details of the special day was carefully planned out down from the colour of the table napkins to the table centerpieces and the giveaways. I only wish I could have been there to celebrate it with her.

On the go

On the train working

So thankful for internet on the go! I just like working on the bus or train or wherever I can. However, sometimes I wish I was just staring blankly while commuting!

Oh small business loans

There are a number of loans available in the market but none can be more catered to a small business than small business loans - I should know because I have one. And, I just love the fact that I have my own account executive to look after me and my special requirements. Surely I feel acknowledged, especially since I have been banking with my bank for more than nine years. Somehow, I wish I took out the loan before I started my business as it could have helped me back then. Well, all these things happen for a reason!