EVERYTHING IS CHEAP IN AUSTRALIA +

EVERYTHING IS CHEAP
IN AUSTRALIA
July 3, 2001

Everything is so cheap according to my wife so she bought a sack of rice, a sack of potatoes, boxes of tomatoes, garlic, onion, “gabi”, eggplant, string beans, lettuces, custards plus big watermelons, bananas, kilos of beef, pork, chicken and fish fillet. Actually what she bought was enough for a Fiesta celebration back in my hometown in the Philippines. I couldn’t imagine how we would consume all those things.

I just stayed at home, watch the Television, wrote in my diary and rested enough. I was beginning to get bored to think that I should be staying here up to July 23rd. The thought gave me creeps and symptoms of depression. So this was what they called the good life?

I didn’t feel so good that many people turn to money as their reference for their happiness and good feelings, as if the amount of one’s earning was the reality of one’s wholeness. Perhaps I was wrong but I always look beyond the material and the tangible. What count ed to me most was values and peace of mind.

MORE WEDDING GUESTS CAME
Wednesday, July 4 2001

The family of Rico and Belle Golez, together with Guada and Yee arrived early in the morning. The two children of Belle, Yeye and Erika were both extremely happy and excited, so was Erika’s Yaya Seria.

After eating a quick Brunch, we all went to Taronga Zoo. Only Terry was left at home. On the way to the Zoo we saw the Mosman Day and Evening School. I noticed the big houses in the area signifying that upper class citizens of Sydney populated the area.

Taronga was a big well-kept Zoo with varied species of ordinary and unique animals. A map in going up and down to see the different animals guided us. Later we rode the cable car to reach the other side of the Zoo.

When we got home we were all dead tired except for the two little girls who couldn’t forget the excitement brought about by the Zoo experience . Deep, good and relaxing sleep was a pleasant gift that night.

MISCOMMUNICATION
Friday, July 6, 2001

What we anticipated as a hilarious reunion of sort turned out to be an early nightmare. The group of Terry’s relatives coming from America, consisting of Ate Leng and her son Nicol, Ate Emen and husband, Kuya Narding, Ate Nene and daughter Jasmin, together with Oma and El, arrived at the air port expecting someone to fetch them but no one came as there was miscommunication prior to that. For days Terry have been trying to contact them in America but all telephones were either no longer in service or replied by an answering machine. When finally Peter thought of sending e-mail to Eric and leaving Paul’s number we thought the problem was solved. But El, forgot the number and so the group arrived and stayed at the airport for two hours when someone thought of Mikee’s address and they went there. No doubt El was relatively quiet that time.

When finally the group reached Paul’s condominium, a tense atmosphere first prevailed but after a few minutes heads cold down and the happy reunion took place. They joyfully ate with us with a hurriedly prepared lunch before they moved to their hotels.

At night friends came and had dinner with us. They consisted of Dennis, his girlfriend and her brother, Hens and a certain Anton. It was a happy gathering.