LAST FEW DAYS IN AUSTRALIA

LAST FEW DAYS IN AUSTRALIA

Sunday, July 8, 2001: From the Regent Sydney Hotel we checked out early and went to the Quay. Being a Sunday there were so many people walking here and there in their beautiful jackets, sweaters, and winter coats. We had a picture taken with a weird-looking man. The “metallic man ”fascinated me. He was painted with metallic silver all over, posing on a platform like a real statue with a caption in front: A donation will bring him to life. I dropped 50 cents and the statue started moving and touching me while Beth was capturing the drama on camera.

We then proceeded to the Royal Botanic Garden behind the Opera House. It was covering so big an area that we had to ride a trackless train to see some parts of it. After the Botanic Garden tour we ride a train up to St. Lenard where Otan picked us up.

Monday, July 9, 2001: It was very cold and with mild shower going on. We went to the Fox Studios at Moor’s Park. The most that we enjoyed there was the Titanic experience. After taking lunch we also watched Lights, Camera, and Chaos. Then we followed a TV tour, Costume tour, etc.
We went home in the afternoon with more sever colds. I stayed at home the following day while Toti and Cris went to Wonderland and Wildlife.

Saturday, July 14, 2001: After lunch Otan accompanied Oma, Yee, Toti and Beth to the City Market .That gave Terry and I a chance to be left at home. We were discussing how lucky we were indeed to have this chance to be traveling to different countries while even some rich families haven’t experienced.

I also had a chance to call Chato Esguerra and her sister Doti, Tita Ferolino, Mercy Baltazar, Eden Juco, Luz Rivera Ragano, Benjie Nicodemus and Elvie Diroy Volcavic who was residing at Melbourn

Chato and Doti promised to pick us up early in the morning tomorrow to bring us around the city.

Sunday, July 15 , 2001: Otan’s birthday but no special celebration. I called up Chato to confirm the plan yesterday. She in turn called her sister Doti who was residing at Lane Cove which was not far from Artarmon where my son was staying.

Doti brought us to Chato’s place in the west at Plauniton (part of Blacktown). Along the way after Lane Cove we passed by Ryde, the place where a few days ago, a Filipino Family (Gonzales) were massacred.

The Ryde Highway (M2) was rocky and surrounded by forest… very refreshing. We passed by Seven Hills, Blackwater, Rooty Hill. Planitton (Chato and Tita Ferolino’s place).

We were treated at Happy Inn Chinese Seafood Restaurant at Pentid then to Glendenning where Mercy Jimenez and husband George Baltazar were living in a beautiful Bungalow just like tat of Chato and Tita’s.

Before that we passed by Woodcreft, a new community of big beautiful houses where many Filipinos were residing. We also visited Eden Salazar and husband Ninoy Juco at Oakhurst.

Doti later brought us to her residence at Lane Cove. We were introduced t o her husband, Marty Luther IV and son, Marthy Luther V.

Before our trip this morning I had a chance to phone Elvie’Diroy Volcavic who was excited. She invited us to visit her at Melbourne. I also phoned Benjie Nicodemus but he was in Church. We didn’t have chance to hear Mass as Peter fetched Paul and Mikee from the airport. They were just back from honeymoon at New Zealand and Cook Island.

Monday, July 16, 2991: As I reviewed life in Australia I’ve got a mixed feeling. Outwardly, every thing looked so good but emotionally it could be a most depressing experience. Statistics showed that one out of five Australian got depressed.

I once asked Doti if she could cite to me one thing ‘not good’ in Australia and she didn’t hesitate in saying that it was the taxes… the government taxed everything exuberantly.

When I asked Chato what make her look so young and healthy she smilingly answered that it was the challenges that she gradually overcame. Australia to her was a challenge that taught her many lessons. She never considered before the many potentials that she possessed until she lived in Australia where she discovered how so many she could do. They were all pleasant discoveries. The gift of independent living was never possible in t he Philippines. There were so many things now that she could do which she never thought she was capable of doing when she was still in the Philippines. She looked so happy like her house mate, Tita Ferolino.

George and Mercy’s house was by all standards, beautiful, well kept but they said that deep in their hearts they still prefer to live in the Philippines. Probably it was because they have no child.

Aside from the right hand driving and the Keep Left traffic, I noted some other peculiarities like turning on switches downwards instead of upwards like what we do in the Philippines.

For busy people like my son Paul who was also earning good, Australia was a paradise but for the older ones like Terry and I, Australia could be hellish in the long run. In as far as I am concerned, considering everything, both the positive and the negative, Philippines is still my brand of Paradise.

Tuesday, July 12, 2001: This afternoon the family of Mikee Policarpio and the Almedas, had dinner with us the Aviñantes and the Costas .

It was a very informal dinner in a very informal atmosphere and informal topics of discussion, with Pancit, Sinigang and Fried Chicken.
Informal as it was, the dinner was a celebration of multiple significant occasions. It was get-together for the families of the newly married couple, a ‘despedida’ party for the Costas who were leaving the following day, a send-off for our trip to New Zealand and birthday celebrations both for Peter’s (July 15th and Mikees’ s (July 22nd).