Inq7 News

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Akalain ko bang na-mention pa yung previous post ko tungkol kay Norman Tungol sa isang news article ni Veronica Uy ng Inquirer. Basahin ninyo sa link na ito.

Ang ayoko lang, ni-broadcast pa ni Veronica pati edad ko. Hehe. But joking aside, "Norman, napakabuti mong tao, natitiyak kong nasa maganda ka ng lugar ngayon. Those of us who were lucky enough to have known you personally, we love you and we'll miss you. "

Ray and Norman

Dalawa sa matalik kong kaibigan nung nasa Diliman pa kami ang napa-under kay Dr. Ray Punongbayan. Geology professor siya noon then later naging head ng Phivolcs. Naging very popular itong si Punongbayan especially nung time na sumabog ang Mt Pinatubo.

Subalit para sa dalawa kong kaibigan, back then Punongbayan was least popular. Paano naman kasi, binagsak sila nito pagkatapos makita na may mga sagot sila sa eksam na parehong-pareho. Nahalata tuloy na may cheating na naganap. Masaklap man na ekspiryensa para sa dalawa kong kaibigan, I’m sure my two friends now agree, that Punongbayan was a man of integrity; a man of utmost dedication to his work. A breed of men, almost extinct among government officials in our country today.

Ngayong umaga, natanggap ko ang malungkot na balita na nag-crash ang helikopter na sinasakyan ni Punongbayan sa Nueva Ecija.

Raymundo Punongbayan and eight other persons were on their way back in a helicopter from an aerial assessment of a renewed potential danger of landslides in Dingalan, Aurora, when their time ran out.

Kasama sa mga namatay ay si Dr. Norman Tungol, chief ng Geology Division sa Phivolcs. Isa ding UPian na nakasama-sama ko sa Diliman campus. We were both members of UP Aguman, an organisation of kapampangan speaking UP students. Bata ng dalawang taon sa amin si Norman. I remember him as being one of the more soft-spoken members in our org and yet had great leadership qualities. He was also one of the “aktibistas”, tunay na makabayan sa isip at gawa.

I last met Norman in Auckland some 3 years back. Pabalik na siya sa Pinas after 2 years of post-graduate studies in Christchurch, NZ. Sabi ko nga sa kanya at sa misis niya, bakit di na lang sila mag-apply ng Permant Residency dito. Sabi ni Norman, he had to go back home because he still had contractual obligations to work at Philvocs. But in my mind, I knew that what he really wanted was to first serve our country in his own little way, by sharing with our countrymen his expertise in Geology.

Napakalaking kawalan para sa ating bayan si Ray, si Norman at ang iba pa nilang kasamahan. Sila ay mga tunay na bayani. May they rest in peace.

Maternal Instinct

Last night, Fidez was feeling kinda depressed. She was in the verge of tears while telling us about this thing that’s bothering her. She was saying how come she is the only one in their class that has this problem. Some of her friends had the same problem, but theirs have now subsided and gone away. Now, here she is confronted with the same thing and it’s making her very sad. She doesn’t want to go out of the house and just want to stay in her room all day.

Hay naku, ang mga teenager nga naman! Magka-pimples lang at blackheads, they feel it’s already the end of the world.

Jean and I tried to console her by telling her that those things on her face will go away soon and that they don’t look too bad anyway. We tried to cheer her up by making jokes out of it. When she said how come C (a friend of hers who’s quite fat), does not have pimples, I replied: “Anong gusto mo may pimples ka o maging dabiana ka?”. When she said that she seems to be the only one in class that has pimples, I replied: “ayaw mo non, unique ka”. Then we laughed, mainly because of the irony in my logic.

Although, we tried to take such incidents in stride, I’m sure like me, Jean too feels the same sadness whenever Fidez is unhappy. How we wish it were us who has pimples instead of her. One time, when Fidez was six, she broke her arm and had to be rushed to the hospital. How I wished it were me who broke an arm instead of her. Then she had a wart on her foot making it painful for her to walk. If only I could have the wart instead and not her.

Bakit kaya ganoon? When my daughter is sad, I feel sadder. But when she's happy, I don't necessarily feel the same way. It seems that her positive feelings don't get transmitted to me to the same degree as her negative ones. Para bang, ang kasayahan niya ay para lamang sa kanya. Pero ang kalungkutan, kahati at karamay pa rin ako. Could it be maternal instinct? ... Pero meron ba non ang mga lalaki?

To Bring or Not To Bring

Ito ay para sa mga kababayan nating pupunta ng NZ for good. When you come to settle in a new country one of the things you want to avoid during your first few weeks is unnecessary spending for things that you may already have in the Philippines. Kung praktikal naman dalhin dito, bakit hindi, di ba? Isa pa mas mura kasi ang gamit sa atin.

I know some people will laugh at you kung magdadala ka ng mga kawali, kaserola at gamit pangkusina. But for me it’s a practical thing to do. Kasi mahal dito at yung ibang gamit bukod sa mas maganda ang yari sa atin, di mo pa mabibili dito. Tulad nung mga wok na gawa sa atin, para sa akin number one pa rin. Yung nabibili ditong mga wok sa mga Asian shops, hindi tulad nung atin. Yung sa kanila manipis at nangangalawang. Ayusin mo lang ang pagimpake sa bagahe at baka matulad ka kay Jean. Nang ipabulatlat sa kanya ng Customs ang kanyang bagahe, nahulog ang takip ng kawali. Kumalembang ito ng malakas sa sementong sahig at pagkatapos ay gumulong-gulong pa. Imaginin mong humahabol ka sa isang takip ng kawali na nag-iingay habang gumugulong at nakatingin lahat ng tao sa paligid mo. Kakahiya ano? Buti na lang di ako kasama noon. Sa bagay mas nakakahiya yung nangyari kay pareng Ramir nang sumabog yung isang supot ng cornick na dala niya. Nagkanda pulot pa siya ng kalat niya.

Magdala rin ng isang set ng mga dinner ware at cooking utensils. Spoons and forks cost about a dollar each, mahal kung iku-kumpara mo sa atin.

A rice cooker cost about $100. So, if you want to bring one, go ahead. Siguraduhin mo lang na 220-240 ang voltage. This is true with all electrical appliances. Don’t bring anything that is 110 volts. Mahal kasi dito ang transformer. Yung mga cordless phones sa atin, aandar naman dito. Pati na ang mga mobile phones.

Bedroom essentials, it is not really necessary to bring any. Kasi yung mga blankets natin, hindi epektib sa lamig dito. Ang maigi pang dalhin ay ang mga bedsheets at pilow cases.

For your personal hygiene, huwag magdadala ng tawas. Baka mapagkamalang drugs. Paano kung tanungin ka? Paano mo in-inglisin ang tawas? Pwede mo sigurong sabihin “I grind this into powder and put it in my arm pit to prevent B.O.” Baka pag-hubarin ka at ipa-demonstrate pa sa yo.

Isang personal na item na dala ko pa galing sa atin, kasi wala dito, yung pantutuli ng tenga. Parang hair clip at about 2 inches ang haba nito na may maliit na scooper ng ear wax sa isang dulo. Magdala ka ng extra, kasi madaling ma-misplace.

Siguraduhin mong bagong linis ang mga sapatos na dadalhin mo. Kasi kapag may kahit konting dumi o lupa na nakita ang Customs na nakakapit dito, ipapa-quarantine pa nila ito at maaring maging cause ng delay mo sa paglabas ng airport. At worst, baka ma-fine ka pa.

Kung magdadala ng pagkain, pwede kung nakalata o nakabote. At kung may label ng ingredients mas lalong okay. Kung homemade na pagkain ilagay sa selyadong bote para madaling makita at hindi na kailangan pang buksan. Siguraduhing hindi sumisingaw or tumutulo. Alam niyo naman ang pagkain natin, kung minsan may kakaibang amoy, na tayong mga Pinoy lang ang nakaka-appreciate. Baka kapag binuksan sa Customs, umalingasaw at isipin pa nilang “rotten”. Pwedeng magdala ng fruits basta pickled na at nakabote at walang buto. Huwag mong ipa-lata. Pabubuksan sa yo, lalo na kung walang label.

Make sure alam mo sa English ang pangalan ng pagkain. You can't say bagoong, or burong talangka or burong mangga. You have to say shrimp paste, or crab paste or pickled manggo.

In any case, make sure to list down all food items in your customs declaration. If you fail to list a food item, kahit legal ito at nakita ng Customs, pwede kang ma-fine ng $200 (with possible imprisonment) at magkaka-record ka pa. Kung dinekler mo kahit bawal, hindi ka mapa-fine. Itatapon nga lang nila.

Ngayon para wala ka nang problemahin pa, ang pinakamadali, huwag nang magdala ng kahit anong pagkain. Mas mapapabilis pa ang paglabas mo sa Customs.

Lastly, hindi naman bawal magdala ng malaking halaga pero kung magdadala ng limpak-limpak na salapi, kailangan mong i-declare kung more than $10,000 (I think). Normal naman na magdala ng maraming pera dahil dito ka na magse-settle. Sabi sa mga immigration handouts, a family of four will need around $1000 per week to live here comfortably. But I think that’s at the top end. Para sa ating mga Pinoy na sanay naman kumain ng isang ulam at sandamukal na kanin, sobra-sobra na yon. Realistically, $500 to $600 per week pwede na. Sa ganoong budget pwede mo nang samahan ng soup at salads ang ulam mo at may ice cream or chocolates ka pa for dessert.

Which sitting posture is best for you?

Tuwing dadaan itong HS (Health and Safety) Officer sa may mesa ko, pinupuna niya ang aking sitting posture. Gawi ko kasi ang medyo naka-recline ang backrest ng upuan at hindi perpendicular sa ground. Sabi niya dapat daw, straight body ang upo. Ang mga arms at elbows 90 degrees habang nag-ta-type sa keyboard. At ang keyboard dapat malapit sa katawan. Eye level on top part of the monitor. At ang mga legs 90 degress touching the floor.

Langya, sinubukan ko ito for one week. Hindi ako komportable at parang sumakit pa ang leeg at likod ko. Kaya balik ako sa dati kong relaxed posture na parang medyo nakahiga, at ang keyboard malayo sa katawan para maka-rest ang arms ko sa desk.

Ganyan talaga ako. Matigas ang ulo (yung sa itaas, ha). Just because it’s been the common practice to do something, doesn’t mean that it’s the correct or best way. So nag-research ako sa web. Ano nga ba ang tamang sitting posture? I chanced upon this article titled “90-90-90 and All That” by Dan MacLeod.

Ayon kay Dan, yung classic posture na dapat right angles sa knees, hips and elbows (tatlong 90 deg) ay galing pa sa isang Prussian orthopedic surgeon in the 1880s. Wala naman daw itong scientific basis, but was based in the militaristic culture at the time.

Gumawa si Dan ng sarili niyang pag-aaral. Sinukat niya ang pressure sa lower back ng bawat posture. Gumamit siya ng X-Ray para makita ang position ng vertibrae. Eto ang mga natuklasan niya sa kanyang pagaaral:

1. When sitting, the posture that creates the least pressure is when the angle at the hips and knees is about 120 deg. Note that this is the general posture when sitting in a car.

2. Leaning back on a chair backrest reduces pressure on the lower back. Contrary to tradition, leaning back on a chair is not bad for your back.

3. The classic typing posture creates the most pressure on the discs in the lower back.

4. Science does not support the recommendation of sitting at right angles. Rather, a semi-crouched position is better.

There is no single posture that is correct for an 8 hour day. You must move and change positions.

Sabi pa ni Dan,

Personally, I would not conclude that the 90-90-90 is wrong. There is still some value in this rule of thumb – it is an easy rule to remember and it can help you avoid some extreme postures. The way to think about it is that the rule can help you get in a starting position from which you can vary.

I forwarded the link to our HS officer. Ngayon di na ninya ako sinisita.

Lucky to be traveliing life's journey ... with the one I love

Today marks our 17th wedding anniversary. Jean and I promised to live life together in a civil ceremony in the municipal hall of Samal, Bataan on April 22, 1988. It's been a remarkable journey so far. I feel we'd accomplished a lot. We had our only daughter in 1990, went overseas in 95, and now quite contentedly are living a happy life in our adopted country, New Zealand.

In this journey through life, we went through a few humps and potholes, mostly my fault I'd admit, but in general the trip has been very pleasant, exciting and enjoyable. What makes it ultra enjoyable is because I'm not travelling alone. I have the greatest companion in the world. Someone I truly love and care about.

The other night we watched on DVD this 2004 movie Shall We Dance, starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. I have to admit, I kinda enjoyed it. There was one memorable moment in the film that made quite an impression on me. It made me think how lucky I was for being married.

Susan Sarandon who plays Richard Gere’s husband was explaining why people choose to marry.

We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying, 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.'

I feel truly blessed to have someone walking life's journey with me. For it is perhaps one of the saddest things that could happen to an individual -- for him or her to walk alone. For his/her life to past by unnoticed.

Watching Cartoons can be Good for your PC

Sa wakas, naawa din sa akin at pinalitan nila ng bago itong workstation ko. Mahigit isang taon ko rin pinagtiagaan yung dati kong Compaq PIII computer. Mabagal na at maliit pa ang capacity ng hard drive.

Buti na lang napanood ko itong “Finding Nemo”. Di ba’t sa cartoons na ito ang ginawa nila Nemo pinasakan nila ng bato yung tubo ng water filter para magbara at maglumot ang aquarium. Kasi kapag malumot, kailangan linisin.

Tama nga naman, kung madumi, kailangan linisin or PALITAN. Kung parating malinis at mukhang bago paghihinayangan nila itong palitan. So, pinabayaan ko lang kumapal ang libag sa PC ko. Naging epektib naman dahil nung sinabi ko sa boss ko na luma na at mabagal na ang PC ko at nakita niyang gusgusin na ito, parang nandiri pa siya at agad-agad nag fill up ng purchase order.

So ngayon hapi na ako at may bago akong HP P4. Pinalitan pa ang CRT monitor ng isang HP 17” LCD screen. Inggit nga itong mga katabi ko. Problema lang ngayon, di ko na pwedeng idahilan na mabagal ang PC ko kapag di pa tapos ang pino-program ko.

Paano ako nagka-work permit sa America

Pagkatapos kong mai-lodge ang PR application ko sa NZ sa Makati at habang naghihintay ng results, nagbakasakali naman akong kumuha ng tourist visa sa US embassy sa Roxas Blvd. Naisip ko kasi kung sakaling ma-decline ang PR application, US naman ang i-try ko. Nadala na kasi ako after ma-decline yung OZ application namin. Naisip ko dapat parating may back up plan.

Hindi ako seryoso sa pag-apply ng US visa. In fact, nung araw na yon magtatanong lang dapat ako kung paano ba ang pag-apply. Paglapit ko sa sekyu, tinanong ang passport ko na dala ko rin naman dahil kahit paano nag-prepare ako, just in case, right there and there bigyan ako ng interbyu. Binigyan ako ng puting papel ng sekyu na may nakasulat na oras. “Mamyang alas dos interbyu mo” sabi niya.

I came back at the specified time and to make the story short, pinalad akong mabigyan ng single-entry visa. After, one month, lipad ako patungong LA kung saan nakitira ako sa aking mga mababait at byuting mga kapatid.

Isa sa una kong ginawa ay ang mag-inquire sa isang lawyer. Humingi ako ng advise kung ano ang dapat kong gawin para makapagwork ng legal.

Araw-araw tumitingin ako sa classified ads ng mga job openings. Yun sa tingin ko pwede ako, nag-sesend ako ng CV. Magastos pa nga noon kasi wala pang email. Kailangan mong i-print ang CV, isobre, lagyan ng stamp at ihulog sa mailbox. Lalakipan ko ng cover letter ang CV. Sa letter, hindi ko nilihim ang aking status. Kung hindi ko man binanggit sa sulat na tourist visa lang meron ako, sa mga job interbyu ko na ito nililiwanag.

“I don’t have a work permit yet. Right now I only have a visitor’s visa. However, all I need is a job offer. I already contacted the services of a lawyer who’ll help me secure the work permit from immigration. All I need is a contract and I won’t bother you with anything more than that.“ Tipong ganito ang parati kong sinasabi sa mga interviews at application letter. Maganda na yung malinaw at walang tinatago. It’s also good to reassure them that you won’t bother them with anything over what they would have done if they hire someone with the proper visa.

Marami din akong interbyung pinuntahan. I even got the chance to go inside the Warner Bros office. May opening sila for extra sa pelikula Foxpro Programmer kaya nag-apply naman ako. Siguro kahit dalawampung job interviews napuntahan ko at halos anim na buwan bago meron naawa sa akin. Isang maliit na IT consulting company ang nag-sponsor sa akin para mabigyan ako ng work permit.

In the course of my job search and interviews, I’ve later realized na mas malaki pala ang chances na makakuha ng sponsor from smaller companies. Yung mga giant companies, they’ll snub you. They don’t want to be troubled with your immigration problem. Alam nila maraming applicants.

This was how I got a work permit in the US. The important points to note are: 1) Talk to a lawyer/consultant specializing in work permits. Get advise on how best to proceed and what they’ll need from you in order for them to help you get a work permit. 2) In your application and job interviews, be truthful about your immigration status. If they’re not willing to sponsor you, go somewhere else. Because if you hide your real status and start working for them, you put them in jeopardy of the law, and makes you an illegal worker. 3) Finally, remember the 3 P's -- patience, perseverance and prayers. Lots of it.

What to Wear Down Under

Sumulat daw ako tungkol sa kung ano ang nararapat suutin dito sa NZ request ni Lanriv. Una sa lahat I have to make a disclaimer dahil wala naman akong fashion-sense, I can only impart practical knowledge. I can't make you look groovy or fashionable. Whatever I say here is mostly only applicable to NZ's North Island.

Lamig
Siguro umpisahan natin kapag panahon ng taglamig, which is practically 8-9 months of the year starting March kung hindi ka pa adjusted sa klima. Pero kapag naka-isang taon ka na rito, bale wala na ang lamig. Para ka lang naka-aircon.

Sa gabi, PJs (pyjamas) ang komportableng kasuotan. Pero ako mas type ko ang jogging pants at sweatshirt. Kapag sobrang ginaw, may short pants at t-shirt na panloob, medias para di lamigin ang mga paa at bonnet para takpan ang ulo at mga tainga.

Wa epek ang mga makapal nating blankets sa Pilipinas. Ang gamit nila dito yung “duvet” or “comforter” kung tawagin sa States. Yung iba, gumagamit pa ng electric blanket na may heating element. Kami, natatakot gumamit nito kasi baka mag-short habang kami’y natutulog. Paano kung may maihi, o tulo laway, di ba? “Filipino found dead after drooling in bed”. Kakahiya!

Pag-pasok sa opisina, long sleeves with jacket o sweater. Yung iba may necktie at naka-amerikana pa. Ako, personally sweater lang ang pinapatong ko sa long sleeves na polo shirt.Yung nga palang mga sweater sa atin na tulad nung mga gawa sa Baguio, hindi epektib dito. Malamig pa rin. Iba ang mga materials na gamit sa mga damit panlamig dito. Mas epektib sila laban sa lamig. Sa pantalon naman, nung unang taon namin, nagsusuot pa ako ng jogging pants na panloob. Lamig talage e. Pero ngayon, boxer shorts na lang. Napansin ko, ang maong hindi gaanong epektib na panlaban sa lamig. Siguro dahil hindi hapit sa legs at nakaka-circulate sa loob ang hangin. Mas okay pa ang jogging pants made of fleece material or elastic nylon.

Init
Sa summer naman, short sleeved T-shirts at puruntong shorts pwede na. Kaya lang maganda na rin ang handa sa lamig lalo na kung bago ka pa lang dito. Kaya always magbaon kahit na manipis na sweater o jacket lang. If you are going to stay out in the sun for long periods of time, magsuot ka ng sombrero o cap at magpahid ng sun-block. Although presko ang hangin, matalim ang tama ng sikat ng araw. Importante ang sun-block lalo na sa mga bata. Kung hindi baka skin-cancer ang abutin.

If you are into signature clothes and apparel, dito, hindi masyadong pansin ang mga yan. Image is something most NZers don’t put much importance to. A lot of Kiwis don’t mind wearing cheap clothes as long as they’re comfortable. Sabi nga nila “kiwi-pot” ang Kiwi when it comes to clothes. Yun ngang land-lord naming Kiwi dati , binili siya ng asawa niyang Pinay ng Levis galing sa Pinas, imbis na matuwa, nagalit pa. Bakit daw bumili pa, e may maong pants pa siya at masyado daw mahal. Kung di nga lang sa Pinas binili, malamang pinasoli pa.

Siyanga pala, huwag magdadala ng damit na may makulay o stunning prints na bulaklakin at mga eye-catching stripes and colors. Kung sa atin mahilig tayo sa damit na may mga colors ng rainbow, dito mas type nila ang plain designs at dull, dark colors. In fact, favorite dito is black, navy blue at dark green. BTW, I’m only talking here about clothes worn by most adults. Kasi yung mga bata at lalo na ang mga teenagers, may sariling mundo yan at paiba-iba ang kanilang fashion.

Isa pang importante, huwag magdala ng damit na di pwedeng labhan sa washing machine o kaya mahirap plantsahin. Kapag pinagpilitan ni misis na dalhin ang kanyang ternong may sangkatutak na pleats at kumikinang na mga beads, sabihin mo sa kanya: "Hoy babae, iwanan mo yan. Hinding-hindi ko isasama sa plantsahin natin 'yan!"

For me, masarap ang klima sa NZ all year round. Pinaka gusto ko ang Autumn at Spring. Parang Baguio during summer. But whatever the season, if you wear appropriate clothing, siguradong enjoy ka pa rin all the time.

We Reap What We Sow

"...if children are encouraged to become very independent at that age (18), and even "pwedeng palayasin" as you wrote, masasabi mo ba na ang kiwi culture does not put value on families?

Kasi, di ba uso sa mga Kano to send away their elderly parents to old folks' homes or retirement homes? Samantalang dito sa tin, ang mga lolo't lola ay inaalagaan sa sarili nating bahay, out of love and continue to be treated respect.

Kung ugali ng mga Kiwi na pagdating ng 18 yrs old, sinasabi nila sa mga anak nila "Bahala ka na sa buhay mo", then di ba balang araw, ganun din ang gagawin sa kanila? Masasabi mo bang di magkalayo ang kultura ng Kano at Kiwi pagdating sa pag-aalaga ng nakababata at nakatatanda?"


Galing ito sa isang reader doon sa post ko tungkol sa schooling dito sa NZ. Very good questions. Siyanga naman, there is a Western way, where in children are made independent and expected to live on their own at age 18. And there is our Pinoy way, kung saan walang age limit. Children can stay with their parents as long as they want.

Then there is also the difference in the manner by which children treat their olds. The Western norm is to send their folks to retirement homes. The Pinoy way is for children to take care of their parents themselves.

Most Kiwis of European descent, katulad din ng ibang puti, they adopt the Western way. The only difference, I’ve noticed is that Kiwi families are more close to one another. Siguro dahil maliit ang NZ at kokonti pa ang population, kaya mas madalas pa rin magkita-kita sa mga happenings ang mga anak, magulang, apo, lolo, lola kahit na may kanya-kanya ng mga pamilya ang bawat isa.

I can’t cite any official stats, pero sa tingin ko, dito sa NZ, mas mababa ang divorce rate kumpara sa ibang Western countries. Over here, it is very common to see 80-90 year old folks, magka-holding hands pa rin at very sweeet pa. It is this closeness between husband and wife that helps bind the family together. You can’t expect the same closeness between parents and their children if they come from broken families. It is very common to see Kiwis mingling with their parents and grand parents. Para din tayo. The difference is that the olds here receive pension and government support, kaya pwede silang hindi mag-depend sa mga anak nila. NZ knows the importance of the family towards building a strong society, kaya nga meron ditong dedicated agency for the family - the Department of Child, Youth and Family.

I think medyo harsh yung sinabi kong “pwede nang palayasin” at age 18 ang bata. Para nga naman sinabi mong “bahala ka na sa buhay mo”. By law, the parents have to take care of their children until age 18. After that, it is the state’s responsibility to support the child kung hindi pa kaya ng bata ang mamuhay mag-isa. In the Philippines, we don't have this mindset because there is no state support to begin with. Dito, kahit na pabayaan ng magulang ang bata pag tuntong ng disi-otso, alam nila na di pa rin totally mapapabayaan ang bata. Sa atin, kapag pinabayaan ang anak ng wala pang hanapbuhay, gutom ang aabutin.

About this age 18 issue, although foreign to us Pinoys, I don’t think there is anything to be wary of it. Westerners simply want things to be planned, so they decided to put a deadline to their parenting role. But putting a deadline, doesn’t make them bad parents, (nor make us better parents because we don’t have any deadline).

Let me describe two scenarios. One scenario is a father who gives alimony (child support) to his son until the son reaches 18. As soon as the child reached 18, the father stops paying child support. Tells his son: “go away, find your own place, good bye.” You could say that this is a father who conformed to the minimum requirements of the law. Kung baga, ama lang sa pangalan.

The second scenario is a father who provided far more than the minimum financial support required by law. The father was with his son during his son’s birthdays and every special event. Took him to sports practices. Helped the child in his school work. Taught him good values. Trained him on practical things such as house work and money matters. Set up a savings/trust account for the child’s college education. In short, brought up the child to be a responsible human being, socially, financially, and emotionally, that at the age of 18, he knew his son is mature enough to go on his own. Eto ang ama sa diwa, salita at sa gawa.

I’m happy to say that most Kiwis I’ve been in contact with are still of the latter kind. As you can see, parents can abide by the same law with regards to rearing their children until age 18. But the manner of doing this and therefore the end results could be entirely different. And so it is true, that when one becomes old and frail, one can expect no more than what one has previously giveth.

Some Kiwi Practices Not Common to Us Pinoys

Sausage sizzle
Sa mga schools, churches, malls, department stores uso ito. May magtitinda ng barbecue sausages (o hotdog kung tawagin sa atin). Ipapalaman sa isang piraso ng slice bread na pinahiran ng margarine o butter. Pwede mong palagyan ng binarbecue ding sibuyas at taktakan ng Watties o Heinz ketchup. $1 lang bawat sausage. Pwede na ring pamatid gutom. Pero iba pa rin ang lasa ng PureFoods o Swift’s sa atin.

Talo natin sila. Sa atin di lang hotdog binabarbecue natin. May baboy, chicken ass, wings, legs, atay, balumbalunan, dugo, betamax (bitukang manok).

Friday Drinks
Every Friday or every other Friday sa mga offices, at around 5PM ilalabas na ang mga botelya ng beer, white wine at red wine para sa mga empleyado. Kung minsan meron pang potato chips na pulutan. Libre ito, usually sagot ng company. It’s the company’s way of saying you deserve a reward after a week’s hard work. Wala naman nalalasing, kasi isa o dalawang bote/baso lang ang iniinom ng karamihan.

Mufti Day
This is a day (generally every Friday) when office workers are allowed to wear casual clothes (or in the Pinas civilian clothes). Sa ibang bansa tawag dito “Dress down Friday” or “Casual Friday”. Dito tawag nila “Mufti” from a certain General Mufti of the British Army. Napansin nung general na tumataas ang morale ng mga sundalo niya kapag pinapayagan silang mag-civilian paminsan-minsan.

Haka

Sa umpisa ng bawat laro ng NZ rugby team na tinaguriang All Blacks, (kasi itim ang uniform nila), magpe-perfom muna sila ng isang war dance na tinatawag na Haka. They do this to inspire themselves to perform well in the field and also to intimidate their opponents. Nakakapanindig balahibo kapag napapanood mo ang All Blacks doing the Haka.

Open Homes
Siguradong mapapansin ng mga bagong dating dito ang mga “Open Home” signs lalo na kapag weekends. Halos every second street yata meron binebentang bahay. If a house has an “Open Home” sign it means you can go inside (at specified time) and inspect it. If you like it, pwede ka rin mag bigay ng offer sa agent. That was how we bought our first house. Pumasok lang kami sa open home, nagustuhan namin yung bahay, tapos nagbigay kami ng offer. Kinagabihan, tinawagan kami ng agent. Tinanggap daw nung owner ang offer namin. Within a week, close ang deal and within a month lumipat na kami sa bahay.

Garage Sales
Magugustuhan ito ng mga bagong dating. Kasi sa Garage sales marami kang mabibiling bargain. Tawag Garage Sale kasi normally sa garahe ng bahay ginagawa. Sa mga newspapers naka-advertise ang mga address kung saan may garage sale at kung kailan. Usually kada Sabado ng umaga. Dito namin nabili yung plantsa, toaster, picture frames, lamp shade, garden tools, martilyo, pala, sofa, kama, at iba pang gamit sa bahay. Dito mo magagamit ng husto ang haggling skills mo.


Sabado ng umaga, before 7AM, gumising ka na. Magbihis ka ng casual clothes (Mufti). Magpunta ka sa malapit na convenience store at bumili ka ng NZ Herald. Tapos hanapin mo sa classifieds ang mga Garage Sales sa area niyo. Puntahan mo isa-isa at mag-shopping ka ng bargains. By around noon, pasyalan mo naman ang mga open homes. Bahay naman ang i-shopping mo. Kapag nagutom ka, bili ka ng sausage sa mga sausage sizzle. Pag-uwi mo sa gabi mag-inuman kayo, (kahit hindi Friday). At kapag lasing na kayo ng barkada, mag-hubad kayo at mag-haka.

Kapag nagawa mo lahat yan sa loob ng isang araw, malamang bigyan ka kaagad ng Kiwi citizenship.

And now the weather

Okay talaga itong Mozilla Firefox. It is miles better than Internet Explorer. One of its advantages is you can download small enhancements called extensions from the web. (From the menu, you click Tools->Extensions->Get More Extensions).

One of the extensions I downloaded was ForecastFox. This extension will display on a part of the browser the weather forecast for any city you choose. Although nasa Auckland ako, I selected Manila, para alam ko forecast sa atin.



Init pala sa Manila this weekend. 34 degrees C. Doble dito sa Auckland which is forecasted at 17 degrees. Medyo malamig na nga dito kagabi. Pero okay lang ang lamig, basta magsuot ka lang ng maraming saplot, okay na. Problema lang kapag sumobra naman ang dami, tagal hubarin. Disadvantage ito kapag nagmamadali kang maghubad. For example yung feel-na-feel mo na at gusto mo nang ilabas, at reding-ready na rin ang butas na paglalagyan mo.... Sa dami ng suot mo, baka di na umabot sa inudoro ang ebak mo. hehe.

Wassup Mate?

When you’re new to the place, it takes awhile to get used to the local linggo. Di lang iba ang accent ng mga kiwi, kung minsan iba rin ang meanings ng iba nilang expressions.

Halimbawa, ‘have tea’. Sa kanila kapag niyaya kang to ‘have tea’ parang sinasabi sayong ‘breaktime tayo’. Si kumpareng Ramir di pa alam ito kaya inosenteng napasagot ng “No thanks, I don’t drink tea.” Siyanga naman, coffee lang iniimom niya e.

Then the way they pronounce their letter “E”s, parang letter “I” sa atin. Kaya si Ruben, “Ruu-been” siya dito. Ang size seven, “see-been”.

At least iyon nage-gets ko pa. Pero yung iba, mind-reader ka na lang kung maintindihan mo.

“Go straight to ‘kee’ street and you’ll see the Maritime Museum.” Ano raw? ‘kee’ street. Napudpod ang sapatos ko sa kahahanap di ko makita itong street na ito. Kasi naman pala ang spelling nito at ‘Quay’ street. Hinayupak na yan! Paano kaya naging ‘kee’ ang ‘Quay’?

Kaya eto ang isang tip. If you are asking for directions and someone gives you an address, always make them spell out the name. Kahit makuha mo lang yung first 4 letters. At least mahahanap mo na sa mapa.

“Pack of ‘ma-bow’, please”. “Do you have any ‘pot roy’?. “Wes the ‘lis-ne’?”. Ma-gets mo ba yon, e kinain ang mga letrang ‘R’. Ibig palang tukuyin ay ‘Marlboro’ at ‘Port Royal’ (brand ng yosi). Yun naman huli “Where is the Listener?” (isang magazine name).

“Have you read the ‘kur ya’?” tanong ng Kiwi. “No, not yet” sagot naman ng Pinoy. Kala niya tinatanong ng kiwi kung nagpunta na siya sa bansang Korea. E ibig palang tukuyin ng kiwi yung ‘Courier’, isang local paper sa Auckland. At least, tama pa rin ang sagot ng Pinoy. Kaya di naman siya napahiya.

Sa isang job interview. Unang bati ng kiwing interviewer sa Pinoy. “howzit going?”. E di naman tayo sanay sa ganyang greeting. Mas sanay tayo sa “how are you?”. Dahil yata yung salitang ‘going’ lang ang naintindihan ng Pinoy, kaya mayabang pang sumagot ng, “a yes, gowing drive”. Nakatira kasi si Pinoy sa Gowing Drive, Meadowbank. Layo ng sagot ano?

Kung minsan naman sa bilis nilang mag-ingles, mahirap tuloy habulin. At kadalasan, kapag di mo sila maintindihan, ngingiti ka na lang. Sa isang police check-point, may “breath test” sa mga motorista kung saan may device silang itatapat sa mouth mo, tapos kailangan kang magsalita para makuha ng device ang alcohol content ng hininga mo at malaman kung senglot ka. Isang gabi, napadaan si Istanislao , na medyo nakainom pero di naman lasing, sa isang check point. Pinara ng pulis ang Pajero at tinutuok sa bibig niya ang device at sabi sa kanya “state your name and address”. Maaring sanhi na rin ng nerbiyos o dahil mabilis ang pagkakasabi, di ma-gets ni Stan. Huminga ng kaunti si Stan at tatawa-tawa lang “he, he”, Unulit ng pulis “state your name and address”. Tatawa-tawa pa rin uli si Stan, “he, he”. Pangatlong beses, ganoon pa rin. Mabuti na lang nakasakay ang mga anak ni Stan. Napabulalas tuloy ang panganay, “naku kawawa naman si Papa, pati pangalan niya, nalimutan na! Pa, ano raw ang pangalan at tirahan mo!” Doon pa lang naintindihan ni Stan ang tinatanong ng lispu. Mabuti naman pumasa siya sa breath test.

Kakatuwa rin gunitain ang mga kapalpakan namin sa inglis nung araw. Ganyan nga, magsaya tayo. Kahit paminsan-minsan kalimutan ang problema.

Schooling para sa ating mga Tsikiting

May nag-request kung pwede daw akong mag-post tungkol sa schooling dito. Isa lang ang anak ko kaya medyo limited ang kaalaman ko sa subject na ito. Isa pa maaring ang info ko outdated na o kung hindi man baka hindi applicable sa lahat. But anyway, with this post, sana mabigyan kayo ng idea, more or less, lalo na tungkol sa expenses.

Pre-school
Sa atin kahit tatlong taon pa lang ang bata pwede nang ipasok sa pre-school. Dito walang pre-school na katumbas sa atin kung saan tinuturuan na ang bata ng abakada at calculus (exaggeration lang). Ang meron lang dito mga child care centre para sa mga batang below 5 years old. Sa mga centre na ito, walang pag-aaral, puro laro lang ang bata.

Kung sa atin ay may kindergarten, dito ang tawag nila “kindy”. Sa kindy medyo ini-introduce na sila sa pag-aaral, pero mostly laro pa rin.

Kaya nga kung iisipin mo, lubhang mas-advance ang kaalaman ng mga batang below 6 years old sa atin. Problema lang sa atin pagdating ng elementary at high school, lalo na’t sa mga public schools kulang na tayo sa resources, text books, at magagaling na titser, kaya napag-iiwanan din ang mga kabataan natin.

Elementary and High School
After kindy, papasok na ang bata sa primary, intermediate, then secondary school. Parang elementary at high school din sa atin. Pero instead of Grades 1 to 6, tapos 1st year to 4th year, they have Primary School - Year 1 to 6, Intermediate School – Year 7 to 8, Secondary School – Year 9 to 13. Sa totoo lang, kahit matagal na ako dito, di ko pa rin maintindihan ang education structure nila. Siguro mas maigi pa, punta na lang kayo dito http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/s/b/Education_in_New_Zealand, mas malinaw ang pagka-eksplika rito.

Kung susumahin mo ang bilang ng taon ng pag-aaral dito mapapansin mong mas mahaba ng dalawang taon. Matatapos ang bata ng secondary school sa idad na 17/18. sa atin ang alam ko 16 tapos na ng high school. Kaya nga lang dito, mas shorter ang college courses., kaya pareho din.

Siyanga pala, ang isang napansin ko dito, hindi sila mahilig sa graduation. Unlike sa atin, after kindergarten may graduation, grade 6, graduation, 4th year, graduation na naman. Dito umabot na sa Year 10 ang anak ko wala pa ni isang in-attend na graduation. Ewan ko lang pagkatapos ng Year 13.

Magkano naman ang expected cost ng pag-aaral dito? Primary up to secondary schools libre lang sa mga public schools. At okay naman ang standard, katumbas din ng mga private. Yung iba nga mas mataas pa. May mga private primary schools na mababa din ang singil kasi may subsidy sila from the government. Katulad ng anak ko na nakatapos ng Year 7 sa Mt Carmel School. Isa itong private Catholic school. Ang binabayad lang namin noon $34 per term (apat na term per year). Kaya lang may additional na amount $200-$300 per year, “donation” kung tawagin nila na sinisingil nila sa bawat bata. Para ito sa mga gamit ng bata at sa mga field trips, etc. Sulit naman ito at tax deductible pa.

Pagdating ng Intermediate/Secondary School, medyo tumataas na ang gastos. Depende sa school na papasukan ng bata, you could spend from $500 to $15k per year. May mga private Catholic schools na reasonable naman ang tuition around $2k to $3k per year.

After Secondary School
Sa mga Kiwi, kapag natapos na ng secondary school ang anak nila, considered tapos na rin ang obligasyon nila. Dahil at that age, around 18 years old, considered ng adult ang bata. Pwede na nga nilang palayasin if they want to. If the child decides to be independent, that’s his/her prerogative. And if he/she is independent, pwede rin siyang humingi ng support sa gobyerno kung gusto niya. Medyo kakaiba ito sa kinagisnan natin sa ating kultura.

At 18, if the child wants to continue studying he/she is normally expected to shoulder the expense. Pwede siyang mag-avail ng student loan para pang matrikula, to be paid when he/she gets a job later.

Kung mahilig naman ang bata sa mga blue collar jobs, pwede siyang pumasok sa mga vocational o trade schools. Okay din ang mga eskwelahan na ito. Kadalasan meron pang apprenticeship ang bata, parang on-the-job training. Practical experience na at may matatanggap pa silang allowance.

Kagandahan lang dito, hindi big problema ang schooling ng bata. At kapag nakatapos sila rito, malaking chance na makakakuha sila ng magandang trabaho hindi lang dito, kundi maging sa ibang bahagi ng mundo.

A New Migrant's Introduction to Life in NZ

Nakapagdesisyon kami na mauuna muna si Jean at ang anak naming si Fidez (who was 5 years old at the time) papunta sa Auckland, NZ. Kasalukuyan pa kasi akong may trabaho sa LA. Sayang naman ang kinikita ko. Sa ganitong paraan habang naghahanap ng matitirahan si Jean at iskul ni Fidez sa NZ, tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang cash inflow namin.

First Week
Pagdating sa Auckland, nakahanap naman kaagad si Jean ng isang room na mauupahan. Nakipag-flatting sila sa bahay ng isang Pinay na ang asawa ay Kiwi. Isang maliit na kwarto. $100 per week plus hati sa water at electricity bill. Magandang umpisa dahil within one week may tirahan na sila. So far so good.

Second Week
Next mission, yung schooling ni Fidez. Buti naman yung flat nila malapit sa isang private Catholic school. Although private, may subsidy ng gobyerno kaya ang tuition $150 per year lang. Nagpunta si Jean sa iskul at inenrol si Fidez. Natanggap naman si Fidez. So far so good, pa rin.

Napakalaking accomplishment nito. Within two weeks may tirahan na sila at may iskul na rin si Fidez. Everything was going smoothly as planned towards settling into a new life in New Zealand.

This was until things started to go wrong...
Tinanong ng school kung meron na silang family doctor, GP (General Practitioner) kung tawagin. Sabi ni Jean wala pa. Kailangan daw meron para may record ang bata ng mga vaccinations at health history. So pagkagaling sa iskul dumiretcho si Jean sa isang malapit na clinic at pina check up si Fidez. Everything was normal. Then naisip ni Jean na magpa-check up na rin kasi para daw madali siyang mapagod lately.

Dahil wala naman makitang karamdaman ang GP, lahat normal naman, ni refer ng GP na magpa-blood test siya. So lakad uli si Jean, tangay-tangay si Fidez sa malapit na Medlab at nagpakuha ng dugo. Pagkatapos noon, naglakad na sila pauwi.

Shocking News
That night may natanggap na phone call si Jean, galing sa GP. "Mrs. you have to pack some clothes and proceed to the Auckland Hospital right away. A bed is already waiting for you".

Siempre shock si Jean. Bakit kailangan siyang i-ospital? Normal naman ang pakiramdam niya, except nga lang na madali siyang mapagod. The GP made no further explanations. He just said something was not right with her blood test results. Hindi na ni Jean inurirat. Inisip niya na baka precautionary lang kaya tumuloy na siya sa ospital. Pagdating sa ospital sinalubong siya ng hospital aide na may dalang wheelchair. Sabi ni Jean, "no thank you I can walk by myself". Pero pinilit pa rin siyang isakay, indicative of something terribly wrong.

That night, she learned that her blood test showed that her blood platelet count has dipped to alarming levels. Too low that if it had gone even slightly lower, the effects to her body would have been irreversible. Possibly a coma, OR DEATH. That night Jean was confined in the hospital.

Fidez was not allowed to stay in the hospital, dahil bawal dito ang may bantay sa ospital. She had to stay with some friends who we hardly knew yet at that time. Imagine, a 5 year old child, seeing her mom in the hospital with all the needles and medical equipment around her, and now parting with her mom to stay with people she hardly knew. And all these happening within 2 weeks of their arrival in a foreign land! Walang kaibigan, walang kamag-anak na titingin. I can't imagine how a 5 year old child must be feeling at the time.


LA to Auckland
Meantime, tinawagan ako ng ospital sa trabaho ko sa LA. Sinabi ang situation ni Jean. The good news was that it was not leukemia. They determined this after a biopsy test on her bone marrow. The bad news was that they still could not determine the exact cause. Basta ang sabi nila "she's very very sick" at kailangan ako doon para at least merong mag-alaga kay Fidez. Agad-agad naman akong nag-resign sa job ko at nagpa-book ng flight papuntang Auckland.

It was when I arrived at Auckland Hospital a few days later that I learned what Jean had been through to fight her unseen ailment. I learned that Jean was suffering from a blood disorder called TTP, the causes of which are still unknown. This disease was causing clots in her blood vessels, consuming her platelets. The mortality rate if left untreated was 95%. This disease is considered very rare, like only 1 to 3 for every million people are affected by it.

The only cure the doctors knew was through a process called plasma exchange. Para itong blood transfusion. Pero instead of the actual blood, plasma (the fluid that carries blood) ang pinapasok sa ugat mo. Kaya "exchange" kasi, sa isang tube na nakasuksok sa ugat mo pinapapasok ang "good" plasma, at sa ibang tube naman na nakasuksok sa ibang ugat mo, sinisipsip naman ang "bad" plasma. Jean went through this process for days and nights until her platelet count stabilized. Whenever her platelet count dipped, the process was repeated again and again and again and again.

Seeing Death
It was during one of these treatments that I later found out from Jean how she went face to face with death. She had an episode normally described as a "near death experience". Her body was asleep but her mind was fully awake, like in a vivid dream. She felt conscious of things around her. The doctors, the nurses, all of them she was aware when out of nowhere an old man appeared beside her and his strong hands began pulling her out of bed. The man was big and strong. She knew it was a man because she could see his hands, but somehow she couldn't see his face. The man was trying to lead her to a long hallway, which was very bright and had lots of doors. Jean tried to reach the buzzer's button beside her bed to call the attention of the nurses. But even though she tried as much as she could, she couldn't make her fingers touch the button. It's as if an unseen force was pushing her hands away.

It was at this time, while feeling totally helpless that she began to cry and pray. "God, I'm not afraid to die. What I'm afraid of is leaving my 5 year old daughter alone. She has no one in this place to look after her. For her sake, please don't take me yet". It was after she said this that the man vanished and she regained full consciousness. Later she asked the nurses if they saw a huge man beside her bed and they all said there was no one.

Back to Normal
Two more weeks passed since I arrived in Auckland before Jean was allowed to leave the hospital. Halos isang buwan bago naging normal uli ang kalagayan ni Jean. Every day, then every week, then every month, then twice a year she had to visit the hospital for blood tests and check up. Ngayon awa ng Diyos, once a year na lang siyang nagpapatingin sa ospital and happy to say na hindi na bumalik uli ang sakit niya. Nagpapasalamat din kami at wala kaming kinailangan bayaran sa kanyang pagkaka-ospital. That would have used all our savings and maybe more.

Whenever I think of what happened to Jean I realized how powerless we really are. Advances in science and medicine are futile. Because at the instant when it's time for us to go, there is NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL, that we or any man could do to extend our stay in this world. At that instant, whether we are a believer or not, all we could do is call out and implore the mercy of a supreme being, whether it be God, Allah, Yahweh or Jesus... and then surrender completely our fates to Him and allow Him to decide for us.

This, ladies and gents, was our introduction to life in New Zealand.

Children's Party

The following describes a typical kiwi children’s party for children 6 to 10 years old.

Invitations are sent to each child the celebrant wants to invite usually 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Note that the invitation is only for the child and not for the parents. The parents are not included in the invite and therefore are not expected to attend.

On the date of the party, the parents drop off their children at the party’s venue at the exact time. Bihira ang late. The parents are not expected to stay while the party is going on. The parents would normally leave and come back later at the exact time stated in the invitation to pick up their children. If you are a parent and you decide to stay, don’t expect to be offered any food or refreshment. If the venue is in a restaurant, at Mcdonalds, or anywhere in a public location you might have to buy or bring your own food. I’ve attended a few parties, and it is common to see kiwis bringing in their own bottles of beer or wine. Kung sa bahay ang venue, ang usual na handa, pizza, chips, popcorn, sausages, chicken nibbles, candies, softdrinks, ice cream.

After the party, each child is given a a small plastic bag called loot bag containing small toys, and some lollies.

Ok din ang kiwi style. Kasi walang hassle kung ikaw ang nagpapa-party. Hindi pa magastos. Just invite the kids at McDonalds, buy each kid a kid’s meal, tapos may libre pang cake na ibinibigay ang McDo. Dalawang oras tapos ang party. Konti lang ang pagod, masaya pa ang mga kids.

Eto naman ang typical pinoy chilren’s party.

Wala ng invitation. Tatawagan na lang ng parents by phone ang mga ka-kosa. Expect mong isasama si tatay, inay, lolo, lola, apo, buong baranggay, pati yung mga chinese/japanese home stayers, kung meron.

Kung hindi sa bahay ang venue, maaring mag-hire pa ng private hall para magkasya lahat ng bisita. Magdadatingan ang bisita 30 minutes to an hour late. Filipino time e. Siempre bongga ang handa. Embutido, menudo, pancit, spaghetti, chicken nibbles, sausages, lumpiang sariwa, morcon, spring rolls, barbecue, kanin na nasa rice-cooker, ice cream at sari-saring dessert. Bumabaha ng beer at cola. At kung 7th bertdey at only child pa, baka may lechon pa. Ang entertainment, videoke. Ilabas ang magic mike at pakantahin ang mga aspiring Pinoy Idol.

After 4 or so hours, doon pa lang mag-uuwian ang mga bisita. At hindi lang mga bata ang may loot bag. Pati matatanda may loot bag, balot-balot ng mga tirang ulam.

But wait there’s more…

Hindi doon nagwawakas ang tipar. Tandaan mo kapag ang party ay lunch or merienda, ang kasunod noon ay dinner. Yung ibang kaibigan didiretcho pa sa bahay mo. Kung nasa bahay na kayo mag-stay pa sila para sa hapunan at midnight snack. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang saya, inuman, kantahan, kwentuhan. Kulang na lang doon na sila matulog sa inyo.

Yan ang party Pinoy-style. Hay naku, Pinoy nga naman! Kung minsan naiisip ko tuloy, alin kayang style ang mas nakapagpapasaya sa mga bata especially yung may bertdey?

Receive $2,472 extra income per month

(Or what your bank would not want you to know)

Eto ang isang kagandahan ng buhay dito sa NZ. Maa-afford mo ang bumili (sori hindi pala bumili, umutang ng pambili) ng bahay. Karamihan ng Pinoy na kakilala ko na nakapag-stay na dito ng at least three years nakabili na ng bahay. Although binabayaran pa lang sa bangko, at least magiging kanila na yon after 20 to 25 years. Yon ang usual length ng terms ng mga home loans dito.

In our case, 20 years yung term nung loan namin sa bahay na tinitirhan ngayon. Ibig sabihin nito, magbabayad kami ng certain amount every month sa loob ng dalawampung taon. Bahagi nung bayad na yon ay para sa interest nung inutang namin at ang natitirang bahagi ay kabayaran ng principal na utang. Halimbawa, sa $300,0000 na utang at sa annual interest rate na 7.8%, at kung ang bayaran ay kada-buwan, ang monthly mortgage ay $2,472. (You can use PMT function in Excel to verify this).

Samakatuwid, $2,472 times 240 months (eto ang bilang ng buwan sa loob ng 20 taon) equals $593,300 rounded to nearest hundred. Makikita mo na halos doble ang mailalabas mong pera para makabayad ng $300 k na utang. Ibig sabihin $293,300 ang naging interest ng utang mo.

Ganyan nga ang mangyayari kung ikaw ay hindi wise. Pero kung wise ka, ang gagawin mo dadagdagan mo ang bayad mo kada buwan. Halimbawa, $100 na karagdagan (parang $25 lang yon kada linggo). Sa $100 na dagdag every month (comes up to $2,572/month), mababayaran mo ang utang mo sa loob ng 219.1 months (or 18.25 years), instead of 240 months. (Use NPER function in Excel to get this).

The table below summarizes the time it will take to pay off the loan if you pay additional amounts. It also shows the amount you would have paid and would have saved in total compared to the case where you do not pay anything additional. (I’ve rounded the figures to save space.)

Additional Payment	Amount Paid per Month	Time it takes to pay off loan in months	Time it takes to pay off loan in years	Total amount paid	Amount saved
$0	$2,472	240 months	20 years	$593.3 k	0
$100	$2,572	219.1	18.25	$563.5 k	$29.8 k
$200	$2,672	201.9	16.8	$539.6 k	$53.7 k
$500	$2,972	164.7	13.7	$489.6 k	$103.7 k
$1000	$3,472	127.3	10.6	$441.9 k	$151.4 k

Samakatuwid pala, sa karagdagang $100 kada buwan, mas maliit ng $29,800 ang total na bayad mo at iiksi pa ang time ng pagkakautang mo ng halos dalawang taon. Kung $1000 naman ang idadagdag mo, mas maliit ng $151,400 ang ibabayad mo. At halos sampung taon at kalahati mo lang itong bubunuin! Halleluiah!

Sa ganitong mga bagay, you have to be wise. Hindi ito sasabihin sa iyo ng bangko voluntarily kasi hanggat maari gusto nila matagal kang nakatali sa kanila. They know they’ll lose potential income if you pay off the mortgage early.

At alam mo ba kung ano ang mangyayari pagkatapos mong mabayaran ang loan mo? It will be like earning at least $2,472 extra monthly! Marami-rami nang pang-shopping yan.At kahit mag-holiday ka pa sa Pinas every other month, pwede pa! BUT it will require some sacrifice, siempre. Pero kaya mo yon, huwag mong isiping imposible. Kung kaya ng iba, kaya mo rin.

Kapag tayo'y matanda na... sana...

(Di ako si Rey o si Mega. Wala lang akong maisip na taytol.)

Ooperahan ngayong araw na ito sa bladder ang father-in-law ko sa Kidney Center sa QC. P80k daw ang gastos ng operasyon. Shempre kailangang magpadala ng pera. Kung sanang nandito ang in-laws ko, e di sana walang problema sa medical expenses na tulad nito. Subsidized kasi dito ang mga ganitong operasyon.

Sa States, kapag citizen o may green card ka na, pwede mo nang kunin ang parents mo. Yun ang kaibahan dito sa NZ. Ang ruling kasi dito, pwede mo lang makuha ang parents mo kung mas marami kayong magkakapatid ang nandito o kaya parehas ang bilang. Kung mas marami ang nasa Pinas, di sila pwedeng bigyan ng residency. Halimbawa, lima kayong magkakapatid, at dalawa andito, tatlo sa Pinas, di pwede. Kung tatlo dito, dalawa sa atin, pwede. Kung dalawa dito, dalawa sa atin, at isa sa ibang bansa, pwede rin.

Kung tutuusin, isa itong loop-hole na tine-take advantage lalo na ng mga taga ibang nasyon (mga intsik halimbawa). Kadalasan marami silang magkakapatid, so ang ginagawa nila, pinakukuha nila ng resident visa ang mga kapatid nila sa iba’t ibang bansa, kabilang na dito ang Pilipinas. Halimbawa, apat silang magkakapatid. Isa nasa NZ, tatlo na sa Tsina. Gagawin nila, yung isa papupuntahin nila sa Pinas, yung isa sa Singapore, at yung isa maiiwan sa Tsina (halimbawa lang ito). Sa ganitong paraan, may isang kapatid sa bawat bansa, kaya yung nasa NZ, pwede na niyang kunin ang mga magulang niya. Kapag, andito na ang mga magulang nila, pwede nang bumalik sa Tsina ang mga kapatid, o kaya naman, ang magulang ang mag-sponsor sa mga kapatid papuntang NZ. Lahat ito ligal. Sabi ko nga, taking advantage lang sa ruling.

Bakit nga ba ganoon ano? Kami dito gusto namin kunin ang mga magulang ni Jean, pero di pwede. Lima pa kasing kapatid niya ang nasa atin at isa nasa America. Yun namang kapatid niya sa US na pwede nang i-sponsor ang parents niya, ayaw naman. Hay... buhay!

Buying a Computer in Auckland

These are just few tips on where to buy a PC and accessories in Auckland.

Kung first time ka pa lang bibili ng PC at ikaw yung taong hindi technically inclined, (eg. You have no idea at all what the difference between CRT and LCD), ang bilhin mong PC yung naka-sale sa The Warehouse (www.thewarehouse.co.nz). Ang tatak Dell. The last time I looked, may $999 at may $1379 ang desktop PC. Comes with everything you need to get started. Wala nga lang printer, scanner. Mura na yon, kasi magandang brand.

Kung medyo nakakaintindi ka naman technically, o kung meron ka ng PC at gusto mo lang bumili ng mga accessories, halimbawa printer, scanner, memory, o gusto mong mag-upgrade o bumuo ng sarili mong PC ang isang website na dapat mong puntahan ay ang www.pricespy.co.nz. Dito makikita mo ang mga prices ng mga PC components ng iba’t ibang vendor. Naka-sort according to price. Kaya malalaman mo kung saan mura. Ang kaso lang, buong NZ yan. Kaya baka yung murang vendor nasa South Island pa. Ganoon pa man huwag kang mag-alala. Hanapin mo yung mga tindahan na nasa Auckland at makipag-bargain ka sa kanila. Sabihin mo nakita mo sa PriceSpy yung presyo ng ibang vendor. Kadalasan, willing naman silang i-match yung lowest price.

Kung naman hindi ka maselan at okay lang sayo ang second hand, try mong maghanap sa www.trademe.co.nz. Auction site ito na tulad ng eBay. Mag-bibid ka lang at kapag ikaw ang nanalo sa bidding, ibibigay sayo ng TradeMe ang email address nung vendor at kayo na ang bahalang mag-usap tungkol sa bayaran at delivery ng item. Kung di ka sanay sa online bidding, suggestion ko, makipag-bid ka lang sa mga traders na nasa local area mo. Sa ganitong paraan kung manalo ka, pwede mo siyang puntahan at pick-apin ang item. BTW, marami din nagbebenta ng brand new sa TradeMe.

Ang isa pang pwedeng bilhan ng mga second hand computer parts ay ang computer flea market. Meron nito sa Panmure Community Centre kada Sabado mula 8 hanggang 12 ng tanghali. Makakabili ka dito ng mga kompletong PC mula $100 to $400. Suggestion ko kung wala kang alam sa computer, magsama ka ng nakakaalam. Meron din isa pang computer flea market sa Northshore, sa may Shakespeare Road, Milford, every Sunday naman, 8-12 din. Pero mas kakaunti ang mga vendors dito compared sa Panmure. Isa pa kapag nasa Panmure ka na, bisitahin mo na rin si Oscar at mag-grocery ka sa tindahan niya (Tres Marias) sa Queen St, Panmure. Puro Pinoy products -- mamasita, sky flakes, bagoong, clover chips, walis, pangkayod ng niyog, ligo, sarsi, atbp. Banggitin niyo ako. Sabay ilag (dahil may utang pa ako sa kanya). De biru lang. Para bigyan niya ako ng discount.

Settle in NZ in 12 Weeks

Natanggap niyo na ang pinakahihintay na Permanent Resident Visa mula sa NZ Embassy. Nakatatak na sa inyong mga pasaporte. Congratulations! Unang-una siempre, selebreysyon. Sa yo ang inumin, sa yo ang pulutan, tayo’y maghapi-hapi ...

Pagkatapos maginuman at makaraan ang hang-over ano ngayon ang dapat ninyong gawin? Kailangan planuhin ninyong mabuti ang paglipat sa NZ dahil kayo rin ang mahihirapan kung palpak ang planning.

Eto ang sarili kong rekomendasyon kung paano magiging maayos ang iyong pag-migrate sa NZ. Eto naman ay suggestion lamang at maaring hindi naka-akma sa iyong kalagayan, kaya kayo na ang bahala kung susundin ninyo o hindi ang planong ito. Ang planong ito ay para sa tipikal na Pinoy family na may isa or higit pa na mga anak.

Una sa lahat, mag-decide kayo na isa lang muna sa inyong mag-asawa ang maunang pumunta sa NZ. Susunod na lamang ang pamilya mo kapag medyo settled ka na. Ano ang advantages nito? Marami.

1. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang pasok ng income – kung ang matitira sa Pinas ay may trabaho at least may papasok pa ding income. Kung sabay kayong pumunta sa NZ, pareho kayong walang trabaho. Komon-sens.

2. Child care – di problema sa Pinas ang mag-alaga ng mga bata. Sa NZ, di mo pwede isama mga yaya. Again, komon-sens.

3. Disposal of Assets – habang ikaw ay nasa NZ at naghahanap ng work, ang esposo/esposa mo naman ay nasa Pinas para magbenta ng iyong mga ari-arian.

4. Mobility - Ikaw naman na nasa NZ, mas madali kang makakagalaw para maghanap ng trabaho at tirahan.

5. Lesser cost – dahil nag-iisa ka pa lang sa NZ, mas kakaunti pa ang gastos mo.

6. Konsiderasyon sa iyong host - Malaking bagay ito lalo na kung makikitira ka sa kamag-anak o kaibigan pag-dating mo dito. Kung buong pamilya ang makikitira ng sabay, kaawa-awa naman ang host mo. Alalahanin mo na walang mga katulong ang mga households dito.

Let’s assume na susundin mo ang payo ko na isa muna ang pupunta sa NZ. Unang dapat gawin ay maghanap ka na host mo, relative or friend na nasa NZ na pwede mong matuluyan at least for a few weeks at pwedeng maging gabay mo dito. Sa Pinas pa lang kontakin mo na ang prospective host mo para naman may sumundo sa iyo sa airport.

Bago ka lumipad papuntang NZ, i ready mo din ang Philippine Driver's License mo (make sure hindi expired) at kumuha ka ng certification mula sa car insurance mo certifying that you have not made any claims in the last 3 years. Ituloy mo ang pagbabasa at malalaman mo ang dahilan.

Let’s assume further na nandito ka na sa NZ. Sinundo ka ng host mo at may matutuluyan ka nang pansamantala. Eto ang aking suggested timetable showing the milestones and possible activities for you every week for 12 weeks.

WEEK 1
First few days, mag-adjust ka muna. May jet-log ka pa. Sigurado, ipapasyal ka muna ng host mo, kaya mag-enjoy ka lang. Habang namamasyal ka, familiarise mo na rin ang sarili mo sa area. Magtanong-tanong ka kung saan ang supermarket, ang mga shops, ang mga schools, bus stop, post office, saan makakabili ng mamasita, etc.

IRD Number - Pero para naman may masabi kang accomplishment mo sa unang linggo, make it your goal to apply for an IRD Number (Inland Revenue Department) in the first week. Para itong Tax Account Number sa atin. Kailangan mo ito para makapag-apply ng trabaho at makapag-open ng bank account later. You can download the application form from the IRD website, print it and fill it up. Then mail it to Inland revenue together with a xerox copy of your passport. It should take only a few days to get your IRD number.

WEEK 2:
Learn to Ride a Bus - Pag-aralan mo ang mag-bus mula sa tinitirhan mo papunta sa city. Kapag marunong kang pumunta ng city, madali ka nang makapunta sa ibang suburbs. Ang mga buses, naka-oras. Pumunta ka sa terminal sa city at kumuha ka ng timetable at bus routes. This can be very handy. You can’t expect your host to drive you every time to your destination. It’s also one of the best ways to familiarize yourself of the area.

Buy a newspaper and go to the classified ads section. Browse for prospective jobs. Ang mga vacancies dito, makikita mo under ng “Situations Vacant” section. Wala sa “Wanted”. Continue doing this until you find a job. Also try searching websites for prospectrive jobs. Usually, you should be able to just email them your CV. So wala naman gastos.

WEEK 3:
Open a bank account - By this time you should have received your IRD number from the mail. Once you have an IRD number you should be able to open a bank account. Importante ito, kasi, lahat ng sweldo dito diretcho sa bank account mo.

WEEK 4
Get a copy of the NZ Road Code – isa itong libro na mabibili sa mga bookstore or gas stations nandito ang mga rules ng pag-drive dito sa NZ. Basahin mo ito at pag-aralan.

WEEKS 5,6
Buy a Car – mahirap ang walang sariling wheels. Try to find a car for less than $5,000. If you are able to use this car for 1 to 2 years, that should be good enough. It is not worth it to buy an expensive car during your first year. Mas marami ka pang dapat pag-gastusan, kaya save your money na lang. Remember you are allowed to use your Philippine Driver’s License for 12 months. Kailangan mo ring ipa-insure ang sasakyan mo. Makakakuha ka ng at least 50% discount sa premium mo, kapag may certificate ka from your insurance company na hindi ka nag-claim in the last 3 years. See my previous post about owning a car in NZ.

Kung hindi ka pa confident na mag-drive sa NZ, magpa-tutor ka. Call a driving school. Makikipag-set sila sa yo ng time usually one hour per session tapos pupuntahan ka nila. Kung wala ka pang sasakyan, ipapagamit nila sa iyo ang training car nila. It’s worth it to take a few lessons.

WEEKS 7,8
During this time you should be busy applying for jobs, attending job interviews or just waiting for prospective employers to give you a call. Be patient. Get a list of possible employers from the telephone directory and even if they have not advertised an opening, give them a call or just walked in to their HR office and tell them you’re looking for a job. Don’t be afraid to be turned down. You have to find your own luck. Hindi ka hahanapin ng swerte. Sceintifically speaking, luck is just a statistical chance. The more chances you have, the higher the probability of success. So it’s up to you to increase your chances.

Attend a Filipino mass on Sunday. Tanungin mo ang host mo kung saan ang malapit. Even if you are not Catholic, tiempuhan mo kapag tapos na ang misa. After the mass maraming nagbebenta ng mga Filipino foods. It’s your chance para makipagkilala sa ibang Pinoy. Yung ibang Pinoy snub hindi ka papansinin. Yung iba naghihintay lang na ikaw ang unang bumati. Since ikaw ang may pangangailangan, ikaw na ang unang bumati. You never know baka may alam na job opening ang makilala mo. It happened to my friend. Nakilala lang namin itong mag-asawang Pinoy sa Mall at tinanong namin kung may kakilala silang naghahanap ng computer technician. Tiempo naman meron nga. See, kung inisnab namin sila, kami rin ang talo.

WEEKS 9,10
Find a Flat (apartment) – mas maganda sana kung may job ka na bago ka maghanap ng lilipatan para ang hanapin mo mas malapit sa papasukan mo. But there are other considerations, like schools, cost of rental, crime rate in the area, etc. Sa rental ng flat usually you’ll be required to pay 2 weeks rent in advance, 2 weeks bond, then baka may letting fee pa na 1 week. Kaya total 5 weeks rent kaagad ang kailangan mong ibayad. You should have a rental agreement in writing with the landlord. Before you move in sa flat, note down the water meter and electric meter readings with the landlord. This is for your protection para hindi ka i-overcharge later. You can also search for flats through the web. This is one site.

Then you need to call the electric company (parang Meralco sa atin) to open an account for them and tell them the electric meter reading. Yung water usually ang landlord ang bahala so you don’t need to call the water company. Kung gusto mong magpa-connect ng telephone, kailangan mo ring tawagan ang TELECOM (PLDT nila dito) para magpa-connect ng line.

Para sa karagdagan kaalaman, basahin mo ang previous post ko about Owning vs Renting a house in NZ.

WEEKS 11,12
Mag-shopping ka ng mga gamit para sa bahay. Mag-garage sale ka every Saturday early morning. Marami kang bargain na mabibili. I-try mo din ang www.trademe.co.nz kung gusto mong makahanap ng murang gamit.

At this time, kontakin mo ang prospective schools na papasukan ng mga kids mo. Para pag-dating nila sa NZ may slot na sila sa school. Ang start ng school dito is end of January at matatapos ng December. Pero pwede mo naman i-enrol ang mga bata anytime.

End of week 12, more or less settled ka na at pwede mo nang pasunurin dito sa NZ ang family mo. Good luck!

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got, till it's gone."

Sabi ni Joni Mitchell sa awitin niyang “Big Yellow taxi”. Totoo nga naman. Kapag wala na, doon mo hinahanap-hanap. Tulad na lang ng mga Tagalog movies. Nung sa Pinas ako, di ko trip ang manood ng mga Tagalog flics. Pero nang mapunta kami dito sa NZ, maski na si Ai-Ai napagkakatuwaan naming panoorin.

Drama, love story at comedy ang mga type namin. Ang hindi ko ma-gets yung mga aksyon, barilan at bakbakan. Siguro dahil malayo sila kumpara sa mga big-budget hollywood flics. At least kapag drama or love story, at magaling ang direktor at artistik ang pagkagawa, masisiyahan kang manood dahil may flavor ng Pinoy culture and values. May pusong-Pinoy ika nga.

May isang bagay lang akong napuna sa mga napapanood kong Pinoy movies lately. At eto ang paglaganap ng mga gay characters. If movies are a reflection of reality, then 1 out of every 5 Filipino males must be gay! Ganoon ka-common ang mga bakla sa mga pelikulang Pinoy na napapanood ko.

Hindi sa nais kong laitin ang third sex. On the contrary. Dahil sa nakikita ko, kadalasan ginagamit lang sila ng mga director/producer/script writer para maging object ng katatawanan. The gay characters they portray are almost always that of cross-dressing, comical, slapstick stereo-types. Such portrayals do not help the gay community because all they do is propagate (lalo na sa mga kabataan) the image of gays as a group to be mocked and bullied upon and laughed at in Philippine society. At alam naman natin na hindi tama yon.

Dito sa NZ, hindi pinagtatawanan ang mga gay. Sure, meron din paminsan-minsan na mga baklang komikero sa mga TV shows. But those are quite few. Gays here live normal lives. Hindi sila pinagtatawanan o tinutukso. In fact, NZ has the first trans-gender MP (minister of parliament). Her name is Georgina Bayer from the Labour Party. At meron pang ibang MPs who are openly gay. Hindi nila kinahihiya ang kalagayan nila. O sige nga, sa atin ba may kilala kayong baklang senador/congressman na nagladlad?

I think it’s time that Pinoys look at gays more seriously and be broadminded towards them. Sa mga pelikula natin, sana naman hindi lang sila gawing katatawanan. Dahil sa totoo lang... di na nakakatawa e.

I say, "so what?"

“So what” - the two most powerful words currently in my vocabulary. I recently discovered how useful these words are especially when discoursing on contentious issues. So much so that I now consider “so what?” as my first line of defense whenever it’s appropriate, which is usually when my views and personality are being attacked. I’ll give you some examples.

The novel “Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown is postulating that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that they had a daughter, blah, blah, blah. Scandalous? No, not for me. I say, “so what?”. If it’s proven true, such assertion doesn’t diminish in any way my belief in Christ. It’s only proof that He became man just like us. Besides, what’s wrong with being a family man?

Then I met a born-again Christian who loves to criticize Catholics. He likes to joke about Catholic priests who gamble, drink, or womanize or are gay. This is his way of luring you to debate on Catholic vs Christian issues. His trap won’t work for me. I say “so what?”. I go to church not because of the priest but because it’s my way of worshipping my God. True faith should not depend on the people running the Church. You can lose faith in a person, but you shouldn’t lose faith in your God.

Here in NZ, Auckland is the largest city, but Wellington is the capital. Wellingtonians won’t admit it but I know they’re jealous of Aucklanders. Wellingtonians manifest this jealousy through jokes about the Auckland weather, traffic, and whatever. I say “so what?”. I’m not bothered by the rain nor the traffic. The rain keeps the city green. Go to Manila and experience what “traffic” really means.

The Aussies and the Poms simply love to bash us Kiwis (New Zealanders). Kiwi-bashing - it’s one of their favorite past times. For example, they make fun of the kiwi accent. “Fush un chups”, “sux”, “see-been” (how kiwis say “fish and chips”, “six”, “seven”). I say “so what?”. The accent don’t bother me. In fact, I find it rather cute. Hearing the kiwi accent for the first time made me realize how we in the Philippines, especially in Manila, should not laugh at the accents of our other kababayans, like the Visayans, Ilonggos, etc.. One’s accent is part of one’s identity. We should, therefore, be proud of our regional identity and not be dictated upon by others.

So the next time someone attacks your views or makes fun of you or throw insults at you, repel their insults by making your first line of defense to say “so what?”.