backyard makeover

One of the joys of being a homeowner is the freedom to make changes in and around the house.  This I've proven when I decided to install roller shutters on my spare bedroom and kitchen windows.  For the first time in my life, I didn't have to ask permission from anyone to do home improvements. Actually, I've never done home improvements before because I've always rented!!! The freedom I felt when I decided to proceed with roller shutters was unexplainable!

That was three months ago.

Most recently, as in just two weekends ago, I finally finished painting my backyard fence!  Whohoooo!  After 3 long weekends of sacrificing my social life in favour of holding a paint brush, my efforts finally paid off!  And to tell you the truth, I'm proud of the outcome.  Even my neighbours agree!  I didn't mind waking up at 5am on weekends and start painting at 5.30am.  My sights were fixed on the goal and it paid off.

Let the pictures speak for itself....

This was how the backyard looked like before I bought the place, taken sometime in May

Before I moved in

This was hoe it looked like before i painted it.  Taken sometime in Nov.

 Before the painting job.  See all my junk?

This is how it looks like now.  the table set and sun lounge were donated to me by a friend.
The junk is still there, hence my next project is to build a garden shed.

The current state of my backyard.  See the roller shutter?  One of the best investments i ever made!

brunch party

I invited Sylvia and her family for brunch tomorrow.  I'm so excited about this because I wanted to do this for the longest time now.  Finally it's going to be a reality.

Sylvia and her family is like my family here.  I just want to do something nice for them.  It's also her birthday last Wednesday and Peter's last month.  The brunch party is my gift to them.  I wish they'll enjoy it.

I'm serving them an Australian breakfast - sausages, bacon, eggs, bread, baked beans, and green salad.  Bub will bring the fruit platter.  Why not serve a Filipino breakfast you might ask.  Maselan ang tyan ni Sylvia and I don't think Australians are keen to have dried fish, vinegar, eggs, fried rice, and tomato for breakfast!

Having said this, I'm going to log off now as I still need to write the birthday card!

five months to be exact

I was going through my old emails when I saw one of the first emails you sent me.  Boy, the letter was dated three years ago!  It was a very charming letter and it's still capable of making me smile.

You wrote that you really like me as a friend.  I wonder if things would have been different if we just remained friends.  Maybe we would still be talking to each other now.

It's been five months since we last communicated and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

I think you're right...

Ex-lovers can't be friends.

October. Huh?

I can't believe that it's been five months now since I last posted something here!  Whew!  So many things have happened since then.  And I mean SO.MANY.THINGS!

For one, I moved to a new place last July.  It was such a stressful period back then, especially I'm on my own.  Good thing I have church friends who helped, otherwise, I would have suffered burn out.  Bakit ko ba kasi itinapat sa financial year-end ang paglipat ng bahay?!?

Everything turned out OK anyway.

I was sad leaving my previous unit but looking back, my move was one of the best decisions I ever made.  I LOVE my new home!  LOVE IT!  LOVE IT!  LOVE IT!

I'll post pictures next time.

Pam's baby shower

I should have posted this a long time ago but I was so busy.

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Give away of Pam  

The table decoration was simply beautiful!

Pam, opening the gifts

It was the second baby shower I attended here in Australia and this one was really nice.  I wonder when I'll have my own?!?!  Bwahahahaha!  Asa pa!

you did it again!

18 May - It was the last straw.  I've had enough. I've no more illusions that we can be friends again because the reality is we can't. And I don't want to be friends with someone like you.

Good riddance!

traveling solo - Bali, Indonesia (25 Mar-3 Apr)

AROUND BALI

Purification pool

"holy water"

With a family from Brisbane doing the bicycle tour around Ubud area run by Halo Bicycle Tour

Behind me is Lake Batur

One of the temples flocked by tourists

It feels so good to be away from everything!!!

Behind me is Mount Batur, an active volcano

Wayan, my tour guide and photographer

Barong dancers in full custome

In a silk weaving area

In one of the temples

Still inside the temple

The main temple

Stairs going to the temple

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UBUD AREA

Market

Street going to the market

Street going to the Monkey Forest

The veranda of my cottage in Alam Indah

My room

My cottage is on the second floor

Staff at Alam Indah

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SEMINYAK AREA

A street in Seminyak

Heaps of motorbikes!

Seminyak beach

My room in Fave Hotel

The toilet and bath

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MUSEUMS I VISITED

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MONKEY FOREST

I love these monkeys! They're one of the highlights of my trip.