Im here at Melbourne airport and waiting for virgin blue to announce its boarding. Its really frustrating that there are no hot spots here and even the public computer costs a bit expensive.. $2 for 20 minutes.. anyway, just want to say one point though, im really happy and i really enjoyed my victorian vacation. melbourne is really nice and theres so much to do..
when i get to sydney im going to post my other pictures. all in all i really think that this vacation is an experience worth cherishing. my fave part is when we went to philip island where we experienced the small penguins cross the beach shore and walk all the way to there little burrows.
cant wait to post the pictures. anyway, i wish all of you a happy new year and may it be fruitful and successful. of course theres heaps of things that happened in 2006 worth cherishing and worth forgetting. we learn from the past and we move on.. to everyone, cheers and lets celebrate 2007 with a smile.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Boxing Day in Melbourne
When I first heard of this holiday, I really thought it was associated with the way Australian celebrates the sport and having the ultimate fight before the year ends. As we all know, Australians really love sports. Wikipedia's definition as follows:
Origins
There are disparate theories as to the origins of the term. The more common stories include:
+ It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas 'box' to those who have worked for them throughout the year. This is still done in Britain for postmen and paper-boys - though now the 'box' is usually given before Christmas, not after.
+ In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which made it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on 26 December, the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains, and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obliged to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
+ In Britain many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived for their day's work on the day after Christmas. Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.
+ In churches, it was traditional to open the church's donation box on Christmas Day, and the money in the donation box was to be distributed to the poorer or lower class citizens on the next day. In this case, the "box" in "Boxing Day" comes from that lockbox in which the donations were left.
Well as for this day since I do not have any presents to open, I celebrated it by shopping. Got myself FCUK and CK goodies and for that I am enormously happy. But I can't help but feel a bit homesick because I long for christmas boxes. And the joy of opening it. By the way, they do it differently here. They open presents on the 26th of December. Pretty long and I can't wait for that as my EQ is quite low and I don't have that patience anyway.
Origins
There are disparate theories as to the origins of the term. The more common stories include:
+ It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas 'box' to those who have worked for them throughout the year. This is still done in Britain for postmen and paper-boys - though now the 'box' is usually given before Christmas, not after.
+ In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which made it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on 26 December, the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains, and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obliged to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
+ In Britain many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived for their day's work on the day after Christmas. Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.
+ In churches, it was traditional to open the church's donation box on Christmas Day, and the money in the donation box was to be distributed to the poorer or lower class citizens on the next day. In this case, the "box" in "Boxing Day" comes from that lockbox in which the donations were left.
Well as for this day since I do not have any presents to open, I celebrated it by shopping. Got myself FCUK and CK goodies and for that I am enormously happy. But I can't help but feel a bit homesick because I long for christmas boxes. And the joy of opening it. By the way, they do it differently here. They open presents on the 26th of December. Pretty long and I can't wait for that as my EQ is quite low and I don't have that patience anyway.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Cold Christmas in Melbourne
It's really unusual for the country to experience snow on this time of the year. Snow will fall in some parts of Australia including Victoria. But don't get me wrong, there's no snow in Melbourne but there is in some parts of State Victoria. It's really cold here in Melbourne which is the first time in a decade according to MX newspaper. Colder christmas than that of the christmas weather in the Philippines.
Christmas in Melbourne is so amazingly celebrated. People from all across the country come to Melbourne since there are so many activities in stored. What more can you do in Melbourne but to do your Chrismtas shopping since its there are a lot of discounted items here. I bought for myself FCUK and Polo shirts. Thanks to EY's David Jones' gift card. After shopping, we went to familiarise ourselves with the "most liveable city". As night time falls, we went our way to the place where the carols in candlelight is held but unfortunately the tickets are already sold out. We went to the city in front of the modern art building and watched the program dedicated to Vision Australia where we bought some candles for a cause. It's really great and awesome as there is a wide-range of activities instored for all ages.
My hands are freezing and as we are watching carols in candlelight in the city tv. After the first break, we went home to protect ourselves with the cold weather. It's really amasingly bizzare since the weather is so could that it should have been hot since its summer season in Australia but still it helped me feel the Christmas spirit. It was such a magnificent event after all..
Christmas in Melbourne is so amazingly celebrated. People from all across the country come to Melbourne since there are so many activities in stored. What more can you do in Melbourne but to do your Chrismtas shopping since its there are a lot of discounted items here. I bought for myself FCUK and Polo shirts. Thanks to EY's David Jones' gift card. After shopping, we went to familiarise ourselves with the "most liveable city". As night time falls, we went our way to the place where the carols in candlelight is held but unfortunately the tickets are already sold out. We went to the city in front of the modern art building and watched the program dedicated to Vision Australia where we bought some candles for a cause. It's really great and awesome as there is a wide-range of activities instored for all ages.
My hands are freezing and as we are watching carols in candlelight in the city tv. After the first break, we went home to protect ourselves with the cold weather. It's really amasingly bizzare since the weather is so could that it should have been hot since its summer season in Australia but still it helped me feel the Christmas spirit. It was such a magnificent event after all..
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Earning Christmas
Finally, I feel the Christmas spirit in Sydney. For coupla weeks, I've been stressed out and burnt from too much work. Actually, the client is not that difficult. But the team assigned to us is really hard to manage. All of us are new in the engagement and to add, we have two vackies and one trainee. Although I take it as a challenge I still can't imagine how I survived those two tumultuous weeks.
So this is how it feels like to earn Christmas. You gotta work really hard just to have this vacation. Don't get me wrong. But we can always have this Christmas vacation. But what I'm thinking is that you have to undergo all this hardship just to enjoy and experience the best season of the year.
I'm at the airport bound to Melbourne. I'm connected through wireless. Its really cool. Ill talk more about it when I arrive the Victoria state of Australia...
So this is how it feels like to earn Christmas. You gotta work really hard just to have this vacation. Don't get me wrong. But we can always have this Christmas vacation. But what I'm thinking is that you have to undergo all this hardship just to enjoy and experience the best season of the year.
I'm at the airport bound to Melbourne. I'm connected through wireless. Its really cool. Ill talk more about it when I arrive the Victoria state of Australia...
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