New Rules by Dua Lipa

I've been listening to a lot of songs by Dua Lipa recently. I find her voice smooth and and unique. She does have a lot of likable tunes such as Scared to be Lonely (with Martin Garrix), Be the One and Blow your mind.

Another song that I like from Dua Lipa is entitled New Rules. At first, I didn't like the title that much so I refused to listen to the song. However, when I heard a clip of the song, I got hooked! The song talks about how girls are supposed to act during a break up. Lesson: never run after a guy. If a guy wants to stay, he will come back or better, will never leave. This song fits women who are not able to get over their boyfriends yet. Realize your worth, ladies!

So here is the video and lyrics. Enjoy!

One, one, one, one, one...

Talkin' in my sleep at night, makin' myself crazy(Out of my mind, out of my mind)Wrote it down and read it out, hopin' it would save me(Too many times, too many times)My love, he makes me feel like nobody else, nobody elseBut my love, he doesn't love me, so I tell myself, I tell myself

One: Don't pick up the phoneYou know he's only callin' 'cause he's drunk and alone
Two: Don't let him inYou'll have to kick him out again
Three: Don't be his friendYou know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the morning
And if you're under him, you ain't gettin' over him

[Chorus]I got new rules, I count 'emI got new rules, I count 'emI gotta tell them to myselfI got new rules, I count 'emI gotta tell them to myself
(Nowhere to turn, no way)
(Nowhere to turn, no)
Now I'm standin' back from it, I finally see the pattern
(I never learn, I never learn)
But my love, he doesn't love me, so I tell myself, I tell myself
I do, I do, I do

One: Don't pick up the phone
You know he's only callin' 'cause he's drunk and alone
Two: Don't let him in
You'll have to kick him out again
Three: Don't be his friend
You know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the morning
And if you're under him, you ain't gettin' over him
[Chorus]
I got new rules, I count 'em
I got new rules, I count 'em
I gotta tell them to myself
I got new rules, I count 'em
I gotta tell them to myself
[Bridge]
Practice makes perfect
I'm still tryna learn it by heart (I got new rules, I count 'em)
Eat, sleep, and breathe it
Rehearse and repeat it, 'cause I... (I got new...)

24 hours In Adelaide

I am truly blessed with friends that don't forget about me especially when they are travelling.

Eajeer came all the way from Perth to Melbourne to visit Lalaine, his bff whom I became friends with, too. It was his birthday trip and the original plan was for me to visit Geraldton, W.A. It changed for the better and the three of us went for a long drive to Adelaide. 

We started to leave Melton, Victoria at around 4 in the morning. It was another cold dawn in Victoria so it was pretty hard to get up and get ready for the trip. There was also a bit of heavy rain along the way. We had coffee and made an effort to talk to each other so that no one would sleep. The total drive to Adelaide was about 7 hours or 726 kilometers.

It was already sunrise when we decided to take turns sleeping. Here is Eajeer using Hippo as his pillow :P

We had a few stops along the road to get food or to get to the toilet. We also passed by the awesome silo painted with children. How cool!

We arrived at the border of Victoria and South Australia at around 7am and were too happy to take turns and have our photo taken.

The scenery towards Adelaide was gorgeous. There were a lot of green valleys and mountains in contrast to the plains of most of Victoria. A few hours and stops later, we arrived at Adelaide.

My first expression of Adelaide was that it was like a quiet town. There were not a lot of people in the CBD. I immediately fell in love with its laid back vibe. The CBD had a lot of food places and it was quite difficult to choose one because all were lovely. 

Finally, we chose The Belgian because of their great deal for the day. Lalaine and I had Chicken Schnitzel and Beer for 15 AUD while Eajeer got a bowl of mussels for the same price. 

After satisfying our tummies, we headed to our hotel: The Ibis Grosvernor which was at the heart of the city. We didn't how exhausted we all were until our heads touched the soft pillows and the bed. The three of us dozed off for about 2 hours and readied ourselves to visit a friend of Eajeer who lives in one of the suburbs in Adelaide. 

The hosts were gracious to us and filled us with food, stories and laughters. Time ran so fast and we found ourselves on the road again back to Adelaide. This time we stopped by at the Casino which was right across our hotel. It was Eajeer's birthday and he wanted to try his birthday luck. Sadly it was just not his lucky dawn so 

The following day, the three of us woke up early to try on the hotel's breakfast buffet. I do love this kind of perk on hotel stays any where I go. It wasn't so much but as a great lover of food and breakfast , I was satisfied. We then checked out of our hotel to start our city exploration. 

Here are the places we visited during the day:

1. Grundy Gardens

This is a small park situated along the River Torrens. The bridge that can be seen here is the University Bridge. This garden was named after a councilor of the city. A lot of bikers were passing by as the park does not have a crowd. I think it's a perfect place if you would like to sit alone and think. 

The place has quite a bit of space to run around. There were white birds who were busy getting food while I was also busy watching them. They don't seem much afraid with humans near them even though I did not feed them. 

2. St. Peters Cathedra;

Adelaide CBD is pretty small and easy to navigate. It is also the city of churches. I love visiting churches wherever new place I go to but as we only had limited time in this trip I only had a photo of one. Unfortunately, during our time of visit, it was closed too. I bet the inside of this huge church is beautiful as it's facade. 

3. Rundle Mall

We then went to Haigh's Chocolates to buy some presents for people back in Melbourne. The building where they are located is one of the oldest and loveliest building in the city. While crossing the intersection towards it, Eajeer managed to get a cute photo of it with me included :)

A lot of people were in the store that time but I bet this is most of the time! Haigh's is a famous and trusted brand of chocolate- who can refuse? We still had a bit of time to kill so we went to the Bath Bomb Shop and other nice shops in the CBD,

There is one shop that caught our attention because of its beautiful and colorful facade. It was Blackebys Old Sweet Shop. Yes, we went from one sweet shop from another. LOL

I was sad that it was time to leave Adelaide. I felt I haven't seen enough. I secretly promised myself to come back to Adelaide in the future. 

4. Hahndorf

Next on our list was the town of Handorf. It is a town settled by Germans in the state of South Australia. It is very famous for its German influence and array of stores ranging from dolls, candles, clocks and most especially food. It was only a few minute drive from Adelaide, too. We had fun walking down the lane and going into lovely shops such as this.

We also met two lovely dogs whose owner graciously allowed us to pat them. He even gave us a card to like the Facebook page of these little beasts but unfortunately, I think Eajeer lost it.

Eajeer was celebrating his birthday that day and we all haven't had lunch yet. We found this nice little restaurant that offered a meat platter. The only food I know from this plate is the German Franks. Nevertheless, all of them were delicious. 

We went out full and happy. The drive back to Melbourne was another 6-7 hours. We finally arrived at 2am, all tired but happy that our trip was a success.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

Getting into the mudpack craze

Because of Facebook, I have learned about my acquaintances using mudpacks to help smoothen and soften their skin. It made them momentarily appear as if they went out from a pig pen but they raved about the result. I have never tried one myself and was curious about it. I found that my friend was a re-seller and when I had the money, I immediately ordered one. I am pleased to see that it is non greasy and has no scent.

I know I should have put a lot thicker on my face but I did not want to shock myself of how I look like :P Anyway, before putting it on, I washed my face with soap and water and patted my face dry. I left the mudpack for about 15-20 minutes. I can literally feel it harden on my face. Surprisingly, it can easily be washed off. I do agree that it leaves my face smooth and tight but I have yet to see the long term effects of it on me. 

I'm excited to use it 3 or 4 times a week and just praying I will not be lazy to follow this skin routine. 

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog! :)

Coming Back to Cebu

image taken from https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews

The province of Cebu is the land of my father. Me and my sister have lived and worked in Cebu until I decided to try my luck in another country. Back then, Cebu was interesting for me. It had a number of shopping centers that I regularly go to and transportation was easy breezy. Now that I am back in Cebu after 3 years of being away, I find that there are more malls, more people and heavy traffic. I have successfully found a job in one of the busiest hubs in the metro and going to the place is quite a burden. I need at least 2 hours prior to my work time to get ready and catch a jeepney ride. Jeepneys going to and from are most likely full more so on rush hour. Otherwise, I will have to resort to getting a taxi or uber or angkas ride which is expensive but still are good ways to get to the job on time. Since I am petite, jeepney drivers could still let me ride in their already full vehicle and I end up sitting with only 1 butt on the seat. But in the name of work and getting there on time, I have to sacrifice and bear all this. I just hope God sustains and gives me strength. 

My Pathway to Becoming a Nurse In Australia

A couple of my friends have urged me to come to Australia. At first, I was hesitant to try as there are a lot of requirements and fees that need to be covered. Finally, I realized that while I am still somehow young, I should try. Metaphorically it was like climbing a mountain for me. But I did not climb it all in one day. What I did is to do things, big or small everyday just to achieve what I want. Here is a summary of what I did.

1. Take IELTS- This is the very first step to be able to enroll to a school. This will also help to get work and visa in the future. For nurses, we are required to get an overall band of 7. An overall band score of 8 is desired if you would like to have higher points for the Skilled Migration Points System (for 189 visa).

2. While waiting and praying for the IELTS result, gather requirements asked for by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The form to be accomplished is AGOS 40 and is readily available at their website. It is a  straightforward and clear form.

3. Once IELTS results are in and it is satisfactory, have all documents certified as true copy and mail these to AHPRA together with the form. Do not staple all the documents. Also, it will be asking you to include how you would like to pay the total fee of 520 AUD.

4. Wait for AHPRA's email. Sometimes they will email if they need further documents. Otherwise, they will email to let you know of their decision/ recommendation. In my case, I was recommended to proceed to an NMBA (bridging) program.

5. Look for a school that fits the budget and is reputable for the program asked for. My friend studied at IHNA Melbourne so I also chose the same school but I studied in Perth. You will be asked for a set of documents again including immunizations. They can all be sent via email. 

6. Depending on the school, pay for their admin fee and they will give you back a confirmation of enrollment. This will reflect that a slot has been reserved. Their slots were filling up fast so I chose the earliest which was February 2017.

7. You can now start to process for your visa. The school has advised me to get a Visa subclass 600 good for 3 months of studying. I created an online immigration account and followed the instructions. Then, I had a HAP ID as reference to have my medical tests done. I paid 135 AUD for my visa which I got after 3 weeks.

8. Next up was to look for flights and accommodations. The school was offering an accommodation for 200 AUD per week which was expensive. I asked help from family and friends. Luckily, my sister had a classmate living in Perth and I was able to stay at their house. For the flights, it was about 5 months before I had to fly so my ticket to Perth via Singapore was not quite breaking the bank.

9. Save money and make sure that all documents were sent to the school before coming over. I couldn't stress this enough.

10. Pack clothes fit for the season that you are coming. At the same time, make sure that you are within your allowed baggage. This proved to be difficult for me. I had quite a number of things that I really had to leave behind. 

11. Arrive in Australia a few days ahead of the start of classes. This would give time to look around and familiarize with the transport as well as get a simcard, open a bank account and settle in.

12. Be prompt on the first day (and all days). I met Filipino classmates for the program and was happy to make new friendships. Almost half of the class were Indians, and there were about 3 Europeans.

13. Study and work hard to achieve the assessments and requirements of the school and practicum.

14. After the bridging program, gather necessary requirements and accomplish AGBP 40 form from the AHPRA website. Pay the amount of 300 AUD along with their form. I personally went to the AHPRA office in Perth to submit my papers but these can also be sent via post. 

15. Wait for a couple of weeks and they will email you if you need to present more documents or that you have passed all requirements and that you are now a registered nurse! Congratulations!

I still have a long way to go as it is quite difficult to score a company that sponsors a work visa but I know that with God's grace I can make it.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

Longing for Perth-adise

I studied in Perth for my Nursing Bridging Program. I chose Perth because of my high school friend though I also had friends from other Australian states. School lasted for 9 weeks and on the last day wherein we had to pass our final requirements, me and a classmate went out to sightsee parts of the city. 

First off we went to St George Cathedral which was only a few minutes walk from our campus. This church is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Perth (Wikipedia). 

I've always loved visiting churches and looking at the pretty architecture inside of them. I also believe that by praying for a wish to be granted in a church newly visited will be granted. Nevertheless, what I always do is talking to God and thanking him for the blessings and hardships that come my way. 

Next up, we visited the City of Perth Library. Now another place that I love visiting are libraries. There is such a whole new world for me when I am surrounded by books and magazines. I would have loved to read but we don't have much time so we just looked around every floor. I used to remember when I was a child that our library was only one floor and most of the books were torn because some children were not careful enough or because the books were always borrowed. 

This particular library has many floors and a lot of tables, chairs and couches were people can comfortably read. I liked that they have a separate floor for teens to have their kind of books (though I am way beyond my teenager years lol).

We chose to go up the floors via the elevator and go back down through the lovely spiralling staircase. 

We then a few minutes across the street where Stirling Gardens is. It is just a small public park with sculptures, lovely flower gardens and benches. It was noon time when we came and we saw people enjoying the sun while sitting on the grasses or benches. 

Just a few minute walk was Elizabeth Quay. It is the perfect place to do people watching, dining or relaxing. As it was so hot that day, we decided to buy some gelato to cool ourselves while taking in all the view.

My classmate and good friend, Clarisse,who was with me during this entire time :)

Another place that I miss in Perth is King's Park. It is such a cool place to hang out with friends, see the city and sunset and have a picnic.

I really had a wonderful time in Perth. Wherever life takes me, Perth would always be the first city I fell in love with in Australia. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Prayer to St Expeditus

image courtesy of molossia.org/stexpeditus.html

(This prayer is to be said daily until your request is granted, Be sure to publish thanking Saint Expedite, so that his name and glory will grow.Please do not post entire prayer in comments section. Thanksgiving, Intentions & Testimonies only)

Saint Expedite, you lay in rest.

I come to you and ask that this wish be granted.

(Mention you urgent request)

Saint Expedite now what I ask of you. Saint Expedite now what I want of you, this very second.

Don't waste another day. Grant me what I ask for.

I know your power, I know you because of your work. I know you can help me.

Do this for me and I will spread your name with love and honor so that it will be invoked again and again.

Expedite this wish with speed, love, honor, and goodness. Glory to you, Saint Expedite!

NOTE: Saint Expedite is the patron saint of those who hope for rapid solutions to problems, who wish to avoid or put an end to delays, and who want general or immediate financial success.Not much info is available on St. Expedite. The most popular and accepted one is about him being a Roman soldier back in the days of the Christian persecution. During his service, he witnessed the martyrdom of several Christians at the hands of their persecutors, and was so taken by their humility, faith, and their requests that their persecutors be forgiven even as their persecutors tortured and killed them, that he chose to convert to Christianity - a choice that caused him to be imprisoned and ultimately killed for his beliefs. He is generally depicted as a Roman soldier stepping on a raven who is saying "Cras" (tomorrow) while holding a cross that says "Hodie" (today.) This comes from before St Expedite was martyred, Satan came to him in the form of a raven saying "Convert tomorrow, convert tomorrow," and St Expedite refused, insisting he be baptized a Christian that very same day and crushed the raven under his feet. The day after, he was martyred for his Christian faith.