"No Worries!"

"'No worries' is a popular Australian response akin to 'no problems', 'that's OK' or 'sure thing'." 

-Wikipedia

An Australian pensioner fishing at Wallaroo jetty, South Australia.

Australian males' life expectancy is 78.7 years (source: here), while Filipino males' average life span is only 68.72 years (source: here).  Aussies may possibly have lesser economic worries as compared to Pinoys (I believe worrying is not good for our health), and health care is much better Down Under than in The Archipelago.

I believe that life span is also closely related to diet, but I, honestly, am not sure if there's really a big difference between eating mashed or fried potatoes and steamed or fried rice; or even the difference between drinking grape wines and coconut wines.

Oh, I have another worry...  How about the life span of those who were born as Filipinos and eventually have become Australian citizens?    




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Sofia's Basket

A basket of fruits for Sofia's birthday

Last September, a young Filipino family arrived and occupied the house (approximately) 70 meters south of my accommodation.  Yes, I finally have a neighbour in the chook farm compound.

Edwin- the head of the family, has been helping me with the poultry farm operation since then.  His wife Zuzette, coincidentally, was born and grew up in a town 36 kilometers southwest of my hometown.  The couple has two daughters named Sofia and Ezra.

Ezra is 4 years old, and Sophia turned 8 yesterday.  The family invited some friends to dine with them, and because it's a local tradition to bring a plate, I decided to make a cake for Sophia.  I heard from Edwin that Zuzette loves chocolate cake so I baked one... but frosting and designing it for an eight-year old girl was simply a mountain to climb.

I love to personalize my creations but this time I couldn't think of a cake that would fit the birthday girl.  Sofia loves telling a lot of detailed stories, she has a torrent of words!  Though she speaks and understands Filipino, she expresses her thoughts and feelings in English.  Her name reminds me of my Philosophy subject back in the uni- exactly the time when our professor said, "...Philos means love, and sophia means wisdom."

To make the story short, I ended up with a basketweave design.

The chocolate basket cake, left lateral view.

I am glad Sofia loved it, she and her parents were very happy and grateful!  The guests had literally dropped their jaw upon seeing it, and I am thankful they all said, "Hmmm... beautiful!"- the Australian way of saying delicious. 

Sofia realized she forgot to make a wish before blowing the candle.

After cutting the cake... (Photo taken using my mobile phone.)

I was happy with the outcome of this masterpiece, my plans were executed well and the cake turned out as what I had actually imagined.  To prove that the basket was really a cake, I made sure to take a photo after it was cut (Since I arrived in Australia, I have learned to use the word 'cut' in place of the preferred Filipino term- slice). 

A slice of the basket cake.

Unlike the photo above, weaving the creamy chocolate frosting was NOT a piece of cake; but it was fun!  I didn't post it last October, but I also made a chocolate doll cake for Ezra's birthday!  Somebody up there tells us to love our neighbour, I hope my gestures count.


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Australiana

Featuring the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star, and the Southern Cross constellation. 

Last September 15, 2011, I posted this on my Twitter timeline: 

In Adelaide City... drove a friend- Marie to the Immigration; she'll take the citizenship test today. Good luck to her.  

Well, she passed.  This afternoon, Marie took her Australian citizenship pledge at Port Wakefield Council Office in Balaklava.  A dinner party immediately followed at our friend's place at Salter's Spring Road.  There were plenty of food, and the drinks were overflowing!  Everybody was happy.  

I baked a cake for the new Australian.  She was surprised and very happy when she saw it.  Marie loved it; she was very grateful!

 

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!  Oi, oi, oi! 

This was my first attempt to draw or paint (or whatever we call it) an Australian flag, and I'd say it was successful.  No doubt, this cake was the centrepiece of the celebration.



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'Double' Celebration

The ladies celebrating after the 2011 Melbourne Cup race.  Hahndorf Inn; Hahndorf, South Australia. 

These photos were taken from Hahndorf, South Australia.  I was there this afternoon to loosen up a bit and was, honestly, surprised to see the multitude in all the pubs/gaming rooms and restaurants along the town's main street.    
There was a celebration- tables teeming with fine foods, glasses overflowing with a wide range of drinks, balloons everywhere, and flags blowing up in the air!  The crowd was jubilant; and unlike Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and the Philippines who earnestly celebrates the All Saints Day (and the following day- the All Souls Day), Australia holds the 2011 Melbourne Cup today.

Melbourne Cup is the major and the most famous horse race in Australia; it is actually known as 'the race that stops the nation' and is traditionally conducted during the first Tuesday of November.

In Melbourne and in most parts of the state of Victoria, Melbourne Cup is a public holiday.  Here in South Australia and in the other states, it's supposedly business as usual but I'm sure most of the Australians had turned their telly on this arvo to watch the race and bet for their favourite horse.  Hahndorf is (an old German town) located approximately 701 kilometres away from the venue of the race (Flemington, Victoria), but look at how important Melbourne Cup is to Australians.

Okay, Melbourne Cup is a horse race, but why do women wear colourful hats and hairdresses during this day?  They simply call it Fashion on the Field- there's a prize awarded to the best-dressed man or woman in the race.  It all started in 1962 and it has become a tradition- that in every local horse race, in Flemington or not, it is equally important to wear an elegant hat. 

The same women as in the photo above.

The French-based horse Dunaden- ridden by Cristophe Lemaire won the 2011 Melbourne Cup.  The horse's owner earned $3.6 million plus a trophy worth $175,000.


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The Bush Party and the Cakes

The Queen's Hat- Inspired by the Royal Wedding 2011.  The table cloth is a replica of a typical Aboriginal painting.

Today is a 'bad cake day' for me.

I was invited for a birthday celebration and was told that it's an Australian bush party.  Janet, a friend in the Port Wakefield Catholic community, turns seventy today; and since I have been trying to learn baking lately, I decided to bring a birthday cake as a present. My original plan was a chocolate cake shaped like 'cowboy hat' but I eventually thought that a Queen's hat would be more appropriate for a lady celebrant.  Even if the the cake would deviate from the theme of the party, I believed that Janet would love it considering that Her Majesty is currently Down Under for a ten-day visit, and that Australia has been proud of it's British roots.

But my dilemma about the cake didn't end there.  I only started to learn baking and cake decorating last autumn, and have been using buttermilk icing since then- absolutely perfect for cooler days but not for a warm day like today.  The forecast was 31'C, and being a chicken farmer who has been closely monitoring Port Wakefield's weather for almost four years now, I believe the mercury could rise two to three degrees above the temperature outlook.  So I researched for the best cake frosting that could stand in a warmer or hot temperature.  There were two options: a buttercream frosting or a Royal icing (very famous in the Philippines), and after how many hours of consideration I settled for the butterceam icing.

I found this 'temperature forecaster' hanging on the wall at the venue. Brilliant, ay?

To make the story short, it didn't work!  Starting at half past midday, we drove for ten minutes to get to the venue of the party, the cake was in a huge plastic container at the boot of the car.  The internet told me that shortening melts at around 40'C, so I was confident that my cake's crust was strong enough to hold.  Just imagine my face and my heart after opening the container and seeing a part of the cake decoration collapsing!  I forgot to consider the powdered sugar and the milk that I added to to the shortening to achieve the frosting.

The photo above was taken at the party, the broken part of the cake decoration was at the back but the 'golden' roses on the side was noticeably sagging.  Anyway, if you look at the photo of the Queen's hat during the Royal Wedding, the flower on the side of her yellow hat was a bit saggy too.

This post was originally intended to tell the story about the outback-themed party but it didn't turn out to be that way.  I am sharing some photos below, in case you're interested. 

The birthday celebrant Janet and his husband Robin (who's wearing a typical Australian work clothes).

This is Rhondda, she's 91 years old!  She's wearing a cork hat or a bushman's/outback hat; the cork dangling around the brim of the hat ward off the flies.  For those who don't know, the Australian outback is infested with blow flies. 

This is Esma (locals/friends would pronounce it as /Es-may/) with her huge coffee mug!

The chook-minder at the gate.  The outback-themed birthday party was held inside.

After fifty-seven months of living in Australia, it was my first time to eat an Australian damper.  It is a traditional outback cake baked in the coals of the campfire.  I don't have a photo of it, I got carried away during the luncheon. 

Speaking of cakes, Janet loved her yellow birthday cake; she was very happy and grateful!



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Thirty-two

My birthday cake specially made by Ate Fely Shumacher.

It's been quite a while since I had a birthday party- it was ten years ago right after getting my veterinary license.   

I didn't have the plan to celebrate this year, but my Titas in Port Wakefield organized something.  It was supposedly a surprise party but they failed to keep it, so I volunteered to procure a whole roasted pork.  Special thanks to my friends who are working in the piggery farm, we got the size we want at a lower price.  We didn't use a skewer but it turned up as an authentic Philippine lechon! 

It was a double celebration:  my birthday, and for getting the Australian citizenship this year!  Cheers!

The main dish.

Hogwarts-inspired dessert table.

The long table.

The celebrant with the event planners.

August 27, 2011.
4:30pm-11:00pm

Boomerang

The facade of the Freo Market, W.A., Australia

February 28, 2011.  I was exploring the Fremantle Market (Western Australia) and was expecting to see the local fresh produce of the region but was surprised to discover that there were also arts and crafts, silver jewelries and a few food stalls around.  And in one corner I noticed this boomerang shop.

Boomerang Shop.  Fremantle Market, Western Australia

Boomerang.  I heard this word when I was younger but couldn't understand when the older folks would relate boomerang with a person's deed.  My mom had tried to explain to me that boomerang is a flying tool that, when thrown, will surely come right back without hitting the ground; but she never showed me a photo nor did she draw the said tool, the reason why I couldn't understand the 'boomerang effect' that they were saying. 

...until I came to Australia and have seen the different designs of boomerang! According to Wikipedia, the oldest Australian Aboriginal Boomerangs are 10,000 years old.













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Simply Australian

The flag, the queen and the coat of arms.

Today, the 20th of May 2011 is a very remarkable and memorable day in my life. I attended the Australian citizenship ceremony to take my pledge- the final step in my journey to Australian citizenship. This achievement is 4 years, 4 months, 4 days and 2 hours in the making.

The departmental ceremony was very simple. NO guests allowed.  No friends, no family member—just us (a group of ten who were scheduled to take the oath at 10am). There’s no chance to take photos before and during the event.  It was a 20-minute program—brief and simple. There was a short video presentation showing some new migrants who were very happy living and working in Australia, each was proud of being a new citizen of this country.

Then the immigration officer read the message of the Australian immigration minister Chris Bowen; after that we took the pledge (that was around 10:20am), we were not even asked to raise our right hand!  Others shed some tears, but I didn't, though I actually wanted to...  After the oath, we sung Australia's national anthem- Advance Australia Fair; but NOT the entire song, only the first paragraph!  Whew!

Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Adelaide, South Australia.

Happy?  Uhmn... Yes I am happy because finally I have achieved my goal; but NOT really happy with the ceremony because it didn't give justice to all the hardships and challenges that I've been through along the way.  Actually, it was my choice.  I decided to perform my oath at the soonest possible time; I don't want to wait for another sixty days to join the oath-taking ceremony scheduled at my local council.   Huhmn... should this be allowed, I would love to take another citizenship oath this coming Australia Day 2012- it must be a very big event!  More solemn and more emotional, I guess.   

 

Simply Filipino-Australians - Jordan and RJ.

My friend Jordan Gay-od took his pledge today, as well; he was with the batch who’s scheduled an hour after ours.  I was walking out of the elevator from the third floor when I saw him- it was only at that very moment when we both realized that we’re celebrating the same thing on the same day- we haven’t seen or ‘texted’ each other for quite a while.  So I went back to the immigration office and waited until he finished his oath; then we had our photo taken by Karen- the immigration officer who administered the oath.  After the quick ceremony, Jordan and I headed to the BBQ City in Chinatown-Adelaide to have some bites!  He paid for the main meal; I treated him with a dessert- a peach crepe of Happy Sweet.  I was happy; I believe he was, too!  At least we have each other to share that joyful moment with!  

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English 101

A car for sale in Port Wakefield, definitely NOT the car that Corey wants. 

My workmate Corey told me this morning that he was thinking of selling his boat and his motorbike then use the money to get the car that's currently for sale in Pt. Wakefield.

"Huhmn!  What's the 'KO-LOR' of that kHAH (as in caR)?"  I asked using my obviously fake Australian accent.  

He didn't answer, instead, his forehead skin wrinkled.  Puzzled, he asked me, "What's that?!"

Simple, he couldn't understand what I was saying, so I spelled the word- COLOUR. A bit embarassed, I asked him, "How do you pronounce that word here in Australia?"

"KAH-LAH!" he instantly replied.


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Happy Easter!

In Australia, I've noticed that during Ash Wednesday celebration Christians would start greeting each other a "Happy Easter!"  Simultaneously, shops and other similar establishments would post this greeting or would exaggeratedly showcase an array of Easter stuffs during the entire length of the Lent.

My icing injector broke when I was writing on my mocha cake- the reason why the letters don't look very good.

During the Holy Week, the long weekend or public holiday Down Under would start on Maundy Thursday and, interestingly, wouldn't simply end on Easter Sunday but until Monday which is called Easter Monday; and in Tasmania they are on a holiday until Easter Tuesday!  Australia is always very excited for Easter, the reason why as early as Holy Tuesday, my mocha cake is already Easter-inspired.

This long weekend is not for the people involved in the livestock industry, though.  We still need to attend to the needs of our animals every day.  But honeslty, I don't know if the entire long weekend of those who are on a holiday is sincerely spent with the essence of the season because I've observed that more people are visiting the coasts and campsites than the church, and it seems to me that local children would directly relate Easter Sunday with bunny and with the colourful eggs of different sizes than commemorating Christ's resurrection.

I can't help but compare how Australia and the Philippines celebrate the Lenten Season.  Being religious is, indeed, not a guarantee of being prosperous.  I am sorry.

The chocolates at Haigh's Chocolates, corner Rundle St. and King William Rd., Adelaide City, South Australia

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iCon

It's the 'kangaroo and the emu', the 'green and gold', the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge... and they say 'fish and chips' is almost an Australian icon.  How about the koala and the eucalyptus tree?

Koala's paw on a eucalyptus bark.  Western Australia's Caversham Wildlife Park

I am reading the Australian Citizenship Handbook for the fourth time now in preparation for the exam, and the contents of the book reminded me of this photo.

...twenty-four days more to go before I can actually get the eligibility; I wish the universe will soon grant it to me.  This ambition is very costly, I have sacrificed a lot of things in my life, I hope it's worth it! 


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Upside Down

I'll be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship in thirty-five days.  I have been tirelessly counting days and nights for the past fifty-five days and it has made me excited to get up every morning knowing that I have survived the challenges of the previous day and currently given another opportunity to continue my countdown and accomplish all the tasks ahead to get closer to my goal.  Mornings have been getting cooler and cooler since the onset of autumn three weeks ago, and the sun rises usually after seven but the low temperature and darkness haven't stopped me to start performing my daily farm routine at 5:40 AM.       

While I was checking the sheds at sunrise this morning, I've noticed a stunning reflection on the poorly drained area between our new chicken sheds.  So I took my camera and captured the view.

The reflection of the grain silos and the morning sky at Port Wakefield, South Australia.  March 29, 2011.

Early bird catches 'special worms', indeed! 


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Two birds at a time

It was 36'C in Perth when I saw this pigeon seeking refuge under the shade of a tree infront of the Western Australian Museum.

 I missed to publish a post yesterday, but yes I pursued my trip and I am currently in Perth.  For two successive days I have been enjoying my stay here as Western Australia gradually unfolds herself before me.  I’ve been in this continent for more than four years now but this is my first visit to the Golden State.  I decided to fly out of South Australia after completing a batch of a relatively successful broiler-growing cycle.   We’ll not be getting day-old chicks until the fourth of March so I considered this as an excellent opportunity to (1) explore W.A. while at the same time (2) recharging my ‘batteries’.

The place is nice and interesting; the city centre is bigger and busier than Adelaide and sincerely- the people are very friendly!  After visiting the Perth Visitor Centre, browsing some travel brochures and seeing a small part of the W.A. countryside up to 270 kilometres north of Perth today, I started to fear that I might eventually fall in love with this state and forget about my long-time stand that Queensland is my most favourite state in Australia.  

A lone seagull on the shore of Indian Ocean; near Cervantes, Western Australia

This is it for now because my mortal physique is screaming that I need to go to bed.  I promise to post some great photos I’ve taken in Western Australia soon...


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Look up

  

A juvenile magpie perching on my telly antenna.  There were, actually, three of them when I was aiming my camera but the other two had managed to flew away right before I pressed the shutter button down.  

This omnivorous bird is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, and though they have the same colour, Australian magpies are not related to European magpies.  They are classified as passerine birds.  (Source:  Wikipedia) 

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Dear Santa...

Port Wakefield, South Australia
24 December 2010
 

Dear Father Christmas,
 
Good day! How are yah?

Busy ay? If our chicken sheds are only empty, I would love to give you a hand in giving gifts to these excited kids down here who have been very good boys and girls althroughout 2010. But I still have two sheds of broilers left over the weekend, and will get emptied on the 27th, so sorry, I can't help you.

Just a reminder though, if you are coming to Adelaide today and tommorow, our maximum temperature forecast here is 34'C and it can possibly get even higher than that. So please leave your warm northern hemisphere clothes over there, you don't need that down here. I am saying this because for four years that I've been in Australia, I have seen you wearing those thermal garment well-suited for the winter season up there. Mate, it's summertime down here, I am only concern of your comfort, you know...

I believe that you know a lot of great costume designers in Australia or New Zealand, they'd be very happy to create a summer outfit for you. I just don't want to see you uncomfortable Down Under.

A Happy Christmas to you Big Bloke!

 

It's me,
RJ

Worms and Snakes

I WAS CIRCUMCISED AT THREE... not at three years old, but on the 3^rd day after I was born... I am grateful I cannot remember the pain of circumcision. So luckily, I was one of those elementary boys who could bravely show their ‘worms’ to each other in the school toilets to prove that they were really tuli*. Ilonggo boys have been jokingly tagged as pisot** but in my life, I haven’t been mocked or branded as one.

Many years later... January 17, 2007, it was my first day in my new job as a piggery farm worker in Queensland. Strict biosecurity was implemented there, requiring the farm staff to take off and leave all their street/house clothes and undies in the shower room’s ‘dirty area’, then enter and take a 10- minute shower in a small cubicle (which was located in the middle of the shower room), and put on their farm overalls in the ‘clean area’ before proceeding to work. Of course there were separate decontamination rooms for every gender.

That summer morning, there were three of us—Filipino guys who were about to take a shower. Honestly, we were literally shocked to see our Australian workmates—who, after greeting us, took all their clothes and undies off, and waited on the queue while chatting to us. We—the new Filipino workers were, at that moment, like the Biblical Adam who were covering our valuable ‘possessions’ with one of our hands, and blushing. I didn’t know the reason why our face had reddened that time—probably because we still weren’t use to this kind of showering routine yet or maybe because we had seen the uncovered ‘snakes’ of those locals dangling in front of us! It was really a funny, memorable conversation when we got back to our accommodation that afternoon!

Three months later, the decontamination routine eventually became a normal thing to us, no covering, and no blushing even if the ‘brown snakes’ were everywhere. Work performance became more important especially when the first job evaluation came.

Being trained as a technical person in the Philippines, the daily piggery routine was very exhausting for me. Of all the new Filipino workers, I was the one who, the superiors said, had the slowest pace at work! I was even told to work quickly and not ‘properly’—because I was very particular with the details that time. I became the subject of mockery, and was rated very unsatisfactory under the ‘Knowledge of the Job’ category.

The next morning, when we were having our smoko in the farm’s lunch room two of my workmates (who were natives in town) ridiculously asked me, “Hey RJ... How would you insult a Filipino guy back in the Philippines?”

“Tell him that that he is UNcircumcised!” I instantly said without even thinking.

The locals immediately blushed, and had a fake smile.

Instantaneously, I remembered that both of them were ‘uncut’. Well, seven out of our ten local workmates were pisot. And in this country, I think, this is not an issue at all.

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*tuli- a Filipino word for a circumcised boy or man.

**pisot- a Hiligaynon term for an uncircumcised boy or man.

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Si Hilda at ang Makru

Hanapin sa mapa ang Port Wakefield, diyan kami nakatira nina Aling Nati at Aling Siony...

Noong nakaraang linggo, inanyayahan ako nina Aling Nati at Aling Siony para maghapunan kasama nila. Habang kami'y masayang nagsasalu-salo, biglang tumunog ang telepono ni Aling Nati.

Tumawag si Hilda, ang isa nilang kaibigang nakatira sa Edithburgh kasama ang kanyang asawang puti- si Jim. Dito sa Australia ipinanganak at tumanda si Jim, 74 years old na siya ngayon.

Nangumusta lang naman si Hilda. Malamang gusto lang na may makausap na mga Filipino, siguro'y nalulungkot sapagkat dalawang taon pa lamang ang nakalipas magmula nang siya'y dumating dito sa Australia. Nalaman niyang ang kanyang kausap sa kabilang linya- si Aling Nati ay noo'y kasalukuyang naghahapunan kasama kami ni Aling Siony, kaya itinanong ni Hilda kung ano ang aming ulam.

Hindi naman nagsinungaling si Aling Nati, sinabi niya kung anu-ano ang aming pinagsasaluhan.

Biglang ipinagmayabang ni Hilda (naririnig namin ni Aling Siony kasi naka-loudspeaker ang mobile phone) na nakahuli rin daw sila ni Jim ng isang malaking isda sa Gulf St. Vincent, palibhasa fishing ang pastime ni nilang mag-asawa. 'Yon pa nga raw ang inihahanda ni Jim para sa kanilang hapunan.

Itinanong ni Aling Nati kay Hilda kung anong isda ang kanilang nahuli.

"Hindi ko kilala, ewan ko ba kung meron nito sa atin..." ang sagot ni Hilda.

"Anong itsura, at anong kulay, may kaliskis ba?" mabilis namang pag-usisa ni Aling Nati.

Maririnig sa kabilang linya na tinanong ni Hilda ang kanyang asawa kung ano ang tawag sa malaking isda na kanilang nahuli. Sumagot naman si Jim sa kanya.

Kinausap ulit ni Hilda si Aling Nati na naghihintay naman sa telepono. "Ah, kuwan pala, MAKRU. Makru daw ito sabi ni Jim."

"Hah?! Makru?!" halatang nabigla si Aling Nat.

"Oo, yan ang sabi ng asawa ko. Basta malaking isda ito, Nat- makru."

Kahit ako ay napaisip kung anong isda ang tinutukoy ni Hilda... Huminto ako sa pagkain at inisip kung ano kaya ang hitsura ng isdang makru.

Ngunit biglang sumali sa usapan si Aling Siony... "Makru?! Hindi, Nat! Mackerel. Mackerel siguro 'yan."

Biglang natauhan si Aling Nati matapos marinig ang salitang 'mackerel'. Kaya bigla niyang isinigaw sa telepono, kay Hilda sa kabilang linya, "Hilda, mackerel 'yan, hindi makru! Hahahah!"

"Ah, ganu'n ba?! Mackerel pala ito..." ang marahang sagot ni Hilda.

the Aussie way

Olive twigs, not young coconut leaves.
Palm Sunday 2010 at St. Vincent de Paul
Port Wakefield, South Australia

Cadbury's chocolates in colourful foil wrappers.
...in preparation for the Easter Sunday 2010
Port Wakefield, South Australia

Did you know that Australians would start greeting each other a 'Happy Easter!' as early as Holy Monday? I have, actually, received four Happy Easter greetings and have eaten five egg-shaped chocolates since the start of the Holy Week.

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Monarchy: Economy?

I didn’t care about Prince William’s arrival in New Zealand yesterday, as well as his scheduled visit here in Australia tomorrow. But it doesn’t mean that I hate the monarchy...

It is The Prince’ first official overseas trip on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II— ...since yesterday my mind has been troubled in finding any direct or indirect effect of this event in the life of a foreigner who's working as a chook-minder in the monarchy of Australia. Perhaps, I care... but this doesn’t mean that I love the monarchy, either.

As an innocent boy being raised in a small village in Southern Philippines, I had the belief that the dominion of kingdoms, if they existed, has already ended many years ago... that those kings, queens, princes and princesses are only fictitious and are only present in the pages of fairytale books. Well, obviously I was wrong because they are factual and still exist until today.

I know that I need to read more to understand more about the British Throne, especially its absolute relevance in the Commonwealth Realm of the present day when every nation has its own government chief executive. A survey in New Zealand—a member of the Commonwealth of Nations has, somehow, surprised me. It says that in the recent years, around 40 per cent of the Kiwis voted to end their royal ties with Her Majesty and support the creation of a republic. Today, Australia’s Channel 7 is inviting the Aussies to participate in the poll tonight asking if this Land Down Under still needs monarchy. I can’t believe that these two developed nations have been considering to gain complete independence from the British Monarchy—whom, I believe, they owe a lot.

For me, there’s a thing called ‘British Magic’, and I believe in this magic... in its power to establish economically-stable nations such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand! Just like the Philippines who bravely fought for independence from the Spanish, Japanese, and American rules, it is worthwhile to think about the ‘what if’s’ had South Africa and India dwelt under the British authority until today.

Singapore and Hong Kong are very fortunate! The two countries’ history was almost the same- while under the British Empire, both islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War II but the British regained their control after the war. These currently-wealthy cities didn’t fight through a bloody battle to achieve their independence from Britain, they waited for ages to gain their stability and used the war of words: Singapore outlined some policies that convinced the British; while Hong Kong, through the People’s Republic of China, initiated diplomatic negotiations. It is not destiny, it is the strategy.

Currently, according to the World Bank, Spain’s economy is the 9^th largest worldwide, Japan is the 2^nd largest (and 3^rd from the United States of America and China when it comes to purchasing power), and USA is on the first place... and the Republic of the Philippines, well, I have no plans to consult Google.



Source: Wikipedia

Compare and Contrast

SINGAPORE
The creative clothes hanger in the island city-state... the Republic of Singapore.

Laundry lines in Block 170, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, Singapore

AUSTRALIA
"The Hills Hoist is an Australian version of the rotary clothes line, the distinguishing feature of which is a crown and pinion winding mechanism allowing the clothesline to be lowered and raised."

-Wikipedia

Laundry line in Lot #22 Pareora Rd., Port Wakefield, S.A., Australia

PHILIPPINES
...to follow.

I would like to thank all my friends in the blogosphere who voted for my entry ‘The Keynote...’- an official entry to the 2009 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards.

Mabuhay ang PEBA!

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