Today, 26th of January, Australia’s celebrating their official national day and called it Australia Day…it is a day that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland.  Usually, family gathers during this day, family meetings, picnics and barbeques will be everywhere, parades, citizenship ceremonies, Order of Australia honours, Australian of the Year Presentation, etc. are the things happening in Australia today!

K, my partner is an Australian, last year we celebrated it by attending Australian Party in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (where we used to live) but now that we are now here in Bangkok, we doesn’t know any party celebrating it except for CJ’s school…he is studying in Australia International School – Bangkok.

Well, students in the school were asks to wear Australian colors:  yellow and green or anything typically Aussie! CJ just wore a green t-shirt and brought his Australian jacket and cap to the school.

Lucky Isabelle wake-up early…so that means we are going! Since we are early, as well as Ingrid, she invited me to have breakfast with her. So, we had breakky at Parrot Cafe in Admiral Hotel just few steps away from school.

We went back to school at 10am…and the activity started! I helped with the dot painting activity were in Ms. Jackie was in-charged, it was another mom (Camille) idea! It was really great. Kids went into different thing such as tong throwing, book reading, etc. and of course, they had a sausage, sizzle BBQ lunch with imported Australian beef, pork, vegetarian sausages and vegemite sandwiches.

Then lastly, they had the Australia’s National Anthem played as kids sing at the Assembly Area.

Isabelle enjoyed the activity also because she went with another class of small kids, she played in the playground, in the sandpt…did the dot painting also and went to the library, oh, yes, she also ate he sausage! She had fun…

And I had great time helping and assisting other kids with their dot painting.

Having said all these, unfortunately, I didn’t brought my camera with me…I will make another post or just update it once the school posted pictures on their website!

For now, I hope you had a great Thursday!

Thanks God and for your prayers, our flight was smooth…and kids did really well on the plane. I am happy about it, good start!

We arrived half past 6pm, and took us long time to get our luggage bag but nevertheless, we are all excited to go out.

And happy to see Mama, Papa and Gelo (my only brother) waiting for us…kids are happy to, no tantrums for Isabelle, she’s in happy mood!

But it was traffic…traffic and traffic, its everywhere. Hehehe!

Anyway, our family went straight to Market!Market! (that’s nearest mall to our house) to have dinner, we ate at Kenny Roger’s! Thanks to my brother for the treats… we had Rib and Chicken Sampler, its yummy, complete with rice, side dish and muffins!

kids with Mama and Papa…

Well, I am happy to be back home…and see family! Its time to hit the sack now, its been a long day and I need energy for tomorrow. Goodnight, everyone!

Quick Post:

Flying to Manila today, waking up early to do some errands, yes, I still have few things to do! But I am now ready…and kids are! We are excited.

K still went to work but will be back here by 11am then we will all go to airport, its only me and the kids flying today, so I hope Philippines Airlines will be good to us specially that I will be traveling with my two beautiful kids. K will follow next Saturday, 24th of December!

We will miss Daddy for sure but at the same time, we are excited to be back and see our dear family again! We will be leaving Bangkok at 2pm and arriving in Manila at 6:20pm.

Mama and Papa, see you at the Terminal 2…*smile*

Anyway, please pray for our safe and smooth flight…thank you!

Have a great Friday, everyone!

And tomorrow, kids and I will be flying-out to Manila…its been 1 year and 7 months since we last been there. We are all excited, my family are excited too!

I am 98% done with packing…but its been 15 days since December starts, where I have been those days, I hav’t blogged at all! I really, really, really need to get going…I need to earn! hehehe!

Anyway, November’s busy month and scary month for me because of the flood threats around Bangkok but thanks God, everything turns out good and things are getting better around here! Also last November 19 when CJ turns 9, I got a big boy already and he is still sweet as he is and keep growing as wonderful son. I will be posting about his birthday separately, its just simple one but a happy day for him as he enjoyed our visit to Planetarium! Daddy also went to the field for a week, so its just me and the kids then. We celebrated Loy Krathong at Benjasiri Park with Bo and Ae, it was great to do that festival and that deserves separate post also!

First two weeks of December was all fun…Dad turns a year older, his birthday is same with Thailand’s King, its holiday and we was able to enjoy the long weekend. We attended K’s company Christmas Party, it was great to see them again after meeting few at the BBQ Party we had last month! We also processed our visa, it was bitter-sweet but we are happy still! But the most important thing was, K passed the probation period…thanks God and Congrats, mahal…we are so proud of you! Also we got CJ’s portfolio and it was all good, well done CJ. His Progress Report was excellent, we are proud of you son! Then they had Christmas Assembly/Concert yesterday, he did well…Isabelle said after the show was: “Well done, Kuya!”—from a proud sister, isn’t she sweet? And today, they had the Christmas Party, Isabelle and I joined the Bandicoots Party!

Oh, we also do regular playdate every Thursday in Ingrid and Zhongyao’s place…swimming after school and play at the playground—my kids loving it! Ingrid’s (Zhongyao’s mum) been so good with us, she’s a wonderful friend…I am happy to know her! But last Sunday, we all went to Tara and Liya’s Swimming Party…Tara is CJ’s classmate and Liya is her sister but sad because they are leaving Bangkok for good, and going back to Australia. I wish the family all the best!

Anyway, hope to keep you posted about our vacation in Philippines and to post previous things happened to us here in Bangkok. We’ve been here for 4 months…and we are loving it!

See you around!

Every year, our family’s celebrating All Saint’s Day…by visiting cemetery to pay respect and pray for our departed family members but for 4 years now, I can’t do that on the day they do it in Philippines which is November 1, its big in Philippines…but yeah, if I’m home and I can, I make sure to visit and light a candle for them.

So, for the past 4 years, I am still lighting candles! For the last 3 years, I am doing it just outside our door in Phnom Penh. But this year, I did it inside our hotel room here in Bangkok…this time I did it with the kids and K, we say a little prayer for their souls!

Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know that they are happy.

The angels are always near to those who are grieving, to whisper to them that their love ones are safe in the hand of God. _Eileen Elias Freeman

How do you celebrate the occasion? Come and share it with me.