A One Way Voyage........

I live life not the way I want it. I live life the way I decided. Decisions never always reflect what you want. Whether it's a mistake or not, it is the way God wanted it to be. Not known for now, but there is a reason, for I have died once, yet lived again. Be it fraught with upsets, at the end of the road, for as long as I can say "I have not harmed a soul", then it withstood the waves and the journey was perfect.-Falcon116

Tuesday, September 23

DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT?


David bought a donkey from a farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.


The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.' David replied, 'Well, then,just give me my money back.' The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.'


David said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.' The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him? David said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.' The farmer said, 'You can't raffle off a dead donkey!' David said, 'Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'


A month later, the farmer met up with David and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?' David said, 'I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $898.00.'


The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?' David said, 'Just the guy who won, so I gave him his two dollars back.'


David now works for the government!

Only smart people works for the Government!

Friday, September 19

ADIK KAY PIOLO

When the Tralala ladies found out Piolo is coming to Darwin, we felt the gods of Ayers Rock and the Katherine Gorge, have somehow woken up, moved, watched and listened to our Bar-B-Q offerings during the Barrio Fiesta...

Ilang lingo ba naman hindi humilom ang sakit sa aking high powers na hita at aking ‘ RAP-GUYS’ booty...Imposibleng di magigising sila Barraiya, Birrahgnooloo at Eingana sa tili ni Catrina....Kung halos punitin na ni Mona ang mga botones sa v-neck na suot nya...



We sort of went into a trance. Nag ‘Operation-Piolo-Look-Out’po kami. We said that if he’s gone to Katherine or even Jabiru, we’re gonna go driving there just to have a glimpse of Papa P. (nagiging parang bakla na po ako-nakakahawa si Cat!)

Pero ilang lingo na po ang nakakalipas, wala pa po kaming nakita o narinig, ni anino ni Piolo...parang natulog yata ulit ang mga Aboriginal gods and goddesses....Maawa naman po kayo’t ipaalam na kay Catrina kung nasaang lupalop ng Darwin nag tatago si Piolo!

Si Catrina po ay na loloka na sa kakahanap. Kita nyo naman kung gano na ka bored ang itsura nya sa kaka antay na makita ni Piolo ang beauty nya. Mukha yatang nag a-araw araw sa mall hoping na (take note)makita ni Piolo and beauty nya...Hindi para makita nya si Piolo. Instead, she found another cake shop na yummy daw! It is so depressing!!!
May chocolate shop pa doon called 'PURE INDULGENCE" kung saan hand made halos lahat ng mga chocolates...

Ang Northern Territory po ay napakalaking lugar, pero nong sinabi nilang paparito si Papa P sa Darwin,ang akala po talaga namin...dito sa Darwin...E kung 3 hours drive to a grocery Shop yong pinag sho-shootingan nila, e, hindi po sa Darwin yon! Nasa land of Borroloola-ala na yon.

Baka akala ng mga tao yong Darwin nasa itaas ng Ayers Rock, o di kaya nasa kalagitnaan ng Jabiru, Alice Springs, Katherine, o di kaya ng Kakadu...

Bakit naman kasi sinabi ni Papa P na dito sila sa Darwin mag sho-shooting? Eh kung sa land of the walalalalala naman pala ang shooting, hindi po Darwin yon. Ang laki ng deperensya. Di pa po natin alam kung anong mga sceneries ang lalabas sa movie nila ni Angel.

Sana naman po ay wag nilang sabihin na Darwin yong mga nakakalokang desyerto sa kalagitnaan ng NT.

Darwin looks like this:
Ang Darwin po ay nasa pinaka tok-tok ng Australia, right on the edge of the Timor Sea. Capital city sya ng buong Northern Territory.

Sa buong Australia po, ang Darwin ang pinaka less populated na capital city, kaya naman po hindi biro kapagka sinasabi nilang pupunta sila Piolo and Angel dito dahil honestly, bihira ho talaga kaming maabot ng kung ano mang kagalakan na palaging tinatamo ng mga malalaking ciudad ng Australia.

Kung sila Piolo, Sam, Gary V at kung sino sino pang mga artista ay palaging dinadawi ang Melbourne, Brisbane, etc., eh, dito po sa Darwin ang tanging naka dalaw sa amin dito ay sila Rico Puno, Pelita Corales, Raymond Lauchenco at ang Reycard Duet.

Yong si Raymond Lauchenco nga nandito, si Catrina halos himatay-himatayin na sa kakakuha ng picture... Imaginin nyo na lang po kung si Piolo pa!

Ganyan ho kami kauhaw ng mga Filipino celebrities dito.

Kaya ho, utang na loob, kapag sinabing pupunta siPiolo sa Darwin, wag nyo namang bigyan ng Sakit sa Puso si Catrina...Baka ma Cowdy Ward na po yong kaibigan namin sa kakaikot ng Darwin sa kakahanap kay PAPA P, yon pala nasa Broome or Jabiru. Hindi po Darwin yon!


Kung ganito po yong mga views sa movie nila...Nasa Darwin po ako, hindi ho ganito ang

itsura ng Darwin. Baka lalong matakot pumunta yong kapatid ko dito. Wag naman.

Pero in fairness huh(boses ni Kris Aquino), very rich ang culture ng mga Aboriginal (natives dito). Very interesting din po ang kanilang history na tinatawag na ' The Stolen Generation'.

Eto po yong generation ng kabataan noong 1869-1969, na tinangal at inagaw ng Australian and State Government para i-indoctrinate/educate, hence, fascilitate the European values and customs sa lahat. But the truth behind it is, winipe-out po ng mga Puti yong mga Aboriginals dito. Pinag papatay po talaga. Pero siguro natauhan sila, binago nila yong pamamaraan ng pag wipe out. Kinuha nila yong mga aboriginal babies para palakihing kasama na sa mga puti at ipa pares na po sa mga puti para ang anak, magiging 'half-cast' na. In the long run, ang aim po nila was to totally wipe out the colour ng mga Aboriginal.

Very controversial po tong generation na to. If you want to open your imagination sa Australian History ng 'Stolen Generation', please do watch 'THE RABBIT PROOF FENCE'. A superb movie....

Balik tayo kay Piolo....Nasaan na nga kaya si Papa P? Kung kayo po ay may kaalaman kung nasaan o kung makita nyo man dito sa darwin ang taong to... Ipag bigay alam po dito sa blog na to at may makukuha po kayong pabuya......BBQ chicken ni Alan!!!! Isang kahon!

Glossary:
Barraiya -Barraiya is a god in Australian aboriginal mythology who created the first vagina with a spear so that Eingana could give birth.


Eingana-In Australian aboriginal mythology, Eingana is a creator goddess and the mother of all water, animals, and humans. She is a snake goddess of death who lives in the Dream time. She has no vagina; she simply grew in size and, unable to give birth to the life inside her, had the god Barraiya open a hole with a spear near her anus, so that labor could commence. Eingana holds a sinew that is attached to every living thing; if she lets go of one, the attached creature dies.

Birrahgnooloo -In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Kamilaroi), Birrahgnooloo is a goddess of fertility who would send floods if properly asked. She is married to Baiame, with whom she is the mother of Daramulum.

Piolo- Tralala god. The women behind the tralala worship and fantasize this perfect image of a MAN.

Infos about Aboriginal gods and godesses taken from this site: http://lowchensaustralia.com/names/aborgods.htm

Monday, September 15

DARWIN SKY CITY BASHING

I've just been told that the lady who got bashed at the Darwin Sky City Casino is a neighbor of mine. We don't really know her, but they live right next to us.

It's sad when women, in random, get bashed in public places by wackos who should never be let out in the first place. Adding pain to injury, the man has surveillance photos all over the casino grounds, yet, protected by privacy laws... Where in the hell does this woman's right stand in the Justice system? What comes first? Privacy rights of someone who violated the rights of another individual? Or the right of a woman to seek and bring to justice the man who violated her?


I just hope that the Northern Territory Police Services are doing what they're paid to do. Catch idiot like this! I really do hope that they've already got copies of these surveillance tapes and act on it...or maybe they have not even tried getting a copy???


The woman's face is black and blue...several broken teeth...broken nose...


I certainly do not want to see anyone else harmed by a 'Privacy-Laws-Protected-Violent-Moron' who probably got violent after loosing money in gambling.

For more information about this story, click on this link: http://www.casinobashing.com/

If the photo of the man in question looks familiar, ring crime stoppers on 1800 333 000

HELP SOLVE CRIMES!!!
Both photo taken from my neighbor's website

Sunday, September 14

MY NEW BEST FRIEND-WORK, PERSONAL, STUDIES AND BLOGGING BEST FRIEND!!!


FINALLY!!!!


A Toshiba Satellite P300/U01


Liked how my sister asked me what this is....What sort of an animal is that????

"Unsa man nang mananapa?"

-Shnaggy


Well, sis, It's a Great Dane- Not a pug!!!

Friday, September 5

TRIBUNG TRALA-LA CONQUERS DARWIN BARRIO FIESTA


Tribung Tralala, not an official organization as such but simply my group of friends (my foster family here in Darwin), had organized, yet again, another venture. Not for profit, but supposedly for fun and quality bonding experience. It's the same group whom we traveled with to the Gold Coast and Melbourne and had fun with throughout the whole journey.

Another success and a job well done to us all guys!!!

Tribung Tralala conquered the 2008 Darwin Barrio Fiesta last Saturday, 30th of August at the FAANT Community Centre. Remember the Aprons that I made? We have worn them with pride finally, along with used (disposable) kitchen hats. From the sewing of the aprons to driving here and there to buy supplies to organizing the Environmental Health paper works, down to washing chicken wings, skewing pork meats and whacking flies... It was downright draining. Had we prepared two months before, it probably wouldn't have been as exhausting. We started the preparation three weeks towards the actual event, and I reckon it was way too short a time to organize the kind of stall we had.


I myself, have never been as busy this year as I was last week. With homeworks to be done for my course, and the new project I've been given, I did not really want to take some time off from work because I did not want to disappoint my new Boss. But I have put in my leave request and it was approved before I was given a special project. So I took last Thursday and Friday off from work to organize our Tralala stall.

Three weeks prior, we started making the atsara under the direction of Ed Aralar (atsara expert). Cat's family from Philippines were here for a holiday/wedding and were available to give us a hand, which we are so thankful for. Kuya Tootsie, the architect, designed our 'TBIBUNG TRALA-LA' karatula which Kuya Boy, Mona and I colored with glittered paints. Thanks Kuya Tootsie! Yong mga tao-tao nga pala, for next year, request ni Eda, lagyan mo daw ng 'tribung tralala' sa likod. Balik ka ulit dito para mag drawing lang nong mga taong tribo. All expenses paid...sa pagkain lang and accomodation. ehekhekhekhek.

Every Saturday for the last three weeks, we skewed pork meats the best way we can. It was done in a special way, so as not to dry up the meat and burn the BBQ sticks. In other words, it was a painstaking process.

We only started skewing up the chicken wings three days prior to the event. We bought nine boxes of frozen chicken wings from the meat shop, each box weighing 16 kilos. Clara, Mary and myself had to carry these boxes. Imagine the hard work! Buti na lang andyan and brand new Hyundai Tucson ni Clara na talaga namang na binyagan namin ng totoong dugo ng manok!!!



Then the whole process starts, from defrosting the chooks wings to washing and cleaning them up, then slicing them, Allan's way. Marinating them. Skewing them. putting them systematically in containers. Trying to fit gazillion containers methodically in a 1mtr x 1mtr upright freezer(or maybe even less) ni Ate Luz. Buti na lang may nag pahiram kina Eda ng empty upright freezer about the same size nong kay Ate Luz. But still, it was not enough. So, we had to find another one, which, we had so much difficulty in finding by the way!!! Mary next year, lagot ka, ikaw na ang ilalagay namin sa BBQ stick!!!

Ate Sussan's duty was to shoo the flies away and look after Xander (did she fall asleep while on duty?).... No wonder Xander did what he did! Out of fright maybe or vengeance!

What ever happens in Dorrigo stays in Dorrigo. A secret recipe will never be revealed... The skewing must go on.









Came Friday, I drove around with Ate Lydia and Mona to buy bits and pieces we have forgotten about, then went back to Dorrigo to paint the last four remaining aprons and the Tralala 'bill board'. Friday night, we all helped put the stall up and decorated it ready for the next day. Thanks nga pala kay Lorie and his bro for helping us out nong Friday and Saturday.





When I woke up Saturday morning, I had this massive head ache. I thought I won't make it. Had it turned into migraine, then I would not have been able to watch the stall along with the whole Tralalas, which we all looked forward to doing talaga. It's where all the fun is...or so we thought... I had to drive from Palmerston to the FAANT Saturday morning to help the ladies with the finishing touches, such as setting the table cloths, etc. It was stinking hot that day. I really thought my head ache will turn into a full blown migraine. I stayed home and slept from 1:00PM to 3:00PM to give my self a little bit of rest, then drove back to FAANT in jeans and white shirt.

When I got there, every thing's set. Eda's cooked her yummy Butse and Puto. She spent Saturday morning doing that. Ate Luz spent that morning cooking rice. Allan and Mona prepared their secret sauce. Cat organized the bain-marie's delivery. Ate Lydia and Ate Sussan helped with the table set-up. In other words, everyone's put sheer effort to make it happen.


Anyhow, complemented and praised as 'looking so neat and professional', we felt every effort, sweats, late nights, bloods and pains (I've got a splinter still stuck on my finger right now...it's starting to swell up) from Allan's draconian quality control in skewing of pork and chicken meats all paid up.

We looked like we had 'vendor franchise for sale' written all over our stall. We even called our main meal, the VALUE MEAL (a cup of rice, two BBQ of their choice-pork & chicken, and Atsara). When someone orders the meal, we had fun yelling out, "One Value meal Please!!!"...Then the trail goes, one puts atsara on the styro plate, then passes it on to the next person to put a cup of rice, then passes it on to the next for the BBQ. Like we're so professionals! But when the going got tough, everyone just sort of bumped into each other. When the BBQ came less and the customers started queuing up in masses in a disorganized manner, we all sort of retreated towards the back to avoid confrontation with them. It may sound funny, but we definitely learned from this experience.

Mona earlier on said she's got something to flaunt to attract customers, but when crunch time came, the cleavage was soon forgotten. But here's a photo of her practicing on how to serve male customers...









Not wanting to face the anxious customers, we instead helped the boys behind the scene to try and cope with the demand.




The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Hon. Paul Henderson graced the 2008 Darwin Barrio Fiesta. He, himself complemented Allan's BBQ as the best BBQ he's ever had in his entire life. He also congratulated our group for being so organized and looking so professional. When he came over our stall and hanged around us, spoke to us and joked with us, I think all the exhaustion disappeared. Everyone, specially the boys felt rejuvenated.



Hon Paul Henderson with the Tralala Boys


Waiting....waiting....waiting....then run away!



Around 7:00 at night, I felt the whole Filipino population in Darwin swamped our stall wanting to have a taste of Allan's BBQ. It was massive!!! When I say massive... I meant we literally could not cope with the demand. We've run out of food, as soon as a BBQ gets cooked, people seemed to fight over it (even us, to give to the customer we have served) that it rarely ever got to the bain-marie at all. Our bain-marie was literally empty most of the night. Even the Aussies queued up!



First. we've run out of Pork BBQs, then the rice came scarce, and few and far between. Ate Lydia cooked more because we brought a number of rice cookers with us. Unfortunately, the generator is not coping with the demand of electricity from all the other stalls. We plugged it in in another building, but even that did not work. It kept on tripping off. So we've run out of rice... Then the BBQ chicken also got wiped out. We were just hanging on next to the grills waiting for any cooked BBQ to serve to the customers. They were willing to wait for 20 minutes...but I think some of them just got frustrated, tired and angry at some point, so they've left.

But even when they've left, they still kept on coming back to check whether we have more cooked BBQs. Unfortunately, as I've said, we were not able to cope with the demand. Nag loloko na po yong grill na gawa ni allan. Napuno na po ng ashes kaya humina na ang apoy.
Ire-design daw ni Allan to for next year and dadagdagan ng another three??? Ang daming dapat nating i improve ano? Ano pa nga ba yon Ed? Get rid of the liabilities? Mga hindi assets? Heheheh. Jok! Jok!

One of the three custom-made grills ni Allan.

Have a look at how the customers engulfed our stall

Si Mona naman po, patuloy po talagang chini-cheer up ang buong grupo. Kahit pagod na pagod na, sasayaw sayaw pa sya sabay sabing, "It's for fun, di ba? It's fun...It's fun...It's fun..."


My feet were aching like crazy. We all ate in a rush, just enough to refuel our bodies. When it was not as busy anymore, syempre picture picture na naman. Di mawawala yan. Nakakapagod po talaga, but in the end, we all agreed it was all worth it.






Monetary wise, we got back the money we've spent and an extra on top of that. But if you consider the time and effort we have put into the realization of this stall, hindi po sapat yong pera. But the bonding experience and the fun that we had, has made it a venture, everyone agrees, worth planning for again next year...except me I think. Seems like I have not gotten over the exhaustion yet. I am definitely open to all possibilities for next year, providing we make it better. We've pointed out all our weakest points that night during a meeting over dinner at Dorrigo the following night. We have identified aspects where we need to fine tune and improve. So hopefully, it'll be a lot easier and less stressful the next time we do it.
JOB WELL DONE TRALALAS!!!

Start skewing for next year.... Para mas maraming...

...pang Tasmania next year ...

...Oh, here's the prettiest girl of them all...





Black Eyed Lil' Miss Pink.

more photos: