House

My family’s refugee status would slightly take longer than expected. A little over a month and after almost five applications with various real estate agencies (from the fruit of a hooker to ray’s one and only 🙂 if this phrase makes any sense) it has been failure after failure.

They say patience is a virtue but I did not come here just to spend my time inspecting one house after another and just be rejected and rejected again and rejected again. These real estate agents have their reasons for declining our application. We are a returning temporary resident here in Australia and the almost a year stay in New South Wales was not enough to satisfy any property manager’s standard.  This made me think, if I were an ex convict trying to start anew–it would be very hard to start over again-clean–do you get my point?

I’ve learned from almost a month of filling up application after application and asking people here the following:

• Rental cost have increased after we left Australia in 2004: Reason varied from the increase in Australia’s mining industry to economic losses???.
• Most real estate agent/owner would likely prefer tenants who are single status compared to a family: They argue that children would likely increase the deterioration of the property–there’s an observation that even a couple with a single child will deteriorate a house three times more than a tenant who is/are single in civil status (well, I think this is true with most of the kids proving to be a true personification of Dennis the Menace)–Man, my girls are not like that, they will not tear down your house just like that and you have the security bond anyway, what’s that for?
• “Real Estate Agents Knows Best” and they are true to this and have been dictating to us how we should live–that we must live in a three bedroom house when in fact we’ve lived in a one bedroom house in Bangkok and even in the Quezon City in the past six years!–Consequently, we’ve been trying to adjust our budget to meet the demands of these mighty, all knowing real estate agents.
• It doesn’t matter if you can pay regularly the rent, each application is a point system, if you have a car that earns you big points, a local licence will also earn you as much as 50 points.
• Might as well buy a house rather than rent–this is the only time that real estate agents will take attention

If you’re a newbie nowadays here in Australia and will rent a house, prepare for a battle with other tenancy applicants as one tries to outbid the other. This development further pushes the rental market prices to an average of Aus$270 for a three bedroom house in a decent suburb.

A colleague of mine was so desperate that he grabbed (and was lucky enough to get the property) the opportunity to rent a Aus$220 one bedroom unit, although one ride from the Uni but still far off. He has a wife and a two year old son.

As for myself, despite having a number of personal references (from WA to NSW) and a letter from the University expressing my regular financial support this isn’t enough. One agent told me, “oh we’re not like other real estate agents–they could be very greedy.”

Greedy, indeed, is the word and they are trying to push the market higher and higher until Australia registers its first few hundreds of homeless families. I hope we will not be one of them. 😦

Sigma Rhoan

The test of a true Sigma Rhoan
Is not his individual greatness,
But the virtue of not leaving any Sigma Rhoan in disgrace,
For until the day breaks
And the shadows flee,
Time will always be the essence of
Our oneness,
And we shall always remember,
That we are called Sigma Rhoans, Because we stand as true
Brothers above the rest.

 

The True Sigma Rhoan from Sigma Rho Fraternity, UP

Family and politics

A special report by GMANews.TV on political clans and pork barrel caught my eye last month. The Philippines is said to have good laws against corruption including nepotism however, it seems the Filipinos have not learned in the past when only the few controlled the government.

According to this report, at least nine families have access to at least PhP1 billion of pork barrel funds–a source of corruption as this kind of fund does not usually undergo scrutiny under the Commission on Audit. Now, do you still wonder why election, more specifically politics is a BIG THING in the Philippines. People literally kill to get their hands on various political posts.

My Hate List

Tag from Sir Sonny. 🙂 This might be the tag game that I might end up hating 🙂 well, actually this is just my list of least liked things not really that I hate these.

• Food: anything that is too pungent
• Fruits : Durian
• Veggies: broccoli
• People: liars
• Event/Situation/Incident: when I’m on the spotlight
  
• TV shows/movies: nothing
  
• Music: nothing
• Household chores: cleaning the toilet
  
• Thing/s around the world: racism, hate
• Thing/s about myself: tend to lose control

Ten hate list and now for the ten tag list, not that I hate them. 🙂

paolomendoza, chuckie, daniel, dan, laya, lynette, sheila, jonas,  czille and mimie.

Stargazer

Thanks to Getty they have at least a stock of what a lunar eclipse would have looked like. Australia had very good view of the lunar eclipse last Tuesday night but not us here in Western Australia. The weather spoiled my planned moon gazing activity.

I first fell in love with star gazing during a trip to the Manila Planetarium when I was an elementary student. The centre was jampacked then that I had to lie down on the floor to see the film showing. Lying on the floor was in fact the best position to watch the film as we watch about a film documentary about space (the film was projected on the centre’s dome roofing). It was the first time that I took notice of such beautiful bodies… albeit heavenly bodies 🙂 Orion, the bear, the big dipper and the moon.

Since then, stargazing has been my favorite past time especially whenever I get to a pitch black place. I remember my first lunar eclipse experience was also back when I was in elementary. The moon looked very big and my friends were telling horror stories during that night but it was certainly an awesome sight as the moon looks so huge and perfectly round.

When I first arrived here in Australia, I was amazed with the weather, which was most of the time clear skies during the night that one could get a very good view of the heavens. It is surely an awesome and exhilarating experience. So investing on a good telescope is not worthless for any stargazer. 🙂

Anyway, I missed this latest total lunar eclipse. I’ll definitely mark the next one–December 2011–as to where I’ll be by that time, I’m not yet sure but I’ll definitely not going to miss it unless cloudy weather prevails again. 🙂

Youtube returns to Thailand

For the first time since about four months Thailand blocked Youtube, I got to access the site here Down Under and watch some of my favorite clips online. 🙂

Then barely five months since Thailand blocked Youtube last April 3, Youtube is online again in Thailand according to The Bangkok Post. This came after lengthy negotiations between Google and the Thai Government with Google agreeing to remove the clips. However, the removal of the clips did not materialize as Google insisted that they might break rights of other users to free speech. The Thai government agreed to Google’s move install filters for Thai Youtube users. This means if you are a user in Thailand, you will still be able to access Youtube but you will not be able to access any identified offensive video clips against the monarchy.

Some Thai media experts were not happy with this as it was just a partial success for free speech advocate. Google won to have Youtube online in Thailand but “with conditions.”

The Thai government is happy with the outcome anyway and at least Google gave in to the Thai Government’s “request” albeit after a long dragged negotiations. Everybody happy.

Thailand has boundaries and this case has showed that in cyberspace there are still rules and there are still boundaries. As to how far would a country/organization could impose its rules/laws, it is still a vague concept I suppose. What do you think?

A little bit over

Well, well, well, it’s been a looooong hibernation. Snake alert is already out (meaning spring is near) and I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back to blogging. Well, I’m back (again–how many times did I’ve gone to blogging hiatus these past few weeks???). Well, I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back. I’m still trying to finish three reports but at least I’m a bit relaxed now as I was able to finish some parts of the three drafts (well, I’ve been trying hard to write everything at the same time 🙂 ).

While I was on hiatus there’s so much abuzz over the blogosphere, I don’t need to link them here but I know you know. Mr. Pogi accuses Ms. Kind-hearted as a self-serving blogger, while a print journalist goes OFW bashing and getting the ire of almost every blogger on the blogosphere and I’m sure even over Friendster! I’m not adding my note to these two big stories as it seems anything that should be blogged about from these two cases have been blogged already. 🙂

Well, the best news that I couldn’t resist not blogging about is blogbastic is one year old. 🙂 I’m soooooo vane. eheheh! forgive me just give me this moment. ciao!

Flu

After assisting in the public awareness of bird flu for almost two years, I think I’m becoming callous just hearing the word “flu.” As if I have not had enough–there’s been an outbreak of human flu here in Australia, deaths were recorded especially in young children.

A few weeks ago, Australia watched cautiously as Japan reported its first horse flu in decades. Australia is the only country in the world without the disease and many breeding stallions from Australia travel as far as Japan just to service some of the horses there.

This week, Australia reported its first outbreak of equine flu or horse flu last week and the implication to its horse racing and breeding industry is shooting billions of Australian dollars! Despite excellent response to the first outbreak, the disease seems to spread in a blink of an eye. After decades of being free, Australia is now contemplating vaccination. The implication of this is that the country will have to wait for about two years to gain certification from the World Organization for Animal Health or OIE that it is free from equine flu.

The current outbreak is feared to have an effect on the Melbourne Cup in November, well horse trainers, bettors, jockeys are still hoping that at least it would just be partial. Well, partial or not I’m coming to Melbourne albeit not to the Cup but to a conference. 🙂 But I hope I would have the chance to have a side trip at the sidelines at Melbourne Cup. 🙂

Blogbastic turns 1!

I almost missed it because of the almost never ending chase for report deadlines among others–imagine, I’m still chasing up reports almost three weeks after I ended my contract in Bangkok. Well, it’s a long story but to cut it short my research topic is closely connected with my work in Southeast Asia that any output is of great importance to my research.

Anyway, what I almost missed–Blogbastic is one year old!

My good online buddy, Massa P. marked the day and made sure that she greeted me! Thanks Massa P!

Well, it’s been one year since I moved to WordPress to explore further the wonders of blogging and while I’m currently sidetracked with the stressful reality of the academe and just waking up from realities of working for an international organization, I’m still loving it! It’s good to just look back to how blogbastic developed from being a personal blog to a blog about news (well, it still sometimes function as a “pseudo-personal” blog as Jayvee F. puts it although I’m not sure whether it IS my true calling–well that’s another story).

I’m still blogbastic! Thanks all. Keep on blogging! 🙂

Aussie Idol enjoys second-best debut : thewest.com.au

One of my favorite shows when I was doing my studies here in Australia back in 2004 was Australian Idol. It was the second year of the British Franchise here in the Commonwealth and my kids and I enjoyed it. From the talented aspirants to downright hilarious unforgettable wannabes.

This season’s Aussie Idol became the second-best debut for the franchise. My kids loved Sebastian, the 2003 Australian Idol because of his charming voice and good looks and we also enjoyed the competition of Season 2 and the talent of all the 12 finalist and even to the showdown between Casey Donovan and Anthony Callea.

Well, it was indeed exciting for me back in 2004 and hopefully, this year’s Aussie Idol will live up to last night’s and tonight’s episodes, which are a real stress reliever. 🙂

One thing I’ve noticed is they now have four judges here. They were only three back in 2004 in the tradition of Simon, Paula and Randy. Now they have Mark, Marcia, Dicko (who went on leave on 2005 and 2006) and Kyle. From the looks of the candidates for this year’s contest, I think the judges will have a very hard time picking the best as most of the aspiring singers that made it were musician-composers. Now, let’s wait and see. 🙂