Joni Ang

Today concludes my first week at my new office. I am now working for Lowe Philippines (Open Philippines, to be exact), a company I’ve never heard of before until three months ago.

It’s an interesting story: I was talking to a friend about the digital marketing of big local companies (Who handles them? Are they usually inhouse? Do they outsource it? etc) and Lowe was one of those agencies he mentioned that big companies outsource their digital needs to. Right after our talk, I googled the company name and landed on their Facebook Careers tab. I submitted my outdated resume on a whim, even though they didn’t have a job opening related to my work at that time. Two months later, I received a call from their HR regarding an opening for a digital marketing position, I went to the interview, and then another two weeks later they ask me to come back to sign a contract. It all happened so fast that I had to make quick decisions, too.

I’ll spare you the details (the drama really) of why I eventually decided to go for it. But in a nutshell, I prayed for career growth (So not me! I know!), I wanted a change. And this same change that I craved for is what’s causing the slight depression I’ve been feeling since the start of this week. It’s a normal feeling, I guess. It’s just like my first day in college, or my first day at my very first job. Hopefully I’d get over it soon. Guess I should really be careful about what I pray for, sometimes gratification requested from above comes instantly. :P

So this is just a quick note to say “Hey! I’m still alive!” via my blog and to express that I am dearly missing my former colleagues. On the other hand, I am extremely happy that my lunch buddy, Rhiza (soon-to-be bride!) is just a few floors above me. It’s just like we’re workmates again. :)

Dear Lord, please help me get through this transition. And help me learn the things I need to do so I can do my job well. Guide me everyday. Thank you.

Summer has finally arrived in the Philippines! Even if it is summer almost all year round in the country, many Filipino tourists and foreign tourists flock the best travel destinations during the official summer season of this know Pearl of Orient.

In such a country full of beautiful landscapes and natural wonders, professional and amateur photographers ensure not to miss the opportunity to take photos whether using a digital SLR, a point-and-shoot digital camera or even a polaroid instant camera.

Instax cameras are fast becoming a hit among people here in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and the rest of the Philippines. With its cute designs, affordable polaroid films, and easy point-and-shoot capability, Filipinos are likely to enjoy using such a polaroid camera. Polaroid Philippines offer a wide selection of instax mini cameras, Instax films, and other Instax accessories that will definitely make your polaroid experience a delightful one. Don’t worry about saving your polaroid instant film since there are discount polaroid film surely available now because of the increase in recognition of Instax Philippines.

Being the jumping (almost everyone has a jump shot of themselves these days, right?) “camwhores” we Filipinos are, instant cameras will definitely suit your “jumping needs” since it can takes pictures immediately at the push of a button aside from the instant developing it is capable of. We Filipinos are also smiling “camwhores” so the Close-up Lens + Self-Shoot Mirror for Instax Mini 7S is something that would really be helpful when taking self-shots and up-close shots. A small built-in mirror is attached to the macro mode lens to help you capture a better angle of yourself.

Finally, an Instax camera bag will definitely accompany you well in your wanderlusts. There are a whole variety of bags available! Varying in colors, designs, and styles, you might go crazy in choosing one or a few to fit your style and taste!

With many planes, hotels, and resorts currently booked, summer is definitely here! So get your gear ready, your smiles on, and adventurous spirits up as a fun summer 2011 embraces the country! Don’t forget your digital cameras or instant cameras and take pictures. It will last longer.

Dear friends, hope you support my online business! :)

This is just a quick continuation of my previous post. After my Queensland adventure, I went to stay with family friends/churchmates during my last three days in Australia. And I gotta say, that has been the highlight of my Australian trip — bonding with the Celis family. <3

They toured me around Brisbane and made the one big thing I wanted to do before I conclude my Australian trip: to see the kangaroos and koalas. And what a great time we had together!

Today I received a heartwarming message from Ng Ercelle (the mother) via Facebook. This made my day despite my not feeling well today. :)

Hi Joni,

Si Manang mo ni.

I just want to share with you the latest with our 2 kids. You have been part of their lives and I hope you’ll be blessed with their lives as well as they have been with yours.

We have been trying to teach these two the importance of prayer thus when they ask for toys or anything that we need to buy, we always tell them to pray about it. It might take days or weeks or months for us to buy whichever they have asked for (kay ga pray man kmi tagaan kmi ni Lord pang buy! LOL). [translation: we're also praying that God will gift us the capacity to buy.]

One time, your manong and the kids went out and naturally they end up in the toy section. Ethan found a toy he really liked. He asked his papi for it. It was a little bit expensive than what your manong was ready to spare. So he told Ethan that he should pray and ask Jesus about it. Ethan kept on holding the toy. So his papi had to ask him to put back the toy in the shelf and just to pray about it. He kept on holding on the toy. Your manong was ready to tell him the 2nd time to put it back. He then replied, just wait papi, I’ll pray. Then he closed his eyes and was still for a moment. Then he returned the toy back in the shelf and said, I’m done papi. Let’s go.

The incident made my eyes water and felt so proud of him and grateful to God. If I felt that much love towards my son, how much more loved are we by the Father above?

Erryl loves reading. Your Manong and I decided we will buy her her own devotional appropriate for her age. Since we bought her the devotional, she spends time reading it and telling me about what she had learned. At times, she asks her Lola about things she didn’t understand. One time, she brought me a list. She said, mom, these are the things I was praying for. I thought, as a kid, toys or things she wanted to have would be the first things she would have written. To my surprise, she wrote there: people without food and home, children, better schools, Mrs. Chye’s baby (this is her pregnant teacher) and other things. Not one was about her or her wants or needs. As a mother, this brought me to my knees. In this cruel and selfish world, I prayed that my kids will be equipped enough not just to survive but to shine for the Lord. I have learned so much from my kids what God is like. I hope you did, too.

We all miss you.

Blessings,
Manang

The kids she’s talking about are these two adorable ones with me on the next picture. Ethan is four, Erryl is seven. :)

Their family is such an inspiration to me. They live a simple life in Australia yet they’re so close, and happy, and loving toward each other. The kids are disciplined and very obedient. They are very makulit but one stern look from their mother or father and they behave instantly, haha. I must have asked Nang Ercelle and Nong Tisoy a hundred times how exactly are they bringing up their kids, I want to know their secret! Lol. I am so in love with this family. Given the chance, I would go back and visit them again. :)

This is what I ask God to give me someday — a loving, Christ-centered family. Granted this, I won’t ask for anything else. Yes, at 26, it’s normal for me to think this way. :D

Had it not for Romzkee who requested me to write about our recent trip to Australia, I probably would never have recalled our Queensland adventure and finally get it into writing (cos if the Australia trip isn’t blog-worthy, then I don’t know what is!). How awfully lazy and ungrateful of me when it’s the least I can do for Palace Adventures who sponsored our trip last July 29 to August 11, 2010.

Below is the entry I wrote for Palace Adventures which is really just a summary of our “ocular visit.” Just thought I’d share it in here, too. If you’re a close friend of mine, you know that there’s more to this entry than its positive, upbeat tone. LOL.

Read on!

I knew that my first time in Australia (and my first trip outside Asia!) was going to be special, but I didn’t expect it was going to be an adventure. And what an adventure it was! Australia is a very beautiful country that has a lot of surprises in store for its first-time visitors. You think the central business district is lovely? Wait ’til you see the beaches.

I was given a chance by Palace Adventures to visit the exciting places outside Brisbane. First stop: Hervey Bay.

I particularly loved how peaceful it was in Hervey Bay, a place often visited by backpackers from all over the world. We stayed at the cozy Palace Adventures dorm where we had access to pretty much whatever we needed.

A visit to Hervey Bay is incomplete without seeing the whales. And that’s what we made sure we didn’t miss: a whole afternoon spent watching and waiting for the humpback whales! These amazing marine mammals didn’t disappoint us. They kept going around our boat, bobbing up and down the water, and just strutting their stuff. Apparently, they love to do people-watching the same way we do whale-watching. It was like watching the Discovery Channel live!

Dolphins also came out to play that day (more like, steal the show).

Next stop: Fraser Island!

Outdoor camping is something I do once in a while, but my experience on Fraser Island was totally different. It was all new to me: meeting backpackers all the way from the other side of the globe, having a tour of the island aboard a 4wd, encountering a dingo, seeing bodies of water of different shapes and sizes, witnessing an actual shipwreck, and being on top of a cliff watching dolphins and whales play in the water below. And only on Fraser Island did I see stars that clear and bright!

Here are some of the tourist spots on Fraser Island we went to see:

Basin Lake

Lake Birrabeen

Champagne Pools

Eli Creek

Maheno Shipwreck

Lake Mackenzie

Now I understand why backpackers are raving about Fraser Island tours. Fraser Island backpacking is definitely an experience you won’t soon forget.

Last and final stop: The Whitsundays!

From the Brisbane domestic airport, we flew all the way to Proserpine to get to Airlie Beach. Just like Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach is also a well-known tourist destination where everything is quiet and simple. It is the place to have a relaxing vacation. Walking up and down the Main Street, having a cup of joe and freshly-baked sausage rolls at Brumby’s, enjoying free wifi at McDonald’s, bird-watching at the man-made Airlie Beach Lagoon, and strolling around town via the Bicentennial Walkway are just some of the carefree things we did. The weather is just perfect even at winter: not too hot, not too cold. After spending two days in Whitsundays, I can definitely say that it has become one of my favorite places.

For a tourist like me, it’s a must to go sailing in Whitsunday Islands, the Abel Point marina being the departure point. This is to see first-hand the lovely scenery of Australia’s Queensland coast bordered by the Great Barrier Reef. It is admirable how the natural beauty of the beaches are being preserved making the group of Whitsunday Islands a national park.

We went sailing on the beautiful sailboat called “Waltzing Matilda” and I gotta say, the Waltzing Matilda has the friendliest crew! They made our stay in the boat very comfortable. And the food prepared for us was just exquisite, I’d love to go back just to enjoy it again. We sailed from one point to another to go snorkeling or just chill out on the beach — it was great time to kick back and relax.

Spectacular view of the Whitehaven Beach

Hill Inlet

The course we took: Abel Point → Dumbell Island → Esk Island → Tongue Bay → Airlie Beach

The Whitsunday Islands tour has made me a happy tourist!

Thank you, Palace Adventures, for the tour of a lifetime!

After posting my favorite photo of me with Bentley the koala taken during my recent trip to Australia, I was reminded of my other photos taken in different places that I also wanna share. When traveling, having pictures taken with animals is just as common as posing in front of historical sites and famous tourist spots — especially if they are endangered and are not easily found elsewhere. Hee. View my Matanglawin moments below! :)

The endangered Tarsier found in Bohol, Philippines

Squirmy Squirt in Tanjung Benoa, Bali

Ack! I almost died. 0_0

Pagasa's long-lost cousin

Monkey business in Uluwatu, Bali

Shark attack at the Siam Ocean World in Bangkok

Aboard elephant named "Tombun" in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Tigers in Thailand make great pets!

Kangaroos in Brisbane, Australia

And... my fave picture with a koala at the Koala Sanctuary

I hope I’d have the chance to see more not-so-common animals around the world to add to my Matanglawin Chronicles. :D