When It's Time For Change-s

They say that the only permanent thing in this world is CHANGE. But what would you do if life throws you about three of them in a span of one month? And these are not minor changes like rearranging your furniture or updating your entire wardrobe, but to your way of life which requires hard-core decision making and planning? I would advice you to take it one step at a time, relax, do not overwhelm yourself and enjoy the process. Well, I can't say I practice what I preach now can I? Here's what happened...

A Filipino friend who is working in the same company as I am offered me a career opportunity I can't let pass: to be able to transfer to a department where I will be able to practice my true line of expertise. I won't be going back to being an actual accountant but it will be close enough and I couldn't be more excited! Of course there's a catch, or "catches", which will produce a domino effect.

Catch # 1

I needed to move to day shift and follow normal local working hours. Now this may not seem to be a "catch" really. But considering our current situation here in Malaysia wherein I took a job at night so Jason and I can take turns in being with Matt, we had to find a whole new set-up and make it work. So unless my husband works from home, there's no other option but to hire a nanny who can look after Matt while we're away during the day. As a big portion of Filipino workers in this country are house helpers and most of them are always on the lookout for part-time jobs, looking for one is not the issue. The additional expense of getting one is. Here it costs us about four or five times what it normally would if we were back home and that's already the cheapest. They normally charge more if they shouldered the cost of their work permit themselves.

Monetary reasons aside, getting a nanny also meant that I had to put my trust in a complete stranger. Our son, whom we have only ever left to the care of his grandmothers or other family members, will have to spend hours every weekday with a caregiver we've met only once (during her interview). It's a different kind of anxiety and even now, two months later, I'm still not used to the idea that another person is managing my son's daytime activities in ways other than my own. I refuse to relent? What kind of mom does?

Catch # 2

The team that I have joined holds office in a different building that is about 40 kilometers away from my previous site. The travel time from our place in Kuala Lumpur to the old building was 1.5 hours each way but the commute was rather easy and convenient due to the connecting train lines and on-schedule public buses. However, whether I take the bus or the train or a combination of both, going to and from the new site will take me a minimum of 2.5 hours each way. That lessens my precious time with my family by 2 hours more! We then decided to move to a new home closer to the office. So on top of resetting my body clock, adjusting to a new work environment, recalculating the household budget and orienting the nanny, we will have to pack, move and unpack. And we all know that cannot be done in just a day.

Pause... Breathe...

I may sound ranting through all this. But at the end of every day since it all started, it gets me thinking, much greater than these "catches" is the abundance of blessings the Lord has showered my family. I now get to come to work and enjoy what I do. The long lost sense of fulfillment is back each time I finish a task. I now get to cuddle with my boys in bed at night, nurse my son to sleep, kiss him goodnight and cuddle with him again in the morning. I am again the last one he sees before he closes his eyes, and the first one he sees when he wakes up. Moments that are all too precious because he will grow up sooner than I think.

Having a nanny also means that Jason and I get more "us" time. We get to go on dates more often now and be like boyfriend and girlfriend again. Cheesy, I know, but having time to ourselves has never been more important than right now. When we can easily get caught up in our work, errands and responsibilities in general.

Our "this is it" barefoot dance when we found our new home.

Moving to a new house is definitely a lot of work in the beginning but once the last of the boxes has been unpacked, I get to use my almost non-existent decorating skills. I never knew it could be so tedious yet fun at the same time! Now, I totally get my mom when she's all worked up in the home section of a department store. How she always seem rooted to the spot examining a vase that she's been holding for the past 10 minutes. I realized it's not simply getting a piece of decor and placing it on an empty shelf in your living room. You will need to think about it's design, color, functionality, practicality. Oh this part could probably take up a whole new post.

Ultimately, changes can be very daunting. Especially when you have to deal with a lot at the same time. But in my case, having my husband to go through it all with me has been my saving grace. He has always been my rock, my support system and my shock absorber. And this is probably the most important of all. The feeling that whatever upheaval my little family may go through, in whatever state or country we find ourselves in, we will forever have each other.

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Family Picnic: Perdana Botanical Garden

Living in an apartment building in a city like Kuala Lumpur does not offer much opportunity for little kids like Matt to simply go out of the house and play. The exact opposite of how it was for me growing up in a (then) small and peaceful neighborhood in a town in Laguna when all I had to do was step out of our front door to get to my "playground". Here, today, an outdoor activity for Matt has to be scheduled and planned. And since we live near the city center, options are very limited.

A picnic at a park is most ideal where Matt can run around in fresh air, on a vast space of grass under the sun without us having to worry that he'll trip and fall on hard ground. And since it very much feels like summer here at this time of year, a family picnic will be such a refreshing break from our typical indoor routines on weekdays.

The KLCC Park was the first to come to mind but it's too crowded for our liking, not exactly the relaxed vibe we were looking for. I know the city has a hidden gem somewhere and we just needed to find it. After several search results from the ever reliable Google, we found exactly what we were looking for: Perdana Botanical Garden.

The Perdana Botanical Garden formerly known as Taman Tasik Perdana or Lake Gardens, is situated in the Heritage Park of Kuala Lumpur. It has always been a part of the green lung of the city and has a history of over a decade. Originally created as part of a recreational park but planted with collections of tropical plants, the garden have been rehabilitated and turned into a Botanical Garden. The garden have not only botanical collections but also house features that give the visitors the ambiance of being in a tropical rainforest, despite being in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

Located within the Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park, it was only a 10-minute drive from our place and the outside parking is free. Visitors can also go by taking public buses or taxis from any point of the city. It is open everyday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM and the entrance is also free! Due to the enormity of the place, we had to make sure that we head direct to an entrance nearest the part where we want to spend the most time in. That's the kiddie playground. We arrived at around 4:00 PM, thinking that it would be cool enough at that hour. Boy, were we wrong!

 The Children's Playground is the first you'll see if you enter the garden from Jalan Parlimen. The kiddie structures are complete with tunnel slides sprouting from mini towers, a bridge, swing sets and seesaws.

Matt was already wriggling out of my grasp even before we found a place to spread our picnic blanket so Jason had to take him play while I set up.

We didn't do the typical spread on the grass because our blanket was too thin. But there are picnic tables every few yards as well as gazebos. Although the latter are more for when you want to rest under a shade rather than meals because the tables inside are a bit small.

It was still rather hot when we arrived so we had to really scour the area first for a good spot to eat. And what we found was not bad at all. We settled on a picnic table by the lake under tall trees. Rays of sun were still peeking through the tree leaves above but the air was cool and we felt light breeze every now and then. You don't really need to come fully prepared with your own meal though as a cafe serves light snacks and refreshments.

After our meal of spaghetti, bread and fruits, Matt run around for a bit in the Sunken Garden. Funny how my Dad used to say that however hard or long you prepare for an event, a trip or anything for that matter, there's always one thing that you're bound to miss. In this case, we forgot to check the batteries of Matt's bubble machine so it didn't work when we were there. I think it was just as well because he was able to explore the greenery around him. He didn't even pay attention to his big beach ball that we brought.

The whole garden spans over about 92 hectares of land so it's really not possible to see its entirety in just one afternoon. But we were able to sightsee as far as our feet were able to take us and with enough energy for the walk back. A lake weaves around the park so you'll find a couple of small bridges over them such as the one above. It looks pretty romantic, don't you think?

Walking or jogging trails are all around for those who seek a refreshing and peaceful workout. As it is in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, it is easy for residents of the city to drive over for a quick run. And for families with children, this is a nice and safe place to teach kids how to ride their bikes as no cars are allowed inside the premises.

Trees along the walking paths are labeled with its names and origins. Perfect for children to learn about nature first-hand.

A large area of sloping pavement covered by a ceiling of symmetrical glass-like panels can be found in the center of the garden. At first we thought it was the amphitheatre but a closer look at the map in their website told us otherwise. Kids and adults alike use the spot for physical activities such as rollerblading or riding their scooters. Bicycles are also available for rent to visitors at RM 3 each for 30 minutes. Yup, that's Jason pushing Matt in the stroller who's already tired from all the running.

But my favorite spot of all would be the dock overlooking what they call the Goose Island (see three geese floating by?). It seems to be such a relaxing spot to just sit and have nice long talk with a friend or in my case, Jason. How amazing is it that while you are surrounded by all the green and fresh air and nature, you can also see the opposite ambiance of the urban world just beyond? The best of both world of sorts. After this weekend, we're definitely looking forward to new discoveries of the city we call home for now.

My Blog Is My Pensieve

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Sometimes I wonder what got me interested in blogging. How did it all start? I love writing. I have loved writing since grade school. Back when my fascination with teen novels was in an all-time high and I tried to become an author of one. But to write about me and things that interest me? Perhaps a little back track will shed some light into it. Here goes...

On an evaluation at school, my 6th grade teacher complimented my essay writing skills and said that I'd make a good journalist someday. That may have inspired me to try but what I had then was a personal diary (you know pink with locks and all), and what you write there are personal documentations of your school girl life that you try to keep from your mom. It was a time when computer was just a once-a-week subject in school, the internet--at least in our household--was unheard of, more so a blog platform. What I also had then though was an ordinary notebook and a typewriter. I remember trying to write a story down (novel style) on my notebook and eventually typing them up. My character was always a girl with an older brother because I've always wanted one for myself.

Now on to college days. I discovered an online diary. One does not need an actual journal anymore. Instead, you type your story up on the website and keep it private with a password. Of course I was unaware of how easily online content can be hacked at the time, but for me it was fascinating. I might have posted one entry but that was it. Paying for internet rental was out of my weekly allowance budget unless necessary for school. When I think about it now, that must have been my first ever blog post.

I don't really know how I was first introduced to the term "blog", but I remember signing up for my very first Blogger account. It offered very different looking themes then and I didn't know if those can be redesigned. The whole interface of the platform was very confusing for me that I ended up having 3 blogs with about one to two posts in each.

Around 2007, I came across KC Concepcion's Multiply account. Believe it or not that actually inspired me to create a new one for myself because it looked very different from what blogs are supposed to look like. For one thing, I didn't know that you can actually incorporate pictures to help set the mood of your story. So create another one I did.

Then came the news of the late Francis Magalona's battle with Leukemia and how he documented his journey on his Multiply blog. That inspired me to do the same. No, I didn't battle a fatal illness. But I remember telling my Mom that I'll create one for myself to tell the world my story (really, what was I thinking?).

My blog compositions then were much better and it sounded like I actually had something interesting to say. However, I was what you may call a sporadic blogger. Unaware of how the whole blogging business works, I only wrote one post every few months. When it was announced that the Multiply website will be taken down, I transferred my posts to one of my old Blogger--thank God for the export/import feature. This was in 2011 when the new improved themes were already available.

gengcaperal.blogspot.com

Again I went on a hiatus. But with very valid reasons. I got engaged and got married! Then we moved to Kuala Lumpur.

The version of my blogging history may all be about the modern tools I used to write. I can't imagine writing down the events of my day in a scented notebook and in long hand anymore. But through it all, my love for the written word is present. Now, one of my blog's purpose is a Pensieve. Yes, the one owned by Professor Dumbledore.

Photo credit: Harry Potter wiki

"This? It is called a Pensieve. I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind... One only siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."

--Professor Albus Dumbledore

And come to think of it, it is the Professor's version of a blog because he can invite another person to re-visit his thoughts with him. How cool would it be to own one if it were a real thing, right? But a modern day online blog is a good enough substitute. It does relieve you of those thoughts that are all crammed inside your head. And it does--at least for me--help you process ideas when they are all written down.

What does blogging do for you?