Disaster Preparedness Seminar organised by the Filipino Chaplaincy

The Filipino Chaplaincy has invited the Wellington Emergency Preparedness Office (WEMO) to conduct a Disaster Preparedness Seminar especially for Filipinos. It will be held on the 2nd of December, 5:30-7:00pm at Pearce Room, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mt.Victoria (Fr. Ambet's parish).

We never know when disaster will hit us, so it's best that we are prepared. This seminar will provide us with information and useful tips about what we need to do and what to prepare when disaster and calamities strike.

So do attend this FREE Seminar. Encourage other friends to attend too, so please pass this information on to your networks.

(source: email announcement from Didith Tayawa)

The great outdoors?

One thing I sorely miss is "roughing it out" in the great outdoors and sleeping in a tent.  I browse through my past trekking and camping adventures in my blog and loved each and every one of my trips.  What's not to like about sleeping under the stars, cooking food out in the open, spending the day with friends, chillaxing throughout the day?  It was good exercise, and it gave me a better appreciation of the natural treasures our country is blessed with.

In the meantime, my great outdoors is the lawn... awaiting the time when I can build a tent atop a mountain once again.

Filipino Community Christmas Fair and Children's Party

Christmas is just around the corner! The KASAGIP Charitable Trust would like to invite you, your family and friends to the 2010 Filipino Community Christmas Fair and Children's Party with the theme “Paskong Pinoy” to be held on December 4, 2010 at the Heretaunga College Hall beginning at 3pm. This immediately comes after the Santa Parade in Upper Hutt.

This is open to all Kiwis/Pinoys/Kiwi Pinoys and other interested individuals in the Wellington Region and neighbouring communities. Part of the festivities include a Christmas Lantern (Parol) Making Contest. You may also be interested in renting out a booth during the Fair. And give your Christmas a homey feel by getting a Parol through a $10 donation.

Read more at the KASAGIP Charitable Trust website

St Brigid's School Fair

When we attended the School Fair last year, Jo-Lo was still in Kindie. Now, he's in Year One! My wife is part of the volunteer crew at the Asian Food stall so we were there a couple of hours early to prepare. But even then we were not able to do much looking around as the day progressed. The Asian food stall is quite popular. I was able to get a hard-bound cookbook though when I did a quick look around with Jo-Lo. Along with a couple of kids' books, for only 3 dollars. A bargain! And then Jo-Lo did some shopping all his own.

Jo-Lo bought Walkie-Talkies for a dollar

It was a fun day but I hope we'll have more opportunities to shop around next time :-)

Kids at work at Waitangi Park

Waitangi Park is a recreational area located near the Te Papa Museum and the New World Supermarket. It has a children's playground, a skateboard park, a grassy area, and a few minutes' walk leads you to the beach. The Waitangi Park is also host to a weekend market on Sunday mornings.

The first time we visited the New World Supermarket we had quite a culture shock. We had known that locals like walking around barefoot, but what greeted us at the door was a teenage girl with a tight shirt and skimpy swimsuit walking barefoot into the store. My wife thought she forgot her pants! We learned later, of course, that the beach was just nearby.

The kids had loads of fun at the Waitangi Park. With a playplace where you can play with water without being scolded by your parents, who wouldn't? :-)

Zealandia: wildlife sanctuary

When we arrived here in Wellington in 2008, I have been looking for an opportunity to visit the Wellington Zoo and the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. The latter held more attraction for me, because it is a fenced-off area where flora and fauna are encouraged to thrive in as natural a surrounding as possible.

Now renamed Zealandia, the sanctuary recently celebrated its anniversary and for two days, opened its doors to Wellington residents free of charge. That's quite a substantial saving, considering that an adult pass costs $28.50 and a kid's is $14.50. So off we went to Zealandia with some friends.

I would like the photos to speak for themselves the fun and beauty of Zealandia.

It's truly a magnificent place.  If you plan on visiting, check the weather as you will be walking on nature trails, the views of which are breathtaking.  Bring also liquids and food.  And most of all, do not hurry.  Just enjoy the leisurely walk and marvel at how the place was transformed from a mining area to a conservation park!

What's even more amazing is that Zealandia is only a few minutes' away from the city. For more information, visit the Zealandia website.