Diario de Mascarenhas

Merry Christmas Christmas '07 at the Mascarenhas' home.

Steve and I went to the boxing day sale at Sylvia Park. I think half of Auckland city were there. It was choc-a-bloc!!!People go crazy with these sales. I confess I did indulge in a bit of shopping too. I was very happy with my bargain, a cardi worth $5. When we got home, I replied to my friend Rika's email. She had great news as she is on the way, with the baby due in April. It was good to hear from her.

So what are you up to these next few hours before Christmas? Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Have you wrapped all your gifts to friends and loved ones? Are you preparing the feast? And most of all, have you prepared your heart for the celebration of the birthday of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Sometimes we are all caught up with the busyness of the festivities that we now and then forget that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ. It is all about His coming into the world and helping us realise the purpose of our lives. So let us stop for awhile and greet our Lord, a Happy Happy birthday, and thank Him for the blessings He has showered us, in what ever form it may be.

(Picture by Paul James) There are some stories that tug your heart and you have to share it with other people. Here is one write up that touched mine. As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time. This is an essay written by a Korean student i want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it's the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it is timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusion MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES Jaeyoun Kim "Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines ? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines . Let me first talk about my country, Korea . It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratc...

Something to think about... As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast,and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Zai & I embarked on a trip to Hamilton for a day as we had an extended weekend;Monday being Labour day. Hamilton is just a 2 hr drive from Auckland & we took Nakedbus http://nakedbus.com/ (don't get ideas..its just a low cost bus!!).We arrived at 6.40 pm & the streets were dead as. We were upgraded to a business suite & our room was very comfy.It had satellite tv,a mini fridge & a nice deck.Pizza hut was opposite so we dined there.They had this awesome deal where one could eat all the pizza,pasta,salad & dessert for NZ$15!!After the feed we walked the streets of Hamilton. Next morning i awoke at 6.30 am as the rugby final was on.We had breekie & i settled to watch the rugby in bed.But the reception was awful & i had to dash to the nearest pub. At 10.30 am we checked out & did the riverside walk of the Waikato river.We lunched & then headed to the famous Hamilton gardens Hamilton gardens are huge;they have an American,Japanese,Chinese,Indian,I...

Hey I'm getting older.... I have heaps to be thankful for..and I am happy... Once upon a time, we look forward to our birthdays with great anticipation...Now, it seems each birthday is JUST a reminder that we are getting OLDER. That's life for you..So let us enjoy!!! Zai

You must think I'm crazy, Christmas is still 4 months away, but believe it or not, the moment the months -BER comes, Christmas starts in the Philippines. Christmas songs will be played on air, Christmas carols can be heard sometimes, and some people will even start decorating. So, Steve was very surprised when I greeted him Merry Christmas today...It felt good to be the first one to greet everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. In no time, the day will come and then it will start all over again.... So Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

28th July (Day 1) We were so excited that we hardly slept !! Awoke at 4.00 am & got ready.Taxi was delayed by 5 mins ; picked up Ajay first then us & headed to the Domestic airport.Plane was on time & we reached Christchurch (Chch) by 8.00 am.Had brekkie (bacon , eggs etc) , picked up the rental van , shopped for bread , milk etc @ Pak n Save , Chch & by 11.45 am we were on our way to Qtown.We estimated it to be 478 kms (7 hr drive). Our van was good , it had a bbq & place to sleep in it , pillows , duvets. The seats for Zai & Suz were just enough...they could have been a bit more spacious.We stopped at Ashburton & had a rest and a bite.We stopped at Geraldine for a bite & got Havarti cheese (semi-soft cows milk cheese with pepper).Suz was ok but after abt 2 hrs of travel she was nauseous & the travel sickness tablets were no good.Poor girl was puking all the way...the windy roads added to her misery.Finally we reached Qtown around 8 pm. The house wa...

Ate Zaida and Gaga at a park (Daplin sa Karsada) in Osaka, Japan

Robin our cousin pictured with the Airbus 380 at Mumbai International airport

Picture gikan sa Davao, si Kiray ug si Jake padulong sa skul ( A picture of Jake and Kiray on their way to school).

Team New Zealand created history by overwhelming Luna Rossa 5-0.Alinghi watch out as the kiwis gonna bite you big time !! Team New Zealand you ROCK !!!

I recently came across this awesome book " The Secret" & it has changed my outlook on life. In a nutshell it says that you can have anything you want in life just by thinking about it.

This is NCCC Mall, just a few minutes away from our house. I was missing home so I searched on the net about the city where I grew up. I read its history and it amazed me how little I knew about its past. Best viewed on internet explorer, http://tagumcity.50webs.com/history.html this website provides a short but concise background of Tagum, the city of Gold.

It has been an agonising time deciding whether it is time for us to move on, and now we have finally taken a move towards that direction....So anybody who wants to buy our beautiful home, please feel free to check the link and make us an offer... http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-for-sale/photos/a-99298296/p-40708234/k-465168.htm

3 years seems like a lifetime, but 3 years had come and gone since we tied the first knot..The road had some bumpy twists and turns- just like any other road. But THANK GOD, we are still cruising along nicely. We had a LOUD dinner at : Troy Restaurant & Bar, Ponsonby, Auckland and was entertained by a sensuous belly dancer...and Steve' debut as a belly dancer. The food was great, and to top it all, we had a wonderful surprise in the end with the drinks taken cared of by our dear friend LARRY.. Thanks Larry, that was a lovely surprise.

I have been looking forward to our 10 year Hawkesbury Reunion. It would be nice to know what Lindiwe, Fadzi, Bhaskar, Philip, Miri, Reps, Lilian, Joye, Ashok and others are doing. Where has life lead everyone after 10 years...after Hawkesbury. http://groups.google.com/group/hawkesbury-reunion?hl=en

...that's is Rotorua in a nut shell. It is a very pretty place, so much so that it is tempting Steve and me to move out there.... Its got cheap houses, great food, great scenery, no water rates, spas all around, and many more...BUT!!!the smell is the only draw back. You have to get used to that. Steve got used to it in a day. I think I need more convincing. Steve suggested by sleeping with a rotten egg (Steve).