petercristina.com

exciting times by.cristina
fri.mar.31

congrats mike and sarah on putting a deposit on your first home! yay! :-) i know how excited those two must be because i can still recall how peter and i felt when we were going through the same thing. peter, i think more than anything, got such satisfaction out of having our very own place to call home, and for me, well, the thrill of course came in the prospect of furnishing/decorating it!!! ... *happy dance* ... you wouldn't believe how many furniture stores we went to! i think to this day, peter wouldn't mind if he never walked into another furniture store in his life haha.

thankfully, with both our homes, peter was "kind enough" to give me complete creative control ;-). (i.e. to peter, a couch is a couch :-P)

a representative from the moving company that ms has assigned to us came out to our place today. she asked peter and i to walk her around our apartment and indicate what belongings we would and wouldn't be taking with us, including the things in our wardrobes, cabinets, drawers and storage room (good thing everything in them was tidy! hehe). she said that they'll be providing us with air and shipping freight - "air" for our belongings that we want to arrive asap (i.e. computers, clothes, shoes, etc.), and "shipping" for the things we won't be needing as urgently (i.e. furniture, decorative items, etc.). our maximum allowance for air freight is 8 boxes (she showed us a pic of one box and by golly it's huuuuuge!!) and for shipping we get a forty-foot container! oh.my.gosh. i think we could fit all our belongings in that 5 times over!!

we've had a lot of people express interest in wanting to buy our belongings that we won't be taking with us to the u.s., like our tv, fridge, kitchen appliances and other electronic equipment (damn the u.s. voltage difference!), but the thing is, peter and i decided way back to give away most of these things to family rather than sell them. even our car is already spoken for. sorry guys! everything else, like our couch, dining table, bed, etc., we'll be taking with us seeing as microsoft is paying for all of our things to be shipped over anyway. i found out recently that they'll also be sending people to come out to our place to actually do all our packing for us. hmm ... ok then :-).

i must say microsoft is really making this whole move as hassle-free for us as possible. not only are they covering all relocation expenses and providing us with two months temp housing, car-rental, storage and spending money once we arrive, but these past few weeks they've had relevant bodies contact peter to provide us with financial and tax advice, and real estate and mortgage lending assistance for when we rent or buy property there. we also get a "destination consultant" meeting up with us upon arrival, to help us with things like opening bank accounts, applying for a drivers license, buying a car, etc., and basically to show us around the area. how handy is that?! they've even gone as far as to ask us about our hobbies and interests so they can do some research ahead of time to find out what activities we might enjoy in the seattle area! :-) ah well ... maybe i should expect all this ... they are getting peter after all! hehehe ;-P

Wilkin was announced as my successor to the rest of the team today. To some it was a surprise whilst to others it was predictable. A surprise because Wilkin is a relatively new member of the team but predictable because, in the short time he has been with the team, he has displayed many leadership qualities which haven’t gone unnoticed and has earned him the respect he deserves. The announcement was made in a low profile team meeting but I suspect a wider company announcement will be made closer to my departure date in three weeks. Between now and when I leave, I will need to gradually transfer responsibilities to Wilkin in a way which minimises disruption to the release of our product. The timing of my departure to correspond with the release of the product was a deliberate decision on my part. Any earlier and it may have unnecessarily stressed the others who share the responsibility of the product and demoralised the team. Any later and it could have denied my successor the opportunity to be involved in the early stages of planning the next version.

In the meeting, I joked about Wilkin needing to think about the role carefully and what sort of legacy he wants to leave behind. I think talk of leaving a legacy is kind of premature though. Also, in software development, ‘legacy’ has other unflattering connotations so I hope the legacy I left behind wasn’t legacy code :P.

It feels strange to relinquish control of a team and product I help build from the ground up. I have been responsible for most of the architectural decisions since the beginning so there is definitely a great sense of ownership of the product. But I think I have contributed enough to it and it is time for some new blood and a new style. Wilkin brings to the table the exact ingredients of knowledge and experience the team needs, and I have every confidence the team and the product will continue to play an important role in the growth of the company...

everytime i spend time with my family these days, my mind wanders off to thoughts of how i'll cope with living in a different country to them. this impending reality is slowly starting to sink in, and it hits me hardest at the oddest times, like when i'm in the middle of laughing out loud to one of my brother's impersonations, or sitting in my mum's kitchen chatting with her while she's doing the dishes, or when i'm riding in the backseat of dad's car listening to him sing along to his cds. i hear this countdown in my head and it's getting more and more difficult to shake off.

my family lives about a fourty-minute drive away from us, and i'm used to seeing them quite often - usually at least once a week. we'll meet up most often to eat out together, or we might see a movie, play a game of mahjong or just hang out at each others' places. mum and i are normally on the phone to each other at least three times a day just to chat, so we'll probably need to wean ourselves off of that habit eventually hehe.

but my parents are taking our upcoming move to the u.s. a lot better than i expected they would, in fact, they are probably our biggest supporters of it. i think it's because they did something very similar when they were at our age, immigrating from the philippines to australia, hoping to ensure the best possible future for my brother and i. they made the sacrifice of leaving all their family and friends behind too, and with all they've accomplished, i know they have no regrets. i hope when the time finally arrives for peter and i to leave everything we've known for the last 22 years of our lives here in australia, we can muster up even half the level of courage they did ...

i had to drop off my powerbook at an apple centre today to have its keyboard replaced (a couple keys broke) and i'm embarrassed to admit that i actually felt a twinge of separation anxiety during those four hours it wasn't with me. i stayed close by and met up for lunch with peter and his workmates at "chelsea", then walked around (paced more like it heh) at the mall waiting for my powerbook to be "released". it almost felt as though i was waiting on a loved one undergoing an operation ...

once my pb was back in my possession (*breathes out*), i headed into the city because my friend jessica was holding a "bitch 'n stitch" tonight. a "b'ns" is our fortnightly (usually) get together amongst friends where we sit around bitching about people (haha, no not really) whilst doing activities we enjoy, like jewellery-making, knitting, cooking, etc. but i was still early so i stopped by starbucks first to meet mum for frappuccinos (yum!).

tonight's b'ns was highly entertaining as usual :-). this will definitely be one of the things i'll miss a lot when peter and i leave here.

whilst out to dinner one night, out of nowhere, peter's youngest brother, phu, asks us the question, "so when you have kids, what will they be?" ... *long pause* ... peter and i just looked at each other and laughed because i think we really didn't know how to answer that question right off. everyone who knows us know peter and i really are complete opposites. even our friendship with each other was unexpected by our respective group of friends, let alone our relationship that was to form soon after. peter was the quiet guy in the corner, who concentrated on his studies and rarely went out socially. i on the other hand was the talkative one, always joking around, constantly out and about. he was raised in a large, strict and economical household, whilst i was brought up in a small family with parents that were quite lenient and very generous.

my parents always threw my brother, mike, and i elaborate birthday parties. they'd give us lavish presents during christmas and birthdays, rewards when we'd do well in school and sometimes we'd get things for no reason at all. peter, in complete contrast, would sometimes have his birthdays go by without any notice from anyone. he was rarely allowed to go out, whereas i had a midnight curfew for as long as i can remember. but the differences don't end there. he's vietnamese, i'm filipino-chinese, so though people seem to think, being that we're both asian, there shouldn't be much adjustment needed ... those two asian nationalities couldn't be more different. i think the vietnamese are a lot more traditional compared to filipinos. we're a lot more western in our attitudes really, so you can imagine the differences in opinion, attitude, even in taste, that peter and i have hehe.

and yet we got together and married each other six years later haha. why? i think peter loves a challenge hahaha. and it definitely is an ongoing challenge. we're constantly having to compromise and meet somewhere in the middle. so when it comes to the subject of kids, it's no surprise people are wondering how it will all work out for us. will they be given the luxuries like i was? or have the strict upbringing like peter? will they be vietnamese or filipino-chinese in attitude? i really don't know ... but i suspect that people will be surprised to find that it's actually peter that will pamper our future kids hehe ... he's a big softy! but really, all i hope for is that they get the best qualities of both of us, the best teachings of both families and the best attitudes of both nationalities. becoming parents will be one wild ride for us that's for sure hehe ...

what's my typical day like? i seem to get this question a lot. i'm not working at the moment and many tell me i'm so lucky ... a real lady of leisure they say, free to do what i please, with so much free time on my hands. "you're lucky you don't have to work" they tell me, calling me privileged, pampered, a pr incess ... spoilt even. people seem to think my whole day is spent shopping, sitting in cafes, or relaxing in our apartment.

saying i don't need to work isn't true. i'm not working right now simply because of our upcoming move to seattle. all tasks like packing, renting out our apartment, contacting relevant bodies, etc., have been delegated to me so peter can concentrate on finishing up at his work. to think i'm able to shop all day is a misconception. you see peter and i bought our first home when i was 21 and he was 23, so the reality of a mortgage, bills, responsibilities, etc., hit us early. whilst our friends were out buying expensive cars, travelling around the world, buying expensive things, we were homebodies, with a second-hand car, concerned with budgeting, saving up and investing. we bought our second home (the one we're living in now) in 2004 and rented out our first one. these two mortgages, and basically our priorities don't permit an extravagant lifestyle for us, especially now with only one income. so as soon as i get work authorisation in america, i will definitely work. besides, i love my field.

now back to my day. i normally wake up just as peter's leaving for work (8:30am). if i had a late night i might sleep in a little more. i'm normally on my computer first thing in the morning, checking e-mails and replying to any messages. i might eat a little breakfast and then i'm back on my computer, paying bills, looking things up, calling whoever i need to, or recently, writing entries like this. normally i'll have had my daily phonecall from mum, where we talk about anything and everything. then i'll look around our apartment and clean/tidy/organise whatever needs to be cleaned/tidied/organised (ok i'll admit to having mild o.c.d. tendencies heh). peter's departure can sometimes leave a trail of damage hehe so i clean up the debris and put everything back where it should be. i can't stand clutter - it gives me a headache. i function better in a room that's well-kept. by the time the state of our place meets my requirements and other domestic tasks have been taken care of, like washing/folding of laundry, etc., it's normally time for me to prepare lunch if peter's opted to eat at home. if not we might just meet up for lunch in the area. after peter heads back to work i might do a little window shopping but more often than not i'll just head home.

in the afternoon i'll usually set up our table to facilitate my jewellery-making venture and i can spend a good couple of hours or more on that. additionally, i'd work on our websites and also do quite a bit of photography, design and imaging work (keeps my skills fresh and updated). there are only a few tv shows that i'll sometimes actually sit down to watch, like will & grace, property ladder or oprah (on foxtel) and by the time i look up at the clock, it's usually nearing 5pm which is about the time i'd start getting dinner prepared. but if it's a tuesday or thursday, i'll know friends are coming over soon to join us at our gym. they arrive around 5:30pm and we spend a good hour working out together. then it's either dinner out or in for peter and i. our evenings are normally spent on our respective computers, or we might catch a movie or meet up with friends or family. of course we'll get our daily dose of "quality time" together, talking, sharing our day and just basically paying attention to each other's needs. peter's a night owl so he normally gets to bed at around 1am at the earliest, but living so close to his work, it's not so much of a problem now. i'll normally stay up as long as i can with him until my eyes can't stay open any longer hehe.

so ... ok i'll agree i'm kind of lucky. or better put ... really blessed. but not because of the extra free time i get in my day or because we're not struggling financially, but because i feel secure, well-loved and wake up feeling content, knowing i'm exactly where and with the person i should be.

Cristina and I were invited to a lunch get together today at Monzur’s place, along with some current and former colleagues from CorVu. The word ‘colleague’ seems too detached for this group of people I have worked with over the past 6 years. They are more like good friends than just colleagues, that is why the bonds extend beyond corporate affiliations.

We were treated to some Bangladeshi music videos and Bollywood movies. I thought that mainstream Indian movies had no kissing so, to prove to me Indian movies have really "progressed", Monzur fast forwarded to some examples. There was much more than kissing - I stand corrected. We also got to watch a Bollywood horror movie. We waited to see if there would be a scene with ghosts and zombies spontaneously breaking into music and dance. We were disappointed.

Food consisted of a delicious selection of curry dishes. There was curried beef, chicken, fish, prawns and vegetables. Starters, cake and dessert were served too. Monzur's poor wife had laboured 6 hours to cook everything! Monzur is definitely spoilt!

Andrew, a former colleague, had come all the way from Newcastle with his wife. The rest of us hadn’t seen him in a long time so it was a great opportunity to catch up. It was like old times laughing with and at each other. And just like old times, we got out some cards and tried to remember a game we used to play during lunches and get togethers. The game is called “5, 10, King” (at least that’s what Jonathan told us). All the Chinese card games we learnt were notoriously complicated with numerous rules and conditions and this game was no exception. Fortunately, as we started to play and the game progressed we started to remember the rules. It was like walking down memory lane and suddenly realising you still know the way. We had a great game. It would have been better if my team won though. I’m telling you, we had bad cards!

As much as we enjoyed playing the game, I think some of us enjoyed the gloating more. I can’t remember our group ever playing anything, whether it was cards , table tennis or simply flipping a coin, where there wasn’t continuous taunting throughout the game and gloating by the winning party at the end. I’m definitely going to miss this bunch. Our interactions often raise eyebrows and could be mistaken for offensiveness but there’s a deeper connection and understanding amongst us that everything is in jest. I think ... I hope. ;)

my sister-in-law, maria, and her hubby, trung, came round for dinner and a movie tonight. maria had brought along this gorgeous jewellery display stand ...

she said she saw it whilst out shopping and thought i might like it ... and i absolutely do! it's so elegant-looking! - a much better substitute than my home-made wooden frame with wired mesh hehe. i too had something for her - a few more pairs of earrings that i'd made. it's a pleasure making jewellery pieces for maria - she wears my creations so often and speaks so highly of them to people :-). she really is a walking-talking advertisement for www.beadtheway.com hehe. thanks maria!

after dinner and dessert at the nearby "crêpe a la carte", we headed for the cinemas and decided to see "aeon flux". i'd give it a 7/10 ... enjoyed mainly for its girl-kicks-ass factor :-P.

the night ended with the four of us heading back to our apartment and everyone pulling up a chair by me and my trusty mac to try and come up with a logo for trung's podiatry business ... and an hour later we came up with this ...

the agent leasing/managing our property asked me to provide him with some pics of our apartment for its internet listing. so i took these shots today ...

i had a meeting with our chosen real estate agent today to discuss terms and sign papers. he appeared really optimistic that our place would get rented out easily and at the top price. i tend to hope for the best and expect the worst ... so even though we still have more than a month before we leave for seattle, i thought it best we start looking for potential tenants now. in the event we get a tenant before we're scheduled to leave, we won't mind moving out early and staying with my parents. but for peter that'd mean a one hour commute to work instead of just a walk across the road. living here is such a luxury for him! :-P

i know peter was really anxious about this day but i think he handled it as best as he could. he broke the news that he was leaving to the other managers at his work and handed in his resignation letter today. i'm writing about this, and not peter, probably because he doesn't want to re-live it. from what peter told me, to sum it up, they were pretty shocked, obviously disappointed, but tried to understand what an opportunity the microsoft job offer poses for peter. i can tell that a weight has been lifted off him now that they all know. he really hates to disappoint people, and he absolutely loves his work, his position and his team. he's been at the company for nearly 6 years ... and leaving all that behind will be very hard.

peter just called ... the package from the u.s. consulate had arrived ... and our visa applications have been approved! yay!! i guess the chances of it going the other way were slim but you never know what could've happened really. i tried not to get my hopes up (yeah fat chance! hehe) ... but now that we have our visas, i can allow myself to start getting excited! it actually feels real now and it's hitting me just how much there is to do - get our apartment rented out, inform banks, agents and lawyers of our move, cancel accounts (foxtel, health insurance, mobiles, etc.), sell/give away items we won't be taking with us, plan our farewell parties, and amidst all this, start packing! ... and no doubt this to-do list will only get longer!

just wanted to say thanks for everyone's "congratulations" ... all your encouragement and support reassure us even more that we're making the right decision :-)