Started this diary exactly one year ago, today!
Friday, 24.06.2022: I paid $490 to Expat Explore as a deposit for their Taste of Israel and Jordan tour later this year in November. The total cost is $4900 for two travellers: so I have yet to pay $4410 with a due date of September 2022. Not forgetting the airfares for two!! I’ve dreamed of, prayed, and continue to pray for this trip for a very long time since I was a little girl. I put my trust in God to help me through this ❤️🙏
Monday, 11.07.2022: it’s 11.50pm, I’m still up (nothing new, not an early sleeper that is) watching my grandchild, whose down with cold and flu symptoms. Poor baby, I pray she feels better soon, so she can be back to the happy boisterous child she is. So, I decided to do an update on this blog.
I have not paid everything off yet for the Israel trip, however I’m so happy I decided to take a trip to the other side of Australia, Perth to be more specific – from the 2nd of July to 8th of July. What a beautiful place – it’s not fast-paced nor glitzy as Sydney. It’s just simply, Perth, I loved it’s vibe.
It has some of the best light displays around town, and there’s so much history to learn. Each building, church, or otherwise has a story, and like all other Australian towns or cities, it has its own controversy and so forth.
I’m glad I paid for and did the hop-on hop-off bus tour, which resulted in seeing and visiting some of Perth’s beautiful attractions. It was raining, but that didn’t dampen my mood – I even decided to sit up in the open deck area, with a brave mother and her two children. That was so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed, in the rain.
A visit to historical Perth Mint was the highlight – and watching the demonstration of how a Gold bar is made was very educational. It’s never too late to learn new things – it keeps the old tinker going 😁 so much to see and do, so little time. Had lunch with my cousin sister at Forrest Chase – that place was bustling. I even managed to find and do some window shopping at the London Court. You’ll feel like you’re in London or some Harry Potter movie – good vibes.
What was extra special was meeting up for dinner with family and friends we haven’t seen in a while and making new ones. Thank you, family and friends in Bunbury and Perth, WA. In the famous words of Arnie, “I’ll be back” – oh yes, I will be 🥰
Friday, 15.07.2022: it’s 2.30pm. So yesterday I made the decision to move our Israel & Jordan tour to November 2023. I’ve stuck with that timeline, because it’s much better to do this trip during the winter months, and not during summer or when it’s hot. They say it’s hot HOT, during those non-winter months.
Most importantly, my husband, Iamo, was not able to get his leave approved, nor am I able to get away from work as planned. Just as well because by November 2023, he will be celebrating 10 years of service with his employer – an outstanding achievement. I’m super proud of him 💯.
Additionally, if our son, VK, is selected into the final Australian Emus Youth Squad- there may be international travel involved. Hence, I might as well prepare for that. Finally, it would be good to travel home, to visit mum’s grave for some closure (myself) and to see our extended family, especially our only surviving parent now, Wapu Rawali – my husband’s mum.
Saturday 16.07.2022, 1.38pm: I just walked back into the house from some small gardening work and cleaning up outside. Enough to warm my body up and work up a sweat. Haven’t done that in a long, long time. Should do it more often. Anyway, earlier this morning at 9.30am, went for a catch-up with Lauren in church. It was a good catchup, considering I did most of the talking and Lauren, being the good listener she is – just listened. Then we were joined by two other people. It was lovely to listen in on the conversation about grief, loss, and heartbreak of losing loved ones. Lauren prayed for each of us, and we were out by 11am. Thank God for prayer warriors like Lauren and many others 🙏❤️
Monday, 29.08.2022, it’s 4.45am in the morning. Today marks 12 months since mum/ bubu hahine’s passing 😔💔😭 It will be a day of reflection for me, as I go over what has happened over the past year. I certainly have missed her presence and at the same time I’ve felt God more, doing things in my life. I know for certain I failed so many times during the year, my faith has wavered and yet God has always spoken to me and not abandoned my family and I. I am forever grateful for the great I AM 🙏❤️
Grieving aside, a few weeks ago, I paid for Theresa’s deposit for the Israel tour. She will be joining us for this trip – looking forward to it!
Tuesday, 06.09.2022, 9pm – I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after hosting a BBQ over the weekend in memory of mum’s 1st death anniversary We had a few of our family and friends over , including our children’s friends. It was a lovely gathering, full of laughter, love, warmth, and friendship ❤️
Wednesday, 12.10.2022, 8am – wow! Today marks the beginning of the end in VKs primary and senior school journey. Wishing him and all his mates from Westfield Sports, plus every other student sitting the HSC, the very best in their 1st HSc exam today. God bless them all.
Just over two weeks ago, we celebrated their graduation from high school. That was on the 19th of September, another significant milestone in our family. 19.09.2002 was when I rejoined ChevronTexaco from BSP, and the rest they say is history.
As I reflect on my son’s journey, which happens to coincide with mine – his final exam will be in November and so is my final exit date from Santos – I thank God for aligning the dates, these times so perfectly. And I know he has a plan for us, which he will reveal soon to us. I must continue to keep my eyes upon him and continue to grow in faith. And to never ever lose hope. Gods grace and love are things that no amount of money can ever buy, for that I am forever grateful to God ❤️🙏
Thursday, 20.10.2022 – 11.15am: I’m sitting at a little cafe here in Oran Park podium after my ultrasound scan, which was earlier today!! I had to fast for that one, from midnight. No kaikai (food) nor wara (water) for 10 straight hours, so I was really hungry by the time I got out of OP radiology. I thought I was going to faint from dehydration, hunger, and all the prodding, etc, at the radiology 🤷 Anyway I’m alive, well, and satisfied after that stack of pancakes 😁. I’ll walk it all of, I promise.
While waiting for my food, I was reflecting on finally receiving the long-awaited formal redundancy notice yesterday, 19.10.2022. I think I was the happiest person the HR person spoke to regarding redundancy! Hello, I was prepared to exit earlier this year 😊.
Surreal! But it is what it is, and I truly believe this season is what God has prepared for me. When I can be a full-time wife, mother, and grandmother to my family. I look forward to treading the paths that God will lead me to in caring for and serving others ❤️
Friday, 28.10.2022, 8am: Exit and offboarding, two words I did not expect to hear until much later in life, not on the eve of my 53rd birthday. I have no regrets. For me, the challenge now is “What do I do??” All I know is that God’s got me, and in His own time and way, He will reveal it all to me. For now, I humbly walk in His grace and mercy ❤️
Monday, 14.11.2022, 4.30pm: Today is my 2nd last day as an employee. Tomorrow, 15.11.2022, marks the final day. After that, I will officially be unemployed – I’m probably one of the few who was happy and longing for this day to come. Not because of the financial gain but because it just means I don’t have to work for anyone anymore, nor wake up at 6 am or earlier to get ready for the commute to work. It means freedom, some R&R and me time, and I’m sure most of that will be spent with my gorgeous bubus. And that’s something I’m looking forward to.
I will not let the doom and gloom of the economy, nor high inflation and interest rates, bring me down. And I say that with conviction because I trust and have faith in God to see my family and I through all these. God, in his own time, will reveal the purpose for this season in our family’s life. His mercy and grace endures forever.
Tuesday, 20.12.2022 – 3.15pm! After more than 3 days of exchanging emails with Air Niugini – my husband, Iamo Snr’s ticket was reissued (many thanks to a dear school mate and friend of mine, Mrs Bonai Wala) and finally our whole family is set to visit home for Christmas and New Year. Initially, over two weeks ago, whilst applying for a PNG visitor visa, all but one got approved. That was our son, VK, whose passport was due to expire in March 2023, and so the PNG system would not allow the visa to be granted.
Well, it cost us an arm and a leg, and some, to apply for a new Australian adult passport, with rapid turnaround. And rapid it was, because we lodged the application on Monday 12.12.2022 and received notification on Tuesday 13.12.2022 AM that the passport was ready for collection. Wowww!! Talk about fast service 💯
One problem was solved, only to find out later on Wednesday, 13.12.2022, that one of our paid tickets was cancelled 😐. Anyway, all that is water under the bridge now, and we’re travelling to POM this Friday, 23.12.2022. Unfortunately, our bubu girls and their mum will not be able to join us on this trip. We will make sure to plan for another trip in the future for them to meet their PNG, i.e., Tubusereia and Kalo relatives.
How am I feeling about going home after almost 4 years?! Full of trepidation and sadness 😔 😟 because I know our family home will not be the same as it was when mum was still alive. But I know God’s got us, i.e. my family and I, and all our extended families in both villages. And He will see us through this festive period!! I commit and uphold each of us in prayer to God for His compassions and grace upon us throughout our stay 🙏❤️
Tuesday, 17.01.2023 – 8.08pm! What a journey! What a blessing it was! Thank you Lord is all I can say for being with us, keeping us safe and well throughout our 10 day drip to PNG – from Friday, 23rd of December 2022 to Monday, 2nd of January 2023.
It was so good to reconnect with both our Vavia and Rawali families, whom we haven’t seen since April 2018, apart from the various video and zoom calls over the years. Seeing and embracing everyone physically, it was a blessing indeed.
Visiting mum’s graveside after a roller coaster year we had since her passing helped us get some closure! The inaugural Vavia family Xmas celebration organised by Vavia Kids and grand kids on 27th December brought the whole family together, and I felt our parents’ presence on that day as we celebrated. Blessed to be a part of the Vavias ❤️🙏
05.04.2023, Wednesday- 9.40am. I’m sitting here in a little Cafe called the the Piada, they serve the best pancake breakfast, without cream or ice cream too, so its healthy 😊👌.
It’s been a good three months since I last updated this travel diary/blog. And so many things, including short getaways for footy and fun, also have happened. It’s been a hectic 3 months! Whoever thought or implied semi-retirement was boring 😴 🙄, how wrong they were or are.
Well at least to me… it’s anything but boring! Yes, I’ve had my sleep in, laying in bed, not wanting to get up days – I’m only human 😏 and in between life has passed by so fast, I’m beginning to believe someone sure has their fingers on the fast forward button and are not letting go anytime soon.
26.04.2023 – Wednesday, 1.30am: did someone say fast forward. Oh my, how time flies!!! 21 days ago, I wrote about enjoying semi-retirement: and in under 10 hours, I’m going for a job interview – the first after many, many years. I’ve only ever been to three (3) job interviews, 1st one as a wide-eyed fresh graduate from University with so many dreams and aspirations.
The 2nd one, armed with four years of work experience, 1 child and one on the way – I decided to leave a well paid rotational job to look for another opportunity that would fit the life of a full time working mum. I ended up at what is now Bank South Pacific, BSP (PNGBC back then).
The 3rd job interview was back in mid 2002, which landed me a role and set me up again in the oil and gas industry on a 20-year career path – that ended in November 2022. Blessed is an understatement, and I’m forever grateful to God for His grace and mercy 🙏
I have some idea what to expect at the interview, thanks to YouTube clips – wow, so much information out there now, compared to 30+ years ago. At the same time, I am still as apprehensive as a graduate 😊 and seeing this as a challenge. Therefore, I place all my trust in God to see me through it all.
In the meantime, I’m glad for the break Iamo and I took over the weekend to Brisbane. It was good to catch up with family and friends. Forever grateful to God for our Brissy family ❤️
08.06 2023 – Thursday, 11.05pm: it’s been what six whole weeks since I last wrote here. We’ve travelled as a family to Brisbane to support VK represent Australia, playing touch footy. Over the six weeks our November travel destination has changed so many times, even our kids are asking, ‘Man, is this really going to happen or?’! Indeed, it’s a moving target, but it will happen. It will not be the original Israel/ Jordan trip as planned: Iamo could not get enough time off – instead, we will find another place to visit.
23.06.2023 – Friday, 2am: if someone told me 3 weeks ago that I would be back working – in Sydney CBD, before the end of June 2023 – I would’ve laughed them off “You’re funny 😃” would have been my response to them. Well, it looks like the joke’s on me – because exactly 3 weeks ago, I started working on a contract role in the CBD: 2 days from home & 3 from the office. No! It’s not the job that I attended an interview for, as mentioned earlier in this blog.
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but I can not deny it – God works in mysterious ways. Many times, the answers to our prayers come in totally unexpected ways – we just have to open up hearts and minds to understand and see what God is saying or doing. His divine hand has been at play in mine and my family’s lives. We are forever grateful to God for seeing us through these past six to seven months.
Do I know what the immediate or long-term future holds for me? Apart from work, travel plans, etc – it’s a resounding NO! I don’t have my tomorrows planned out!! I will take each day as it comes, and needless to say, I’m not the least bit worried because I trust in God!
Have I achieved everything that 12 months ago I said I would do! Again, a very big NO! The Israel/ Jordan tour is on hold – circumstances and plans have changed. It’s not the end of the world. I’m pushing on, knowing God’s got me.
Do you feel like you’re being tested beyond your limits? Like you’re being held over the fire, singed by hot flames? And you can’t hold on anymore? My friend, don’t give up and hold on – not onto your broken dreams, shattered plans, etc. – but hold on tightly to God’s hand. Keep the faith always 🙏❤️
Stayed tuned for more as life unravels for me, a once semi-retired woman, turned working ‘glama’ 😘 whatever that means. In my humble opinion, life’s too short to avoid the lemons that it throws at us. Catch them! Don’t just make lemonade, bake a lemon pie, or ten, too. And share with those around you! Remember to have your share, too – many times in our quest to please others, we forget our own needs.
In God’s eyes we’re all equal, we all matter 🙏❤️
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Idau Hahine 