jametchi

Sun, Sand & Shenanigans: That One Time We Tried to Go to Hyams Beach | January 2025

It was one of those perfect sunny days in January, the kind that makes you want to drop everything and head straight for the coast. With the end of summer fast approaching, my friends and I decided to make the most of it with a spontaneous road trip down to Jervis Bay. The plan was simple: have a picnic, go for a swim, and just soak in the relaxed beach vibes.

What made the day even more memorable was that it was my very first time driving outside of Sydney. It's honestly a bit of a milestone for me. The drive was around two hours, and the journey itself was half the fun. We played music, did a mini karaoke inside the car, and took in the scenic views that stretched along the coast and countryside. About halfway there, we stopped in the charming little town of Berry for a quick coffee break and a visit to the famous Donut Van. .It was the perfect pit stop with its cute cafes, friendly locals, and that unmistakable small-town charm. 10/10 would recommend.

Then came The Great Hyams Beach Plot Twist.

As we neared Jervis Bay, we quickly realised we weren’t the only ones with the brilliant idea of a beach day. The area was packed. So many people had flocked to the famous Hyams Beach that there was an actual queue just to get in. Since we had driven down in separate cars, only half our group managed to make it in, while Chris and I were left waiting outside.

Not ones to let a little detour ruin our day, we decided to check out a nearby spot suggested by the staff called Greenfield Beach. And honestly? It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Greenfield Beach was a hidden gem!!! It was much quieter, beautifully tucked away, and every bit as stunning. The water was crystal clear, the sand soft and white, and the atmosphere was peaceful. Chris and I went for a swim, laid back on the sand, and had our own little moment of rest and relaxation away from the crowds. It felt like we had stumbled upon our own secret slice of paradise.

After a while, we decided to try our luck again at Hyams Beach. Fortunately, the crowd had eased up by then, and we were finally reunited with the rest of the group. We were sun-kissed, slightly hungry, and extremely ready for a late lunch, which we devoured at a nearby park like a bunch of overgrown kids at a school picnic. LOL.

Around 3 PM, we began our drive back to Sydney. The sky had started to turn grey and windy, hinting at rain on the horizon. We did get caught in the heavy rain while on the road, but we made it back in one piece, slightly sandy, fully exhausted, and feeling like we’d just won at summer.

Influenced & Loving It: My First Day Out With the Fujifilm X-M5 | 2nd April 2025

I’m not usually one to give in immediately to camera influence… but here we are.

After seeing my friend use her Fujifilm camera (a different model, but still very convincing), I found myself going down a bit of a rabbit hole. One YouTube video turned into five, five turned into a full-on pros-and-cons list, and before I knew it, I was holding my very own Fujifilm X-M5.

One of the biggest things that sold me was the film recipes. The idea that I could recreate the look and feel of film photos straight out of the camera, without having to sit down and edit every single shot, just made so much sense to me. I love photos that feel warm, nostalgic, and a little imperfect and Fujifilm really gets that.

As much as I adore actual film cameras (and yes, I’m still using mine), they’ve definitely become a bit of an expensive hobby. Between buying rolls of film and paying to get them developed, it adds up quickly. While I appreciate the spontaneity and surprise of film, I also had to be realistic especially with travel. This camera felt like a good middle ground: film vibes, digital convenience, and a much more cost-effective option in the long run.

So naturally, once the camera arrived, I had to take it out.

My friend and I decided to head to Mt Annan Botanical Garden for a test run. Nothing too hectic, just lots of greenery, open space, and nice light, which is the perfect setting to get a feel for a new camera without any pressure. And honestly? I had so much fun using it.

The X-M5 was surprisingly easy to pick up. The controls felt intuitive, and I didn’t feel overwhelmed trying to figure things out. I could just… shoot. Walk, stop, take a photo, move on. Exactly how I like it. Seeing the film recipes come to life on the screen was especially satisfying like the colours, the tones, the overall mood. It felt like the camera was already speaking my language.

By the end of the day, I found myself genuinely enjoying the process instead of overthinking settings or worrying about editing later. It made taking photos feel fun again, which is honestly all I ever want from a camera.

Will this replace my film camera completely? Probably not. There’s still something special about loading a roll of film and not knowing what you’ll get until later. But as a travel companion and an everyday camera? This one’s definitely a keeper.

YER A WIZARD, BRAZZY | 22 March 2025

My friend Brazos celebrated her birthday with a Harry Potter theme. As a Potterhead, I looked forward to it for weeks! Of course, I decided to dress up as a gryffindor student (more like asian Harry Potter. LOL) . I wasn't too creative with my choice of outfit though.

Brazos dressed up as the golden snitch, which was very cute! I also met some new friends at her party. One was even dressed up as Bellatrix.

The party was really fun! She really went all out with the decorations and details. It's too bad I wasn't able to capture much of it on film.

Anyway, I just wanted to post the film pictures I took that night to remember it by.

TRUSTING THE PROCESS | 07 August 2024 | Sydney Town Hall

LIFE UPDATE.

Geez! It's been nearly 3 years since I last posted in my blog. To be honest, it's currently 5:40AM 19th of April 2025 (Easter Saturday) that I am writing this post. LOL. I just woke up early and felt the need to check and update my blog (finally!)

Picking up from where I left off, here's what happened over the past few years:

After I finished uni at ACU in 2022, I secured a job as a registered nurse in one of the most prestigious hospitals in Australia. I started my new grad program on February 2023

On the same month, I was granted my Australian Permanent Residency (YAY ME!!!)

Finished my new grad by February 2024 and have applied for my Australian Citizenship

Got invited to do the test on the 12th of April and decided to take it on the earliest date possible, which was on the 15th April 2024. Thank heavens I passed the test in one go!

Fast forward to July 2024, I got my application approval and invite to attend the citizenship ceremony in Sydney Town Hall

Officially an Aussie on the 7th of August 2024

I still remember the first day I arrived in Australia. I was nervous, excited, and honestly, full of uncertainty. Everything was new, unfamiliar, and at times overwhelming. I didn’t have all the answers, and there were moments I questioned if I was doing the right thing. But somewhere along the way, I kept hearing the same words: “trust the process.”

So that’s exactly what I did.

One memory that really sticks with me is the first time I ever stepped foot into the heart of the CBD. I vividly remember standing in front of Sydney Town Hall, completely in awe. I thought it was the most beautiful building I had ever seen, so of course, I took a picture to capture the moment. I remember being so curious about what it looked like inside. Never in a million years did I think I’d have a reason to go in.

P.S. Australia was the first non-Asian country that I went to so everything was foreign to me (including building architectures haha!)

Fast forward six years later, and there I was... walking through those very doors to attend my Australian citizenship ceremony. It felt so surreal. Full circle. Like life had quietly been preparing me for that moment all along.

Today, I’m incredibly proud to say that I’m officially an Australian citizen. It’s more than just a milestone. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come, and the quiet strength it took to get here. I’ve never been prouder of myself.

“Sometimes you don’t realize you’re making progress until you look back and see how far you’ve come.” –anonymous

Officially an Australian Registered Nurse | 14th December 2022

The photos above were taken during our pinning ceremony at the Australian Catholic University on the 12th of December 2022. This event marked the completion of my course, which is the Bachelor of Nursing. Two days later after the ceremony, I received the good news that my nursing registration has been finalised. Yaaasss!!! Your bestie is finally a registered nurse in Australia. 

There’s not enough words to describe how happy I am that I survived studying overseas. For context, I’ve done my first nursing course in the Philippines, but unfortunately it didn’t meet the Australian education standards. Hence, I took the long route and re-did my nursing in Australia. No regrets though. I know that we all have our own time and I personally think this is the path that was meant for me. 

Australian Botanical Garden | 18th September 2022

7th July 2022

I finally had the courage to take the PTE exam for the first time. I was really nervous waiting for the exam day. However, when I received my results about an hour after taking the exam, I was relieved I managed to achieve my desired scores that will meet the Superior English standard. 

Here are some tips I want to share to anyone planning to take the PTE:

1. Practice daily - I signed up for an account at ptesuccess.com.au and practiced each component of the exam everyday. The account I paid for had 6 free mock tests. So, 5 days before my scheduled test, I did one 1 mock test every day to prepare myself for the actual exam. It really helped a lot because when I did the exam, I felt like I was just doing another mock test. LOL.

2. Use templates - this is the key for me to getting a 90! There are heaps of templates that you can find on the internet, especially on YouTube. However, I would suggest just following one PTE coach. Personally, the easiest for me to follow were the tips and tricks from PTE Jimmyssem. I used his templates for Describe Image, Retell Lecture, and Essay writing. It helps in organizing your ideas and thoughts. 

3. Take the leap - this statement does hold water to some extent. It means to take one’s chance on something. I decided to book my PTE 2 days after making the decision of just giving it a try. 

Coleen’s Birthday | 17th February 2022

It has become an annual tradition for me and my two best friends in Sydney to celebrate our birthdays by doing something fun outdoors. Coleen (wearing red) is always the first one to celebrate her special day and she has decided that we’ll all go to the Blue Mountains. We were definitely excited because this is our first trip outside of the city post lockdown. *goodbye COVID* 

We hopped on the morning train to the Blue Mountains and went to the Scenic World where we were able to use our NSW dine & discover vouchers. We also surprised Coleen with a cake before we started our little hike around the area.  On another note, I’ve influenced my friends in buying and using film cameras. So we all decided to bring our cameras to document that day. As you can see above, those photos are a mix from all our film cameras. It was a lovely day and I’m glad all our photos turned out okay. 

We ended our day by taking the afternoon train back to Sydney and had dinner at this recently opened Korean restaurant in Regents Place. 

First Film Roll: Canon Sure Shot Sleek

About a week ago, I bought this film camera from Fb marketplace–the Canon Sure Shot Sleek.  It is a slim, lightweight, and compact film camera, released in 1996.  

I really enjoyed shooting with the camera. Since it’s fully automatic, I just needed to load a film in it and it’s ready to go! I was surprised at how sharp the images turned out. 

I’ve put a roll of kodak gold 200 and I’m very satisfied with the results. 

The Rocks (2022)

📷 Chinon GS 7

Saying goodbye to 'The Chubby Buddy'

I started my blog in 2013 and have always gone with the name 'The Chubby Buddy'. My goal was to be the local foodie that everyone can trust when people are searching for a good place to eat in my hometown. What started out as a mere hobby have opened multiple doors of opportunity for me. I began my blogger journey from spending my own money to visit local cafes to try their menu and do food reviews, to being paid to travel around the Philippines as a guest blogger. Ah! Those were the glorious days.

Over the years, my followers continued to grow and more people have recognised my blog. While I was having fun getting invited to events, receiving PR packages, and meeting local influencers, I always felt that something was off. I was already feeling the pressure of meeting deadlines and living up to people's expectations. Moreover, I realised that I was slowly forgetting why I started blogging in the first place–to connect with people through my passion in writing.

Personally, the only downside of being in this industry was that I wasn't able to live my authentic life. I built and maintained this facade that I was living a good and perfect life, but we all know that life doesn't work that way. I began developing unhealthy habits such as, only picking photos that I felt like would gather a lot of likes, and being too conscious of what I should post online. So one day, I decided to take a break from it all . I just stopped and dropped everything I had. Did I ever regret it? Maybe a little, but it was the best decision I have ever made!

The timing was also perfect because in 2018, I decided to move to Australia to start a new chapter in my life. I needed the time to adjust to my new environment and focus on myself. Of course being inactive in social media meant losing a bunch of followers. Furthermore, being away from the Philippines meant losing my sponsors. However, I'm still glad that the friends I have made along the way have remained the same.

My life now is pretty much back to square one. I am no longer conscious of the likes nor care of what I share online. I'm slowly catching up on my backlogs and excited to share more on this blog.

Also, I think that more bloggers have now shifted to vlogging, which I'm guilty of that as well. LOL. So if you want to check out my YouTube videos, just click here. However, I still like to believe that nothing can still beat blogging. That's why I'll continue to put more content here.

I have decided to let go of 'The Chubby Buddy' because I feel like it's now just a part of my old self and it has already served its purpose.

Just recently, I stumbled upon my old Tumblr account and going through my posts have rekindled that flame of why I started blogging 9 years ago. I had this sudden adrenaline rush of wanting to continue my passion in writing.

A part of my new year's resolution is to rediscover my creative juices once again and continue my blog so that I have something to look back to 10 years later. Hence, here I am back in Tumblr, the platform where everything started.

Ciao,

Fujifilm Quicksnap disposable camera | Circa 2019

After 2 years, I finally had the time to have my first film roll developed. I even forgot that I took some of these photos. 

This is where my love for vintage cameras started. After seeing the pictures developed and scanned, I immediately fell in love with film photography. Yes, my iPhone takes amazing pictures. However, there’s just something different with film. There is that nostalgic feeling attached to each photo knowing that I can only capture every moment once. 

Berry, New South Wales | January 2022

There’s something magical about the quaint suburb of Berry. Located about an hour drive from Sydney. It’s home of the famous Donut Van, which I recently just discovered that it is owned by a Filipino baker (way to go, kabayan!).

I felt like I travelled through time when I walked around the town. The buildings and houses were all preserved in its original state from years ago. I honestly liked the vibe of this place. 

Here are some of the places we went to while we were there: 

The Famous Berry Donut Van

The Berry Tea Shop

Shambalaa (witchcraft store)

The Berry Bon Bon Sweet Shop

Melbourne Part I | June 2019

When you first move to Australia, you always hear different opinions if you ask people which state is the best place to live in. It’s even a bigger debate if you ask locals what is the capital of Australia. It’s always a battle between Sydney and Melbourne. Therefore, as a Sydneysider *char*, it left me curious and wanted to visit Melbourne for myself. Gladly, my friend Rocky, convinced me to book this flight with her and go there.

First day in Melbourne and I already fell in love with the place! Aside from the wide variety of restaurants, they have FREE public transport within the city zone. For Sydneysiders, it will cost an arm just to get to one station from another.  We arrived early in the morning and unfortunately our Airbnb wasn’t available until 6PM, so we decided to tour around the CBD while waiting. Since it’s really easy to get around Melbourne CBD, we managed to visit some of the key tourist spots in a few hours. 

One thing I didn’t like about Melbourne though was the weather. One minute it’s sunny, but the next thing you know, it’s already raining. It’s literally 4 seasons in a day. Haha. 

Anyway, the main reason we went to Melbourne was because we wanted to watch the live performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Princess Theatre. It was a surreal experience! Mobile devices weren’t allowed inside the theatre, so it was an excuse for me to get off my phone and actually enjoy the show without getting distracted. 

We also met up with Rocky’s friend and she even treated us to a good meal *bless her soul*. Melbourne’s food scene is definitely something worth visiting! The whole CBD has this very chill and unique vibe in contrast to Sydney. Literally every corner has a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Here are some of the places in the CBD area that we went to: 

Flinders Street Railway Station

Federation Square

Shrine of Remembrance

National Gallery of Victoria

Laneways

Brighton Beach Houses

Aside from touring around the CBD, we also decided to explore the great outdoors, which I will be sharing on a separate post. 

Hello from the Land Down Under (Sydney, Australia) | 8th July 2018

Wow. I haven't posted in my Tumblr account in ages!!!! For a second, I thought all of my blog posts since 2013 were already gone. Whew! Last night, I was just randomly browsing and remembered to check my Tumblr. Hence, I am writing this post on the 20th of December 2021 to show proof that I am still alive! Are people still active in Tumblr? Hit me up!

Okay, where do I start? Let me share about the biggest decision I have ever made in my life. On the 8th of July 2018, I packed my whole life in one suitcase and moved to Sydney, Australia. I have no idea what Australia was like, I have no family and friends here, and I only had $500 in my pocket. LOL. I came here to study aged care leading to Bachelor of Nursing, which I will talk about it in another post. As a Filipino kid, it scared the heck out of me to leave my life in the Philippines behind to come study and work as an international student in Sydney.

Fortunately, I wasn't lonely on my flight to Sydney from Manila. I made a friend who was coincidentally bisaya as well. She was from Cebu and her name was Wendy. It was her first time to travel overseas, so we were sort of on the same boat. We exchanged stories and when we boarded the plane, we weren't seated together so I tried to enjoy the flight alone for 7 hours. I was broke back then, but I will never forget how she offered her extra meal that her sister pre-ordered for her. Trust me, I couldn't even afford to buy a single cup noodles because it was too expensive.

Upon arriving in Sydney, she asked me if there was anyone who will pick me up. I didn't want to lie and pretend I know someone, so I told her the truth that I was planning to catch the bus or train, which I was still about to figure out. Thankfully, her sister offered to drop me off at Central Station, because I had no idea it would cost a fortune to catch the train from the airport. They even treated me for brunch. Wow! My first aussie meal.

From Central station, I made it to Edmondson Park- my new home. Sydney trains are easy to navigate because they have platform guides and google maps will tell you exactly what to do. From there, I was picked up by a family who was also from Bukidnon that I only met through Facebook. Ate Dee and her family was kind enough to bring me to Mount Annan in the Botanical Garden for dinner. We also managed to stopped by at Kmart for some things that I needed like a rice cooker. LOL. After a long day, they dropped me off at my new place, where I was welcomed in a cozy home in Edmondson Park by a group of Filipinos whom I considered as my first family in Sydney.

Summer is probably my favorite season of the year because summer makes everything lovable. Sun-kissed skin, breathing in the ocean air, life on the sands, etc. However, most people equate summer as to “bikini season” or the “beach body season” and act as if getting fit is a requirement for summer. Rather than focusing on that thought, think about the good feels that summer brings.  Here are a few...