Uncategorized · March 22, 2011

Hajimemashite…

Hi! I’m Gizelle or Marie to some (G to my closest friends). I am Harold‘s understanding wife and AB, C and D’s wholesome mom. If I may add, I am also one who firmly believes in the one, true God.

I was born and raised in the Philippines, south of Manila, so I only learned Tagalog while growing up. Given the chance, I would have chosen another or two other dialects.

I am a writer and photographer by profession…should I have pursued my career. 😀 Back in college, I consider myself more of a hands-on writer and photographer than a journalism student. I was learning the ropes of how to be a journalist as a staffer of UST’s publication, the Varsitarian, instead of as a student listening to lectures. I was doing beat report in and outside the campus. I was there being part of and writing history during the oust of then President Joseph Estrada and I also covered the NBI for the Philippine Daily Inquirer for some time. Those were the days…

Unforeseen circumstances lead me to another path…that of motherhood. A welcomed and exciting path. I became a mom 5 days before my 21st birthday…and have been a proud mom of 3 beautiful kids for 9.5 years now. I’ve decided to take my kids as the subject of my writing and photography. Thus, the stories behind the photos that you often see featured in this blog.

3eggs

(hubby is of Singaporean descent, my kids took on more of his genes)

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We’ve been in Vienna since 2002 (two boys born here). Been taking photos since day one; all archived by hubby for posterity. When my youngest boy was born (March 2006), I’ve stayed a stay-at-home mom to help all three with school stuff and be with them longer. In between, I submit articles and conceptual photos for magazines featuring my kids…my stint as a stagemom slash photographer (click to see some of the printed photos). 😉 I also sell photos and of course write paid reviews. I used to host the SAHM Project, a bi-weekly project (almost like a meme) where I feature things I do with my kids. Hmmm….must be high-time I revive this project wilth all you moms out there!

I love reading books even as a child. I’d pick up my mom’s college books and read them repeatedly. This is the reason why I love writing too. I take inspiration from Jane Austen, the Brönte sisters, the Bible, Neruda and Haruki Murakami. The latter prompting me to study Japanese, my fifth tongue (still learning). Aside from Tagalog and English, I also speak German fluently and am still mastering Spanish.

Japanese food is my weakness, I can eat raw salmon 24/7…ohhh Unagi (barbecued eel) and tuna in all its glory too!

Like most of you, I like to shop. I especially like to shop for shoes. I am from the land of Imelda after all…

I love traveling. I particularly like to take photos of different places capturing their culture, what is known in them and what is different from the other places I’ve seen. This is one of the many common things I share with hubby. We also love movies, animes, mangas, playing tennis and other sports (basketball included) and go on adventures in different places though he’s more to it than I am, I’ll just take photos if given a choice. I won’t go beyond climbing up the Eiffel tower…he’d go bungee jumping had he the chance. He loves to snowboard but I’m contented taking his photos.

I enjoy being on the move, taking the chance to sweat when I can. I do bellydancing and Pilates but have stopped since I started going to the gym regularly. I see to it that my heart races even for just 15 minutes a day.

Why “Mirage?” Mirage (/mi-rash/) means something unobtainable…it’s an adjective that I’ve always associated myself with. In life, there are things that would be just an illusion, no matter how near they may be.

There are a dozen more things I love and spend time doing but if I am to sum up my life in photos, these would best describe me:

Please pardon that I am so used to being behind the camera that I rarely have a solo shot. 😀 Sorry too that this write-up has taken so much space. I think this is the first time I wrote about me and I discovered myself more as I write. Arigatou gozaimasu; Gracias; Salamat; Danke schön;Thank you for taking the time reading about me. Again, this is Marie, a jack of all trades, master of none but for now, I’m just a contented stay-at-home mom.

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I used to have different niched blogs but have combined them all here….this blog is actually in the process of renovation. 😀

I maintain a city daily photoblog, ViennaDailyFotos.
A drive by photography collaboration, Drive By.

A listing of memes and a collection of badges’ codes, DailyMemeBadges.
An inactive meme for photo postcards, PostcardPerfect.

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Special thanks to Mommy Willa for listing me at PMC and guiding me to the the Bloggers Exchange. To Mommy Rubz for additional ideas for Meme Badges and also creating this community and all you mommies for the warm welcome.

P.S. heads up to Stef, Irish , Janice and Anna for the companionship. 😉

A post for Weekend Blog Follower Caravan #9

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Comments

STEF says
March 22, 2011 at 9:42 pm

First one here! Yey!
I'm so honored to be a friend mare..nakakatuwa that we started online pero we get to share a lot already..i mean, you taught me a lot na. =)

Thank you thank you thank you! I love all your photos, this caravan is indeed a brilliant idea. Sana matikman ko ulit ang carbonara mo. *wink!

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?? Willa ?? says
March 22, 2011 at 9:43 pm

wow! Galing mo naman!multi lingual ka pala.Ako,daig pa ng anak ko,marunong na sila ng French,while until now,is stuck in Taglaog and english carabao, lol!at Made in the Philippines pala si Ate Benedique ha.
Nice to know more about you,sis!I'm glad I got to know thru LP. 🙂
My WBFC

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gmirage says
March 22, 2011 at 9:48 pm

Stef: would love to hear your cute voice again and play with the kutings. Next time hindi lang carbonara…madami pang iba! (no cheese lng wawa naman si Mareng Irish e haha)

Willa, looking back, oo sa LP nga pala ano…lagi akong napapatawa sa mga comments mo ang how you would monicker your boys, most memorable ang Atty de Kalampag, lol!

thanks for dropping by guys…

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chubskulit says
March 22, 2011 at 11:06 pm

How gorgeous!

Would you come and see my Ruby Tuesday ? Have a lovely evening!

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Anna says
March 22, 2011 at 11:15 pm

Proud to be your little sister here:D We know each other 3to 4 years ago na,(i remember bago ako manganak kay ayana nun..) and lahat na yata alam ko na tungkol sayo aswell as mine too..thank you ate g! You are ohh so kind person and im proud of u. I love you!

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sublime wanderer says
March 22, 2011 at 11:48 pm

Love your entry G! Talagang reminisce ha? Hehehe. Proud to say I was there to see you "grow up". LOL!

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May says
March 23, 2011 at 2:46 am

Hi Marie! You have an amazing blog. And an amazing family. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself.

I lurve Japanese food. Probably not as much as you since I won't touch most of the raw stuff. And it's my hubby who really is the fan. Good stuff.

I climbed the Eiffel Tower once. Only once though. LoL. And I was 9 that time.

Following you thru WBFC/ PMB! I am #62 on this round of WBFC and you can go directly to my post by clicking my link.

Cheers!
~May~

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lyzacruz88 says
March 23, 2011 at 2:47 am

I'm an old follower already…visiting thru WBFC, hope you can visit mine http://www.lyzalane.info/2011/03/wbfc9-its-melyza.html

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Bambie dear ? says
March 23, 2011 at 4:02 am

Idol na kita Mommy G 🙂 I swear.. nainspire tuloy ako magphotography but first i have to save to buy a SLR cam muna diba.. although na-aaddict ako sa mga apps ng iphone pero iba pa rin kapag real cam ang gamit mo dba.

Nice to meet you talaga and hoping to see you in person someday. Maybe here in Japan, or Philippines or malay mo, mapasyal kami dyan hehe (yume dake).. Teka bakit nga pala interesado ka sa Japanese.. You seem to know nihonggo well that i always forget to ask.

Im gonna add you in my blogs (azumi and fabbielous) 🙂

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Irish says
March 23, 2011 at 7:32 am

whew! sabi ko na towel ang kailangan ko dito eh hindi basta tissue hahahahaha love it mare, the best ka talaga, sa susunod pay na lang kita para sumulat ng pwede kong ilagay sa blog ko ah wahahahaha

love this: "In life, there are things that would be just an illusion, no matter how near it may be." i so concur mare! 🙂

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gmirage says
March 23, 2011 at 8:23 am

@Anna, maiyak na naman ako nyan eh lol.

@sublime: ok na meron pang "LOL" haha. Growing talaga, now it's time for us to trim haha

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gmirage says
March 23, 2011 at 8:25 am

@May: Thanks! That was a lovely experience, perhaps Paris was not so crowded then…

@Lyza, thanks, will be visiting you now…

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gmirage says
March 23, 2011 at 10:07 am

Bambie dear, you have great photos at iphone pa lang yan! I also enjoy viewing your photos sa flickr, hindi man ako makacomment, ako yun isa dun na nag-view 😀 I just enjoy learning the language, challenge kasi kanji, hiragana and katakana to learn 😀

Irish, mare aba kelangan ko ng career haha. sge sge, I'm just a buzz away, pwede na 50-50. lol!

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domestic {cherry} says
March 23, 2011 at 11:09 am

hi, visiting from WBFC 9…

i love your photos. they're so polished. and i'm so inggit, you living in Vienna with your family. I always dreamed about living in London with an English boyfriend but silly me, I can't even stand the cold in Baguio, what more in London?!!

will be visiting here more often and thanks for the nice comment you left on my site.

following you now.

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kayni says
March 23, 2011 at 5:55 pm

wonderful to get to know you more and your family. will try to get to know you and your blog more.

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gmirage says
March 23, 2011 at 6:58 pm

hi Cherry! when you do get to live your dream that's when you get to prove the famous cliche: hahamakin ang lahat, masunod ka lamang 😀

Kayni, thank you…exlinks tayo para ok! 😉

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Photo Cache says
March 23, 2011 at 9:53 pm

a very illuminating post. i'd take you at a sushi place some day 🙂 and you'll introduce me to some sushi i may not have eaten yet.

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Mitch says
March 24, 2011 at 4:57 am

Nice knowing you!

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eunicyl says
March 25, 2011 at 2:46 pm

Hi G,naku nainspire ako sau,,lalo na sa photography.Will surely visit this site frequently. I actually love taking pictures,,pero mkhang iba tlga pag talent mo yun.
I love your pictures,Beautiful!

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Vernz says
March 30, 2011 at 2:41 am

the place where you are is what I coveted the most.. I adore this place they call salzburg… awesome… thanks for dropping by Vernzdaily.com

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Edsie says
April 3, 2011 at 3:23 pm

better late than never!! 🙂

followed you already..
Hope you could visit my site too!!
9th Weekend Blog Follower Caravan: Meet the Blogger

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jared's mum says
April 25, 2011 at 9:13 pm

i didn't get the chance to read this post when i visited other wbfc #9 entries, + look what i've been missing?
it was pure joy looking at your lovely photographs, you're a genius, i wish i can take as equally lovely photos of my son too, i need more training + practice really…
it is nice to know you, sis, + looking forward to more…
have a great one:)

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imriz says
September 7, 2012 at 6:35 pm

great to know more about you, GIZELLE. cute name you got. and yes, now, i felt i know you more.
thanks for the opportunity for me to become one of your so-called virtual friends. happiness is what possessed me finding like you in the blogosphere.

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