• Home
  • About
  • Phamly Life
  • Real Life
  • Other People's Happiness
  • Upgrade U
  • The Phamly
    • Mum Pham
    • Dad Pham
    • Little Sissy Pham
    • Big Brother Pham
    • Boyfriend Pham
    • Pham Pets
instagram twitter facebook Email

KEEP IT IN THE PHAMLY

A personal blog by Jade Pham



Finally! Social plans that didn't get cancelled at the last minute! ...Mainly because they didn't involve interstate visitors or travel. 

To celebrate my birthday, I first lumped Phamly celebrations in with Lunar New Years celebrations so I wouldn't have to cook. How clever am I? Sister-Not-In-Law made us Canh Chua Cá (Sour Fish Soup) - the first time I've eaten in possibly 25 years. I never really liked it as a kid, then I became a vegetarian for 8 years, and come New Years Day I ate TWO bowls of soup and spent the night super full, a little sick, and super content. It was a theme for the weekend. 

 On Saturday, I did an escape room at Escape Manor in the city. Nothing says birthday fun! like getting "locked" in a small, enclosed space with time pressure to solve puzzles in order to get out. It's a quick way to learn whether or not you really like your partner or friends. We dined at PappaRich afterwards for the all-important debrief and it was delicious. 

On Sunday, Boyfriend Pham and I went to the Nundah Markets for the first time. Normally Sunday mornings are Dad Pham and Phamly time, but this year I had plans to see Dad on the Monday so we visited our local markets where I learned Nundah does have the one thing I miss most about everywhere else I've lived. Fresh Asian produce! I was SO bloody excited when we made the discovery. Mosquitos and lack of (south-east) Asian groceries were my two pain points about life in inner-north Brisbane. 

The Galentine's Day crew showed up in fine style once again to celebrate me, them and the sisterhood of food, drink, and fun. And I failed them by not taking our annual happy snap. Boo me. Everyone looked lovely all dressed up for a nice lunch. It was refreshing to get to spend time with friends and family in person again. Happy birthday to me!
Share
Tweet
No comments


I spent the first day of 2021 visiting some of Boyfriend Pham's family. They moved just a couple hours outside Brisbane at the end of last year, so we went for an overnight stay on New Year's Day. It was Day 8 of my 11-day holiday, but felt like the first day I fully relaxed and enjoyed myself. Ecommerce life, hey?

We spent the day making and eating woodfired pizza, then got walked by their dog, before a night of playing board games all with lots of fun conversation. Seeing friends and hearing stories from outside my little Brisbane bubble is what I missed most from 2020. That, plus the amazing food at the now permanently closed Maria's Caribbean kitchen in Toowong - devastating. 

Being out of my house/Brisbane/regular surrounds let me properly chill out after being in high functioning mode for a lot of last year. It made me nostalgic for travel that we all took for granted, and planted the seed that I need to get out of my regular routine this year. Of course, it's easier said than done. As I write, a friend in Tassie and I were waiting for today's announcement as to whether Brisbane has been removed from Tasmania's naughty list so our Gold Coast getaway can go ahead as planned. And the update was that there'll be another update in 48-hours. But then the convention she was coming up for got canned so we cancelled our catch up. I still kept my annual leave days though, because I need the break.

Making travel plans is a bigger gamble than it used to be, but I'm going to jump at any opportunities that arise year. That, plus we have a $400 flight voucher that expires in October so we should probably use it. Unfortunately, everyone we're close with is a city-dweller and either their city is a hotspot, or their city thinks we're a hotspot. 


Share
Tweet
No comments


I’ve gone over what 2020 wasn’t. Now on New Years Eve, I’ve finally had a week of staycation to unwind and look back on the year that was. 

I was completely emotionally and physically depleted by the end of this year. Workwise, I haven’t had a break since COVID-19 shut down Australia in March/April, and the retail industry went into crisis mode. I work in the digital space so after the initial wave of lockdowns my workload increased a huge amount. I somehow managed to fit in a house purchase from June to September, though I haven't been able to do much with the house because I’ve been working crazy hours for the final months of the year. Downtime on weekends was a distant memory and towards the end of my marathon, sheer will wasn’t enough to carry me through the late nights and early starts - my body did what Dad Pham does when turning off desktop computers - it yanked out the power plug. 

 I’d been fending off a scratchy throat for nearly a month when I crashed hard at the end of November with a virus (not COVID-19, thankfully) and after two weeks of bedridden illness and inactivity my lower back started to play up. I rested it, and stretched it out and when I felt better, I tried to work it at the gym and totally wrecked myself. My back was locked so tightly the physio couldn’t diagnose the issue in my first visit because everywhere hurt. Three physio sessions later, and today I got the green light to ease back into the gym with a few adjustments to my workouts. Yup, in true 2020 form, I’ve spent nearly all of my 10 days of holiday mending my back. Though, it was probably the only way I’d take life easy for a little while so thank you body, you passive-aggressive guardian angel. 

This year hasn’t been a total write-off, however. It’s a blur when I look back but I can see what really matters came to light, and anything unimportant fell by the wayside. 

Boyfriend Pham is the best thing about my year. 2020 would have been unbearable without him. He had my back when I needed his support, and he was tough on me when I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough or pushing myself too hard. I learned that Boyfriend Pham and I get along even when we’re cooped up together 24/7. We had zero doubts about buying a house together - unlike when we first moved out together and paid extra for everything to avoid contracts, and bought furniture separately in case we broke up. He is the Phamly I choose. 

I’m very glad and grateful that I live in the same city as The Phamly. It’s been tough not seeing friends interstate; I can’t fathom how some of my friends handled being isolated from siblings and parents all year. Especially the Sydney pals who had to cancel their Xmas flights at the last minute due to the latest outbreak. 

2020 was the beginning of a new way of life for everyone; the world is a changed place. Going into 2021 I’m not sure of anything except that I have the best support network a girl could wish for. There’s no one I’d rather be facing new challenges with. Bring on, 2021.
Share
Tweet
No comments

2020 for most of us was the year that wasn’t. 2020 was the year for throwing plans in the bin, and adapting to lots of change. 

This was meant to be the year:
  • We went to Melbourne to celebrate my childhood bestie’s Dad’s 90th birthday, and the folks who looked out for me in my formative years could meet Boyfriend Pham.
  • I applied for an MBA for my professional development.
  • We went to Cairns to celebrate our friend’s wedding, which was going to be the first Indian wedding we attended and set to be an epic night at the convention centre.
  • Our Perth friends came to visit us for a fun week away on the Sunshine Coast. 
  • I studied for a project management certification.
  • Our Melbourne friends came to Brisbane for work events, and took time out to visit us. 
  • We bought a house. Oh, wait - that’s the one thing we did get back on track since it didn’t involve interstate travel.
  • We went to Perth to visit friends, family, and move Boyfriend Pham’s mum over to the East Coast. I should probably start calling her Not-In-Law Mum Pham.

I blame global leaders for ruining my 2020 plans through their lack of planning. Because people in power don’t like to listen to scientists much, the inevitable global pandemic hit us and nearly everyone was ill-prepared. 

This year feels chaotic, but remember COVID-19 didn’t happen out of the blue. Researchers knew something of this nature was eventually going to rear its ugly head. Boyfriend Pham and I even went to a talk at the World Science Fair in March 2019 when mass gatherings and events were still a thing, called ‘Pandemics & Epidemics: Preparing for the Ultimate Travel Bug.’ Then 9 months later, COVID-19 began to spread. Nobody was prepared.

Instead of investing in pandemic prevention and risk management, short-sighted leaders instead led us to huge economic and quality of life losses. Here’s hoping 2021 is less reactive than 2020. 

Share
Tweet
No comments

B and V are my childhood besties. The kind of friends who you grew up with and even though you live in different parts of the country or world at times, when you come together it’s like you’ve never been apart? These two are my long distance, close friends.

Well, both of them are living their best COVID-19 impacted lives. While I was buying my first home and am now settling down during COVID-times, both B and V had fled their homes and haven’t been back since March.

B went on a holiday to Tasmania and when the first wave of Melbourne lockdowns began, decided it was safest to stay in Tassie for the sake of her elderly parents. So while the majority of my Melbourne friends have suffered through a second, long lockdown period, B has spent endless days hiking, biking and adventuring in nature, and eating amazing looking food. Lucky me gets to stalk her private Google Photos feed - she’s one of those peeps who doesn’t mobile phone let alone social media.

V has had nature adventures of a different kind. She’s been living on a boat the past 6 months. It sounds like a dream but she’s working remotely so spends her days ignoring the gorgeous sites outside, tapping away on her laptop in a tiny corner of an already small table on a boat. Still, I imagine finishing work and stepping outside to a sea breeze ain’t all that bad.

I caught up with V in Brisbane as soon as the QLD-NSW borders opened. It was fun to hear about her COVID-19 life, and what’s waiting for her back home. Mainly, a car with a flat battery and perhaps some neighbours who may think she’s dead because she didn’t tell anyone she was going and wasn’t expecting to be away for at least the rest of this year.

2020 has been a write-off in many ways, but it’s awesome to hear the silver lining people have found. If you have any positive outcomes from this wreck of a year, please do share - I’d love to hear it. Email blog@thephamly.com.au



Share
Tweet
No comments

Mum Pham always wished to split the Phamly house evenly between her three children. However, her three children have grown up a lot since her passing and no longer so helpless. Instead, with our encouragement, Dad Pham gave his house (mortgage) to Big Brother Pham for his PhamLe on the condition that: 
a) Big Brother Pham would build him a granny flat, and
b) when Dad passes, his loser middle daughter (me) would be allowed to live in the granny flat.

Good news, guys, I’m no longer a loser - at least, in real estate terms. Boyfriend Pham and I bought a house - at least, got a massive debt to pay off. It’s part of why I went radio silent on my beloved blog.

The past 6 months have been packed with life changes. The day after we met with our mortgage broker, because life has a weird sense of humour, I was stood down to a 5-day fortnight, while Boyfriend Pham went down to a 6-day fortnight. It worked out for the best though because if we hadn’t been forced to wait a couple of months to sort our employment situations for finance approval, we may not have come across our home.

I was lucky enough to stay in my role in the heavily impacted retail industry, after weeks of uncertainty. Boyfriend Pham, on the other hand, changed roles for better job security, and it’s worked out for the best because he’s very happy in his new team. His job change meant we stopped house hunting on the south where I grew up, and instead buy north where we both work.

We’ve only been here a few weeks, and love it so far. The house has gorgeous, soft natural light throughout and the breeze is refreshing and cool. It’ll be a lot of responsibility being a good home owner as opposed to a renter, and we have a lot to learn about home maintenance and improvement. It’s been stressful but fun. I think my blog’s going to steer in the home improvement direction for the next little while as we settle in and make little upgrades to the space. No major renovations ‘cause there is only one practical Pham sibling and it’s definitely not me.



Share
Tweet
No comments
Older Posts

Looking for something?

Pinned post

2020 the year that wasn't

Popular Posts

  • Galentine's Day 2021
  • New ear holes
  • O Captain! My Captain!
  • Where to get ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) in Brisbane
  • Upgrade U: Smartskin budget skincare range

The Phamly

  • Big Brother Pham (9)
  • Boyfriend Pham (8)
  • Dad Pham (33)
  • Little Sissy Pham (15)
  • Mum Pham (34)
  • Pham Pets (5)

Be Social

  • instagram
  • twitter
  • facebook

The Archives

  • ►  2011 (62)
    • ►  May 2011 (5)
    • ►  June 2011 (14)
    • ►  July 2011 (14)
    • ►  August 2011 (3)
    • ►  September 2011 (7)
    • ►  October 2011 (7)
    • ►  November 2011 (5)
    • ►  December 2011 (7)
  • ►  2012 (61)
    • ►  January 2012 (3)
    • ►  February 2012 (3)
    • ►  March 2012 (8)
    • ►  April 2012 (6)
    • ►  May 2012 (9)
    • ►  June 2012 (5)
    • ►  July 2012 (7)
    • ►  August 2012 (2)
    • ►  September 2012 (3)
    • ►  October 2012 (3)
    • ►  November 2012 (3)
    • ►  December 2012 (9)
  • ►  2013 (54)
    • ►  January 2013 (7)
    • ►  February 2013 (7)
    • ►  March 2013 (9)
    • ►  April 2013 (5)
    • ►  May 2013 (5)
    • ►  June 2013 (6)
    • ►  July 2013 (6)
    • ►  August 2013 (3)
    • ►  September 2013 (1)
    • ►  October 2013 (3)
    • ►  November 2013 (1)
    • ►  December 2013 (1)
  • ►  2014 (17)
    • ►  January 2014 (2)
    • ►  March 2014 (2)
    • ►  May 2014 (1)
    • ►  June 2014 (1)
    • ►  July 2014 (2)
    • ►  September 2014 (1)
    • ►  October 2014 (4)
    • ►  November 2014 (4)
  • ►  2015 (16)
    • ►  February 2015 (1)
    • ►  March 2015 (3)
    • ►  May 2015 (3)
    • ►  June 2015 (1)
    • ►  August 2015 (2)
    • ►  October 2015 (2)
    • ►  November 2015 (1)
    • ►  December 2015 (3)
  • ►  2016 (21)
    • ►  January 2016 (1)
    • ►  March 2016 (1)
    • ►  April 2016 (2)
    • ►  May 2016 (3)
    • ►  June 2016 (1)
    • ►  October 2016 (5)
    • ►  November 2016 (4)
    • ►  December 2016 (4)
  • ►  2017 (58)
    • ►  January 2017 (3)
    • ►  February 2017 (5)
    • ►  March 2017 (3)
    • ►  April 2017 (4)
    • ►  May 2017 (4)
    • ►  June 2017 (5)
    • ►  July 2017 (4)
    • ►  August 2017 (4)
    • ►  September 2017 (5)
    • ►  October 2017 (6)
    • ►  November 2017 (8)
    • ►  December 2017 (7)
  • ►  2018 (36)
    • ►  January 2018 (5)
    • ►  February 2018 (4)
    • ►  March 2018 (4)
    • ►  April 2018 (3)
    • ►  May 2018 (4)
    • ►  June 2018 (1)
    • ►  July 2018 (3)
    • ►  August 2018 (3)
    • ►  September 2018 (2)
    • ►  October 2018 (1)
    • ►  November 2018 (3)
    • ►  December 2018 (3)
  • ►  2019 (27)
    • ►  January 2019 (2)
    • ►  February 2019 (2)
    • ►  March 2019 (4)
    • ►  April 2019 (4)
    • ►  May 2019 (3)
    • ►  June 2019 (3)
    • ►  July 2019 (2)
    • ►  August 2019 (2)
    • ►  September 2019 (2)
    • ►  October 2019 (1)
    • ►  November 2019 (2)
  • ►  2020 (12)
    • ►  January 2020 (2)
    • ►  February 2020 (1)
    • ►  March 2020 (2)
    • ►  May 2020 (1)
    • ►  June 2020 (1)
    • ►  October 2020 (2)
    • ►  November 2020 (1)
    • ►  December 2020 (2)
  • ▼  2021 (6)
    • ►  January 2021 (2)
    • ►  February 2021 (2)
    • ▼  March 2021 (2)
      • New ear holes
      • Best balayage hairdresser in Brisbane

Created with by ThemeXpose | Distributed by Blogger Templates