[Artsy Fartsy & Stuff]: Zen doodles, Zendalas, and Mandalas

I'm still stuck on this artsy fartsy thing. Heh.

Last night I learned something new - again.

You see, I have this obsession with mandalas ever since I saw an image of it on Pinterest. This so-called obsession has made me consider even getting a mandala tattoo, but I am not yet THAT convinced.

Anyway, my cousin is fond of making doodles that look like breathtaking pieces of art, which I have always envied. See, I am bad at doodling, and though maybe I can sketch a bit or maybe play around with pastels, doodling and caricature art has never been a strength of mine. It frustrates me and up until last night, I never really had the courage to do anything about it.

Now last night, I was browsing some mandala images on Google when I stumbled upon an image and video that showed how to make Zendalas. It is apparently a Zen doodle (Zentangle) mashed together to form a mandala, and voila! you have a zendala.

I was apprehensive at first and quite unsure, but I really, really, really wanted to try it, so try I did!

This is what I came up with:

Before

After

Basically, I started with the circle and then drew patterns over patterns, and just filled up whatever space available with more patterns. Not sure if this is the correct way to go about it, but they are correct, you do enter some kind of trance or zen state that you just relax and enjoy.

I think I shall be doing more of this in the near future. But I cannot promise you updates. Whatever my reason, I just love it!

Now I have to get ready to head home. It is pouring outside the office, but who doesn't like riding in the rain? :)

[Artsy Fartsy & Stuff]: Learning new stuff

Hullo!

It's been 10 days since I last wrote something, and I promise you I shall post in a while. It's just that the keys of this damn keyboard are not so comfortable to write (or type) on that I almost always neglect writing whenever I have no other choice but to use this.

Anyway, my sister is here and she has this great talent with drawing and art that I just envy. But what I really envied was the fact that she was able to transfer her work from paper to digital version. This is something I really wanted to do for a while now. So when I had free time yesterday, I started learning new stuff that I could do with my sketches.

My sister uses Photoshop to do her art, but since I have a pathetic excuse of a computer, I settled with GIMP which is lighter. It is a bigger challenge, but I think I managed.

If you remember a few weeks ago, I posted a rough sketch here.

I used that as my first guinea pig to experiment on with the paper to digital art thingamajig.

This is what I ended up with:

I know... I know... It's not THAT good. I honestly think I can do better.

But in fairness... well.. I think it's a start! :)

Maybe I can create another one today. :)

[BookWorm] Review: The Night Circus Book

A few nights ago, I finally finished the book 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern.

The book caught my attention when I read somewhere that it was as fantastic as the Harry Potter series, and that it was supposedly really good.

It took me a while to finish reading it, but I have my reasons. So let us begin.

Summary:

'The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.' (from Amazon)

The book starts off with a description of the circus, leading to the introduction of Celia and Marco. Other characters are then introduced as the novel progresses, as well as how the circus came to be. Eventually, Celia and Marco (the supposedly dueling magicians) learn of each other, and eventually falling in love. Unfortunately, they are both trapped in the game their teachers have set up, and the only way for either of them to escape is by ending the match. All this and more happen in The Night Circus.

Review:

I give it - **** (4 Stars)

I initially planned on giving this book 3 stars because to be honest, it was quite lengthy.

However, after pondering on my overall review, I decided to give it 4 stars because there are several reasons that I may give it credit after an in depth assessment of sorts.

The book is long, painfully - nay - excruciatingly long. I almost gave up on it, but I was glad that I decided to push on through.

If anything else, this book has fantastic imagery. For me, that alone is reason enough to give it 3 stars. At first I thought it was my imagination that was hyperactive, but I realize that the author simply knows how to paint scenarios that are just exquisite and breathtaking. My complaint, however, is that there seems to be a bit of focus on the dresses, attires, and clocks in the book than what was necessary. Nevertheless, these were written beautifully and elegantly as can be imagined. There are, however, some descriptions that were just confusing and boring. Thankfully, I think I was half asleep during those chapters. So yes, for beauty of the narrations and the magical atmosphere, it felt good.

Mind you, magic in The Night Circus is different from what others may assume. This type does not exactly say its magic - more like enchantment. And unlike Harry and the rest of the Wizarding world who waves wands, or witches who concoct spells, hexes, and such. The type of enchantment in The Night Circus has is more along the lines of Noetic Science. It relies on charms, symbols, knowledge of old, and intense focus. It also shows how such feats take a toll on those creating it. 

So yes, I think the scenery and the magic portion is highly commendable. The plot, on the other hand, is not much. Do not be fooled by other descriptions saying that there is a fierce battle between two magicians. I tell you, there is not. Nope. Nada. There is a bit of a love story, a lot of loose ends, and supporting characters who turned out to be more interesting than the main characters in the end. I wish the author delved more into Poppet and Widget (and their capabilities), but I guess there was just too much of the descriptions going around, that there was no more space for the other characters? There was also a lot of hopping between times. I would have preferred that it was on a linear plane because the years are just messy, IMHO. The end of it all was also quite anticlimactic. Hmph.

While I find The Night Circus to be dragging in certain parts, the first portion and the last were quite worth the agony. Hehe Oh come on, its not like its the worst thing you will come to read. The writing is very well done, but Harry Potter it is not. Thankfully, it is not Twilight as well. It is a mixture of a lot of things that has not quite reached its full potential, but if you happen to like enchantments and stepping into another world, then this should be able to help you color your dreams with black, white, grey, and a touch of red. MY FAVORITE COLORS!

That's all folks!

Road trip to Vietnam

It's already the middle of the week and I have yet to blog about my trip to Vietnam.

News about going to Vietnam came sudden on a Thursday morning when my mom announced that I was going with her to fetch my sister. Earlier, we had an agreement that she would go to the neighboring country by herself so as to save money instead of hauling the rest of us on the trip.

I guess she thought I could use the experience so she decided to bring me along. However, I think it was more of a move to help me become more familiarized with the whole process so that I could travel by myself when time comes for me to go home. Saves a lot more money, really. But it scares the shite out of me!!

Nevertheless, I went with it. I mean, who could say no? I don't exactly have a habit of saying no to my mom. So I said 'Yes' and we went when Saturday rolled along.

The road to Vietnam from Phnom Penh is definitely paved with interesting sights. I must admit that when I came to Cambodia some blah blah months ago, I was not so observant of the sights because I was wallowing in my depression. But this time around, it was different. Maybe it was more of a I MUST OBSERVE BECAUSE I WILL BE DOING THIS ALONE NEXT TIME!

It was a good thing, though because now I was able to notice nuances and some practices that I needed to remember to ensure that I would be able to survive.

Truth be told, I am scared of travelling to Vietnam by myself.

I am scared of getting lost (this coming from a girl who believes 'adventure is out there!').

I'm not scared of getting lost in Phnom Penh, but Vietnam seems more... intimidating for me. So I have my fingers crossed. I think I will do fine. I KNOW I will do just fine. I am a big girl anyway.. In every sense of the word!

So what we did was:

• We boarded a bus at the Sapaco Terminal along Preah Sihanouk at around 1:30pm.
• The bus left the bus stop at 2:00pm.
• We reached Bavet around an hour or two after.
• The bus then stopped at Ta Loeung Inn, where we had snacks, or went to the WC. 
• We passed by Cambodia's version of Las Vegas (heehee).
• We then reached the border and crossed it safely at around 6:30pm.
• Then it was a long trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
• When we reached Ho Chi Minh City, our bus got pulled over by cops. Heaven knows what the driver did wrong.
• We waited for around 30 minutes before the bus moved again.
• We reached the Sapaco Terminal in Ho Chi Minh City at 9:00pm.
• We then made our way to Hong Thien Loc Hotel (Pink Blessing Hotel?), which was just nearby.
• And then... TOUCHDOWN!!

I have separate entries for what happened afterward. Haha.. Here's a map for you to check out my route.

I shall post again later.

On a side note, I do hope I am mature enough to make this trip when the time comes for me to travel by myself. :| I am such a wuss!

View Larger Map

Loosening the Ligaments

I believe that one of the biggest challenges of people who write is the actual act of writing itself.

Though it may not be true for everybody, this is a current malady of sorts that my friends and I have suffered. This came about when we somewhat delved into the world of mass article production and wrote like there is no tomorrow.

The trouble with these kinds of things is that after a while, the love of writing withers away into nothingness and well... for some of us, we struggle to find those moments that make us bleed. A morbid thought, I agree, but most of the good stuff that really hits where we desire it to hit is when you grasp from the bottom of your gut and just bleed.

I have not bled in a while.

Several things keep me from bleeding out in the open. But nothing is stopping me from bleeding in private. But I seem to have lost interest in that as well.

It is a shame, at least, for me, to lose the way I used to write as freely as I wished.

I blame the times when I took my writing for granted and wrote mass produced articles instead. Wait. I blame myself for going in that direction.

But now I can only attempt to retrace my roots and tap into what I used to have.

Keeping a diary, a journal, a blog, the way it is meant to be is a goal. Among other things.

I have troubles with this as well, but I guess these will not be solved unless I give myself the whacking I deserve.

Virginia Woolf once wrote in her diary that the value of keeping a diary or a journal helps '...loosens the ligaments. Never mind the misses and the stumbles.'

So this, I guess, is exercise.

Name that [this] Blog!

So many things happen to me whenever I run around the Internet. That is why for sure I can discover a lot of things that catch my interest and for some reason, today is a lucky day to share.

There is this Food Blog Name Generator that I stumbled upon a few hours ago that made me rethink about the name of this blog. It was such fun to keep generating this clever names that I am in fact considering a name change.

Here are some of the top names that I have come up with during my excessive reloading of the name generator:

• Oh My God, It's Full of Sugar!
• Total Bread
• Stealing Inclination
• Omnivorous Eggs
• Deadly Hankering
• A Fistful of Gastronomy
• Bottomless Sugar
• Street Eggs

I've realized that while I do post some inane stuff here, most of my posts focus on food and obviously its probably because I do love food. So a name change is probable, though the URL would remain the same. Besides, it gives this blog more focus, never mind the other things that are also included. But I figured that the names I fancied above can also work with a random blog that is not necessarily a dedicated food blog, but a blog of a food lover still.

What do you think?

Right now, I have a couple of favorites from my list. The runners-up would have to be the following: 1) Oh My God, It's Full of Sugar, 2) Deadly Hankering, 3) Omnivorous Eggs, 4) A Fistful of Gastronomy, and 5) Street Eggs.

Again, what do you think? :)

Check out this LINK to get to the Food Blog Name Generator at The Last Appetite.

Last Indulgence at The Blue Pumpkin

So today my colleague and I decided to dine out for a change.

After quite a few minutes squabbling over the destination, we finally made up our minds and declared that The Blue Pumpkin would be the place to be.

Both of us have not eaten at The Blue Pumpkin yet, so we were a bit apprehensive - especially since we heard rumors about the high prices. Needless to say, we went ahead with our plan and planned to eat pastries if we were not comfortable with the prices.

For my part, I was a bit surprised since the prices were not exactly stellar high, but I guess it is higher than other places.

Upon first entering the place, I was giddy with anticipation as there were simply a lot of pastries that looked de-lish! That, plus the tons of ice cream that greeted me as soon as I stepped inside.

My colleague made her initial order, while we went up to the second floor to grab a booth and see other options.

Upstairs, I spotted the famed bed-couches which looked ultra comfortable and inviting. However, since it was crowded when we arrived, we opted to get a table and get our orders done and over with.

The food:

My friend already ordered her Farmer's Salad ($5.50), while I opted to try something new by choosing the Open Face Chicken Sandwich ($5.50).

 Farmer's Salad has ham, chicken, eggs, cheese, iceberg(?), tomato, and mustard vinaigrette.

Open Face Chicken Sandwich has ratatouille, basil, bacon, and cheese in panini bread.

We also ordered some dessert to make the meal complete. I had the Chocolate Fondant ($3.75), while my friend had the Home-made Yogurt w/ Fruits ($3.00). Yes, she is definitely the healthy eater between the two of us!

Home-made Yogurt with Fruits (pineapple, watermelon, and dragon fruit).

Chocolate Fondant with caramel and cashew ice cream.

The ambiance:

The place itself relaxing, although with the white theme, I cannot help but find the floors a bit dirty. Maybe because it was lunch time and several people already went through it? In my mind's eye, I pictured a crisp white place that was both comfortable and quite clean. It is, after all, white. But it was not what I expected. Still the ambiance and comfort was okay enough.

The location:

The Blue Pumpkin we went to is located along Preah Sisowath Quay.

Image from Your Phnom Penh

Menu pictures:

Conclusion:

The food at The Blue Pumpkin was quite delicious. I found myself enjoying the dish I was served. The Open Face Chicken Sandwich was big and fulfilling, and I loved the mixture of the flavors and cheeeese (huge fan of cheese). Although I am not a huge fan of basil, so I felt the basil coming back up an hour or so later. For the Farmer's Salad, it was delicious looking, but we found the mustard vinaigrette a bit too overwhelming. But maybe because we are not used to it.

The dessert, on my behalf was the highlight of my meal. LOVED IT A LOT. My friend, however, had trouble finishing her fruit mix. 

Although not perfect, the food was satisfying and I think The Blue Pumpkin can be given another try. I do love their cakes, pastry, and ice cream. That's for sure!

WeatheredRockSunset

Sometimes ... well, these days rather, I wonder what I am doing in my life.

This year has been a blizzard of things, yet somehow it feels like It has just crept by slowly like a snail or a slug - slugging on.

I don't really understand what changes are happening, or where my path lies. It just is, and I live through it on a daily basis.

My mind wanders aimlessly throughout the days, and although certain things happen, its not so monumental as to rock my world - most of the time. Often, I find myself enclosed by four bland walls at the end the day, waiting for somebody to come online on Skype. But when that person comes, sometimes I find myself at a loss of words.

I wonder if this is feeling is a lack of happiness. Sure enough, I've never felt really HAPPY over the past few months. I just exist to exist, and that is all there is. I work to provide, I live so that I may one day go home.

There is no happiness.

I guess that is it.

While I do find pleasure in some day-to-day experiences, and at times at night. But these bland walls haunt me.

I miss that soaring feeling. That certain kind of high whenever my special someone is around. I miss hugs. I miss all out laughter. I miss the feeling of freedom.

But I cannot tell others that. It would seem weird.

Then again. I am weird.

Sigh.

[BookWorm] Review: The Mark of Athena

So I wrote an entry about Pchum Ben which happened for the past three days, but I forgot to post it, so that's going into the trash bin.

I had a lot of things to do during the long Pchum Ben holiday (not really) but I only managed to finish a few of those goals because half of the time was spent sleeping (curse you Decolgen Forte!). But one thing's for sure, I did finish reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. It was my ultimate goal, and I was able to complete it. BooYah!

Quick Summary:

Basically, the story picks up right where we left off at the end of 'The Son of Neptune'. They board the Argo II, and then head off to their new adventures. They have their quests, of course, and one of which is a quest that the offspring of Athena must do alone. By the end of the book, they pretty much complete their quests - as usual. 

(I know, I suck at making summaries, but I don't want to write spoilers, too.)

Review:

I give it - **** (4 Stars)

Personally, I've grown attached to Percy Jackson. This book does not give me so much of that 'Percy-time' that I was waiting for, but at least there are some parts. However, I do get that the series is about 'The Heroes of Olympus' and no longer 'Percy Jackson and the...' so I got over the lack of 'Percy-time'. BUT I STILL WANT IT.

Also, there were too many voices in my head. Hard to follow a certain voice... sort of. LOL

And then there was the grown up part. I get it... characters grow up, too. I wish they did not have to grow up though. But I totally respect that. They deal with love now.. ick. And unfortunately, Riordan just had to remind me constantly that they were kissing and kissing and worrying about their partners. It throws them off focus, yo! But I guess that only makes them more human. 

Based on the cover, I predicted that there would be some kind of tension between Jason and Percy. Although Percy is a reluctant leader of sorts and Jason was trained to lead, I still felt there would be some kind of tension between them. There is tension, but not what I expected. I did feel like Jason was shoved to a corner. I like it! Hahaha

There are so many things going on in this book, and because it is just one book with so many things, I feel that these would have been better if they were explored more. Not just as a few snippets or flashes of what happened. I would have loved to read about the several battles that happened but did were not described. And I would have loved to learn about how several of the demigods escaped certain situations but was directed to the other drama happening on the other end. Also, I would have preferred if they were battling out, like the crazy fight that happened when Percy fought with the Titans. 

But that's just me.

Still, I will be waiting for the next book. Too bad I have to wait for another year.

I also cannot wait to start reading the Norse mythology books!!

Go and read The Mark of Athena and see for yourself.

[Artsy Fartsy & Stuff]: Picking up the pen(cil)

Well, I haven't exactly drawn much these days... apart from your everyday doodles, that is.

Nope.

I left my heart and soul in ... the Philippines. LOL I left my crayons, pens, pastels, etc. in a small box that is probably gathering more dust than the desert.

I've never really stopped drawing this and that on the sides and certain sheets of my notebook at work, and today, I've decided to give it a try. Again.

This is what I managed to create today. It is a 'Work in Progress' or WIP.

Its not much.

FYI, I totally suck at drawing humans, and I think this is the first time it turned out at least acceptable (for me).

Yes, I am aware that this is the initial sketch. LOL My friend Rhardo over at Deviantart posts stuff like these.

The initial sketch then shows the progress.

I'm not even sure what I am going to do with this. But I guess it is a start.

I tried to draw something in under 10 minutes, and this would be the outcome.

I find it therapeutic - like writing and reading. I guess what I mean to say is that you might find posts about what I am drawing today. I know its not good enough, but I'm sort of starting out.

Catch you later, dudes!

Puzzle pieces

I guess I had forgotten how much I loved to write what was in my heart.

I guess I had forgotten that a blog is a journal - albeit online - and that journals are collections of thoughts, musings, findings, rants, raves, and basically an anthology of snippets.

I realize that whenever we take something we are passionate above and convert it into something you are forced to do, the inevitable burn out happens. Sucks when it does.

For me, its the road to writing from the heart.

Its living from the heart.

Its existing for who I am.

Puzzle pieces.

Our lives are filled with puzzle pieces, and its a gazillion or something jigsaw puzzle ready to be pieced together.

I pray none of us give up on this project.

Project: Me.

Photo swiped from BlogForProfit

!Silenced.

I've kept mum as of the past couple of days because of several things.

I do not know how to start things anymore, and I know not how the flow of information comes and goes in my mind.

But if anything the past couple of days has taught me is that our freedom of speech is integral and a gift that nobody should take away from us.

Recently, the Philippines' lawmakers passed a bill that is so full of loopholes that when worse comes to worse, even saying 'hehehe' on any social media site or even blogging can be reasons enough to land yourself in jail. It is a terrifying thought, especially for somebody with a motor mouth or somebody who spews ideas about everything and anything - like me.

And yet this idea prompts me to speak out instead.

It angers me that certain people wish to silence those who have opinions. It angers me that there is that law that makes people think twice about expressing.. or maybe just stop expressing at all. On top of that... some supposedly honorable Senator made it possible because he cannot take criticisms. 

May we never be silenced.

Image from BakitWhy.com

This Girl

So there is This Girl whom I am so jealous of.

I think my jealousy of her started when my sister said that her 'Ate' (This Girl) is perfect beyond compare, and that I should be like her, especially since This Girl is so... girly.

At first I just brushed it off, telling my sister that its just too bad that she could not replace me with the sister she wants. But deep down, it hurt. Thus began my jealousy of This Girl.

We met, of course, and she's nice. Which makes me jealous even more. Isn't that how it goes?

This Girl is probably around my age with one adorable kid. 'Good for her', I say. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart. But that does not keep me from being jealous... let me count the ways.

She's pretty.

She's sexy (which my sister keeps repeating and repeating).

She's a cool mom.

She's hip and trendy. And,

She's the sister my sister wants.

I'm a mom, too! But maybe I'm not a cool mom. I don't let my children drink coffee, or play with gadgets and gizmos aplenty. I am not sexy, not even near curvaceous - just plain old fat. And I am definitely not hip nor trendy - bordering along the lines of weird and eclectic. I am not pretty, too. And most of all, I guess my sister does not want me to be her sister.

The last one hurts like hell.

I've got to hand it over to This Girl, even I cannot hate her. I try not to hate people anyway... especially since she is nice. I think. I am just jealous. I just wanted to get that out in the open.

But if I were asked if I would change to be like her - because I am so jealous of her - then I would say, NO.

Why?

Even though I am not a cool mom, I stand by my decision to allow/teach my children to read books, do arts and crafts, listen to music without headphones on, and just play in the sun. I still prefer to create cardboard box houses with them, and so on. As jealous as I am with This Girl, I think I will stick to my goofy self and just maybe admire how cool she is - as best as I can! LOL

I try not to be jealous with This Girl. Really. Jealousy is baaaaaaaaaad.

I swear, I have tried everything I could think of to make myself feel better, but it just is not working.

*le sigh* Well, I just wanted to say that out loud. :) Hehe

Cheers.

** This post was written 3 days ago, but I am so lazy/busy/lame these days. C'est la vie!

DQ (Dairy Queen) mode

Some days I am content to just eat my packed lunch and wait for the rest of my lunch break to pass by. I eat like the wind, you see, and even when I try to eat slowly, time does crawl by when you are eating alone.

Last Friday, I had this intense craving for ice cream, so I asked one of my Khmer colleagues if she would like to step out onto the blistering heat and enjoy ice cream as well. My friend was feeling rather low as well, and incidentally had a craving for pints, nay gallons, of ice cream and so she agreed.

I suggested that we head over to the Dairy Queen shop along Riverside, which was recently opened, and although she was hesitant at first, I managed to get her to try something new.

After some adventure with myself attempting to drive a scooter, we reached Dairy Queen shop and stepped into the cool shop. The selections were not much, but it was enough. I was curious enough about the Blizzard ice cream, so I ordered the Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard. My friend, on the other hand got something else with bananas and apples. Unfortunately, I was too excited about my ice cream to care what she had. We even had a small Oreo Blizzard cup for free!

Dairy Queen has this test with Blizzard that before it is served, it is held upside down and the ice cream should not fall off. If it does, I think you get ice cream for free.

So the dude giving us our ice cream upturned our Blizzards and I was amazed at how the ice cream did not fall off!!

Kewl.

Overall, I had a blast that day. It satisfied my hankering, cooled off my friend's depression, and we had a cool lunch break.

I hope to return to DQ again sometime. When the time is right. ;)

**The Dairy Queen ice cream shop is located along Riverside (Preah Sisowath Quay) next to Pizza Company.

CyberSpud: Revolution - Pilot Review

So, I chanced upon the pilot episode of Revolution - TV series (see previous post) and was able to watch just a few hours ago.

Review:

No spoilers, okay. 

I found the pilot of Revolution very interesting. It peaked my interest to see how humans survive when there is no power, no technology, and people are forced back to basics. Not before technology, but AFTER life right now where almost everything relies heavily on technology.

I still think Eric Kripke is a genius. He is creative, and his ideas, pacing, etc are good. Color me biased or whatever because of my undying love for Supernatural and its creator. But that is how it is.

One thing I noticed with Revolution is that it also carries the same theme as with Supernatural, where family is the core of the series. And the attention to detail and I also think Revolution is well researched the same way as Supernatural.

It's also awesome how most of the fighting is through hand to hand combat, and guns are available but somewhat treated as valuables. Like I said... INTERESTING.

The pilot is set to hit TV screens on September 17, but NBC decided to show it ahead... or something.

I am definitely adding Revolution to my must-watch list.

** In case you were wondering... Yes, I do have a weakness for dystopian, supernatural, mythological themes.

CyberSpud: 2012 Fall TV - New Series

Basically, I've run out of things to say. There are 1 or 2 posts in drafts which will come out sooner or later, but for now, with the BER months being here, why don't I share what the couch potato is waiting for on the telly?

Unfortunately, this might not be a long list, and I am not so overly excited with this year's new offerings. Unlike last year when I had a calendar marked and alarms set, this year.. the pickings are slim, but at least there are some that have somewhat caught my interest. These are the following in no particular order:

666 Park Avenue (September 30)

In a nutshell: A couple movies into a luxurious apartment with sinister shady weird inhabitants.

Why the interest?

I live in an apartment. Creepy things happen here. I need something to feed my imagination. And, I need some horror sometimes. Should be fun.

Arrow (October 10)

In a nutshell: CW's take on DC's Green Arrow.

Why the interest?

Heroes are my weakness. Trailer looks good, too.

Beauty and the Beast (October 11)

In a nutshell: Modern day version of the 80s series. Same concept of a beauty... and a beast. Hehe

Why the interest?

I love the story of Beauty and the Beast. It never gets old for me. Also, I like Kristin Kreuk. But I am not so sure if the TV series will hold my interest after the pilot. *Fingers crossed*

Elementary (September 25)

In a nutshell: Another Sherlock series. This time in America. And Watson is female.

Why the interest?

I am curious to see how Lucy Liu becomes Watson. I like the other Sherlock though. However, I am getting weary with crime-solving TV series. I hope this would be good.

Partners (September 24)

In a nutshell: Basically a TV series that revolves around the lives of two friends and their respective partners.

Why the interest?

Sophia Bush. I will watch pretty much anything that stars Sophia Bush. 

Revolution (September 17)

In a nutshell: Group of people survive in a post-apocalyptic future devoid of electricity and laden with mythology.

Why the interest?

Post-apocalyptic future with loads of mythology + drama? YES, please! Also, I have TONS and TONS of respect and love for Eric Kripke for bringing me Supernatural. I am crossing my fingers and toes for this one - especially because Terra Nova was cancelled.

~~~

Not a lot, I know. I guess I have to rely on my regulars to keep me happy.

What about you? What new TV shows are you planning to watch?

My GIFTS

Here's the thing, somebody once told me that I keep saying the word 'gift'. Like, 

"Hey! Your @$$ is HUGE!" and I'd say, "Thank you! It's a gift!"

You get my drift, don't you?

Sure, it is a joke, but apart from being a joke, it is also quite true. It was given to me, ergo, a gift from my maker. Not sure if you got yours from the same maker, but a gift is a gift, and gifts - I believe - should be well-received.

It took me a long time to wrap my head around that concept, but I think I am getting there. Pronouncing things as gifts make me happy. So sue me.

Getting gifts, giving gifts, making gifts, wrapping gifts, and thinking about gifts gives me a happy flutter where my heart used to be. I am sorry if saying it bugs the heck out of people, but I don't see any harm in actually saying I have gifts from higher powers. Although I am not worthy of such gifts, but who are you to hate on what I have been given. 

I still don't get it. So what if I say 'gift' a lot? I have gifts. You have gifts. Everybody is GIFTED. I am VERY GIFTED. Harhar!

Jeluz?

Apples and Ton Lob (Persimmons)

Everybody, I believe, needs to start eating healthier these days. With all the processed food that we consume, it is no surprise that most people are now becoming slower, more sluggish, and just plain unhealthy.

I've taken it upon myself to eat healthier and since Phnom Penh is not known for its abundance of seafood - the kind I happen to like - I have resorted to eating fruits and vegetables. Still working on decreasing the amount of rice intake though.

Today, while munching on an apple, one of my Khmer friends dared me to try a fruit called ton lob (tolep). They said its one of the fruits common to their country, and a definite 'MUST TRY' for a foreigner such as myself. I tried asking them for the English name of the fruit, but they said they believe this is a Khmer fruit - thus possessing a Khmer name only.

After further investigation (read: Google-ing), I discovered that ton lob (tolep) is also known in English as a persimmon.

Persimmons are fruits I've read about in books and I think I've seen pictures as well, but I have never seen in real life. Not sure if this fruit is available in the Philippines, but I would have tasted it if it were.

The persimmon I had on hand looked very much like those plump red tomatoes - only it was orange  - which prompted me to ask if my friends were attempting to fool me by making me eat a tomato disguised as a fruit. But when I held it, it was actually heavier than a tomato, and definitely more solid. After my friend cut it up and set it next to my apple, I had no choice but to try.

I guess you could say, good things come to those who try. harhar because it was delicious! Really, really delicious. Albeit it was not THAT sweet, but it was fulfilling. Yum!

I hear you can purchase persimmons around Phnom Penh in any of their markets. I might as well ask my friends to buy more for me. Or at least point me to the right direction!

Life is Unfair(?)

I started this post intent on ranting about the recent unfair, unjust, unbelievably effed up turn of events in my life. Then I thought about it a bit, and decided, what the heck, I might as well think about the positives in my life.

But life is unfair. It is a jagged little pill that is painfully hard to swallow, but we swallow it all the same. Not because we want to, but do we really have a choice?

I guess at some point we have to put on our big girl panties and face the world with a smile. C'est la vie, I say to myself. But I am not quite sure I have convinced myself enough.

To be honest, I am on the verge of going back to my favorite place by the river and cry another river about it. The only thing stopping me from doing it is the thought that there are worst cases out there, and mine... well, I'm just making a mountain out of my molehill.

I figured that we can curse life as much as we curse Mondays, but these things always come anyway. They hit us when we are down, daring us to stand up. Most of the time, I've stood up, brushed the dust off my gorgeous self, and mosey on. I hope I can do it this time around.

So yeah... life is unfair.

I hereby leave you with a last idea for this post. I think it makes a lot of sense.

By the way, if you are feeling sad, lonely, unappreciated, effed up, bewildered, crappy, unhappy, and all those damning thoughts, I hope you cheer up and see the sliver of hope all storm clouds have. Besides, if not for those storm clouds, we never would appreciate the light of day.

Cheers.

Dinner at ViNi Garden

My brother is flying off back to the Philippines in a few hours and as a way of celebrating his good fortune at landing a job, my mom took us to ViNi Garden for hours of unadulterated gorging.

While ViNi Garden is far from being a fine dining joint, it is quite appropriate for a bunch of Filipinos going on a food craze. Why? Because you pay around $10 per head, and then you can eat all you can, get as much as you want. And contrary to most buffet-style, eat-all-you-can restaurants, ViNi Garden does not mind if you have a few leftovers. They trust you enough to eat to your capacity! Awesomesauce!

ViNi Garden offers its patrons with a variety of dishes to choose from. Basically, they provide you with your own melting pot and grill where you can dunk seafood, meats, and other yummy stuff as you please. Naturally, we went for the seafood and meats, without paying much attention to the greens. Yes, you can dunk all sorts of greenery if you wish. A total free for all, I tell you!

When dining at ViNi Garden, you get the food, various dessert options, various drink options, etc. - as many as your stomach can hold! If that is not SATISFYING dining, then I don't know what is. My favorite dessert would have to be the ice cream. I just love, love, LOVE their ice cream!

While ViNi Garden is not the only place in Phnom Penh where you can eat all you can - they have a lot of those here! - I shall leave adventures to those areas some other time.

ViNi Garden is located at: No. 108, Wat Langkar (St. 55), corner of Phuong (St. 264), Behind Mobitel HQ, 12207 Phnom Penh

Sleep is for the Weak

“I've always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed.” -  David Benioff, City of Thieves

A year ago, if somebody asked me about my sleeping habits, I would've said, "I have no problem. I sleep like a log." Which was true by the way. So true, in fact, you would just snap your fingers as I hit the pillow and I'd snore from here to kingdom come. Yes, that is a by-product of exhaustion and juggling more than 1 job.

These days, however, I've found sleep to be elusive. Though my talent in sleeping in a blink of an eye remains, it only happens when I get a foothold of the train to dreamland. Other than that, I toss and turn and make it seem like the bed is too small, too hot, too uncomfortable. This is so weird.

I've never had sleep problems, but as of the past few weeks, I've found myself simply awake until the wee hours of the morning, with thoughts running around my mind, complete with background music and narrators.

Take last night for example, I figured out that I was already asleep because my eyes were drooping after doing some reading. So I shut off the light, closed my eyes, and then... waited. But nothing came.

Instead, I hear Bob Marley in my brain talking about life, hardships, and I forgot the rest. I was not looking at Bob Marley, but he was definitely talking about what's going on in the world. Hmm.. when I tried to think about white clean spaces and focus on my breathing instead, I conked out for a few minutes, and then 'Could You Be Loved' starts playing in my mind. Just the chorus part though.

I guess I do not have to tell you the excruciating details when one suffers insomnia, but I can tell you for sure, it is anything but quick. I think I managed to nod off to sleep at around 3 a.m., and then woke up at 6 a.m. Normally, that is fine with me because I used to work like that. But these days, it is not so nice.

Oh, and you can forget about me going online during those hours. Aside from having trouble sleeping, I am also getting bored with the Internet. After being online since 1998 or 1999, I think that I may be a little bit tired of it?

To Sir, With Love

I like writing emails. Do you? I've said this perhaps a thousand times in the past, and those who've read my previous blogs would say, 'Yeah! Yeah! You like writing emails... we KNOOOOOWW!!' But since this is a new blog, heh, I would like to inform you that I do love writing emails. Impossibly lengthy ones that sometimes my friends mistake it for a novel that I have created. But no, I am not a novelist - but I do like to write!

What my friends do not know, however, is that despite the fact that I love to string up stories, rants, complaints, and nonsense in my emails, there is one thing about emails that siezes me with a mixture of apprehension, dread, and a certain amount of queasiness... the valediction.

For those may not know what a 'valediction' is, this is the part at the end of the email, just before you sign your name. Maybe some of you do not use valedictions now with your emails and whatnot, but I do use these even though it makes me uneasy.

It is not really a problem when I am emailing my friends because I could always sign using XOXO, or 'Love,' or nothing at all. But in general, I pause to think, "How do I end this?"

I used to love using the classics such as: "Best regards," "Bests," "Regards," etc. But now, not so much. While I do know when to properly sign formal letters with "Respectfully," "Respectfully yours," "Sincerely yours," and others, I am still on sea legs when it comes to the informal parts. Gah.

Let me tell you a secret: It takes me at most an hour to decide what to use as valediction whenever I send work emails.

As of late, I have resorted to using parting words as valediction. Although I've read somewhere that these may not exactly be acceptable. I don't want make my boss rethink his decision to hire me over a nutty valediction, but I cannot bring myself to make serious declarations in emails by saying "God be with you," "Truly yours," "From the heart," "Forever yours" Hah! Okay, I'm kidding on those things, but sometimes you want to be light but still present.

Help?

If I had my way, I'd sign my emails with the following: "Ciao," "Fare thee well" (but this is not ancient times!), "Smell you later," (but they might think I smell them through email!), "Think of me" (uh, no) "Toodles," (cute, but I think I'd sound ... not like myself!). Hah. No, I won't use those, but I will figure it out one of these days. Besides, since Cambodia is still in its infancy when it comes to English and slang, I've been asked in more than one occasion what the heck I was talking about. It can be tiring to have to explain.. and in most instances the brunt force of the joke is lost. Le sigh.

One time, I signed "May the Force be with you!" and a former colleague asked, "Why are you forcing me?" ... Nevermind. Or maybe I didn't get the joke? Hmmm...

What about you? What valedictions do you use and what do you think is appropriate for work emails?

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! 

Cheers!

Arrivederci!

Stay happy!

Stay healthy!

Take care!

Ta-ta!

Toodle-oo!

Write to me.

Hullo!

So, I'm back.. on track. But maybe not that much.

Been quite busy for the past few weeks (read: lazy), and I was not able to blog much. I don't think it was because of a lack of things to say, perhaps because I was busy and at the end of the day I felt so lazy and tired that I just wanted to vegetate.

What's up?

Good news, about Marion. Although they are still in need of your help and kindness, I believe they have reached an agreement with the hospital to proceed with the surgery that Marion really, really, needs. So, thank God, Goddess, Allah, Buddha, and all the higher beings for their help and guidance.

In other news, the Philippines is being attacked by torrential downpour. There have been many lives lost, especially in Luzon, which is quite terrifying. While August remains to be the rainy season in the Philippines, I wish it did not have to be so catastrophic.

While I was traipsing through the web, I chanced by the Inquirer page and found some trolls making rude remarks on comments made by concerned citizens. While I normally do not bother with people such as these, it can be sad and annoying to find commenters who have nothing better to do than curse others and/or put people down. Peace and Love, yo! Peace and Love.

Meanwhile, in Cambodia, the heat is killing me. But, there are worst things in life, so I am thankful that I am alive, and I pray that may Angels guide, guard, and comfort those who are suffering.

So.. what have you been up to?

Wordless Wednesday: Help for Marion

This is Marion Sid Hendryx Undag. He is a 2-month old baby boy who has been diagnosed with esophageal artresia.

Marion is the son of my good friend, Abba, and we would like to knock on your kind hearts to help Marion in any way that you can.

Marion had an operation last June 4, 2012; however, the the said operation was not successful and the doctors are looking into another operation that would save this baby's life. Unfortunately, the hospital and doctors' bills are far too much, and the second operation will not take place until my friend has paid at least 75% of the current hospital bills. For more information, please visit the website below:

http://www.gofundme.com/Help-for-Marion

Please help Marion in any way that you can. Prayers and even the smallest amount that you can share are greatly appreciated.

Food Trip Friday: OM NOM NO...

Confession: I am not THAT adventurous when it comes to food. Call me 'BORDERLINE PICKY.'

It's like I've never outgrown the phase where I would pout and say, "NO." when my mom feeds me things that do not really appeal to me.

You could say that when I was younger, I think there were some instances where my mom would threaten to shove food down my throat, or worse, perhaps tell me horror stories of going blind if I did not eat yellow vegetables. I think that was partially true though - I do sport eyeglasses.

However, over the past few years, I have attempted to become more adventurous with food. I have tried eating more dishes that I would normally ignore. In short, I am growing up... well, maybe not THAT much. Still, progress IS progress.

I already gave myself a good pat for being a good girl and trying out new things, until my newfound Khmer friends introduced me to this delectable dish (photo taken by my cousin).

Yes, folks, those are grilled centipedes. Hmmm...

I don't know about others, but whenever I see a centipede, I imagine the words "WARNING!" flashing near it... if I am close to it, that is. I always thought that these lil critters were deadly, lethal even, but apparently there are some that are lethal, but not all.

I learned that in Cambodia, there are a number of insects that they consider as food. Oh, sure, I've seen crickets being eaten as well. But as semi-adventurous as I am, I draw the line at insects. It's just that insects and I have a hate-hate relationship, and I am squeamish.

My husband thinks that the cure for my 'bug squeamishness' is for me to actually taste bugs... *gulp* No thank you.

For the curious ones, here is a nice link that will show you how to cook certain types of insects. Some of these include tarantulas, scorpions, locusts, crickets, and the like.

As for me and my stomach, we believe that 'Insects are soon-to-be friends, not food.'

Thank you!