Happiness 101

It's time for an award again. The phenomenal blogger and bloggy friend, Thom of Thom's Place 4 Well Whatever bestowed upon me this Happiness Award. Thank you, Thom. I like awards that are a way to highlight things that make me happy. This is so nice of you. I appreciate this very much.

Here are the suggestions:

1. Link the blogger who gave you the award on your post...
2. Write 10 things that make you happy...
3. Share it with at least 10 friends...Have fun!

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:

i. my boys, biological CJ and canine Mozart

ii. rustic charm

iii. the absence of pressure from my job on my personal life

iv. playing the piano

v. not having to cook dinners when I don't want to

vi. internet

vii. reading: libraries, bookstores, books, museums

viii. travelling / sightseeing

ix. blogging

x. real friends, online and offline

An extra:

xi. the third suggestion from this award makes me happy too. It is a suggestion, not a rule. Therefore I won't be breaking any rule if I passed this award on to just half of the suggestion, but all lovely and wonderful lady bloggers:

Anya of Kareltje en ikke!!!

Kalea_kane of EnRoute to Life

Jewel of Musings from the World of Jewel

Carrie of Reading to Know

Laura of Outnumbered Mom

Bananas and concubines

What did Thailand's King Narai and Israel's King Solomon have in common?

After exploring King Narai's throne hall, I made my way to the living quarters of his women. My mind was prepared for large, cavernous remains; half-expecting a dusty, out-of-tune grand in the midst. I was both surprised and disappointed. The place looked like a row of classrooms. Ah well, they were minor wives. A Hanging Gardens of Babylon replica, no matter how skeletal it's imagined to be, was too much digression. The renovation at some parts nudged me all the more back to the present.

But not for long. Towards the end of and opposite the quarters I found something I have never seen before:

Could King Narai's concubines be as numerous as these?

My outdated camera went bananas...

The entire bunch looks bent on lengthening down. Stretch, blossom, wither to the ground. Take my kiss back to Mother Earth, will you?

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A Filipina at the Dodgers

Musical Monday: Star-Spangled Banner
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For several weeks I wanted to feature some piece I thought was patriotically moving, but was always sidetracked by something else. This weekend's Super Bowl in the US and today's Monday Mayhem seem in tune with the time to finally post this. Here's 16-year old Charice Pempengco, a Filipina singing America's national anthem at the Dodgers game opening on April 13th 2009.

Diane @ Good Mourning, Glory! hosts

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Monday Mayhem: Our Homelands
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Today's meme is a reflection of our participants. It is called the Philippines and the Americans. Let's test our knowledge of our country and others.

Answer these questions as best as you know how. You may learn something new....

What is the 'official name' of each country?
Republic of the Philippines
United States of America

Which country has more people living in it?
U.S.A.
P.S. I cheated; can't believe the population explosion in RP could surpass the geographical size of America and therefore relative population figure so I googled it and my USA hunch matched the search results.

Name a famous Spanish explorer who had a great impact on each country.

<>

Christopher Columbus, USA * I doubt Columbus was spanish though
Ferdinand Magellan, Philippines * Magellan was not spanish either. He just wasn't happy with Portugal oh... Grandma Hazel apologizes for the blab.

Who has the better shoe collection?
Imelda R. Marcos
Carrie Bradshaw
Harriet
*Marie Antoinette

What is the shape of a football?
Oval
Round
Don't want to stir up controversy.
Oval

What's the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
Same damn thing stupid
Where they occur according to the dateline
One is intended to wipe out Florida the other is intended to keep relatives from moving in.
1 and 2
one is intended to ax crab mentality among pinoys; the other is intended to teach humility to humanity

What is the proper spelling of the word ' color '?
Colour
Color
Don't want to stir up controversy.
color is American, colour is British. As to 'properness' I don't want to stir up controversy.

Who makes the best Pizza?
Domino's
Pizza Hut
Lou Malnati's
Some dude in NYC
I'll just answer Pizza Hut because it is what we have here

Which country does Thom live closer to?

US
Philippines
Who cares?
Who the heck is Thom?
Doesn't Thom live in Hawaii which is USA? and Philippines (to me at least) seems soooo far away from Hawaii.

Finally, tell us something great about your country.
If you are earning dollars you can easily buy an entire island. Contact me for more details. No, I don't do hard-core real estate but I may be able to lead you to someone who does nyahahah!

Harriet hosts

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Grand Hyatt and Pretentious Meme 2

Our Weekend Memoirs: Grand Hyatt Weekend
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A friend visited and we spent a weekend at the Grand Hyatt.
We discussed tours in the breakfast area.

One perk of luxury hotels is that reading materials available in the rooms are no-nonsense, elitist types.

That and the fact that I didn't have to cook eight meals were what made this weekend very enjoyable.

Ebie and Arlene host
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Sunday Stealing: The Pretentious Blogging Meme 2

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This is a note from Judd. You can read more about Sunday Stealing by clicking the link:
Hi everyone and welcome to this year's Super Sunday Stealing! Today our meme originated from TWO sources. When I edited last week's meme, most questions were multiple questions. So I separated them. It was suppose to be an 18 question meme. When I realized that 7 questions

were missing, it was too late. At least a dozen people had already done the meme. So the first questions today are from the meme we stole from Little Bark from the blog The Tree Unleashed. Last week a player, Going Like Sixty added questions of his own and invited us to use them this week. So we took the questions that I didn't published (Boy, was Bud pissed! Only joking...) and most of Sixty's questions and we now have part two of a 25 question meme. If you missed last week, here's your chance to do a two for one!

12. How many drafts of potential blog posts do you have right now? one

13. In what medium do you draft your posts? 'instruction' and 'psychic' are the only 2 things my brain can muster when I see or hear medium

14. How often do you completely scratch or delete drafts or blog post ideas? rarely

15. If you had to leave your blog in your will to another blogger, who would you choose? no one

16. Are there other blogs that you feel are similar to yours in content, style, or voice? yes

17. Has anything surprised you since you started blogging? What a great companion it can be to someone bored and sometimes insomniac like me

18. What are your goals or plans for your blog going forward? to blog about non-bloggy goals-come-true

19. Do you make any money from your blog? (optional) about how much a month? I once told a friend I wanted to sell rice; and he said 'you won't even sell a blog'

20. What blogging system do you use? blogger

21. How did you come up your blog name? Des is from a title of a poem on the wall of a high school classmate's house

22. How many blogs do you have? What was your peak? one

23. Are you having as much fun as when you started? more in fact

24. Where do you find other bloggers like you? in the memes

25. What’s your one wish when it comes to blogging? that commentors could focus on at least one idea from the post and not give me the impression that they only commented so I would comment back or because I commented on theirs

CHEERS TO ALL US THIEVES!

Bud Weiser hosts

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In the pink of health

Then Sings My Soul Saturday: Lord You Are Good - Worship Dance
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Pink is up today for the ladies at Mom Dot. The concept got me thinking of "in the pink of health." After an illness last year, Thailand's monarch came out of the hospital in a pink suit. The royal tailor commented that pink is the color he chose His Majesty would wear to convey the assurance to the Thai people that their beloved king is back to good health; that he is in the pink of health.

A more wonderful concept is that health is granted equally to everyone, royals or commoners alike, by the King of all kings. 'Your body is the temple of God' is usually followed by advice such as take care of it, honor it by keeping it healthy and clean not just physically but also spiritually. I questioned myself: what have I been doing to my health lately? Go to bed after midnight? Work my body to death? It's high time something better is done to this health, like exercise besides a balanced diet and rest. I'd pass the hard, gym type exercise; got loads of that over the week at work. I'm talking of appreciating an exercise for the mind and spirit. It's invigorating to relive the vibrancy and energy of youth featured on this worship dance.

Amy hosts

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Small Talk Six: Pink Favorites
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These are six of my favorite things that are pink. All images except the smoothie and the shoes are from my archive.

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KarenC hosts
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Regency delight and love language

Friday's Fave Five: Regency Period Cake
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Ambience of Banana Leaf
Restaurant dinners continue to be the trend for us this week. Rustic charm has always been a big hit to me and Banana Leaf's got it. Buckets of real wheat, garlic and pumpkin hang adorning the wall. Plus the sweet and sour fish and chicken with cashew nuts and mushroom are a real pleasure.

J Lo Live
This was a gift to me two years ago. Cj is too young to be choosy with scents. He smiles playfully when I spray it on him and I laugh inwardly thinking he is a boy wearing a girl's perfume. This week we both smell the same :)

Cyberbanking
I finally dragged documents and myself down K Bank to register for online financial transactions. Spending only what I earn suits me best as I avoid debts and the convenience of sorting expenses any time of day in familiar surrounding is always welcome.

Music in the air
Whatever happened to the PA system at work? An old song was coming off it this morning. The sound led my eyes to the open gym where members of the ballroom dancing club were practising slow dance steps to You Needed Me. It was an auditory treat to think that this PA normally trumpets off announcements like "those who have INCs in Taxation 101 please proceed to...."

Regency period delight
I browsed sites about Jane Austen, one of my favorite authors, and found this very delightful thing. The post includes instructions on how to create it. Although I'm not baking anytime soon nor am I a huge cake eater, I'm blown by the loveliness of the idea that one day I will come up with this thing of beauty on my table.

Susanne hostsYou can read more faves at Living to Tell the Story

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Mommy Moments: Love Language
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Based on Chris's Thursday post about love language as described by Gary Chapman, this is how Cj and I communicate our love to each other:

• Words of Affirmation. People need to hear compliments. Simple "thank you" or "you look wonderful today" is important to this people.

Cj always says, "Thank you Mommy" everytime I give him his milk. I also say "I love you, Baby Pooh" constantly, besides affirmative adjectives when he shows me his drawings (eventhough I look like a dinosaur most of the time) or shapes he forms from his blocks.

Once in the Philippines I was curious as to who Cj was playing with outside the house so I went to check. As soon as he noticed me, he stopped playing, put his hand on the back of my legs (that's all he could reach at the age of 2) and addressed his playmates, "My Mommy." At first I didn't realize that he was introducing me to his friends, but when I did, I thought I just experienced one of life's greatest pleasures!

Acts of Service. People receive love through acts of service like fixing the bed, preparing a meal for them or doing a chore for them.

Now that I'm taking care of Cj singlehandedly, I get to do what I never did when a caregiver was around. I would be lying if I said that on top of my official duties outside the home, domestic chores do not tire me. They certainly wear me down but when Cj does what I ask him to do like, "turn off the light, please;" "hand me the spoon, please;" "go to the computer, Ceej and please play a movie," I am thrilled and ready to face another day.

Physical Touch. People need to be hugged, touched, or sit close together.

Cj gets this love in abundance; he responds well.

Receiving Gifts. People need to receive thoughtful, not necessarily expensive, gifts.

Check.

Quality Time. People equate love with spending time with them like listening to them, walking, talking and the likes.

*sigh* As a working single mom quality time seems to be my shortcoming. But I'm working on improving the situation.

Chris hosts

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Chat snippets

At night when work is done, two old maids chat. These are random snippets from their late night cyber tete-a-tete, which no longer is in this case. This is six weeks worth of observations of the state of things about and around them. Besides disclosures that one is a mama, and the other a medical doctor, most likely you can easily spot giveaways to infer their general philosophy and theorize their old maid status.

Header by Samulli. Megan and Janet have more lists here.

1. My stuttering fingers...

2. I dive feet first... Australia in October ... after suffering and embarrasing myself doing PhD I'd like something lighter like learn how to fly a helicopter and before the luggage joins the cobwebs - PEI: Anne Shirley of Green Gables; Chawton: Jane Austen

3. Happy sabbath, mareng (mareng is slang for matron) ... he probably doesn't know how patrician National Trust staff are

4. You? cry over a guy? no way!... 007 as in James Bond?... and you thought he's in touch with reality....

5. I chatted with Ivan on Facebook. He was looking for you. He said he liked secrets. I told him some things are better left unsaid... I'm glad there's a distance between us.

6. Stolen hours... clueless Florence Nightingale mutants ... a dangerous addiction

7. Neither of us have dates. We could howl at the blue moon during countdown

8. I hope the photos load properly then you can see my Robin Hood's merry men leggings... I didn't have time to buy a camera last night ... we'll just have to bear with my antique camera then

9. My OT was even worse before, 36 hours straight ... I love it here. No deaths, no CPR... would you practise medicine again? I'd love to see you with a steth slung on your neck

10. I miss my lunch hour to get a trim... though I miss my long hair that covered my back acne

11. Little guy discovered the wonders of the mouse... he drew my face on my research notepad, but he misplaced my eyes.... Alright you go lullabye first. I'm watching youtube's Blue Lagoon.

12. I'm getting bookish again; reading at night and doing the sweats... reading a book by a first novelist called Run for Home... I prefer the real book, not the ebook. I just love looking at a filled bookshelf especially if it's mine.

13. Real books have the advantage of readability in the prone, supine, and lateral decubitus position.

Mama Old Maid / Doctor Old Maid

Of short heights and thrones

The few visitors in the throne hall of King Narai's palace were leaving when I got there. Pleased with the solitude, I lingered. The quiet seemed to usher in an opportunity to commune with the spirit of the ruins, however fleeting it was. As with usual thrones, this one is elevated. One suggested attribution is the king's short height. Over at his palace King Narai had ambassadors of France's King Louise XIV whose practice of wearing high heels was hypothetically due to his being not very tall. There might have been some influence or connection there.

Whether these kings were short or tall, records show they certainly occupied thrones. This is the Dusit Sawan hall. Imagine King Narai going up the steps to sit on his throne. I tried climbing. It was uncomfortable, but then I'm no king.

This is (a closer look of) the memorial plaque portraying King Narai granting an audience with french ambassadors

I ambled behind the throne which was like playing hide n' seek with whatever friendly ghost was left in there. The ruins still exuded so much character. Numerous climbs must have happened on this flight of stairs before the roof went off to reveal that sole flier in the vast blue above.

Then I proceeded to the living quarters of the king's many wives....

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The one you love and bathroom musings

Musical Monday: The One You Love
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Lately I've been thinking of two people I know. Questions posed in this song are similar to the ones I have on my mind about a complicated attachment between them. And I've always loved the saxophone before Eagle's Glenn Frey starts crooning.

Diane hosts

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Monday Mayhem: Bathroom Musings
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1. What do you read when you are sitting on the toilet? I used to have a tray of my favorite magazines. Now it's virtually nothing.

2. Do you pee in the shower? we're not supposed to, are we?

3. Do you always wash your hands after you use the toilet? yes

4. Do you allow someone to come into the bathroom while you are using the toilet? it happens if I don't shut the door

5. Do you clean your shower in the nude? yes, most of the time

6. When you use the toilet at someone else's house do you go through their medicine cabinet and/or their bathroom cabinets and drawers? NO! This q though takes me to that farewell party in the house of a hospital president 13 years ago. His bathroom was filled with numerous perfumes from all over the world, placed on shelves, and blimey, what a display that was.

7. For the Men...Have you ever left the toilet seat up on purpose to irritate the woman in your life? when I was married toilet seats were the least of my worries whether they were down or up, and no, the ex wasn't into this

8. For the Women...Have you ever fallen into the toilet because someone left the toilet seat up? once and for the first time last week. It was around midnight. I followed my 5 year-old to the bathroom half asleep. He forgot the seat; his first offense that I quickly forgave.

9. Do you courtesy flush? of course

10. Do you light a match or a candle or spray an air freshner when you are finished pooping? spray the air freshener if there's no fan

11. Have you ever fallen asleep on the toilet? no

12. What is the strangest thing you have ever flushed down the toilet? a coin

Harriet hosts

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Pretentious Diet

Our Weekend Memoirs: Dieting on Eggs
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The chinese guy selling noodles in front of 7 Eleven also sells eggs. I wanted to buy some but he was busy with his customers and I couldn't wait. Back in front of the pc, a recent report that Margaret Thatcher's pre-election victory diet included 28 eggs a week had me reading more than I normally would big news. She is said to have told an interviewer that she had "no special dieting regime." Her pocket diary, which was released by the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust seems to have revealed otherwise. But don't we all sometimes like to keep others wondering?

The Iron Lady's husband though gives it to us straight and cool. When asked "who wears the pants in this house?" He replied, "I do. And I also iron them." This anecdote is exactly what I thought of while my southeast asian ass err... blood was quivering in the London cold as I stood on this famous street.

Then Mr Savior-of-the-Monarchy (according to wife Cherie on Queen) Tony Blair was the resident this armed guy was ready to rock for. I reckon this security is not Barney's play pretend. Now on to the only begotten egg left in my fridge. I fried it for Cj and me while writing this post and now we have to endure burnt egg white. I've run out of sugar as well. But not to worry I'll conjure fructose into my coffee. My wok magicked the yolk into staying soft. It won't be an entirely bitter breakfast after all. Happy Sunday, friends!

Ebie and Arlene host

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Sunday Stealing: The Pretentious Blogging Meme
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Today we ripped this meme off a blogger known as Little Bark from the blog The Tree Unleashed. She explains that she found it over at The Tree of Life. It appears it originated on that blog. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. How long have you been blogging? a year tomorrow

2. What made you start? it's more affordable, more therapeutic than other hobbies; and I can do it sitting on a 125-baht chair; or if I were pretending: a pathological need for attention. Rita Skeeter said that. Real neurotics will never own up to their 'eyes swimming with the ghost of their past'

3. Who inspired you? other bloggers

4. About how many hours a week would you estimate you spend on your blog? at first about 3-4 hours a day. multiply that by 7 and that's how addicted I was. But like common observation blogging is therapeutic so the product you have on your mathematical mind has been lessened as the days wore on

5. What kind of experience or background do you have with writing? those composition attempts in 4th grade

6. Talk about how you come up with blog topics. Where do you get your ideas? I look no further than the memes

7. What or who inspires you and your blog? the discovery that some bloggers are more neurotic than I am. Actually I thought of saying me, myself and I but I'm not sure how JK Rowling would take repeat quoting offenders

8. Where and/or how do [sic] your brainstorming for your blog? I brainstorm in my daydreams

9. Do you have any blogging rules or guidelines you follow? that I try to learn something from what I read

10. Is there anything you will not blog about? none if I got no other life to bother myself about

11. Do you have any sort of a publishing schedule in terms of day of week or topic? I publish according to my bio-rhythm

Bud hosts

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