Delineating Des

Edit: This post is for Friday, May 1st 2009. One night when Cj was in Pinas, my mother rushed him to the hospital because he just wouldn't stop crying. When the doctor started examining him, he became quiet like he never cried in the first place. They could not find anything wrong with him. False alarm. They went home. The rest of Cj's visits to the doctors, are purely routine checks, except for an ear infection when he was about five months old. We had him treated at Samitivej Hospital. I hated the way the nurse pricked Cj's finger for a blood sample. She wasn't gentle. Cj has a fairly high tolerance for pain, but his cry told me the prick was agonizing. The lancet left a messy mark virtually wider than his fingertip. As if it wasn't enough, the nurse wrung Cj's finger roughly against the vial, his cry sent my entrails lurching. Although I put on a brave front, I was freaking and ready to strangle Little Miss Nurse-from-hell. Samitivej is state-of-the-art. W

Today we ripped this meme off a blogger named Miranda from the blog The Times of Miranda . She thanks to Mud for prodding some fodder her way, in the way of a meme. But, it was probably stolen at that blog as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Cheers to us all thieves! Join the fun . 1. What are your current obsessions? travelling and quaint cottages 2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? my old maid work uniform 3. What's for dinner? eating out by and by at a restaurant called Banana Leaf 4. Last thing you bought? food 5. What are you listening to? Dobby speaking to Harry (son is watching HP2 a few inches away) 6. If you were a god/goddess who would you be? Isis 7. Favorite holiday spots? beach and mountain resorts 8. Reading right now? RD, December 2006 9. 4 words to describe yourself. bored, resolute, robot, hopeful 10. Guilty pleasure? unplanned shopping; it happens once in a blue moon

It is sometimes referred to as the AIDS Museum, I tend to call it AIDS Temple. Descriptively it is a buddhist hospice for AIDS patients, the largest one in Thailand. Three of us, a friend, my son and I paid Wat (temple) Phrabat Nampu in Lopburi a visit last weekend. As it is where people with AIDS go to to die, most of what we saw are not exactly the ones I'm in a hurry to show off. But if you are curious, you may want to click on a post I did days ago. Anyway, on with shots that I don't think will give anyone a coronary: 100 steps to the wat After the climb this is where you arrive at "View from the top" - those are bare cornfields visitors pass by on their way to the temple Side view of the Life Museum which ironically displays mummies A usual sight around Thai temples Bone sculptures The temple bell Life is beautiful. Most of us would prefer that of course. AIDS is also real.

It's Dad's turn huh...*chuckle*.... I actually opened some drawers to see if I can find CDs that contain photos of Cj with his dad. Nothing left. Those huge albums of Cj's first year - containing lots of shots with his dad starring in them are in Pinas. I'll make do with the ones I have right now. This was taken during my graduation. Boring, I know. But I invited him because no. 1 - he financed the study, international gradschool does not come in cheap, show some gratitude, girl :-); no. 2 - he is my son's father in spite of everything. We may not be living under the same roof but as far as Cj is concerned, this Ex is a good dad. When we were together, he used to come home from work at 9PM the earliest, but when Cj arrived there was a miracle on our street - by 6PM his car is already parked in the garage! Cj's dad is a hard player in the corporate world. Always in deep concentration on his job, I'll be damned if I rang him unless it's about his son. Whe

Look at my loot! I can't believe my luck. Two days ago, a friend and I went to the Filipino Store in Silom. I should have blogged about this right away but I was busy eating! For someone who misses the food of home very much, this is palatal rapture. And guess what was my appetizer for lunch today -- the blessed bagoong! (absent in the photos; fridge-tucked away) With tomatoes aplenty, my alimentary canal was probably the most indulged in the Sukhumvit 101 area today. The sopas is for my kiddo. And I'm getting myself a big, pink fish and some veggies for the sinigang sa sampalok. Last night I noshed on pancit canton chilli mansi. A familiar yum that went with routine clicking on the keyboard made a very delightful evening! That was one time I wished I had Filipino neighbors in the apartment. The sunflower crackers and about two packets of noodles are free. But the best part really is the price. These goodies are affordable. I just love their business common sense. They posted

Update 29.04.09: I was high on nothing when I posted this entry. I guess I should put a few things right. It's Monday, I know, and my first time to play so I hope it's ok :-) 1. Have you ever been told that you look like some [one] famous? Nope. Edit: not 'look' but behave like Anne Shirley of Green Gables. 2. Name a celebrity that shares your birthday. Cameron Diaz (Warren Buffet and Mary W. Shelly) 3. Tell us about your first kiss. "Wet," that's Harry Potter's answer and mine too 4. When you meet someone attractive, what do you notice first? The face 5. What was your biggest mistake ever? Panicking at a wrong decision I made 6. Give us one random, but candid fact about you. I love to eat and travel 7. What about your current or most recent lover excites you? ? Edit: his wicked smile 8. What really annoys you? Lagging behind on things that matter to me 9. How many other Saturday 9’ers answers do you usually read? About three today as I have just disco

Political protests at the Victory Monument were called off during Songkran (Thai New Year). However, while people were chucking water on each other, armed soldiers were still walking about, grim-faced and vigilant. There is trouble in paradise. But my friends and I decided that the Red Shirts could protest all they want; we have our own lives to entertain. Off we trooped to Dream World. "Make love, not war" Hanging nests and a friendly log to cross in 2-inch heels. I wonder if those soldiers would stop looking dismal if these flowers were placed alongside their machine guns.... Tomatoes and chillis at the Australian Farm. Our kids loved it here because the entire garden is air-conditioned. Enjoying the holidays is no denial of the issue raging on in government. We simply chose to have a date with beauty and be happy about it rather than sit nervous and worried in front of the TV. Have a great week, everyone!

1. My uncle once : took me and my cousins to a rare breakfast near the fish section in the town market. Actually it wasn't his original plan, but because five of us (his nieces) jumped on his truck right when he was driving slowly out the gate, he got rid of our noisy girly, chatter by making us eat sweet sticky rice and rich hot chololate. 2. Never in my life : have I seen a ghost. 3. When I was seventeen : I was attending a boarding school in a beautiful, rural location. 4. High School was : not bad 5. I will never forget : that I am supposed to be going somewhere idyllic as soon as possible. 6. I once met : and played with a friendly dog in the Yorkshire Moors. 7. There’s this girl I know who : is already approaching her 40s and has never had a boyfriend ever 8. Once, at a bar : I wanted to get the hell out and eat some tasty salad in a french restaurant! 9. By noon, I’m usually : doing a lot of work already 10. Last night : I and my kiddo arrived back in Bangkok from visiting t

So we're going sentimental this week :-). Here are a few of my sentimental moments. This was when I moved in to an apartment after my split. Stuff littered the room. That's how that marriage remnant landed on top of the chair. Cj was going to sing with other kids in church when I snapped this shot. At first I didn't notice the sign he made on his right hand. It's the I love You sign. I'm sure it's just coincidence he flashed that sign when the camera clicked because I didn't teach him anything about signs yet, but I felt warm inside when I discovered it. With the direction he's pointing it at, it's like he's teasing either the portrait or it's just sentimental me. Cj does not draw anything workable. He just makes lines and circles on paper most of the time. So my delight reaches the 7th heaven when one day he shows me his very first drawing of me and himself. I don't freaking care that I look like E.T or that I have no hair, nor body at

It's a lazy Thursday here. So this tag from Jona came just on the right day. So ... what is this this time?... another amusing tag. Purse. It does sound familiar to a girl *tongue clicking*. Ok, before I blab on, rules first: 1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you can't go into your closet and pull out your favorite purse! We want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house. 2. List how much it cost. And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, we'd love to hear it. 3. Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you're showing everyone your bag. So there it is -- my faithful, old purse resting beside my red coat. I cropped off my face. I know it's the purse you want to see, but that's 3/4 of my frame and my hands cold-gripping the railing of the entrance stairs to Beamish. As the size

It's now Tuesday but better late than never. 1 . What is your current obsession? the English countryside! 2. What’s a good coffee place? in front of my pc 3. Who was the last person that you hugged? my son 4. Do you nap a lot? when not sticking my nose on the computer 5. Tonight, what’s for dinner? shrimp balls, fried tuna with kentucky beans and grape juice 6. What was the last thing that you bought? dinner 7. What is your favorite weather? 28 degrees C, clear blue skies 8. Tell us something about one blogger who you think will play this week? she's very busy 9. If you were given a free house that was full furnished, where in the world would you like it to be? definitely in the English countryside! 10. Name three things that you could not live without. my son, internet, my dog 11. What would you like in your hands right now? an assault helicopter 12. What’s one of your guilty pleasures? eating alone at expensive restaurants 13. What would you change or eliminate about yourse

This is a special award I received from The Mommy Journey . Thank you, Chris! I am passing this award to Dancing in Midlife Tune .

I say ... and you think ...? Animal :: instinct Temporary :: dweller Moan :: oh, stop moaning, Malfoy, ump! Rapid :: grand --s Michigan That’s for me to say :: silly! City :: of the living dead Bumper :: to bumper traffic Eclipse :: of the heart Problematic :: apparatus If? :: Rudyard Kipling Join the fun at http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Catching a flight during Holy Week in the Philippines is difficult. I am keeping track of my mother's travel to Auntie M's wake in Cebu via SMS and overseas calls. God she was a very cool aunt; loyal to my philandering uncle til the very end. She had a flair for smart fashion. I wonder how did she look like before she made her final exit. She was once facetious, "I want to be buried wearing my electric red lipstick." Whether she's getting what she wanted or not, I do not yet know. The latest update that popped into my pc instead says Mama (who arrived at 4 AM today) and Auntie M's daughters are in a hair saloon. I am convinced they are having fun despite the occasion that brought them together. Girls will be girls, funeral or not. And I'm stuck jealous in Bangkok. So what else is there to do but snap the weekend away. This is my urn and the clay base of my reading lamp. Auntie M is not headed for the crematorium though, but going down a vault. And my urn i

Cj was a few weeks old when thoughtful Coco, my gradschool classmate got him a traditional Chinese baby costume, straight from Chairman Mao's capital. I waited til Cj was a bit fatter. Alas, during his very first christmas he fit right in! What use is his chinese descent if he didn't :) His late paternal grandfather, a pure chinese immigrant would have been proud to see him in this costume - a toothless, bald worm; giggling wiggling red. Last year Cj attended a church-sponsored Saturday class for kids. Here they're about to dramatize Saul's persecution spree in Damascus. They acted as Saul's henchmen, so to speak. Obviously one of Saul's men prefers his bottle over a sword (did Saul's guys use swords? well, they couldn't have fired AK 47s anyway). I didn't insist on confiscating Cj's 'best friend' lest he wails and spoils this role-play. One not very busy day when everyone, even Yaya Gwen was in a pleasant mood, we went freaky. This is ad