Hazel Ceej

"Fish, not fishes?" a Thai student tries to clear up his confusion. "I know..." I wink while going through plural rules with them, "wait until the 'last leaf clings to the bough . It will get really tough .'" I love fish. It's a staple part of my diet whether at home or when dining out. But I don't know many of their names and when that is the case I identify them according to where or when I ate them. These are five of my favorite fish: Kinilaw or raw tuna chunks soaked in coconut vinegar, salt and refined sugar; and mixed with purple onion, ginger, chili and cucumber. This was during one of those summer vacations in the Philippines. Kinilaw is a native Filipino fish dish. ' Lapu-lapu escabeche or sweet and sour lapu-lapu. These are ginger, carrot and bell pepper strips. I can't find the pineapples but I think there were. The son must have eaten them already when I took this photo. Skipjack stew - co...

According to the Phrontistery, nesiote is an obscure word. But defined, nesiote sounds as modern as can be.  It means living on an island. My family trooped to an island for a reunion last year. This is part of the Fisherman's Village on Elephant Island in Thailand. Nesiote probably applies best to fishermen who live here - Albert Einstein wishes that "somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will." Laurie Anderson claims: "as a New Yorker, I'm someone who lives on an island and looks across to America." George Gordon Byron in a letter to Thomas Moore mentions "the greenest island of my imagination." This was rather a grey morning but my reverie was full of bright colors as I maneuvered these rocks. A world-class violinist washes up on shore.  Ladies in Lavender fades to a fact: I just love island - living during holidays. ABC Wednesday

Friends and I went island-hopping last year. My phone was changing indications of where we were several times. Names are difficult to read, much less remember. The main island where we hopped from is called Koh Chang or Elephant island. We went to five islets each taking about 15 minutes to reach. In a stop one of my friends encountered a sea urchin. They say a pee would cure the sting. I don't know if it's true. Another thing I heard about urchins is they could sense and would crawl towards human presence. Probably for more prickly attention? Although sometimes paradise has a price, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, the weather perfect and the breeze was just what our city-dwelling lungs needed. All is well. *** My World Tuesday is brought to you by Klaus and the My World Team Sandy , Wren , Fishing Guy , Sylvia

Our Weekend Memoirs: Getaway, Koh Chang Please scroll down for Sunday Stealing My lair's got 24-hour security. Besides, it's a burglar's disappointment so without the slightest scruple, I shouted out on FB, "aweright, aweright paradise here we come!" A city girl revels in her weekend luck: mountains behind, ocean in front. More at Our Weekend Memoirs ******************************* Sunday Stealing: The "I've Been Tagged" Meme Today we ripped this meme of a blogger known as Kara at The Ramblings of a Marine Wife. We actually found the meme from Shius from the blog Addicted 2 Shius. Since this is a meme that has been going around for a while where you answer questions, and then add questions, we decided to use three sets. Kara explained that she was tagged by Life with the Lebedas. But it was probably stolen there as well. 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 ...

Half an hour before boarding the bus that would take me and friends to Trat, I skimmed online reviews of the resort we were to stay in and beaches on Elephant Island that we wanted to go to. 1. Yet there's still that hint of surprise at finding reality: rocks instead of black sand at least abound on Pearl Beach, and Lonely Beach is not lonely at all. But discovering Koh Chang's hidden charm is good consolation. One of us baptized this place Hansel and Gretel's cottage. 2. I was right to have taken some work with me. Facebook-depriving elusive Wifi saved friends from being harrassed with islandish shoutouts at 20-minute intervals . 3. Work was a question to research the moment I was back to the mainland: if integrative complexity was high, would the number of assassinations go down? 4. Legs connected to the brains entertaining morbidity in the midst of holiday were clad in a long, flowery skirt. Mixing business and pleasure, for crying out loud. 5. Let's go music and mov...

August 12th, the Thai Queen's birthday is a national holiday here. That was Thursday and what luck, work bosses decided to give us Friday, the 13th free too. I and a couple of friends headed off to Thailand's second largest island, Koh Chang (Elephant Island), referred to by some as the Oriental Eden of the East . It's difficult trimming these faves to five but I'll try... I. Nothing beats waiting for dinner chatting on hammocks! Behind us blazing rays of the setting sun blanketed the sea; the sound of waves gentle and the breeze therapeutic. Nature was addressing the ACs cooling our city offices - this is how you treat weary Bangkokians, gentlemen . *The restaurant: Saffron on the Sea *Main course: deep fried white snapper with mango and carrot strips, sweet basil, chinese celery, and cashew nuts *Drinks: tequila sunrise drank at sunset and tempered by ginger and lemon grass tea II. Okay , I took work to the island. But I calculated that in a place so beautiful induc...