Hazel Ceej

Songkran is the Thai new year characterized mainly by people celebrating it with water. According to Wikipedia, songkran is a term derived from Sanskrit, and may refer to new year celebrations in or parts of southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Lao, Thingyan in Myanmar, Yunnan in China and northern Vietnam. Fifteen years in the kingdom and this recently concluded Songkran on April 13-15 was only my second time participating and really having fun - in Huahin, Thailand's summer capital last year and in Silom, the country's financial district this year. This is the Songkran 'make-up,' or that's how I call fragrant talcum powder mixed in water and rubbed gently on people's cheeks - Originally, water in bowls is poured on the wrists only. People exchange good wishes and go their way - Nowadays a huge fire hose spews water on revelers. In some instances it's not even water in the dippers, but whiskey.  Silom is closed to traffic. No one in this formidable crow

"Don't look at my feet, Grandma so you can not see that it's dirty," says CJ when he does not want to take a shower before bed. Good heavens where did he get that? I always washed my feet before I went to bed when I was a little girl.  And CJ's Dad always showered. Our conversations at least didn't have indications that former Mom-in-law had isuues with ex-hubster on taking showers when he was CJ's age. Honestly I am amused. But perhaps because I am not directly in line at the moment to deal with such 21st century child's progress in reasoning. Good old psychology has been right all along to observe that 'little boys don’t take baths, they just dust off.' That takes me to a tantrum he threw in Hong Kong because I forced him to take a shower.  Sometimes now I think I should have just let him dust off, although I don't think it should apply to dirty feet in bed. How long would this argument last, I wonder, but he's a boy and I'm just

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen abookandashortlatte1 asks If you had to choose to live within a novel, which would it be? Without much ado Harry Potter's Hogwarts ! What a place to explore! I'd like to transfigure arrogant Malfoy into a cross-eyed cockroach. *kidding* And when I feel like cutting Snape's class I'll hang out at Hagrid's hut . Then during summers head to The Burrow. As Ron Weasley says, "it's not much, but it's home." Thursday 13: My favorite places in Harry Potter 1. Hogwarts the moving staircases and all the magic learning! 2. The Burrow 'dilapidated and standing only by magic' ah!... wonderful 3. Hogsmeade Village appeals to the country girl in me 3. Madam Puddifoot's is where we will have high tea 4. Diagon Alley shop til I drop 5. Shell Cottage a newly-weds' home must be sweet and lovely 6. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes I want their anti-acne cream 7. Honeyduke's S

"Walking in high heels changes how women walk, puts strains on muscles, and raises risk of injury." We know, we know, don't we? The bit on discomfort at least. But they are irrisistible wardrobe items. Could that be why we may also be aware but not really taking heed of expert observation that wearing high heels takes a toll on muscles and the pocket book? According to a scientific study published on Medicinenet , the discomfort of wearing high heels can be explained by the changes in mechanics in the way women walk. They walk with shorter, more forceful strides; more muscles are employed and changes persist even when they wear flats or go barefoot. Nine women who wear high heels for 40 hours or more per week for two years were compared with ten women who rarely wear heels. This is how the study was conducted: Women walked at their own pace along a 26-foot, flat walkway while wearing electrodes on their feet and legs to measure muscle activity. The walkway was also equip

May 3-5 came and went. I monitored CJ's convention activities online. From the grandma's daily updates I learned that CJ found a friend and was out playing with that friend while sessions went on. Brilliant. But then I go back to conscious-of-his-issues mode and I reiterate brilliant. He socialized and that's big deal to me. Day 3 was spent celebrating this - I am happy to see familiar faces: neighbors' and church friends' kids. Some of them are regular guests at CJ's birthday parties for two consecutive years now. They seem to be sharing a light moment with the audience - Now I understand why CJ's developmental pediatrician shook her head firmly when I asked, "is it autism, 'Doc?" I braced myself for the worst; and it's one of those rare times when my heart leapt to Cloud Nine for not getting what I expected. Never mind that I ended up paying for what turned out to be play convention . I just love signs that my money is not wasted on expen

Quick info Business hours : 10 AM to 8 PM, Sunday to Saturday Majority of merchandise :  antiques, (specializing in Thai art and culture) Feature : monthly auction (every first Saturday) in the 4th floor auditorium Event going on : Nude & Erotic Painting Exhibition, 23 April - 31 May 2012 @ The Art Zone, 2nd floor Location : 23 Si Phaya Pier, Soi Trok Rongnamkaeng, Yota Road, Sampantawong Fastest way to get there: take the Silom Line BTS skytrain to Saphan Taksin Station . There's a free shuttle boatto the River City Shopping Complex. *** Some fascination for antiques motivated this adventure.  With very limited Thai I took a shot of the address and asked a sky train station guard to write it in Thai. This is the Saphan Taksin pier where I waited for the boat to RCSC - Capacity of this boat must be between forty or fifty passengers but there were only three of us on this trip: a European couple and myself  Some of the sights during the boat ride are temple spires, facade of in

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Heidi asks: Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Perhaps a combination of both. I have been living alone since my big D in 2006 and I don't seem to mind; rarely wish for company. Seventy five percent of my king size bed is littered with books. I occupy the remaining 25% when I sleep. As for socializing I am happy meeting friends for lunch, dinner or high tea in or outside my nook. I love cozy cafes. Church, concerts, lectures, or family get-togethers  - I welcome them as revitalizing shot to my routine which is being alone.   Thursday 13: They are also in and out Breakfast this morning was spent watching CNN's Pierce Morgan talking with people about President Barack Obama's support for gay marriage. I wonder what would these writers have said if they were the ones interviewed. Source: Famous Gays and Lesbians in History 1. Sappho (600 B.C.) Greek poetess 2. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Briti

Medieval justice was a quaint thing ~ Frederick Pollard I have yet to read what is that about, but the line appeals strongly to the history lover in me. Quaint has become one of my favorite words since I searched the net for info and pictures of England in preparation for a trip there in 2006. There are several definitions of quaint. These are what I like the most: having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque strange, peculiar or unusual in an interesting, pleasing or amusing way skillfully or cleverly made If you clicked images for quaint on Google, you will find mostly European cottages and churches in the countryside. As for quaint places in Asia, I'm sharing one that has been hibernating in my archives since I took it two years ago - part of Angkor Wat in Cambodia Shakespeare's wife's cottage has to be quaint too. ABC Wednesday

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Heidi asks: Do you have siblings? Do they like to read? As an only child I often wondered what it was like to have siblings who like to read. Would we have a contest on who could read how many books in a month? Share and discuss each other's reads while munching chocolate? There were cousins. But all one did was devour comics while another read the same author I read hundreds of full moons ago - Irving Wallace. Parents regulated my reading pile, and Wallace wasn't exactly on their list of approved material, so it was fun sharing the secret read with a cousin who did the same experiment. We were probably looking for supplemental info to our high school sex education. I'm a fan of my parents' literary gifts; didn't mind reading alone almost all the time. Thursday 13: Famous siblings - except perhaps the last pair, there's one common denominator among most of them: rivalry 1. Kate and Bianca in Taming

[caption id="attachment_10694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Prang Sam Yot, Lopburi[/caption] Prang, in architecture, is a tower-like spire, usually richly carved. It's a common Hindu and Buddhist shrine element from the Khmer Empire. In Thailand prangs appear only with important Buddhist temples. They were adapted by Buddhist builders around 1350 - 1767 in the Ayutthya Kingdom and 1782 - 1932 in the Rattanakosin Kingdom. ~ Source It's the annual monkey party in the Thai countryside of Lopburi.  Prang Sam Yot is famous for being the party venue every year. Those prangs teemed with monkeys when I arrived. I stood opposite while deciding which entrance to approach. Check out more of what's happening around the world - ABC Wednesday   *  Our World    

Do you sometimes think bad moods you feel may be due to the disorganized state of things around you? If you suspected so, Organizing Happiness can help you, like it helped me deal with clutter issues, acquaint or reacquaint yourself with habits that will make you and others happier, and use spiritual weapons and organization inspiration for happiness. The longer I have been busy with job and social responsibilities, the farther I have strayed from bible-based advice on living an organized life so well-presented on this ebook. Being used to having paid help do cleaning and cooking chores for me, my place has become a war zone of clothes, books, stilettos, and my kiddo's toys here and there  following changes in our living arrangement. Having the practical illustrations and gentle advice of this darling ebook around mitigated my personal struggle with domestic chaos. Author Lorrie Flem's attribution of clutter on "not having a designated place to put things" nailed it

My moment as a mom this week was to enlist CJ in a Children's Convention on May 3-5. He is going with Grandma. I gladly anticipate results. As an auntie I recall a happy dining moment with nephew CaCoy.  We - cousins, spouses and kids lazed an entire week away in Huahin, the Thai royal family's summer home. One of those evenings we had dinner in the night market opposite the beach. I marvel at CaCoy's changing colors.  With a half Spanish paternal Grandma I swear he was pale pink as a baby. With football in school his ecru skin slowly vanished. Then he went chasing coconut bugs in the glare of the tropical sun. That was the final straw. He turned midnight black without further ado. Happiness is ..., Mommy Moments and Color Connection

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Charlie Quillen asks: Has a book ever inspired you to change anything in your life, fiction or non-fiction alike? Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad inspired me to change the way I look at money.  Kate White's Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do helped me change the way I evaluate myself.  The Da Vinci Code inspired me to change my attitude toward The Bible .  The entertainment of puzzles in Dan Brown's work and its references to concepts that ring a bell around times long ago when the Bible was spoon-fed to me, sparked a fancy to rediscover non-fiction mystery that the Bible has abundance of, as well as advice and knowledge that never gets old. Thursday 13: Inspiring changes. Which ones speak to you best? 1. Change brings opportunity. ~ Nido Qubein 2. Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur,

It was a quiet Khmer morning. Friends and I were traveling to Siem Reap . The van we were riding in slowed down by a procession. Curiosity managed to snap a shot of what looked like a miniature house carried by a truck. As it disappeared into gathering speed I saw a coffin inside it. The deceased apparently had something thousands of his countrymen we visited at the Killing Fields the day before never had - an obsequies.

Children. Don't they amuse or annoy and even confuse when they are cheeky? When they call a white object blue and accompany that declaration with a cute smirk - at least I, as a PDD mom find my mind in a pirouette over a little cheekiness from my boy. Grandma chats with a neighbor. The chat goes on for awhile and CJ plays precocious: "Shut up!" hands on ears and pretending to be distressed, "I'm going to sleep. Everyone, quiet!" A friend's son, Daniel (the chubby chinoy on his mom's lap) behaves like CJ in some ways. While the rest of the family gathered around the TV for a pinoy movie to conclude our dinner, Daniel and I sat on the bed where he nailed one delightful observation: Daniel: Auntie, what is that? Me: (examining the bottle) A liniment. What color is it, Daniel? Daniel: Green. Me: (muttering to myself) Thank goodness I don't have to smell like a quack doctor's patient with this product. (then back from my private thoughts) Come Dan

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Bookish Sarah asks: What are your literary “pet peeves”? Put too many swear words in a story and I lose interest. Too much cursing sounds like limited vocabulary, stunted creativity. The other one is something I have experienced for the first time - a novel with an unlikeable character . The Wise Woman is my first Philippa Gregory. If I wasn't fond of historical fiction (besides thinking that Gregory is brilliant at her genre) I wouldn't have minded not finishing the book. The heroine is so unlikeable almost every page developed in me a distaste of her that even her death in the conclusion didn't convince me it redeemed her. I want my reading experience (outside work) to be a pleasure; not characters that I don't enjoy.   Thursday 13: Unusual words that begin with letter N You may be familiar with or have encountered the following words already. If you do not know what they mean, I hope you have as much fun

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

It's a challenge; and understandable enough: if it's hard getting adults to eat healthy, how do we go about this business on kids? I check what I am doing or not or have don e against professional advice that I read.  MedicineNet nutrition experts suggest ways for parents to guide their children to eat a sound diet. Avoid power struggle "Do it because I'm the parent" or worse, "Eat or else..." Have you said something like that to your kids during a meal? Once I told my son, "no eat, no play." I realize it could be a form of slight power struggle. He ate but couldn't have understood why he had to eat in order to play. Author of The Parent's Toolshop Jody Johnston Pawel explains that this rationale does not work for long. Expose I had no idea children have to be exposed to a new food 10 to 15 times before they accept it. If they play with a berry on their plate, parents are advised not to give up but keep encouraging them to eat. Sug

Are you a mabsoot?  The world will most probably light up if you are. What makes you a mabsoot? This blue sky holiday on a sunflower field made me go, "and I think to myself what a wonderful world!"  I was quite a mabsoot. The Dalai Lama says "happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." I thought I would make a little experiment; see what would an action mean to me so off I shopped in Chatuchak, a huge weekend market known to bring seasoned shoppers to their knees.  I came home with sore feet, but thinking the Dalai Lama was right. What really made me a mabsoot after shopping like a madwoman was my vintage loot.  It makes my heart dance as merrily as it did when I browsed the graveyard at St. Mary's church in the shadow of Scarborough Castle and found this - “People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” That's Abraham Lincoln. And I tend to agree with him. Making up your mind to be happy is easy, and not as costly

All the while I was imagining CJ's computer was being used mainly for homework and educational entertainment. Oblivious me. The use has been more like games. It is probably time to buy a new computer again as the old one overheated last night.  Smoked to kingdom come. Bye-bye Pooh Bear (nickname of CJ's computer). So the Grandma complained that after Pooh Bear, CJ's attention has been on her phone.  I asked what he was doing with it. "Games of course," Mother sounded exasperated. "But he's never been exposed to that sort of thing," I countered.  "Well, hello Girl, it only took your son one look at his cousin doing it, and now he's into soccer, soccer, soccer!" Ops.... These boys have a little explaining to do. The poor Grandma tries to hide her phone lest some mischievous fingers tinker their way to it. They usually do and when she needs to use it, she hears this: "Buy me a real phone Grandma so that I will not borrow yours. Tell M

'Tis the season for medals, ribbons, caps and gowns in the Philippines! A cousin's son finished kindergarten and took home many awards, the niece I talked about in a previous post wore the graduation gift I sent her and posted photos on Facebook. I wanted to steal one to show off here but decided against it (lol). On moving up day CJ got a ribbon for being most obedient . I was more amused than impressed. At home CJ could be quite difficult to handle when it comes to obeying but my mother and I thought it was better not to contradict the teacher :).  Over at my faculty a Business Administration graduating class gave me a basketful of 'thank you' gift. The medal is CJ's. He got it while attending K1 in Bangkok. More happy stuff - Mother hosts dinner for nephews and nieces who are on school break, a nephew's girlfriend gives birth, and CJ socializes with his cousins - which is big deal to me considering his developmental issues . The therapy sessions must be wo

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Are there any fictional characters whom you have emulated (or tried to)?             Who and why? Nowadays, none. But as a kid I was all over Nancy Drew from the first time I got my hands on Clue in the Crumbling Wall .  In many ways ridiculous, but I could relate. Her dad never seemed to be home - mine came home once a month. She was surrounded by people who instantly responded to her - my father's side of the family showered me with lots of attention. Possible attribution here is I'm an only child, kind of usually got what I wanted, things like those. Perhaps I unknowingly behaved like Nancy Drew at times as I always had fun imagining I was her in those adventures she did. What literary character do you feel is most like you personality-wise (explain)? Now this is interesting. I once took a Harry Potter personality test for fun and emerged as Mad Eye Moody whose profile goes like this: Noble yet ruthless. Brilli