Hazel Ceej

Georgia Borders store. (Wikipedia) In a reading world where the trend has gone as electronic as Kindle or Kindle Fire, we hear talks of booksellers worrying about sales of traditional books or worse, going out of business. The lot are wary of ebooks but not Michael Popek, author of Forgotten Bookmarks who is also a used bookseller in Oneonta, N.Y. Popek cited one good point why he is not afraid of the new reading medium: "e-books can't replicate some experiences that readers of the printed word are after - the collector of modern first editions; the new mother passing her childhood favorites down to the next generation; the reader of forgotten and esoteric texts unavailable digitally --all are seeking out an experience greater than the words on the page."  He goes on to comment on each kind of book - E-books are fantastic at keeping us reading; traditional books are great at reminding us why we started in the first place. We're fortunate to live in a world where we

"Grandma, I don't know how to sleep." - CJ, last night Thus says the kiddo. And that statement intrigued me. Grandma had to pull him out of class the day before and take him to a doctor due to a stomach ache. Whatever medication the doctor gave him, he slept the rest of the day and that might well be the reason why that night he didn't know how to sleep anymore.  So when I checked my Shelf Awareness newsletter and found "How Does Sleep Come?" I thought I would enter the link that invites possible readers and buyers of the book to win a free ARC (Advance Reading Copy). I like what I saw although the fill-in-the-gaps form looks like the ARC is only for US residents.   Nevertheless it sounds opportune to my little guy's sleeping predicament and I am happy to share with you some info of this lovely, new bedtime classic. It is a picture book debut of Jeanne Blackmore, a granddaughter of Roger Duvoisin whose tradition of creating beautiful books for child

Coconut trees chime with the mountain breeze cooling this country school in a cozy town known as the 'fruit and flower basket of South Cotabato ,' a province an hour and a half plane ride from the Philippine capital of Manila. Children were queuing up to get to their classrooms when I got in for a friendly business chat with the principal.   Cashew Fia, girl in white shirt and sneakers, far left, runs to greet CJ (little boy blue with his back to the camera) who was late for flag ceremony. They are classmates in first grade. Srifle, the Red Riding Hood holding CJ's hand, is a girl I hired to help (the Grandma who is official guardian) look after CJ. Cheeky, my niece's dog escorted the duo. That must be his way of saying thank you for the free breakfast I gave him that morning. There's a class entrance protocol that is new to me. Each child takes the teacher's right hand to have it touch lightly on his forehead, and then give the teacher a peck on the cheek befo

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen GigiAnn asks: Do you have a favorite season of the year that you read more? (Example: during snow storms, rainy weather, or sunny and warm weather) Lisa asks: Where is your favorite place to read? On the beach? Inside/outside? During rainy weather! I love the rain , especially when I'm indoors. I love curling up in bed with a fuzzy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate or tea on the side table, and read read read. While traveling on a coach from Windsor Castle back to London, it rained. Hard. The next minute everything was white. That was my first snow experience ever and I was thinking... this would be perfect if there was a charming book in my hands right now! The beach -- well, every time I'm on a beach I'm doing something else like catching up with family and friends so the bedroom with the rain pitter-pattering on the roof works very well for me. Thursday 13: Books (on my TBR pile) for the rainy days See if yo

"Give the body junk food and the brain is certainly going to suffer," comments nutritionist Bethany Thayer, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. It is statements like that that renews my horror every time I remember sacks of junk food at the ex-hubster's house, made available for my then 4-year old. Experts ask parents, "'Want your child to do better in school? Take a close look at his or her diet. Certain "brain foods" may help boost a child's brain growth -- plus improve brain function , memory, and concentration.'" The brain is called a very hungry organ.  Thayer explains that "it is the first among the body's organs to absorb nutrients from the food we eat." WebMD presents these top ten brain foods that will help kids get the most from school. Their experts also provide preparing and serving suggestions: 1. Salmon , an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA - both essential for brain growth

The phrase is defined in varied ways. The meaning presented on The Dictionary of Idioms on YANGLISH.com is one that describes how I feel one bright November day - If someone is very excited about something, they have a bee in their bonnet. We were about to tour a beautiful field of big blooms. This was so far the most exciting moment I had with nature in fifteen years being an expat. ABC Wednesday Related articles Aprons, bonnets necessary gear for country ladies (amarillo.com)

The phrase is defined in varied ways. The meaning presented on The Dictionary of Idioms on YANGLISH.com is one that describes how I feel one bright November day - If someone is very excited about something, they have a bee in their bonnet. We were about to tour a beautiful field of big blooms. This was so far the most exciting moment I had with nature in fifteen years being an expat. ABC Wednesday Related articles Aprons, bonnets necessary gear for country ladies (amarillo.com)

Have you got a funny kid or have one among your friends or acquaintances? If a child has sense of humor early on, it may mean he's got the genes. Study shows the same parts of the brain that respond to humor in adults are as active in children as early as six years old. And these parts of the brain develop; become more sophisticated with age. Researchers say this "finding should lead to a better understanding of how positive emotions like a sense of humor develop and affect a child's well-being." Let us touch a little on the significance of humor, the good kind of humor. Better clarify that as there's a dark sense of humor, a rotten sense of humor, a sick sense of humor, etcetera.  Researchers featured on WebMD specified "balanced and consistent sense of humor may help children negotiate the difficult period of pre-adolescence and adolescence." Don't we all remember the confusion, difficulty as well as the excitement of adolescence? Do you remember

We are humans, we are normal. We do things, human things, and one of them is something anyone may have done or experienced - yelling or being yelled at. Yelling: the cause, the casualty & the cure is a book packed with practical tips you need to know about the behavior. Author Lorrie Flem gently shows readers, mothers particularly, how negative a behavior yelling can be and how to learn to avoid and overcome it altogether. There are bits of real-life yelling episodes of individuals shown in the book. Some of them you may know to be true or reflective of someone you know. You'll be surprised. Surprised that you may think you know how to handle yelling when you get around to it because you think it is not serious and sorting it out is a piece of cake. Or you may be surprised to realize that yelling needs to be cracked at now, not tomorrow or when you are ready to deal with it. This book is a good eye-opener and guide to help you overcome the problem of yelling. To be frank, my

In a bid to make CJ follow his morning routine before going to school, i.e., eat, brush teeth and shower on time, I offered him a deal he could not say no to: his own mobile phone. He is mainly after the games so I bought him this China-made, disposable Nokia something. And a mild addiction began surfacing. More worthwhile activities are put on hold. Yaya could hardly coax him to eat. Wasn't I told in previous talks with the Grandma that CJ was so keen on this sort of gadget? So I learned yet again. The fun is on sending each other messages when we are actually just a room apart, no matter how terse replies to my full sentences are. Some indulgence during a two-week vacation when distance between us shrank could not be very bad. Gradual phone use restriction should be in order now that I'm back to reality, a.k.a. work.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? I used to ask my own mother that question, and now it's my turn to answer it. The thing is, I do not always have a ready answer, and most of the time I cast a sheepish glance at the dining table often helplessly and mutter something like, 'let's see...' or 'pass me my phone please, we're ordering food' or worse, 'get dressed; we're going out for dinner.' What's for Dinner, Mom? has definitely better answers. This printed book presents bulk cooking: the secret to a successful kitchen career. Author Lorrie Flem shows you examples to follow, explains methods you can adapt and plans you can execute to help you produce nutritious meals for your family at regular intervals without losing your sanity or feeling tethered to a rope due to time constraints. Biblical references and quotes on food injected into the contents of this book triggered nostalgia for home.  The Homemaking Tips from the 1800s appealed to the hi

Monday, June 11th was CJ's first day in first grade and the next day I was still on the phone, hungry for updates. My foremost concern was how did he find and take it. Any friends? The first day, I was told, they did mostly orientation stuff. What I liked hearing best of all was that CJ found a friend and behaved just fine. "Oh, that's good," I said to the Grandma. "Who is that kid?" Like any mom I am interested to know who are my child's friends. CJ's new school friend, I found, is a transferee student from Cebu. "Looks like a smart kid," Grandma observed, "he and CJ hit it off quickly as they have one thing in common - they both speak English." Apparently, CJ's English language training has benefited him. And I have yet to 'unboggle' my mind about all this talk of local dialects in Philippine schools being adapted as medium of instruction , translations to English, and back to conversational lingo. Sometimes it seem

Thailand's wine-making industry has come a long way.... Vineyards across three distinguished wine-making regions now produce quality wine. CNN GO These vineyards are found in Khao Yai , the South of Bangkok, and Northeast Thailand . Wine tours are available. In Hua Hin Hills visitors can tour vineyards in a way you  normally can't in Burgundy or Tuscany: riding on an elephant.  En route to the sunflower fields in Saraburi , we passed by this vineyard and made a quick stop. We didn't expect to see such a charming spot of the Thai countryside, but we're glad we did.  I call this our tour serendipity . ABC Wednesday

Thailand's wine-making industry has come a long way.... Vineyards across three distinguished wine-making regions now produce quality wine. CNN GO These vineyards are found in Khao Yai , the South of Bangkok, and Northeast Thailand . Wine tours are available. In Hua Hin Hills visitors can tour vineyards in a way you  normally can't in Burgundy or Tuscany: riding on an elephant.  En route to the sunflower fields in Saraburi , we passed by this vineyard and made a quick stop. We didn't expect to see such a charming spot of the Thai countryside, but we're glad we did.  I call this our tour serendipity . ABC Wednesday

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="172" caption="E.D. Leavitt, Physician, Butte, Mt (Photo credit: Butte-Silver Bow Public Library)"] [/caption] Is your doctor fat, thin or just right?  HealthDay Reporter Randy Dotinga didn't actually say fat or thin in his Medicine Net report. He called them ' chubby' doctors , and that they could be bad for your health . How? Yes, I asked the same question . Possible reasons derived from a new study are: a doctor with extra pounds to his weight may be unlikely to advise patients to shed excess weight overweight doctors who responded to a survey say that they are less likely to talk to their patients about weight control even doctors of normal weight aren't prone to talking about  weight loss to their heavy patients It doesn't seem far from the pot calling the kettle black . Study author Sara Bleich of the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says "you can't lo

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Garuda as national symbol of Thailand (Photo credit: Wikipedia)"] [/caption] Due to a previous school experience in Thailand that CJ had when he was 3, we relaxed adherence to schooling tradition and let him take his time at kindergarten in the Philippines.  But two weeks ago he turned 8 and from the info that the Grandma got from his K1 teacher, CJ would be in K2 next. K2? At 8? Time for horribly expensive overseas phone calls again. Things could sometimes be downright opaque with long-distance parenting. I know though that CJ lacks learning motivation despite surprising shows of reasoning that under his circumstances I never thought he would be capable of. Thanks to DepEd guys-slash-close friends Vi and JL who shared what they know upon which I based my decision to sort out CJ's grade level. JL alerted me to the K+12 basic education program that kicks off this year. That certainly bear

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sunrise over Stonehenge on the summer solstice, 21 June 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] Experienced an ughten recently? Ughten , an obscure word, means morning twilight , according to The Phrontistery . The last time (and first time in 19 years) I was awake in an ughten I was observing photographers mounting their high tech, high-powered cameras in front of Cambodia's Angkor Wat.  They were waiting to capture sunrise there. Here's wondering if I could stand the cold in a Stonehenge ughten.

Experienced an ughten recently? Ughten , an obscure word, means morning twilight , according to The Phrontistery . The last time (and first time in 19 years) I was awake in an ughten I was observing photographers mounting their high tech, high-powered cameras in front of Cambodia's Angkor Wat.  They were waiting to capture sunrise there. Here's wondering if I could stand the cold in a Stonehenge ughten.   Sunrise over Stonehenge on the summer solstice, 21 June 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[caption id="attachment_11176" align="alignleft" width="212"] Photo Credit: omg! from YAHOO[/caption] January 1st 2011 (1.1.11) at The Hilton, I asked a friend over martini and repetitive ra-ra-roma-ma- ma-oh-la-la, 'what's that song and who sang it?' Out of curiosity I would have watched Lady Gaga's concert Friday night At Rajamangala Stadium if the bleachers had not run out. Thai Ticket Major Central Bangna branch offered me what's left, and I get to choose which among the 7,000 baht-seats I would pay for to stand. That's right: to stand. I went, "what? 7000 baht to stand while some pop artist  screams in my face?" I resisted calling a student whose company organizes concerts and has connections with tickets to every major concert in the kingdom. She did it successfully for me at the Eagles concert in 2011. Somehow with this Lady Gaga thing I decided it's not worth making calls. And now I'm glad I'm finding

Encouragement. Don't we all need that?! Unless you are a super natural being you need encouragement, just like any normal person. We are talking of the type that we need for day to day living. As a working mother I need lots of encouragement and tips on how to run my household while raising a boy whose hyperactivity often coincides perfectly with times I tidy a certain part of our home. One minute everything's in order. The next I see the same things crumble right where they are like a sand castle dissolving in a rush of waves. The Colorado power pack audio set by Lorie Flem works nicely for me. It is an audio bundle filled with help, suggestions and yes, encouragement for wives, mothers, or women contemplating a home and family. As I listened to it, I nodded several times, thinking 'how true!' or 'haven't I encountered that situation before?' 'How did I survive it, I wonder....' This audio set is filled with inspiring examples of women in the Bible

Terminal 21 is just another (nine-storey) shopping place in Bangkok. But you will be walking inside feeling like you are traveling. The mall is designed to look like an airport - It opened last year while the nation was dealing with the flood crisis.  Life does go on.  The world goes on. And it's right under one roof for Bangkokians and visitors - I was here for the first time yesterday, but only to have brunch in Mexico opposite the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, not far from the city's municipal railway - There are more spots to see. Or I could get lost in a maze of shops in Tokyo.   ABC Wednesda y

  Tea and poetry commemorate a milestone on May twenty-third A greeting arrives happy birthday little guy! aren't you eight just once ? Smiling quietly his reply brings utter joy: I love you, Mommy! Haiku my Heart and Haiku Heights

On Wednesday, May 23rd CJ turned 8. Planning the celebration was ironically quicker in a distance than when I was personally fussing over every detail in previous birthdays. I woke up at half past six, Thailand time and waited for the clock to strike seven when it was eight in the Philippines to greet my little guy. He was already out biking. My heart danced at how normal a young boy's activity that can be. Grandma hollered, "CJ! your Mom's on the phone!" Pause - then it was a trumpeting sound on the line. He let me in on it: "my Ben 10 sword, Mommy." Oh, okay. I thought it was new year there already. Quite a birthday. Quiet and controlled as I put together a few things that bind us - A reading to commemorate CJ's eighth year - and eight things I am thankful for: reaching the eighth year in good health the opportunity to celebrate it big improvement on speech and motor skills having the means to provide for him feeling heaven's warmth on my tea table

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Lu asks Do you have any pet that has a name inspired by your readings? If not, what would you pick if you DID? Do any of your friends have book-based names for their pets? (Or their children?) Piano lessons were imposed on me when I was a little girl. My love for reading extended to the short background of the music or biography of the composer written on my music books. I think I enjoyed the reading part more than working on the keys. Fast forward to 2002 I bought a toy poodle and named him Mozart, that's him on the sidebar, after the composer. I use his photo as a bookmark. My mother's dog is named Shakespeare, after you-know-who. (sorry for the HP reference). A fairy tale - addict young niece named one of our cats Snow White, and the other George, after King George. Thursday Thirteen: Books the feature dogs 1. Odyssey by Homer features Argos 2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov features Banga 3. D

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Lu asks Do you have any pet that has a name inspired by your readings? If not, what would you pick if you DID? Do any of your friends have book-based names for their pets? (Or their children?) Piano lessons were imposed on me when I was a little girl. My love for reading extended to the short background of the music or biography of the composer written on my music books. I think I enjoyed the reading part more than working on the keys. Fast forward to 2002 I bought a toy poodle and named him Mozart, that's him on the sidebar, after the composer. I use his photo as a bookmark. My mother's dog is named Shakespeare, after you-know-who. (sorry for the HP reference). A fairy tale - addict young niece named one of our cats Snow White, and the other George, after King George. Thursday Thirteen: Books the feature dogs 1. Odyssey by Homer features Argos 2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov features Banga 3. D