Hazel Ceej

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow advises, " the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain ." I absolutely have no problem with that! One childhood memory I remember to this day is that afternoon when playmates were out playing basket ball in the rain. Afraid I would get sick, my overprotective mother made me stay indoors. She allowed our dog and even the house help to play. I watched them by the window have the frolic of their lives through tears as torrential as the rain that was pouring, my heart broken. As an adult an opportunity to stand in the rain presented itself to me in a national park. Seizing it with a vengeance, I found that rain was a natural hair conditioner. But more significantly, I didn't get sick. Did you hear that, Ma? In fact I felt the opposite. I love chanting, " be still sad heart and cease repining, behind the clouds the sun is still shining. Thy fate is the common fate of all. Into each life some rain must fall. Some days

It's weekend! Time to share joys and faves: i . How I love autumn! I had so much fun putting together autumn scenes and quotes despite never actually having seen the season for real. ii . Check out my ABC chocolate - a gift from a girl friend on my birthday. It's too pretty to eat, which is good so then I avoid too much sugar. iii . Would you believe I got the ceramic plate for only 32 cents ? I imagine it would look fab with a slice of Black Forest or Red Velvet on it. Blue Monday iv . And here's Agalico - a quiet English tea room not far from where I live. It was wonderful savoring the charm while waiting for someone who joined me for tea. Weekend Reflection   v. As a fan of Japanese cuisine, I explore restaurants from time to time. It's Honmoni Sushi this week where I tried their saba in teriyake sauce . The set includes miso soup, vegetable salad, egg and tofu, and pickled zucchini. Delicious. Linking to - Fave Five , Pic

Red flags. It's not easy when no one at work tells you (i.e. translate) what's going on. I knew though I was walking past an activity that was almost finished. On with the walk.  I waited a bit for this rainbow jar to gurgle. Nothing. Then I realized it wasn't evening yet. The fountain was on night duty only. At least I got a few trees and a couple buildings on her shiny wide neck. Linking to: Weekend Reflection * Water World * Our World * Ruby Tuesday Too

  Sepia Saturday "What is a newlywed like you doing posing in the middle of a highway?" "Look closely, Ma. I'm roving the ocean." "What ocean?" Wondering, I examined my own photo. Indeed I looked like I was standing where traffic could send my 38-kilogram frame swirling to kingdom come any minute. The sea was a blurry blue. Unrecognizable at a glance. So I explained to my mother that I wasn't spending my honeymoon risking my life on a Thai highway. I was exploring an ocean beauty docked that time in Sattahip naval base - Chakri Naruebet, or at least a part of her where visitors were allowed -     Wikipedia                                 Fast facts for HTMS Chakri Naruebet: - It is Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier, and the only one in Southeast Asia - it is the world's smallest aircraft carrier - built by Bazan, in Ferrol, Spain - ordered in 1992, launched in 1996, and commissioned into the RTN in 1

Sepia Saturday A message in my Outlook inbox on Friday directed Business Administration instructors to head over to the stadium. I thought it was just like having to watch state-run television to record credits for members of the cheer leading squad.  We did it a couple times in the past. But this week's activity turned out different.  At least to me. As I walked out the faculty office door, someone hollered, "it's a three-hour pageant!" Great. How much coursework is going to be wasted on this non-cur? Without anything I could do I idly took a snap of Snow White -- -- admired Goldilocks' curvaceous body, half expecting Little Red Riding Hood next. Where could my students be....  These are normal school pageant girls. We should all be worrying about swine flu. These contestants should wear masks. After all isn't walking around Bangkok wearing a mask now considered fashion? Cinderella... Thumbelina... Anastasia...  I vow

"I'd like to be a kid again but only because naps were insisted, twirling in circles was acceptable, and the only password I had to remember was open sesame." - Adan Burks True. It was unabashed fun posing with some childhood TV idols at Universal Studios. At first I was hesitant thinking I was too old, but reckoned what the heck. 'Today I will grin and giggle like that third grader with pigtails that I was, and be quietly thrilled as when I won that little multiplication contest in class. Period.' Touring Lion City was also officially starting a walking regimen. That's two at a time. Or three: exercising, touring, enjoying the sights. Though highly urban, the country girl in me had no complaints at a Lamborghini whisking by as we explored Marina Bay Sands. No deadlines, no meetings, no homework, just holiday bliss. Doing something unplanned and then finding out it feels wonderful should make it to my faves this week - Like walking b

There is something about finishing a book that I find lovely, in the case of a Maeve Binchy bestseller at least. It's like getting acquainted with the characters off the pages, and then saying goodbye to them in your head. As a university instructor I relate with this quote from Nights of Rain and Stars: "Teachers of every kind needed a chance to go out and talk to people of other countries, otherwise they could get caught up in the internal politics of their own university." "Internal politcs." Lord knows how tricky the thing is in my playground. It makes an upcoming trip seem opportune. Arranging the trip even turned out well. At the vice president's office to file a leave - VP: What's this, Hazel? Where are you going? Me: Out of town, boss. Give me three days. He approved it immediately, but then still holding the paper, asked: "CJ alright?" "Yes, boss. My little guy is doing fine." "No. I mean have you

Sepia Saturday    "Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity. " ~ George Carlin Photo Courtesy: LMCF This week's Sepia theme takes me back to those afternoons when I was putting together a research proposal (Re: Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen). The project focuses on integrative complexity (IC) defined as a measure of intellectual style used by individuals or groups in processing information, problem solving, and decision making . The IC construct is used to measure complexity levels of government leaders during periods of crises.   Cognitive studies in communication examine changes in leaders' IC levels, i.e. world leaders in the war against terrorism, Middles Eastern leaders during the 9/11 crisis, German parliamentarians on the Gulf War.  The theory is that IC complexity levels decline during conflicts and increase during resolutions of conflicts. A notable finding from a previous s

Life is full of promise There is so much it has to give, so much joy and wonder yet to be explored. You can always meet the challenge every single day you live, when you walk in faith together with the Lord Amanda Bradley's words cheered me up 15 summers ago. I was going through some tough time and a thoughtful friend gave this card to me. I kept it and never saw it again until recently while rummaging through my drawer in the office. Family over for lunch . Space is limited in my nook but I'm glad they came. Old family tales were retold. I rang overseas for Mama to join in some of the conversation. Ouch phone bill, but familiar voices are worth it. Book shopping makes me happy.  World Book's Young Scientist and The Questionary for CJ and a coffee table book for me. Pictures inside Mary Ford's Cake Decorating book are a stunning eye candy. A pretty little thing to wear to an occasion I do not yet know, is I think okay sometimes. I do l

~ Sepia Saturday ~ Does anyone remember those doilies? This doily is one of the oldest things we have at home; kept among pins, spools of thread, lace and other little old things around my mother's equally old Singer sewing machine. I needed to take a photo of my recent bookstore loot with Lady Anastasia before I was to fly back to Thailand. Something was necessary between her ceramic ladyship and Mama's glass table to prevent clashes or scratches. This doily served that purpose perfectly. ae Nak, a native of Phra Khanong, marries the handsome Mak. When war breaks out, Mak is conscripted for military service and leaves his pregnant wife behind. In the war, Mak is severely wounded. Meanwhile, Mae Nak dies during childbirth with her unborn child and is buried by the neighbors. This is unusual as Buddhist custom calls for the cremation of their dead. When Mak recovers from his injuries, he returns home to an emotional reunion with his loving wife and

I doubt whether the world holds for anyone a more soul stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice-cream . ~ Heywood Broun I don't think this is the kiddo's first ice cream. But I remember I bought this for him because its blue color was very attractive and I thought it would match his blue shirt and blue watch. It would also please his Grandma whose favorite color is blue. The other reason was he wanted to stay in the mall to check out the latest Ultraman dolls. I wanted to go home so I bribed him with ice cream. History repeats itself . When I was little my father would buy me ice cream and I would forget that I wanted something else which I knew he didn't want to give. When a massive coronary felled him, I made sure there were loads of ice cream on top of a catered lunch I hosted for approximately 300 family and friends. The sweet, cold, creamy dessert must have worked wonders on the sombre mood. At the reception hall I heard this exchange b

Now I see what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that's what.  ~ Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses Ed Warren observes that the devil exists, God exists. He did not specify 'ghost' but that could well include Casper and his relatives whom I believe in but do not want to see except in films. On my way to see The Conjuring I snapped this photo from a speeding bus of the Prakhanong klong, a tributary of Chao Phrya. The water looks peaceful enough to me. If I closed my eyes to the wires and vandalized bridge, that is. Mae Nak Prakhanong, is a film I watched while traveling from Huahin to Bangkok in 1998. It portrays normal life in Prakhanong, then a village; of people rowing their boats in the klong to visit neighbors or go to the market. Scenes especially those around the water are engulfed in eerie serenity. You see Mae Nak  is a ghost. She is probably famous as I have yet to meet a Thai who has no idea who Mae Nak is. Her love story with her so

Honey, honey, how he thrills me aha... This is one of those blue-sky holidays in the chili patches. We are in the sunflower fields of Thailand. The farmers there sell honey aside from sunflower seeds and sunflower wine. Drogba forsakes football for the day to bottle honey in Saraburi. A tourist blows a honey kiss. Honeycomb up close  Honey pool The sweet, therapeutic liquid in Regency Scotch. Regency : to an anglophile like me, the merchandise is sold. ~0~   ABC Wednesday * Our World * Sally's Blues * Mellow Yellows * Ruby Tuesday  

Delight is a heart of pearl-white beads, a pink ribbon and satin flowers. My students gave me this token on the occasion of the Queen's birthday a couple weeks ago. Fun is buying yourself something nice though you know you won't wear it everyday. This watch will be on my wrist as I host lunch for cousins and their kids come Saturday. Joy is finding something very charming in the midst of modern technology. I call this the Fairy Tree . It sprung out in the middle of the former World Trade mall; appeals highly to the country girl in me.  Yum is a succession of crepe cheese cake, coconut ice cream, Auntie Annie pretzels with sour cream sauce and grape-blueberry juice, tiny butter and banana cupcakes, chicken salad and Pepper Lunch beef steak to fuel a series of film screenings. Anticipation is excitement over getting things ready for a little family gathering on Saturday and celebrations which are going to be spread through normal profes