Having "Me" Time

It’s been too long since my last post. I missed writing. I missed my blog. I missed my readers. The voices inside me missed being punched onto the screen. With this change in weather and not having enough “me” time of late, I’ve been literally voiceless from a bad flu and I have to say it hasn’t been one of my best weeks. I never had such a good stomach workout(or pain) from a cough before. (They say laughter is good for toning your stomach muscles, but I think coughs must rank somewhere closeby.) Nevertheless, one must be be positive! I think my stomach will be fit and toned by the time the coughing has subsided. Wonderful. I’ve even lost a kg that was excess since the New Years. As having a cold seems to be “in” at the moment with a change in weather and all, I thought today I’d write about why one should NOT be a google doc. I am guilty of being a google doc. Whenever I come down with something I like to google it up the symptoms, read about it voraciously and quench m...

The other day I read an interesting book called “I Moved Your Cheese.” It’s a book that follows on the famous “Who Moved My Cheese?” and I find it interesting for it tells a story of three mice in a maze that challenged the maze in which they lived. It’s fascinating. The story is simple and you could finish the book in one night, yet it makes one think. It is a reflection of what life should be. The three mice in the story were not like the other mice for they thought outside the box. They questioned the fact that “cheese” was indeed important for everyone and if they should in fact pursue this “cheese” just because everyone else is pursuing it. Follow the cheese and find it. Adapt so that one can consume this cheese. To put things short, the story basically teaches us to do some self reflection. Think about what this “cheese” is for us. To some, it may mean getting that limited edition bag, to others it could mean going on a trip, or for some it could just mean sitting...

I love it when friends take me to off the beaten track eateries. Little treasures that just make you wonder what other secrets lay hidden waiting to be discovered. This latest discovery came quite unexpected for it was a chance meeting and we took the opportunity to go grab a bite to eat. In search of somewhere not too far from Silom, Narathiwat and the Rama IV area my friend navigated me to this little japanese eatery called “Sendai Ramen Mokkori Silom.” Don’t ask me what the name means. I only know “Ramen” and “Silom”(road name.) It’s one of those eateries you find in the least expected places. It’s at the base of an old-fashioned condominium at Narathiwat Soi 1. It seems to have been around for quite some time and probably well-known to those who go to that area, but for me it was an area I hardly go to and a street I’ve never driven into. What’s surprising is that walking out of the condominium parking (you can get your parking ticket validated at the eatery) you do not...

I love to eat. I think many like me also like to eat but our likes and dislikes change over time. I think our tastes also change the older we get. When I was young, I hated mushrooms. Now I devour them as if they were the most delicious thing on earth. Anything with mushrooms are good. Tonight I want to share with you one of my all time favorite sweets, not sweets but (as if you can’t tell from the post title) Snaffles. In Japan, apparently each city/region has their own specialty when it comes to sweets. You can only get the triangular mojis from Kyoto, Tokyo Bananas from Tokyo, Castella cakes from Nakasaki, and Snaffles from Hokkaido (correct me if I am wrong here). My first experience with Snaffles was early last year when we had a Japanese friend come visit. With him came along a box of Snaffles which has since become one of my all time favorites amongst cheesecakes and japanese sweets. I usually don’t like cheesecakes too much because they are heavy and creamy. Not my thing. ...

This year has started out in a storm for many people I know. Even the weather gods are thinking that too with thunderstorms roaring across Bangkok when usually it is dry, sunny and cool. Nevertheless, let us not keep us from enjoying the wonderful year ahead of us. Today I want to write about something that sometimes we forget. We use it everyday, we use it all time and yet we forget to think about them. (I do forget often times) What am I talking about? Words. Yes, words like the ones you are reading now. Words to me are powerful and should be used with care. Words spoken or written have enormous influence and have resulted in either love or wars amongst men. It is with words, that people communicate and it is with words that others sometimes feel love, compassion, sympathy and understanding. Used otherwise, they cause others to feel anger, resentment or even sadness. Words can sometimes be therapeutic and healing, yet words of angerness, bitterness, judgement can also invo...

It’s almost the end of January, I have a zillion things to do yet right now all I am thinking about are socks. Yes, you read it right. Socks. Those soft cushy things you put on your feet to keep warm and wear with shoes. What? Are you serious? Yes, I am. I am very serious. I have to confess, I have actually been thinking about socks for a few days now so it’s about time I wrote about it. It all started when I resumed my running schedule after a few weeks of rest. Most days, running is a bore and I do it just so that I can eat and have that delicant piece of sinful chocolate that melts in your mouth. However, one day a week or so again, I ran and ran and for the first time in a long time, I felt that running was enjoyable. It was fun, relaxing and I enjoyed feeling my feet pacing up and down on the treadmill. I felt bouncy and my feet were happy. I could run more than I had for awhile. I wondered if it was runner’s high, but it wasn’t. I thought that maybe it was because I had...