Having "Me" Time

I cannot go on without mentioning the Royal Wedding of the decade.  Since Diana's wedding, there has not been one that has been followed with such enthusiasm.  It is a wonderful change to follow "good" news than hearing the usual stories of war, fighting, economic bailouts and deaths that appear whenever one turns on the television.  Nevertheless, I have to admit I hadn't been following the news so much prior to the wedding but now that the wedding day had arrived, I was excited. If you live in Bangkok it is hard to escape the hype that accompanies such a wedding. The morning radio news discussed the wedding and as Thais are very fond of such events, we had live coverage aired on Thai television.  Fortunately, we are only six hours ahead of London so the timing is just right. Late afternoon to early evening would be the time of the ceremony. Though still at the office, all eyes were glued to the television sets....

This morning I went off to run before work as normal.  I push my lazy self off my comfy bed and whilst driving to the fitness, I wonder if there will ever come a day when the "lazy me" is gone and dead.  It's been almost two years since I've started running and every morning it's a battle to ward off the "lazy me."  Some days, it's quiet and weak and I can easily push it away, some days it has strength and wants to take over the "active me."  Nevertheless, as long as I keep my head, the "active me" remains in top place.  This battle, however, stops the minute I am in the car and once I start running it is as if I am transported into a different dimension. Another world. This morning's world was one of peace and tranquility.  I ran without my headphones. Usually I'd spend my runs catching up on the morning news, watching Haslinda Amin recap on Bloomberg or perhaps the BBC news, but today I wanted to try running without ...

There are quite a few birthdays in April, those of colleagues, friends and very old friends.  One such birthday though was of another dear friend whom I've known since primary school. Fifth Grade to be exact.  Time flies by so fast, before you know it, its been over 20 years since we've known each other.  She lives in Canada now and so we don't get to meet her as often as we'd like and in our little high school reunions her absence is indeed missed.  You know who you are! Beaver! I remember it like it were yesterday.  Going to classes in our white and turquoisy navy bluish skirt.  I still don't know what you call that shade of blue we had for our school uniform, it is such a unique colour.  Together we had our little 'Anti-Kapi' club that if you knew what it was, you'd probably shake your heads and wonder how we could have been so young.  It was fun though nevertheless and certain stories will forever remain to be told and told again, like the s...

It's summer in Bangkok but we've been getting crazy thunderstorms these last few days as a result of Global Warming.  I therefore thought I'd like to share with you a poem I wrote in 6th grade.  Wow..it's been a long time, but even then I loved the environment and I loved the tall tall trees.  It's always fun to read through old writings :P  Take care and Save the Trees ! The Forest Trees                             by Swisa Ariyapruchya Tall, towering high above us, The trees stood majestically. In a forest, almost forgotten, They whispiered to one another. If one listened, One could hear, What was being said Among the many trees. When the wind blew, They swayed back and forth, Their leaves humming. Humming a tune of nature, A tune no longer heard. Many summers now Since I have stood, Listening in a forest. ...

Reading about Obama's young mother in the New York Times, I am reminded about a discussion Alex and I had the other day on how we live in a world of different realities.  What sparked the conversation was his conversation with a random stranger at a government office while waiting for some documents.  It's not at all related to Obama or his Mom, but it is about how we all have different lives growing up.  One cannot just assume everyone's childhood was just as pleasant as ours even though we'd like to believe it.  His reality is not my reality and vice versa. What really hit us was how this stranger, this pleasant happy chit chatting man, was talking about his family.  How he had a hard life growing up and how education for him ended at fourth grade primary.   He talked about his daughter and how he was so proud of her to have finished 9th grade.  It was like a dream had come true for his children to accomplish such a high le...

This morning was the first public day for Bangkok's International Gift and Bangkok International Houseware Fair (BIG and BIH).  If you don't know what it is, it is a trade fair organized by Thailand's Department of Export Promotion.  It's held twice a year, once in April and another in October.  At each event,  those wishing to see what products Thailand has to offer can attend the event and talk to vendors.  The last two days, usually a Saturday and Sunday, are days for the public to shop their heart out.    It becomes a mad shopping rush that makes you wonder if everything was being handed out free. The event starts at 10.00am and knowing that there'd be a million people there, I decided to go early.  I get somewhat crowd dizzy.  I arrived at around 9.30am and to my surprise the parking lot was already filling up quite fast.  I was even more surprised when I went upstairs to the lobby and saw the amount of ...

If you were wondering about the title, "No my blog isn't having any "down time" anytime soon but please do have some "me" time :)  Everyone sooner or later needs to have "downtime" for themselves.  I was reading two lovely articles today shared by a good friend about how to be happy and how to have work-life balance.  I think what they say is definitely something we should take into account a bit more consciously.  Not just as a passing thought, but as an action.  Afterall, it's the action that counts. One of things they mentioned was "downtime."  It mentioned that we should schedule "downtime" for ourselves every week to ensure that we get the rest we need.  A little relaxation can go a long way and instead give you more focus, energy and a clearer mind. Sometimes when we are stuck in the everyday rut of "work, work, and more work" we can't seem to even find time for ourselves to take time for the bathroo...

Most days in the morning when I arrive at the office, I am greeted by the entrance by a certain guard who is always sitting watching everyone come and go, walking here and there.  Amidst all this hectic movement, he remains calm and ever so pleasant.  Such a pleasant start to the morning it is indeed to be greeted by this guard.  Who is it? It's our very own beiged coated dog with wagging tail and grinning muzzle whom I've nick-named "The Guard." I know not who the owner is, but he is a dog that knows no harm.  He watches those who enter and leave  and has a sleek and toned body that is a reflection of strength.  He's one active dog with a built of a soldier dog.  He stands straight, shoulders back and head raised towards the sky, his ears alert for the slightest disturbance. A guard he is, but a friendly one with a muzzle that makes him look like he's always grinning. He keeps out of people's way by sitting safely by the door...

There are a few favorite spots of mine outside of Bangkok and the one I like most at the moment is a the little market at Nakorn Chaisi district which is in Nakorn Pathom province.  It's not that far out from Bangkok and is only roughly a half hour drive if you are coming from the Pinklao area.  I've been there several times already and most recently last week.  It offers a combination of good food, good ambiance and is overall a pleasant place to take a stroll. I like it because the wooden shop houses date back roughly a hundred years and bank the Nakorn Chaisi river which is so beautifully peaceful.  It's a small little area and its a lovely place to just take a short walk, buy a few good snacks and food to take home, and have your lunch.  You are not going to get lost here unless you decide to cross the main road or bridge and keep on going.    If you can stand the heat, you can even buy fish food and feed the fish along its banks...

Since it was just the New Years in Thailand and New Years is not only a time for celebration but also of resolutions, I made one more this past week.  It's something I've been working on for the past month but I keep getting drawn back into this vicious cycle of sleeping late, waking up late, feeling groggy, lacking energy and so forth.  It's a horrible cycle to be in.  I feel exhausted but its so hard to get out of. I therefore have a new resolution to sleep early, latest by 22.30hrs.   It might sound a bit early to most, but to me it makes a big difference.  The past two days I've managed to get myself to bed early and the result is a much more energetic, happier and fresher me.  My brain is clearer and I find myself more focused at work.  I run better and I am not as out of breath. I work better when I've had good quality sleep. This is even though I sleep the same amount of hours as if I went to sleep at midnight or 1am, b...

The other day I finally got to try out this dessert place called " After You " that has been the talk of the town for awhile now.  I just couldn't find the justification to wait in the long line that snakes around the front of its many stores.  The line was always so long and I was always in a rush to go somewhere.  After listening to my friends rave about it's delicious desserts over dinner, we finally decided to go there afterwards and I'm glad I did.  Their desserts are great for those who love chocolate and carbohydrates. I went to their newly opened store at Siam Paragon Ground Floor.  Like all of its other stores at La Villa , J-Avenue, there was a long line of people waiting outside the shop.  The owner must be so proud that their hard work pays off.  We make a reservation for a table of four and surprisingly they say the wait should be less than 20 minutes.  I look at the groups of people wh...

Happy Songkran everyone!!  To those unfamiliar with Thailand, you might wonder what is it?  Songkran is basically the Thai New Years and it's a holiday one shouldn't miss.   In Thailand, we have our own calendar system which follows the buddhist cycle and traditionally the date would be according to astrological calculations.  Nowadays, it is fixed from April 13th to April 15th which also happens to be one of the hottest times of year in Bangkok and so a great excuse to splash water. Following tradition, this would be the time of year when we visit elders, families and friends.  New Years in Thailand I suppose is like New Years elsewhere, a time for reunion, celebration and good deeds.  When visiting elders,  Thais will bring along a jasmine garland as a sign of respect and offer it to the elder. Thai fragrant water garnished with rose and jasmine petals would then be gently poured over the hands of the elders ...

Being a bit stressed out, I turned to Gossip Girls which is now on Season four.  I know I'm way past highschool but it's a good stress reliever and the fashion is just fun to watch.  I get to update myself on the latest fashion trends and wonder how their lives can be so dramatic and full of fafa.  I have to say Season one was the best, but yet I still find myself watching the couples change in as many combinations as possible.  It's not all bad though.  Some truths and lessons can be learnt from it.  Afterall, these characters are just people like ourselves and despite all their planning and trickery, they strive to be "good" people. Chuck at one point becomes a better person and Mrs. Bass too admits her mistakes.  It is a reflection of life.  No one is perfect in this world, no matter how wonderful you think their life is.  They have all the money one could possibly want, yet what we see is that each and every character is ...

My breakfast discussion this morning concerned attitudes and how most things in life depends on how you view and see things.  Definitely true.  While bicycling later on this past afternoon at the gym I read an article on how exercise is about setting goals and believing you can do it. Also very true.  I've experienced it myself and I know losing weight for me required first and foremost a change in attitudes and the way I perceived things.  You may think that achieving is mainly about reaching the goal, but in reality, how you get to the goal is really a process that involves a lot of changes in attitudes and how you think. As we all probably know,  if you want to accomplish something, you have to set a goal.  What is it you really want in the end?  What is the end result?  This is simple enough.  To achieve anything we need a good and clear goal that is, of course, measurable.  Take for example losing weight.  I wanted to lo...

Today I had a wonderful girls day out with a group of friends I've known since I was still in fifth grade.  Gosh it was a long time ago, but it's always good to see everyone again.  We use birthdays as an excuse to catch up, chit chat and try out new restaurants.  Today the birthday girl decided that we go try out this restaurant ontop of the Mini showroom called "The Garret." We all loved it and spent a good few hours there enjoying the company, the food, and the ambiance. Thank you for finding this place :) Now I'm a big fan of Mini Coopers which made the journey to the final destination that much more fun.   I got there early, walked around the showroom and immersed myself in the cuteness of Mini Cooper.  There's something about it that just makes you smile when you see it.  Especially when they are there sitting in rows as if it were waiting for me to just pop in and take a ride.  It pains me to think...

Yesterday, I went to the Red Cross Fair for the first time.  My office is located not far from where the fair is held, and after more than a decade of being stuck in its traffic and wondering why they have to close down roads for it, I finally decided to actually go in and see for myself what they have inside.  In previous years I had contributed to the fair by donating my clothing and other goods to sell, as well as buying raffle tickets, but I had not ventured into the actual fair.   The hordes of people always seemed so overwhelming to me.  It still does. The Red Cross fair is one gargantuan affair in Bangkok.  Temporary stalls are built along the roads surrounding the Parliament building and spread all over the gardens that surround it.   Stalls from all public sector offices ranging from the post office to the local district office have things for sale and other goodies for which to try one's luck.  The army, navy, and airforce a...

After the earthquake I wrote an email to a Japanese colleague asking her of her troubles and hoping that all was fine.  Her response made me teary eyed and it's something I still remember till this day.  She told of her hardships and how they were having trouble with electricity, but it was the end that hit me.  She apologized for having caused me concern and worry.  Wow.  I was breathless.  Here she was in trouble, her nation was suffering, and still she apologized for making me worried about her!!  I admire her. My experience is but a fraction of what others have experienced.  Since that unfortunate day of earthquakes and tsunamis, I've been hearing endless stories about the Japanese discipline and sense of morality.  How even in times of suffering and the Japanese will not loot nor take advantage of those less fortunate.  Other people's lives are taken into deep consideration.  Afterall, everyone is in this situation and e...

Many of us can be a little lazy when it comes to exercising or maintaining our health.  Okay, not just "a little" we can be "very" lazy.  It's been over a year since I've lost the 15kgs worth of fat and so far I've been pretty good at maintaining it.  I have not gained more than 2 kgs and when it goes up a kg or so, I push it down.  I am, however, starting to feel the laziness creep up on me. Since the New Years,  moving house, unpacking, traffic, and whatever excuse I can think of, I've been waking up a little later each morning.  I rush out to run yet it is losing steam.  I sleep a little later each night which is terrible when I need to wake up early.  In addition, when I come home each day the table is set full of food.  Oh how tempting all this wonderful food is.   When I insist on having fruits, worried looks appear.  Perhaps I will be lacking some proteins or vitamins.  One must surely eat more...

This past week, one event after another, the world seems in turmoil in Asia.  Japan is still suffering from the Tsunami and nuclear disaster and now Thailand has its own problems.  Last week, torrential rain caused mudslides, high waves and flooded many parts of the south.    Everything was disrupted.  It wasn't just the usual flooding that usually accompanies the rain.  This time it rained so hard that water gushed down from the mountains with such a force that it tore down houses and buried villages in mud.   Villages and families have been left homeless and there are still many missing.  Houses were flooded to the second level and people were left waiting on the roof for help.    The navy had to send down large ships to help people evacuate but even then the waves seemed too deadly to pass.  Not all could be evacuated.  Helicopters too transported people to areas of safety.   Homes and vi...

Friendships are important and tonight I want to dedicate this post to a wonderful friend whom I've known since primary school.  It was her Birthday yesterday on April Fools Day and I had intended on writing this yesterday, but the internet connection somehow died on me.  I hope it lasts until I finish my post tonight :)  This post is about my lovely friend Suki whom I've known since primary school.   I remember like it was yesterday.  We both wore the school white shirt and navy skirt uniform.  She had a sweet smile that made you feel warm and at ease, something I have to say she still does.  Never angry, never moody, she is always the image of calmness and sweetness.  Always positive and happy.  She is also a person who is so caring and attentive to everyone around her.  If you mention you like something, she'd remember it clearly even as the years go by.  You know she cares. We had both spent our childhoods...