Having "Me" Time

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...

Today is Father's day in Thailand as it is our Majesty the King's Birthday.  He is the "Father" of our beloved country.  I therefore would like to wish all the father's of this world a very Happy Father's Day!  Without our fathers none of us would not be here today.  What I love about days like this, is that it is a day to remind us of the good others have done for us.  It's not just a about giving, but also about showing appreciation and thanks. It's not only a day for children, but it is also a day for adults. Afterall, even though we are older we still have fathers.  Some may not be living with their fathers, some may have fathers who are ill, some may have fathers who have passed away but still today is a good day to show our fathers how much we care for them. Give them a call, a hug, a good day. So today, give your father a big hug and tell them "Thank you" for all they have done for us. :) Make your fathers ...

For some things in life you only discover a love, a passion for it later on in life. I suppose it's better late than never as the old saying goes.   With this blog, I rediscovered my love of writing and with teaching I discovered my love of teaching. Nothing gives more satisfaction than the sight of someone's eyes sparkle in delight and understanding when something previously unknown is finally understood.   I had been teaching younger kids and have recently moved onto teaching older students getting ready for college entrance exams.  You may wonder what is so good about teaching?  You keep saying what you know to students again and again?  For me it's more than that. It's fun and exhilirating.  Teaching for me is not just about going to a classroom and lecturing so that students can jot down notes and memorize.  Teaching is understanding and realizing the potential in each student.  Teaching involves understan...

Sometimes your inner voice tells you not to do something, but you do it anyway.   Then later you end up thinking to yourself "Damn, why didn't I listen to my inner voice?"   This happened to me exactly this past Monday. Here's a funny story. This past weekend, Alex and I have been discussing when best it would be to bring my Baby back home.   Yes, my little White Baby Jazz (if you are wondering, it's my car :))   has been in safekeeping for roughly a month now away from the flood, away from the water that could cause it to choke, suffocate and eventually die.   It has only just reached it's second birthday.   Too young to die.   Monitoring water levels, canal drainage, potential flooding estimates, we decided that by this week, I should be able to take my Baby out for a spin. It should be safe enough as the chance of her drowning in water seems quite minimal.   She's restless and needs to get out of her little rectangle high up on the 7th floor....

Parts of Bangkok has been flooded for over three weeks. If you're lucky, and in the minority then you are still dry.  This, however, depends largely on the power of the pumps.  Yes, inner Bangkok is dry for the moment because the water pumps are working full time to keep the water level at bay.  Lets hope the pumps do not break down.  Anyways, I've been asked by some readers as to where they can volunteer their help and their time to doing something for the flood victims?  A lot of you may already be helping, but here is a short compilation for those who have just arrived in town or just want to help. 1. Thai Red Cross : http://www.redcross.or.th/   Here you can donate your money, goods, time and even your blood to help flood victims.  You can even donate online.  It's located on Henri Dunant Road not too far from Siam and I think the nearest MRT (underground station) is Lumpini. (Please check)  They are open from early morning un...

In life, in dealing with problems and losses we go through five stages of emotions:   denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance .  Most commonly we experience this from heartbreak, losing a loved one, going through a crisis, business problems, etc..  The list is endless.. We humans have a lot of problems and we deal with them through our emotions. Sometimes we do not acknowledge that these are our emotions.  Yes, we feel hurt, feel sad, feel angry, feel serious, feel resentment.  We try to act "civilized" and push these emotions aside.  We ignore them. After all, we are all grown ups and grown ups do not succumb to their emotions.  It's dangerous.  Psychologists mention that it is not good to ignore these emotions for it can cause "emotional indigestion." It can cause us to be tense, stressed and ready for a fight. Our heart beats faster and our natural instinct sets in.  We want to survive. We are ready fo...

I've been back for a few days now from my evacuation. I missed home too much and needed to get some things done at work.  Now that I'm back, I once again feel the psychological stress and intensity with which this flooding is affecting Bangkok citizens.  It's like a race against time.  A race against the impending flood.  A race against water that seeps in through every crack and nook. Humans race to be the winner in this losing battle.  Everyone is applying new ways of protection against the flood.  The shops on my road and businesses were busy reinforcing their protection.  As time goes by, the form of flood protection changes and evolves with experience.  Everyone is building a bunker or living in one (like I am).  I've been observing the flood protection over the past month and it seems to evolve over time.  Here is a list of how bunkers have evolved over the past month in Bangkok. First, sandbags....

It's Friday and what a flooded one it is in Bangkok.  Yes, I am back in town to recieve the flood and it is somewhat stressing me out. It inches closer every hour.  I'm sure it is stressful for many others also so tonight let's change topic and instead continue on with our myths.  Myth 5: Drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Clean water, not the ones that come with Bangkok floods. I have to admit this is a myth that I also believe in and one that is seen everywhere.  It is a myth if you believe it is a miracle cure all that will cure illnesses and give you wonderful health.  If, however, you see it as a recommendation on how to keep yourself hydrated then it is fine. According to nuitritionist Alannah DiBona, we don't really need 8 glasses.  This was an easy way to tell people to avoid sugary sodas and other drinks.  She says that one should take one's body weight in ounces of water and divide it in half. Th...

I'm ready to go home.  I miss my home.  I miss my life and yes, I have to admit, I do miss going to work as well.  I miss the certainty of it all.  I like adventures, but this flooding is not an adventure I like nor enjoy.   I suppose this is what people feel like in wars where they are forced to evacuate their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.  Almost four hundred people have already died. Some die from tripping and drowning, others from electrocution, or some from health problems.  I suspect too that all this stress from watching flood related news in order to find out if our house will be flooded or not is causing significant psychological distress.   Now all I want is to get flooded and get it over with. Dear water, just flood and begone. This flood has also reinforced something I've thought about before and that is to just live your life before it's too late.  You never know when you are going to...

It's my second day after evacuation and I feel somewhat lost in limbo.  I do not know what lies ahead.  I miss my home and I miss normal day life.  Forced evacuations are no fun even if you get to go out of town. Your mind is always wondering about what next.  What happens next?  No answer.  Now the dilemma is deciding when would be the appropriate time to go back?  If I go back too early, I may have to end up evacuating again.  If I wait, I do not know how long the wait will have to be. Will it be one week, two weeks or more? I need to go back to go on with my life.  Now nothing can be planned and there is no timeframe. I realize now how important it is to have certain basic certainty in one's life.  A safe home, clean tap water, electricity and a safe environment in which to live.  Most importantly though is to be surrounded by family and loved ones.  What good is having all the world's goods...

An eerie silence has befallen Bangkok once again.  It's as if the whole city is holding it's breath.  Breathe too loudly and you just might trip over.  Last time this happened was last year during the political unrest.  Only this time,  the eerie silence is spread much further out.  Not only inner Bangkok but now the suburbs too are subject to this eerie silence. Cars are not wanted now.  They are all parked on bridges, expressways, parking lots and anywhere that is above ground level.  It's too expensive to just let them drown in water.  With car taxes over two hundred percent, most cannot afford to lose the only car they have.  I cannot.  I'm still paying the monthly installments.  Even the taxi companies are saving their cars and few now roam the streets.  It's difficult to go anywhere.  Walking becomes the mode of transport. While walking, I sometimes wonder if I am living in a deserted town lik...

For over a week, Bangkok has been in a state of panic.  Everyone is packing up their houses, sealing doors and windows with silicone, buying sand from other provinces, finding ways to block their pipes and other points of weakness where water may enter.  Plastic bags large enough to seal entire cars are in hot demand and sold out in a matter of hours.  Plastic gallons for filling up both tap water and drinking water are snatched up like this season's "must haves."  In supermarkets, many shelves are empty.  Only imported mineral water remains and bread are out of stock.  Eggs vanish the minute they are restocked.  Now in order to ensure fairness, supplies have to be limited. Two packs per household. We stock up on water and drinking water, yet I wonder if we will really stay once the water arrives. The biggest problem seems to be getting elders to evacuate.  We love our homes, but we must also cherish our lives.  Being isolated in an island ...

Tonight many Bangkokians are afraid of the flood.  Every night it has been raining. Panic is somewhat in the air and in the supermarkets many shelves of water and instand noodles are empty.  (I think it's also because the warehouses are flooded and food cannot be brought in to restock.)  Outside my main road, the banks and other businesses have walls of sand.  Some smaller mom and pop stores have had cement barriers created.  This is the sentiment now in Bangkok.   I, myself, am skeptical that it will flood to such an extent that I will be camped out, but still I could not help myself stocking buying a little water and canned food just in case.  ( Hey, it's better safe than never!) My choice of canned food?  Baked Beans. Yes, after looking at the shelves, I decided that it would be perhaps the most practical and simplest food to have in times of safety. It's also what I eat regularly so I don't have to worry about it expiring be...

This morning while running, I thought about the upcoming Bangkok Marathon .  I have to get a little more serious in my running.  In 53 days, the Bangkok Marathon will be held as it has been for the past few years.  On November 20, 2011 tens of thousands of people will be out running in the wee mornings of the day.  I will be there.  Let's all be there.  Let's go out, have some exercise and enjoy the experience. For those of you who have never joined the marathon, let me tell you this.  Once you've experienced it, you will want to keep coming back.  It's fun, it's exciting and its open the everyone.  How often do you get to run on the street by the Grand Palace and watch the sunrise?  You don't have to run the entire 42km marathon.  They have the 10K as well as the 5K for you to choose from.  I will be doing the 5K.  I want to run it all and not run. The first time I joined the marathon was 4 years ago, I w...

The vegetarian festival is coming up soon in Bangkok and so if you are looking for somewhere that serves delicious vegetarian food, I recommend this little restaurant called "Thamna".  This literally translates to "farming" in Thai.   It's a lovely little eatery that opened up roughly two years ago and is very close to my office, so close that I had not written about it.  It is, however, one of my all time favorites and somewhere where you can go have a healthy meal. It's a tiny little shop with a cosy ambiance and soft music playing in the background.  Paintings line the walls and it has a somewhat artistic feel to it.  It has roughly 6 tables so I recommend making a reservation if you plan to go there during the peak hours of noon.  Office workers from nearby go to this shop during the lunch break. What kind of food do they serve?  It's a vegetarian restaurant so no meat is served here, only vegetables and lots and lots of mush...

Finally the weekend is here and what else is there to think about other than good food and good company?  (I, however, will be home resting since the flu has caught up on me and going around with my sore throat and stuffy nose is just not good).    Although my tastebuds are currently tasteless from the flu, I do have some craving for some sphaghetti and hamburgers which reminded me of this place I went to a few weekends ago.  It's called "Wine I Love You" and is located at the CDC also known as Crystal Design Centre.   I have to admit, the last time I went to CDC was when it was just newly opened with few shops and hardly any people.  Now on weekends, it's bustling and full of activity. Absolutely amazing.  With shops, comes restaurants and wanting to try something new, Alex and I decided to try out "Wine I Love You." The decor has a bistro kind of feel to it, and it reminds me of a wonderful hamburger place I went to in D.C.  I fe...

As one of my readers (who is also a good friend) commented the other day, I seem to be in a good mood. Yes I am.  It's a good day, not because I was efficient and got many things done, but because I have received and heard interesting stories from my readers.  It is always a pleasure to hear comments or recieve emails.  It's one of a writer's little joys in life.  Tonight I write about an email I recieved from a reader ("S") earlier this week with regard to where one should look to purchase a condominum in Bangkok.    Although this is not directly my field, I will try my best to help her. :) Of course the condominum one ultimately ends up purchasing,  depends upon your lifestyle, your needs and your budget.  It also depends on what purpose you are buying the condominium for.  Are you buying it for yourself?  Are you buying it for rental? or are you buying it for speculation in the hopes that the real estate...

It's the weekend and though I am still feeling under the weather, something about sleeping at the early hours of 9pm and waking up in the wee hours of the morning is refreshing.  The sky is blue, the birds are chirping and the wind is in the air.  It is refreshing and a great way to re-energize.  Of course, another great way to re-energize is to go out and have some good food with good company.  If you fancy some dimsum I recently discovered a new place upon recommendation of a dear friend.  It's called "Yuan" (which makes me think of the Chinese Yuan which is the local chinese currency). What I love about this dimsum place is that you get freshly made dimsum. None of that frozen and re-steamed kind of dimsum.  Each portion is large and you can taste the quality of the ingredients inside.  I had some dimsum made out of snow fish, the usual shumai, fried taro with red pork, fried cream buns and a few other dishes. My favorite was the fried cre...

This past weekend, my friends and I went to try out a new restaurant.  Thanks to one of my dearest friends, who always seeks out wonderful new places, we get to try out new restaurants and eateries which aren't located in hotels and department stores.  Those are left for the days when you need a safe option.   This weekend we went to a Restaurant and Winebar on Sukhumvit  Soi 33 called "The Horse Says Mooo0." It's a strange name that really catches your attention and has everyone asking "What is the name again?" the first time they hear it.  That was certainly my reaction.  It is also a name that once you've heard it and been, it's hard to forget.  I definitely won't be forgetting it anytime soon (which I suppose is what the owners must want.) We went there for brunch, but they are also serve wine and beer and have live music along so the atmosphere must be quite different.  It seems to be ...

If you are a lover of dogs and need to get a rest from politics, then you would most probably love going to the Thailand Dog Show that is being held at Bangkok's Impact Muang Thong Thani this weekend.  It was my first time going to the dog show and I have to say I really enjoyed it.  I just wished the event was a little bigger with more dogs for me to rub and scratch and play with. It's a Bank Holiday today so I was fortunate to be able to go before the weekend crowd.    Before you even enter, you can smell pet food and a distinctly doggie aroma coming out of the hall.  It's not stinky, but you know there are pets inside.  That was enough to make me smile thinking of all the cute cuddly puppies inside.  There's something about dogs that just make your heart smile. What do they have there?  Everything you could possibly need for your dog.  All the pet food companies set up booths there so you can go buy pet food, pet toys, pet clo...