dreams & kindness

Where my dreams took me last night to new lands places and a race of indigenous people who have no access to the outside world. I was a tourist equipped with a camera taking pictures of a beautiful country of which I know not off. The people look Polynesian so I am guessing I was on of the South pacific Islands. I remembered the ocean of course and the mountains hmmm it could even have been Hawaii. And to think of it, it wasn’t a bad dream at all. I was on vacation and I remembered my laptop, remembered transferring pictures from the memory card and talking to the locals asking them about their life while my cousin hurries me seeing we were going to have dinner with the rest of the family. Mom was there auntie was there – it goes to show that I really to go on a real vacation to an island somewhere and relax and then I shall truly be the island girl who lives on the edge of the water and gets a tan all year through what a life. And I know someone else who would love that – he loves the sea he loves getting tanned among other things *grin*. Btw I love this font color reminds of me ‘c’s font color .. tee hee.. anyways..

It’s a beautiful Thursday morning here in sunny Singapore. It’s a public holiday for the masses but just another day for me seeing I am already on vacation. It’s actually Vesak Day today a holy day for the Buddhist here in Singapore. I feel much better today too I am smiling and am in a good mood. So that is always a plus. I am thinking of what to make for breakfast seeing that will be skipping lunch. My mother is coming later this afternoon and in the evening we will be attending a wedding. Free food hahhaa just kidding .. It’s a relative’s wedding and this was one of those out of the blue we never saw it coming kind of weddings. We heard he was getting married like two weeks ago – talk about fast huh but I think he has known the girl a while now. So after breakfast I have the daunting task of picking out what to wear ;)) .. but for sure it will be something traditional..

Here is a little morning update on my favorite panda and a pic of her too She is a real goof ball - she can get as naughty and as playful as she wants too and still gets away with it - l I can so relate – to her being the goofball not so much about getting away with things .. anyways today’s update is all about the bamboo the giant panda and panda cub’s favorite food .

Wednesday, May 30
Bamboo shooting season is coming to a close in the Atlanta area. So, Yang Yang, Lun Lun, and Mei Lan are enjoying the last few shoots this week. They will have to wait until next spring to have delicious shoots again. Yang Yang and Lun Lun have recently shifted their bamboo species preference to Pseudosasa japonica, which is commonly known as arrow. This bamboo species is tall and thin with very little branching and only a few leaves at the top. It’s a favorite of our pandas.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Source:http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm

mei lan playing with her food.

I finally decided what i want for breakfast seeing all that bamboo just made me hungrier for the record bamboo shoots taste pretty good anyways I am going to make me scrambled eggs for breakfast my stomach’s calling out for food so I am off for now till later world , here is a little quote …

Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes the ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate. Albert Schweitzer

The world on the whole has a lot to learn about kindness I think if we had that half of the worlds conflicts would be gone but alas words can influence a man only so much but its his heart and honor that controls everything else. I love how this quote illustrates the way kindness can change a situation and it’s a lesson for all of us. Something else to think about ..

Blog ya laters world ..

more asian delights - nasi jenganan

Nasi which is rice in Malay is an integral part of Asian society. Whether eaten by hand, with chopsticks or with a spoon every Asian needs their rice and the best part is that is not just plain white rice there is a variety of rice dishes like fried rice and that too comes in a variety. We Asians love our rice and eat it sometimes three times a day sometimes twice a day. And as heavy as it may sound to some, we occasionally have rice for breakfast and this can be seen in the nasi lemak (coconut rice), nasi rawan (rice with black spicy gravy), nasi jenganan (rice with peanut sauce) and so on and so forth. But even though its been dubbed a breakfast dish we have these dishes sometimes for lunch and dinner.

We have stalls here at the market or malls where they sell these dishes. There is one near where I live that serves really good nasi jenganan. Their portions are huge and if I bought them for breakfast it would usually keep me full till later in the evening which is always a good thing. This is one of my mother’s favorite dishes too. The best part of stall bought nasi jenganan is how the dish is packed. Its usually packed in brown paper with a think plastic lining(this is specifically made to pack food) and wrapped up too look like a parcel with sealed off with a rubber band. So you get all the flavors blending in and it makes for some great eating. Anyways not all stalls make good nasi jenganan and sometimes home made nasi jenganan is always the best and that was it was for me today for lunch and dinner nasi jenganan.

Nasi jenganan is a dish of the Malay community here though everyone loves it. Rice with peanut sauce may not sound appealing but once you’ve tried it you would want more. What is nasi jenganan? It is basically plain white rice with peanut sauce. Sounds simple enough well not really. The peanut sauce is no ordinary sauce not the ones you have with skewered meat. It’s a special sauce with finely ground nuts and chillies and spicies. I don’t have a definite recipe for it because we usually buy our pre made sauce from a relative who makes an amazing peanut sauce. The recipe has been handed down from her grandmother to her mother and now to her. My mom would usually buy like 1o packets from her and then keep it because if on a lazy day you don’t feel like cooking just mix the paste to water and you get yummy peanut sauce. Its cheap it’s fast and it’s fabulous.

the jenganan gravy or peanut sauce

Nasi jenganan is usually served with side dishes. We use blanhched vegetables like bean sprouts, cabbage, kangkung(water spinach) and long beans. If anyones wondering what kangkung is here is a picture and for the curious lots you can read more about kangkung here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangkung

kangkung or water spinach

These vegetables are blanched in boiling water for a few seconds but you don’t want to over do it because you need to retain the crunch of some of these vegetables. When we make this dish at home we usually serve the vegetables this way …

clockwise - bean sprouts,kangkung,cabbage & long beans

We also have hardboiled eggs and begedil (potato cakes with cumin,fried onions,white pepper, scallions, ginger garlic paste and a touch of nutmeg) . Another two sides that this dish cant do without is the tempeh (fermented soybeans and the tauhu(beancurd). The tempeh is another favorite especially when fried till its crispy but not to the point of a potato chip. Before we fry them we dip them in salt water for a few seconds before frying. In order to fry the tempeh right, the heat has to be really small and the frying process usually takes a while so patience is required here. More information on tempeh and its production can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh and more reading of the beancurd can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu

uncooked tempeh uncooked beancurd

When all these dishes have been fried they look like this ..

clockwise- beancurd, begedil & tempeh

When you have everything you just pile it on a plate of rice and pour the peanut gravy over how much you put depends on how spicy or tasty you want your meal to me. We usually put everything on the dining table and everyone picks whatever they want though sometimes my mother likes to arrange all the vegetables on a plate and top it off with the eggs and tofu and leave the tempeh and begedil on the side. Whichever way its eaten rest assured its good stuff. And sometimes too when were not in the mood for rice, this can be eaten as a salad – seeing that it does have the components of a salad dish - put everything together pour on gravy and voila you have salad with peanut gravy yumm ...

That was a little trip to the world of the nasi jenganan one of many interesting and delicious Asian fare. As educational as it was for myself writing about nasi jenganan I still wonder what the word jenganan means .. *grin* where it originated from and who invented this wonderful dish .. the mystery remains ..

a little blue

I feel a little down tonight and my writing groove is taking a break too. The only comfort I found tonight is the picture of mei lan in her favorite barrel and of course ‘C’. Mei lan looks so adorable – sometimes I think she is a little rascal I wonder if they would make a panda version of the little rascals. *grin*.

I am not sure what is up with me tonight though maybe it’s just one of those days maybe it’s the state of the world maybe it’s because of all that’s happening. Things you have always believed in or had faith in. The ideas you have about certain things like family heck maybe it’s the darn blue moon that will be making its full presence felt later today.

well I shall not bring the world down with me for this is just a passing phase call it lethargy call it the question of what am I doing with my life whatever it is it will pass im sure. This reminds me of my auntie.. She has been upset because of my cousins’ heart condition and to keep her spirits up aside from prayer and family she has been eating a whole lot of chocolates. We all know the effects of chocolate. I remembered when I was at my grandmother’s house she was sitting on the sofa and in front of her was a bag of chocolates she look cute and she was like giggling and laughing ok that just made me crack me up :P I feel better already. Anyways she offered them to us saying it will keep us happy and lift us up it’s helped her a lot too. Hmm maybe that’s just what I will do have a piece or two of chocolate. I keep chocolate in my fridge for that instant pick me up hah how writing triggers memories and chocolate does the rest tee hee well I am still going to end this blog here but on a happier note then when I started *smiles* ..

And I was looking for pictures of chocolates to put up with this blog and I realized just looking at them makes you happy and the best part is it doesn’t go to the hips heehe like that bothers me *grin*.. well before I start rambling on I am off here for now ..

So till then have a great night all .. blog ya later..

know your cuppa...

This one’s for those who have a passionate love affair with coffee … myself included. I can’t help but have a love for them and their aroma, the texture of the beans, the smell of freshly ground coffee powder. It’s not so much the caffeine of the coffee but it’s the taste and I think if you’re passionate enough about something you would take time to get to know it like coffee.

Espresso is just the beginning of anyone’s love affair with coffee. It serves as base for a whole variety of coffee but the coffee’s presence is even wider than that .. anyways here is a coffee glossary for us who frequent coffee places and wonder what the heck is that on the menu …

Coffee Glossary

by Deb Donovan

Ordering a cup of coffee in today's coffee houses and restaurants can be a confusing undertaking. Here's a guide to your choices. (Hint: most specialty coffee drinks are based on espresso -- a rich, flavorful brew.)

Cappuccino:

Espresso topped with equal parts foamed and steamed milk.

Cafe Americano:

American drip coffee--Italian style. Made from equal portions of espresso and boiling water. This results in a stronger version of brewed coffee.

Cafe au lait:

This traditionally French drink is made with equal parts of brewed coffee and steamed milk.

Cafe breve:

This is a milk-based espresso where half-and-half is used instead of milk.

Cafe con leche:

1.5 ounces of espresso with steamed milk to fill an eight-ounce cup.

Cafe con panna:

Espresso topped with whipped cream.

Cafe corretto:

Espresso with a shot of brandy, cognac, or liqueur.

Cafe creme:

1.5 ounces of espresso combined with one ounce of heavy cream.

Cafe doppio:

A double shot of espresso with one shot of hot water.

Cafe freddo:

Chilled espresso served in a glass, often iced.

Cafe latte:

1.5 ounces of espresso in a six-ounce cup filled to top with steamed milk, forming a dense drink. This may be topped with foamed milk. • Cafe latte macchiato: A glass of hot milk, with a teaspoon of espresso.

Cafe Latteccino:

Espresso with two parts of steamed milk and one part foamed milk.

Cafe lungo:

A long espresso made by adding boiling water to a 1.5 ounces espresso. (The same as an Americano.)

Cafe macchiato:

1.5 ounces of espresso in a demitasse, topped with a dollop of foamed milk. (Macchiato means marked in Italian.)

Cafe mocha:

Espresso, chocolate syrup, and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. (Like a latte with chocolate.)

Cafe ristretto:

This is highly concentrated espresso (3/4 to one ounce of water used for extraction), resulting in a denser, and more aromatic espresso.

Cafe romano:

Regular espresso, served with a twist of lemon or lemon peel.

Here's a simple, make-at-home, recipe idea:

Low-Fat Frapp

4 cups ice

1 1/2cups skim milk

1 cup strong coffee

In a blender, crush ice cubes and then add milk, coffee and process until smooth. Sweeten with sugar or low-fat sweetener to taste.

Source: http://food.ivillage.com/drinks/coffee/0,,fv-1,00.html

I think I went to coffee heaven and back reading through the list. Café Romano really surprised me because of the use of lemon in it. I never thought lemon would be good in coffee. With tea it’s amazing but coffee now that’s new. And as for Café Americano I think its also known as long black. I remembered my days of a Grande triple shot Americano. It was pretty strong stuff and it kept awake during lectures. What truly amazes me is how additions of milk or half and half or just good ole hot water changes the strength the texture and the taste of the drink.

My coffee of choice these days is a double tall soy latte seeing milk makes me sick thanks to the lactose. I wonder if they have a name for that – soy latte that is. Reading about coffee brings me back to my days when I worked as a barista and we would create our own blend of coffee which wasn’t on the menu. My all time favorite was the Irish cream vanilla latte. It was amazing *drools*. It’s basically espresso shots, with vanilla powder and Irish cream syrup. I added only a touch of milk and use water to complete the drink.. Another way of doing this was using freshly brewed Irish cream infused coffee and to that you add the vanilla powder and milk. The smell of the Irish cream mixed with the vanilla powder and espresso shots or Irish cream infused coffee can really get the senses going. It’s possible to make it at home and trust me its good a definite must try.

Experience the world of coffee in its entire splendor with the coffee glossary. Visit a different coffee house everyday and see what they have its amazing what you can discover..

mid week rainy morning

A little entry before I go about my day. Its a beautiful mid week morning and its been a great school holidays only because i dont have to go to work .. but serioulsy its been nice to take a break from teaching and so something else .. but anyways ..

Today I woke up to the rain falling heavy one might you and all I wanted to was snuggle in back into my covers which I did for a brief moment before waking up. There were thunder but the rain kind of subdued the anger of the roaring thunder.

I slept really good maybe because I dreamt of chocolate – good dream mind you. And it wasn’t just chocolate I was in a shop where that everything chocolate – cakes, brownies, sweets you name and the best thing is I actually got the chance to taste it bite into one and taste it – my mouth is salivating thing about it hahahah not as gross as it sounds. Anyways, I remembered I had a soft, moist, spongy chocolate brownie with bits and pieces of hazel nut. It belts in your mouth and its oh so delectable.. Grrrrr now I want chocolate moist brownies… I was literally in chocolate heaven. Dreams like that I don’t mind always bring out the sweetness in me hahahaah *grin* anyways … speaking of sweetness, morning mail arrives with ‘c’ .. 3 things this morning rain email and chocolate dreams – great way to jumpstart my day :D ..

There was a little panda update nothing unusual except for the amount of people who went to see the panda family during the memorial day weekend and the best thing is that they included a new picture of mei lan ;)) ..

Going to have breakfast now I think … nothing else to write about for now and my brain are slowly waking up – I know I am going to organize my recipe box today and maybe write a few bottom line is today is rest day again I need my energy for the next few days seeing I have weddings and what nots. So that’s it for now but first a quotation ..

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? Rose Kennedy

Another one to think about. Have a great day world .. I am off to enjoy my breakfast and the blessings of rain this morning ..

a thought & an impression

Seeing that my mind barely stops thinking I wondered on and penned these things down which I thought I would share. My thoughts while having a flu and some utterly useless observation or not.

Random thought part 1

The beauty of the mind is how it’s able to be manipulated. How it’s able to block out the things seem to have a negative impact or things that makes a person sad and takes them to a whole new place – a much happier place even though it isn’t permanent. It is still able to sustain the person well being and happiness. It’s not really a bad thing. Since this is only temporary, blocking, switching off or whatever you choose to call it, this for a moment in time is actually a healthy thing and who knows in the process you can learn a thing or two about yourself, about life , sort things out and then some .

Random thought part 2

I was laying in bed today resting and staring into space well actually staring at my study table when I suddenly saw the water in the bottle move. For a moment there I thought I hard a jolt. Call it hallucination or medicinal effects, I saw papers in my in the desk basket flying around and the papers on my notice board flipping then it stopped. Then it flipped again and the water shook again – it looked it moves side to side as if someone was shaking the bottle. Hmmm I wondered to myself – what just happened ???????? What is causing the water to move?? Then I felt cool air on my feet only then did I realize the fan was on *slaps forehead*. The fan caused paper to flip which in turn gave the impression that the water in the bottle was moving from side to side when in actual fact it wasn’t .

Talk about impressions .. ;)) cool huh..

feelin better & stuff..

I feel much better after all that sleeping & rest. But knowing me there is only so much of that I can do – I am one of those who is not a fan of sleep and this have been proven a lot of times. I think sometimes you’re missing out on life when you sleep – silly I know and we need to rest I know but some us are super human and can function without a whole lot of rest and then some *grin* .. and some us normal folks can too .. anywaysss..

Yesterday was lunch date more like a lunch treat with colleagues from work. They slave you for six months then take you to lunch hahah just kidding. I guess its just managements way to show apprecation to teachers. well anyways , we went to the Straits Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for a lunch buffet. And boy did we eat. This is nice place to savor local favorites in a buffet style setting. It has a open style cooking area so you can see your food being prepared which is an eye opener for tourists and locals alike I would think. The choices were endless as were the rounds ;))… I ended up having a little of everything. Overall it was a nice day out with fellow teachers. Today were friends not colleagues. Lord knows there have been a lot of misunderstandings but on days like today our differences are put aside. Some of the teachers brought their children along – and you think you were kids free for the holidays I guess not all of us are *grin*. But you know its nice because at least they have the time to spend with their own kids rather than with other peoples children and I guess for a moment in time that yearning for children seem to come around again . Mae and I just sighed and giggled at ourselves because we got into a conversation with ourselves as we watched the antics of the kids of the others.

Back to the present. I spoke to my mother today. According to her the guest list for the wedding seem to be increasing and they weren’t sure if they wedding favors enough so now they have to look for a different set of wedding favors to give the young adults. Let me explain. At local weddings there two separate wedding favors – for the adults and for the kids. For the kids its usually small cakes in little containers or chocolate. Chocolate would be the favorite. The young adults would get what the adults get usually. The problem now is that it’s too late to order a new batch of the wedding favors for the young adults so they are scouting for something else for them. They felt that it was too childish to give them chocolates so they are trying for mugs. As to what the main wedding favors I will keep it a secret until the time comes but here is a picture of my cousins wedding card. It’s a simple yet classy card designed by the bride and groom..

pic 1: This the cover of the card with initials of the bride & groom. Its embossed with some flowery details and some shiny stuff.

pic2 :This is the inside of the card with the wedding details. It’s usually done in two languages English & Malay and includes the names of the parents who are the host of the wedding and of course the bride and groom. Top part of the invite is in English the bottom is in Malay.

Pic:3 is the back of the card and its usually a map of the venue. For those who are not sure of the roads.

So that’s the wedding update so far. Its going to be a busy next couple of weeks for the family finishing up the last minute details of the wedding and the great thing is it’s a family affair and I mean it’s a family affair where everyone helps in whatever way they can. Even though the food is catered there are the other little things and I have to admit one thing I give my family credit for is how they come together during family functions to help out.

Anyways dinner for me today was flava beans aka broadbeans. Its simple fast and delicious and perfect on days like this. I will elaborate about it on a later blog.

The panda cub updates where basically about one of the giant’ panda keeper’s research in China – you can read it here … http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm

As far as my panda cam is concerned it’s still acting up. It buffers and then it stays still. Grrrrrrrrrrr… I don’t know what it is. I miss looking at mei lan and her antics. I see move for a few seconds then it stops. Sigh .. silly internet connection … L

Mom might be coming over tomorrow seeing we have a wedding dinner on Thursday so we will if she arrives here tomorrow or on the day itself. I just realized that I am in the mood to write and clean then I am cooking these past few days lol .. Then again its 2 out of 3 of the things that I love doing so it isn’t so bad because I know my cooking mood will definitely return. I wrote, I read and I replied to ‘c’s email and my day is complete for sure … So I am off for now but I leave with a quotable quote ..

The vulnerability of opening your heart fully and deeply to another is terrifying, but at a point in my 50s, I realized that...I had to step up to the plate...." -- Jane Fonda

Blog ya laters world ..

me feel icky .. icky icky grrr

Goos morning wold … hahah ok I meant good morning world.. I feel icky this morning hence that explains my atrocious spelling this morning. I am aching all over and my head feels heavy I think I am coming down with flu or something. It started yesterday evening – grrrrrrrrrrrrr… I don’t want to get sick not right now at least. I think the cold bugs biting me again.. First my mom gets sick then me …

its only a little after 9 in the morning –I dragged myself here to check my email yeah I have more love for email these days seeing there is always some kind of wonderful in it these days *wunk* ,,, and indeed there were another email from Mr. ‘c’ – for a second there I typed in my ‘c’ hahaha typo promise. though it’s a nice thought heehee.. see even in sickness the ‘C” is in my head *blushes* ..

anyways I think I will go back to bed. or else ill start typing nonsense and words not found in the dictionary ..;)) Hopefully later I will feel better and can blog and read and reply to ‘c’ all my favorite things to do. So im out for now..

Sneeze ya later world.

Btw as this email goes to post, panda cub updates hasn’t been updated. So maybe later I will check in again …

Achhoo.. im off..

panda snack, words & what nots ..

Good morning Monday! Good Morning world! Good surprises in the AM is something I could really get used to tee hee but before the elaboration here is a news update for Sunday the 27^th about my favorite panda Mei lan and I included this updated only because it sounded so adorable and there is a picture on here of her doing just that …. So here is the update.

Sunday, May 27
Dr Snyder talked in Thursday’s cub update about how we offer Mei Lan small pieces of biscuits and fruit to help her learn to be weighed on the scale. One type of fruit that Mei Lan is offered is banana slices (without the peel, though Lun Lun and Yang Yang will both eat the peel). It is quite funny to watch her eat her banana slices. She has not yet learned how to chew her solid foods, but resorts back to her nursing ways and slowly sucks on the banana until it has totally dissolved in her mouth. Sometimes the banana slice will fall out of her mouth. She will then retrieve it and place it on the back side of her paw. She will then suck on it from there, as if she is using her paw to make sure that she will not loose it again.

Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

Source: http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm

Isnt that just adorable ;)) .. Anyways it’s a Monday morning and guess where I am? Not at work that’s for sure lol it’s a nice change and seeing its only 8am I should probably go back to bed. What really woke me up this morning wasn’t my alarm though it did go off at 6 but I quickly shut it off. What really woke me up were text messages from my aunt. There is reminder tone which keeps reminding me until I actually read it so anyways.. I was up way before I wanted too but I can’t complain because a surprise awaited me in my inbox. An email from ‘C” – a long one at that. I enjoy reading his emails makes me happy and I usually switch on to his Southern accent when I read his emails trying to hear how it would sound if he had read it tee hee. I know I am weird.. Anyways one thing about the school holidays is that your body is used to waking up at a specific time and its automatic and it does take a while to get used to really sleeping in but when you finally get into the swing of sleeping in schools about to start. Hah so yeah it’s a no win situation.

Last night I dreamt of words and ‘C” I guess for obviously reasons. Must be my lucky night seeing that its two of my favorite things and person in the world hehee .. I don’t remember the details but I saw words and I saw ‘C” and it wasn’t a bad dream either … *smiles* ..

And since I am up I might do morning stuff like breakfast and laundry. This afternoon I have a lunch with the other teachers from school seeing that they are treating us to a lunch for all our hard work just how sweet is that tee hee.. well anyways I wont write much here seeing I just woke up and nothing exciting has transpired as yet maybe except for the dream and the email from ‘C”. so I am off for now but I shall return …

Have a great Monday world .. Blog ya laters ..

little literal discoveries ...

I love watching Ugly Betty I make it a point to miss it and I haven’t missed an episode since it aired here in Singapore on March 4^th. I love the show and I love Betty she’s sweet and funny and sincerely. I think we see a lot of ourselves in her in this cut throat world where appearances is key. As much as Ugly Betty is a fictional show based on a Mexican soap opera it does make me upset sometimes seeing how Betty is being treated and just how shallow and mean some people can get. Sadly we have people like that in this world where what you have takes precedence over who you are. Anyways I shall not get carried away with that.

And today was of course another cleaning day and I found so many things from the stacks of papers and books. Would you believe I found a to do list from like four years ago. It probably sounds bad but I take credit for that fact that some of things I had to do was done others well that’s another story. *snicker*. I even found a book list of books I wanted when I as approaching my 30^th birthday but hey I am past day but I kept the list just the same seeing that my cousin will be turning 30 this year.

Anyways I did a whole lot of throwing and a whole of keeping and I think in the process I see who I am a lot more too. I found little letters I wrote to myself, some happy ones, some sad and there were an angry letter or two. I keep these I think to see how much I have grown and how my eyes have opened to the world around me. Those letters went into my journal box – a box of journals I have accumulated over the years.

I did a whole lot of organizing and re arranging too. For starters I arranged all the poems I have written according to year and I think 1999 was the year when I wrote the most poems not sure because I am pretty sure I will find some more poems stashed somewhere. Some of the poems were half written and undated so I put those in a little IDEAS file with a bunch of other ideas.

It’s actually interesting to see my state of mind then and my state of mind now. I have to admit I have grown to some extend and I think I have my life experiences to thank for that and of course the people who have come and gone and stayed and for the particular one who is still around my hope is that you will stick around longtime – you know who you are *giggles*… Anyways I think I am happy to say that I much happier and I haven’t really changed from who I was then in terms of the free spirit that I am. I am still a goof ball, I am still a dreamer and most importantly I never gave up on the one thing that I love doing which is writing. I have found so many writing inspirations in the pile that I am so overwhelmed. I collect little writing cut outs and inspirations and stories from other writers and I use it as means of getting inspired and for me to keep on writing. I shall post on here when I get it them scanned or typed out we will see.

I think I having the best relationship ever with the written words. It has progressed and I must admit its gotten better with years. My focus has changed and what I write about is just not limited to one particular topic or genre. I guess when you keep your eyes heart and mind open and in tuned to the world around you, its amazing what you can discover. I found that I have written quiet a bit since I discovered my love for writing way back when I was 14 yup its been 20 years ;)) .

I do have an extensive collection of journals, poetry, and other writings and I have to say I am proud of myself because I have been persistent at something I love when no one else thought it was important. But it’s about me at least as far as writing goes. I think my mom is accepting of the fact that I love to write – poetry for mom for Mother’s Day & birthdays does wonder *grin*

The picture I have with this blog entry are just some of the things I recovered and of course there is another box with more recent offerings of journal entries anyways.. As anyone can see I am a happy camper. People love their LV’s & Prada’s I love my WW ;)) written word & stationery … tee hee …

I just realized that I don’t have to wake up early tomorrow morning seeing that I am on vacation and schools closed haha.. I almost forgot all about that. Time for them memory pills then again I guess when you’re expecting Monday to be a work day even when it’s the holidays you tend to think you’re working. *. I think the teachers share my sentiments on this .. Ahhh yes the school holidays just only started. A month of nothing ness and laziness.. Anyone jealous yet? … *grin . I know a couple of my girlfriends they have to get their butt out of bed pretty early *laughs evilly*

So before I end my blogging for the day here is a little sampling of what I found. It’s a quote from the movie ‘Next Stop..Wonderland” and it goes a little something like this..

‘ my dad always says if each day we can find one little thing that makes us happy and that we can appreciate it, that’s called living because we have seen the beauty of it even at its smallest’

I think there is so much truth in that and all of us can actually relate to that. Its always the little things that matters the most.

Another quote I liked was the conversation the female lead character had with the book seller ..

Bookseller: [after Erin Castleton has dropped the book] :

Don't close it. You should never close a book until you've read something from it.
Erin Castleton: What?
Bookseller: Well, just a sentence or a word. It can be very, very revealing. Just read something, anything. Well, read from the top, then.

This conversation happened when she dropped the book and it fell opened to a particular page and that’s how the conversation transpired. I really loved this movie I would actually recommend it. Remember … ‘Next Stop .. Wonderland”

So that’s it from this island girl this Sunday night. Blog ya laters world!

afternoon shortie ....

I’m all quizzed out. Those test can be quiet addictive well they are actually. As silly as they seem it does make you wonder if it made an accurate assessment of you I think that does lol well at least to some point..

So it’s nearly 3pm here and I set my goal to start my cleaning again at 3pm. I took a little lunch break and had some pasta bows with left over sauce. I am more into writing and cleaning this weekend than I am into cooking which isn’t so bad because writing and cleaning are just some things I enjoy doing as scary as it sounds for the former. ;)) ..

There is a wedding not far from my home. They usually have weddings at the void decks below the flats here. The wedding has been going since last night. You can hear the music blaring and the master of ceremony talking and what not. It’s ok though I just close my window to avoid the noise. ;)) … It’s a Malay wedding and I can hear all the traditional Malay wedding songs which I like. You hardly hear these songs and they are around only at weddings kind like Christmas songs.

When I was walking around the house and doing things earlier today it seem that I had a series of déjà vu’s . When I opened my fridge I saw some cookies & cream chocolate and it brought back an image from my dream last night – my grandmother was at my house and eating it. And then when I saw the stack of newspapers an image of my cousin reading it came to mind. It’s freaky… I don’t know why I am having all these weird dreams am I thinking too much? AM I too tired or am I carrying not just my dreams..tsk tsk tsk .. *grin*.. But when I dream of saving the world I am all for it ..

I have also been trying to get my blog back to what it was before with the other little things like the links, clock, and other icons but every time I do it messages up my text entry and I don’t know what do to about that. And I cant even change my profile picture wahhhhhhhh.. hee hee me being a brat. Maybe I will tinkle with it again later.. I hope I figure it sometime wish me luck..

Anyways its back to cleaning now – I am in a writing frenzy and I need to stop this here before I get carried away and blab and blab. I think I am in one of those moods .. tee hee..

Have a great Sunday world ..

silly sunday quizzes

I was doing some surfing and decided to take some pretty wacky tests on blog things and figured I would be a little daring and take the' Your stripper song is... ' and the results are hilarious. I literally laughed out loud especially at the last part of the test results :P … Cause i am a goof ball ;)) ..

Your Stripper Song Is

Super Freak by Rick James "That girl is pretty wild now The girl's a super freak The kind of girl you read about In new-wave magazine" Freaky? Yes. But you're also pretty darn funny.

What Song Should You Strip To?

And how could resist taking the What's Your Blogging Personality? And drum roll here are the results …

Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful

You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog. Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights. A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time. You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

And after all that cleaning the mess up I see it fit for me to take the ‘Are you Messy’ test since messiness do pay a visit sometime ..

You Are Not Messy

You're so clean, people have accused you of being a clean freak! You like things tidy, organized, and smelling fresh. Messes drive you crazy, especially when you didn't make them. It's hard for you to live with a slob - or someone who leaves their dishes in the sink.

Are You Messy?

What color is my brain? LOL that’s new to be honest. Makes me wonder if the color of my brain has anything to do with the way I am lol .. I ask this because because they have a test called ‘ What is the color of your brain’ .. heheee something to check out .. I hate to say it but my brain is definitely purple lol . I don’t mind it actually cause I like the color purple and what it describes me as is pretty accurate :D ..

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Brain?

I have always know I was different but I never where I am from actually and thank God for these quizzes cause I know I know where I came from. Thank you ‘what planet are you from?’ test. *grin* This is just about right .. me from Neptune I should be living on water then .. :P or as close to it as possible teehee.

You Are From Neptune

You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability. You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea. Your soul is filled with possibilities, and your heart overflows with compassion. You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone. If you don't get carried away with one idea, your spiritual nature will see you through anything.

What Planet Are You From?

And to top off the tests who can resist the Boobie Name Generator. I cant stop laughing I guess they are officially named …. The funny thing is that your boobie name keeps changing lol I tried my full name and nickname and every time it comes with some weird names over and over again so finally I decided to stick with the final result ;)) .. This test is hilarious .. I just wonder who comes up with these quizzes ?????????

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Boobie Name Generator

Hah that’s it im done with the quizzessssssss .. I better leave the page before I go crazy …

fur sunday

And today I didn’t sleep in. and it’s a Sunday morning a beautiful one at that. i went to bed early yesterday i was way tired for some reason i think i was mentally drained maybe im all blogged out heehe i hope that doesnt ever happen but anyways early to bed did i go and early to rise did i ...

And what could be more wonderful aside from that phone call to wake up too? Give up? A picture of ‘C” in your email box *giggles*. He obviously still looks good as usual and that smile ;)) when i look at him there is something positive up lifting about him .. umm err I think I am in trouble now. *grins*

Anyways I didn’t sleep as well as id like to seeing that I kept waking up and having these really weird dreams – it’s the same in terms of theme – trying to save the innocents again – I am starting to wonder what is up with those dreams. Anyways …

I am not sure what my plans are for today but I have this feeling in my bones that it will be another great day.*knock on wood* don’t want to jinx it. Oh I remember now I was going to unclutter the books ,journals and all that stuff area of my room. Heh well see ..

Today I was reading on the panda updates something which I do everything and learnt something new about the panda’s fur. As smooth as it looks it’s actually course ;)) who would have guess sure does give new meaning to the phrase looks can be deceiving. Anyways as course as Mei Lan’s fur might be, I would still love to cuddle her she’s is just too cute. Anyways for those interested parties here is a little excerpt from the panda updates …( I just realized even pandas have blogs just how cool is that)

Saturday, May 26

I don’t know if it has been covered in previous updates, but we have all been getting a lot of inquiries about the panda’s coat. The most asked question is how the pandas fur feels, and is Mei Lan’s coat any different than the adults. Also, people wonder just what we do to keep our pandas so clean and pearly white. The answer to the first question is different than most people think. Although their fur looks nice and soft, it is in fact quite course, thick and wiry, and Mei Lan’s fur is exactly the same as the parents. As for cleanliness, the benefits of the fur being course and wiry is that nothing really sticks to it. They can come into their dens for the evening covered in mud and clay, but by the next morning, all of that clay and dirt has dried and has fallen out of their hair, making the pandas look as good as new. The only grooming technique that I have seen them use is simply scratching, which I can’t say they are doing for grooming reasons or for just easing an itch. Either way, they don’t really do much else in the way of maintaining their cleanliness. I just thank goodness that they are low maintenance in at least one area of their care.

Kenn Harwood

Large Mammal/Carnivore Keeper III

Source:- http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm

I am staying away from the news all together this morning seeing that its too good a morning to be faced with the sadness of the world around us so I will save it till later when I am more awake and alert. I am having tea this morning – the Chinese energy boosting tea that my cousin was talking about. It seems to work and it doesn’t taste bad either considering that’ it’s made from Chinese herbs which can be pungent and bitter for a lot of the time.

I am going to have some breakfast now .. blog ya laters world and thank you heavens for a beautiful ,peaceful day in my part of the world ..