pinaywifespeaks » Lifestyle + More

A Food Blog in The Works

Lui — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:08:59 +0000

I love to eat. I think most people do too. And Phnom Penh is one of those places where you can eat, eat, eat and not go broke. I love the huge variety of places you can choose fromand the fact that most of these places are not expensive. For a small city, it offers a good number of restaurants where you can sample various tastes and cuisines. Italian, Chinese, German, Thai, French, Nepali, Swiss cuisines.. the list could actually go on, you’d perhaps need a progene to try it all.

It might be because of the growing expat population as well as the booming tourist trade that has these various eating venues shooting up. I’m not complaining though. Ha! Far from it. And another thing I love? Those free guides and business listings. It’s easy to find new places to eat. I even have one little guide on my handbag always and check it occasionally for whichever place we haven’t tried yet.

Considering that I’m posting a lot about food here in this blog, and with some readers emailing asking where and what to eat, I’ve decided to go ahead and start my own food blog. I’ll be using the domain GoEatWrite.com. It’s in the works and I’m pretty much excited about it. I actually bought the domain a year ago, and we planned for it to be a collaborative travel-food blog among us friends, but busy schedules just made things a bit difficult to do. But now I’ll be using it and blogging about my foodie adventures.

site preview…

I’ll be writing about food I eat and reviewing some restaurants and also I’ll be occasionally featuring food I cook. Lol. Yes, I cook. If I have time, I’m actually mad about cooking. As for the restaurant reviews, we like going in a place as regular customer. I want the regular customer experience and so I could tell it like how it is. I don’t go around telling the resto that yada yada I’m here to do a review, I don’t think that is fair. Also while I like going to pricey (snooty?) restos and enjoy their good food, I find more enjoyment in looking for those hole in the corner, not so hyped places that offer authentic and delicious food.

I’ve blabbed enough, so just watch out for that food blog. Bookmark it – GoEatWrite.

Living in Phnom Penh: Celebrations…

Lui — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:27:33 +0000

There are always reasons to celebrate. Just the fact that we can celebrate is a reason to celebrate. Lol. That was a mouthful. I have always believed that everyday is a day to celebrate but there really days that are extra special.

This time of the year is specially hectic with celebrations for us because its Khmer New Year and it coincides with my daughter’s birthday.

Cambodians (as well as some other countries around the region like India, Burma and Thailand) celebrate a separate New Year from the international new year (Jan 1) and Chinese new year. The Khmer New Year lasts for 3 days but the declared holidays usually start a day before and then a day after the said days. This new year simply means the end of the harvest season and the time for the farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labor and they also await the incoming rainy season.

During this time, Khmers cook special dishes for the family and for offering in pagodas/temples. They also make an offering table and place it on their patios. Offerings usually consist of fruits (bananas in particular), sodas, candies, flowers, etc. I even saw our neighbor place cigarettes, perfumes & cosmetics on their Khmer New Year offering table.

This is a really merry time for Khmers and they usually hold parties, with dancing and often part of these parties are traditional Khmer games. A Khmer friend told me that this is the time when Khmers really spend their money and splurge. They also believe that wearing new clothes is lucky.

On another note, we had a quiet but super fun birthday celebrations for the kiddo. That’s our rule, during birthdays, we do what the celebrant wants to do as long as its reasonable. Ha! I mean we had to stipulate some ‘limits’ coz she might one day take it in her head to ask for a trip to the moon on her birthday. Lol. I’d much rather she ask for Godin Bass instead of something totally outrageous and one we cannot afford.

For this year, she just asked for a whole day of swimming on a pool, lots of spaghetti and not to forget her favorite double chocolate ice cream cake. Of course, since she had been a good girl she got what she wished for plus some more.

And whoa! this ice cream cake is totally awesome. Sinful, specially for a serial dieter like moi.

Living in Phnom Penh: Khmer New Year, Almost!

Lui — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:05:38 +0000

Yay! Time for my random blurbs. Why is it that now that I am doubly busy, I am more motivated to blog? I’m weird like that. Or perhaps I just have a lot of stories struggling to be told. Hahaha. I know it sounds serious but what I have are just mundane everyday stuff.

Phnom Penh was in a bit of a frenzy this past week. The ASEAN Summit was held here so traffic jams, soldiers in full uniforms, attentive police (for once!), journalists, convoys abound. Some universities were told to suspend classes to lessen the traffic jams. And I did have a lot of fun getting stuck in the traffic and watch out for those wang wangs and diplomatic bigwigs and their convoys.

And yup, a big indicator if there are some foreign dignitaries/visitors in this country: lots and lots of flags scattered throughout the city. Here’s a big lot of them in front of Chaktomouk Theatre along Sisowath Quay.

I’m very very excited. Why? Khmer New Year is almost upon us and I’m always happy when it comes around. Not that I would stop working on my online projects and blogging, but the one week vacation would be a wonderful reprieve for me. And besides hubby and the kiddo won’t have work/school so we’ll all be together. We might go somewhere else for some R & R but at this time our plans are fluid. Bwahaha.. It’s subject to change and follow our whims.

My Khmer language classes are going really well. You won’t believe how happy I was the first time I was able to read a sentence written in Khmer. I was practically giddy, I dunno why. Perhaps because I have always thought this language is difficult to learn and here I am actually making some progress in learning it. As of now, I only know about 15 consonants and a couple of vowels and I still have a long long way to go, but right now I’m all positive I could do it.

Going back to school, even if its just a short course, is bringing some excitement back in my life. Not that my life now is not exciting but I kinda feel old. But going to school and seeing kids like these in the photos makes me feel a bit younger. Ha! I think there really is some truth to some advice I heard or read before that when you surround yourself with young ‘uns you’ll feel younger. See.. The snapshot below looks idyllic. Sigh.

Rubber Tree Plantations in Kampong Cham

Lui — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:43:24 +0000

One of Cambodia’s biggest industry is rubber production. I’ve known this for awhile, and hubby has also been asking me to go to Kampong Cham province for the longest time already to have a look at the rubber plantations, but I was not really that interested. I was thinking, hmm, I don’t work for Michelin, Goodyear or I don’t even make rubber bands so what could I find interesting there?Hahaha.. Yeah, that’s the silly, ignorant me talking.

Kampong Cham, Cambodia is where most of the huge rubber tree plantations are and recently this industry have seen a big revival and when we went to Mondulkiri last weekend, we had to pass thru this province. And I did regretted not agreeing to go to these plantations sooner. It’s pretty scenic and all you can see are rows and rows of rubber trees. There are rubber trees as far as your eyes can see. So its all green..

We saw how rubber glue is harvested and it was pretty interesting. Workers scrape the skin of mature rubber trees usually on a daily basis, then the small rubber glue drippings are gathered and collected on a little wooden bowl attached to the base of the tree.

I was thinking, how many gallons of that would be needed to make one tire? And I finally understood the Khmer fixation with using rubber bands for just about anything. They have plenty of it as it happens. They have a passionate affinity with rubber bands, just ask my husband who I think secretly believes rubber bands would make great gifts for dad. Lol.

Anyway, I’ve got tons of photos of the recent trip and I’m still editing. But at the rate Phnom Penh’s electric company is enforcing power cuts, I’ll be finished with the editing maybe next week.

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Manila-Siem Reap Direct Flights via Cebu Pacific Air

Lui — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:48:20 +0000

Here’s something we’ve been waiting for quite sometime already, after the two countries have signed flight deals since 2009! Direct flights from the Philippines to Cambodia is finally here! Philippine budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air will commence flights from Manila-Siem Reap and vice versa from April 19, 2012!

Visiting Angkor Wat is now much easier and much much cheaper for Pinoy folks. And what’s even better is that Cebu Pacific Air is currently holding a seat sale till January 29, 2012, so hurry and grab your really cheap fares on this seat sale. I think booking for Cambodia flights commences tomorrow, January 27th @ Cebu Pacific Air. You can also check out Cebu Pacific’s Facebook Page for promo updates.

I’ve checked the schedules and for now the airline is flying to Siem Reap on Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. Flight times would 19:50 - 21:30 for Manila-Siem Reap and 22:30 – 02:10 for Siem Reap-Manila. That’s about 2 hrs and 40 mins of flying, (Cambodia being 1 hr behind Manila time)!

This news made my day. Lol. I’ve been wishing for this to happen since… well ever since. And now if only Cebu Pacific flies to direct to Phnom Penh too. I know, tourists are mostly after Angkor Wat in Siem Reap but still, majority of Filipino expats reside here and Phnom Penh is increasingly getting a part in the tourist trail..so Cebu Pacific, pretty please add Phnom Penh to your destinations soon..

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Living in Phnom Penh: Randomeness #3

Lui — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:41:50 +0000

Hey, how was your Chinese New Year celebrations? Ours was really fun and merry with lots of food involved. Lol. Khmer-Chinese really celebrate the lunar new year with much fervor. Even local Khmers are now joining in with the festivities! While this is not an official holiday, well, people do take a break. Lots of shops and businesses are closed for three days. So the cities empty out and a lot of people go to provinces to just relax and have a bit of downtime.

Chinese lanterns @ Koh Pich (Diamond Island) Park

As for us, we observed the usual Chinese rituals, offering food, incense and prayers to departed ancestors. Then the next few days were spent eating, playing cards, spending time with the whole clan and it was capped with a road trip.

Now, I’m pretty much tired but revved up. I feel like I’m all in good mood and hearing good music. I guess that little break has done wonders to my mind set.

The food and celebration though has wreaked havoc on my diet so I started today doing vigorous high impact aerobic exercises. I feel really good afterwards and its like my own body metronomes are all in tune and working! And the good news is that when I checked the weighing scale..I didn’t gain any weight. Uh, thank God for healthy Chinese food and the workouts. Lol.

Cold Season Beauty Tips

Lui — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:01:55 +0000

There are many enjoyable aspects of the cold season, from potential snowfall (depending on where you may live) to the holidays – however, for women, the cold months can also be a problematic time with regard to beauty and fashion. Not only does it become necessary, in colder weather, to revamp your wardrobe with a new batch of fashionable, cold weather-friendly articles, but it can also be a bit difficult to keep up appearances in the cold, dark and dry weather of the colder months. Fortunately, however, there are many ways around some of the more common issues that women have with cold weather affecting their appearances. Here are a few tips to consider.

One of the most common beauty issues that women have in dry, cold weather is that their hair can become a bit dull and bland in appearance. This is due in large part to the dry weather, as well as less exposure to sunlight. While there is no all-encompassing fix to this problem, using the right products on your hair can be a great help. Look for moisturizing and “shining” shampoos that can help your hair to maintain a sleek and less dry look during the day, for example.

-Another side effect of the dryness of the colder months can be that facial blemishes show up a bit more visibly. There are a number of different solutions to this problem, including cover-up makeup, moisturizing cream, or even, to those who may be looking to make a more permanent change anyway, facelift procedures. This last step may seem a bit drastic, but a bit of research at a cosmetic surgery site like www.Aboutplasticsurgery.com can show you that not all procedures are so dramatic, and it may be worth looking into them as seasonal solutions.

Of course, the other main problem that probably comes to mind first for a number of women is that it can be very difficult to maintain a tan, unless of course you live near the equator or take a vacation to the south. The cold season are duller, and thus far less sunlight gets through to your skin, meaning that natural tans are all but impossible. This is why a number of women look into artificial tanning methods. You can of course visit a tanning booth (though there are many studies to show that this is a very unhealthy thing to practice), or, if you’d rather be a bit more casual about it, invest in some tanning cream. There are many options out there for addressing this issue.

This featured post is brought to you by aboutplasticsurgery.com.

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Manila-Phnom Penh via Ho Chi Minh City

Lui — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:51:01 +0000

This would be a long, word heavy post. A rarity for me, I know. I was actually at a loss on what to post about and has been discussing which motorcycle gps would be the coolest to use with hubby and neighbors when it suddenly occurred to me, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the easy and affordable way to travel Manila-Phnom Penh and also about the overland travel between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh. So why not post about my recent trip?

Ever since we started living here in Cambodia, my usualy way when going home to Manila would either be Phnom Penh-Singapore-Manila, or Phnom Penh-Bangkok-Manila or Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur-Manila. I preferred this route because I usually traveled with a child. I know of some Pinoy friends who suggest going by bus to Ho Chi Minh then taking the PAL or Cebu Pacific flight to Manila. I got the chance to try the route when I traveled last May alone.

It was a really straight forward, hassle free trip. From Phnom Penh, I simply bought a Mekong Express bus ticket. I took the morning trip (8:30 am) coz I wanted to get to Saigon while its still bright, mainly coz I’m alone and scared. Lol. This is actually my favorite bus to ride when going to Ho Chi Minh. For just $12 you get a comfy seat, a bottle of chilled water and a croissant and a wet towel. They also have an English speaking guide on board who would assist you. Before you get onboard, the staff would check your passport/visa, then if you have luggage to deposit, they will be tagged properly. The trip was smooth going and without hassles. The bus has a restroom but I didn’t try using it. They will stop once for lunch very near the Bavet border, the rest-stop place is clean and has good food options. Then the guide would assist you on crossing the border. The process would take about 30 mins and you have to get your luggage and have it screened when you get to the Vietnam immigration. Before 2 pm I was already in Ho Chi Minh. Travel time is about 6 hours including immigration checks.

Got down in Pham Ngu Lao area, walked around a bit. When it was time to go to the airport I simply hailed a Vinasun {Innova} taxi, fare amounted to 140,000 Dong {about $7}. When in Ho Chi Minh, I would recommend using just Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi as taxi scams are well-known in the area. And do ~~ask~~ insist to use the meter. Then I took the Cebu Pacific flight to Manila which leaves at around 1 am.

Now that I’ve tried the route, I think this is a really economical route. You get to save one leg of flight and pay just $12 + taxi fare. Cebu Pacific fares are also cheap so I think I’ll be going by this route more often. The connecting times are also good. If you leave Phnom Penh at around 1:30 pm, you’d be in HCM at around 8pm just the right time to head over the airport and check in for Cebu Pacific flight. If you’re taking PAL, the flight sched is at 2 pm so you’d have to get yourself a hotel for an overnight stay. Which is not a problem too as hotels in HCM are really cheap.

On our trip back from Manila, I was with hubby and Chinks. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh around 1 am, we decided to spend a day there. We stayed in a hotel in Pham Ngu Lao which is ideal since its very near ticket counters of buses going to Phnom Penh. The next day we decided we’ll try out Sapaco Tourist Bus to Phnom Penh. We wanted to compare how it would fare against the Mekong Express. It’s cheaper! Tickets costs just $10 {200,000 Dong} and we got ourselves the 9 am bus. The staff courteous enough but they speak very very very little English. Thankfully, hubby could understand a bit of Vietnamese so we got by. Luggage was properly tagged and we were given a bottle of water. While the bus was clean, it was also packed to the hilt with assorted goods. I didn’t have any place for my carry on luggage and I can’t even stretch my feet since the space under the seats was all filled with goods. I have no idea why they do these, but they should also be mindful of the comfort of their passengers. Also, they have a restroom but the space in front of the restroom door was packed with stuff, then I really wonder how we’d squeeze ourselves to get inside the door.

The immigration stop was a little chaotic as you’re on your own. The bus conductor { who speaks no English} would get your passport, bring it over to the immigration and you wait for your name to be called. We got a bit lost here since the conductor didn’t say anything, thank God we had the good sense to follow the group ahead of us. Anyway, we still got to Phnom Penh at around 4 pm.

Comparing the two bus companies, I would definitely ride the Mekong Express again. But then again, I’m up for a little adventure, maybe I’ll try to ride the other bus companies plying the route, then I promise to do a review..

Mekong Express Limousine Bus

#87 Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh - +(855) (0)23-427518

#275F Pham Ngu Lao Ho Chi Minh – +(84)(8)383733917 / +(84) 935507894

email: mekongexpress@online.com.kh

Sapaco Tourist

#307 Preah Sihanouk Blvd, Sangkat Veal Vong, Khan 7 Makara Phnom Penh – +(855) (0)23 210300 / +(855) (0)23 210324 / +(855) 12 696688

#325 Pham Ngu Lao St. Ho Chi Minh – + (84) (8) 39203623 / + (84) (8) 39206920

email: sapacotourist@vnn.vn

website: www.sapacotourist.com/

Back in Phnom Penh..

Lui — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:42:05 +0000

This is just a short quickie post. I just wanna buzz people who drop by this blog that, yep! I’m still alive. Lol! I know I’ve been out of sorts and so busy the past weeks and this blog went really stale. But now I’m back and hopefully, I could get back to regularly updating the site in the next few days.

For now, I’m concentrating on resting. I need it really badly. Several weeks of 1-2 hrs daily sleep has seriously made me look like a raccoon. Then I think I need some pampering. For the past week I keep experiencing leg cramps, so I think I need some serious session in a spa. I think its time I pay attention to myself coz the past weeks has really been nerve wracking, and I was on the verge of being depressed. Hubby thinks I’m not on the ‘verge’ of depression but I am actually depressed. Maybe he’s right. Just this morning, I was standing in the duty free shop and was picking up stuff to buy without thinking, like I was in a haze. Good thing I didn’t get electronic cigarette wholesale, otherwise now I’d be wondering what I’d do with it.

What I just got were several bottles of wine (???) and lots of chocolates. Now I don’t know why I bought them..

Appreciating Life..

Lui — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:16:50 +0000

I think I’ve lost my blogging mojo, temporarily that is. Not because I lost interest but mostly because I simply don’t have time to write. I’m still in the Philippines and will be here indefinitely coz I’ve been helping to care for my ailing father. Of course, I’ll be going back to Phnom Penh every once in a while but for now Bicol is where I’ll be. Anyway, things are going downhill fast with regards to my father.

How I keep wishing I was somewhere else and doing something else and my most pressing concern is picking out garter belts. But if I ever learned something through all this, it is accepting my lot in life. We may not get everything we want but its up to us to make something out of the things we are given. It might be hard to see positives in this situation, but right now I cling to those positive things.

Yes, my father has been given terminal illness but as he keeps saying, this is the cycle of life. That at some point he will get sick and say goodbye, so somehow he appreciates the time given to him to prepare, to tie loose ends. And most of all, the last time we had a serious conversation, I asked him if he is happy with how his life went and if he has regrets. He said, yes, he has few regrets but he is happy with how his life had been.

As for me, some might say its a perverse thing to be happy but right now I’m choosing to appreciate that I’ve been blessed with a loving and responsible father. And the chance to show that gratitude while he is still with us. To my dad, Happy Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Thoughts

Lui — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:41:06 +0000

It’s father’s day tomorrow and I find myself feeling the reason to celebrate. Of course, foremost in my mind are the two dad’s in my life. My father and hubby. I could never find the words enough to show how much I appreciate these two special men. Father’s Day is usually just a quiet affair for us. We often just cook food and eat as a family. I wish I could do this for hubby and my own father.

Right now though I’m choosing to celebrate Father’s Day with my father. It’s something to celebrate having a great dad but its also ironic that he’s now lying down and sick. As of this time, he is in the hospital and were taking turns watching over him. I still think were fortunate enough to be given the chance to care for him. And while I’ve been pondering great gifts for dad, something to bring a smile to his day, I realized that saying ‘thank you’ and expressing my gratitude for everything he did for us, caring for him especially now, are the best gifts I could give him right now.

There’s something like a line of gold thread running through a man’s words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. ~John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994

Invites and More Invites…

Lui — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:10:21 +0000

From the title, one would think I’m like some social butterfly. Hahahaha! My friends would be the first ones to laugh at that. I’m okay with socializing, I’m just not soo crazy or obsessed with it. Truth is, I’m a bit shy. {Really.} So a constant avalanche of party invitations was not what I expected when we moved here in Phnom Penh.

Khmers loves weddings and parties. And they would go out of their way to invite everyone they know, even if you’re not close. Even if you’re merely ‘nodding acquaintances’ don’t be surprised to get an invite to someone’s wedding, birthday or house opening etc. It’s nice, really. Sometimes. It took me awhile to get used to it since back home, when we have parties we invite people who really matter to us. Close relatives, family.. I think its a different case here. The more people you can bring to your party the better. It takes getting used to but after almost three years, I’m not surprised to get a lot of invitations every month. More so I guess because hubby is Khmer. But if you’re an expat here and have a few Khmer friends, you’re bound to get an invite sooner or later.

And when you’re invited, you have to show up dressed up. I always make an effort now to be dressed up when attending these parties otherwise you’d totally stand out if you’re so dressed down. Khmers love dressing up and when it comes to weddings they go all out. Formal attire, gowns and with matching bouffant hairdo’s and heavy makeup.

Also, these parties have registers. When you go in, you have to give your invitation and they’ll write down your name on the register. Gifts are in the form of cash. Yes, cash. Although its alright to give something wrapped for house opening parties or birthdays, the most acceptable gift is cash. You have to put it in the invitation envelope with your name and they will also write the amount you give in the register. I was at first shocked at this and badgered hubby why the need to write it down. It’s embarrassing you know. But that is the custom here so…one just adjusts.

My one beef is that, since we get a lot of invites its a considerable dent on the monthly budget. No kidding. The lowest minimum you can give is $10-15. For really close relatives and friends on average you give $20-30. Imagine getting 10 or more invites a month! And don’t include there your dressing up costs! Sigh. I told my husband, from what we ‘contribute’ to these parties we could get ourselves an insurance coverage from Wholesaleinsurance.net! Or I could buy myself 100 pairs of shoes every year.

I know some would say, Oh! just decline the invite.. Yeah, but in Asian society its not very polite to do so. At the same time you’re at risk of burning bridges and hurting sensitive feelings. And hubby says its one way of networking. Sigh. What can one do? At least its an excuse to glam up and eat. Lolz. A friend on mine said, when she goes to Khmer weddings she just pretends its an eat-all-you-can restaurant and eat a lot. After all, she’s expected to pay for her meal.

And oh, one thing. The photo above, those are just a few invites we got last Feb. I do have to say, they love color and stuff a lot of decor on their invites. Really interesting and maddeningly ornate. Makes me want to collect it.

No Fluke. I Really Won!

Lui — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:02:07 +0000

A month or two ago, I was ‘web wandering’ searching for air fare promos, hotel promos and cards direct when I stumbled across something mentioning Koolred, an Asia-based travel social networking site. I guess I was caught with the cool name. I love the concept of being able to connect with people with similar interests and browsing Koolred’s shared travel stories, photos is just wonderful. It’s like being able to travel without leaving your desk. They also hold contests regularly and last time they were running the Asian Food Review Contest.

Since I love to write-blog and eat, why not join? I submitted three short food reviews. I was not really expecting to place and have forgotten about the contest until I got an email a few weeks ago. The KoolRed team said I won! Wow! I just couldn’t believe that my Khmer Food @ Trasak Paem actually won, among hundreds of entries! Lolz! I truly love this little Phnom Penh restaurant and Khmer cuisine and I guess it showed in the review. And they said I won a two night stay for two persons at a luxury hotel in Bali – Alila Manggis.

I wasn’t about to believe the prize, that I actually won, till I actually had the proof. Lol. Sorry I’m just OC like that. Anyway, last April 13, something came by mail. People from Air Asia and KoolRed are really fast. I really have the voucher. Which also includes some discounts on the hotel services!

Yay! I guess this is exciting. My first time to actually win something. {Not counting the times I joined binggo games in our town when I was a kid..} I was actually wanting to get the hotel stay in Bangkok prize but hey! I haven’t been to Bali and this would be the best excuse to go..

When will I go? I have yet to decide and plan. I have a lot to do this year, and towards the end of the year, I’ll be going to Manila and Bicol again, so maybe early next year. Before the voucher expires hahaha! To KoolRed and Alila Hotels, a big thanks.

Just Having Villa Holidays Dream

Lui — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:11:53 +0000

I’m really itching to go on a lovely, relaxing holiday. While I’m usually the type to travel the backpacker way, sometimes I also crave some luxurious, pampered travel. Perhaps this is a pipe dream, but I choose to think otherwise. Who knows? I work hard, hubby works hard so to be truthful we could make it happen…Have a dream vacation, in an awesome, remote, beautiful location and have villa holidays. That would be heavenly.

Where do I want to have this opulent holiday? My easy answer would be Europe, particularly Spain. I am a Filipino and for some reason I feel a unique affinity with all things Spanish and I want to see and travel this place. The Philippines is an old Spanish colony so some of our language, habits, cuisine share a lot of similar characteristics with the Spanish. In our region we even count in Spanish! And if those aren’t enough reasons, well another reason I wanna visit Spain is that I’m a huge Rafael Nadal fan, in fact I am a fan of the who Spanish armada {tennis players}! So who knows next year I might be searching for villas in Spain and taking off?

You know, when one travels one of the things to consider is the place to stay. And what comes easily to mind are the endless list of hotels. I know there are really luxurious, one-of-a-kind hotels all over the world, but sometimes one hankers for something different. After awhile, for me hotels tend to be too impersonal and all look rather the same. So much for a unique experience. Stay homes with locals are cool and would make a great experience if you’re after cultural exchange or more local interaction. But if you’re looking for some luxury, seclusion and a unique experience as well, then self-catering villa holidays might be something to consider.

There are luxury villa or apartment owners who just use their properties for vacation and open these little pieces of plush accommodation for rent for those who are on holiday. The advantage to this I see is the location. That’s location in imaginary all caps. Of course, wealthy villa owners have their pick of the prime properties in every locality. And a whole lot of these villas have stunning, expansive views of the place. Finding these place is not hard. If you know your way around the internet, a little bit of searching would yield sites with listing of luxury villas for let on your holiday.

Sigh. As for now, I’ll continue dreaming on..

Busy Start

Lui — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 03:15:01 +0000

I’ve been mostly blurbing. Not much informative posts recently, mostly personal stuff but then again this is my blog and the main reason it exists is for me to update friends and relatives on what’s happening to us while were living away from them. I did just blog that we had a long holiday and now were back to the usual grind.

Things have been crazily hectic for me yesterday and today. Chinkee’s birthday was last week and we were supposed to have a little party in school but since it was holiday we decided to have it today, the 19th. So since yesterday I had been busy preparing food. I also had to rush and buy the stuff we needed since most stores were just open yesterday. It was almost 8 pm last night when we got to buy her birthday cake.

Now I’m just tired and want to lie down. To my horror, actually since that’s what I’ve been doing last week. I also had some news from my sister, she tells me I’m supposed to be her matron of honor on her wedding. Now that is a reason for me to make a mad dash to diet, exercise and whatnot to loose the extra jiggly bits. Thankfully, I still have a grace period of 8 months. But for the life of me, I don’t get it why she’ll have her wedding in January. Everyone is fat after December, especially me.

Hahahaha. And you know what I did last night? Browse online for bodystockings and shapewear, I could use. Yes, I really need some therapy.

Blurbs About Beauty

Lui — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:31:40 +0000

Am I vain? Maybe. I like fashion, clothes, shoes and all. I don’t like looking losyang at all. I mean, just because you’re married or you’re a stay-at home mom or you’ve gained weight, doesn’t mean you have to look bad. I always believe its all about making an effort. I’m not saying you should go ahead and wear stilettos {well, you can if you want to anyway} while scrubbing your bathroom clean, I’m just saying you have to look nice too.

via Photorack.net

Sometimes just letting it go and look drab can get really tempting. I mean why should I primp up when no one sees me at home anyway. But the thing is I feel good too when I look well. And if I’m not in the mood, I just scour the web for be beautiful videos which never fails to inspire me to again make the effort. Also, I think how you look outside reflects how you feel about yourself, which in turn influences how people perceive you.

I certainly don’t want to be perceived as a lousy and dreary person so although I may not be model-like beautiful {or thin, bwahahaha!}, it still helps being presentable. I also think its a girl thing to shop and dress up. This activities never fails to brighten me up. Sure, some might say, ‘what a vain’ person! But who cares, there really should be time to pamper and take care of yourself. Personally, I have to know my limits though, especially when it comes to shopping. Lol. There’s always the danger that I would go overboard, so a budget must be set.

Whilst I’m typing this, it suddenly occurred to me, maybe I should go to some beauty schools! Hahaha. Nah, it was just a fleeing thought.

In a Thrifty Mode

Lui — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:44:00 +0000

I’ve been doing some self-auditing and we figured its high time we go into a mega thrift mode. Having savings is a priority. I mean, a definite portion of our income will be set aside from savings, not just the excess. Thankfully, hubby is really good with handling money so he keeps me in line. I think its a wise thing to save and invest while you can still work.

We also have a lot of big purchases in the offing, so I wanna have some cash handy. And in the next two years, were rebuilding our house here in Phnom Penh. Nothing grand, just something ‘liveable’ and sturdy hehe.. We bought the lot a year after we got married and thank God for hubby’s insight in buying this piece of lot. It’s located well within the city, in a safe and accessible neighborhood, very near the market. The only problem is the access road which is small. But its a prime location which we bought for almost a pittance and can you imagine that last year someone wants to buy it from us for more than 10x its original selling price? I think its a great investment and we’ll be building a much better house on it with a couple more rooms to accommodate guests and a home office for me.

After were done with this, we have plans of purchasing another place in the suburbs. Phnom Penh is growing exponentially, it won’t be long when the city would be like bursting in its seams so we really want to have a place to settle in, have a small garden, sunshine, a lot less chaos and noise. Sort of like a retirement home and we want to save for that early and buy it at least while we could still afford it.

Wouldn’t it be just awesome to walk out your back door and see this view…

So with all these big expenses were planning we both have to work more, save more and invest some. I’m thinking on investing I’m not sure yet which kind. Should I go for real estate, penny stock picks, high yield {but high risk} investments? All this would be given ample thought and research of course. For now, I’m quite excited. Lol! That might be hard to believe but the prospect of seeing something solid out of the work you put in is exciting and very gratifying. Wish us luck!

Image via Photorack.Net

Current Decor Fascination..

Lui — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:53:11 +0000

Yes, I have another obsession. Home decor. At least for now I limit the fascination/obsession to obsessively browsing sites featuring home decor items I currently dig. lol! So what do I have a thing for now? Decorative wall clocks! Who says, your wall clocks have to be boring? Take for instance, this totally unique wall clock:

Pretty cool, right? Definitely a conversation piece. I wondered though at first glance, how I’d be able to tell the time. Hahahaha. Yeah,silly me. I also love oversized wall clocks. I mean, wall clocks are primarily there for the function of telling time, but it can also double as home decor and help set the mood for each room. If I have a vintage, Victorian themed room decor, I wanna have this. It’s not too ornate but still it has that old, grand feel to it.

I was won over by the understated yet very elegant look as well as the neutral color. Perfect for matching any color you wanna throw in your decor. Then of course, I had to pick something for an outdoor wall clock, and this one is a winner for me. I love the vintage look! And this one makes me think of old times, old movies, of really ornate street posts. If I had a verandah, I want one of these hanging in there..

Beating the Summer Heat in Phnom Penh

Lui — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:08:42 +0000

Or at least trying to. Lol! It’s beginning to swelter here, I know I should stop wishing its December still and just deal with it. The summer heat and dust is all part and parcel of living in Phnom Penh. The kiddo has been constantly asking to go to swim. But it suddenly occurred to me that I did buy her an inflatable pool last Christmas and this has been on storage waiting for the summer season.

So I spent the whole of Saturday morning just blowing air in the inflatable pool. Hahahaha, joke. We set it up in the front yard and she had a whale of a time splashing about. So that’s how the kiddo beat the summer heat, and I was seriously tempted to jump in too but I was just too shy coz there were a lot of onlookers aka our neighbors.

We might just make this a weekly thing from now on…

Beach Weekend..

Lui — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:17:18 +0000

Something spontaneous. That’s how hubby plans his trips so this is no longer a surprise. Last week he just came up with the idea of going to the beach coz Phnom Penh is too hot. So okay, we packed some swimming gear, called our usual hotel for a bungalow and set off early Saturday. We usually take Capitol Bus (near Orussey Market), RT to Sihanoukville costs just about 30,000 Riels (about $8). We left around 7:15 am, stopped one time somewhere in between for some snacks, and before 12 noon we were already settling in nicely at our hotel.

Orchidee.. Popular with expats. Good value hotel, really friendly service and just a few hundred meters from the beach and dining options, and yes they do have a lot of orchids..

a major reason why we always book with Orchidee.. the pool!

After a quick lunch, the kiddo was all excited to swim already so we just walked over to nearby Ochheuteal Beach. This beach is really popular and could get really crowded but I prefer swimming here as the water is shallow, the sand oh-so-fine and there are lots of seaside bars you can order drinks from. I plopped down on one cushioned recliner (rent it for just a dollar) with a huge shady umbrella while the kiddo and hubby frolicked in the waves.

seaside bars..

a stretch of the beach…

I was not yet even seated for 5 minutes and a couple of beach vendors began asking me to buy this and that. This used to annoy me but I learned that a firm NO they can easily understand. But I gave in to one lady asking if I wanted to clean my toe nails. I haven’t had a pedicure for ages so I said yes. So I got a little foot pedicure complete with scrub.

the pedicure lady…and she favors multi-colored nails!

the bead girl I had fun talking with..

A child sauntered near and asked me to buy some of her beads jewelry, I said no, but I can’t help but engage her in a conversation. She’s 12, goes to school in the morning, afternoon she spends her time selling accessories on the beach and also she said she practices her English with barangs and in the evenings she does her homework. I had a really interesting conversation with her and I found it admirable she speaks an almost perfect English.

After a few hours of swimming, we had to drag kiddo out of the water lol! and went back to the hotel, but I guess the few hours swimming wasn’t enough for her coz she went right into the swimming pool for another hour. Then we had a quick snack of pizza then met up with hubby’s colleagues for dinner.

We got up early the next day. Had our free breakfast buffet and headed over to where else but the beach again. This is the best time for me to swim, early morning till about 8 or 9 am. Then we moved to the pool.. Then it was time for lunch, I was too exhausted I just opted to have a tuna sandwich. Then it was time to head back to Phnom Penh. Hmmm, I wonder I feel so tired but relaxed at the same time..

too much swimming and this happens… hehe that’s the kiddo playing around.

Capitol Tours

14AEo, Street 182

beside Capitol Guesthouse

+(855) (0)23-217627

Orchidee Guesthouse

#23 Tola St Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville

+(855) (0) 34 933 639 | +(855) (0)12 380 300

www.orchidee-guesthouse.com

email: orchidee@camintel.com

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