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.

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.

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..

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.

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

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.