I Wanna Get Into Crafts Again!

I woke up really early today. For some reason I was not really sleepy though I went to bed very late last night. I fixed breakfast for Hi-ace and Chinks (not a very hard thing to do anyway, they like eating light breakfast..), then I just stood near the sink, holding my acne face wash, and staring at the mirror. I didn’t realize I was standing there for more than five minutes when Hi-ace finally gave me a nudge.

This is not me, but I look like this when I’m thinking..Really.

When I’m being like this he’s just cool with it. I guess he already accepted the fact that he married a semi-lunatic moody wife, with a weird artistic temperament. Okay, so he just raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you okay, Hon-hon?” That woke me up from my reverie, mainly because he quit calling me “Your Highness” and reverted back to calling me “Hon-hon”. Or maybe he could guess I was not in a joking mood, hmm?

Anyway, the reason I’ve been having tulala bouts (err long stretches of absent mindedness) is that I’ve been longing to do something with my hands again. I’ve always been the arts and craft type, I need to always have something where I could channel my creative drive to. Otherwise, I usually end up always obnoxious and overbearing lol! For the past few days I’ve been surfing the net like mad for some crafts supplies but not much luck really.

First Try on Spiral Seed Bead Bracelet

I’ve decided to do more beading and jewelry. Not on a commercial scale but more like a hobby, a pastime for me. Making a business out of it is also a little hard here in Phnom Penh as materials cannot be easily sourced. I’m very picky when it comes to materials for making patterned beading. For one, the quality of the beads really makes or breaks the piece. I prefer even sized beads which I could only find in Japanese made beads, which I can’t find here in Phnom Penh. Another thing is that, beading takes time and effort so I would want my pieces to be of top quality. So, the next best option for me is to order online and have it shipped here.

Beaded Cellphone Charms From My Leftover Beads

Shipping is also another concern. I’ve looked into creating my own beads using metal clay and polymer clay. The clay is relatively inexpensive, but it is heavy and bulky and though shipping rates are just okay, but I’m pretty concerned about customs and duties that I’ll be billed with when it arrives here. I’ve been searching like mad too for customs and duties rates here in Cambodia, I’ve also been asking around but I only got really frustrated. It seems to be that the rates are on a whim? And being a foreinger, I’ll probably be billed a couple more times than the usual..

Another idea I have been pondering on is having custom made handbags in simple, functional designs then I’ll have it embellished with beads, crochet items etc. I found lots of patterns I like online and I picked some that I can make with muslin fabric and I also like bags using denim fabrics..I’ll probably have some sewed by my tailor when I go home in July then I’ll bring over samples and look for a tailor here to do it for me.

Just like the sling bag above. I want to have it sewn in a different fabric, preferably plain, then I’ll have it embellished, free form. Hayy, I’m actually chokefull of ideas.. I wish I could get my hands into some materials soon. I’ll be exploring O’Russey Market within the next few days and I’ll see what I could come up with..

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Yep, I’m Really Getting Older

No. This is not a maudlin, over-dramatic post. In fact, this post is about my birthday. From the time I turned 25 I tried to ignore my birthdays, in fact it would suit me just fine if they removed March from the calendar.  Lol!  The truth is, I’m okay with being in my 30’s,I even feel more comfortable with my age now than I did when I was just in my 20’s.

The problem really is that I don’t fancy celebrating anymore. Not in a big way. I did that before and now I prefer to keep things quiet. Just being with the people I love most is enough of a celebration for me. I do appreciate greetings, (gifts are okay too haha!) but there are times it could get overwhelming.

So now, the day is getting near again. There’s no escaping it, I was trying to forget about it but friends and relatives just keep reminding me. Just today I got 6 SMS asking me about a ‘party’ (as if we could have that when they are all in the Philippines!!) and several messages online too. Hayy, driving home the fact that really I’m turning 31 and might be needing botox soon or maybe just some firming face cream.

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Trying To Get Fit. Seriously.

I used to weigh just right, before I gave birth I was never worried about my weight, about plus size wear, about diets etc. Then, when I got pregnant I just ballooned. I wasn’t worried coz I thought I’ll just lose it after I gave birth.

After Chinks was born, a year after we came to Phnom Penh and for  months we didn’t have any helper so I had to do everything. It was definitely a way for me to lose weight. I still ate a lot, but the added exercise of doing a housework which I wasn’t accustomed to plus the stress of being in a foreign place just made it easy. No need for quick weight loss diet to get the weight I wanted.

Then we went back to the Philippines, and a couple of months after I started my fashion accessory business. This required lots of time with me sitting down. I fell into a very sedentary lifestyle, plus we lived almost right next to a mall and eating out was almost like an everyday thing. Before I knew it I was heavier than my after-birth weight.

I did try to lose weight but mostly with half-hearted efforts. I even bought a stationary bike and I only used it for a month and it went to the stock room. It’s only now that I’m really seriously getting into achieving a healthy weight. I’ve decided I want to lose weight not in a fast way, but more in a steady, balanced way.

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Reminders to Self..

I’m slacking off, I know. Not with blogging though, I’m pleased to say since February I’ve been posting regularly hahaha. I dunno, it just helps me cope with homesickness and missing my parents back home in the Philippines. It must also be because I know were going home in July. (I hope my mother won’t read this, and for my relatives checking this out, PLS. don’t tell my parents about our vacation in July, its supposed to be a surprise for them)  It should be a secret but I can’t help blabbering about it again, that’s how excited I am about going home for a long vacation. Lol! I just hope they won’t find out in advance so they can enjoy the surprise of seeing Chinkee again. Did I mention they don’t really miss me but only Chinks? Hayy, I’ve resigned myself to being ignored since I gave them a grandchild. Haha, seriously I don’t mind, I find it very amusing though, how my parents dot on my daughter.

Anyway, this post is about reminding myself again what I have to do this March..Some sort of checklist for me, I’m placing it here because it pressures me to accomplish the task.

Home and Shopping..

• Look for an area rug and some of those Khmer style floor/sitting cushions.
• Look for a door chime or maybe make one myself.
• Nag Graciously ask Hi-ace about painting or tiling the front stairs.
• Re-pot my bougainvilleas.
• Visit Boeung Keng Kang Market again and hunt for 4 panels of embroidered curtains.
• Shop for tank top shirts or thin cotton shirts. Should not get sidetracked with cute kid stuff =)
• Look for a backpack. I can’t find my other bag and I need one before the 26th.

Crafts..

• Check O’Russey Market for some seed beads. Japanese or Czech variety will do.
• Also for some beading thread.
• Continue downloading beading patterns.
• Make some beading patterns with my bead tool.
• Search for suppliers of polymer clay online. I had no luck finding it here in Phnom Penh, hayy!

Web and Blogging

• Finish uploading plugins to my new blog – Lui-Bloggera.
• Update other blogs.
• Finish TaskWise schedule reminders.
• Upload free ad spot banners and headers. (I keep forgetting this!!)
• Visit and read more blogs..

Important (yeah  these are really important)

• More cardio exercises.. jumping rope go, go, go!
• Veggies and fruits only for dinner. I should go with this strictly. lol!
• Buy dumbbells.

Living in Phnom Penh: Lazy, Happy Weekend

Leisurely Saturday..

I love weekends like this. Just doing nothing, spending the day with Hi-ace, Chinks and Ouwie. It rarely happens that all of us are not busy, more often than not we have someplace else to go even during weekends. Hi-ace didn’t have any meetings, trips or classes. When its like this we take advantage of the time to just be together.

Yesterday morning was spent just lazing around, sleeping till 8 am, eating a leisurely breakfast, then we played board games. Afternoon we spent biking around Phnom Penh. It’s been awhile since we’ve done this and I had a fun time. We also brought Chinks to the bookstore since she had been asking for some art supplies.

We also browsed those sidestreet vendors along Monivong Blvd., offering printing of business cards and wedding invitations. We both want to have some printed and those sidestreet sellers are really offering value for printing services. 100 pcs of business cards cost just less than $10 depending on the design and you can also have your own design printed for an additional fee. As for the wedding invitations, hmm they have a wide variety of designs some amusing, some cute, some very elaborate and some really with lots of embellishments. I didn’t inquire about the price though hehe..

Sunday shopping..

Hi-ace and Chinks went with Ma to visit their uncle in Kandal province. They left about 6:30 am so I had some free time to do some shopping. Food shopping was done first, of course, in Russian Market (Phsar Toul Tompong). Got our week’s supply of vegetables, meat, fish and fruits. Shopping in local markets is now a breeze for me, I already have regular suki vendors so I get a good price plus freebies.Ouwie and I also roamed around the clothing section coz I was planning to buy some tank tops. The summer heat is getting unbearable so I wanted to have some cotton shirts. After browsing several stalls I found myself buying stuff for Chinks instead. Bought her a couple of shirts and I also found lots of cute swimwear and I also got her some since she’s taking swimming lessons already in school.

10:30 am, the market was already crowded so Ouwie and I decided to escape from the crowds and headed for a cup of coffee at the Coffee Korner just off the Russian Market. This has already been our favorite coffee place after doing our shopping rounds of Phsar Tuol Tompong.

Hi-ace and Chinks got back around 12 noon, so now were all lazing around again. Me, writing this really lazy post, Hi-ace watching TV, Chinks tumbling around the floor and Ouwie reading a book. Wish every weekend would be like this haha! I should really get back to reality..

Playing Dress Up..

It was a really boring afternoon last Saturday. We were planning to revive Chinkee’s pond in a pot. Last time it had lots of fishes already but somebody played with it while we were not around and all her fishes died. She has been asking to have it again, Hi-ace though is always busy to take care of it. We were planning to buy a small garden pond filter and some fishes but we got distracted walking around the malls. Before we knew it twas early evening already. We had early dinner in KFC, came back home then watched TV. We realized we still had time to kill before bedtime, so I decided to raid my closet to organize my clothes. All things I don’t use anymore I packed for donating. I love doing this, I almost always unearth something I’ve forgotten that I have.

I was digging, digging, sorting when I saw a gauzy black empire cut dress a friend gave me last year. I haven’t worn it coz its too short for me, I could wear it with leggings but I always thought I don’t look good on leggings (hehe with my fat legs and all..). But I kept this dress coz I like its stretchy bodice, I mean even if I get totally huge, I could still wear it..Lol! Anyway, my little fashionista and kikay daughter saw it and tried it on. I had to tie the back with a ribbon so it wouldn’t fall off. Haha! She was giggling and asked me to fix her hair, ‘Tie it up, please Mommim and take photos of me..”

Lol! We had loads of fun taking photos again. Hmm, this is something that I really like about living in Phnom Penh. Life is simple, at an unhurried pace so I get to enjoy and play silly games like this with Chinks.

So here she is..And no I didn’t tell her how to pose. She just posedand pouted by herself with me just snapping photos with my phone’s camera..

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Living in Phnom Penh: Just Let Me Ramble On..

Time for my regular rambling, pointless (haha!) updates..What had I been up to for the past few days? Nothing! Really, except for a few errands here and there, things had been pretty quiet for a change..

February just passed by like a breeze for me. I know it just has 28 days but it didn’t leave me with much impression. Also, though February is where Valentine’s Day falls on, we didn’t really do anything special. We all just spent the day together, me, Hi-ace and Chinks playing board games in the morning, afternoon attending Hi-ace’s school affair then a leisurely family dinner in a Thai restaurant. That’s it! I guess I’m long past appreciating flowers, chocolates and romantic dinners during Valentine’s day, uggh I even find it corny and I get annoyed at those romantic blah blahs being shoved in your face every time the 14th draws near. Happiness now for me, stems from those family bonding moments, times were just together without even doing anything special or being anywhere fancy. Funny, but I feel really content and happy at this point..

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Living in Phnom Penh: Scatterbrained Days

I’ve been so absent minded these past few days. A lot of my work (blogging and website building) activities had been at rest for a few days already. Organizing my computer files had also been forgotten now I don’t exactly know where to resume hehe.

This is so not me! But a few days ago I had been planning our trips for the year, at least for the next six months. Hi-ace schedules are as usual very difficult to pin down. I’ve already booked tickets for our month-long Bicol, Phlippines vacation on July. I know its too early but I wanted to have the tickets already so I won’t have reason to back out. It’s just me and Chinks going because Hi-ace still have loads of classes that time as well as office work. His break will be on August 8 and our return date is on Aug 11..So, he really has no choice but to stay put.

He’s been acting morose, I know coz he loves going to the Philippines and he prefers shopping there plus I guess he just misses the place. He has already given me a long list of what he wants to be bought and I seriously think I won’t be doing much shopping for myself since he has quite a long list and I hate having too much baggage when I travel.

He’s constantly murmuring and asking me what is he going to do when were not around. I suggested going to the gym (he says no..), doing some gardening (he says maybe!), going on a short trip (he says maybe not, its boring without me and Chinks ), or maybe go play some sports (other than soccer he doesn’t play other sports) – tennis, swimming or maybe golf. But I could just imagine him swearing at the expense (he’s incredibly frugal unlike me haha!) and he’ll probably be using used golf balls just to be happy.

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Changes, Changes and A New Blog

I’ve been doing the laundry this morning and its one of the chores around the house that I don’t particularly enjoy. And since I almost loathe it, I would usually allow my mind to wander and ironically this is usually the time when ideas and plans are best conceptualized.

Here’s what I’ve been mulling on while the sheets were being laundered. I’ve decided to make more changes to this blog. When I first started this I really had no idea what this will be all about, more like a random thoughts – personal blog thing. Then it just evolved by itself I guess and just last year I made changes to organize all posts. For sometime, Pinaywifespeaks.com  has been my blog for musings about living in Cambodia, about life in the Philippines, and also about blogging and the web.

I found myself getting more and more immersed in Cambodian culture and lifestyle so lately that seemed to be what I had been constantly writing about. So then from now on this would be focusing mainly on three things:

• Living in Cambodia and exploring Cambodian culture
• of course, Philippines is still home for me, so expect some occasional posts about Pinas
• and my other passion, Travel. Just featuring travels, places, travel promos and deals.

I’ll be removing the blogging and web categories soon. Though previous posts on these categories will still remain under Exploring the Web category. I will be running a featured Cambodian blog soon too.

Last year, on a whim I registered another domain – Lui-bloggera.com, then I promptly forgot about it and it has been sitting on my hosting account like a wet blanket. I should really bang my  head often on the wall! It’s time I make use of this domain and not let it go to waste.

I’m developing it into a new personal blog where I could blah blah about my other interest. Topics would be…

• blogging – Wordpress, earning with blogs, blogging tips etc,
• trend hunting –   i love trends! ,
• latest buzz  - celebs, gossip, luxury lifestyle,tech, fashion – yeah I’ll be indulging my gossiping tendencies a bit..

I’ll be awfully busy these next few days to get this off the ground and I’m super excited. =) I guess I’ll be loosing some sleep over this and getting some pimples again, but that’s nothing acne scar removal creams can’ t take care of. I’m always excited about new things, new projects.  Things are looking up and I do hope you check out my latest blog – Lui-Bloggera.com..

Travel Saving Tips to Reduce Your Hotel Bills

We love to travel around Asia ( for now!) and having a tight budget won’t really keep us from doing some traveling. I found ways and means to go around a small travel budget. That’s why I love budget airlines for short hops and I am always on the lookout for their latest promotions.

When traveling two of the biggest expense would be for:

• Air fare – but these can taken care by booking budget airlines like AirAsia,  Bangkok Air, Tiger Airways, Jetstar, Cebu Pacific and others. Book well in advance and get really great discounts. Check out my regular updates on Asian budget air promotions.
• Hotels – this can be really pricey, moreso if you stay longer.

I discovered some great ways to save on your hotel bills. Let me just share our practical saving tips:

• If you have your schedule down pat, then book ahead. Oftentimes, hotels give discounts to early bird bookings.
• Check for hotels with free night stays. Example, there are lots of hotels who gives 1 night free stay if you book 3 nights and up.
• Book online. I find Agoda and AsiaRooms to have really cheaper rates than most hotel booking engines for Asia hotels.
• If you want to go really budget, book hostels! This is what we usually do whenever were staying in a place for several days. Most of these places turn out really well and besides we only use it really to sleep.
• Where to book hostels? Hostelworld or check AirAsia’s GoHostel travel service.

One of the best things I love about booking hostels via Hostelworld.com or through AirAsia is that you can pay your hotel booking using your credit card, debit card and get this – some accept PAYPAL! I’ve started listing out hostels who accept Paypal and will be posting the listing soon.

I’m all set to book a hostel for a holiday in Ho Chi Minh this April and I’ll be  using a debit card or Paypal just to give it a try if the service works well. We’ll be out for about a week so this will be a big saving and more moolah for shopping and I also heard salons in Vietnam are top notch so I wanna try some hair pampering or some hair loss treatments.

When You Go For What You Want..

Yes, there are risks. You could fail, but then if you don’t even give it a try, you’ll never know if you can make it or not!  That’s how I would describe how I feel about going after your dreams and goals. Yes, failure is scary but for me not even trying or taking the risk is even more pathetic. It’s like living half a life. When you go for what you want, chances are you will get it. If not you can move on to better things, with the lessons you’ve learned and the comforting knowledge that you weren’t a coward, that you tried your best.

That’s one of the beliefs me and my sister, Ouwie shares. For nine years, Ouwie has been working as an assistant professor in multimedia communication in a local university in Bicol. She has also been actively involved in various projects in media as well as non-govermental organizations. While doing that she managed to complete her Master’s Degree in Developmental Communication from University of the Philippines.

My sister, Ouwie..

She then came to a point where she wanted something more. To expand her horizons and explore more possibilities.  I told her about the teaching opportunities here in Phnom Penh and I think it’ll do her a lot of good to experience a totally different culture and to see things from a different perspective. So, she took a leap of faith and flew here last month.

After a few rounds of sending resumes here and there. A couple of interviews and not so good prospects materializing, she was beginning to wonder if she was meant to come here and what was in store for her. Then she got the call she was waiting for. I guess she wowed the people over at Limkokwing Univeristy and they asked her to join them as a full time international lecturer under the Faculty of Design Studies.

Today is her first day of work and tomorrow its her birthday. I guess getting the job of her dreams is a really fab birthday gift. I did make a deal with her that if she gets a job offer from Limkokwing, I’d dedicate a post for her, psst! although I reckon, a week-long Orlando vacations would be much nicer.

Anyway, I made this post just to greet her a Happy Birthday and a big congratulations.  Hi-ace, Chinks and I are proud of you and of course, Ma, Pa and Coco. We’ll always be around to support you whatever you want to do and wherever you want to be.

Got 5 Free Walls for You..

I was in a hellish mood for the past two days, mainly due to migraine and some things. I’m also on the deciding phase for some things that I need – want to do with myself.

Should I or should I go back to school and complete my Master’s? If I do that, what will I do after I’m done with it? If I go for it, what field do I want to get into? Should I find a regular 8-5 work and be part of the rat race again? If I do that, would I have time for my family and how big an adjustment is that for everyone? Whatever I decide to do, it’s going to have an effect not just on me but also my family. So, I guess you can imagine the dilemmas I’m having right now.

I had to get off and clear my head for awhile and I ended up playing around with Photoshop and some brushes. I miss doing this! I’ve been so caught up with writing, blogging, web site building that I hardly ever took the time anymore to one of my favorite pastimes before – toying around with graphics and vectors. Doing these really revs me up and I end up getting motivated again.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve made. Some wallpapers in 1280 x 1024 sizes. I’m posting it for everyone to use and download for personal use only. Just right click open in a new tab/window then save as.

What do you think? I know it all looks a little girly but well I’m a girl. I should do this more often now. I used to remember I always made personalized photo pages, signatures, invitations  for baptism, birthdays,communion invitations, even my own wedding invitation was my own design. I even once thought of doing this professionally but somehow I was sidetracked.

My Khmer Coffee Addiction

It’s a fact. I’m addicted to it. I can’t start a day without coffee and I usually have it a couple more times each day. When I first visited Phnom Penh last 2004, I was fretting and thinking that maybe I’ll be on a coffee-diet. Lol! I was really really wrong! I discovered that Cambodians are more than passionate about their morning cup. In fact, they have coffee anytime of the the day!

A few doors down my mother-in-laws house in Toul Tompoung area, there is a Khmer restaurant (corner resto St. 432 and 163) serving espressos and iced coffees at a fraction of the price of famous coffee houses. And the taste? Whew! One of the best brews I’ve ever had. Not only that, I was amazed to find out  that most of these local cafe’s roast their own local beans so you get freshly roasted coffee which, believe me has the best taste. Khmers prefer their beans roasted really black and adds a little fat or butter making the taste a lot richer. They would usually roast their beans every other day around 2-3 pm and just the aroma is heavenly!

So, though I still frequent nice cafes around Phnom Penh (I do enjoy their plush seats, free wifi, pastries..) but every so often you can find me sampling coffee from these small restaurants found all over Phnom Penh. These shops mostly speak very little English so come prepared and have this memorized (lol! I even have a small note always with me with Khmer translation of this just in case..)

• hot black coffee – caa-fei kh’mav (khdow -hot)
• coffee – caa-fei
• iced coffee – caa-fei teuk koh
• ice coffee milk – caa-fei teuk koh tuk duh koh

Khmer coffee is usually served hot – black or with milk / iced – black or with milk. There’s also a place inside Russian Market (Tuol Tompoung Market) serving what they claim to be the Best Iced Coffee in Phnom Penh. It does taste really good, and since there are a lot of tourists in the market they can speak English, so ordering a glass of iced coffee is a breeze.

It’s located right in the food hall, just look for the sign..

And to tempt those iced coffee lovers..

I’ve already shared this passion for Khmer coffee to some of my friends and also my sister. Ouwie is now also a certified Khmer coffee addict. Lol ! I can still remembered when she first tried it, she found it so good, she had too many glasses and found herself unable to sleep and was looking for natural sleep aids. So, though its tastes really good, just have it in moderation

Happy coffee drinking!

O’Russey Market, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh has several large traditional markets selling all kinds of goodies and its advantage over supermarkets? you can also haggle to get a good bargain. As an expat, I’m more used to supermarkets and it took sometime for me to brave these traditional markets on my own. I first got hooked with the Russian Market (Tuol Tompoung Market), then I began exploring other big markets.

One of my all time favorite Phnom Penh Markets is the O’Russey Market. It’s a six-story building, market stalls are on the first three floors, and on the surrounding streets. O’Russey Markets is a well-known wholesale market for food ingredients, seafoods,textiles, and clothing. You can also find some gardening items, mechanical tools, and electronics. Toys and food stuff you usually see being retailed in small stores across Phnom Penh are usually bought from here in bulk.

Be forewarned, this market is huge, and the pathways in between stalls are very narrow so be prepared to squeeze your way in. I always make sure I’m in my best (Divisoria-Manila like) mood whenever I venture to this market. It also helps if you can take walks for extended periods of time as there are limited resting areas around the market so best prepare with your joint supplements, a bottle of water, and something to wipe the sweat off your face. And do be careful also with your valuables.

The first floor contains mostly food items, goods for reselling, electronics, gardening supplies. But what interests me the most about this market is the upper floors. The second/third floor houses wholesalers of books and other school materials, clothing, accessories. You can also find textiles, tailoring supplies, ready-made clothing, tailoring shops and some hair and nail salons.

The best part for me is the second-hand clothing/shoe/bags/home items. We Filipinos call this UK or ukay-ukay  and this is where you can find designer items @ bargain prices not to mention unique pieces. O’Russey’s Ukay-Ukay/Second Hand stores holds a lot of great finds. I found some cute bags and shoes here but what I really really love are the curtains I discovered here. Second-hand shopping can be a bit difficult and only for those who has the gumption to sort though all the piles, but its very rewarding too..Try it for once and you’ll get hooked and one place to start your ukay-ukay hunting is the O’Russey Market.

I found this really interesting video on YouTube featuring O’Russey Market and the surrounding streets. Video courtesy of MSA Production

O’Russey Market on Google Maps

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Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!  Well, tomorrow its officially the start of the Year of the Tiger.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Things have been hectic for me the past few days, not to mention that I was again having an asthma attack. This is the 3rd time were celebrating the Lunar New Year here in Phnom Penh and there’s a lot for me to do. We had some major cleaning to do around the house (which we usually do before the Lunar New Year comes around) to sweep away the bad luck and the hardships of the previous year. Cleaning also means we welcome the new year on a clean start. So, you can assume my muscles are really tired at the moment, so blogging will be on hold for a day. =)

Aside from cleaning, there is that offering to do and almost never ending food preparations. Thankfully, my in-laws mostly does that for me, with just me occasionally slicing some veggies and tasting the finished product. We prepared a lot of food since yesterday, I’ve already lost count on how many dishes there was. All of it was fixed on a ceremonial altar, with cups filled with tea and rice wine, and loads of incense burning.

The we all feasted on the delicious food prepared. I sure ate a lot, I bet I’ll be badly in need of diet supplements again soon. After eating we gave the kids their ‘ang pow’ or their red envelopes with money. Chinks is of course grinning from ear to ear as she amassed a lot of ang pow.

I’m now beat and needing some rest. And oh! I just remembered it Valentine’s Day tomorrow! Whew.. I’m in a bit of a panic now I forgot about that.. Anyway, I wish everyone a great 2010. Good Health, Good Fortune and Harmonious Relationships for the whole year..

Khmer Hammocks and Food

This happened a few weeks back.. It was a weekend and with Hi-ace having a day without anything scheduled, so he asked me where I want to go for the rest of the afternoon. That day, I didn’t want to eat in any fancy resto or even go malling, I simply wanted to have some wind and rest and I was thinking I wanted to eat grilled sweet corn.

Hi-ace then told me he’ll bring us over to one place that is uniquely Khmer. Hmm, that was enough to pique my interest. I know Khmers loves picnics so I was expecting somewhere in a park or a place with lots of mats, you sit down and order food..

After crossing the Japanese bridge, he drove on for more than 30 minutes and I was beginning to wonder where he was taking us. All I could see where fewer and fewer houses and big empty fields. Then we reached a place with houses built on top of stilts and towering over a huge pond filled with lotus plants..

I just love discovering out of the way places like this and when I saw these, I knew I was in for a treat.. Hi-ace told me this is where a lot of Khmers go for food and some R & R. So how’s the inside of those houses on stilts? Here..

You can choose which nook you want to stay in. There’s a mat and a low table in the middle and hammocks made of dried hyacinth. And I was so surprised that those hammocks was so comfy! It was no wonder I fell right into sleep after we had lunch. It’s hard to resist anyway, the food and breeze made me so sleepy..

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There’s a Mine!

Cambodia is the Land of Mines.. See I saw this sign in an internet shop here in Phnom Penh..

Lol! The ceiling was low and the sign was just a kind warning. I’ve now decided to be on the constant lookout for funny signs like this, uniquely Khmer!

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Chinks Is Getting Busy With Her Gadgets

Yesterday, she declared: ” Tomorrow morning I have school, then I will eat lunch, then I will be busy, so don’t disturb.” I had to laugh coz when I asked her, what she’s going to be busy with in the afternoon, she looked at me like I lost half-a-brain and said, “Of course, Mommim, I’ll be playing!”

As if I didn’t know.. Last Christmas, I got her those kiddie laptop with lots of educational games and it also comes with a card where she can store points/pretend money to use in a digital petshop. I was amused that she could learn about money and saving with that card feature. She tells me always, “Mommim, I have to get the answers right and work hard so I can save  money to buy the pet  I want.”

So it has been like this for sometime now.. Like when she’s holding her latest favorite toy, there’s an invisible ‘Don’t Disturb’ Sign over her head..

Like most kids now, she likes techie gadgets and recently she has been bugging me about getting her a mobile phone.  Mainly because some of her classmates have one. I have reservations about giving her one, though it has some advantages but still I think its too early. Perhaps when she’s in Grade II or III. Right now, she’s keen on having a cute kiddie cellphone but Hi-ace and I are still discussing it.

She tells me she wants to have the Hello Kitty C90 China phone, costs about $100 online. It comes with e-book reader, alarm clock, FM radio, calculator, calendar, memo and bluetooth.  And the packaging is adorable, no wonder she’s almost stomping her feet with excitement. It looks really cute at first I wondered if its really a working phone but they say it does make calls and send SMS!

Should I get it for her? Maybe. If the time is right and the cost is right. Or perhaps I should just wait until it becomes the deal of the day. I don’t want to buy something expensive for her first phone coz who knows she’ll just destroy it in a day.. But I must admit her choice is cute. I guess she had her aunt Ouwie browse the net for cutie phones..

I’m imagining maybe next time when she gets busy, she’ll just say, ” Mommy, I’m busy. Just send me an SMS..” Lol! Kids..

A Laid-Back Weekend..

I had a really good and fun weekend and thinking about it, living in Phnom Penh have mellowed me down a bit. Before in Manila, I used to be always out and about, rarely staying in the house, always stressed out about business, the traffic and the smog. That’s what I love about Phnom Penh now, life is at an unhurried pace, I get to have leisurely walks, coffee and gossip with Filipina friends, explore Phnom Penh’s bargain havens. In short, I’m more relaxed now, enjoying and appreciating things the way they should be enjoyed. But be forewarned, I’m in a story-telling mood, so this post is rather long..

Friday..

Met the Fabulous Pinay’s of Phnom Penh (haha! yeah I call them that..) Zarah, Josiet, and Che (blog ka na ulit, Che so I could link ) @ our now fave hangout Brown Cafe. After about 2 hours of girl talk, we all decided to have lunch at Khmer restaurant – Sugar Palm along St 240. Hmmm, food was bland and a bit pricey so I must say I have tasted better stuff. But then again, the company was great so I forgot about the not-so-good food.

After lunch, we went off to check boutiques along St. 240. Love this street, definitely a fashionista’s haven with elegant boutiques and Cambodian silk and product stores along the sides. Then, we checked Diva boutique along St. 57 , well a bit pricey but they do carry  a good selection of brands like Bebe, Guess etc, though they tend to stock on teeny weeny sizes.

After Diva, we all went different ways and Che invited me to meet her cutie daughter Isabelle. Their place is just a few meters walk so I happily agreed. Met the pretty doll-like Isabelle. I also got to hitch-hike home with Che’s nice help, Pheary who lives near my place. That must be my lucky day =).

After a few hours rest at home, my sister wanted to check out City Mall, Phnom Penh’s latest shopping heavyweight, right beside Olympic Stadium. We roamed around the mall, and seriously, I’ve been there a couple of times, but the layout still mystify’s me and I always manage to get lost several times each visit. We got so exhausted and ended up having dinner at Pizza World coz Chinks was demanding to eat spaghetti..

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