Yen's QoTW

Every week, Yen posts 10 random questions about anything under the sun. All you have to do is answer the questions and:

+ try to leave some love to the others! Specially to the one up above you :)
+ A link back to this post or to this blog would be appreciated. So that others would know and join!
+ If you have sets of questions that you like to ask, email it to me. And we will post it next week!

So here goes mine:

1. Your true happiness?
- Being given the freedom of choice.

2. Which is more embarrassing to you? Walking with toilet paper on your shoe or with your pants unzipped?
- Walking around with my pants unzipped! Imagine the humiliation I'd get if I'd forgotten to wear undies??

3. Would you rather be gossiped about or never talked about at all?
- I try to shy away from the limelight, but sometimes it's better to be talked about.

4. Would you rather find one million dollars or find true love?
- I would like to find my one true love with a million dollars!

5. Which is worse? Foot odor or armpit odor?
- I don't know about you but to me they're in the same level!I would choose neither.


6. Who would you want to meet? Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, Garfield, or Bugs Bunny? Why?
- Garfield; we think alike. *lol*

7. Would you rather have wheels or wings?
- Now that the price of gasoline is sky-high, I can only wish I have wings so I can just flap them and fly away I go to anywhere I like.

8. How do you feel about haunted houses? Would you visit one?
- I think haunted houses are intriguing and exciting. I had been to one haunted house before when we were doing a Halloween TV special, but, unfortunately, nothing worthy of a TV spot happened.

9. Which would be worse? Bleeding to death or starving to death?
- They're both horrible ways to die.

10. Which is worse? Stepping in a dog poo or sitting in gum?
- Stepping on a dog poo! Nothing infuriates me more than irresponsible dog owners walking their dogs and leaving the poop behind. The pets can't clean after them, that's why they're pets!

Phuket photos, you say?

Here...



... feel free to dig through this lot!

Or better yet, go to my Flickr page where you can have a better view.

Have fun!

Still in Phuket

So yeah, we're already in our third (on to the fourth) week here in Phuket and the procrastination still hangs on. I've been out to the beaches and malls several times while R is in school attending classes, but, other than that, I am enjoying the bliss of idleness.

This post has sat in my drafts folder for the past weeks and even now I am still trying to concentrate on writing - which is so difficult given that the temptation to just vegetate in front of the TV or under the sun with a book in hand and the sound of the waves and the wind on the background is too irresistible. Anyhow, the proverbial push came from dear step-sister B from down-under whom I was engaged in a YM chat - she reprimanded me for not seeing any Phuket photos, and so, she promptly asked for evidences to prove my whereabouts, that I am really gallivanting in Phuket. No, we're not really stepsisters; B is actually my best pal Viking M's younger sister. Down-under B likes to call me her step-sister, having lived with them for several years, and we have developed a strong sisterhood bond. Although she's a nurse, I feel like she would very well be a CSI agent as she has a keen eye for evidences.

Look, I'm going nowhere again *lol*

The day we arrived in Phuket proved to be a long day for my husband and I. During the one hour flight to Bangkok and another hour flight to Phuket, and the 5-hour transit, we were both clueless as it was the first time we've been on a budget flight. As there were no seat numbers, we had to kick and fight and bite to go in front of the queue in order to get good seats. No, not really, but as soon as boarding is announced, there was a mad dash to the line, and all proper queuing etiquette was forgotten. Imagine grungy backpackers, amorous businessmen and pretty women clad in dainty clothes and killer heels pushing against each other in the line? Apart from this riot, our flights were okay. We managed to have a shut-eye even for a few minutes because the previous night was spent packing and unpacking (and packing again) our luggages.

We landed in Phuket around 4pm without any hitches and didn't have any trouble getting a taxi to Nai Harn where MrandMrsB's house is located. The drivers spoke better English than the ones in Bangkok, much to my surprise, but they are all the same when it comes to driving, fast and furious (mga kaskasero din!). Once the diminutive driver was behind the wheels, he transformed into a pedal-pushing mad man! Ninerbyos ako, so to calm myself, I shifted my focus duon sa dinadaanan namin. From the taxi window, I could see the massive development projects one after another along the way. Mountains are cleared, carved and subdivided to make way for exclusive subdivisions, a hotel or resort... whatever, and everywhere I look it's what I see. Phuket is the largest island province in Thailand and is one of the, if not the top, best destinations in the country. True, it's an island, but everything seems to be found here - huge supermarkets and malls, first class hospitals, and not to mention the exclusive hotels and villas, resorts, spas, golf courses, bars, restaurants. And the construction seems to be not going to end soon. God knows how many more establishments are going to be erected in the future. Truly, Phuket is the playground for the rich and wealthy. I feel so small in this sea of ostentatious display of wealth and grandeur. So that was my introduction to Phuket.


When we arrived at MrandMrsB's house, R was pretty much exhausted and went for a quick nap while I managed to help MrsB prepare dinner. The dinner was quiet, except for some whining from MrandMrsB's four-year old son known as the little rascal. MrB is nice, but a man of few words and so we didn't have much to talk about. Perhaps because when we arrived he was gardening so he was tired, and so were we, so the conversation wasn't engaging.

It was the first time that I had been to MrandMrsB's house in Phuket after several invitations offered to me. Typical Thai-style house, a blend of cement and hardwood, it has three bedrooms, two toilet and bath, storeroom, kitchen, a cozy living room and a nice swimming pool! But the night was memorable to me because it's the second time R and I have traveled abroad together after a long time. We fell asleep wondering what the one-month course would be like.

Saturday 9 #005: We Travel Well

1. What part of the world and country do you live in?
- Currently I am based in Southeast Asia, particularly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I am originally from Roxas City, Capiz, which is in the Philippines' Western Visayas Island.

2. What is the furthest from home that you have been, and where is it?
- The farthest I've been is Japan.

3. What travel destination have you enjoyed the most?
- I enjoyed all!

4. What travel destination have you enjoyed the least?
- I can't say because there's something new and different in each country I've visited. The only thing I don't like about traveling is when airlines mess up and you end up stranded in an airport without your baggage.

5. Is there somewhere you’d like to visit but have not, and where is it?
- Yes, a lot of places actually - Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia... I'd also love to go to France and the Czech republic, and also to Maldives where a good friend works.

6. Do you prefer traveling to see historic places or to hit the beach and relax?
- Depends on where you are. I also make sure that I make a trip to the market and I am not referring to the malls. To me, if one wants to discover more insights to the culture and way of life of the country you are visiting, one needs to go and explore the markets. You won't get disappointed at all.

7. What popular vacation destination have you never considered because you think you’d not like it?
- No destination in particular, but we want to avoid the tourist-crowd as much as possible.

8. Where do you travel to most recently?
- Asia. I am currently here in Phuket, Thailand. Back in December I was in Malaysia and Nepal.

9. Do you like day trip “mini-vacations”?
- Very much. My husband and I do that - just pack a bag and dog stuffs, toss them in our trusty, old Pajero and we're on the road.

Friday Fill-ins #003

1. I believe whatever doesn't kill you makes you live longer? *lol*

2. If you're good at something, don't do it for free.

3. Why so serious?

4. Something is out there, it's the new RV!

5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled My Life is a Sitcom.

6. Sitting on my back porch [if you don't have one, use your imagination] I see the bright stars over the clear sky and the sea dotted with flickering and bobbing lights from the fishermen's boats.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to pizza and movie night, tomorrow my plans include doing the laundry and Sunday, I want to watch the Dark Knight at the Central Festival Mall cinema with my husband!

Friday Fill-ins #002

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would chitchat with the other flies on the wall. *lol*

2. Jealousy is a waste of time.

3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that I see more of them.

4. I'd rather be listening to the voices in my head than (instead of) politicians any day!

5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna scratch my head.

6. If time were in a bottle I would save every day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a good movie, tomorrow my plans include going out with friends to see Phuket town and Sunday, I want to spend a quiet time with my husband!

First, Last, and Now

Grabbed from Yen's blog.

First

* First name: Zarah
* First screen name: Sreisaat
* First funeral: More than 20 years ago when my Uncle died.
* First piercing: Ears
* First kiss: The husband
* First love: The husband

Last

* Last beverage drank: Water
* Last food consumed: Lunch. Steamed veggies, fried potatoes, steamed salmon, Thai chicken-egg soup, watermelon and banana.
* Last phone call: From my friend Fe who's also here in Phuket.
* Last time showered: Before I had lunch today
* Last CD played: The Queen, before we left for Phuket
* Last website visited: Yen's :)

Now

* Single or taken: Taken
* Gender: Female
* Birthday: March 31
* Sign: Aries
* Shoe size: 6 - I have tiny feet *lol*
* Thinking about: Weekend getaway with the husband

Participants:

1.) Me and Mine
2.) Creative in Me
3.) Little Peanut
4.) For the LOVE of Food
5.) Pea in a Pod
6.) SugarMagnolias
7.) HHiPP

A dinner remembered

I am not really a party-person and more often that not I turn down most party/dinner invitations even from fellow ex-pats and local colleagues because I simply cannot stand certain types of people I am certain I would meet and socialize with at a party.

Last year, my husband and I had dinner with one of our project advisors, Irish Spring and his wife. Irish Spring comes to PP periodically for project meetings and for the first time, Mrs Irish Spring joined him for a trip to Angkor Wat. It was because of this that Mr Irish Spring suggested for us to meet socially with our respective partners.

It looked like the non-party-goer (me) was being pushed a little out of my comfort zone. I conjured images of an awkward, self-conscious, boring dinner. Nothing personal, perhaps it's just me.

I made an exception with this one.
Before leaving, I warned myself (and R) to be out on our best-est behaviour
So off we went - R and I arrived at Khmer Surin restaurant earlier than them. Personally, I would not choose Khmer Surin due to a previous bad encounter there. Food is great there, no question about it, but you will need all the patience of a pilgrim as service is painfully slow. Anyways, I digress.

Surprisingly, R and I survived and I realized we actually had a good time. Somehow, the awkwardness slowly vanished and the conversation flowed. The conversation was casual and anything and everything went. Over wine and beer and sumptuous Khmer-Thai food, we mostly talked about ex-pat life here in Cambodia and even had small gossips over common friends. Mr and Mrs Irish Spring had a lot to say and R and I shared as well. It was rare for me to be talking a lot since I am not usually talkative with people: 1) who I don’t usually socialise with, and 2) who I have met for the first time. Anyways, we all lost track of time and soon it was already past 11pm, way beyond Khmer Surin’s closing time.

I remembered my American colleague A telling me years ago that I should be more outgoing after I had turned down her invitation for after-dinner drinks in a bar. Maybe she's right. Maybe I can be outgoing and extrovert if I want to.

Have you ever experienced reluctantly going out to a party and ended up having a great time?