A Day in Munich

January

2012-01-21T02:21:00.000-08:00

My January 's choice: How to Cook a Tart by Nina Killham.

Part of my resolution this year is reading at least one book per month. I finished this book last night (20/01/2012) so i achieved my goal sooner than i expected. The book was a fun read so it went pretty fast. Don't be misled by the title, it's not a cook book, it's a novel with foodie sense. Food, love, lust, and murder are all in this book ;-).
Now i've got a bit over one week till the end of the month. There are a few half way-read books on my shelf so i will fetch one and read before I start a brand new one in Febuary.

XOXO, till next month.

Note to Self : New Year's Resolutions 2012

2012-01-01T03:35:00.000-08:00

ตอนนี้นั่งรอจะcount down (นั่งดูทีวีช่องTV5Monde ไปด้วยเพราะทุกปี

เค้ามีรายการพิเศษ มี โชว์มี circusการแสดง เกว็นก็เลยชอบดู

เพราะปกติเราสองคนไม่ดูทีวีเลย) เพื่อต้อนรับปีใหม่2012ที่จะมาถึง เค้าว่าโลกจะแตก อือ ก็น่ากลัวอยู่นะ

อีกสอง ชม กว่าๆรู้กัน

เอาเป็นว่าสมมุติว่าโลกไม่แตกล่ะกันน้า (เพราะที่ไทยก็ 2555ไปแล้วนิ ก่อนที่เยอรมัน)

เราก็กลับมาคิดnew year's resolutionsของปีใหม่นี้ก่อนดีกว่า

อย่างแรกเลยคือ

เรื่องออกกำลังกาย ทำดีมาได้นานพอสมควร จนเมื่อเร็วๆมานี้ที่มาดีแตก

แล้วก็ละเลยไม่ออกกำลังกายซะอย่างนั้น เลยคิดว่าปีใหม่และปีที่จะถึงต่อๆไปในอนาคต

เราจะทำตัวดีขึ้น ทำเรื่องการออกกำลังกายให้เป็นเรื่องปกติ เหมือน การอาบน้ำ เพราะเราก็อาบน้ำ

ทุกวัน ทำไมจะออกกำลังกายไม่ได้ และก็เหมือนเรื่องกิน ก็กินมันทุกวันทำไมจะออกไปเดินย่อย

ไม่ได้ทุกวันอ่ะนะ

แต่ที่จะไม่ตั้งเป้าคือลด นน เพราะคิดว่าถ้าเราออกกำลังกายสม่ำเสมอ เรื่อง นน มันก็เป็นไปตามระบบของ

ร่างกาย ไม่เครียดกับหุ่นตัวเองเนี่ยทำให้มีเวลาไปคิดเรื่องอื่นได้มากขึ้น

เรื่องการอ่านหนังสือ เมื่อปี2010ตั้งหัวข้อนี้ไว้เหมือนกัน และก็ทำได้จริงๆ ปีนั้น อ่านหนังสือได้อย่างน้อยเดือน

ละเล่ม ซื้อจากเวปอเมซอนมั่ง ห้องสมุดมั่ง แต่ส่วนมากจะอ่านเล่มที่ยืมจากห้องสมุดจบก่อนเพราะเวลายืมยืมได้สี่อาทิตย์

ก็เลยเหมือนฝึกบังคับให้เราอ่านให้จบไปด้วย อีกทั้งปีนั้นงานเลี้ยงเด็กเราก็จะเต็มเวลา เลยมีเวลานั่งอ่าน

ตอนนั่งรถไฟไปทำงาน และตอนเด็กหลับ>_

พอมาปีนี้สั่งซื้อหนังสือมาเยอะแต่ไม่ค่อยได้อ่าน เวลาอยู่บ้านส่วนมากก็จะใช้เนท แหะๆ

เวลาจะได้อ่านจริงๆคือตอนไปเที่ยวไปทริปหน้าร้อน ที่ที่ไม่มีเนท

เรื่องสุดท้ายที่ตั้งใจจะพัฒนา คือเรื่องเรียนภาษาและงาน

ปีนี้ถ้ามีงานเข้ามาดีๆก็จะรับทำแต่ถ้าไม่ถูกใจก็จะไม่รับทำ แล้วตั้งใจจะกลับไปเรียนภาษาเยอรมันให้แน่นให้เป๊ะขึ้น

ปีที่ผ่านๆมาพอไปเลี้ยงเด็กก็ใช้แต่ภาษาอังกฤษเพราะเลือกทำกับครอบครัวต่างชาติ ที่ใช้แต่ภาษาอังกฤษอย่างเดียว

เราเลยไม่กระตือรือร้นที่จะเรียนภาษาเยอรมันเพิ่มขึ้น รู้สึกว่ารู้แบบเอาตัวรอดได้ ก็พอแล้ว เพราะถือว่าได้ใช้แต่ภาษาอังกฤษ

อยู่ ที่บ้าน สามีก็ไม่ใช่คนเยอรมัน ไม่มีคอนเนคชั่นกับคนเยอรมัน นอกจากเพื่อนบ้าน นานๆคุยกัน และก็เวลาไปซื้อของก็พอเอาตัวรอดได้ อีกทั้งคิดว่าอีกไม่นานเราคงย้ายกันไปอยู่ประเทศอื่นซึ่งจะเลือกประเทศที่ ใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ (จนมาปีนี้ปีที่หกแล้วที่อยู่เยอรมันมา ไม่ย้ายซักที ฮ่าๆ แถมมีแววว่าจะอยู่อีกอย่างน้อยสองสามปี แป่ว)

จนเมื่อสองสามเดือนมา นี้ ได้รู้จักกับเพื่อนใหม่คนนึง เป็นคนจากประเทศยูเครน วัยเดียวกัน เจอกันเพื่อจะเป็น tandem partnerแลกเปลี่ยนภาษา อังกฤษ กะเยอรมัน เพื่อนคนนี้อยู่เยอรมันมาได้ห้าปีแล้ว พอๆกับเราน่ะแหละ แต่ภาษาเยอรมันเค้าขั้นเทพ มีสามีเป็นคนเยอรมัน/รัซเซีย อยู่ที่บ้านเค้าก็คุยภาษา

รัสเซียกับแฟนเค้า ซึ่งสถานการณ์ของเพื่อนคนนี้ก็คล้ายๆเราคือเค้าก็ไม่ได้มีคอนเนคชั่นที่ต้องใช้ภาษาเยอรมันซักเท่าไหร่

(แต่ตอนนี้เค้าได้เริ่มงานกับ amazonแล้วก็ต้องเรียนภาษาอังกฤษเสริมด้วย)

แต่ ที่ต่างกันคือ เพื่อนมาอยู่เยอรมันก็เรียนภาษาเยอรมันแบบอินเทนซีพ (เรียน รรภาษาเดียวกะเราด้วยนะ แต่คนละคอร์สกัน)แล้วทำงานไปด้วย เรียนหนัก ทำงานหนัก จนจบแล้วสอบเข้าเรียนต่อโปรแกรมcomputer linguistics ของLMUได้ เพื่อนบอกว่าตอนเรียนภาษาก้ฝึกพูด

ดูหนัง อ่านหนังสือ เยอรมัน ตามตำราการเรียนภาษาให้ประสบความสำเร็จทั่วไป ฟังแล้วทึ่ง

แล้วก็ย้อนมาดูตัวเอง อือ ตัวเราหนอก็รักการเรียนภาษามาแต่ไหนแต่ไร ชอบเรียนภาษาอังกฤษและภาษาฝรั่งเศสมากๆ

ตอนอยู่มัธยม พอมาเรียนมหาวิทยาลัยก็เลือกลงเรียนภาษาญี่ปุ่นด้วยหนึ่งปี แต่ไปไม่ไหวจริงๆพอเริ่มเรียนการอ่าน

เลยดรอปภาษาญี่ปุ่นไว้แค่นั้น ภาษาที่เอาดีมาได้เป็นเรื่องเป็นราวก็เลยมีแค่ภาษาอังกฤษ แล้วทำไมหนอ

ทำไม เราถึงไม่รักเรียนภาษาเยอรมันเท่าที่ควร จะว่าไปเหมือนมีอคติกับมันนิดๆมั้ยน้า ว่าเป็นภาษาที่ฟังแล้ว

ตลก ไม่ไพเราะ แต่พอมาคิดๆดู คนต่างชาติบางคนฟังภาษาไทยเค้าก็ว่ามันตลกนะ อิอิ

วันนี้ จัดชั้นหนังสือ เลยเจอแคตาลอคของVHS(ที่เรียนภาษาและคอร์สเรียนศึกษาผุ้ใหญ่ สำหรับบุคลทั่วไปของเยอรมันนี)สาขาUnterhaching ที่อยู่ใกล้บ้านเรา เลยรื้อฟื้นความหลัง และความหวังใหม่

ว่าครั้งนึงนานมาแล้วเมื่อ ปี2007เรารวบรวมความกล้าเข้าไปคุยกับผู้อำนวยการของที่นั่นแล้วเสนอกับเค้า ว่าเราอยากสอนภาษาอังกฤษ เพราะเราเพิ่งเรียนจบมาใหม่ๆ ไฟแรง ผุ้อำนวยการ เค้าก็ใจดี เปิดคอร์สให้เราสอนภาษาที่นั่นหนึ่งเทอม แถมตั้งชื่อคอร์สไว้สวยหรูว่าEnglish for Traveling in Asia แบบมีเรื่องวัฒนธรรมมาเสริมด้วย ฟังดูดีน้า

แต่....มีแต่ ผุ้อำนวยการบอกว่ามีคนมาลงเรียนสามคน ฮ่าๆ ปกติต้องสี่คนขึ้นไปเค้าถึงจะเปิดคอร์ส แป่ว ท่านเลยบอกว่า

ไม่เป็นไร Frau สมฤทัย เดี๋ยว ถ้ามาคนมาลงเรียนเพิ่มเราจะเปิดเทอมต่อไป

ตอนนั้นเราเลยบอกผู้อำนวยการไปว่า เราอยากจะเรียนภาษาเยอรมันให้จบคอร์สหกร้อย ชม ก่อนแล้วค่อยว่ากันอีกที

เพราะเราสนใจอยากเปิดสอน คอร์สทำอาหารไทยด้วย แต่เราต้องได้ภาษาเยอรมันสำหรับคอร์สนั้นๆ

เราเลยแปะไว้ว่าจะติดต่อไป จนเรียนเยอรมันจบคอร์สเบื้องต้นแล้ว สอบผ่านแล้ว ยังพูดไม่ได้ อ็ากก ยังไม่สามารถอธิบาย

อะไรได้เป็นเรื่องเป็นราว เลยไม่มีหน้าที่จะติดต่อผู้อำนวยการไปอีกครั้ง >_

ปีนี้ล่ะเราจะพยายามใหม่ จะตั้งใจเรียนให้จบเป็นคอร์สๆ สอบไปตามระดับ และที่สำคัญไม่กดดันตัวเอง

จะเรียนภาษาเยอรมันด้วยทัศนคติใหม่ว่าเป็นภาษาหนึ่งที่อยากเรียนแล้วเก็บไว้กับตัวเป็นความรู้ ไม่ใช่เรียน

เพื่อที่จะได้งาน หรือ เรียนเพราะ "ต้อง"เรียน อันนั้นเรารู้ว่าเราไม่มีความสุขแน่ถ้าบังคับให้เรียนสิ่งที่ไม่ชอบ

ตอนย้ายมาอยู่เยอรมันใหม่ๆมีคิดจะไปเริ่มเรียนวิศวะเพราะงานด้านนี้เยอะเหลือเกิน แต่ดูๆแล้วมันเป็นไปไม่ด้ายย

อันนั้นต้องกลับไปเกิดใหม่ 555 (แต่มีครั้งนึงที่เสนอไอเดียให้เกว็นไปเรื่องนึง จนเกว็นคิดมาเป็นโปรเจคเล็กๆ และไปเสนอหัวหน้า

อ่าาา เราก็ภูมิใจนะที่มีหัวกะเค้าเหมือนกัน ฟังเรื่องงานจากสามีมากจนบังเกิดไอเดีย 555)

ที่ สำคัญอีกอย่างที่คิดจะกลับไปเข้าห้องเรียนอีกครั้งเพราะรู้ตัวว่าเริ่มแก่ แล้วอ่ะ สมองมันก็ฝ่อๆไปตามวัย เค้าว่ากันว่าเพื่อป้องกันไม่ให้

เป็นโรคอัลไซเมอร์ตอนแก่ คนเราควรจะเรียนรู้ใช้สมองคิดนู้นนี่ทุกวัน แต่อันนี้ไม่จำเป็นต้องกลับไปเข้าห้องเรียนทำการบ้าน

ก็ได้ มีกิจกรรมเยอะที่exerciseสมองเราได้ อันนี้แล้วแต่ความชอบของคน สำหรับเรา เข้าห้องเรียนแล้วมีการโต้ตอบคือการ

ใช้สมองที่ดีที่สุด แต่ส่วนมากแต่ละคอร์สภาษาที่เรียนมาจะเป็นแนวฟังอาจารย์แล้วนั่งเกือบสัปปะหงกทุกที ;-P

พิมพ์มาซะยาว พักกินขนมเป็นระยะๆ อิอิ ฝอยมาจนใกล้เที่ยงคืนล่ะ เดี๋ยวไว้มีอารมณ์มาฝอยใหม่ สวัสดีปีใหม่ทุกท่านค่า

My Beloved Enemy

2010-04-24T02:12:00.000-07:00

Sunny days bring joy and fun and a few more pounds!! Iced coffee is becoming part of my life again.
The feeling when the caffeine kicks in is so hard to describe. It brings you so much energy before you feel deflated a couple of hours later.
After a long morning playing tug of war with the little one, I find a pleasure by winding down at my favorite Starbucks, usually just to get a take-out when on duty. I never place a low-fat milk order and am not really sure if Starbucks here in Munich even carry low-fat milk. My usual is Iced Caramel Macchiato. I used to be a fan of a Flappuchino but not anymore since I can't resist saying yes to a whip cream topping that comes with it!
Sadly ICM is becoming my beloved enemy. With such amount of sugar and caramel, I also suffer a side effect after one or two hours of my consumption..that is 'binge eating.' I always see paparazzi shots of celebrities often holding either iced tea or iced coffee. I thought to myself..hey maybe that's their secret of diet. But maybe that cup of coffee is all they consume all day! I can't just have that cup of Joe and be done with it..why is that???

Now i am firing away on my blog with a cup in my hand. I know in just an hour I won't feel such elated like this. So I'd better get myself going..putting on my jogging shoes and enjoy the sun.

Spring is Here in Munich ^^

2010-04-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

While I 've been away from my blog, my life has continued on as usual. It's seen my 31st birthday, Easter holidays, and warm spring days ( and a lot more to come).

My husband made this mock-up poster for me on my BD. It's sort of funny ;-)

We went for a Bavarian dinner and had a big pork meal (what else?). I have not decided yet what a birthday gift i want from him this year. I am thinking ..one or two culinary books. He's thinking..a camera ( digital professional ones that other people are crazy about and they seem to be 'in' at the moment). I said..go ahead if he will use it. I don't care much about this item because I take fewer pictures these days. When I blogged more often in the past, I took every single thing that moved..ha..ha..
Now, not so much.
The other day I visited one of my favorite food blogs (that i had not checked out for a while and found out she stopped blogging) http://www.worldfoodieguide.com/index.php/the-last-post/
I quote what she wrote that was kind of funny but realistic "...The husband will be able to eat food that doesn’t need to be photographed first and the cats will have more of my attention. And of course I’ll still be enjoying my food!..."
I applause to her for making this decision. Sometimes blogging really takes a lot of time from people's life. I for once experienced it. Now I blog less and get times to smell the roses ^^

Spring is actually here in Munich and I've started to bring out my flowery summer outfits I've bought.

What makes a girl happy is redoing her closet, isn't it? ;-)

I 've also started to collect spring/light scarfs. One of my friends is crazy about them. At the beginning I didn't pay much attention but after I bought one and then came the second one ..now I have to stop at every shop that carries them..ha..ha..
I think it's like some women that shop for shoes and can't just stop..
But for me i have a limit for everything...i think..

Reading mode:

Yesterday, I just finished the 5th of the Undead series. It was a bummer this one, kind of boring and no new interesting plots!! But regardless, I will continue the 6th today and the review from Amazon does not look so bad. The 9th is coming out this June and i am not sure if it will stop at that..

A book i've read recently and would like to recommend is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.

Till next blog..XOXO

Satisfying My Reading Phase

2010-03-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Bangkok book fair just kicked off and I wish I were there with my sisters cruising aisles of aisles of new /bestselling books. Going to a book fair can be a bit tiring but I still go whenever i get a chance.
Shopping for books is always fun for me and my sisters. Stacking our books on big piles of one another is a normal scene at my house. Given busy schedules, none of us finishes reading our purchases and we keep on buying!
Over a week ago, G picked up one book from a shelf and asked me what it was about. Oh that, a memoir I bought from Amazon weeks go and have not got a chance to dust it and read it. I promised to get to it later but still I have not.

These days I tend to check out books from the library and speedily read them while my membership card is still active. 18 Euro per year 's gotta be worth it!
Anyhow either reading my own purchases or the library ones, I feel like I am satisfying my reading phase just fine. There were times when i didn't even feel like touching a book. But I've made my 2009- resolution and I 'd like to stick to it (read at least one book per month, fiction, non-fiction any kind).

I feel calmer when I read. Since my job is dealing with a kid-- a toddler now to be precise-- reading in my spare time keeps me sane.

This week plenty of spare time is on my way ,thanks to the Easter break. When it's nice outside, I promise myself to bring out my favorite books and enjoy them in the sun. I may also try to find a regular reading spot at a cafe (ourdoor when it's sunny of course) and be engrossed by reading.

Spring is finally coming (if it's not here already!)

I received this basket of flowers as my early BD gift and I hope i will be able to keep them survive past Easter ^^

Just because I felt like it...

2010-03-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Bangkok 2010
I am sure this is not our best-looking shot but G was also in it with my two sisters. It's rare to get us all together in a photo (since G likes to be a photographer rather than being taken pics of)

After abandoning my blog for quite a while, today i just felt like typing out things that have been bothering me...

The situation in my country is not looking good and we never know when it is going to end. The more we fight against something, the more we lose. People don't let go. It's understandable to not let go when you have billions worth of cash. But if you follow the Buddhist way, it's you..you alone in this world and when you perish, you can't take anything at all (or anyone) with you.

The conflict in my country continues as well as the winter season in Europe. It's already March but we still see the ground covered with snow. I am not complaining so much though because I like cold weather. I like snow. But i don't like lacking of sun. I feel like I am being suffered by SAD. It all comes down to lack of exercise and discipline too.
Today I saw two young girls on the Ubahn. They were having a fun conversation in front of me. What really bothered me? One of the girl looked obese and while chatting with her friend she constantly ate her snacks (God knows what was in that pastry bag!). It was none of my business really...but what i imagined myself doing was telling the girl to slow down on her treat.
Gosh, i am so mean these days.

But hey, i don't always do what I preach. I ate like a horse last night while watching my favorite TV program! And now typing away this non-sense episode of my life, I just finished my big bowl of instant ramen (after swearing all day that today would end with just yogurt)!

People say i don't need to lose weight. Actually i am 85%happy with the way i look but when I lose, I feel in control. I think other women might agree with me..i am not the only one.

Long time no blog...

2010-02-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

I was hoping i would be able to put some pictures from the Thailand trip on my blog here but my net book doesn't work as fast when it comes with picture-photoscaping.
Plus, i 've been quite busy since i 've returned to Munich. Facebooking friends seems to take most of my time away from the blog space too ^^
I am glad that now my father & my sister have DSL Internet connection at home so i feel like we're connected all the time although since I've come back we have not chatted online yet. But chatting via the computer doesn't replace entirely the old fashion way of communication ;that is 0ur phone conversations. Though i have to admit that i am always lazy to pick up the phone and dial. i find emailing quicker and I can just say what i have in mind just right there and then and just one click away.
Besides my work schedule, i try to keep myself busy with exercise schedule too. Last week my friend and I started to join a pilates class which was a bit intimidating for the first-timers. But we 've agreed that we will try again this week and see if we can catch up with the routine or not. Also we've booked Mondays for step-aerobic class and I am really looking forward to it because i have a step board at home to practice my moves ;-)

Happy Tiger Year!

2010-02-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

We're back in Munich!
After spending three weeks of hot and sunny days in Thailand, I kind of like the cold welcome of Munich. But the trip was also a good one, visiting and meeting families.

Today is Valentine's Day and also Chinese New Year's Day. I wish everyone good health and happiness !

Happy Birthday My Sweet Hubby ;-)

2010-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

January 14th 2010

I wish you all the best in the world and that we have another 100 years to celebrate your BD..ha..ha.. (who wants to live that long,anyway?^^)

The gift I prepared for G was a coincidence. It was a similar gift (same idea) that G got for me when he came back from Singapore.

Only us know what was in that box (maybe my sisters know too..ha..ha..)

New Year, New Me ;-)

2010-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been looking at Korean/Japanese-style clothes and really looking forward to doing some big clothes shopping in Thailand...^_^

Today I exercised almost one hour! I felt so good afterward. I should exercise often but recently I always get distracted by other things.
My resolutions this year will be something easy something that i can achieve. Here are what I have in mind:

*Eat more fish and seafood (although most seafood that can be found in Munich is frozen, but it's better than nothing) and eat less meat (especially white meat)
*Try to lose a couple of kilos and keep myself fit
*Continue with my reading (I've done well last year; I've read at least one book per month)

Okay, that's it. It's a short list..ha..ha..

Back to my busy schedule tomorrow but I look forward to it ^^

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T02:01:00.000-08:00

1st January,2010 11:02

Last night (new year's eve) we celebrated the coming new year with just the two of us. Another couple we know in France also chose to spend the night alone too this year (that was my in laws ^^)

We had G's mother's homemade 'foie gras'with toasts for a starter and later we had a bowl of Pad Thai topped with stir-fried chicken with mango sauce (we put the food in a bowl not a plate for the convenient consumption).
We also had some Roobios tea 'Hot Love' I bought just before Ny's eve. It is red tea with mango and chili!
I think today we will try 'Chai Massai'

We watched a French film called 'Coco Avant Chanel' and at midnight we went to our same spot to see the fireworks and greeted our neighbors ^^

As for my 2010 New Year resolutions, I will revisit my last-year ones and try to complete my list.
I think i should focus on one point at a time. When you have a long list, you tend to bail out.
As for my health, I want to be fit again this year. Toward the end of 2009, i kind of lacked discipline. Most of the time I met friends for lunch, coffee, dinner and that resulted in my weight gain...ha..ha..
This year i will try to meet friends for sport (if they ever come to agree ^^) or hobbies that don't involve much cooking and eating !
But again everyone has to eat and enjoy a big meal once in a while.

I hope i can squeeze in my time after work and go back swimming. I am always to0 lazy to pack up my gears. It's also winter so my lazy genes are working like crazy. But I remember the feeling after each exercise, it's rewarding and refreshingly full of energy.

Merry Xmas 2009 & Happy Coming New Year

2009-12-26T03:28:00.000-08:00

This Xmas we stayed in Munich, but we didn't miss much. We made and received phone calls/best wishes to/from our families. We cooked Xmas meals. We had gifts for each other. We watched movies until midnight. We slept in on Xmas day and then we unwrapped the gifts .We also had our goofy picture times ^^

Busy cooking with my messy hair ^^

Our Xmas lunch was Japanese +Thai (green tea noodles with fried pork and Thai seasoning)

Xmas espresso set, but with JP green tea!

Getting ready for picture times!

G took most of the pics so there are mostly 'me me me' pics ^^

Mango pudding...

Young coconut juice jelly...

Unwrapping the gifts

Book gifts from the family...

Merry Xmas everyone! Till next year ^^

Roman Holiday

2009-12-22T00:37:00.000-08:00

We're back from Rome and bringing back the sun to Munich ^^

We were so lucky to have nice sunny days while in Rome.

I've put together albums of our trip on Facebook beause it is quick and easy to upload (when you have tons of pix!) so if you're not bored of our faces, then check them out..ha..ha..

I'll try to blog the trip stories when time is permitted (probably also in Thai version for the next blog ^^).

Counting down to Xmas, I have lots of things to do (shopping, preparing for Xmas menu, lunches with friends..etc.)

So till then, happy holidays!

Early Xmas gift

2009-12-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I got some spam messages from my comment box so now I closed it temporarily.
Any messages for me can be sent to my email, MSN, or Facebook (maybe soon Twitter ..ha..ha..).

Yesterday I went to the city although it was freezing cold and it started to snow. But I kind of like it that it's now snowing. Xmas without snow is boring...white Xmas is romantic ^^

I got an early Xmas gift from G but it was me who chose it ..ha..ha.. I couldn't wait till Xmas so I am wearing it now! Who cares! sooner or later everyone gets to open his/her gift wrap ;-)

Nina came and helped me pick out the watch. We went to have a light meal at Rischart.

If you order a cake and sit there at the cafe&restaurant, they charge 2-3 Euro extra per piece! I still prefer Starbucks afterall.

It's still over a week before Xmas and I only got one gift for G so far.

We'll try to fight the crowd and look for gifts for families and ourselves tomorrow at a shopping mall. Actually it's an excuse for G to have a haircut before the Rome trip ^^

Running sushi & Xmas tree

2009-12-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

No work = more time to blog ^^

Starting this week with friends' meet-ups. On Monday I had late lunch at Lhengnueng's (still waiting for her pics). On Tuesday I teamed up with three friends for running sushi at Fujikaiten.

The food was not bad. There was a variety of sushi and fried stuff (tempura). I think it's worth it to come for lunch because it's half the price of dinner menu and there's no time limit. It's really 'all you can eat.' ;-)

It was everyone's first time so we were kind of busy eating and I only had a chance to snap a few photos ^^

After two hours of lunch, we headed to a Starbucks nearby to start our crocheting. My Thai friend, Tarn, got a good tutor that day. I hope she'll finish her project soon.
We were sitting there for a while until a German lady came up to us and showed us her crocheted purses. We all went gaga and wanted to start to do a purse too..ha..ha.. (but first of all, i need to finish all of my in-progress hats & scarfs).

Today (Wednesday) I felt a bit tired of going out and just wanted to relax but i ended up cleaning up the apartment and decorating our Xmas tree. It didn't take me long to finish putting up ornaments and I had cheesy Xmas music in the background (that's the highlight of the day). I have to take this chance of being home alone and listening to holiday songs because as soon as G comes home, no more Xmas music! He really can't stand it!

Here's our tree before the lights

And now the lights are on! ^^

I recycled most of our decorating bits and pieces from last year.

None of our (stuffed) friends is left out. ;-)
If you look closely, you can see these little guys hiding (we got them from eating kiddie cheese).

This red elephant is a new member (my Thai friend,Sao, gave it to me from her trip to Thailand)

"We are family, I got all my sisters with me" la la la la...

P.S. My favorite X'mas song so far is 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' (Jessica Simpson's version ^^)

Suddenly Available

2009-12-06T02:07:00.000-08:00

'Suddenly Available' reminds me of the series 'Suddenly Susan'

Turned out I have longer holidays than I 've expected this year. I don't have to work until after New Year..wow it seems like a long time..
That makes me mostly available for lunch and shopping trips with friends ;-)

Besides going out and cleaning my apartment, I am enjoying my time crocheting hats for this winter. I've bought a couple more sets of multicolor yarns and am so eager to finish them all!
I will also make one or two hats for G and hope he'll put them on ;-)

PS For some reason I couldn't maximize the sizes of pictures on Photobucket so I changed the host and it works! The previous posts now have bigger versions ;-)

Visiting Prague - -November 2009

2009-11-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello bloggers!
I can't believe I last blogged almost a month ago. Well, actually the only reason is because I've been lazy and I blame the weather! ;-)

During my two weeks off, G and I had a chance to drive to visit Prague for a few days. On the way in, it took us about 5 hours but on the way back, despite some lashing rain, G managed to drive back in 3.5 hours! Gosh probably we were so in a rush to come back home...back to dreadful weather in Munich..ha..ha..

I've put more pictures of my trip on my Facebook but non-Facebook users can also follow this link
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2038388&id=1076402643&l=d687b7153e

I have not been up to anything much recently...just enjoying my days off. I just bought an automatic espresso machine and am content to just stay in on a rainy day snuggling in a warm blanket on my couch.

I have also finished two crocheted scarfs (actually the pink one is not 100% complete coz I want to crochet flowers and leaves and put them on it). I bought a new set of yarn to knit a scarf for my sister-in-law. But so far I have been a snail...
again I blame the weather..^_^

Happy Our 4th Wedding Anniversary!

2009-10-19T11:54:00.001-07:00

I received my sister's email with her put-together pictures made for our anniversary. How sweet and thoughtful of her !

^_^

Time flies..

A Day in Autumn

2009-09-27T01:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, we're still alive and kicking..

We made a big order of books from BUCH.de and it only took one business day for the process. Ordering books online can be more convenient than buying at a bookshop sometimes (in case your choice is not in store and you have to make an order anyway). These days almost anything can be done in Internet..just one click away. Anyhow, I am still an old-fashion gal who checks out books from libraries from time to time ( you read them once and return and save space on your bookshelves).

September and October are one of those months magazine issues can be full of ads and I love buying them for freebies ^_^

I 've got almost all the exercise DVD freebies from Petra (only one missing this year)

This October is the 30th BD of Vogue (which is the same age as mine!) but i bought the sister In style magazine instead (10th year anniversary) coz i feel like Vogue is for older readers and the other is for the young ones like me..ha..ha..
But how on earth they put Moore on the cover! She's like 100 years old!

September &October in Munich is the time to get drunk. I am one of them. But i don't get drunk by drinking beer....i get drunk by drinking Federweisser...^^

A fruit shop near my place recognizes me well this season as I am their regular customer...
I am not a wine person but except for this German new wine. It tastes fruity and sweet but contains enough alcohol to turn your head upside down.

Well, time for food..gotta go ^^

Oktoberfest2009

2009-09-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

'Me and my Oktoberfest T-shirt'

I have been living in Munich for over three years now but this year it was my first time to view the traditional costume parade. My friend and I left the house around 10am and we got there just in time for the parade and luckily we secured a good spot to take tons of pix and videos. The parade lasted about 2 hours! Boy, were we hungry! Later we lunched at Minh restaurant where I ordered my usual dish..deep-fried duck in red curry..hmmm.. yummy ^^

After lunch we were about to head home as my friend was quite worried leaving her kid alone with the dad for too long. But i insisted that she paid a visit to the 'fest.' I've been to the 'Wiesn' a few times before but it was her first time. It was crowded at the fair as expected but we enjoyed snapping our pictures. My friend wanted to buy a balloon for her boy but i didn't think it was a good idea having the balloon with us taking U-Bahn rides. Anyway they were way overprice!
So instead i took some nice shots of colorful balloons and plush bears as a souvenir for her kid..he..he..

Another Oktoberfest, another year in Munich ^^

5 Years together..

2009-09-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

13.09.09
We went out for Bavarian late lunch as to celebrate our five years of being together. Exactly five years ago we met at a Starbucks in San Jose. He had a brownie, I had a Flappuccino. I thought we actually should have gone to a Starbucks to mark this day but G is neither a big fan of coffee nor milk.

Over the last weekend, I had some time to put together our pictures from the trip (selected from over 800 pics!) with the help of Photoscape. Still my sister complained that these pics are just too small and requested to send her more single pics ^^!

Our first destination was Monaco. We left home late afternoon and spent our first night near Milan. We didn't get to see the city coz G refused to drive through this scary Italian fashion's birthplace. But before we got to the hotel, the GPS tricked us to go off the motorway in Switzerland and led us to a road of nowhere (really!). It was dark out and pretty spooky.
However, our first night went just fine and the next morning we arrived in Monaco.

I've always wanted to see Monaco, the country of Princess Grace. But the weather that day was unbelievably hot . I had to keep a straight face to have good pictures!

Our overnight stop was not in Monaco though (most hotels were just over our budget). We drove another 30min to Nice and spent two nights there waiting to catch a ferry to Corsica island.

I didn't get to see all of Nice because of the heat (yeah blame the weather). We went to the flower market in Old Town in the morning and returned to the hotel room with A/C and kept ourselves cool before we headed out for the evening. We strolled and had nice dinner across from the harbor.

It took a bit over 5 hours on the ferry from Nice to Calvi

It's said that Christopher Columbus once lived here (the pink sign). Calvi is one of citadel towns on this island.

We stayed at Lozari for two weeks. We went there two years ago so we knew our way around pretty much. We often went shopping at a big supermarket in the nearby town Ile Rousse

Out of the blue, we decided to buy a waterproof digital camera so we could snap some nice pictures under the clear water. We picked fujifilm finepix z33wp and so far have not been disappointed with the pix quality.

This trip to Corsica we did a bit of small trips to visit nearby places. When it was wavy at the sea, we went to Asco for natural pools. G didn't swim coz the water was too cold for him. I come from a tropical country so i didn't mind the cold water that much. It reminded me of waterfalls in Thailand.

Corte, a good place for hikers...

St.Florence, we went there (for me) to recover from the jellyfish attack ^^

Two week flied and it was time for us to drive back home. We chose to come back through Italy on our return route. I told G that this time we 'had to' stop in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower ^^
The tower and the surrounded area looked stunning and was filled with tourists.

Phew, what a trip! I can't complain though coz i was not the one who drove 8 hours straight home that night.
^^

Summer trip 2009

2009-09-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

We hit the road for almost three weeks this summer. The good thing was we got a real summer all along with the temperature of over 32 anywhere we visited (Nice , Monaco, Corsica, and Pisa). But the bad thing was coming back from the trip I also brought back a scar (hopefully not a permanent one) caused by a cute little jellyfish , yikes!!! At least we got to snap some cool under water pics ^^
Thanks to my personal driver and lovely hubby that drove me to these places.

This shall go to one of our memorable trips...

Summer activites...

2009-08-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

I finished reading The Host and continued with Holly Would Dream by Karen Quinn. I didn't have high expectations for this book but it turned out surprisingly charming and funny! Although a reader may enjoy the story more, if he/she is a fan of Audrey Hepburn or know anything about movies in the 50s. Anyway it's recommended for chick-lit readers. I am going to get more books from this author as well, although other reviews from Amazon don't seem promising (well, one entertaining book to one doesn't mean it does to the other).

I have also watched many films recently and Jane Austen Book Club turned out to be far from my expectation as well. Oh and the funny series Kitchen Confidential is light to watch. Too bad they only produced one season.

Summer is still here with us in Munich. Besides being a regular at swimming pools, I also find other activities that keep me entertained and cool during this joyful period.

One cannot go through summer without... ice cream/gelato ^^

grilling/BBQ with friends and families....relax and let the grill (and men) cook for us (for once!)

and not to forget trips to fairs and outdoor markets ^^

In less than two weeks we are heading off to the sea again. Looking forward to it ^^

Memories...

2009-07-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have not updated my blog recently coz I've been busy reading this over-600-page book: The Host by Stephanie Meyer (p.s. to' you know who'...Twilight and New Moon are kept for my beach read in August, so pls don't think that i ignore them)

I believe there are so many memories one can keep and linger in their life. If the souls were to invade and take over humans (as in the story tells), I could imagine being someone who resists to fade away ... coz there are so many good memories I have collected all my life..
Just the thought of them being erased is unbearable...just too painful to lose them...

Still have a whole bunch of pictures from my trip to send off to my family...

Her Vintage House & My 30th BD again!

2009-07-20T12:14:00.001-07:00

I like the house decoration style of my mother-in-law's. Most of her stuff can be labeled as 'vintage.'
My favorite collection would be the tea pot sets.

We have our own bedroom at her place. It used to be G's brother's room but now we kind of take over whenever we visit ^^

The photo hung on the wall is our Thai costume wedding studio shot. I really like this photo set because it was the only time I had professional make-up on ;-)

This year we visited her place in summer which was the first time for me to see the house with her green/blossoming garden.

The mother-in-law and her husband also threw a surprise BD lunch for me. It was my 30th BD all over again ^^ (encore! noch ein mal!)

Thanks for the lovely gifts (chicken tea pot set & JP metal tea pot). I am sure i will have the use of them soon. Afternoon tea party and warm scones (whoever will make them..ha..ha..) come right up!

Surfing the Atlantic Ocean

2009-07-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

I believe I brought the sun back to Munich (but probably it won't last!)

And I got my tanned skin back! ^^

Although we stayed closer to Hossegor, we went to Le Penon instead. G's little brother got to take a surfing course there and came home with a certificate ^^ He was so full of energy...so brave!
I was too chicken to do it. Maybe if we ever move to Down Under, i may consider trying.

Here are some paparazzi shots of G ;-)

Now i know why he keeps saying surfing dudes get to be fit. You can easily run out of breath merely the first five minutes taking waves.

Still in France

2009-07-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

We are now in the region of Les Landes. It's about 30+ during the day but a bit chilly at night.We are staying near Hossegor which is one of the surfers' paradies.

Funny paparazzi-styled shots of G surfing and surfer dudes are coming soon ^^

P.S. my friend wrote me a couple of email complaining about the weather in Munich. Hmmm... it's probably the worst summer in Munich this year. Hopefully August will bring some sun.

Is Life Full of Projects..?

2009-06-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

What would be more cozy on a lazy Sunday than putting on my house dress (the kind my mother likes to wear at home), sitting in my favorite couch(although we only have two couches in the house! ^^)
and later possibly watching a movie or two with a cocktail..?

When my sister mentioned about the movie Julie&Julia, i had no clue who star in and what it 's about. After checking out Julie Powell's blog http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/ and the movie trailer, I kind of look forward to seeing this movie too. I was amazed by her (seemed fun and crazy at the same time) project of cooking through 524 recipes of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days (yeah a year!). I think it was quite interesting & challenging and I admire her for making it through. It was a way to go to experience life (in the kitchen) and later of course it led to a book deal and a movie!
(oh i don't get any cent for advertising this ..^^)

The thing is life is full of projects and plans, isn't it?

I once was a person full of to-do lists...(or am I still? ).I used to plan things and create projects too regardless big or small.
It's just that I have been kind of lazy recently ( or since we've moved to Munich?).
Last year one of my projects was to lose weight and keep myself fit and I did. But it's been months that I kind of slip it away.. my bad..i know. But hey at least it's a good sign, isn't it? meaning I can still have a project and see it through.

Do I have what it takes to start a project? Passion... is one essential ingredient..

I think now i have in mind what my next project is going to be...I just need to encourage myself a bit..and put things in perspective.

In a week, G and I will get to visit the families in France. We will probably revisit the place we went two years ago...

I'd love to eat Paella again! ^^

In the Mood for Books...

2009-06-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's been over two weeks that I've deserted my blog...
Well, i am still here. But I 've spent my time reading more. I just want to read all the books that
have been stacked on my bookshelf before I move on and buy some more.

Reading also inspires me to write more. My eldest sister always encourages me to write. Well, soon she'll get to read it. She' ll be the first to hear about it, i promise.

The weather has been quite miserable recently. Luckily, we got these nice shots from our garden just weeks ago.

Still waiting for the sun to shine back on...

Looking forward to our soak-in-the-sun vacation! ^^

Water Therapy ^^

2009-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's time to get my butt in gear, get out of the couch and go wild...oo..ooh no, do something active!

Thinking of summer, i associate this word with:

**Gelato ice cream (which i am so pleased living in Munich, where gelato places are just everywhere! and it's only 80 cent-1Euro per scoop.)
**Fresh-picked strawberries
**Trips to beaches or islands
**Diet ! (crazy but true & sad)
**And a good swim no matter in the sea or swimming pools...

A good swim clears your head. This statement is not overrated. It does clear my head every time i go for a dip.
Like many people (or not?), i dread packing my swimming stuff and dread the moment that i have to make a trip to a pool. But on my way back home it feels like a reward.
Spending just one hour in the water, i get out of the pool feeling so relaxed....

On Wednesday I had companion so my trip to Müllersches Volksbad was much fun.
Believe it or not, it's one of the most beautiful swimming pools in Europe.

But today I had to go swimming alone since G was not feeling so well and generally he is not so keen on swimming in public pools or fresh-water places. He's the ocean's long-lost son! ^^

I packed my stuff (dreaded that moment!) and took off with my bicycle to the outdoor swimming pool Freibad Unterhaching near my place. It was 18 degrees out and windy...yep it was chilly. I so wanted to change my mind but something in me just said..'just go and you'll feel better after that.'

I arrived at the place only to find the great pool all by myself !
Oh was I lucky?!..just me and three lifeguards (why that many!) Okay, there were regular swimmer geeks in the other boring pool, but this big pool with the giant slide was just for me...oh and the warm jacuzzi.

That's my bike..alone but not lonely..ha..ha..

Here I put my 'brave' face and jumped!

Yep, it was cold at first ^^ but it was worth it...

The pool was like my sanctuary, just me and the water...nothing else occupied my mind..

Wrap-up week of June 1-7

2009-06-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Munich Nina! Now our swimming tours are on..i hope..
It's just so hard to motivate myself to go swimming on my own. It's good to have my fitness (and eating) partner back.

Life as a nanny still goes on...
The baby is adorable as always...She's growing so fast!

We walked to the lake last week and this time the swan was not alone..she was with three new babies..

This past week I've been eating strawberries ..tons of them..!
Today the weather was not so bad ..the sun shined so I teamed up with Sao and went strawberry picking ( at the end we ended up with only a bit over 5 kilos for the two of us^^)
I swear we even ate at least half a kilo before we got to the cash register!

I am trying to get myself into the study mode but it's been very hard...
Well, summer is just around the corner...who wants to be tied to the study desk!?

Strawberry Picking 2009

2009-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

The season started and here I was in the middle of a strawberry field 2 min away from my house by bike. There were quite a few early pickers already when we arrived.
G and I enjoyed taking pictures as well as tasting bits and bits of fresh strawberries ^^

Tonight I celebrated my full bucket of berries with a special cocktail I mixed myself.
I named it 'Grapepinestraw' or 'Goddess's Drink' ^_^

Ingredients: Grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, strawberry syrup, rum, fresh strawberries.

Can't-be-there-Reunion :(

2009-05-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

After trying to get over my laziness, I managed to go swimming after work at the outdoor swimming pool near my house. However, luck is not my friend..so after one evening swim, it's started to rain cats and dogs and the bad weather is back again in Munich.

Last week I got an email invitation to an SJSU alumni reunion but unfortunately I just can't be there. It's weird..it's been five years and i'd not heard of a reunion before ..thanks to Facebook,hi 5,twitter..etc they make it easier to get in touch with old friends.

But it's probably not even possible to see all my college buddies as most of them retunred to their home countries.

OMG my face was so big and round...even now it still is ^^

I wish I could turn back time and i would be now only 25..he..he..

Days off work & Tilt shift maker

2009-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged here for almost two weeks now. The thing is I have been lazing around enjoying sunny days in the city. I didn't even have to work this week which I got to meet some friends, did some cleaning (thanks to the sun, it works faster as a dryer), watched DVDs, saw a movie...etc.

With Jane, we went to see Angels and Demons (although seeing Zac from 17 Again could have been fun too!). The movie was 7/10 for me. The Da Vinci Code was far better regarding the movie plots. If the chair had been more comfortable, i could have enjoyed the movie more (it's not relavant, is it?..he..he..).

Last night I spent over an hour trying to find the right pictures to try it at http://tiltshiftmaker.com/ whose idea i got from Emily
It was fun to get a couple of pictures right and now they look like they are miniatures..

Pictures from our trips in Paris, Venice, and Santorini

I still have tons of pictures i could try but I have to spend some time studying for my German test...yes i'd better start now.

I've not been eating healthy recently. Sometimes it's just easier to just put a pizza in the oven after a long day of working. Here are some sample (fast) dishes i am not so pround of...he..he..

Home Alone (with the baby)..

2009-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

When you live in a foreign country, how long will it take to feel like a local?
My answer would be when a passer-by asks you for directions ^_^

I've been living for a bit over three years now in Munich and recently been asked for directions ( as if I myself know my way around pretty well!?). And one time at a DM store, standing in front of a greeting cards ' stand, a woman asked me how to say 'Happy Birthday' in German as she was looking for a BD card. It can be a bit overwhelming having to pick a card when you don't know the language (well, sometimes you can guess from the pictures and stuff). Hmm...don't i look foreign anymore..? It must be a good sign..hah! That incident recalled the first time I wandered around the same shop asking a woman how to say 'hair conditioner' in German (it's not even a wee bit close to English!).

-----

Last Sunday, Sao and her family stopped by to borrow some books and magazines. So I invited them for late afternoon tea and blueberry muffins. Sao and the little Adnan will be going to Thailand for three weeks, lucky them!

On Monday I met P'Neung and Nueng in town as I had my day off before Siria's return the next day. Guess what, we had a coffee at Starbucks again this time (it was like a month ago I last saw them!)

On Thursday Siria, Salice and I were home alone as her mother left for a one-day business trip. We listened to jazz music in the afternoon and that put both the baby and the dog for a little nap ^_^

Isn't she super cute or what!

Speaking of Sao leaving for Thailand, my other friend, Nina, also left for the States for three weeks. We managed to meet at a McDonald before her departure.

Later that week, I finally met with Florence( a Swiss IT gal whom I was supposed to meet a few months ago but due to the mixed-up meeting point we missed each other! )
We had a good laugh. She seemed nice and a good chatter.

Summer is approaching. It's time to check out outdoor swimming pools and see if there's a convenient place I can go after work. I am trying to ditch my laziness...huhh..

Tag der Arbeit /Labor Day

2009-05-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

'Hey, do you feel like having Indian food today?'
G was not convinced as I asked him this question. But after explaining that there were many Indian dishes that were not (too) spicy and creamy (for example anything with mango chutney) then the idea sounded good!
So we agreed on going to Rajshathan, the only Indian restaurant in the neighborhood. I went there once with a group of classmates last year so I knew what would be on the menu for me ^_^

I ordered spicy lamb curry and G had lamb in mango sauce. We rarely cook lamb/mutton as it takes time to stew/grill (or depends on what kind of dishes you cook). So a poor little sheep was scarified on Labor day..

After the meal, we went for a walk at a small park nearby called Ostpark. There was a small lake where ducks, geese, and birds enjoyed their sunny day.

Pictures tell all..^^

Lilac smells so nice!

As Siria and her family are now in France, I have Thurs-Monday off ! But i can't force myself to sleep in, i don't know why. My new willpower is to wake up as early at 7:30am so I have some time to exercise before going to work. Well, let's hope I 'd be able to make it!

As I blogged today (May 2th), my thoughts went to my late grandma because it was
her BD. Miss you..

Wrap up week April 20-26th

2009-04-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dance sessions : 1
Pilates: 2
Swimming :0
Weight gained : 0
Weight lost: 0
Listening mode: vocal jazz FM

The week went by so fast. The weather was kind of nice for a couple of days and then it got chilly last Thursday. I had to wear my mid-season jacket as I left the house early in the morning (is 9:30am early? ^^)

On Wednesday Dawn took me and the baby out for lunch (the baby had her own meal of course). We decided on Mexican (again!). We walked along the Leopold street and were a bit overwhelmed by a number of restaurants we could choose from (there are three Mexican restaurants next to one another!). I noticed two steak houses and thought i would ask G to meet me one day after work and have some steak ribs. G is the only person who could go with me coz neither Dawn nor Nina eats beef.

I met with Nina later this week to give her a small BD gift. I hope she likes it. She sometimes wears bangles so the gift was probably a good idea.

We had snack at the Chinese Tower beer garden. I ordered 'curry wurst' but didn't like it that much. It didn't taste like 'brat wurst' that I had in town the other day. Actually i felt a bit sick after and only had fruit for dinner.

It's time to get a new mobile phone. Darn it, I hate choosing a phone. Why can't they make one for all and I don't need to look at specs and so on. To me, a phone is just a phone as in a car is a vehicle taking me from A to B. Hmm..but one with a camera would be nice coz I always forget to charge my camera's battery.

Mid spring sales just started. Gotta check out some ballerina shoes ^_^
(i am amazed by how often Sales offer in Munich...oh well it's good for the economy)

P.S. to Mama Sao, I hope Adnan will get better soon. Poor little boy.

My sister's BD & Dinner with friends..

2009-04-20T11:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday my big sister!
May your life be filled with love, joy, and definitely books..lol ^_^

Besides my eldest sister's BD, this week is actually a BD week for a couple of friends i know.

Back to a busy week with the little pumpkin. Last week she was a bit fuzzy from the beginning. But once we got to spend some alone time together, she had a blast!

We strolled around the EnglischeGarten almost everyday. Sometimes Nina joined us ( she often works at Stabi) for mid- afternoon ice cream.

Last Friday I joined a Thai student friend for dinner at a new Thai restaurant 'Dicker Fisch'. Although the food was not that satisfying, at least I got to catch up with my friend and meet new people.

And continuing to dine with Sao's family on Sunday (thanks again for having us!). The menu was northern Thai styled noodle with curry (Kao Soi) and some Pad Thai ^_^
I brought along homemade gooey-chocolate-in-the-middle muffins

The weather has been pleasant. G and I really enjoy our sunny days (too bad the ocean is not close by). It's time for cycling again!

Sunny Easter & a Cherry tree

2009-04-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Songkran to everyone even though it 's more like 'bloody Songkran.' -(
Things will either get better or back to where it started...

Except for the madness of the political situation in Thailand, my life here in Germany is pretty 'in sync.' We had sunny days for Easter holidays. I managed to go jogging to get the morning sun one morning (only once, that's it)! I enjoyed rolling in my couch watching re-run movies (it's not just me i believe who likes to watch favorite movies more than twice, not once!) ^_^

Susanna (Julius's mother) gave me this flower as a gift. She told me what it's called once in German but i don't remember... If anyone knows, please let me know..

We have this Sakura tree in our garden (although recently the big one in the neighbor's was cut down) and now their blossoms are everywhere ^_^ This cherry tree doesn't give fruit though,too bad.

Last Friday G and I got to meet Sao, her little one, and her partner. We had a good chat over at a Gelato place in the neighborhood. Then we had a pleasant walk (although it was probably a bit boring for Adnan to sit still in the stroller..but he fell asleep at last ^_^)

The rest of the weekend was our 'us' time (sometimes I got my 'me' time in the morning and when G read..ha..ha..). We enjoyed sitting in the sun just like the neighbors' cats who always come round and roll in our garden..(which i have to get rid of some day..lol)

I also succeeded cooking burrito and it tasted much better than the one at the restaurant we went last time (i am not just saying ..G confirmed).
We also had Greek salad (a cool dish for warm &sunny days) and Turkish delights.

Now I realized before summer comes that I've got to make a list again of things to do from mid April onward.

-Declutter my closet...
-Buy more books for summer read and also try to finish off reading most of the books on the shelf...
-Try to go jogging, power walking or even swimming at least once a week (given my busy work schedule)... but Gosh that morning I jogged the sinus pain was killing me!

The little pumpkin is back..I am excited to see her again ^_^

May we have peace at last...

Make Peace Not War

2009-04-12T03:10:00.000-07:00

I was in such a good mood back from a small jog and was going to blog. News came up and it was disturbing. I get ticked off just every time demonstration occurs.
I just hope things will get better... but well, the situation in my nation has been going on like this for years now. Who will solve it then?

Sun & the City

2009-04-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

Recap of my days last week and early this week.

G and I went to the city last Friday. It was sunny. The temperature was just right. But of course it came with the big crowd!

We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant near Karlplatz. It was not as good as a restaurant up in the university area though. But we try new places so we know if there's gonna be the next time or not.

Later we met with Nina . The ladies were happy catching up sipping iced coffee while poor G couldn't have any milky drink except water..

That night I went home with a BD gift. Now i can watch movies while i hit the road (mostly on the SBahn though ..)

Although we had last gloomy weekend, this easter week seems to be getting warmer.
I 've been taking the baby out for a stroll in the city everyday.
Yesterday (Monday) Nina joined our ride and she gave me a belated BD gift.
It's a gift voucher from Starbucks ^_^
She knows I love iced caramel macchiato and her gift will be very much appreciated!

Later that night I had a date... but not with G...

It was a date with Donna! She wanted to take me out for dinner on my BD.
We decided on an Indian meal. The restaurant' Gangga' was a few blocks away from her house so Donna didn't have a problem having two glasses of wine. My drink was mangochorle which was refreshing. I tried to avoid drinking alchohol drinks but at the end of the meal they served us a shot of Indian special drink that contained a bit of alchohol. Well, i gave in ^_^

It was nice catching up and I got to see Antonia again. She's a big girl now ^_^

30, Thriving & Fabulous ^_^

2009-04-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

I thought turning 30 would be quite scary... but it turned out not so bad...

My two sisters turned 30 a few years before me and they're still thriving and fabulous..so am I !!!
^_^

My 30th BD's celebration was quite simple...
I got to say my motto once the clock turned midnight.

I got to call my parents first thing in the morning.

I got calls, emails & SMSs from my sisters and friends to wish me a happy BD. Some of the friends I met in the States still remembered my BD !

I had my BD flowers

G and I had Mexican good for lunch to celebrate. It's been a while since we left America and have not had Mexican dishes.
Mine was quesadilla (left), his was burrito.

Later we drove to a fruit/veggies indoor market 20 min away from our place. We got plenty of fruit and vegs for tonight and I got some Ume/plum wine to sip later on while watching Germany's Next Top Model ! ^_^

Last but not least, 'we' finally got a gift. It's an internet radio! I say 'we' coz G seemed to be overjoyed..ha..ha..

Brown Rice Sushi & His Operation

2009-03-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

The sun is out today in Taufkirchen (Sat 28) ;-)
Yesterday my gal friends and I talked a lot about a sushi place and it inspired me to make some home-made sushi today. Since I have to watch out for high cholesterol food, I decided to make my sushi a bit more healthy. It's brown-rice/whole-grain sushi ^_^ The ingredient is the same as the white rice version but the amount of water added while cooking is the key.

Last week was rather quite a bit stressful week. It was not because of my job, it was G's surgery.
The doctor wanted him in at 7am sharp but they operated on him in the afternoon, Gosh!
Poor G, he had to get up so early and had no food all day.

I took a picture of that morning (March 25th). It was breezy and snowy...

After long hours of waiting, here's what came out of his shoulder (this stuff was pinned on his should for two years, incredible!)

Well, no more surgeries, i hope & no more stressful and anxious days at the hospital.

Here are my treats for him after coming home ...

food he likes (pasta)...

a cheese cake & Chocolate cake from Starbucks...

a new Wii game...

and a plant he has to take care of while being at home for another three weeks! ^_^

Time to play Wii~~~~

Sunny weekend ;-)

2009-03-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's getting a bit warmer and we've got some sun this weekend. But as I looked at the weather forecast next week, it does not look so promising! It's going to be another week of wet, rain and possibly snow.

Nina sent us these pictures of me and G together from her party. I like them very much as we hardly have photos taken together.

Last week was another busy week for me, but I managed it through.
Although there was hardly any time to go shopping, I got to meet Nina for a walk and lunch.
We went to 'An der Uni' restuarant. I had yummy chicken risotto. But sadly I probably shouldn't have this creamy dish for a while. After meeting with the angiologist, I need to look what I eat more carefully now. I should try to control my diet and exercise more so I don't need to take medication for life. I am only (almost) 30 after all!

At the Friday fruit stand I got myself some early-in-the-season strawberries as a treat. They were not quite sweet yet. G said the bigger they are the less tasty they can be.

I spotted these two cups at Norma. One is a 'depressed' cup and another is a 'happy' one. The 'depri' cup is supposed to make me feel better when I drink coffee on a rainy day?

Well, it's time to catch up with my reading now ^_^

P.S.I am going to miss this little pumpkin as she will be in France for three weeks.

Housewarming & Thai dessert

2009-03-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

What a week, phewww!
It's good to be busy again though ^_^

Last night, G and I went to Nina's housewarming. Thanks to the host and the hostess, it was the first timeI got to eat white sausage (weisswurst) in late evening. Most people at the party spoke German so we got to practice a bit of our listening skills :-)
Too bad i don't know how to play poker. I watched them play several rounds but still didn't get how to read those cards.

This weekend I also attempted to make a Thai dessert, Tako Kao Pod (sweet rice cake with sweet corn topped with coconut cream), which I learned how to make from a meetup with my Thai friends a week ago. It was quite a success except the topping cream is a bit salty. I didn't have pandanus leaves so I put it in a glass tray. It's huge and probably I won'tbe able to finish it in a few days!

Talking about food. Last week I've been making lunch boxes for work and also quick spicy dinner I quite like. All i need is a package of rameng/instant noodle, soft tofu, tonkatsu (optional), sesame, green onion or sometimes coriander. It turns out to be a good Korean quick fix! ^_^

Thai style rice with chicken ;-)

2009-03-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

The week has not ended yet but I've been out and about quite a bit. I went swimming, food shopping, meeting with friends etc.
The other day I had Thai style rice with chicken ('Kao Man Kai', not by James but by Lhengnueng ^_^). It's been so long since I last had my Kao Man Kai (since last-year family visit in Thailand). I was pretty happy about it but I will try not to cook this dish often coz it's fattening!

Oh and the spicy pork salad!!! Yumm!!! Plus Thai dessert ;-)

Last but not least I also finished my third scarf. So far I have knitted three. I remember it was such a torture when I had to knit this kind of scarf back in elementary school. Now without any grades or points required, it's not a tedious assignment anymore but it's a joy of some sort of meditation (although some evening i did only one or two lines and called it a night!)

Germany's Next Top Model & Jennifer's week

2009-02-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

Last night was tough. Heidi cut off 15 out of 30! But i know 'my girl' would get in ^_^
I am rooting for Marie Nasemann, Yeah!!! She has such a pretty face. She could be as well an actress.
She reminds me of one of my childhood's favorite actresses 'Phoebe Cates' (my two sisters like her as well).

Look, how alike looking they are (especially those sweet eyes)!
(Marie, left: Phoebe, right)

Since I didn't have to work this week, I took full advantage of being home watching movies in the afternoon ^_^
I called it Jennifer Aniston's Week. I picked out 'The Break Up' 'Friends With Money' and' Rumour Has It.'
I've seen them all once before but the second time around was even better. I am not a die-hard fan of Jennifer. I think her acting has not been improved much since Friends (or maybe she always gets to play similar roles). However, I enjoy watching her, not because she's Brad's ex but because I love her hair..ha..ha..!

Popcorn time!

Thai Imbiss in the neighborhood

2009-02-26T02:15:00.000-08:00

The weather yesterday was kind of nice. It was sunny and no snow.
A cloudy day is back today though ;-(
But I will try to get my power walk this afternoon if it doesn't rain.

I met with a new Thai friend and her adorable little boy who just moved to live in the neighborhood. She suggested that we went to this Thai imbiss which is not far from my place. The food was delicious ! Now I know where to grab a quick Thai lunch when I am too lazy to cook :)

Another Thai friend walked by and joined us for lunch.

I've been wanting to start learning French in the morning because it's the best time of the day I can fully concentrate. But other things always come up and draw away my attention!

Just focus, alright!

'Amuse toi bien avec les cours de Francais,' said G hoping to encourage me ^_^

Nothing 'sweet' about me ^_^

2009-02-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Just when I want to start my diet again, I am starting to fall for this sweet pastry 'Baklava.'
Last week I bought some from the city and it tasted so good. Yesterday I went to a Turkish shop near my place and got some more. I bought 6 pieces but G had like 4 or 5.
I was also in a mood of baking muffins yesterday so I chose Grandma's blueberry muffins (why 'grandma'? , i don't know)

Today is Fasching Day (Mardi Gras, Carnival). I didn't go out coz i was afraid of drunk people.
It's like a mini preview of Oktoberfest where there are quite many crazy/drunk people in the streets.
Although G and I don't celebrate this festival, it doesn't mean we can't 'celebrate.'
Instead of walking in the snow to buy Krapfen, I decided to bake another tray of muffins!
I ended up having so many muffins laying on my kitchen top now :)

I bought this muffin book long time ago (it came with a 'gratis' muffin tray). I adapt a bit to each recipe when i bake. It works out fine so far.

Today the Oscar goes to 'Peach Jam muffins.' ^_^ Thanks to my mother-in-law who gave us a variety of homemade jams.

There are a few more steps to baking the jam ones because the jam and peace need to be added halfway before filling up the full muffins.

And then voila! After 25min baking, I could enjoy my 'me' time with muffins and Thai iced tea :-)

Here's my new office (thanks to G!). The screen's wallpaper was secretly done by G as well ^-^

Food with friends & coffee tour!

2009-02-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, I went out to the city almost everyday. Besides working, I joined my friends for either big lunch or afternoon coffee & snacks.

I am thinking of starting a coffee tour in Munich (since there are so many nice cafes out there). Starting in March i will be pretty much in town almost everyday, so maybe a few times a week I'll try coffee at different places, maybe try different orders as well (not just Iced Caramel Macchiato ^-^).
I am in search of a friend/friends who would also appreciate the taste of coffee as much as I do. So far, there's one promising candidate :)

The weather looks kind of depressing today. I think i am going to bake muffins to beat the 'blue.'
Nah, it's not for me since i normally don't eat what I bake that much. It's for G who has a sweet tooth ^_^

Dinner with friends/homemade California rolls :)

2009-02-22T04:18:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing for over a week now. It's nice to stay in when the weather is like this.
However, for the past few weeks, i didn't seem to be able to to keep myself warm in the house.
There's always a good enough reason to go out, despite the miserable weather ! :)
Recently, we have rearranged our rooms a bit. I've got a new office to work on my whatever I've planned to do (part of my NY's resolution). I am thinking of starting to brush up my French again. Once i know my level and feel more confident speaking it, i may take a course or something.

Last night we had a couple coming over for dinner. Guess who?
It was Nina and her husband :)

Since they had to come all the way from downtown to my place (in the suburb..ha..ha..), I decided to make sushi for them to try. I make the Makisushi quite often but this time i wanted to try California rolls (inside-out rolls). I watched one video from youtube on how to roll sushi, it helped but it didn't turn out exactly like what the chef did. It needs a lot of practice :)
Anyway, i am glad my friends enjoyed our meal though.

Happy Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

I know that G loves chocolate, so for our sweet Valentine's treat I decided to get us some chocolate in stead of flowers(the Belgium brand 'Dolfin' I bought last time for his BD tasted quite good so i picked out a couple of new flavors this time).

We had a quiet day,just like any other Saturday, having a meal at home with snow in the background. We shared a bowl of microwaved popcorn and watched a few movies.

Simple but subtle, just the way i like it :)

Happy V day everyone!

Bride Wars & new friendship ;-)

2009-02-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today I went to see this movie 'Bride Wars' with a (new) friend I've known for a few weeks now. I enjoyed the movie and especially my friend's company. It's been a while since I went to a movie with a girlfriend.

I am glad she found my username on TT and decided to drop me a quick message.

We have quite a few things in common, don't we?
We both look Asian!
We are at the same age.
We both majored in translation (different sets of languages though).
We once lived in the States. Now we live in the same country.
We enjoy trying out different restaurants at lunch times (i believe this is a key to a good friendship..ha..ha..)
We play Wii.
We like learning new languages (German is not my favorite though).
We drink coffee over a good laugh.
We seem to have the same interests (besides trying out food, of course) like swimming, pilates, movies..

Today was also my last day at my German class. I've learned quite a bit from this class but i know i could have worked harder!

Reading : Time for my 'me' time :)

2009-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

After a week-long vacation, i am getting back to my books now.
Oh, there are just so many on my to-read list at the moment and I need to catch up
with them.
Sometimes I blame the Internet for taking most of my free time from reading! But there's so much to read/browse online too.
As from now till March i have quite a bit of spare time to check off the list of my New Year's Resolution. Then I probably have to squeeze in some time off after work to do all those things.
Well, let's see,
-reducing coffee consumption: checked
-reading at least one book a month : checked
-having spa time: almost checked (this week I'll manage!)
-practicing pilates at least twice a week: checked

Schliersee ..frozen lake

2009-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the sun came out from hiding. G and I decided to drive to a ski station nearby (about 50min drive). We went to a place for kids. It was fun to see the laughing and frightening kids all in one place ;-)
Later we drove to Schliersee, a big lake that was now partially frozen. It was a perfect natural ice skating rink! People came ice skating for free, why not?

Ice hockey seemed also popular here. So we had to be careful not to be knocked by one of
those pucks!

G made sure that we didn't walk on any thin-ice areas. It was scary to imagine being drowned into this deep frozen water...brzzzz

On the way to the car park, I noticed the running-water river that was almost frozen.

Life mode: One of my NY's resolutions is to keep maintaining my weight (or would be nice if i could keep it down a wee bit). So it's now mid Jan and I have to take action.
Fortunately, my friend in Dresden (whom we met through hi 5) seems to be in the same boat so we agreed on writing diet journal, jotting down what we eat each day. Sounds tedious.. I know.
Well, two days passed , and I feel really empowered by doing this diet blog. Good sign, huh?

:)

Hello Salzburg!

2009-01-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Finally, the first trip of this year kicked off (but i went solo this time without G). It was a one-day trip to Salzburg (Jan 5th) by regional train from Munich. This trip was pretty special for me, how so?
It was my first time to Salzburg (the land of 'The Sound of Music'). It was my first time on a regional train in Germany. It was the first time in my life traveling with strangers (from a foreign country). And the thing is these 'first(s)' weren't so bad...

Although it was a cold day out, I manged to go up to the 'Festung' and took some nice pictures of Salzburg.

I also discovered these beautiful easter eggs that they used to decorate Xmas trees. I have not seen the easter eggs used for this purpose in Munich.
I especially like the red ones.

Oh, and not to forget the famous chololate of Salzburg. Of course, the Mozart chocolate (direct translation from German 'Mozartkugeln' is 'Mozart's ball'..whoops!)

Hopefullly, i will get a chance to visit Salzburg again when it's sunny and the temperature is not below zero..brzzzzzzz

:)

My New Year's Resolutions (in progress..)

2008-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009 !!!

New Year's Resolutions?
" I end up breaking them, it's hard." stated Britney Spears in a Glamour magazine.

Yep, she is right. It's hard not to break these resolutions you set forth for new year.
(by the way, amazing 'come back', Britney !)

Looking back last year, I didn't note down any resolutions but i think i did pretty good with my life. I lost some weight and now i am feeling fitter (exercises help a great deal).
For my 29th birthday, I got to spend some fun time at Europa Park ( there was hardly anyone there so we kind of had the park for ourselves). My husband and I flew off to visit his family in Mayotte (I never heard of this place until i met him). Although we can't afford to go there often, we had a memorable time with the family. Later in October, I got to visit my family in Thailand and they were happy to see me. Last but not least, we had this last- minute plan flying off to Santorini, Greece!
So i think we did pretty well.

However, this year i decided to make a list of my New Year's Resolutions just for fun and at the end of the year i get to check off what I can actually achieve.
Here goes:

New Year's Resolutions 2009

Health mode

Lose two kilos by the end of the year (if not possible, then try not to gain a pound this year).
Eat veggies at least one serving per day.
Eat healthy breakfast (protein, whole wheat, fruit).
Avoid refined carbohydrates (white rice, pasta, bread).
Try to limit coffee at two cups per day.
Practice Pilates at least two times per week.
Dance at least two times per week.
Go swimming more often in summer !
Make a home spa at least once a month and relax in the bath tub.

Learning mode

Sit down and learn German at least two hours per week.
Create a study log.
Try to blog new stuff learned each week.
Make a trip to the library at least once a week.
Spend time reading (books not magazines) at least ½ hour per day.
Reduce the amount of time spent on the Internet.

Family & Relationship mode

Call the family at least twice a month (email almost daily).
Try cooking some nice meals.
Be more patient.
Play Wii together more often :)
Keep in touch with (old) friends.

At the of the day, have a cup of coffee and feel good about yourself :)

Xmas Night

2008-12-26T01:57:00.000-08:00

We had our Xmas meal on the 24th. The night lasted until 2am on Xmas day (we had dessert just minutes before midnight). The meal was delicious, the company was great (although the conversations were conducted mostly in French!).
I had only a sip of white wine, that was it for me.
We opened Xmas gifts under our small tree. Most of my presents are in purple (top and scarfs, oh except for the 'bling-bling' purse :)). That's why today i typed with the purple font. I think purple is the winter color theme this year!
All and all, we had a good time with our family, our Xmas in Munich :)
How about next year? Maybe in France? We don't quite know yet.

XOXO

Xmas Girl :)

Welcoming Our Family

2008-12-22T02:43:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law and her husband are here this week in Munich for our Xmas-get-together. The weather doesn't seem pleasant at the moment (no snow but rain instead) but we are going to have a great time !
We went for a little Xmas market tour at Marianplatz last night. It was not too crowded but there were a lot of people out there still looking for last-minute gifts.

Unfortunately, my French this year has not been any better ;-)

Our First Xmas tree! :)

2008-12-14T03:18:00.000-08:00

Well, can you believe that we've been together for over four years and married for three years and this is our first Xmas tree together? :)
The thing is for the past few years we would visit families on holidays and didn't bother to have a tree...
This year is quite special as we will have our family visiting us here in Munich and we've got to decorate our place a tiny bit. The tree brings Xmas ambiance to our living room now :)
It's a small tree and on a small budget! But we love how simple it looks...

The snow is melting away but it won't be long till the next snow fall starts..

Happy Holidays :)