Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

I said that I would post a picture of Ann on her death anniversary until the day I run out of pictures to post so, here I am again.  Here's a picture of my cousin with my first born, Joshua, when he was born in 2000. I was the first one amongst this batch of cousins to actually pop a human👼 out of the womb, so, I think it was all very...erm...surprising and weird for all of us.😅 I hope she's doing exceptionally well wherever she is now. It's funny how sometimes we still talk about her like she's still around. I don't think you ever want to forget a person, so, subconsciously, we talk about her in present tense.  This...this...human....what do I do with it? Happy Monday, folks! See you when I see you, Ann. Keep the snarky going... XOXO

Picture taken by Son 1 after toiling after which grape should drape, which grape should just hang I've never realized how difficult, tedious, meticulous, careful, mindful, anal, bitchy, seriously-you-re-gonna-nitpick-this-shot photographers have to be in order to get a picture right.  Until my Son 1 is in art school.  Photography is not his forte, and needless to say, it's not mine either. But what's really interesting is that through his lessons and all of those forced projects, I've come to really appreciate the kind of eye photographers need to have.  It's embarrassing but I am a point-and-shoot kind of person. I never really cared about lighting or whether there are stains, fingerprints, and dust on the table before I take a shot.  Angles and shadows never really bothered me either. Of course, whoever wants to be in the shot should just scoot over and be in it. That was it for my photography skills.  Selfies? I dare say I can rock that pretty OK. 😍😃😅 After go

Today's writing prompt : I am lost in the woods and I only have 2 items with me.  Yup, that was the prompt. Just that. Why am I am doing this?! #lol  Well, if I was lost in the woods, which I won't be because I wouldn't go near the woods alone unless someone throws me in there against my will which is, by the way, a crime 😁, and I have only two items with me, it would be: A knife A lighter With a knife, I can cut down anything I find in the woods. It's a big-gish knife, alright? 😓😉😝And I believe that I can eat grass if I have to. Won't be the best meal on earth but one's got to do what one's got to do to stay alive. As for the lighter, I can survive the dead of the night and I don't like the dark. So, I think it's the best way to survive. I don't know if a knife and lighter can get me water but if I can find my way around with a fire, I might find a source for water.  Man, this writing prompt thing is hard, isn't it?  Hang on....scratch a

I've been on this journey for close to two years now and I am still not used to this. But that's the reason I threw myself off this cliff in the first place, knowing it is a territory that I would need to learn how to navigate again.  But when I started this journey, there were a few conditions I set for myself: 1. I wanted to feel belonged 2. I have to be working on things that made me feel fulfilled or satisfied 3. The people I would inevitably surround myself with have to share my vision and mision. Nothing is going to be perfect, that much I know, but at the very least, working with people who had the same style and personality as me is top priority.  4. I don't want to deal with authoritarians every single day.  5. I would have to learn how to socially adapt myself to groups of people again and if my gut instincts told me that it is not the right group of people, I would have to get out.  6. The very nature, the very core of what we do on an everyday basis has to be a

Space Sweeper the Korean Sci-Fi Blockbuster hits Netflix 2021 Image Source: KoreaTimes Let me come clean. The first thing I thought when I saw Song Joong Ki leading the lineup for this movie was ' Is this OK?'  ' Hhhmmm.....what about, you know...his personal life', and as a fan of his previous personal work, I had the same doubt I had when he was casted in 'Descendants of the Sun'.  Sorry, Joong Ki. 😳 But the concept of a sci-fi movie in the Korean film platter was enticing. The trailer didn't look half bad either. When it comes to space movies, Hollywood has always been the Big Guy. We expect Hollywood to deliver the big guns and explosions while Kdrama land is all mush, love, arm grabs, ice-cold kiss scenes, love triangles, and of late, time traveling.  So, sci-fi? Interesting. Honestly, I went in with an empty mind which is not necessarily an open one. Ditched the reviews, writeups, Youtube reactions and everything else and hit the 'watch' butto

I am relooking at my life like I've never had to before. I don't even know if this is a mid-life crisis but whatever that I have been through thus far have served critically to making me into a person that I am excited to meet.  I've gone from being absolutely shocked, dismayed, excited, elated, hopeful, destroyed, emotionally drained, disappointed, hopeful and wonderful again, and then have had my soul crushed within these few years.  I don't even really know where I am going anymore. I thought I knew.  Some people just power themselves up by making people feel horrible. They're just the way they are, and honestly speaking, my younger self would have done everything within my power to try to change these people. To believe that I have a pocketful of cheer dust to sprinkle over them to make them better.  But I am no longer young.  I know now that there's nothing I can do to change mean people. The only I can do is to understand that they are the way they are bec

The Covid-19 panda ic is still raging on and, honestly, the numbers coming out in my state and city is not encouraging. We are still recording new record numbers and yet, some of us are required to be at work and unnecessarily exposed to the risk of infection. It wouldn't be anything to worry about if it was essential to my job. But the fact remains is that it is not. We don't know when all this catastrophe will be over and everyday, I pray that it is soon.  Not only are we at high risk of catching the virus, we are doing unprecedented damage to the environment judging from the number of plastic and disposals we are left with no other choice but to use especially when we are ordering food through apps.  I feel frustrated that all my efforts to avoid commercialism, materialism, and active participation in environmental efforts is going to waste.  I wish there were better options but I know there's none at this point in time.  Every single day, my efforts (as small and insign

Fighting against the clocks of life Have you ever been in a situation at work (or work at home) whereby you're literally micro-managed to a point whereby you're afraid to go to the bathroom to answer nature's call?  online surveys JavaScript is disabled! Well, that's the situation here right now.  Even when we are to work from home, I find myself sitting there holding my bloody pee (other other more serious nature-related situations) in because I would be hounded down. And when found (and explained), I would still be chastised.  Does this not fall under some form of human abuse? #lol I don't think this kind of management style suits me, seriously. People taking short breaks is actually good for productivity and not to mention mental health .  This is not pissing (pun intended) on anyone, really, but there are people out there who are like that. And if you're one of them, let's share a a very emotional high-five.  Sending you lots of love during this tough C

Have you ever watched a show and wanted nothing to do with the Male and Female leads and spend half the show just rooting for the side story? This is the case for me when I was watching Korean drama 'Start-Up'. And I know I am not alone. The internet has blown up with camps of people rooting for this camp and that camp. I didn't even care about the main storyline cause it was so blotchy and lame that I wanted our second Male lead to have something good happen to him.  At times, I just gave up the main storyline. Seriously. The fast-forward button became my best friend. Lol The sidestory was so much more meaningful and endearing. Major failure on the writer's part.  Yes, the second lead is way cuter but his relationship and scenes with the grandmother he never had were such scene stealers! The things he did and sacrificed also casted a shadow over the Male Lead. The Male Lead was such an inconvenience! The fact that I gave up the love story is proof of the fact that roma