Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

I went to bed a little later than usual yesterday night which resulted in a battle with the bloody alarm clock this morning! The reason? My pet. Yeah, you heard me right....my pet on Facebook called Bree. It's a cute little dolphin who has been losing races because it's too hungry because the owner (me) don't have enough munny (cash) to buy food (cyber ones. You earn it by petting other people's pet and answering surveys which I am not entitled for) for her to eat. Sounds complicated? Nah...not really. I don't know why I was hooked on it. A friend of mine asked me to feed her pet because she was flat broke. So, I went into Facebook and told her that I would feed her pet but later she would have to feed mine. I told her I will feed her pet something really cheap like....a dog bone or something. But no wor. My friend said ' Don't be cheap! Feed cheeries, please !' OK-lah OK-lah....cherries lah. Don't cost a lot cause cheeries cost about 15 munny or s...

My job as a sales letter writer sometimes suck! Especially the ones that requires me to write long sales letters. It’s not really because I hate writing sales letters but because my job, sometimes, requires me to write the sales letters in such a way that it hides the true meaning of things so that consumers fall for gimmicks and stuff. In fact, ahem, I’ve fallen for one such sales letter too. There was one website that tells me that if I paid $2 for an account, I could access everything within the website and all its tools and features unconditionally. Farfetched, yes, but it was a really good deal and besides, I was excited about all those benefits that they were talking about on the sales page. Later on, I noticed that the $2 entitled me to 15 days access. I thought to myself, “Oh, I see. But hey, it’s not that bad. $2 ain’t expensive at all to get 15 days of access! It works out to be $0.13 cents per day”. I didn’t see anything about further payment or whatever on the sales lette...

Spent the weekend catching up on reading. Come to think of it, I've been so busy of late that I've missed out on reading completely. And it's one of those things that I love to do. The only reason why I have the time and opportunity to read this weekend is because I was upgrading my PC and you know how it is when you're working with programs, installing and uninstalling, cleaning up the computer and stuff....you're staring at the status bar.....staring and staring and staring. So, what I do? Grab a book and read lah! So, I was reading Reader's Digest (still my favorite book or mag!) and there was an article about recylcling and how the future generation would be swimming through piles of garbage by 2025.....etc. Being a responsible human and citizen, I started telling myself that I also have to start recycling all the beer cans, wine bottles, shampoo bottles, old clothes, broken sunglasses....etc. :-) But then you know what? I don't know where to go. The o...

Have you ever thought about what you believe in? This topic came up after one of my friends decided to take his own life…and he lives opposite my condo. I was scared shitless half the time and didn’t want to come home or stay home or look outside the window. Scared mah! One morning (1 or 2 in the morning), I placed a call to my sister and just uttered, “Very scared wor. How?” Next morning, my mother dropped by my house with her religious paraphernalia and started asking me to pray whenever I feel scared. *LOL*. She meant well and the religion did help her get over difficult moments in her life and being her daughter, she definitely wants the best for me (as kick-ass naughty as I was with her during my teens). I really appreciated that. Then recently, I chatted with a friend in another country who used to be my school friend. He mentioned being actively involved in church and other stuff he believed in. Which brought me around to blogging about this. What do I believe in since I do...

Is it just me or is youtube.com facing the brunt of having too much traffic? Lately, loading of online videos on youtube.com have been slow. For me, at least. Furthermore, when I try out other online video websites like www.veoh.com , www.videos.google.com , www.videos.yahoo.com , and even www.metacafe.com loads a little bit faster. For those who are not sure why, this is how things work. Whenever you log into the website and start loading stuff from the website (like in this instance, watching the videos) it uses up something we call bandwidth. The more people accessing the site, the more bandwidth is needed. I don’t know how much www.youtube.com have invested in that area but maybe, I am only speculating here, they’re feeling the weight of the traffic now? For a website so intensively promoted, the team of people behind this online video web giant should make sure the quality of service is maintained. I know they’re facing lawsuits and all that but….. Sometimes, halfway...

We live in a world choked with demands….demand for more money, better lifestyle, more holidays, smarter kids, bigger house, posher cars….etc. People walk around with spiritually unimportant goals in their minds driven by the need to succeed and be better than others around them. Hong Kong. South Korea. Japan. Most Asian countries suffer from this ill-fate which have caused a horrific rise in the number of suicide rates in the said countries. Malaysia is no exception as well although we’re very slowly gaining ground on our neighbors. Just picking up my son from school can become a stressful affair. I’ve mentioned this to a few friends of mine over the phone and all of them cluck their tongue shake their head. It’s end of the year and the kids are getting their test results back by now. I overheard a couple of tai-tais (housewives) gripe about their kids’ results. Mom: I don’t know-lah. My kid did not do very well this term. The best also got 95 only. (NINETY FIVE ONLY???) ...

Went to the doctor today for upper respiratory tract infection and also had my blood pressure taken and the doctor very nice....patted me on the back saying 'Wah, blood pressure very well managed. Keep it up!' *high five* *punch air* *somersault* *kiss my own hand* Yay! After weeks of forcing myself to relax and let things go, finally am able to keep stress at bay. So, people, please don't send me anything stressful. Although it's not an entirely clean bill of health yet, but am darn pleased that things are under control again...somewhat. Will continue with my ASTRO WAH LAI TOI therapy. Hee hee hee.....

OK, this is what you have to do. See this blank white square underneath? It's blank until you click the 'start' button. Without warning, it will change color. Place your cursor over the box. The moment it changes color, click the 'stop' button. The game will tell you how fast your response was. Try it, don't give up. Just so you know, my response was 0.329.. http://marshamaung.com/cool-stuff/test-your-reflex.htm Other updates done to website. Important advice for those writing for a living at home Imperfect Parenting Reclaim your weeknights Have yourself a damn good weekend, folks!

How many times have you ranted and raved about how difficult it is for you to understand why someone did something? When was the last time you've complained to someone else about another friend's behavior or bad manners? Sometimes I get pissed off when a friend is late and feel the dangerous urge to peel the ashtray off the table and just give him/her a black-eye. Familiar, isn't it? There is a reason why God made us different....so that there's more fun and drama in our lives. Imagine if all of us were the same...and we're accommodating towards each other and all. Another good reason why God made us all different is because so that we can complement each other, help each other and learn from one another! For example, if you're really good in math, I am going to consider bringing you for holiday trips whereby I would have to do a lot of math converting currency. If you were good in Mandarin, I would like you come to my house and have a horrid time trying t...

Been indoors the whole day Monday. It’s public holiday for everyone else in Malaysia but since I celebrate thanksgiving along with the rest of the Americans (most of my clients are US based), I have to work. So, the kids, with their pent-up energy have been bugging me all day long. You know, can’t remember the last time I went outdoors to the parks and all that wor. Sad, isn’t it? Don’t even have time to sit down on the toilet throne these days. How to go outside and enjoy the sun? But finally, out of desperation to get the kids out of my hair, exited the house, bought two loaves of bread and a huge bottle of mineral water then headed out to nearby BIG park. We don’t have that many nice parks around in the country, actually, but this one is very well-maintained and complete. Was surprised that there are additional visitors there now other than joggers, walkers, kids and old people doing tai-chi. Monkeys wor! Monkeys are very scary to me because they look an awful lot ...

Don’t shut people out of your life if you feel sad. No one is an island. No one can survive being alone all the time. When you feel sad and lonely, give your friends a call. Or call your family…your sister, your mother, your dad, your cousin….they’re waiting for your call. When the pressure from living starts to seep into your system, allow yourself to feel sad and let the emotion run through your body like a wave that sweeps through your heart and your mind. Like water, the emotion needs a release and without an outlet, everything becomes distorted. You’re only human. And human beings need to cry. God did not invent tears for nothing. God invented us, mere mortals, with emotions. Sadness, anger is not to keep pent-up. Sadness is a negative emotion and it needs to get out. Give yourself the chance to let the tears flow unguarded whenever you feel the need to. When the negative feeling stays inside for too long, the damage may be irreversible. Some years down the road, you m...

Just want to share this cause some of them I've read before a long time ago but have forgotten. By reading them again, it lifted my spirits. Hope your spirits soar as well. It's Sunday, folks! Selamat Ketupat-ing everyone! Happy Raya to those who follow Malaysian holiday. Too bad for me lah. I celebrate 'Thanksgiving' punya person cause most of my clients US people, so, no holiday for me! Faster! Kesian me! (Pity me) Enjoy! If your father is a poor man, it is your fate. But if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity. I was born intelligent, education ruined me. Practice makes perfect. But nobody's perfect……so why practice? If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for? Since light travels faster than sound people appear bright until you hear them speak. One ...

Many of you were still in diapers when TV was showing one of the most intelligent show (by last time's standards) on the planet starring a man with the dreamiest eyes possible. McGyver. I mean, there was nothing this guy cannot fix and give him a hammer, a nail and a screwdriver and the fella just builds a bomb! Richard Dean Anderson may not be the best actor nor does he have the hottest bod in the world but man, he's way cool in MacGyver. What happened to the show anyway? And accordingly, Richard Dean Anderson is now about my father's age....damn. For those of you were not lucky to be born early enough to watch the show, MacGyver was one of the hottest shows (still is, next to Knight Rider) on the planet. Compared to all those reality TV that we have on air these days, sigh.....MacGyver is a simple guy working as a cannot-remember-what-he-was-working-as with kick-ass attitude and brain of a rocket scientist. When he lands himself in shit, he can make use of just abo...

Even if you're not a Burmese or part Burmese (like yours truly), is it possible for you to sit around reading about the insane oppression going on in Myanmar? Theirs is the worst government possible and the military will not stop governing the way they are governing unless bigger powers step in. Since Burma is not rich in oil, we cannot expect the US to step in what, right? Let's call on other big sources of power (and mullah) then. This is the email I got. and posting it here for you if you wish to stand by Burma's poor nation. Thanks, Killer Guy. Paiseh (ashamed) to say that I Burma-mali punya orang (Burmese) also din know about this petition. Cheers! *** Hi, have you heard about the crisis in Burma? Burma is ruled by one of the worst military dictatorships in the world. Last month Buddhist monks and nuns began marching and chanting prayers to call for democracy. The protests spread and hundreds of thousands of Burmese people joined in -- but they've been ...

No doubt, finding a freelance web content writer is easy these days….there are millions of writers who are willing to churn out your website content for you within days for an extremely low price. This is the awful truth that most freelance web content writers have to contend with these days – but with the saturation of the writing market, it's also harder for website owners to find, develop a relationship with, keep and FIND good experienced web content writers! Imagine, you're trying to dig through a pile of rotten apples to find one REALLY good one. Continue Reading

Over the years, I have been granted the honorable title of Super Mom because of the ability to multitask and manage a career as a freelance writer and also full-time mother. I’ve never taken the award before, so, I shy-shy accept it now and share some stuff with you to help you manage the stress level better. 1. If you have to get ready clothes for the kids the next morning, make sure they’re ready and prepared a couple of days in advance. When the maid comes over, I get her to get everything prepared a few days in advance so that at night, all I do is drag the clothes out and put it over the chair for the next morning. 2. Make lunch or tea or snacks the night before and then leave it in the fridge. Come time to go to school, pull it out and heat it up. 3. Have a specific place for all important school stuff. Everytime done using it, make sure leave it at that place and no place else! otherwise everyone ends up tearing through the house looking for missing book ...

Very simple conversation. Joshua: Mom, what date is it today? Me: Er.....4th of Oct 2007 Joshua: Means..... Me: (sigh) four dot ten dot two zero zero seven Joshua: Oh. Thanks, mom (Joshua proceeds to write the date down in his exercise book) (Joshua pauses, raises his head) Joshua: Mom, how many times do we get to have four dot ten dot two zero zero seven Mom: Huh? Once? Joshua: Only once? Mom: Yup Joshua: Mom, that's sad Mom: Why? Joshua: That means, we cannot come back to today, right? Mom: Right How true. Today. Once gone, we cannot come back to today. 4.10.2007 happens only once. So does 5.10.2007, 6.10.2007, 7.10.2007...etc. So, since he's only got one childhood in this lifetime, why put him through so much pressure going through a grossly outdated schooling system that doesn't work for him? Why torture him when he's only got one 4.10.2007? He's got lots of years ahead for him to be tortured and this is the time when he should carefree an...

Saw this video and left me chuckling and LAUGHING like a mad hyena! If you've never seen it, PLEASE watch it. It's just too damn funny!. I swear!!! If you're having a bad day, take my advice, just click it and then press the 'pause' button, continue doing your work, then come back to it during lunch hour.

Don't you find yourself sitting back, watching the kids throw pillows around, argue and make up, share exciting stories and giggle over booger jokes, and teasing each other in a carefree way, and go red with envy? The innocence and absence of worries. Due to the fact that we live in a fast-paced modern world, adults tend to forget that sometimes we need to let the kid in us out. I learned this, recently, from a friend who refused to grow up. There are things that we can learn (re-learn) from the kids. Slurping your drinks loudly Gurgle your juice Watch and re-watch your favorite CDs Making bubbles in the bathroom Hide and scare the daylights out of your sister/brother when he/she comes home from school Draw and doodle nonsensical stuff It's fun to get dirt under your nails Wear long pants (especially pajamas), run across the floor and slide across the floor on your knees (painful, though but fun) Mimic your grandmother (better not be MOTHER) when she nags you Playing Bati...

Tell me if it's easy or not to stay near a school. Easy in a sense that it's close to home, so close that we can easily walk to school without breaking out into a sweat (almost!). But sometimes I envy those people who have to endure traffic jams sitting in their cars swearing at other drivers making illegal U-turns in the comfort of their leather seats. Here I am walking to school with BOTH my kids in the rain. Let's count a little. I have IN TOTAL 2 hands. But crossing two main roads are 2 kids, 1 adult, 3 umbrellas and 1 trolley bag. If I am in need of something like laundry detergent from the nearby store, I have to add a heavy plastic bag crossing the roads. And then let's add soaked shoes, soaked pants, kids waving their umbrellas about because they don't have the strength to keep the umbrella upright when a big truck zooms past or when there's a bit of wind in the air. Walau-eh! Not very easy, you know! Sorry to say this lah but sometimes being a f...