Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

Being a very smell-conscious (I was just about to say 'smelly' because noise = noisy) person, to me, the first thing that makes a home smell homely is the smell of aromatic good food coming from the kitchen. Maybe it reminds me of my days as a kid, coming home from school, entering the home after playing whatever game it was that I was playing after school hours, hungry as hell! The smell of my mom's cooking is DA BEST !! Ever! Maybe that is why I have a fixation of smelling the house out. And let me tell you this - I love my home best when there is something cooking in the kitchen.  Hhhhmmm....can you smell the beef patties cooking in the oven? Gosh, it smells like heaven. :-) And you must be asking why am I not grilling the patties?  Well, generally speaking, I am a bit of a Nazi when it comes to the food department and if I can save on using too much oil, I will. So, instead of letting the patties swim in oil, I would rather bear with the slightly drier tex...

Have you ever heard of how people trap monkeys in India? It's really funny because it never really struck me as off or odd before but I think it is true. They make a box and they put a banana in there. They fit a hole that is only large enough for a monkey to fit its hand through it. The monkey smells and sees the banana, puts its hand into the box and grabs the banana. And with the banana in hand, it tries to move its hand out of the box but it can't. Its hand is stuck in the box unless it is willing to give up the banana. Banana in a box image But it's right there, in its hand!!! It thinks of ways to get the banana out of the box with its hand intact but no, it's stuck, alright. The monkey's trapped. And they say that monkeys is the less evolved species of the human being – GAWD, they're right. Human beings act the same way . That is the way we are, as human beings – we keep hanging onto the banana. We are trapped because we refuse to let th...

I have not been doing Friday's English for a long time...partly because of business, mostly because of laziness. Anyway, it's back. Trying to make it a regular again, as with my Monday Ha-Ha's. As you can see, it's hard-work trying to find English words to write about so I have resorted to writing about a popular French-adopted word.  Boudoir ...not all of us know how to spell this word correctly, unless we're French. Most of us don't know what it means. Well, Boudoir basically means a room whereby a lady (back in those days, French) can retire to to sulk and moan that another French woman got the tea set that she badly wanted. It also applies to perfume, makeup, clothing and shoes.  The term has its roots in the word 'bouder' which is obviously also French which means to sulk or pout (prettily or not). Who started this? Turns out, the mistresses of Louis XV of France were jealous pouters (note: the plural usage for the word mistress) and the ru...

I don't usually post recipes here because I am always conscious of the fact that I would, indeed I would, end up being the butt of someone's joke. But this one, I copied it down from a website some time ago and it worked with the kids.  My kids, I don't know about your kids, are really anti-veg and anything healthy. It's healthy? Eugh, get it outta my sight.  Anyway, hence, mom's consistent hunt for good recipes to HIDE the healthy stuff. And this is one of them. This Creamy Broccoli, Carrot and Celery Soup is really very nice! For me, it's already lunch.  Ingredients : Onion, Tomato, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Milk, Chicken broth, Butter, Pepper, Dried Mixed Herbs The above: I had to HIDE the most pungent veg of all...the celery. Hence, I cut it up into really TEENY TINY pieces. The carrots, they love it, so, I left it in chunks.  My kids hate onions because in their minds, onions makes you cry. Why would anyone, in their right mind, want...

KO guy image I am reading a book (surprise, surprise) that reminded me about a time when I first started out as a writer. Boy oh boy, I'll spare you the gory details but I would like to reenact a scene here just to show you how tough it was.  I call this one the Late Night Winging Episodes *** *** It's kinda a time for everyone to be deep in slumber, i.e. 2.30am but my Younger Son was jostled awake by the 'swinging arm leg' movement of Elder Son. Gord, he still has that syndrome. Sleeping with him is NOT RECOMMENDED and I pity his future wife.  So, Younger Son sees me sitting there at the computer, feverishly typing out messages and articles for clients who call the other side of the world their home. They're on MSN and Yahoo Messenger, so, I was desperate. Sleep-deprivation...to hell with that. SHOW ME THE MONEY !!! (insert wild chest-thumping here) Younger Son would often tot over, up goes my shirt and he knows where to find the source of milk a...

Swallows Flying Image You wanna know what I have recently discovered? Well, you ought to know that I am going to tell, anyway, whether you wanted to know or not.  :-) A couple of months back, I had the pleasure of being invited for a yacht trip, something I have never done before and on a night-out with a friend, the chance presented itself to me and I said 'Why the hell not?' On top of having being introduced to a world of luxury, comfort, grandeur and splendor that I have never ever, EVER, (or ever will again) seen, I was more focused on the simplicity of the things I saw and felt. Instead of the mouth-watering food, waiting servants, speed boats, masseurs, pedicurists, manicurists, glistening walls, shining dining tables....I saw simplicity. And one of the most simple things that touched me during that trip was watching how the birds fly.  I don't know about you but I have no inkling as to why birds (swallows, I think) like to fly after yachts in a t...

I have a very special collection (only three, but hey, if I call it a collection, then it's a collection) of stones. Here's something I think we need once in a while.... Here's to your smashing weekend ahead!

I am just like WOW. Really? REALLY? Apparently, the 'shock' and focus of those high-pitched sound can cause objects to levitate. LEVITATE ME!!!! To Paris, please!! Next up, Manhattan. Watch the video, it's really quite awesome! To find out more information about h ow sound levitation work s , you'd have to do a little bit of research.  Now, I have to pack my bags for Paris. Toodles! Did you know about sound levitation before this? ( polls )

LOL!! I just got this from my Aunt Angie. I never, personally, send out chain letters and discard them with a click of my fat fingers.  This one is so funny that I have to share here, instead of sending out emails.  To All .......... To all those friends who sent me chain letters promising me good fortune and money in 2009, please be advised: IT DIDN'T WORK!!!!   Therefore, for 2010, please just send the money directly! Thanks  

Today's menu:- * Lap-cheong Flied Lice (say it with Malaysian accent please)  Ice-cold water Corn soup Corn ice-cream.  We'll be corned out today... :-) * Chinese sausage with Fried Rice

This is the modern version of a costume drama series from TVB. Instead of having the setting in an ancient courtroom where concubines fight for power and love from the King, we have three actresses fighting for an award. One might wonder if this is the real dig-up dirt story behind the Hong Kong celeb world. Never mind that. It was good but there was an all-round over-acting. Christine Ng, wow...what can I say? She should have been casted in one of those costume dramas as a villain. Seriously, she's insane. Well, the character is insane. Kate Tsui's got a lot to learn. She alternates between good and bad throughout the show and when she is bad, she is a little OTT. But when she's good, she's natural. Now, Sharon Chan is another story. She veers, also, between good and bad but she mastered both. The subtle movement of the eyebrow, the look, the evil smile....she's got it. I must say that I am kind of impressed with her despite her experience playing ...

Emotional Woman I've always wanted to be an actor...winning the Oscars and everything. I even practiced my speech when I was younger, remember to thank my dog, Nichoe (who, bless his heart, has been resting in peace since, oh, I don't know, ten years ago?) too. It's funny that now, as a freelance writer, I am doing all of that without the camera, the spotlight, the screaming fans, the throngs of men lusting after my photoshopped poster over their bed. You see, a writer's got to do what a writer's got to do - write. Without prejudice and by stepping into the client's shoes and for that moment, be the client. If a writer can't do that, I just don't see much future for this person.  In the modern world that we live in, a software can write an article, trust me on this one, but a software cannot write with emotio n. That is the advantage we have over the stuff we can buy off the internet today and get it to churn out 'reading material' (...

I'll admit to using writing prompts to jumpstart my engine every morning. I either write some mumbo-jumbo or blog about something. If it doesn't appear in this blog, it simply means that the mumbo-jumbo is not publishable quality or contains too many swear words. :-) Anyway, today I am supposed to write about 15 simple pleasures in life and focus on one. ONLY ONE? Sigh...OK, here goes. My kids tell me that they love me Getting a personal drawing from my kids Realizing that a family member/friend is capable of forgiving you despite you being a dufus and a total beeatch about things sometimes Getting a surprise phone call from a dear friend you deeply love (not that kind of love, OK?) Coffee in the morning Learning how to play a new song on the piano Rolling around on bed after changing the sheets A teddy bear A good book Slathering on lotion on my skin after shower - SHIOK!!!! Dancing for no reason Singing for no reason Showering, the warm water is always ma...

The storyline is hardly original but then again, it is hard to expect TVB to be original at anything. But I have to say that there were SOOOOOO many funny moments and lines. Sunny Chan is a very versatile actor although initially, I thought he was woody. He's amazing at playing his part in this series. Love him. Love his stubbornness and love him more when he acted as the old stubborn father to Ron Ng. In a way, Myolie Wu really outdid herself in this role. It gave her the chance to be bad and mean and selfish...but for a very good reason. This kind of character is often hard to portray because you're basically playing with viewers' feelings. She's hateful but not as hateful. Fine balance. Hard portrayal. Love her over-the-top acting. Ron Ng's really, really improved with his acting skills. Now, not only is he buff and quite cute, he can FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY ACT!!! It's a lot of slapstick stuff, really, and you would have to leave your brain at th...

Some people say that you don't have to say a lot to say lots of things. I tend to agree with that. Today, I am gonna say things with pictures. First of all, pole dancing is healthy and this should be illegal Being the Sanguine that I am, it's hard to take me down. For some reason, I just refuse to be unhappy and I even signed a legal document for that. Really. I did. Here's proof. It's a Saturday!!!! No need to wake up at 6.45am! Slept past 12pm! If that is not reason enough to be happy, then you are crazy!! <br /> <a href="http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2534696/">Are you happy today</a><span style="font-size:9px;">(<a href="http://www.polldaddy.com">survey software</a>)</span><br />

This is a quick one. I watched (finally) Music and Lyrics last night. Yes, I know, it's a movie made all the way back in 2007 and I am a dufus for only watching it now. Verdict : It was cheesy Verdict : Hugh Grant's got lots more wrinkles than I remember him having. But he's still got that charm thing working for him. And that accent....yum! Verdict : Drew Barrymore can play cheesy ditzy Verdict : This girl who played the role Cora the pop star...oh WOW! WOW WOW WOW WOW! Awesome pretty, sexy....slutty sexy, weird sexy, or just SEX. Verdict : I have fallen in love with the song that goes 'POP! Goes my heart! And love that 80's cheesy music video they made in the beginning. Oh God! It soooo reminds me of when I was a young girl looking at the American Top 10 music videos or something! Hahahaha! Verdict : All the other songs in the show sucks. Overall, it's cheesy-cheesy but hey, sometimes, just for the fun of it, we watch cheesy movies and still enj...

Don't worry too much about criticism. It builds character. I used to beat myself over the head all the time whenever someone thought badly about what I was doing or did. Here are the type of thoughts that enters my head whenever someone said something bad about me (or something even REMOTELY bad or just something that is not COMPLETELY positive) 'I am not good enough', 'I am terrible at this', 'OK, Great. Now, everyone hates me' or 'Gee thanks, that was a lot of help!' But here's the thing about criticism that I have not learned from my parents, not learned from my friends but I have learned about accepting cricticism through my business. Hey, bad things happen, alright? No matter how good a freelance writer or online social networking consultant I think I am, there are bad hair days that turns into bad mood days which, in turn, turns into just BAD DAYS. And on those bad days, I can't perform.    Woman Bad Hair Day Ima...

Share Disaster after disaster, it never stops. I just feel so sad today to hear about the earthquake that shattered the lives of many, and destroyed the hopes of countless people over there. It breaks my heart. But it happens. I've griped about living in a circus country like Malaysia more than once before, but when I hear news like this, thankfulness sweeps over me. Thankfully, I have a place to live, thankfully, I have good kids. Thankfully, I have a shadow of a 'career' as a freelance writer. Thankfully, I learned about online marketing and online social networking to survive the economic downturn. Thankfully, there's food in the fridge. And thankfully, I am alive and well. I just can't imagine how those people who are trapped within the ruins of buildings are doing and coping. I just can't because it makes me wanna cry. Please pray for those who are alive and trapped and for those who are out there, looking and hoping to find their loved ones....d...

Share I am changing my page template because I am bored. Maybe I am just a bit bored of being this miss little pink, softy, i-am-so-helpless-please-save-me image. I am all into purple (did you read my last post yet - amethyst IS purple, you know) and besides, purple has always been my color. But free blogger template don't have purple. So, I am going for my next favorite color - maroon. Bah, it's not even REALLY maroon-maroon. Just a little bit maroon. Never mind. Working on changing it here and there. Bear with me. And I want the font to be Verdana and nothing else, Blogger, UNDERSTAND??? Grrr....it's more orange than it is maroon. Bugger

Share Image Credit: Dog scold dog image Today, I am going to write about the biggest lie I've ever told and honestly, this is a lie....was a lie...well, it is STILL a lie, regardless of the fact that thirty odd years has passed, eh? Anyway, one of the biggest lies that I have ever told involves my report card. Ack! Yes, I know. My parents...they are never the type to come running at you with a whip, chain you and smack you from here to next year. No, sadly, they don't. In fact, I think the kind of pain that they inflict on me is worse – silence, a shake of the head and a sigh. WAAHHHHHHH!!!! I'm so sorry I flunk my maths... AGAIN . I am sorry I barely scraped through my Bahasa (because it is a stupid language)! I am sorry my geography is like a three-year-old's! I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry. I promise to do better. And what kind of a stupid subject is Sivik dan Kewarganegaraan, anyway? But nothing. Silence. Shit. So, every time I ge...

Share Dear Marsha, I see that you did good today - sleeping before the clock strikes twelve and waking before the clock chimes seven. Good for you. But I feel like I have to tell you something. I hate it when you are all snotty about people woh dun speel english poperli. I know you are snotty because I can feel it. And what's with all this obsessions of yours. First of all, you are obsessed with books. What's with all those books...you think you run a library or something??!! Jeezuz. Get a life. And you are obsessed, too, with crystals like amethyst. It's a rock, for crissakes, and all that jabbering about it having a life, kissing it for good luck. I think it's loony. You have amethyst beside your computer, you hang one around your neck, you wear it around your wrist. And what would your friends think when they find out that you have amethyst in your pillow case??? Buy Original Amethyst Image Here I mean, come on, Marsh. This is getting out of hand, don...

Share Image credit for once, i don't want to bother with caps and grammar. i dont care. yes, i write for a living and usually, i am paid to pay attention to all these things. but to hell with them all. i doon wan 2 swpel korekly toodey. because i am sad. so, so, so, sad. you know, when i was in hong kong, i was so proud to say tat i was from 'tai mah', malaysia, that is. tai ma chinese people (altho i am not chinese, i CONSIDER myself chinese) are considered rather cool in our own way. we are all different but same at the same time. and today, i am so sad about our situation here that i am ready to hightail outta here. i am also ready to side with the opposition for anything. any opposition. ANY. and i do. but even siding with the opposition can't do shit when the people in this country can't see logic. how do you make a cute little pet parrot understand algebra? how do you help a hamster build a rocket? human beings are superior, u see, we do thes...

Share I love drinking wine. Somehow or the other, I'll have you know that I prefer white to red...don't know why. I think it's a girl thing. Hence, it is natural for me to find this neat little contraption (hardly a contraption but I like to use the word contraption today, so....contraption, contraption, contraption) very...er....interesting. Click on the link for technicalities regarding why the wine will not spill out .

Image credit Not that they are all relevant to me, of course, but I felt compelled to write this out because I am sort of trying to pin down the character for one of stories. She's the high-flying, arrogant everyday b*t*h in the corporate world. And she's so beautiful that she's got at least one suitor to every piece of item in her closet...and that is a lot. I know cause I created this lunatic. And every now and again, she rejects someone. So, this list is hers. I don't have a name for her yet, so....here goes. Why she turns down the men who have proposed to her in the past. You're a superstar I really was kidding when I said I would get into Brad Pitt's pants if he were right here in front of me. Well, actually, I think I would. But seriously, would YOU marry a superstar? Er, not by a long shot, hun. I would if you were Tiger Woods because you would shag everything (OTHER THAN ME) in your line of sight (because you can and should) and then...

Oh boy, when shit hits, it hits. In torrential bunches too. One in the eye, one in the mouth (where it's worst), on your arm, in your hair (where it is second worst). First of all, had a problem with client's payment. Bad bad bad. But I can live with that, no problem and we worked it out well. Tomorrow is my brother's birthday, 3 rd January and we intended to just eat dinner together in my parents' cafe. Nothing big, no fanfare. Just family members sitting around, eating together. I gathered my kids together and headed out. That's where shit was waiting for me. Everything was fine when I pushed the elevator button. All was fine when I entered it with the kids and pressed for L2. The door closes and then everything went blank. One kid screeched, the other went cold. I looked around for the bell button and hit it. After hitting it HARD for more or less two minutes or something, the door opened. Phew! Thank the Lord that He knew that on top of being...