Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

As I sit there, lovingly wrapping my new books, my son asks me 'Is that your book?'. I replied, 'Yes, it is', smiling at my new 'catch'. He excitedly jumps up and exclaims happily, 'You finally wrote a book?!' I shook my head sadly, 'No, silly. I did not. This book was written by someone else'. He furrowed his brows in disappointment, 'But I thought you said that you were going to create your own story, write your own book?' That's right. I did. His obvious disappointment in the news that I have AGAIN not written and completed a book sheds light on how my decisions, my life, the way I see things affects the kids. The kids don't just get happy when they get to go to Disneyland. Yes, they're happy if they get to do the things that they want, find joy in everyday activities and stuff like that, more importantly, their parents' level of happiness and achievements affects them too. It gives them joy when we set goals ...

With all the hype about using boundariless Facebook and Twitter as business promotion platform, sometimes it is hard to blame all those who are not familiar with the online rules because it is mainly quite unknown and unwritten. I would have to say that when they found out about the potential of Facebook and Twitter, they must have hyperventilated. No more ads! No more paying for brochures and flyers! No more printing erratic and mis-spelt business cards and then frantically handing them out. Imagine the savings. They can now sell ALL OVER THE WORLD!! That's God-sent. Anyway, if it was proper for people to post stuff and force information down people's throat, I would have done it for my client but I know that it wouldn't  work. I don't want to piss people off on behalf of my client. There was this over-enthusiastic marketer who posted something on my wall....a promotional message and not liking it one bit, I decided to use the softer approach first by sending thi...

Warning: If you are prim and proper and wear all Prada, this warning is for you. If you are a staunch English language writer/speaking/user/skeptic/critic, then this warning is also for you. If the worst swear word you ever write or say is 'Oh my god', this warning is, once again, also for you. OK, now don't say I didn't warn you! ** *** ** Sometimes I feel very torn when using online social networking tools. Why? Because I feel the pull of being a proper writer who writes proper English and a Malaysian. You see, as with all other countries, we all have our own version of English. For example, in Hong Kong, people call the bus, bus-si. Where the 'si' comes from, we all don't know. In Malaysia, we have lots of others. Like 'lah', 'wor', 'nia', 'geh', 'lor', 'kua', 'ma'....lots more where THAT came from. As most of you know, my business comes to me online. People find me online because I write damn...

A friend was just complaining about this on her Facebook and I feel that I couldn't agree more. Whenever you have school-going kids, you will feel like you are the one attending school all over again...without the fun! You have to wake up at ungodly hours, be reprimanded when the kids misbehave in school or has bad grades. And if your kids miss school, go to school late, have missing books, wear untidy clothes - it...is....all....your fault! The parent who has to take charge of the kids usually suffer from this; the other parent gets off with barking instructions. Unless you have an agreement with your spouse or partner about the arrangements. Otherwise, you will feel like you are suffering the pressures of going to school. The kids have it good (well, at least from my point of view) because they have friends there to mix around with and during breaks, you indulge in the extra dollop of ice-cream without your mom (or dad) nagging you. You exchange juicy stories with your best b...

This was a last minute thing and I was actually quite surprised with what a hit it was with the kids...considering that I snuck in some cayenne pepper. You know what a zing cayenne pepper gives? Like WHACK!!! Anyway started off marinating the beef strips. Kids not very great with chunky beef, so I had to slice it really thin...like paper-thin kind, OK? The beef is marinated simply with salt , soya sauce , sugar , pepper , sesame seed oil (to overcome the overwhelming smell of beef) and oyster sauce . I had left-over beans so, just slice it (again) thinly. The rest of the ingredients. 1. Ginger 2. Lots of garlic 3. Sweet preserved vegetable s 4. Lotsa Tomato 5. Green onion 6. Cayenne pepper I popped some garlic into the wok together with a drizzle of oil for a while. Only for a while so that the garlic became fragrant. Cook the garlic for too long on their own and it becomes bitter. So, next went the rest of the 'other ingredients' like ginger , sweet pres...

Can Suu Kyi really be free ? Is she? As a human being, I can only feel so happy that this woman whose fight against the military government in Myanmar lasted her almost her entire life, finally is allowed to rejoin humankind. Although I don't know what is in store for this woman, she is free now after being kept 'in prison' for the longest time, unable and disallowed to see her husband for the last time. What she has been fighting for, let's hope it comes true. Myanmar people who have long left the country and found solace in Malaysia are rejoicing in the fact that this woman is free but they remain skeptical about her 'true' freedom. If Suu Kyi was to start her negotiations and talks again, will the government rip her freedom from her again? Will she be silenced? How will she be silenced? Whatever it is, here's one for Suu Kyi. One for your fight for justice, your freedom and what you live for.

If you asked me, I would have to say that I don't know how I did it. Have no inkling as to how it happened. I was just sitting there working. The stress was getting to me, I got up, walked to the piano. My part-time maid saw that I left the table, quickly took a wet cloth to come wipe the table (otherwise, I would be here all the time and she gets no chance to clean this table). Sat down gingerly at the piano and attempted to play something nice, to soothe the nerves. Played a little, not working, stretched again and then it happened. A loud snap as I was rolling my head around. Just like that. I did not know it was sprained until about an hour later when my neck became stiffer and stiffer and it hurt to move my left hand too much. The back portion of my shoulder blade area (left side) was busted, swollen. It hurt to even dry my hair with a towel after a shower. Hurt to a point of me finding myself shaking and shivering. I couldn't lie face-down on the sofa and bring my...

It is only in Africa that individuals put on poverty like a beautiful garment and walk with pride without shame. The whole process starts from the mind. When a man believes that wealth is the exclusive preserve of only a few selected individuals, it will continue to elude them and they will end up in penury. Poverty can be described as the inability of a man to take care of his basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. It indirectly reflects on the standard of his life and that of his immediate and extended family. This can create a huge impact on his life and destiny. It is important that we have the right mentality when it comes to the issue of wealth. One thing God has promised us in his word is this: "I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health just as you soul prospers". What is being implied is all round prosperity and not poverty.

It is a funny thing but when people talk about being successful, the first yardstick (probably the ONLY yardstick) goes up – how rich are you? Do you have your own business? A million bucks in your bank account? Are you a CEO of some company? Do you own a closet full of shoes, clothes, jewelry, invitations to swanky affairs, and maybe a Jaguar in the garage? Having seen a side of this society, suffice to say that I now avoid it. Some of you out there might think of this as the Loser Mentality. I disagree. While being financially stable and able is important, I think being a successful person is a far more important achievement. There is no value in being a successful businessman when you have been a lousy human being. There are hippies out there who proclaims themselves to be successful lovers. The man down the street, living out of a cardboard box, wearing tattered clothes, smelling like last night's emptied-out beer barrel...he's a successful homeless man. The kid with...

Just had to share this. A wonderful talk delivered by Benjamin Zander about classical music and a little bit about life. Hey, it makes sense and you gotta love his sense of humor, you know.

This is most definitely a series that I will watch again! The stories are interesting, especially the last one involving a man suffering from Schizophrenia. In short, this series is about a team of cops who is led by an expert in body language, Bowie. Bowie was quite perfectly chosen for this role - maybe it was written for him, too. Who knows? :-) He has a good partner in the form of a lady cop played by Crystal Tin. There are quite a few new faces in this series. The tall, thin girl who looks like a model....I have no idea who she is. My radar missed her from all the series that I have been watching so far. Really love Bosco in this series!! He plays the renegade cop who is skeptical about reading body language. But he fell in love with Bowie's sister, Aimee Chan, so began his journey in trying to polish his boss' shoes, hence, learning to like the way his boss works more. The eye opener for me is seeing Susan Tse in a non-baddie role. When I saw that she was playing a...