Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

...did we really come this far? It's already the end of September! I mean, think about it for a moment. We just saw Donald Trump's inauguration...like....two weeks ago, didn't we? Have we really come this far? Sometimes, if you don't take notice of the moments you spend scrolling through your phone or surfing the Internet, this happens. Life skips on by... We've been through quite a bit, as usual, this year and it is for another post, when I have more time on my hands, but let's just settle for a quick pat on each other's back, reminding each other that we've done good. We've survived crisis after crisis, with more on the way, and yet we are standing (or sitting) right where we are. We've weathered the week through and....it's the weekend again! ...Stay Strong and we can do it all over again! XOXO, Marsha p.s. I just bought some books online from BookXcess and you can find me with my nose buried in a book over the weekend. ...

Think Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac Killer and The Phantom Killer, people who were 'identified', with some even communicating with and taunting the police and investigators, think people who were 'delighted' with their work of art and yet, never caught. Tunnel may not be the first to do so but it uses the same premise for the unsolved Hwaseong Serial Murders which happened between 1986 to 1991. Two million man-days were spent on tracking one man down resulting in 21,280 possible suspects. O.o The shitty thing about cases like this is when the statue of limitation kicks in and if the case remains unsolved, chances of ever putting the perpetrator behind bars is close to nill. Investigators know that it is always a race against time. Most lawsuits MUST be filed within a certain amount of time. In general, once the statute of limitations on a case “runs out,” the legal claim is not valid any longer. The period of time during which you can file a lawsuit varies depending ...

I love purple, I love lavender, I generally like flowers and this field of Lavender is absolutely so gorgeous it takes my breath away. With the sunset offsetting it in the background, it's the kind of scene I would imagine myself retiring to and watching after the end of a busy day. Full bloom at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand 🇳🇿 🌺 Photo by @robertlukeman A post shared by Earthpix 🌍🌏🌎 (@earthpix) on Aug 20, 2017 at 7:45am PDT I have a at least 2 bottles of this essential oil sitting on my desk and I use it literally the same way some people use minyak angin (medicated oil). Open, whiff, close, open, whiff, close. Credit : Lavender (Flickr) by Eck danger Yesterday was a surprisingly busy day so, we sort of balanced that out with a completely lazy Saturday. Don't you just love a lazy weekend, especially when you know you've earned and deserved it? Have a lovely Sunday, folks! Love, Marsha

Alex Cross , yes, I've heard. Lindsay Boxer, first time. I didn't even know James Patterson wrote women , not being sexist or anything, but in my mind, his characters had mainly been gun-totting, macho, beer-guzzling, muscle-bound policemen and investigators. Until now, I didn't know Patterson wrote pregnancy ...maybe that was, in large parts, contribution from Maxine Paetro, his co-author for this book, who must know a little more about baby bumps and contractions. I suppose I ought to try reading his other Women's Murder Club stuff. I was not too sure if running two murder mysteries concurrently in one book was a good idea. Although there wasn't much confusion, there were points throughout that I expected the two to mesh or come together, to present me with a ta-da surprising twist. Spoiler alert : There wasn't. It's refreshing to have a pregnant woman play the tough cop for once and I have to say that, from a chic lit reader's point of view...

After going through one of the most excruciating times in my life, battling unknown tormentors in my gut with no weapons of my own, I will never again look at sambal the same way. Nor will I beer. #lol No, I am not talking about harboring a human inside my womb and throwing it out into the world via crevices I would rather keep private about. It took a tiny little machinery hooked up with a camera to tell me (and the Doctor) what had taken my system and body hostage, throwing out everything that I could possibly put past my mouth. Cursed be my love for nasi lemak and coffee in the morning. The funny thing, (not that funny, actually) to many of us, nasi lemak and spicy meehoon are staple in the morning, isn't it? Am I alone in this? I swear to God that I am absolutely not alone in this, if the scene at the mamak every morning is anything to go by. But the honest truth is that, these food aren't exactly the best things to consume early in the morning. Despite having read...

I never do BBQs for a good reason. I know it's fun and  different  when you have a whole bunch of friends come around or your family is in town but... Fire Uncontrollable fire Outside Gas Nature I need electricity Charred food Washing. Lots and lots of WASHING Fire Fire FIRE!!!!! Got this  BBQ Fail List  from a mailing list from a long time ago but the number of fails in the list will make you happier about cooking with a crock pot or an electric cooker.  There's lots to learn from the last video, by the way. Image Credit : BBQ fire grill By : Alfonso Romero FreeImages.com XOXO, Marsha

I used to think that sounding like my mother would be a bad thing. She nagged and repeated herself often. Sometimes, within the span of 2 minutes. Maybe with different words, most times with the same ones. Credit : Molggi Interactive (Flickr) But as I age, as she ages, maybe sounding like my mother isn't such a bad idea, after all. Because I've got a great mom and I could seriously do SO MUCH worse....mainly because I have better vocabulary, am not the kind to back down during an argument and have a law degree to back up my amazing talent of talking the dead alive. [@babble] A post shared by Scary Mommy (@scarymommy) on Sep 9, 2017 at 12:30pm PDT Happy Monday, XD, Marsha

I was the kid who sat in front of the TV with a small spoonful of Marmite , Vegemite or Bovril ...slowly licking it off the spoon like I would an ice-cream. I was a weird kid. LOL. I don't know anyone else who likes Marmite as much as I do, except for Kid 2 who doesn't mind  it with porridge. But it's brown (almost black, I know), it's ugly, it's sticky, it smells funky, leaves a (so-called) shitty taste in your mouth, doesn't it? HOWEVER... ...I guess nobody needs to tell you that there's a whole long list of health benefits to consuming Marmite. They range from helping you sleep better (because of essential vitamins and minerals for the brain) to treating your hangover. While it's also been said that it can help create smarter babies  (think folic acid!) but here's also a little nugget... In fact, the black stuff was considered so essential for a healthy diet that it was included in soldiers' ration packs during World War One and has subs...

Oh, how we long for a beach holiday.... Is there anything else to say to that? It could be just us staring off into the abyss of the ocean, doing nothing, saying nothing, thinking nothing and just listening to the sound of the waves. It could be days of wandering around a new city, soaking in the unknown and exploring the new. It could also be nights of partying and endless drinking. Credit : Cuba Gallery on Flickr You could be traveling alone...or with someone you love. In my case, with my kids. Wouldn't it be nice if we could enjoy sparkly night skies while listening to the waves lapping against the grainy shores? A magical night in the Maldives Photography by @mikevisuals @lucageselle #WeLiveToExplore A post shared by Live To Explore (@welivetoexplore) on Aug 10, 2017 at 6:38pm PDT Just thinking, Marsha

My kids, nieces and nephews are all growing up and spreading their own wings to fly off, away from the safety of their nests. Speaking of which, I missed my young nephew's 100-day celebration. In my defense, whenever there is a gathering, it was almost always a dinner and I thought the same when my sister messaged me (in detail, let me add). Did I notice that it said 12pm - 3.30pm? No, I did not. All I saw was the venue and date, a Saturday. And I thought ' Fabulous! No need to plan for Saturday dinner !' And then I saw the location and said to my kid ' OK, I don't know this place. I should Uber or Waze my way there '. That was the end of it and thought no further. I should be shot. XD Why the automatic assumption that it was dinner, Marsha?! Well...maybe because most of the time, it IS dinner? Anyway, there are talks of college, universities, future jobs, plans for life overseas, leaving the roost, when the hell are we ever going to see you again, wi...

Some people make the mistake of promoting their business(es), outright, on Facebook. I've given, and will continue to give (but mute them) them the benefit of the doubt every time they have an update on FB, to be personal instead of being a business. There are many reasons why people should be just  people on Facebook. Who's on FB ? Your friends, family, long-lost school mates, relatives, friend of friends and some random strangers you added because they looked harmless. Do you want to be their friend/family or do you want them to see you as a business? Humans . While it is not a good idea to post EVERYTHING on social media (these days), it's OK to promote or ask your friends and family for support. Most people would do it for free and repeatedly because....they know YOU, not your business. So, it is preferable for you to remain a human. We've seen this concept work with intention-focused groups whereby groups of people come together online and offer each other s...