Marsha Maung: Write. Cook. Read. Watch. Try. Innovate.

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. 😍😃😅 Afte...

Photo by  Helena Lopes  on  Unsplash I gave a man RM20 (USD4.80) yesterday during dinner and I still can't stop thinking about him. The look on his face, his hesitancy, his predicament, the look of loss.  At the back of my mind, I keep hearing people (and myself) calling me stupid, naive, innocent, and hopeless. It happens every time I try to do something right, something good. I can hear voices in my head telling me that it is the dumbest thing I've done yet.  It's not how much you give away and how stupid people think of me knowing that I gave money away, but it's how he said 'God bless you' at the end. It's the look of relief. It's the knowing of humanity exists, that human beings still have a side of them that is not riled up by uncertainty, fear, misjudgment, distrust, negativity.  Knowing that another human being understands and trusts you is one of the most powerful emotions on earth. I believe this is what we, as a species, will yearn for the mos...

Thank you by Carrie Grossman - Youtube I am reminded again that no matter how many times you fall, the most important part of the journey is how many times you get up and stay regardless of what is ahead of you. And whenever you get up, you stay steadfast to your beliefs and learn from where you failed. Most importantly, you are thankful every single morning as the sun rises and you're given another chance to make a difference. For some reason, whenever I listen to this song (such an understated, simple song), it makes me feel better about some people I've met in this world. I know once again that some people are meant to leave a positive impact in your life, others are lessons. I hope you like the song too. xxx

My parents and their siblings are sticking the landing as far as Cuti-Cuti Malaysia is concerned. In their twilight years and after going through some pretty tough life stuff, they’ve decided to embark on small little journeys and road trips to wherever their hearts desire once every fortnight. The one ‘uns are usually invited but with our little families in tow and own personal commitments, it’s pretty hard to nail us down for their little sojourns. But we try. It’s particularly hard when we either have little kids with us, work weekends, travel regularly for work as it is (a break from all that traveling is just the kind of break we need, huh?), or when we have no clear working hours. But like I said, we try. Their little outings depend on my Google-expert uncle who is the head of the family and mastermind behind these little road trips. So, we could be heading south one weekend, and then north east the next. We never know until a couple of days before the trip when my da...

Gratefulness and thankfulness is a work in progress in everyone's life. I try to do it everyday, to be thankful that I am given another chance to do what I am doing today.  But there was a time that I tried really hard to be thankful for the roof over my head.  Despite being in a dire situation, I kept telling myself to be thankful, be grateful, don't be a brat, and enjoy it. It took some months after that for me to admit to myself the fact that it was a particularly rubbish part of my life.  Every single day was a struggle. I tried to keep things real without losing the positive outlook that I usually look for. That glimmer, even if it is a tiny glisten off in the distance, that might keep me hanging onto the rope.  But I've come to realize that it is just as important to realize that we're struggling and be thankful when we come out of it alive.  "I am thankful for my struggle because without it, I would not have stumbled upon my strength"...

This is an extremely tough topic for me. Do you know how long this "draft" has been sitting here? Ages. It's been like, maybe, 7 years? First off, we've all thought about it when we hit what we deem rock bottom. If you have never, you're really #soblessed and I am so happy for you. But if you have, you'd know that the topic challenges the best writer, singer, composer, artist when they're trying to depict it. If they were honest about it. Because I know for a fact that at one point in our lives, we have been suicidal or have known someone struggling with these thoughts. One in five people struggle with mental health issues - The Mighty I wanted to explain the feeling again when I heard of  Anthony Bourdain's suicide  but I never got around to it because much of me was still grappling with the why. The word "tragedy" has never been a bigger understatement. His and Kate Spade's deaths catapulted the world head-first into a vortex that ...

I occasionally print out inspiring stories from newsletters I subscribe or find on the internet just so that I can read them again. You know...for quick pick-me-ups. And this is one I'll share today. *** *** *** An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, 'Only a little while." The banker then asked why didn't he say out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The banker then asked, 'but what do you do with the rest of your time?" The fisherman said, 'I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I ...

Most girls and women are vulnerable when it comes to new bags, shoes, clothes, jackets, make-up and the panacea of anti-aging solutions that line cosmetic counters in shopping malls. Me, I am a little different. I only go ape in a digital mall. My kids are known to, literally, physically drag me away with their palms over my eyes as I salivate over point-and-shoot cameras, computer accessories, Bluetooth speakers, earphones, smartphones, and laptops. One would think that I have a big paycheck or an expensive taste for things. No, I don't. The good thing about me is that I am typically a very Asian person with very cheap taste in things. If it's not a bargain, I won't go for it. Typically, my tipping point is always ' It's going to save your life !' as in it is going to make my life so much easier and cooler than EVER before. The things I often end up with, however, rarely change my life, per se. All they did were go through a short week of over-use and then ...

What if life was a tree and we were simply branches reaching out towards the sun? Found this picture on instagram (there are so many out there and I have like a list of them all under my Keep app, I will never keep up with them! But I thought this picture was fawesome! Remember to have a good Friday, One day closer to the weekend, Love, Marsha You can check how to get your photos promoted in our account, use the link in our bio @earthfever ・ Maui, Hawaii Photo by @micahphoto_ #earthfever A post shared by Awesome Travel & Nature (@earthfever) on Dec 14, 2017 at 7:42am PST

One day you're struggling to find the 'perfect kindergarten' and the next you'll be wondering if your kid needs Size M or Size XL underwear/bra. One day you'll be wiping their butts and then, like overnight, walking into their rooms require knocking. It's simple like that. Or not. I searched up the word 'jockey' (because I was walking past Hush Puppies and there was a sale going on) and found this. ...but discovered what's on sale wasn't the horse or the woman, it was more like... What are you setting yourself up for as a new parent can make or break you, just take it from me, or us (the jaded, over-the-hill ones). You may have the grandest ideas, the biggest dreams and the sharpest of visions of what your child(ren)'s future may entail, just be ready for curve balls. This mother discovered that her SuperHuman (LOLOLOLOL....hang on, let me just share her sense of humor because it's so real I am crying! LOL) expectations of h...

What's the point of doing what everyone is else is doing when deep inside, you think or know that you're meant to do something else? Do you jump? Do you wait? Do you wait for someone to give you the green light? Do you take the leap? When people give you a lot of shit about how you think, the things you do and the journey that you have chosen to take on, it's really Devil's Own Luck. Every single one of luck is given that little bit of uniqueness;  some call it madness, some call it different type of thinking . I've been accused of both by virtue of the fact that I've quit many things that people deemed safe while embarking on things people deemed paths people would rather die than take  less taken. I would be lying if I said I wasn't offended. I was. In fact, I've sat up at night wondering if I was weird, after all. If this person was right, if that person was trying to help me. The word unconventional  have stuck with me for a long time and it cont...

Negative : Can't say that I've been having the best days of life since the start of 2017 Positive : I'm not dead yet. Do better! **** In other news, I've bookmarked this article that I read some time back that made me want to kiss the writer. The survival of the fittest vs. The survival of the kindest . Like the writer, I've always believed that in order to be a good leader, you need to be with the people who are behind you , not against them. Otherwise, no one's going to be behind you for very long. Hence, I've mentally counted the reasons why the concept of the 'Survival of the fittest', in the real world or at work, has too many loopholes. The way to the top of anywhere is always about reaching out and being compassionate of others. For example, you can't climb Mount Everest alone. You need a professional and if there are others who are weaker than you are, you reach out to help them. This way, everyone gets to the top of Mount Everest....

Being sensitive is a flaw...that's what I have always thought about myself as I was growing up. After all, that's what been fed to me every time something got to me. And things easily got to me...hey, I was a teenager and a growing adult. Yet, people applaud when I sing, act or write. My question is this - how do you think people are able to perform well on stage, whether they sing, dance, act or speak? It is when they open themselves up to whatever it is out there, whether praise or attack, be vulnerable and showcase what's in their heart. That, my friends, is also sensitive. Because of this part of us that we are able to connect with people easily. I feel whatever others feel the moment I meet their eyes and when they tell me something. I don't know what you call it but I absorb the fun, the excitement, the wildness, the unknown, the sadness, the fear and the bewilderment all the same way...with wide open acceptance. So, when people are not genuine, I know tha...

Found the following video from Upworthy.com and thought it was...thought-provoking. Why is it so hard to love yourself? Someone asked her friends a quite unusual question and it seems as though it should be the simplest to answer but most of these women hesitated. "What do you really love about yourself?" We are always quick to point out things we dislike about ourselves and it can be a good thing, for self reflection, for improvement, for change and for a better way to live. But we should also spend some time loving ourselves and acknowledging it. But the sorry situation is that when we do, we are often thought of as selfish, narcissistic, arrogant, over-confident and maybe even obnoxious. So, we think:- Our nose is too big We are fat Always late Lousy cook Messy Too ugly Bad fashion sense Will suck at everything Is the worst mother on the planet Don't deserve luxury I just spent less than a minute to type out 10 of my own worst traits and it was...

I won't take credit for this trip to an orphanage as it was arranged and organized by a group of moms who wanted to expose their young children to other children who don't have parents. I was dragged along. LOL. Well, the reason why I was dragged along remains a mystery but I suspect it had something to do with physical labor? hahahaha....kidding .I wanted to be a part of it mostly because I wanted my kids to atone for their 'behavior' during an earlier visit to another orphanage. They, let's just say, were not into it. Not the kind of  'into it' I was hoping for, anyway. They didn't know what to say, to ask or how to react as they were young and awkward (as hell). Plus, there was a language barrier.They promised to do better on other visits. But it so happens that a sleepover happened at their cousin's house and granted it was an impromptu one so, I was a little disheartened. They were too, my kids. But they don't get to meet their cousins a...

It's Saturday and my favorite day of the week!!! I try not to do too many things on this day as I take a break from the norm and just hang out with a good book (still not done with The Fault with our Stars - I am procrastinating because 'someone's about to die' - damn my own curiosity about the ending) or just a good Korean or TVB drama. It is Veg Out day. Anyway, I saw a truly beautiful picture posted by Buddhist Bootcamp and thought I would save it and share it on a beautiful Saturday! Love, Marsha p.s. - Buddhist Bootcamp Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Youtube .

It's never a nice feeling to watch people suffer. We are all human beings and sometimes, seeing someone in pain as you watch helplessly at the sidelines can be one of the most humanizing things to experience. To top it off, to watch someone else suffer (apart from the victim) out of circumstances is just as heartbreaking, as much as we try to understand what is going on and happening in front of our eyes. And yet....there is absolutely nothing you can do about it but to watch, hope, pray and be there....just in case. Nothing. It's frustrating and disheartening at the same time. But as with everything else in life, no matter how many times you ask 'why', the world will answer you with a thundering 'why not?' The best I can do is to add their names to the list of people I pray for everyday and thank the-powers-that-be for blessing me with the opportunity to do that little bit. Love, Marsha

I found out that a lot of leaders meditate the moment they wake up, in the middle of a busy day and then before they go to bed. This could be a good thing to help dispel the myth that when you meditate, you are a Zen Master, Yoda-wannabe, Buddhist, a Monk, a Vegetarian, CalmAss Lame Crazy Person or living in the mountain (with WIFI and Facebook). I am sure Steve Jobs eats meat (I think), Marc Benioff does not live in the mountain and Oprah Winfrey is no offspring of Yoda. I don't think Cameron Diaz is nuts. Meditation is not woo-woo-woo. It's just spending a couple of minutes of your day thinking about things and not letting them sweep you away. It's just like how you can sit there and then the thought of dinner starts stressing you out...and then you mentally kinda say 'Oh, hello. It's you. Again. Disappear, I am with ME right now, deal with ya later, bye'. And you have to see it in your mind's eye, it is disappearing or locked away for later or just ...

Editor’s Note: This is a contribution by  Julia Humphrey “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” ~Johann Von Goethe Not long ago I was completely imprisoned within myself,  feeling lost without any direction . Sleeping consumed most of my time. I had brief moments when I checked in on Facebook, only to get a glimpse of others’ seemingly perfect lives with holidays, parties, babies, and weddings. This made me more miserable, as I felt I had nothing going on in my own life. Frustration was building within me because somewhere deep inside, the dreams that I had hidden away wanted me to start pursuing them. Easier said than done of course, but I knew that hiding under my duvet cover wasn’t going to take me anywhere. I needed to  change my negative outlook on life  to a much more positive one. In this new process, I started to apply what I call  the 10 “T”s  to help with my feelings and fears. The 10 “T”s to help reliev...