Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

I am thankful that I can still type after this morning’s ordeal….and I think I mean that in a very good way. Went for Paintball this morning and let’s just say that I am exceedingly proud of myself for not being dead right now. I have to admit that after finally going through the drill (quite literally) why Paintball is more popular amongst the dudes than the dudettes. Girls generally don’t like shooting…much less being shot at. We’d rather go to the hair salon to get the highlights done. This is a man’s world that I stepped into this morning, feminist or not. You should see the look on my face when Eric changed into his Rambo suit….I am like…..whoa!! And then he brings out his own Paintball gun, vest, gloves, elbows, knees…everything covered. Kow-Tim. I was deeply impressed and had a sudden vision of him in a war movie. Another BIGGER dude was equally well-equipped and he’s the other Rambo. The movie is complete. Luckily for me, there’s another dudette on the team and I didn...

Sigh…it’s true. Whenever you have people who are more skilled at something and you’re interested in joining them just to test-drive your own competence, nobody wants you in! *shaking head* Skydiving I’ve always thought it would be cool to skydive so a friend asked me, ‘If there’s one thing you want to do in the world, what would it be….you know, before you die?’. So, I said, “Skydiving” My friend went: PUA HA AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Aiyo, come on lah, be realistic a bit, can or not? I mean, something that you really actually want to do, not be scared to bits to do lah, heylow! Me: But I really want to do it. Friend: Bring a shovel, then. Me: Why lah? Friend: Use it to peel you off the floor of the plane first lah! Mahjong Never been good at it but a lot of my family members are. So, one time, they were playing three kakis, right? And then one of them want to go to the loo, wash hands, check on daughter and said, “Eh, look for (my sister)…ask her to take over my pl...

I mentioned earlier in a post that I needed a man for a job. And thankfully, Lady Luck kinda loved me and Jamie was there for me. It wasn't possible for me to double-up as a photographer for this project and here's proof... Here was what was done by my absolutely heroic cousin who had to go all the way up to the AIR-FOOKING-CONDITIONER (turns out, it's not. ah well....). They had ladders but really flimsy ones and just from looking at his size, they didn't think (Jamie himself didn't think the ladder would hold him) but Jamie opted for the FORKLIFT!!! Pua ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Jeezuz!!! He and the forklift driver was totally in tune with each other. Everytime the thing lurched, my heart skipped a beat. Hey, he's a big man and if that thing as much as wobble, he wouldn't be a pretty sight on the floor from way up there lor. Somehow, when it comes to taking photographers, you'll just have to leave it to the people who have an eye for it. I wouldn...

I’ll give it to you straight….I was, once upon a time, a big time supporter and also a entrepreneur for a network marketing company. OK, fine. I’ll just say it. I was with Amway. I loved the products, I love(d) the upline because she was always so…you know, MY FRIEND. But that’s not what today’s story is about. I quit it and now, I am still a member of Amway, with another upline who doesn’t quite treat me as a GOOD FRIEND and CONCERNED FAMILY MEMBER, but I love the motivational stuffs that the previous upline fed me. One of my favorite ones was this speech by Louie Carillo and this guy is a really fantastic speaker. Of all the topics that he touched on, I remember this particular one very clearly. He was talking about how he was an accidental Amway success. I think in that sense, it applies to me as well. I am not an Amway accidental success Diamond, Pearl, Quartz, Rock, Pebble, Stone or whatever…but I am accidental online marketing consultant and a relatively well-respected free...

I am so into aromatherapy that I find it hard to explain. I should have a lot more stashed up some where in the house but can't seem to find it. Every night before I sleep or after I 'finish work', I would set the light, pick one or a couple, add a few drops and just let it burn! Very therapeutic. I tried it in the bath once and I fell asleep! :-)

Every morning, after sending the kids to school, I would wait a little for them to finish with the morning speech which consists mostly of ‘don’t do this’, ‘don’t do that’, ‘cut your hair’, ‘keep your handphones in the office’ and such. But there’s this rush once the teacher says, “OK, juniors can now go back to their classes”. You will see sleepy children trudging along. Some not-so-sleepy children poking each other, tugging at each others’ bags, or trying to topple the teachers…surreptitiously but good tries, nonetheless. Most of them are at the threshold of sluggish lethargy. It’s a Monday so, they’ve got this perennial right to be moody on a Monday as well, just like the rest of us. It’s not like we’re trying to avoid something but we always have to be on the lookout for that song. A song that would render you motionless, freezes you in your place…and if you don’t, you’ll earn yourself a scowl from the teachers in the school and if you’re really unlucky, the headmaster will w...

I love my room...it's just so ZEN. Makes one feel like wanna ooohhhmmmmm........ :-)

I am not a very health conscious person per se…but when it comes down to my kids, I am BLOODY health conscious. In fact, I find myself toeing every single line there is in the ‘maniacal guide for healthy cooking’ by towering and lording over the way my maid (who is STILL FOOKING HERE) whenever she prepares food. And I hate the food that she cooks, anyway. For a green horn chef-wannabe like me, that’s saying a lot because I can whip up something that the kids adore without loading on too many unhealthy ingredients into the food. The kids love anything that went a-swimming in a pool of boiling oil, that’s one thing but in this house, I don’t permit deep frying too much. Once in a while, OK. But the maid seems to have this deep fascination with frying everything. A simple preparation of a stew requires half a bottle of oil and I kept repeating it over and over and over and over again – too much oil is UNHEALTHY. But she keeps repeating it. Sigh…. That’s how I came to this conclusion –...

" What's a nerd, mom ?" asked Jared one evening while I was tapping heartily at the computer. Deadline, deadline, deadline, deadline....wha? Nerd? " Er...well, it's a name that you use to describe someone who read a lot and maybe a little hard-working. Why ?" I answered nonchalantly. Focus, Marsha. Focus , I thought to myself. Jared's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, " But MOM, that describes you . It's not a nice name, right? You're always working and reading !!" Shit. Is that what my kids think of me? A nerd?? Wait till they see mommy (after a couple of drinks) dancing on speakers. She's one helluva sexy girl...er...lady...WOMAN...female. I felt like correcting my kids' perception of me, that I was a rather sexy person who can get naughty, likes handcuffs in bed and can bring a man to his knees with a mere sigh. Er....but then again....maybe it's not a wise idea, after all. Ah well.....let them keep their in...

Some time back, I wrote a blog entry about how rice can read . By merely placing the word 'LOVE' and 'HATE' on a container containing rice, you can effect the way they behave and rot. Trust me, I was as 'Oh come on! Gimme a break!' as you are. But because I am the kind of person who does not believe in pure bullshit, I tried it out and guess what....I've yet to pick my jaws up from the floor. This is an update of what I did because after we moved house, I kept the LOVE RICE and the HATE RICE right there....no change. I don't even go back there so often....not even for a sneak peek. Today, I brought the real estate agent there because we're trying to sell the place and there are hints (huge ones) that we lived there once upon a time. Major clean-up and home staging required. And I spotted them. Not quite side by side but on the same table. I am just completely amazed, I have to tell you. I have no definite answer for you unless I go into somethi...

I didn’t know that wa si cui gu until I had to write some Chinese New Year advertisement copy, you know. I look look look and see…..KNN, no wonder my life so pitiful lah….I am a farking water buffalo mah…how not to have a hard life ??!! Anyway, in the spirit of celebrating me being a water buffalo, I’m going to look into the good points of a water buffalo who is traditionally believed to have to work to their deaths. They say :The Water element gives the Ox a flexibility and liberty. Me say : Mmmmm….no wonder I don’t want to work for people and end up being a freelancer with all the flexibility that I want. They say :….hard-working…blah blah blha, quickest-thinking Me say : Er….hard-working maybe-lah but quickest-thinking….er….maybe not lah hor? They say : easily recognize and accept other people’s point of view…. Me say: (continue from above sentence):…until treated like a doormat. Oh yes…. They say : …their sincerity and patience ensures their popularity with frien...

It’s a funny question….when people ask you ‘ Are you happy ?’ our automatic response would be…guess…..yeah…. ‘ Yeah, yes! Of course I am, don’t be stupid ’. But have you ever sat yourself down, close your eyes and asked yourself if you’re truly happy? Truly, truly, BLISSFULL Y happy? Are you in love with what’s around you, what you’re doing and the people you have surrounded yourself with? Have you become robotic and impassioned about the things that you have to do on a daily basis? But then again, it’s hard to human beings to be completely happy…it’s probably a lot like trying to find the answer to life. Impossible. Or close to it. (If you’ve found the secret, please let me in on it – I’ll pay you for it.) So, that leaves me with another question….how come, if the situation remains pretty much unchanged, something that used to make you deliriously happy at one point in time can make you unhappy and stressed-out now? This one, I have the answer to. Change . So, it’s not possible ...