Can I show you some pictures?

Really, may I? I have been lost for words lately and no inspiration pops in my brain lately. It must have been due to all the headaches I've been having lately, may be I'm developing migraine. I don't want to talk about headaches here now.

These pictures however relieves stress, cures headaches, and inspires me to look forward to some travel.

A Few Good Reads

Here are a few of the blogs I've been stalking, er reading, that are worth sharing.

SUGAR, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE

If you like to eat out and shop in the metro, be sure to check this out. It is full of beautiful pictures of food and fashion. But it's not all that. The blogger, Jane, mother of three, is hilarious in her storytelling of being a mom and a wife. You'd fall in love with her just like I did. I read her entire blog in a few short days. Must read, really. Plus for an expat like me, it's a great way to get reacquainted with the hometown - eating and shopping wise.

THE ITTY BITTY KITTY COMMITTEE

Cute kitties.....need I say more? If you need a picker upper that doesn't contain caffeine, but works better than caffeine, then this is your must-read. No denying that cute kitties gives our day a boost. Laurie works with the humane society helping them raise money (the famous IBKC telethon) in addition to fostering the kitties. Check it out.

VICTORIAN HOUSES

If kitteh is not your thing, but architecture is especially Victorian architecture, then this photo blog is the must visit for you. It is a great place to gawk at ornate, fancy, whimsical, fantabulous, historic, rich, decadent, incredible Victorian houses. I spend a lot of time looking at dream houses.

JIN LOVES TO EAT

Gastronomic adventures in glossy images await the readers of Jin Loves To Eat. She eats and eats and still is slim and fit. Life is unfair *grin*. Although her dining exploits are mostly centered on the Asian cuisines, she features the dishes beautifully.

NIKDAUM

I've been a lurker/reader for a while now of this fabulous once-a-month blog. He writes the way I like to be able to write someday and he takes pictures the way I dreamed of taking pictures. I want him to be my blog sensei. The way he tells stories, straight to the point, funny and succinct. I'd like to see how his mind works when he goes on photo walks because the compositions and the things he photographed normally aren't the same subjects that would interest me, but seeing it on his blog in b/w or wonderful colors I can't help but be awed. I'm a big fan. Check him out.

After all these years, I'm still shy.

Lately my favorite thing to do is bloghop. I had some free time and I just wanted to see what people are posting in the blogosphere. Many have tackled the age-old topic, WHY DO I BLOG? I don't think I'm going to tackle that here. I'm just not. Not right now at least. I really have to figure out why I started blogging in the first place. What's more appropriate topic is have I gotten the results I wanted from blogging? As I was walking down the hall today it suddenly dawned on me that I did not get the results that I initially expected from blogging. This blog specifically. I have other blogs aside from this.

I was expecting to be more open and sharing about my feelings, my opinions, my views - given that this platform gives me anonymity. Shyness have always been my foe. I don't think it's because of my birth order. Last-borns are known to be quiet and more fun loving; not opinionated, although I've met some who falls into that category.

Alas, not even hiding behind the computer screen would make be divulge my true feelings. I guess when you're shy, you're just plain shy. Do I have opinions? Sure I do. I remember one time I had this fierce opinion about transportation solution that I voiced to the hubby. He commended me saying it's a great idea, why don't I write my senator and congressman about it. Seriously?

Well that's all I wanted to say today. Tomorrow's another day, another month. May June be good to all of us. Happy summer!!!!!

WWJD

The deacon from church loaned us a book entitled FINDING FAITH IN MOVIES. I saw the book in the living room as I walked out of the door to go to work today. As a matter of fact I see it every single day, sometimes I don't notice it at all, but today it was very noticeable. FYI, we haven't read the book yet.

I think the reason why I noticed it today is two-fold: 1) it's holy week 2) the blind side.

The Blind Side, the Sandra Bullock movie that won her an Oscar's a few years ago, was on tv last Saturday. It's a heartwarming movie that teaches us what a Christian should be.

The scene where Sandra Bullock character decided to take Big Mike home never fails to hit me. Tears would just roll off my cheek unceremoniously each time. I realized on Saturday why that scene hit me hard.

It was a "test" that people find themselves face every single day. Should we solve this the Christian way or not. In that case Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra's character) chose to do the right thing, well the Christian thing.

Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

The scene highlights my weakness, my tendency to think negative, my inability to see Jesus in other human beings.

It was the Holidays, my husband remembers it to be Christmas last year. It may have been the 26th. It was raining hard and we were out and about driving from one store to another. On the way home at about 5 PM when it got dark so early we halted at a stop light under the freeway bridge on the way to the freeway ramp. There stood a single lady, clean and neat, holding a sign asking for help. She wasn't the typical bum you see on the side of the road asking for help, but she looked like she was down.

I was fumbling in my purse for loose change when the light turned green. There were cars behind us and so we drove off. The hubby took the next exit and we drove a few more blocks to find some food for the lady. One gas station has food and coffee and so we bought some and drove back to find her. Luckily she was still there, and we gave her the food and coffee. She thanked us profusely.

As we drove home my husband said, "What if that was Jesus and it was a test? He simply couldn't let his laziness and inconvenience to get in the way of doing the right thing. Unfortunately and shamefully, I must admit, I would have driven off and wouldn't look back despite the qualms I might have felt and would soon dissipate.

I know this isn't the typical post I do here. The movie just inspired me to look into my everyday life and reminded me to be a little kinder. We call can't adopt a black kid and help him become a pro football player, but we have a role to play in this world designed especially for us. We simply have to find it.

Happy, Sad and Panicky, Happy Again

I really wanted to write about my rollercoaster of a weekend because as you can see from the title, it was an eventful one. Let me get the ball rolling first by saying how glorious our weather was on both days. Clear blue skies and warming up to 82 on Sunday. Perfect spring weather, doncha think?

That's the first happy. The weather made me happy. It enabled us to plant two eggplants, a zucchini, and chili peppers in the same plot where we have six tomato plants and herbs growing. By the 4 pm marker, my husband was hurrying me out the door as he learned there's a jazz concert at the park - 9 blocks away from where we live. We took the cameras and went out the door.

By 8 pm, we have arrived home from the jazz concert (which actually was not one, but some guy playing jazz records in the park while a trio of gals do some yoga and a handful of people were watching on grass) and an impromptu grocery trip to Berkeley. There are two mom-and-pop grocery stores in Berkeley that we love and drive all the way there to shop sometimes.

I went straight to fixing dinner, hubby was doing the same. I think he realized that Emma our cat didn't go down to meet us. She has the habit of coming at the top of the stairs each time the front door opens. She's curious to see who has come home :D But at that time, she didn't peek. I was hungry and busy putting groceries away.

Hubs went to see what Emma was up to. He couldn't find her. His voice had that panicked edge to it that registered a red flag with me. I left what I was doing (I burned the paratha in the process) and helped him find Emma. Nothing. We looked high and low - twice, thrice, maybe four times. We opened every cabinet up and down. Opened toilet bowls. I was afraid she'd fall and not be able to get out and drown. Plus we keep the lids down because Emma likes to drink from it even though she has fresh water for her.

SAD and PANICKY we were. My mom helped in looking. We looked every where. My brother looked at his room - he was not in when we went out. We called the sheriff department, the animal control, the animal shelter to report her missing. We were confident that she would be found as she has a collar with our phone number on it. We drove around the three blocks of our neighborhood trying to see if she was anywhere. We looked over and over at the front and back yard, meowing and meowing and calling her name. I wonder if our neighbors heard us.

At about 11 pm, after our daily devotion, my brother was knocking on our door. He has Emma on his arms. Apparently Emma was hiding in his room, being very silent while the entire house rocked with our shouts of Emma. Then we were happy again that Emma was found. She put us thru one hell of a night, I'd say. The day ended with her taking her rightful place in our bed next to me and she slept peacefully.

MORE HAPPY

On Sunday before heading out the door to enjoy the glorious sunny weather - the first in a long time - I checked FB. Yah, it's a must to see what's my friends are up to. NOT!!!! And there I saw, my brother posted photos of cute little puppies. He got a pet, a puppy no less. A cute little mixed breed - too many breeds mixed that I can't remember them all. My dog-loving husband didn't wait to see the dog. We went straight to my brother's house to visit with the dog. What a cutie. I 'm so happy to see my brother and SIL very happy with the arrival of this cutie in their house and even their sons seem to be enjoying the new member of our family.

This (bullet) and That (bullet)

Here's what's happening/going on whether you're interested or not :)

• I finally surrendered, caved in, succumbed to peer pressure ... er make that facebook pressure. Oh where would I find the time to update, help!

• Had entertained close friends (on two separate occasions) last weekend. Is this what they say that once you own a house, you will be entertaining?

• Attended my first Tomato Festival on Saturday. For $2, I got to sample as many different varieties of tomato as I wanted. My favorite was called Juliette.

• Attended my first RELAY FOR LIFE (an American Cancer Society fundraising) after the tomato festival. Will return to walk longer next year, God willing.

• Had to ask two different people (friend and boss) this question, ARE YOU READY TO LET GO? Both have family suffering from the big C, looks terminal for both cases. My heart is breaking especially for my friend's sister, who also happens to be an ex-co-worker. She is suffering too much. May God relieve a little of her pain, and reassure her that it would be all right.

• Reconnected with some friends from high school. Ah the magic of the world wide web.

• I want a little road trip, a weekend get-away preferrably near the ocean, Mendocino is my choice.

• It took me two weeks to locate the box containing our iron. I need to have my clothes pressed so it was a major relief to finally track down the iron.

• Oh my Shah Rukh Khan had a memorable experience with the airport people. Really, who doesn't know him? I am shocked!

Note: looks like the bullets are not showing :(

Dreaming of Harry

I awoke one morning this week from what seemed like a restless sleep brought about by a Harry Potter dream. It felt like the whole time I was sleeping, I was seeing HP images on slideshow, scenes passing through my brain and I was wide-eyed watching it all night long. Nothing in particular registered to me after I woke up. But I knew I dreamed of Harry.

Okay, so my point is I have been itching to see the movie. Not read any of the books. Will do someday. Never missed any of the first five movies; the first remains my very favorite. While I am so keen on seeing the movie, between my full-time work schedule and the never-ending tasks associated with moving to a new house, the earliest window of opportunity to see it is in two weeks' time. Which can be good and bad at the same time. Good because the crowd in the cinemas had thinned out by then, which would make the movie-going experience more pleasurable. Bad because those people who have seen it on its first day - let alone on its first hours - are also bloggers. And they blog right and left confusing me. Regardless of a few disappointed fans who thought the movie adaptation did not stay true to the plot - I trust they know what they're talking about as I would never know not having read any book - I would still go see it. Because I want to. Because I looked forward to seeing it. Because I got pissed when the showing date was pushed back.

However, I question whether I would be looking out for these misrepresentations and/or omissions that these bloggers pointed out in their thesis-like dissertation of the movie. Will my enjoyment be lessened?

Why oh why do I read bloggers' movie reviews?

Do reviews (by professionals and/or by amateurs or bloggers) affect your opionion of a movie or a restaurant, or a hotel?

By experience I could say, I never really paid that much attention to what the professionals say. Let's see if I truly enjoy this movie.