Two Hours Cry for Food

Recovering from my last sickness that I blogged about here, I developed a problem with gastritis. I have never had this problem before because I am a person who loves food and I like to eat whenever I can. Yet the several days without eating and a chaos in appetite had finally takes its toll. I experience mild pain on my upper abdomen and I could feel gas spreading like bubbles inside my abdomen. It is really not a good feeling and I hope I could fix it with natural treatments instead of having to go to the doctor. Right now my appetite has been so-so, after 10 spoons or so, I give up on my food and in less than 2 hours, I get hungry again and have to munch on something. In other words, I have to have eat something ever 2 hours or so as to not experience the pain. I hope this will go away soon as I try to fix my diet and make sure to eat properly and on time. :)

While hunting for the best wrinkle cream yesterday, I saw a leaflet in a store I went to that says: You Are What You Eat and had a pile of veges picture at the bottom of the words. Then I thought, ahh...I need supplements to help me get all the nutrients I lack since I don't get to eat greens and beans everyday. Cross my fingers that this won't go on for long.

Libera - You Were There

Have you heard of the all-boy vocal group Libera? Their vocal group is directed by Robert Prizeman and most of the boys in the group come from the parish choir of St. Philip's, Norbury, in South London. The choir has approximately forty boys between the ages of seven and sixteen. According to their website, Libera is a Latin word for "free". Their music made the start of my Friday morning calm and relaxing. If you watch them on YouTube and see how the boys open their jaws and sing...That's when I get adipex diet pills goosebumps all over! I love You Were There and Love and Mercy. Tom Cully, you're one of my star. Your vocal is just so amazing! :)


You were there
soloist: Tom Cully

You were there in everything I knew
From the moment I began.
Always there in every way I go.

Saved me falling, held my hand.

You are shelter from the storm.
The shadows fade away, all cares pass away.

As hour by hour, day by day
Your love lightens up the sky

As it shines across the night.
Ave, regina caelorum decora
Virgo gloriosa, ave!

And when the end of day is come,
Stay with me through the dark and bring me home.

You are there whichever way I go.
Keep me safely night and day.
Always there, whenever I'm alone,

Hear me calling, show the way.

You are shelter from the storm,
The shadows fade away, all cares pass away.

As hour by hour, day by day;
Your love lightens up the sky

As it shines across the night.
Ave, regina caelorum decora
Virgo gloriosa, ave!

And when the end of day is come,
Stay with me through the dark and bring me home.

Stay with me through the dark and bring me home

Hopefully, Never Again!

Something happened the evening after our CNY lunch. Hobbit and I was watching our korean series "Shining Inheritance" and halfway through I my tummy was churning. I thought I was hungry and asked Hobbit to bring me a packet of milk. He came with the milk and I sipped half through. About half an hour after that, I felt nauseated and felt like throwing up. I told Hobbit about it and we left the series while Hobbit tried to comfort me in different ways. All of a sudden I was shaking, had the urge to "go" and threw up twice!

I felt better for a moment...but felt uncomfortable the whole night going back and forth, in and out of the restroom. I even had a series of nightmares and most of them were related to food that I ate. Weird but I guess it was the nausea that triggered all my senses to hate food almost immediately.

The next day, I couldn't get out of bed nor could I drink and eat anything. I slept at the guest room's bed since I get easy access whenever I felt like throwing up. My body was weak, my bones ached, and worst I was dehydrated. All I did was sleep until Hobbit insist that I go to the hospital. Even so, I couldn't pull myself together for I was too weak by noon time to even brush my teeth!

By 2pm, we were at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, a five minutes drive from our place. Hobbit went through everything and all I did was see the doctor. I was diagnosed with intestinal infection and thank God it wasn't serious. After downing two paracetamols, I felt better and was back to being myself for a few minutes. I suddenly realized that I was hungry. Thus we went into 7-eleven and bought some sunflower seeds (something I felt like eating) and several packets of instant porridge. Unfortunately, the minute I reached home, I felt like throwing up again. So I was back on bed the whole evening and eventually threw up again late at night. I couldn't bare the thought of me not eating and drinking the whole day, what more having nausea!

Finally, I asked Hobbit to pack a few clothes, toiletries and a hair brush (haha! My hair was nasty, didn't want to look horrid in the e-room). We left for BAH 2 hours after midnight. I was prepared to be admitted and have those IV stuck on me after. Yet, when I was in the e-room, the doctor didn't want to admit me because of my previous med. history! What?? I pleaded that he let me stay and get the IV for a day because I could feel as if my stomach was rubbing each other without anything in between...plus nausea attack. Arrgh that feeling! The doctor said a jab to reduce the nausea is more than sufficient because after that, I would be able to eat. I glared with big eyes. The nurse made me lie down on one of the beds and gave me a nice injection and told me that I could leave right after. Nevertheless, I fell asleep on the hospital bed for a good hour or two! When I woke up, the nurse asked if I was okay, and I said yes and walked out.

I managed to eat not less than 10 spoons of porridge that morning. The injection did work on me. I no longer felt nauseated and my fever slowly subsided. CNY holiday was prolonged a little but I thank God for healing. My worried Hobbit was so happy to see his missus back with colors again. It's good that he was on a week vacation because I couldn't imagine otherwise. When I got back to school, a colleague ask if I overdose with weight loss products and I smiled. I did lost a good kgs but I manage to gain appetite after 4 days without food. I hope I don't have to go through this again. I will watch what I eat next time...No more smoked salmon probably! :)

p/s: Thank you Hobbit, xoxo! :)

Leafy Headpiece & Red Ankle Strap Shoes

Snippetandink features lots of beautiful weddings. I love the bride's headpiece shown above. Elegant!

I don't know where I got this one from but look at those RED ankle-strap heels!!! My rage for red is clearly explained when I took a test here. Gimme anything red in fashion, I will be very happy! ^_^

Chinese New Year & V-day Lunch

Happy belated CNY and Vday everyone! Hahaha! I know, I know...I'm always late but better late than never, they said.

Unlike Malaysia, Chinese New Year in Thailand is not so much of a big occasion although you still see reds hanging everywhere around the mall with Theresa Teng's music on the air. Not quite what we Malaysians wanted to hear since we are so used to the usual CNY lively music being played everywhere during CNY back home. Nevertheless, the reds keeps a little bit of the vibrant mood and that's more than sufficient so to speak. I know China Town is livelier on this occasion but the crowd is intolerable!

So my group of Malaysian friends decided to have an easy makan-makan which took place at one of my favorite buffet place--Dine @7, Majestic Grande Hotel on Sunday, February 14, 2010, lunch time. We had a great time plus Ben and friends were there to join us!

Here are some shots that are FB shy...Oh well, maybe they'll find their way in soon.

While we were about to start we heard people talking about
testosterone boosters that work

My favorite picture in the elevator!

Pung Waan Resort, Kanchanaburi

I told Hobbit that I wanted to rest.

Yet, I woke up on a Sabbath morning and asked Hobbit if I could still join him to Kanchanaburi. He was delighted that I would come. So we joined his colleagues and left at about 8am from Bangkok.

The journey took us 3 hours to and fro since it is about 190km from Bangkok. I thought my butt could lit a fire for sitting that long! We arrived at about 11:30am and as was planned, Hobbit and his colleagues surveyed the place while I tagged along. As soon as we stepped down the place, a friendly receptionist welcomed us and served us Chrysanthemum tea. We were then ushered to places in the resort.
Serene and quiet, Pung-Waan Resort is situated on the bank of the Kwai Noi River, a tributary of the famous River Kwai, on a vast property covering over 12o acres of land. If you are a visitor, you could choose to stay in the many types of rooms offered according to your choice and preferences. My favorite place is the superior room with the river view. Honeymooners, this is a perfect room to be in since the room is set up in such a romantic way- simple but sweet. According to the website, this room cost about 2800B. Perhaps if you are both a mountain and river lover, opt for the cottages. The good thing is it has both close and open-style showers! :) Not forgetting the floating house! There is the 4 person/room and 6 person/room. The facilities provided in the rooms are such similar to a residential comfort of a home. Hobbit and his colleagues choose to stay in Baan Koo-Bua Garden View since their students are of the age of 7-10 years old.
As of what to do at Pung-Waan resort, many. When we visited, the swimming pool was the main attraction since the weather was super warm. They have bird watching activities and according to our tour guide, most of those who are on weatherization training come here to either work or relax. They have bicycles for adults and kids for rent and the cycling track is quite nice! Activities such as petanque, bamboo rafting, rock climbing, table tennis, basketball court, etc are provided as well. Camp fire is one of the usual activities when students visit. Hobbit likes it. Oh, you could have a good Thai massage here. One thing that they could improve on is their mini zoo. More varieties of animals please. :)
Well, I wished we had more time to explore further but our trip ended with a free complimentary lunch from the resort. Excellent food I have to say. So don't forget to visit if you happen to be in Kanchanaburi. You don't want to miss this beautiful, exotic resort just next to a well-known river! :)

Detox at Yanhee Hospital

About a year ago January, Hobbit and I decided to go for detox at Yanhee International Hospital. Detox or colon irrigation, according to Yanhee website, is a safe and painless method of cleansing the colon with 25 liters of warm purified water with 1 liter of water one at a time, which slowly released into the stomach via sterile tube inserted into the rectum 2 inches deep. While 1 liter of water is released into the intestines one at a time until such time that all the 25 liters of water is consumed. The patient would expel all the fecal matters out of the body through the rectum. This procedure is repeatedly done until such time that all the waste products from within is completely eliminated.

Yanhee is situated Charasanitwong road at Bang-O and it is quite a drive from the main city. This hospital is well known for its cosmetic/beauty surgery and is setting the standard for not just Thai plastic surgery, but World-Class plastic surgery with ISO 9000 certification. Sex change anyone? This hospital provides the service. :)

As soon as we arrived Yanhee by taxi, we noticed that the hospital is filled with people. Most of the staffs there are Thai but surprisingly there are a lot of Philippinos too! We were to provide our information and passports at the registration desk and were led to the detox department. I forgot which floor was it exactly. Hobbit and I then had to see the doctor and discuss about the pros and cons about detox and what type of detox we opted for. The doctor advised us to at least repeat the process for at least 3 times but until now we only had the opportunity to do it once.

The room
Hobbit's corner
My messy corner

We were then led to a room with two beds which has a separator so we wouldn't peep on each other while detoxing, tv set that you could watch while the process is on, a nice shower room and hospital clothes to wear while detoxing.

The water tank as I call it
The amount of water we had to finish. Half is left in this pic.
Done

We changed and the process started. The first paragraph has explained exactly what process we went through so I wouldn't want to go into detail because it is quite...eeky to say! However, when the first round of water filled my stomach, I thought my tummy was going to burst! Finishing the 25L was quite hard but hey, we made it with lots of giggles, squirkings and amusements! When we were done, we took our shower, was given some sort of a herbal tea to drink, paid 900B and got a bottle of fiber supplements. We left starving! Haha!

If you are somewhere close to Las Vegas, check out rapid detox. While it is different from what I have experienced in Yanhee, it also provides a safe process of detox but in a different way. It uses advanced medication technique. This detox helps people addicted to opiates/narcotics overcome the bulk of physical addiction. The whole process lasts for about 8 hours under anesthesia and another 3 days of stay at their recovery center. The patient will get a one-on-one recovery care for the first 24 hours. According to the website, they focus on anesthetizing the patient safely and comfortably so the patient does not experience any of the intense withdrawal symptoms brought on by the aggressive and rapid detox process. In my opinion, it is a good way to help patient recover and have a thorough cleanse of their body. Pay them a visit or visit their website as mentioned earlier at this paragraph to know more about the program and the process overall.

Anti-Aging Herbs and Spices

Of late, I have been crazy about spices. Turmeric, fennel seeds, cumins, fanugreek...you name it. It all started with a craze that dad and I currently have and that is cooking. So every time while cooking, I wondered what certain spices has to contribute to a consumer's health. I decided to read up.

Turmeric - A spice that is constantly used in Indian cuisine. The time when I was worried about zits, I read somewhere that sounds like: "throw away your anti aging product, turmeric is much kinder to your pocket!" So what's the secret about turmeric? According to ezinearticles, it has antibacterial properties and used to treat obesity. It also has beneficial effect on the liver, stimulating the flow of bile and the breakdown of fats. In this part of the country, the Asians use it to treat stomach disorders, mestrual problems, blood clots and jaundice.

Fennel - It helps with anemia, indigestion, flatulence, constipation, colic, diarrhea, respiratory disorders, menstrual disorders, eye care and removal of toxic from the body.
Cumin seeds - Also known as jeera, this spice helps a person with iron deficiency. When used in food preparation, they help cure anemia, and other related to iron deficiency. It also acts as aid to those suffering from insomnia. Cumin also has anti-bacterial properties and is effective in skin care routines. In the type of oil, cumin contains vitamin A, E and C. These properties helps strengthens a person's immune system. The oil is also effective in treating cholera and diarhhea. One thing I like about this spice is the aroma and taste. One thing that makes Indian cuisine taste nice! :)
Fanugreek - It is known to be anti-oxidant which takes care of free radicals. The Harem women in ancient times used this as breast enlargement and also to improve milk supply for nursing mothers. According to one of my Indian parents in school, this seed if taken early in the morning with a cup of drinking water, can avoid a person from getting arthritis and jaundice when they grow old. I am yet to try.

For now, these are the main spices I am using extensively in my home cooking. Now that I have a better understanding of what does what, I will be less hesitant to use them appropriately in a way that contributes to our health.

What Would Be Your Religion Flow Chart

Hahaha! Whosoever have so much time on their hands to make this kind of chart?? Take a look and tell me what religion you were suppose to follow. According to the chart, I should be a Muslim! :)

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What To Do? It's Valentine's Day

pic.courtesy: snippet&ink

Next week, love birds will be celebrating the V-Day. I figured that it is one of the least romantic days of the year. Why? Because this is when most men act like robots. To some, it's a day of obligation, thus thought flowers and chocolates are a must because that's what the norm tells them to do. Well, if you think you would snap out of that, then think outside the box! One guy friend ask me what should he do to celebrate Valentine's day for someone who is running a distance relationship like him??

I told him, there are many ways to show love through...

1. the internet!!!

Hobbit once ordered a bouquet online and asked them to send it to my work place! It was so sweet of him but once I came to know the actual price (when he could just drive to Thong Lor and get those same flowers for 3 times cheaper), you know me and the things I would say to make him not spend so much again. Haha! Well, that's besides the point. Do splurge once in a while for the ones you love dearly.
Get a love script necklace such as this and ship it to her with additional stuff such as cards, imaginary kisses, multiple vitamins of love, etc.
Make and design your own moshy-mushy card to send it over.
Have someone (her sister, brother, aunt, maid...) make heart garlands and hang it on her room door with lots of love messages from you in between the garlands the night before V-day...I would love this kind of surprise!
Ooh..and add this cute hugable pillow with your garland gift! :)

2. get a representative..

I recall I was in my first year of college and got into my very first relationship with this sweet guy before I left the two days before. I had knew him for about 5 years and had a crush that long but he only told me his well-kept feelings two days before I left for college! It was the hardest to let go when I left. So V-day came and I thought oh well, I'll just stay in my room, join the college love day, and give him a love call. Guess what, I came back to my room, tired, worn-out from work and right there on my study desk...was the cutest thing ever!
I wish I had taken pictures of it (poor student, no camera that time). A colorful bowl bouquet and a simple note which signed his name. It turns out that he has asked his aunt to make the effort for him. It was one of the sweetest thing ever! I have experienced many sweet things like this in my life and I am really grateful that I am loved. Thanks to you who made the efforts.

Yes, make an effort to show you care, remember, and love. Be it a simple thing you ask someone to carry for you, be it cheap or expensive, show! Distance or near, do not hold back because it is true that action speaks louder than words and the impression your loved ones will get, will stay with them forever!
I wish to sit quietly and reminisce all the good times Hobbit and I had together through all the years this coming Valentine's day.

Loh Han Guo Thong Sui

Lately my body heat has gone berserk. I suffer from chapped lips, teary eyes, and feverish like kinda feeling. I brought back several loh han guo 罗汉果 aka. Buddha seed, all the way from home and boiled one yesterday. Drank a glass every 2 hours for two days and now my body is back to its normal temperature again!

How to:
2L water
1 or 2 loh han guo
some dried wintermelons/sea coconut
brown sugar to taste

Crack LHG and boil all the above for about an hour. Serve it hot or cold. It's refreshing!!

DIY - Refashioned Old Blouses

Wednesday Break

Thinking of her friend who is in the hospital --Nok.

I felt quite lonely this morning. Hobbit went to work, the house was quiet, my neighbors made no noise, the swimming pool that's usually loud was calm...I thought I would be doing some school work but my mind couldn't focus. So I went online and thought of continuing my Korean series but still...I felt like doing something different. Later I decided to pick up where I left on my sewing projects.

I have been searching for a long sleeved working shirt for almost 2 weeks now. Every time I found something close to what I was looking for, there is always something that stops me from buying. Perhaps refashioning old working clothes is not a bad idea after all! I could wear something old to school yet in a different style! :)

Right then, this amateur seamstress quickly examined her blouses! The red shaded baggy blouse (I don't know the specific name of such style) was bought before I went to EARCOS last year. When I wore it for the meeting, I felt like a small fish swimming in a big ocean! I wore it once to school and felt the same thing before it went into the to-donate category. The blue-colored shirt was from Platinum. Same thing, also swam in it but not as bad as the red one.
Since I have never done any major altering before, my hands were quite reluctant to refashion. What if I cut it too short and hey, there is no turning back once mistakes kiss the blouses...Then again I thought SO WHAT?? I was planning to donate it anyway, pretend it was already given. :)
I bravely changed the bobbin's thread to elastic thread and sew two inches above the end of the red blouse. It helps the blouse to shrink at its end and enables me to tuck-loose it while matching it with a mini skirt. Guess what? While I was sewing on the elastic thread, the second line went slightly off causing one end shorter than the other end. I didn't know what to do yet I tried it on and it fits just fine without others noticing the unevenness.
Moving on to the blue blouse, I decided to shorten the sleeves. I snipped what needed to, gathered on both sleeves before altering the wrist cover to the new length of the sleeves. This was the hardest part because you need to hold the gatherings and slit it into the wrist cover and sew. Lucky me to not suffer any pricks from the needles! Sewed back the buttons and I was done! The short sleeves were actually inspired by my white working shirt's sleeves. Amateur me was more than satisfied that it even crossed my mind to take up a second career--Full time seamstress!! Gah, dream on, ME.

DIY - Alter Unused Skirts

It's Tuesday Break.

Our school had asked us teachers and students from Kinders to Middle school to stay at home until Friday due to the flu outbreak. Thus here I am wondering how I could fill my days during these breaks besides doing school work.

After my short trip out with some friends yesterday, I came home and started rummaging a whole pile of to-give-away clothing. I found some skirts and some blouse, all still in good condition except I don't quite like how I look like when I am on them. So I decided to refashion! I am so inspired by My Mama Made It and thought if she can do it why not I. :)
These two skirts are only worn once or twice. This white skirt was bought 4 years ago from Ten&Co. I bought without trying it on and when I wore it, punya bida and made me look short. The grey-colored one was a bit tricky. It was bought from a korean branded outlet. It is sort of like a wrap skirt but not quite. There's a belt sewn to the waist and you need to adjust the belt so it could hold up the whole thing. Loved the material but not the hassle.

Then decided to shorten the white skirt and put and modify the waist of the grey skirt. I took off the belts, sew an inch around the waist line, made holes to both edges and inserted elastics. Viola! In less than 40 minutes, I transformed two skirts into something wearable. No more donating nor buying!

Coming up is a DIY on my old blouse!