More Wordless entries here.

I can't believe it's over a year now since I last participated in this meme *sheepish smile*. Oh well, I'm back, Lunanina =) So for my comeback entry, here's my 9th for this week's mutterings.

1. Up :: high


2. Scram! :: scoot!


3. Smell :: stink


4. Belong :: part of


5. Doug :: Disney's TV Show (Doug Funnie)


6. Collar :: bone


7. Squirrel :: furry


8. Chinese :: Chairman Mao


9. Tracker :: dog


10. Apartment :: pad

Smiling is infectious,

you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner

and someone saw my grin

When he smiled I realized

I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile

then I realized its worth,

A single smile, just like mine

could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected

Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected!

My contribution to the on-going Isang Minutong Smile (A Minute of Smile) advocacy initiated by fellow bloggers The Pope and Lord CM, a wonderful campaign to spread smiles all over the blogosphere especially during this difficult period of time.

So on December 8, let's stretch out our facial muscles and flash our sweetest smiles. It's not that difficult to do...


See? Even my pet Max can do it.
Magkahawaan na tayo sa pag-ngiti!







***
NB: The author of the above piece is unknown and the owners of the site where I took this from request to contact them if you are aware of the origin/own the copyright to the poem, or are the original composer of the pice, and wish to claim credit for it or want it taken down.

My husband and I were enjoying his birthday dinner, when, over a cup of tea, I was kinda forced to reveal to him (he was very persistent) my surprise gift.

I first gave out clues (dust, countryside, heat) and he looked at me quizzically with one eyebrow raised, thinking...

It's not target shooting, is it? He asked.

Oh no, no, no, no... way better than that, I assured him.

When I finally let my secret treat out, he smiled broadly. Then I realised that I had made a good choice. Will tell you about it more in the coming posts but will leave you with this picture as a teaser.

This is not a paid post. Seriously.

Our car battery was stolen today by some scumbag(s) near our house and in broad daylight. The car was parked just a stone's throw away from our apartment as Rob had the car parked there very early in the morning to give way to the wedding ceremony at a neighbour's house three doors down from where we are. As to how the culprit(s) was/were able to open the locked car hood, it's still a mystery. But it's the work of an experienced one. Car battery thieves are all over our place and apparently had already victimized more than a dozen of car-owners in the area. To say it sucks is an understatement. My husband's face turned beet-red but kept his cool. However, we take comfort in the fact that the car needed a new battery anyway (right away we bought new one at $65 per unit) and our $100 car radio remained untouched by these crackheads.

With used car batteries being worth from $5-$30, they prove to be a very lucrative target for thieves all over Phnom Penh. Without having to take the battery out when the car is not in use or locking it each night, how do we prevent this from happening in the future? I searched the net for answers and was not disappointed at what Google came up with, some unconventional anti-theft system. Click the link for a demo. I think after watching the animations you would definitely pay to have any of those installed when you buy a car.

And here's some more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO7s9y9Vjtg

I hope the scumbag(s) who stole our car battery have internet access, and can see these, and will think twice before stealing somebody's car or parts of it.

After several weeks of being busy with the international women's conference that I helped organise, I am finally free and back to my normal routine. I was relieved when the last of the participants left Phnom Penh on Nov 25, coinciding with my husband's birthday. After sending them off, I didn't waste time and immediately sprung into action and planned a simple dinner.

For our food, I decided to prepare my husband's favourite. Nothing fancy, just his favourite samlor kari saramann, nom pang (local version of French baguette), and beer. In my mind, I was also debating whether I should bake or buy a birthday cake instead.

Cooking samlor kari saramann is a story in itself. It was easy to make as the recipe I used was taken from the cookbook that my husband bought for me months ago. However, selecting and preparing the ingredients for the curry paste is quite tedious. First in my to do-list was to get fresh ingredients from the market. Although I live in Tuol Sangkeo, Psah Boeungkengkang, for me, was the place to go. There, an array of fresh herbs and spices, such as lemongrass, coriander, ginger, garlic, shallots, chilli, and anise seed, greeted me. There were so many to choose from! I'm glad one ming (older woman) helped me out with my choices. Once the ingredients were selected and washed, these were pounded one after another to make a perfect curry paste. This task, I learned, required the strength of Wonder Woman to endure more than an hour of pounding in order to achieve the ideal consistency. I used a mortar and pestle made of stone, the one I 'inherited' from a Nepali friend who left Cambodia years ago. It's really heavy, so you can imagine my ordeal. But, as I said, I love doing this so I went about the task merrily.

Originally, the recipe requires beef, but I substituted it with pork when I came home and found out there was no more beef in our fridge. Also, I added potatoes and string beans which are not in the original recipe just to add something filling in it.

After an hour or so of boiling and boiling... here's the result of my labor of love...


After a hard day's work, my husband came home and feasted on a steaming bowl of samlor kari saramann. Rich, savoury, spicy and creamy...

This dish is very popular especially at Cham (Khmer Muslim) and Buddhist weddings in Cambodia, served with either rice or nompang. Old folks, especially our landlady's mum-in-law, told me that this dish tastes even better when served the next day.

Initially I was planning to bake a cake for dessert, but I thought that with the pounding and stirring of the kari dish, I wouldn't have enough strength to do so. Against my better judgement, I bought a double-choco cake at Lucky's. Bad move. It was dry and forgettable. I knew I should've made my own carrot cake topped with the special frosting that I successfully invented months ago. There's always another time, my husband chirped. There goes my dear husband again... never demanding, always understanding. How lucky am I to have a husband who appreciates my efforts, especially in cooking! *lol*

Sure, the birthday dinner was nothing jaw-dropping or something, as some of you might be saying now. But hey, after being busy (especially me) and spending very little time with each other during those frantic weeks, the simple dinner was our 'reunion of sorts'. It gave us back the missing closeness and connection making the night more memorable. It is certainly the kind of stuff we want to be included in our good times list.

Again, happy birthday, Mahal :)

... at the Russian Market, aka, Tuol Tumpong Market:

Last Sunday, Rob and I went to the Russian Market. Noontime was our choice since we expected it would be less crowded. It seems to be pretty much the time when the market stalls/stores attract interesting characters. While Rob and I were quietly checking out one of the stalls at the books section, a couple in their early 20s walked behind us and were talking in a not-so-hushed tones. The girl probably comes from an expat family in Phnom Penh, as she was obviously showing the boy around.

Girl: So yeah, this is the book section. You can actually find cheap books here. Any kind.

Boy: Uhmm, that's cool.

Girl: They sell all kinds of books, like, novels, memoirs, guidebooks... you know (pointing to the wall laden with guidebooks), Lonely Planet stuffs. What kind of books do you want, anyway?

Boy: Uhmm... I want thin ones...


Toink!

Joining the Wordless Wednesday meme again this week. Check out other Wordless entries here.