Inspirations from Chiang Mai - Gardens of Rimping Village

The majestic banyan tree in the courtyard.

"Pocket" gardens everywhere.

Pots and pots of white orchids. Chiang Mai's cooler, less humid weather is the perfect climate for orchids.

Love the clay jars filled with water and plants.

Wall of bamboo surrounding the property. Keeps the eyes outside the property from peeping inside, and guests from the less-than-picturesque surroundings (the back of shophouses, and alleyways).

Morning sunlight streaming in, and a pretty view of the surrounding greenery as seen through one of the wood-framed, brass-hinged windows.

Inspirations from Chiang Mai - Stop-By's

I am in love with Chiang Mai, and will be posting lots about it.

These shots were taken at a quaint little streetside shop - just zinc roofing and some tree-trunk pillars. Initially we just wanted a takeaway Mango shake - but AK was drawn by the name "Cat Cafe".

And look at the view inside...teracotta fountains, vintage-looking teak furniture, vintage Thai movie posters, and lots and lost of plants - so simple, so rustic, so gorgeous. And even though we just ordered ONE drink for the two of us, they treated us better than many Malaysian outlets - sat us down, gave us two glasses of iced water.

I love how the Thais embrace their heritage - elephant figurines in houses and gardens, teak furniture, tropical plants. And their toiletries - jasmine, white champaka, lemongrass - all plants from the tropics. No need for wishy-washy porcelain ducks or pine trees, tea tree or vanilla. I'd like to emulate the Thais. And support them.

Another place we dropped by for another Mango shake - a stylish little hotel.

Look - a single fresh lotus flower centrepiece. So simple and elegant.

No need for roses or lilies. No garish dried rose-and-lavender flower arrangements.

Ginger flower, another tropical plant. I've since learnt that they are cousins to the heliconia or something, and am keen to have some in my garden.

Check out the cool carpet!

It's all the little details - birdcages, candleholders, the flowers before - that I love.

AK showing us what HE loves - the funky face-seat :)

How to squeeze your housing loans to maximise your returns? - StarProperty.my

How to squeeze your housing loans to maximise your returns? - StarProperty.my

Remembering Bhopal

I've mentioned it before - I work for one of the Big Oil. I don't work for BP.

We mention BP more and more these days. A book titled "Failure to Learn" was distributed amongst some of the staff recently.

We discuss this incident a lot, and it is especially poignant for me because I have experience something highly similar almost 4 years ago. Typing this, I can't believe it's been so long since it happened. I remember it like it was last week. The lucky (or perhaps we were better?) thing was that the last link of the chain of disaster wasn't there. The overspill was, the ignition source wasn't.

And now the Gulf disaster. The worst environmental disaster in US History.

If I were to be mean, or maybe cynical, I'd say it out loud that I'm glad that of all the places for this to happen, it happened in the US. Because of the free media, the people, the ATTENTION that it is getting now. So now BP has to pay $4,300 per barrel it spills. Good. Great.

But today is the anniversary of a much greater disaster. Where the people affected are still waiting (or perhaps already despaired) more than 20 years after it happenned. Where a major corporation got away almost scot-free, helped by the local government. Crime upon crime, injustice upon injustice befell these people.

Are lives cheaper elsewhere outside the Western hemisphere? Can illiterate, uneducated people ever get the justice they deserve more than anyone else? Do people who just had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, who since then have spent their entire lives suffering from the health effects of the disaster, remain voiceless, and continue to suffer in silence?

Is this what globalisation really means? That big corporations can enter a 3rd world country, destroy a generation, a city, then leave without a scratch? Shareholders over victims?

Neither the Indian nor American governments or justice system will pursue this further. Evidence supressed, what little compensation dollars there was given mysteriously missing, sorely needed medical help witheld, ground zero abandoned with all its hazards still intact, leaching into groundwater day by day. What world do we live in that we allow such blatant injustice? And elected governments abandoning their people.

Shame. What can we say of ourselves? What do we tell our children?

It sickens and disgusts me.

Remember Bhopal.

Don't let the world forget.

Home Office

So I got to settign up my spanking new home office.

It has a view of the telly :), and boo boo watching the telly.

Check out the new office chair. Cost me quite a bit but I am supremely happy with it. Of course, I'll be sharing this with AK. We'll roll it back and forth from the room and here.

I removed the keyboard drawer from my new desk (it comes in a very classy dark stain, by the way). Bought it on sale and absolutely love it - comes with a compartment for a CPU, but I placed my personal finance folders in it.

Installed the remaining Ikea lamp.

Hooked up the extension sockets to plug in my laptop and charger if need be.

Actually managed to get quite a tidy amount of work done this weekend.

Doing My (Little) Part

When I was of single-digit age, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I loved reading books on animals, and could tell you what a remora or a hyrax is, and which sharks you should be afraid of and which ones that are more harmless than a fly.



I always had a passion for the environment, borrowing and re-reading a book titled Reduce, Reuse, Recycle again and again. That was when I learnt that reducing is the first choice - always, as recycling does take up its share of resources as well. That book was where I read about composting, about reusing tin cans and bottles.



I've been doing the simplest of things for as long as I can remember - use both sides of a sheet of paper,



Now I can't believe I work for an oil company, one of Big Oil. We print pamhlets to promote Earth Day, for goodness' sake. We guzzle mineral water during meetings, and then leave the half consumed water in the bottles to be tossed. And replace those bottles again for the next meeting. It's ridiculous. It's blatant disrespect.



But I digress. After all, one does what one can:-

1) I bring my own water, as often as I can. When I travel, or go off to a meeting in a hotel, I make sure I have my own supply of water. One bottle saved is still, well, one bottle saved.

2) I recycle as much as I can. Separate my papers and plastics and toss them into the recycling bin.

3) Started growing my own herbs - lemongrass, mint, curry leaves and basil.

4) I use organic, eco-friendly cosmetics. My day moisturiser is Origins Have A Nice Day (really brightens the complexion - totally recommend this), my night cream is the discontinued Olive Brightening Cream (something like this but for night), my foundation is by the Body Shop. Oh, and of course, my body cream (Shea Butter) and my perfume (Lemon Verbena - I have never believed that I could NOT live without a fragrance, but I've used this for 2 years and I don't wanna use anything else) are also L'occitance. I do use mascara from Lancome though - and not much else. I also bought the cherry blossom glitter lotion (for goodness knows what) and am looking forward to trying the Immortelle range next.

5) I set the timer on the airconditioner. Easy peasy.

6) I've sealed my room doors with insulating strips to prevent the loss of cool air. AK doesn't believe in doing this but he obliges me anyways.

7) This is something I've started doing only recently. Trying to anyway - when I peel my fruit, instead of tossing the peel i save it in a plastic bag to add to the soil of my plants. Less waste and a bit of nutrition for my poor suffering heliconia - worth a try anytime. I've also tried this with eggshells.


8) Reduce the use of plastic bags. I have about 8 various-sized canvas shopping bags. I am so diligent with using these that AK has to remind me NOT to bring them because we sometimes run out of bags to put garbage in :)



I want to try these next:
1) Make my own cleaning agents. I cleaned my sinks with squeezed out lemons before and was left with super shiny sinks after that. Here's what I gleaned from Oprah.com:
- For Countertops & windows -->
Combine a tablespoon of white vinegar and a quart of water in a spray bottle, squirt, and wipe dry. Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves dirt, hard water deposits, and soap scum. (Be careful when using vinegar, which can irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.)
- FOR FABRIC STAINS --> attack with white vinegar or lemon juice

- FOR FAUCETS & DIRTY OVENS --> Sprinkle baking soda over the area (only when it's cool) and scrub with steel wool and water. The gritty soda scours off dirt and raises the pH of water, which helps remove chalky white buildup around faucets. (Avoid this abrasive method on glass stovetops.)
- FOR A CLOGGED DRAIN (I've tried this before - it not only unclogs the drain, but removes any smelly odours as well) --> Pour in half a cup of dry baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar, then cover the drain. Wait 15 minutes, then flush with two cups of hot or boiling water.And keep in mind... If you don't want to give up commercial cleaners, cast a skeptical eye on products labeled "eco-friendly" or "organic." Look instead for specific claims (such as "solvent-free" or "phosphate-free") and for the "Design for the Environment" label: These products have been carefully screened for their environmental effects.
I've already bought my vinegar - so cheap at RM3 per half litre. Watch this space!

On the Heart, the Mind and Work

I've been beaten up pretty bad - by my standards anyway. Public rebukes, dismissal of my opinions, unrealistic and unclear demands, work that I had to re-do again and again.

But surprisingly I've been more than mature about it. I used to sob and cry over smaller insults and missteps, but this time I remember what Fr. Gino told us during the Women's Conference - don't let people get you down. Stand up straight, and remember that YOU are someone, God's child. Let people throw sticks and stones and say whatever they want to say. Let it slide. Water off a duck's feathers.

Get your priorities straight, be it family, money, enjoying life to the max, whatever. And remember that it's just a job. Something to put the moolah in the bank.

And so, I continue with a hardened heart. Not cold and unfeeling, but cool and unwavering. And it's time to put the brain in charge when it comes to matters of work and the career.

I came back yesterday with a resolve to win things over. Like I always do. Usually it's sooner, but now it's later - but the important thing is not to give up.

And the world is with with me, like Oprah when she go El Divo to sing Amazing Grace and I caught it twice - so beautiful.

And American Idol and the Inspiration week - my remaining favourite Lee Dwyze (my other fave Didi Benami got booted off earlier) - sang The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel wonderfully.

And so, I move on.