Trucks in Thailand

Trucks are very common type of transportation that is used here in Thailand. Many of these trucks have been transformed into passenger trucks which they call the " Song Theaw" , while the others have been used to sell fruits, vegetables and other things. Many of them use these trucks as their personal means of transport too.

For many of the families, trucks are also the most convenient transportation as the truck bed can be used to carry a lot of things from animals, motorbikes, appliances, people and everything unimaginable. A big family can fit in a truck offering ample of space in front and at the back. And since it's big and tough, it can be used to almost any terrain.

For people who loves to accessorize and modify, they make sure they have the latest truck bed rails ( black, stainless and chrome) , truck bed caps ( abs, diamond plate and stainless ) and other accessories that go with the go rhino trucks.

Would it be a good idea for our family to have a truck? Maybe, but then it will be harder for me to drive as I'm already having difficulty learning to drive a car. Hmmm...

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by realtrucks.com*

Giver Kids

I'm blessed how my li'l ones have already learned the value of sharing their blessings with other children. Just last week, we were going to have a gift giving project in the fishing village where we hold weekly English classes. Our project for that week was giving out of soft toys for the kids. We've already gathered 2 very big bags full of stuffed toys from Malaysia and thought of adding more from our kids soft toy collection.

So, I talked with my kids and told them of giving out some of their soft toys for kids in the village who don't have their own. They were excited and were busily going up and down and collecting their soft toys. I was surprised that they even gave out some of their favorite toys. I had to ask them many times whether they are sure to give those since its their favorites. My Hubby was amused by my questioning and even said, it's okay, they want to give and bless the other kids. Hahaha! It seems that I'm the one who was having a hard time letting go of the soft toys given to them by some of our friends and family. Maybe it had some kind of 'sentimental' value for me. But our kids were happy and I'm glad that they can easily let go of their 'possessions' to bless other kids.

So, now we only have Giraffe, Elle, A Bear, a few puppies and a rag doll left behind. All the rest have gone ( the rabbits, Mr. Clause, Tigger, Pooh, the Mousey and etc.) but are happy to have found new owners for them.

That same Saturday, when my Hubby and the team gave out the soft toys to the kids, everyone was really delighted with the gifts. All the kids and even their parents were so grateful for them. It is just my prayer that the next time, they too will receive the greatest Gift of all.

French Words

Can you recognize these words? vélo électrique , fauteuil louis 16 and domiciliation . They are actually 3 french words with the third one as an English word too which means, to establish a residence for oneself or one's family. Would France be a nice country to settle as a family? Hmm.. I'm not so sure but I would love to see France someday and see the Eiffel Tower and step into the Louvre Museum.

Girls' Day Out Vs. Boys' Day Out

Last weekend was our first time to have a simultaneous 'boy's day out' and 'girl's day out'. The boys ( my Hubby and li'l boy) went swimming while the girls ( my li'l girl and I) went window shopping. It was so cute how my li'l boy was so excited to go swimming with his Appa. He was too excited that it was like he didn't know what to do first. My girl on the other hand was so cool but was chatty as usual.
When we went to Lee Garden's Plaza, we saw that the Fine Arts students of Thaksin University was having an Art Exhibit. Oh, that was a pleasant surprise for me as I just love looking at paintings and sculptures. I would have to say that I was amazed by the students' talents and creativity. My li'l girl on the other hand has shown so much of interest with the paintings, asked a lot of questions and even 'interpreted' some of the abstract figures. I would have to say, she has an eye for art.
After the exhibit, we had some snacks and McCafe and spent some time there. My li'l girl was busy assembling her Mcdo toy while I spent time drinking my yummy blended mocha latte' and reading a few chapters of my book. Then, the rest of the afternoon was spent strolling around Central and looking at their stuff ( pheng maak maak!!).

As for the boys, they also enjoyed their swimming and swam for 2 hours in the pool.

That was our Saturday afternoon. It was a refreshing one.. a break from my normal routine of being with my 2 energetic kids 24/7. Thank you Lord!

The Motorcycle Ride

Here is my li'l boy enjoying his motorcycle ride. Whenever we go to these entertainment places for kids in the malls, he would always point at all those motorcycles and cars that he wants to ride. He just love all these rides that even it's just for a few minutes you could see that he's enjoying his 'freedom'.

I'm sure he would be a motorcycle or car lover when he grows up like most of the boys. He would then be so updated with the latest car design models and car accessories like halo headlights, dash kits and etc. As a mom, my only request would be for him to be careful and not drive so fast.. :)

Veggietales

My kids got introduced to Veggietales cartoons when we stayed at our friend's house for a few days. They really liked it so much and I on the other hand would prefer them to watch these kind of cartoons in which they learn more about Bible stories rather than all the fairy tale cartoons.

Since my girl obviously love veggietales, she never stop talking about it and reciting the scripts and scenes. So, my hubby decided to look for it in the internet and found some episodes in youtube. He downloaded it in our PC through atube catcher and be saving these in the dvds later. Thank God for free downloads.. :) Now, my kids are happily watching the cartoons and good hear them laughing and giggling at some portions of the movie.

Kids English Workshop

We will be having our 1st kids summer workshop in our new building center next month. It will surely be a busy month for us but I'm glad that once again we will be teaching the children. It's been quite awhile since we had students in our center. It took us quite some time to settle in the new building plus there were a lot of things that happened in between.

But praise God that we are all set next month. I'm praying for God's wisdom and knowledge as we prepare for the curriculum and activities which we are going make. I have to set aside this week to work on the curriculum, materials and activities. The center is already prepared too as the team set it up and cleaned it up last month. It wasn't an easy task for them to do the cleaning which made me hope that there's Seattle pressure washing company here in our place. I've seen their site and they really make a good job cleaning up commercial properties. If you want to know about them you can read more here. Or better yet, click here. It would have been cool to hire them huh? Our center would look good as new.

My Li'l Girl's Favorite Song

For many days my li'l girl has been asking me to sing her favorite song which she heard in the Christian internet radio which we listen the whole day, praise1065.com . At first I didn't know which song she has been talking about . Then after listening to her sing a portion of it, the song really does seem familiar to me but like her I only know the portion that she knows.

Then, yesterday while listening to the radio again, she excitedly told me that the song that's being played is her favorite song. So, this time I listened to the song intently and looked at the lyrics too. It's indeed a beautiful song and I like it too. It talks about Love from 1 Cor. 13:4-8 but a beautiful melody.

Here it is:

Searching for Quick Recipes

There was a time when I was cooking new recipes for many days. I would regularly search for great quick recipes in the internet and try them for our meals. Most of the dishes I love to search are Filipino dishes. I know how to cook some of the Filipino dishes but it's different when I use the proper ingredients and follow the right procedures. Yes, I admit these taste better than my own experimental recipes. Hehee! The internet is indeed a great help huh. Now, there is no need for me to buy those recipe books. I've got quite a number of recipe books here but I've never got to use them because most of the ingredients needed are not available here in Thailand. My recipes books are also western food recipe books which I bought on sale in Malaysia and Philippines.

Anyways, I would like to show a sample of a few of my home cooked meals. :)


This is a Filipino dish called Bihon. It was my first time to cook this dish and my kids love it. They love noodles and pasta stuff.

This is a Thai dish called , Cashew nut chicken. This is one of my favorite Thai dish.. Hmm.. seeing this now makes me want to have one for lunch. :)


Thai Fried Rice. I'm so happy to finally get the perfect result for Thai fried rice. I've always been attempting to cook a nice one but never made it until found the recipe.


This is Beef Kitchup.. or Beef with soy sauce that I've learned from my Mom in law.

Anyways, I hope that I'll be on the mood to try out new recipes again. I would love to explore and try out other dishes too maybe some Italian dishes or mexican dishes ( LOL!). One thing that I also want to learn is to make my own bread. Possible? Maybe if I have more time on my hands. Maybe in two months time when the kids are already in school.

TSMSS- Amazed

(verse 1)
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around but I never hear the sound

(chorus)
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
And how You love me

(verse 2)
You paint the morning sky with miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand

(bridge)
How deep how wide
How great is Your love for me
© 2005 Integrity Music

The Promise

We've just met one of our friends over the weekend and we are so excited to know that he is finally getting engaged and married to his long time sweet heart. We have actually been waiting for this day to come. I could remember those times when my Hubby and I would insistently ask him on why he has to wait for so long when both he and his partner are already equally stable and been steady for a long time?

Two days ago, he blushingly told us of their engagement and wedding plans. And he never failed to mention of the promise ( that I made years ago) to make the brownies that I would serve as one of their wedding souvenirs. And I couldn't even remember promising that! LOL! But I do remember that he liked the brownies and chocolate cakes that I made when he was with us in Thailand. But for sure, I'll gladly bake the brownies for them. It's my great pleasure!

Anyways, we're excited for our friends' engagement and wedding. I'm sure they will be busy preparing for their big day and start planning and looking for their wedding invitations. I saw some nice wedding invitations here in Thailand but I think Malaysia will also have some nice ones too. I'm not sure though whether they will have those save the date cards. Anyways, praying for order and wisdom as they prepare for their big day.

Refreshing Conference

I just came back from a conference and I feel so refreshed spiritually and physicially. It would seem quite contradicting on why I feel spiritually refreshed when I haven't even attended most of the sessions. My li'l boy seem to love the cool weather in Cameron highland so much that he is wakes up so late in the mornings and take long naps in the afternoons. So, that explains why I haven't been in most of the sessions since I stay and wait for my li'l boy to wake up. But it was on those long 'waits' that I had some quality time doing some reading and meditating. It was on those times when I received some fresh revelation from God and it was just awesome! And during the times when I attend the sessions, the more I receive some confirmations concerning the things that were in my quiet times. Thank You Lord!

Writing Tasks

I still have a few more writing tasks to do. I have to finish all these tasks by tonight because we will be traveling tomorrow and be staying in a place where there is no internet connection. It's quite difficult for me to write these days, sometimes my mind just go so blank especially when I need to write on topics that are far from my interests and blog theme.

I admire those people who are just so knowledgeable on a wide array of topics and are just gifted in writing. I'm sure they will be doing a great job in essay writing and custom term paper writing. I've heard that some people can write an essay with a difficult topic within just a few hours of research and writing. Not everyone has such talent that they can do some custom writing services. It takes talent and skill and sad to say, I don't belong in such category. But I'm thankful enough that I can write a bit and know how to express in words the things that are in my mind. And I am most thankful that through the things I write I can communicate with my readers and at times can also earn from it.

WFW- Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17

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Moving?

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Thankful Thursday - March 11

I know it's still officially Wednesday but I thought of posting my thankful list now since we will be traveling tomorrow.

I have a lot of things to be thankful for this week.. here they are:

1) I thank God for His favor for letting me have a hassle-free visa processing at the Malaysian immigration.

2) I thank God for his protection for trip from Thailand to Malaysia.

3) I thank God for our friend, PetJan who accomodated us in their house during our stay here in Malaysia. A million thanks Jan!

4) I thank God for the conference that we will be attending starting tomorrow until Sunday. Praying for a refreshing and pleasant time there in Cameron Highlands.

5) I thank God for His continual strength and provision for our family.

The 'Terrific' Twos

We've heard about the 'terrible twos'. The stage where our toddlers have that power struggle, tantrums and the time when they are in the 'me' stage. Well, that's where my li'l boy stands now. It's quite a challenge to let him listen and follow rules. It's also quite a challenge on how to cool him down and play with the other kids.

But on the other hand, there is also a positive side of this stage which I would like to call the 'terrific twos'. This is the stage when they are so cute and loving and giving you endless, hugs, kisses, Thanks yous and I love yous. I would want the "terrible twos" stage to end but I would definitely love the 'terrific twos' to stay. With li'l boys become big, I'm sure there will be less of those display of affection as they get older and older.

Anyways, to understand more of our Baby and children it's best for us to continue to read things about them, their behavior and their development. We can also join forums like babiesbase.com to talk with moms and experts on our concerns and issues with our children.

The Immigration Process Was Breeze

Praise God for a great blessing today! We went to the Malaysian immigration to renew my Malaysian social visa and it was a breeze! For the past years, we always go to the Malaysian immigration very early ( before the sun rises) to be queue up. When we arrive, the office is usually so crowded already and we would get the last number. We would usually wait for several hours before our number gets called and then, we have to come back after a day or two to collect my visa.

But today was quite different. We went to the office quite late but when we arrived, we still got our priority number and was surprised that the calling of the numbers was quite fast. The office is bigger now with a lot of counters opened to serve the people. When we came, the number being served was number 44 and we got number 74. And surprisingly, we only waited for about 30 minutes for our number to be called! Yes, 30 minutes!! Wow! In the past, it usually takes us half a day to wait to be served.

And another surprise, was that my visa will be processed immediately and can be collected at 1pm the same day. Amazing!

Thank God for a great and stress-free day at the immigration office. Whew! And to celebrate our victory, we ate at Mcdo and had my favorite pancake breakfast! YUM! Thank You Lord!

Filipino Subject

This is a sponsored post.

I've just received the Filipino (Araling Panlipununan) ACE booklets I borrowed from my friend for Tricia's home school ( thanks ate Sar!). I plan to try teaching her Filipino so she can get to understand even a little bit of our National Language. I wonder if she'll be interested with it. Well, I would just have to try huh! :) I'm planning to start her Homeschool at the same time as her Thai school in May. In this way, we can have a regular schedule as my li'l boy will also be in pre school so, I can fully concentrate teaching her.

For the meantime, I'm doing the " I wonder why" series with her. I'm also looking for educational online games but haven't found one yet. We had the Dr. Seuss program before but I just couldn't find it anymore.

I've also heard about the Poptropica Games but I guess I have to wait till she's a bit older for that ( maybe 12 years old) because their games are more catered to the older kids.

Thankful Thursday - March 2, 2010

It has been quite awhile since I last joined Thankful Thursday and I'm glad to be back here.

Here is my Thankful List for this week.

• I thank God for His constant blessings and provision in our lives.

• I thank God that we already found a Thai school for our li'l ones. They also gave us a special favor in letting our girl only have classes for half a day so, I can homeschool her in the afternoons.

• I thank God for my sweet li'l ones.. their countless hugs, kisses and thank you's and I love you's just fill my heart with joy.

• I thank God for a Hubby that loves and helps me out a lot in spite of his busy schedule at work.

• I thank God for opportunity to go back to Malaysia to attend a conference and see our family and friends. Exciting!

Hope to see you at Laurie's blog next week!

Off to Dental Land

Dental Land is a children's dental clinic here in Hat Yai. We will be going there tomorrow to have our li'l girl's teeth filled. She had been complaining about her teeth for quite some time now and I thought that we must not delay anymore or else she might suffer in pain in the near future.

I like the concept of this clinic, it's really child friendly. Children going to clinic's like this will surely have no more fears in going to the dentist. Their staff are friendly and interiors are very colorful and playful. My kids immediately enjoyed their short stay there when we had Tricia's teeth checked a few weeks ago. We even thought that service fees and rates for this clinic will be quite expensive but we found out that it's almost the same with the other normal clinics in the city.

Speaking of clinics, do you know what's the German word for pharmacy? It's Apotheke, I've actually just learned this new German word now. I've actually come across a german site that has Online Apotheke. I was wondering what the site is about and had to search the meaning of Apotheke. Now, I know that there are German online pharmacies in the net too.

Water Wednesday - Sunset

This is a view of the sunset from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong. Sorry for a blurred photo, my camera is not a very good one so, it didn't bring a perfect shot when I zoomed it. But in reality, this sunset was stunning during the time we were there. :)

The Missing Tooth

This is a sponsored post.

My li'l girl has lost her tooth a few weeks ago. She got her tooth knocked out while I had my driving practice. Yeah, I'm guilty about her missing tooth and I can't help but be sad every time I remember the incident. My li'l girl has to wait for another year or two before her permanent tooth will come out. It's a good thing though that it was only her baby tooth that got knocked out. But I do hope that her permanent tooth's growth won't be affected as it comes out. You see, my li'l girl's front teeth are quite protruding. I think she would need braces in the future if her permanent teeth would grow the same was as her baby teeth.

I've had braces when I was much younger. My father knew one of the pioneer orthodontists in our city and he gave us a big discount for my treatment. In the Texas, I've heard about the leading Austin Orthodontics. They're known to have a family friendly dental practice where both kids and adults alike have a pleasant experience with their services and treatment.

WFW- Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2

With the tragedies, calamities and devastation around us, we can't help but be fearful of the things to come.. But God has an assurance, a promise for us, said, I WILL BE WITH You through the waters, through the rivers and through the fire.. and those words are enough to instill peace and comfort in our hearts.. Thank you, Lord!

Join us this week at Penny Raine's blog.