Office  is not all paperwork, we also have occasional  ”table topics” that is … food … food.. food galore.   Pictures posted here are  our favorite food that we commonly serve in office get together.  Last time, to honor a colleague who will be leaving us for good, we prepared wide choices of food for lunch.   You bet, we all enjoyed it!

Our office “party” (done during 1 hour break time) is a welcome respite from the monotonous work of typing, file, request memos, regular meetings, conferences and dealing most of all with toxic staff and colleagues.  Such a stressful  office life!.

I think food really comforts us,  so our running joke in the office holds true… we are all on SEE FOOD DIET… because whenever we SEE FOOD , WE EAT!

Biryani

Homous

Beef

chicken

Chinese rice noodles

spring rolls

siomai

These are some of our favorite dishes… Yummy!

Finally, all 6 boxes full of  presents were picked up by a cargo forwarding company managed by a friend.  One box will be by air cargo which will take about a week and the rest will by sea cargo- expected approximately 45 days to be in transit.  I am pretty sure it will be worth the wait for my relatives , because all their Christmas presents are there.  Actually, I wasn’t able to send it on time because we were caught up in the Christmas rush and were busy attending gatherings and so I thought of sending them after the holidays.

Aside from shopping,  labeling and preparing the boxes was also tedious .  It gave my husband some sort of back pain just wrapping the whole box with package tape.    We used to do it that way to protect everything inside against water damage and to make it sturdy and durable.   Masking the box will help survive the impact of being hurled into container vans and also protection from mishandling which oftentimes cause boxes to rip apart.

So, I hope they will come to like our presents… t-shirts, shoes, soaps, lotions, and all sorts of knick-knacks.  Now, that it had been picked up,  my storage room is now devoid of clutter but  soon , I will be saving things again for the next Christmas season.

That’s our life as overseas worker, we work, we earn and we share our blessings to loved ones back one!  Good deed, isn’t it?

Jake, a very good friend hosted a  thanksgiving party a week ago.  We can’t help but marvel at his mansion up on a hill overlooking a spectacular beach view.  He was estatic over the very good turn out of his company’s year-end report and he had all good reasons to celebrate and share the blessings he and his family are continuously enjoying.

His business empire - an  import/export handicraft business is making  fortune!   It  started as a small company and now considered to be successful and one of the biggest supplier of handicrafts locally and internationally.   Just like any other business, it was plagued at the start with all sorts of problems, however, he is  lucky to be sorrounded by dedicated manpower and a business partner who introduced him to the wonderful world of web hosting.

Their company is  provided with the best professional service ever that its success soared high in no time at all.  He was bragging how his company was  handled perfectly by managed hosting.   I also wonder what  is it in colocation?  I’ve heard this alien- sounding word countless of times all throughout the night. He was all praises every time he mentioned about it and the sparke in his eyes easily give away his excitement (or the secret!).

Hmmmm… need to do my research because I believe I am already outdated with news about technologies, web hosting, et al.  I don’t want to be left behind since a cousin overseas showed interest in a garment business.   I know all the bits and pieces of information I’ve gathered from Jake about web hosting will be of great help.

Sweets!!!   A favorite cake house near our workplace is the best place where we order sweets.   Be it a staff birthday celebration, a send off party or any office get together, you will find it served on the dessert table. It’s hassle free!  Ordered by phone and delivered free.

The last time we had this sweet treat was during our Christmas get together and it became favorite desserts for any gathering we have.  It may looked very rich with sugar and syrup but the taste is just fine and easy for diabetics.    For the sweet toothed, I know that these will suit them fine.   Actually, as long as we know how to regulate our consumption of  sugar, we don’t have anything to worry about acquiring diabetes.  The disease developed due to a lot of factors!

So let us always be in control and  to indulge once in a while.  There should be no excessive sugar intake!

How can one resist these sweet temptation???

Yes!!!! After a bout with migraine yesterday, I was up and about and hubby planned to take me out to get fresher air since I was confined in our bedroom the whole day, almost motionless because as I’ve said any physical activity worsens the headache.  I was able to rest and had the chance to relax.  Good, I was able to get over the pain fast. Actually, for me, a tried and tested remedy is  a quiet, dark  and cozy room.  It always work well for me.  Hubby treated me  like a  princess- but a sick princess!   I was not allowed to do house chores but that is only during my migraine period.

Hubby was sure glad to see me well!   He prepared our brunch (breakfast and lunch), we watched the news on our cable TV and he convinced me to go out shopping.  I have told him the other week while showing my worn out pair of shoes that  I needed new pair since my favorite ones had already served me well and obviously for retirement.   Well, he treated me to a big mall and there without complain (surprisingly!!!), he allowed me to buy the shoes of my choice though it is a bit pricey.   I was hesitant to get them but he insisted that I can take not only one but two pairs!  Wow!  It is very strange of him to give in to my indulgence, knowing how thrifty he is!



A treat from hubby….

Oh well, who am I not to obey?  lol… so here I am posting the office shoes that we bought.  Maybe it is a pre-Valentine’s gift …. And hopefully something grand will follow….

Just wishful thinking!

It’s not a girl’s name.  It is a forewarning signal that an impending headache is coming and in fact, it is not new to me because almost every month, I am having this aura thing.  I can see spots, wavy and flashing lights when my eyes are closed about 30 minutes before the headache starts.  I dread the feeling of having pulsating and throbbing pain on the left side of my head, then moderate headache ensues that usually get worse with physical activity.  As soon as I had this feeling of nausea, I already on guard for vomiting episodes sometimes accompanied by disturbing stomach pains.   There is also  increased sensitivity to light and noise and that’s the clear signal for me to lock myself in a dark and quiet bedroom.  Everybody are aware that I should not be disturb during those times for I will sleep all my aches away.  However, it is of no help because the moment I wake up, it is still there.  Usually, my migraine lasts 12 to 24 hours.   That’s my calvary!  Oh my!

I have done research about its prevention and what I’ve learned are the following worth sharing:

• There are foods like consuming chocolate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), red wine and caffeine can trigger the attack.  It also includes stress, change in daily routine and hormonal thing.     Hmmm.  I don’t use MSG, or drink red wine but I love chocolate and coffee.
• Not enough or getting too much sleep.   I may say not enough sleep doesn’t have any affect at all but getting too much sleep does.  I have noticed that if I get out of bed way beyond my waking hours, I feel sluggish and feeling nauseous.
• Fasting or skipping meals.   Nope, I don’t skip meals.  Fasting ??? Yes, Fast eating!!!!.
• Stress or intense emotions.   Might be….
• Strong odors or cigarette smoke.   Our house is a No Smoking area and nobody smokes.  Strong odors?  We do take a bath regularly….lol
• Bright lights or reflected sunlight.  Probably true…

Oh my!  I dread days of having migraine!

But even how cautious I am and how hard I tried to avoid those triggering factors,  I still continue to experience this migraine thing.   I have never consulted a neurologist about this but one day I will!

Just early this morning, aura was in sight…

Not a good day!

Now, I made up my mind, I am going to stick to our current plan to have our carpets replaced with vinyl flooring!  My dilemma whether to buy new carpets (that  we’ve seen in a trade show last week) or have it vinyl floored is  now confirmed – we opted to go for the latter!  My decision was sealed with the fact I’ve seen bubble gum on our carpet in the TV room the other day where children of our guests stayed so as not to disturb the ongoing meeting.

Minimal spills and stains can be manageable but seeing bubble gum on our carpet somehow almost send me at my wits end!  Exaggerated!  But, I have discovered it during the time that I was not in a good mood and whew, right there and there, I phoned my husband to contact the contractor for the vinyl flooring and have the deal confirmed for next month.

For the meantime,  I have to deal with the bubble gum first!  According to a friend,  her tried and tested solution for removing gums is rubbing peanut butter on the carpet because the oils in it help loosens the adhesive in the gum.  And she swore it worked for her, or using  ice will do the trick.

Another friend e-mailed her suggestion:

1. Scrape away the gum using spatula or spoon and then vacuum the loose bits and pieces
2. Rub the remaining gums with plastic filled with ice until the gum is frozen and then chip it off by using the spoon or spatula
3. The final traces of the gum can be dissolved by using small amount of dry cleaning solution and blot a detergent solution like mixing dishwashing liquid with warm water
4. Then rinse

Well, good luck to me!  I hope it will work….

Gracing  a carpet trade show last week- end made my husband and I dream of having any of those luxurious carpets on display!   We were able to check on countless styles and textures and up to date designs which are already teeming  in the market.   We were particularly in awe with the handwoven, intricately designed carpets on display and I felt that my carpet at home is very much outdated compared with the new selection that we’ve seen.  My thoughts wandered far and I am getting disturbed with this feeling of  buying new home carpets as my special project this 2011.

It is known fact, that carpets  connotes affluence because of its added elegance and sophistication to any home.   However, my idea of carpet is the  comfy and casual look – practical and affordable but should not be compromising the quality.   Of  course, I would love to own plush luxurious carpets where nothing feels as good as sinking your feet into it because of the richness of its’ texture.  But those kind really need expensive and proper maintenance.

Our home carpet can weather the almost every other weekly meeting held in our place and as part of our role as leaders in a community, we often offer and open our homes to members especially during combined trainings that needed a bigger space.   So, I was thankful that we opted to have easy to maintain carpets laid out when we transferred almost 2 years ago.  Vacuuming can be tedious at times especially if there are little children who sometimes can carelessly spill food and drinks.  And so, what more with luxurious carpets?  That requires professional cleaning and maintenance.

Actually, we were planning to have the carpets replaced by vinyl flooring early this month but upon seeing those colorful and intricately designed carpets, I can’t help but think anew.  I should have not gone to the trade show.. . it polluted or shall I say corrupted my mind… lol!  Hubby will not like the idea of changing my mind again because the budget and the contractors for the vinyl flooring are all set.

Oh dear….

My officemate was conspicuously late for work and I was getting anxious that she might not be able to do her morning routine of preparing our conference room for the daily Cardiology morning meeting.  If she will not be able to make it on time, surely, the bulk of the work will be passed on to me.  Actually, I won’t mind but still, I also have loads to do and additional task will derail my time table.

True enough, I was texted that she will be late and was asked to take over.  Though I wasn’t prepared for it, I was obliged to do it, but I was somewhat disappointed because the conference and kitchen keys are nowhere to be found.   How can I prepare the projector for the Powerpoint presentation, open the computer for the log in timesheet and the coffee pots should have been brewing with fresh coffee by that time?  I was all pressured!  Apparently, she took the keys home and I have to call for security personnel and  request to open the doors.

What a morning!  You are all made up, all perfumed for work and now you’ve got yourself a little bit sweaty for being a bit panicky because the clock is ticking fast and the doctors are all coming in to log- in their attendance. The conference room still closed, the security is on his way…. got to compose myself and wait for expected rants of our Department chairman just in case I won’t be able to prepare the room on the dot.

Whew!  How can you blame a colleague for being late who was profusely asking apology for her tardiness?  Well, no recourse but to say it’s alright! I hope she is not making up excuses… it would be better if she will set her alarm clock an hour earlier so there will be no rushing on her part.   This getting up early should become a habit so that some people will not get affected in a way.  I was very much influenced of my husband’s promptness and 5-10 minutes delay on schedule is considered a big deal for him, so I always make it a point to keep up with his pace.

As the saying goes “ Time waits for no man!”

I am not really a shoe lady but during the 2 remaining months (November & December) of 2010, I bought 3 high heeled shoes from Nine West and Vicci and I had realized now that those were  bought out of impulse because I was enticed by those screaming SALE signs.  Usually, if  I don’t have money  to splurge, I am avoiding those shoe stores.  Admittedly, the quality and styles of shoes sold there are to drool for but the prices are really too expensive for ordinary shopper like me.   However, the holiday season allowed me to shop to my heart’s content because I had 3 important occasions to attend to;  a wedding, a debut party and a grand Christmas celebration.  Yes, I bought a pair for each gathering!

When I had the chance to organize my things yesterday by putting all my shoes in order by storing them one by one into their respective boxes then I labelled them.   As I was doing that, quite a tinge of misgiving entered my mind- like I should have not bought those shoes because the heels are high and not practical … well all sorts of silly reasons which I know in a way won’t help since it was already there.  But anyway, since those expensive shoes will surely last for years because they were made of durable materials, I am pretty sure that I will be able to use them repeatedly to many special gatherings and eventually my budget will be spared.

Somehow, those shoes already served their purpose; I looked 2 1/2 inches taller, I walked graciously and it helped me checked my walking posture.  I also believe that it looked good on my feet so I  felt good and gave me that illusion of being beautiful…. lol!

Posting these pictures alleviate my misgivings… they are pretty sandals afterall…