Happy Friday: How Cats Love Music ♪

This fall is a bit freezing in Italy. I somehow feel as if the calendar had been accelerating too much. The month I prefer to skip most is November because of its depressing mist and atmosphere. But when December starts, things are much different. Let's look forward to the month of December!!

At the moment, I don't have much to say. I just have a short nice clip to show you. It's about my teen son and his cat enjoying music in some ways :)

Happy Friday ❣

Thailand episode 4: Bird's eye view of the banks of Chao Praya River

I'm back with some pictures taken from the ferris wheel as mentioned in the previous post. Chao Praya River is a major river in Thailand which flows through Bangkok and then into the gulf of Thailand. I love Bangkok for its ingenious mixture of modernity and antiquity. In my opinion, the contrast of the two styles is the strong point of such a city! I hope you enjoy my pictures ;)

 

 

 

Thailand episode 3: Markets at the Riverfront

There's a new tourist attraction near my parents' home. It was the first time for us visiting this place. It is situated close to the bank of Chao Phraya River, the most important river in Thailand. This area used to be deserted warehouses...but someone has got a great idea transforming it into a stunning and enjoyable markets and attraction. This place is called "Asiatique the Riverfront". It has around 1500 shops, 40 café and restaurants but the most attracting thing is the Ferris Wheel! You can reach the place by car, bus, express boat, BTS (Bangkok Sky Train) or the shuttle boat offered free of charge from the Saphan Taksin Station. To visit the official website, please click here.

We has been there twice. The first time it rained, so we went back there on another evening and we were luckier becuase it was cloudy, breezy but without rain. (July is the month that the rain season started) However, it's recommended to visit the riverfront on the evening and at night to see a more stunning atmosphere and to avoid hot weather.

These are some of our pictures.

 

 

 

 

I'll be back soon with more pictures from the ferris wheel! ;)

Thailand episode 2: Shrine of the Household God

If you visit Thailand, you must see at least once a kind of small Thai-style house on a pillar, usually situated in an angle of the street or in a garden. You should also see some tiny statues of Gods and sometimes dancers in traditional costumes inside. They are not for decoration at all. A kind of altar or table is set in front of it for a specific purpose. I'm going to show you a picture of the shrine of the Household God in front of my parents' house. The inhabitants in the street settled it together when I was a child. I still remember the event and the celebration of the monks.

This is a Buddhist belief; that there're spirits wandering anywhere, in any streets and the houses need a protection from a deity, so people should set up the shrine where the god is invited to stay. The inhabitants in the street regularly offer some food, fruits, flowers and lighten incenses and candles so as to pay respect to the god. Since I was a child, I was used to pay respect to the household god and to ask the god to protect me and to help me everytime I had a school exam, a job interview or in any other situations when I needed a mental support. I'm writing about the shrine because it had been one thing that accompanied my life when I lived in Bangkok!

Thailand episode 1: Bangkok by night

Hi everyone!

I've been in Bangkok for about 3 weeks...and I have only 1 week left to stay....how time flies! I rarely find time to compose a well-organised post, this evening I just thought to begin my stories about holidays in Thailand with this picture. I and my family frequently come to this area. It's quite near my home but it takes time to travel because of the intense traffic.

I promise to post much more pictures and stories when I'll be back in Italy.

See you soon!

Counting down to the departure....

Well, exactly this time in exactly 2 weeks later...I and my beloved hubby and son will be checking-in at Malpensa airport...and the destination is...our beloved city Bangkok!

To start the chapters of my holidays' blogging, I just would like to announce that Bangkok won the Best City Award 2012 from Travel & Leisure Magazine! Well..well...in my opinion, there're no other cities that own such characteristics as Bangkok. Who's never been there yet can't understand the feeling. I'm not talking only about its beauty, its ancient architectures, its traditional costumes and dances, bla bla bla...certainly there's also the negative side of Bangkok, but the feelings, the emotions or whatever you want to call it, that the city and the people offer you are really unique and unforgettable.

Visit the link below ;)

Bangkok Wins Best City Awards 2012 from Travel & Leisure Magazine

So much....sushi!

After a long absence, I came back with one of my most favourite dishes: Sushi! What you're going to see is the picture of my masterpiece (don't mind the exaggeration..) made a couple of days ago. My version of sushi is usually modified as the convenience of finding ingredients. This time I had a pack of smoked salmon in the fridge, so I used it as the main ingredient.

As rice seasoning, I prefer the powdered one. You can use rice vinegar adding some salt and sugar but the rice remains too wet. As my own experience, Thai rice comes out dryer than the Japanese one after steaming. For the reason that I don't live in a place where I can buy very fresh salmon, I don't trust eating it without cooking. I, then, choose to use smoked one. The result is quite satisfactory! Not having conserved ginger to accompany the sushi, I sliced a cucumber as it help reduce the heaviness of grease from salmon. Sorry that I don' t have a Japanese style plate...it would have been more original!

Happy Friday: something about "Air"

I've been quite busy recently and almost forgot about the blog!! I just wanted to wish a happy friday to whoever passes here. Feeling fresh air of spring, I just think to express it in some ways. Firstly, I'd like to quote a piece of poem of a great English poet, John Donne (1572 - 1631) and to follow by a piece of vdo clip of my boy performing "Air" by John Blow (1649 - 1708). Actually, he's practicing it for his very first performance in public at an art gallery next Saturday. Although he just started the piano lessons last October, his teacher assured he was ready for the event. Now, let's be poetic and enjoy the music!

Air and Angels

By John Donne

Twice or thrice had I lov'd thee,

Before I knew thy face or name;

So in a voice, so in a shapeless flame

Angels affect us oft, and worshipp'd be;

         Still when, to where thou wert, I came,

Some lovely glorious nothing I did see.

         But since my soul, whose child love is,

Takes limbs of flesh, and else could nothing do,

         More subtle than the parent is

Love must not be, but take a body too;

         And therefore what thou wert, and who,

                I bid Love ask, and now

That it assume thy body, I allow,

And fix itself in thy lip, eye, and brow.

Whilst thus to ballast love I thought,

And so more steadily to have gone,

With wares which would sink admiration,

I saw I had love's pinnace overfraught;

         Ev'ry thy hair for love to work upon

Is much too much, some fitter must be sought;

         For, nor in nothing, nor in things

Extreme, and scatt'ring bright, can love inhere;

         Then, as an angel, face, and wings

Of air, not pure as it, yet pure, doth wear,

         So thy love may be my love's sphere;

                Just such disparity

As is 'twixt air and angels' purity,

'Twixt women's love, and men's, will ever be.

 Air - John Blow

Delight of the day: Kukicha

I recently have got a new Japanese - style kettle and cups and I was so eager to use them! I and my hubby love trying various types of teas. He likes particularly Indian spiced tea while I prefer light ones. However, infusing tea leaves such a pleasant scent in your room, doesn't it?

Today I'd like to introduce you a particular green tea called "kukicha"; a Japanese blend made of stems, stalks and twigs. Kukicha has a unique flavour and aroma among teas, due to its being composed of parts of tea plants that are excluded from most other teas. It's mild and slightly sweet. It's recommended to steep into hot water at around 80 °c for 8 - 10 minutes. Kukicha is special because it's naturally very low in caffeine without any industrial decaffeination (because of the very long drying process) and for this reason, it's also suitable for kids.

A sweet and colorful treat to brighten up your days!

The so long and enduring winter seems to come to an end...finally!!! It's reported that this spring is the coldest in the last 50 years. No wonder, each year there're some new records regarding weather; the coldest, the hottest, the rainiest, the droughtiest, etc...etc...

Well, to celebrate the sunny and beautiful day like today, I was wearing colorful jeans and jacket. A new haircut is done too! Some time ago I've seen a very cute vdo clip of one of my favourite bloggers. She's Thai like me! I just think it's worth sharing. A cheerful breakfast like this must help brighten up your day. But how patient she is!!!

Have a wonderful day!

What's happening around: Thai Festival in Milan

Hi readers!

I'm back with an upcoming date. If you are curious about Thai culture, love its cuisine and are a fan of Thai boxing, you can't miss this event! The first Thai Festival (ever organised this way in Italy) is taking place on 19-20-21 of this month, in Piazza Beccaria, Milan. There will be various shows such as Thai traditional dances, Miniature Puppet show, Sword dance, culinary demonstrations and the spectacle Muay Thai. To see the programs of each day, please click here.

I'm wishing we'd have warm and sunny days! I can't stand these cold and humid days anymore. It seems summer will never come!!!

A creative gift from a friend!

It's been some time since the holidays were gone, Chinese New Year celebration is over too, so as Valentine's Day!! How time flies! Many things have kept me busy at the moment.

This post is dedicated to my spoiled princess. Some of you might have known her from some of my old posts. Just scroll down a little bit and look at the right sidebar...you should find her sitting elegantly.

Nanà will be 6 years old this May. One of my friends is so kind to draw her a portrait. She loves drawing and her works are inspired by her lovely black doggy. I love her works very much because they are simple but very cute and they tell emotions and stories in only few pictures. You can visit her page at Dots.Lines

Here it is...Nanà's first portrait  =^.^=

Credit to Dots.Lines

Our pianist

We're already near the end of the first month of the new year, how did you begin the year 2013? Well, my life is proceeding quite normally. A little bit of bad weather, humidity, snow...I really hope February won't be too cold. (The last year the temperature went down to -17 °c!)

My son began to take the piano lessons since last October. It seems that he found a new passion! The teacher is very satisfied with him, saying that he's very quick and has learned much in only few months. I and my hubby are glad to hear that. An electric piano was planned to be his Christmas gift but, seeing his enthusiasm, we had anticipated the gift, so he received it in November. Since then, we often have a little bit of sound and music in our home ;)

Our pianist!

I'm posting a video clip of his first song, recorded in December. I wanna entitle the video as "The Pianist and the Listener"

Enjoy the music!

A New Year bliss

The holidays finished. I've been absent from the blog, not because I was too busy in partying or making a trip but because we've been sick for the last half of the holidays! My boy began to get sick on the last day of the year 2012 and it did take time for him to recover, poor him! And guess what, we've got the same symptoms now. We might not have such a great beginning of the new year, however that's not a tragic thing.

Before Christmas, I've got a parcel from one of my dearest friends from Bangkok. When I opened it, I just said "Wow!". She was so kind to send me a box full of delicious sweets (all my favorite ones since childhood) and a pack of amazing jasmine tea as a New Year gift. I said "amazing" because it really is. Those dried flowers, apart from their delicate taste and wonderful scent, are like magic. When they open in hot water, they look like a piece of art. I aprreciated the tea a lot in this moment that I've got a terrible cold and sorethroat. I felt very relieved. I'm going to show you a picture, but I'm sorry that it's impossible to trasmit its aroma through the picture.

I must admit that the poor tiny cup doesn't present the flower in the best way. It's the only cup I have at the moment that let see what there is inside. I've had some of it and you know...it made my day ^_*