Canal biking...

I am very busy this weekend, having fun hosting both Wetcanvas Scavenger Hunt and Weekend Drawing Event. However, we are lucky to have a little break this morning. Today it was cool, no hot sun, and good windy day, perfect to go biking around our orchard neighborhood. We got our nanny to watch Iris. So Tone and I hopped on our bikes and did a nine Kilometer trip. We went for a total of 3 hours because most of the trip was on narrow walkway along canals, which cutting through orchard green zone of Bangkok. We discover many unique ways of Thai life. For example, the first photo shows the canal-side gas station for long tail boats. Some photos show the local convenient shop along the canal, in which they do carry a pulley system that you can yell at them such as the drink you want. Then they will put your drink can into either a basket, or some kind of container hanging from the pulley. Then they will reel the merchandise to you in the air across the canal. Then you put your money into the basket and then they reel the money back to them. One of the photo you will see me standing with my bike along the canal walk way and on the background there was a giant net with bamboo frame. That was a Thai traditional way called "Yok-Yor" to fish in water way. When they want to harvest the fishes, they will lower the net under the canal, wait for a while, then pull the bamboo frame up to lift the net in the air. If they lucky, there will be some fishes at the bottom of the net. Even I am a Thai but I hardly encounter this type of traditional Thai life. Tone and I have fun and love our mini adventure today. We feel very blessed to get to do this.

Happy Thanksgiving 2008 !!!

I have plenty of things to be thankful for in my life. I am grateful for all my blog visitors, my arty friends, and my supporting family. There were times that I did not feel good to draw or paint; you saved me. There were times that my artistic journey feeling like a rut; you kept inspire me. There were times that I wanted to paint or sketch so bad in my busy weekend; my hubby watched our kid for me so I could have a few hours to paint. There are so many families around the world who do not know what will be on their plates tonight or will there be anything on their plates tonight; we are going out for the Thanksgiving meal tonight. I also thankful for a happy healthy smart daughter who when she was a five month fetus, the doctor told me that she was underweight and scared the s*** out of me. If you are one of those lucky people who will have a great feast waiting for you tonight sharing with your loved ones, I hope you never take it for granted of how lucky you are. May peace and love be with you. Happy Thanksgiving... my friends.

'M' for Marvelous

This morning marks the last day of our hectic five days Open House event at our Univ. 48 anniversary fair. We arrive at the Univ. early so we take a few pictures of some of the giant props for this event. The 'M' stands for marvelous. I have to agree because we are in a technology Univ. which has strong expertise in Engineering but yet we can include some interesting activities such as nail painting (with the Univ.'s abbreviation on it)and bag painting to the souvenir bags our visitors, mostly highschool students, receive. Tone asks me to take a few pictures of him with the big 'T' giant prop as well. Since his late dad often called him, Mr.T.

Amazing Day#2

I teach computer science for living. I also got nominated to run our bachelor degree program in computer science (English program) in June 2007. It is quite challenging to me to become a part of a middle management team that is responsible for three hundred Thai undergraduate students. There are many times that I feel the stress of this managing position. I try to work using my passion rather than using my business sense, which I am not so sure I have. Anyway, sometimes, things that I try work; sometimes they do not. Sometimes, the students break my heart (like taking the tuition money from their parents but not using it for the registration fee, etc.). Sometimes, the students are just so inspiring and show me how much heart they do have to strive for their goals (like last year we had a group of three students competing for a Microsoft software competition in Thailand, and we won third prize).

Last week, during a departmental meeting, one of the staff mentioned to me that my picture had been used as part of our university's 48th anniversary open-house campaign. And my picture is on several big billboards installed on several spots on the roads leading to our campus. I was shocked and got so excited. The next day was Saturday, so Tone and I hopped in our car, drove around and found one of the billboards, and took my picture with it. I am so proud to be included in this university campaign, much more than when I got promoted to be an assistant professor a few years ago.

It has not been easy to step up to do this extra management position while maintaining the same teaching load and trying to balance my hectic career with my family, and my passion for painting. This billboard reminds me that I can have it all; though the result is not perfect, it has turned out pretty darn good !!!


Recently I watched an episode of the Oprah show which talked about "The Law of Attraction", in which one should focus only on the positive. Then, good things will roll your way. So I like to think of this billboard as a very positive sign for me to enjoy my journey and be less critical of myself. I hope many more good surprises lay ahead for me.

Amazing Day#1

I am sure every parent thinks of each step their kids make as an outstanding accomplishment. The past weekend, Iris was putting the construction toys together as a string with a horse head. I was in awe. She was smiling so proud of herself. I am proud of her too, I think, because she did something big people like us deem a small thing, but for her it is such an impressive milestone. Kids really give you a new perspective. If I did not have her, I would never experience "my high" just from seeing a three-year-old cross her first step to the land of a new thing. I am grateful to witness that. And that makes me so happy. I never want to trade any other thing in the world for my time with her.