Wordless Wednesday - Maze

Wordless Wednesday - Magic Tree

Apologies for the words. It should be wordless, but once again it proved that the image will speak for itself.

Wordless Wednesday - Some muddy side of the countryside.

Wordless Wednesday - A day in the market

Lakers run dry, Celtics are world Champs again!

Finally, after 22 years of waiting, the Boston Celtics are on the driving seat on expanding its franchise history with the most championships in the NBA beating L.A. Lakers 131 – 92 for its 17th NBA championship. It was nobody’s game during the 1st quarter, but the Celtics pulled away on the 2nd and never looked back until on the final buzzer. It was one of the most impressive games in the league history. A lot of record was made and broken.

History repeats itself

Celtics won the last NBA championships in 1986 beating the Houston Rockets in game 6. They recorded 24 wins only in 2007 season with no playoffs appearance, but this game 6, it was a mission accomplished for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen who joined this team to help Paul Pierce win the Larry O’Brien trophy. They set 66 wins for this season, still the 3 humbly resisted to be called us the new big 3 of the franchise from Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish 20 years ago. It was a worth investment by the franchise and a smart team overhauling by General Manager Danny Ainge, bringing the 2 superstars on Boston to play with Paul Pierce, on whom the only player left after the team revamp.

Phil Jackson, Lakers head coach is looking into his 10th Championship, wanting to pass Red Auerbach who leads the Celtics into 9 championship trophies. But he failed, he still has his 9 like Auerbach, and Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics head coaches steals the night and win it’s first.

Defense wins a championship game!

When Rivers was asked when meeting the team for the 1st time this season his first instruction was to play defense and it was proved to be effective. Celtics defense was really tight limiting Kobe Bryant to 22 points, a total of 7 of out of 22 in shooting. Celtics was able also to set an NBA record in steals on a championship game.

Individualism vs. Teamwork

This game had once again proven that if everyone works as a team, a goal can be achieved. Celtics bench contributed 16 points on the 1st half, and a total of 39 points for the game. Almost everyone was able to play on the floor except for Sam Cassell, whom won his 3rd championship of his career with 2 on from Houston Rockets. The team had been aggressive from the 1st quarter until the last quarter ends. No doubt that they break their previous record and set a 2nd highest record on most margins in an NBA championship game. They hit the 100 points mark on the 9th minute of the 4th quarter courtesy of a 3-point from Ray Allen, who set an NBA championship record of 7-3 pointers.

Under 4 minutes of the game, Celtics bench is still attacking the basket affecting the mentality of the Lakers. They had already shown desperation by giving hard fouls to Celtic bench players.

Once a dream, now a reality

It was a dream that came to a reality for Paul Pierce, who also grabbed the MVP for this Final series. He had beaten the team that he had grown up admiring back in L.A. For Kevin Garnett, he will no longer borrow a championship from Bill Russell, a Celtic legend, NBA hall of Famer and a huge inspiration for Garnett joining the Celtic team. “I have my own!, I have my own!” Garnett was saying as he hugged Russell on the middle court.

I have really enjoyed watching the game and bring back some old memories. I felt again how nice to feel a championship victory! We were young then, but we felt and enjoyed it. I can’t forget that experience winning a midget basketball league back in our province in 1991, I was on the 6th grade then. Though we were not that successful in the regional games, we are all happy and fulfilled to represent our province! Our school principal was a Lakers fan, that’s why our uniform is Gold with dark blue stripes, it looks like a Lakers uniform! It makes me smile really seeing myself on a photo on those jerseys.

Celtics was one of the team who woke me up and had been an inspiration for me on the game of basketball. I started to know them on the calendar that my dad gave me when I was in grade school. But unfortunately that time he gave it to my cousin who comes for a visit from the big city. I feel sad really that time, but I didn't mind it much at all and keep playing the game!

Wordless Wednesday - Not all promising careers can be found in a Job fair.

We recently joined a Job Fair and this scene had caught my attention. A young girl, in a red shirt, accompanied by 2 young boys, partly hidden by these job hunters passsing by, were busy cleaning up the exhibitor's booth, picking up some plastic bottles and soda cans, sweeping the hallway collecting trashes as the venue is about to close.

It's really surprising why these young lads are the ones doing this work, and worse, it's in a job fair! I don't know if the organizers are aware of this, but it's impossible that they'll never notice since I saw them also walking around, checking on the job booths.

So much talk, this is Wordless Wednesday, I should not write anything on this day's entry. But i just like to share with you a note on this moving scene. The picture will speak for itself anyway. Have a nice Wordless Wednesday! Thanks for dropping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Coming Home

Phnom Penh Calling!

We are about to finish our lunch when I noticed this smoke coming out from one of the rooftops on the nearby suburb. We are at the 4^th floor of this 8-storey shopping center with a view of rooftops of flats surrounding the building.

I am not sure if one of the flat there is burning, maybe they are just cooking or they have a bakery or disposing some old stuff. But the smoke is getting thicker unless they are burning tires.

As we reached back to the office sirens echoed on the boulevard in front of the office building and I have thought to myself that maybe that surely was a flat burning down.

Wordless Wednesday - American Spies? CIA?

Mug shots of poor innocent kids accused of being spies before execution. Story to be posted soon.

Genting Skyway – A sky high experience

This is one impressive ride experience so far, 11 Minutes of hang time in the air several meters above. 1st 2 minutes gives you a little bit of worry, it’s my first time taking this ride and I can’t help myself feeling that way. But as it goes up you fill find yourself already enjoying the breathtaking view of the mountain and green forest trees below.

Each car or Gondola has a capacity of 8 persons. Feel a little swing in the air and some humps as it pass by on the posts linking the strong cable holding the car. It’s really different up there than the big wheel at the Eye on Malaysia a day before.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a good photo on top, since the glass is quite blurred and has some scratch. There’s no such wiper like the front of your car and I don’t want to hang there outside and clean it!

It feels like in Star Wars or other futuristic movies that cars don’t take the roads anymore. It was a different experience hanging up there, the entire trip was enjoying.

Wordless Wednesday - Waterworld

Wordless Wednesday - Freedom Deprived

Visiting Malaysia - Putrajaya City

13 April 2008. The central Kuala Lumpur is already crowded that the (Malaysian) government had decided to seat its government offices on this newly born capital Putra Jaya City. This birth of a new capital was named after Prince Putra, whom championed the Independence of Malaysia from its British colonizers 50 years ago, while Jaya means excellence or success.

A mixture of modern Malay and Arabic architecture, Putrajaya City spreads on 4, 931 hectares and is located 25 kms. from Kuala Lumpur and about 20 kms. from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The structures are impressive with clean and well-paved streets and alley. This Sunday is flocked with both international and local tourists alike visiting the mosque and taking snapshots of this remarkable place.

One of the place to see is the Prime Minister’s palace that according to the tour guide, based on the feng-shui reading, the area is the highest ground in which the whole city can be viewed, an exact location on where a head of state must be placed.

It’s a worth visiting place that gives a good impression when you visit in this one of the developed countries in Asia. Putrajaya City best represents on how this country seriously works on its development.

Wordless Wednesday - When the smoke goes down

Genting Highlands, Malaysia. One fine foggy morning sitting and sipping coffee as I watch the life passes by.

Got to take my vitaMin, my symptoms really persists!

Wordless Wednesday - No Guns, No Violence!

Dare to keep guns out of the streets! No guns, no violence! If there are no buyers the selling will stop.

Wordless Wednesday - Still Life on the Tonle Sap

Tonle Sap river on a late wednesday afternoon. Just sitting around and watch the life passing by.

My symptoms really persists!

Cambodia's Unique Cuisine

24 February 2008. I spend my fine sunny Sunday morning at Central Market checking around some stuff. After purchasing a pair of sunglasses (the one I’m using is more than a year already!) I passed by and took photos of one of the Khmer’s favorite delicacies.



I’m sure tourists and locals alike will never leave this market without taking a glance or photos of this unique Khmer cuisine.

Feast your eyes and indulge yourself with this exotic khmer cuisine with wide variety of selections from roaches to spiders, crickets to grasshoppers and a lot more! If you could not hear those as dark fells nor could not see it hopping around it might be that they are swimming already on that heated pan or they are on display on markets like in Phsar Thmey.

I tried one before with the persistence of my officemate. A crunchy deep fried cricket like a fresh served fried spring roll wrapper. Better imagine that way while taking it into your mouth!

Nearby the market I also found small shells sold on a push cart. This flower like form caught my attention and I take out my cam and take a shot. What a creative presentation!
11 pcs. of chilli formed like a flower, it looks like an octopus swimming in this red sea of shells.

The shell is called locally as “Leas”. What more amazed me is that this shell is cooked under the sun, no wonder why most of the push carts I’ve seen are exposed under the sun and the shells are placed in G.I. sheets, wherein if exposed on the sun it becomes also hot that makes the cooking more faster. Quite a unique preparation isn’t it? With the whole preparation package then it’s called as “Leas Harl”. Harl is the local term for the G.I. sheet. (Please feel free to give correction if my terms are incorrect.)

Some prefers also cooking it with onion leaves and sauce. My officemate even gags that no one buys if its raining since they knew that its not well cooked. Leas are usually harvested in Pursat province. If the shell has more dark apple green color it comes from a sandy river, and if it’s dark, it comes from a muddy river.



It reminds me of my childhood days looking shells like these but bigger ones in the river banks nearby our house. We use sickle to scratch around the muddy banks, usually on the base of the Nipa tree and once we heard a tick, it means we hit a shell already and just grab it in the mud and place it in our basket. Our paths are noticeable with lines marked like a chessboard and our foot paths. It was a fun experience really before! Even my mom would get angry with me since I don’t sleep in that sunny summer afternoon and rather spend my time playing with my friends on the river banks.

Money Tree

This should be the tree that you would like to grow in your garden.

After we have welcomed 2008 few weeks ago, Chinese New Year is fast approaching and we were tasked by our boss to look for the money tree that we can place in our office. How I see it, it seems that this is their version of Christmas tree but this one has its own significant purpose. It brings fortune to the household for the New Year, especially when its flowers spring out on the very day of Chinese New Year.

We went to my colleague’s in-laws garden last Friday (18 Jan.) and these groups of trees called my attention.


These are also money trees which can be placed at home or office any time even there’s no occasion. It costs around $ 60.00 to $ 70.00 per pot. This also brings prosperity and wealth to the household or owners where these trees are installed. It has been cut in order to grow new leaves that usually grow in seven that signals a good fortune.

I like the way they were cut and arrange, it looks like they are props or a scene in a fiction movie, or trees in the forest that has been ravaged which is really a bad one. (Please, let’s save our forest and replace those trees that are taken down.)


We found the tree that we are looking for, but the flowers have not yet sprouted out. Guess how much each tree costs? Around $ 150.00 to $ 200.00, depending on the height and structure of the tree. To some it’s worth paying for since it brings back double or even triple or more fortune.

I have seen also some varieties of orchids and other flora and fauna in which relaxing to the eyes. If I have bought my house and lot already I would like to have a garden with these beautiful plants. I know we will enjoy gardening, growing those plants with my beloved one. It’s been awhile too that I wasn’t able to get my hands dirty doing these things. At home we have a small garden and I used to take care of our plants with my Mom.

a new beginning...

Bonjour!

I have just created this blog and as the first post, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for dropping by.

Various things will be posted soon in this blog. From experiences, things and events witnessed, sports, politics, current events, music and anything under the sun that I can think of to write down.

I look forward that you will find my articles, opinions and reviews interesting and informative.

Again Welcome and Happy Viewing! Hope to see you all here always on my blog.

Cheers,

TP14