Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui, here I come...

My mom's leaving for Italy and Spain tomorrow! Man, I'm so jealous - I've always wanted to trek through Florence, Venice, Naples, and Umbria, spending endless days absorbing all the highly celebrated art and beauty. Okay, and the food; can't forget the scrumptious Italian food. I remember talking to Jack and Tip once about our plans to someday go to Italy. We plan to skip the famous Coliseum and Venetian gondola rides and instead head straight for the pasta shops where we'll proceed to wipe the country clean of every last pasta noodle. Ahh, someday.


Anyway, as consolation I managed to procure some lovely Tiramisu from the bakery at the Amari Atrium Hotel yesterday. It was mighty good, yes indeedy.



Italy always makes me think of that chick flick from the nineties - Only You (starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr.). It's a typical, run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, but the story's charming, the lines are witty, and the various scenes filmed in Rome, Positano, San Gimignano, and Venice are just amazing. It's very reminiscent of the films that Katherine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, and Audrey Hepburn used to star in back in the day - Summertime, Three Coins in the Fountain, and Roman Holiday. Anyone else remember any of these films?


~*~

As promised, I went back to see the little girl at Sri Thanya Hospital that I was telling everyone about the other week. I've discovered that her name is Noy (a rather common Thai nickname which literally means 'little' or 'small') and that she's heaps of fun to be around. We have quite a bit in common - she loves Finding Nemo (as do I), is a big fan of Palmy (as am I), loves to sing (as do I), and also sings rather well (but I regretfully don't, so unfortunately that's where the similarities end).


She likes to talk, and boy, is she a talker! She talked about everything: her favorite TV shows, her favorite ice-cream flavors and why mango ice-cream is better than strawberry ice-cream, her favorite Thai celebs, and why Buttercup is the coolest Powerpuff Girl. She then proceeded to tell me about her various friends at Sri Thanya and all of their respective favorites in terms of TV shows, favorite ice-cream flavors, favorite Thai celebs, and favorite Powerpuff Girls. Wow, once she started talking she didn't want to stop. I asked her if life at Sri Thanya was sabai dee (comfortable), and she gave me an enthused nod and said, Ka, Pi, it's very comfortable and I really like it here. She also loved to give big bear hugs, which I swear would have warmed even the coldest person's heart.


After what I'd learned from Ajahn Ja in terms of her family background, I was really glad that she was enjoying her life there. At least at Sri Thanya she doesn't have anything to fear or cower from and can live out as normal a life as possible. I still don't understand why she can't be sent to an orphanage, though, where she can at least mingle with "normal" kids and maybe be adopted someday by a philanthropic couple/person. Sigh. Whatever the case, I was again reminded of how fortunate I am to have such a great family. We may bicker and squabble occasionally - okay, frequently - but still, I wouldn't trade them for the world.


I've started volunteer work at The Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, located across the street from Ramathibodi Hospital. It's a hospital catered especially towards children and teens who suffer from depression due to all the increasing socio-economic changes here in Thailand. Many of these children come from broken families with parents who are too busy making a living to pay much attention to their children. A large number of the teenage patients are victims of drug abuse, unwanted pregnancies, child abuse, and the teen sex trade, amongst other things. It's so disheartening to see all the cruelty that's been inflicted upon today's youth. I sincerely respect them for their endurance and strength. After hearing a lot of their stories, I now realize that they've got far more fortitude and courage packed into them than your average, everyday adult. And for that I commend them.


~*~

I'm so stoked at the moment because I was talking to Korn and he mentioned that there's going to be a Silly Fools concert at my Uni this Friday. Ahhh, awesome. Silly Fools is one of the few Thai bands who actually rock - like really rock. They wail with reckless abandon, their guitars wail in squealing harmony, and their fans wail with fervent adoration the second the step out on stage. So this Friday should be some hot-wailing fun. Hooo yeah.


These past few weeks have been rather busy and chaotic for me and so I feel kind of drained right now. I have to start hauling major ass for the third annual International Congress of Asian Society of Toxicology (ASIATOX III) that's going to be happening this coming Feb. because, uh, it'll be nice if I actually have something to say if a celebrated professor or scientist from Japan were to inquire about my poster presentation. The first half of the conference will be held here in Bangkok and the second half in Chiang Mai, which means that I'm gonna get to see the pandas!


Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui - Chiang Mai's darlings.

Have a great week everyone!

~*~


Updated @ 21:13

This is a day late, but Happy 25th Birthday to the best artist ever (in my eyes, at least).





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