Tea on a blustery day

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United Nations, Volunteering

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking.

Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

I’m having japanese genmai green leaf tea. Warmed, not chilled.

My mug is one of those little gifts that piled up on my desk over Christmas 2010.  I picked it at random from among many mugs and cups in the faculty office today.

I’m feeling cold but grateful to be indoors. We haven’t had the AC on since this morning but when I went outside for a quick break, it was still cold. I actually heard the wind howling. Hang on I’ll check…

It’s 26 degrees C according to wunderground. Tonight it will even drop to 18. I know it’s not cold at all for you ladies in the western hemisphere, but for some southeast asian bloods, that’s noticeably cold already.

On my mind are things in my to-do list: freelance editing and a volunteer job for the UN.  They keep me from being bored to death. And one motivation is this –

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.

~Unknown

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Tea at work

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Karl Kraus, Mahatma Gandhi

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

I’m having iced milk tea I picked from the food court as I navigated my way around  three departments at work today. It’s been two hours past lunchtime and it looks like I’m just going to ignore a rambling stomach for now. Things are in a dither over a couple of glitches and  I am keeping myself alert to prevent further mistakes.

This thin plastic glass is disposable obviously but it amuses me. It is adorned with Christmas socks and miniature wreaths, and there is in fact a Happy Christmas greeting on the other side of it. Well, I don’t mind having Christmas in my tea on a warm March afternoon.

I’m feeling abruptly awake after discovering a major memory malfunction on my folder in our local computer network. Thanks to savvy academic machinery I just have to encode a few commands and the problem is sorted.

On my mind are speed and quality.  Technology may hasten things but it is still the human brain that determines qualitative accuracy when the day is done. I reflect on …

What good is speed if the brain has oozed out on the way? – Karl Kraus

There is more to life than just increasing its speed. – Mahatma Gandhi

There will your budget be

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Eagles, Family of Felines by Lowell Herrero, Lang & Wise

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

I’m having hot milk without sugar. Bangkok is running a 33o C temp but it’s freezing inside the faculty office where I am at the moment.

It’s a Lang & Wise Collector mug which features a painting called “Family of Felines” by Lowell Herrero.

I’m feeling ‘light’ (for lack of a better adjective).  I mean I’m not wearing make up and jewelry which is unusual at work but I’m liking it.

On my mind is The Eagles’ Seven Bridges Road.  It’s the very first song they sang in concert here Sunday night. As a little girl I remember listening to that song while playing jacks on an uncle’s living room floor. A friend on FB shouted out that she is kicking herself for not attending the gig. Comments got in. One went like this –

“Where your heart is, there will your budget be also”

Through the rain

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Eagles, Thomas Carlyle

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

I’m having Oishi black lemon tea.

My glass is a company-issued one I seldom use. It’s been hibernating in a drawer for years.  The sun is blazing hot outside and my fridge has ran out of my first drink choice this afternoon – cold water, so both glass and tea came in handy.

I’m feeling a bit impatient.  The Eagles concert is sold out but a student of mine whose company promoted the Deftones last week offered to help get me a ticket. I’m waiting for her to call back.

Wait, wonder, hope…

On my mind is patience or at least the illusion of it.  I practice the virtue by planning what I am going to do if I do not get what I want, like watching one of my favorite bands live. If I missed the Eagles what would I do…

Eat?… Read?… Have another go at golf this weekend?….

Think?… of what?… I had been busy communicating with my son’s psychologist and occupational therapist, arranging therapy sessions I forgot to book my seat at Impact Arena for Sunday. Ah well, I will make up for it some way, somehow. In other words I am coping.

“Everywhere in life, the true question is not what we gain, but what we do.”
Thomas Carlyle Quotes

A challenge and an optimism

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Charles Schwab

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

I’m having my usual iced lemon tea in a not-so-usual long, slender glass. It’s a commercial drink today, well, like most of the drinks that appear on my Tea Talk posts.  This one’s an order from a restaurant at Thaniya Plaza where I browse golf equipment.

I’m feeling dazed but optimistic.  My son’s second clinical impression is  PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). I was on the phone with his psychologist and occupational therapist discussing sessions.  A massive homework lies in front of me.

On my mind is predictably my son.  While my decision is to tackle his developmental issues, I have not forgotten all the fun things he and I are going to do. The rewards I am going to give him for every little success he makes are already crowding my mind.  I leave the therapy to the specialists.  Thank goodness they exist.

Are you familiar with Charles Schwab?  I’m not.  I have never heard of him until a few minutes ago when I looked around for something to inspire me in the midst of this challenge I am in right now.

A quick fact: Charles Schwab is the chairman and founder of Charles Schwab Corporation, a brokerage and banking company.  That’s SUCCESS written all over but before all that, he failed remedial English due to a learning disability.   Looking at him now I think there is credibility in what he says:

“Passion is the great slayer of adversity. Focus on strengths and what you enjoy.”

We belong to each other

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Mother Teresa

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking.  Visit Ruth @ Celebrate Friendship for more

 

I’m having honey lemon tea in MIL’s goblet.  It’s a mix of tea from Cambodia, honey and lemon from my fridge.  The blue stem goblet is mine actually but I call it MIL’s because she’s the one using it whenever she visited when I was married.

I’m feeling like I’m about to drop on the bed for a much needed stretch before I plough through research work again.

On my mind is theoretical framework – a kick butt chore I hope to accomplish this week. If I didn’t have to write it keeping in mind that a formidable committee  would evaluate it, I would be imagining how appealing my boyfriend’s eyes are (lol).  Having mentioned anatomy parts in preceding sentences, I realize I want to add the human brain. How cognitive functions impact political psychology boils down to my research rationale: contribution to global peace.

As I write this post, I am playing Let There Be Peace on youtube.  The clip includes thoughts on peace. Here’s one I picked to share with you –

If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. – Mother Teresa

Mocha mind

At Tea Talk we briefly share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. More at Celebrate Friendship

 

I’m having iced mocha in a thin plastic, disposable glass – a typical container you see in the hands of people who have to be on the go. I bought this drink from a tiny stall inside a supermarket on my way to the bank. Now I’m seated and noticing that last year around this time I also lost my ATM card. “History repeats itself” hmn….

I’m feeling pushed to propose a research project. I’m excited to know what is going to be its reception. This is going to be a roller coaster of emotions until I know whether I can beat the February 3rd deadline or not. Luckily there’s no professional pressure to get this done by the stated date.  If I can make it – fine, if not – it’s fine just the same.

On my mind are the beginning stages of building this research project. I’m talking of brainstorming here and tons of readings to do.  Cognitive complexity, social constructivism, communication apprehension, and all that.  I have no idea where to begin, but I am enjoying snippets that show personalities of scientists behind  constructs I am reacquainting with.  Here’s what I like –

“It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reason can be found.”

John Nash, Nobel Prize acceptance speech

Getting away

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Angelina Jolie, Angkor Wat, Tomb Raider

At Tea Talk we share how we are feeling and what we are thinking. Join us with host Ruth at Celebrate Friendship

I’m having oolong orange tea in a white ceramic cup.

I’m feeling excited, hurried, my heart gripped. Early this morning I made an abrupt decision to see UNESCO Heritage site Angkor Wat on Sunday. That means going to the immigration department to get a re-entry permit which I did today. I’m going out again for unfinished shopping after posting this. Now did I just imply being heartbroken? Truth be told I seldom admit a heartbreak. If things don’t get sorted I could end up mourning in the next few weeks. I hope this quick trip will help numb the impact of an impending blow.

On my mind are travel details. FCC Angkor Hotel, which I fancy because Angelina Jolie stayed there while filming Tomb Raider, is fully booked until January 15th. I won’t be surprised if I end up in some guesthouse without a cyber presence. But I really do not mind that. I just want to get out of Bangkok for a few days and try to forget that I am facing a heartbreak. Wish me luck.

There are more or less fifty hours til Cambodia.  In the midst of work and a company party tomorrow, I might be able to have enough research to get me through this getaway.  Here’s something short but loaded:

“A lady should be modest”
Hilary to Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

Resilience

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Alfred Bandura, Resilience

Tea Talk is a meme ‘for heart’s sake,’ says host Ruth at Celebrate Friendship.

Participants get real with how they are feeling and what is on their minds. The objective is to spend a few minutes to inspire the self and others.

Today I’m having iced lemon tea. This fave tea is served on a long, transparent Ging Kilpakreuk glass.

I’m feeling TGIF (thank God it’s Friday). Yes, it’s only Thursday but the recent change in my timetable this term has set my Fridays free.   I am celebrating tomorrow today.

On my mind is the concept of resilience. There is more to my timetable than just Fridays off. Internal politicking at work caused this change which resulted in some burnt bridges.  It was infuriating.  Not long ago though I resolved to be positive in the face of negativity. That no matter how difficult things get, I would endeavor to get over it with the least damage to my emotions. And that includes controlling  wrinkles by staying happy no matter what.

This sort of issue is not really new to me anymore. I exercised resilience with changes that go with shifting courses in grad school, thus TGIF indeed!  A scholar frequently mentioned in Communications analyses has this to say about resilience –

We find that people’s belief about their efficacy affects the sorts of choices they make in very significant ways. Most success requires persistent effort, so low self-efficacy becomes a self- limiting process. In order to succeed people need a sense of self-efficacy, strung together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life.

– Alfred Bandura of Social Learning Theory fame

Realistic reverie

Tags

Anne Bronte, England, Lang & Wise Collector Mug, Scarborough Castle

I’m having hot chocolate with milk in one of my Lang & Wise Collector Mugs (1997, S.B.B. #5).  I purchased it for the rustic charm exuding from The Herb Wagon around it, a painting by Sherri Buck Baldwin.

I’m feeling arcadian. Despite living  in the heart of a sophisticated metropolis,  I am a country girl at heart.  This mug keeps me connected with quaint countryside from time to time.

On my mind is the ballad Scarborough Fair. Herbs written around the mug, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… remind me of my first morning in England which was spent visiting Anne Bronte’s grave in Scarborough and exploring the curtain wall around Scarborough Castle.

I leave you with words by Anne Bronte –

“He that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.”

and back to the present world of work and Facebook, a friend’s shoutout –

“Being smart is cool. But a good heart is better than all the good heads in the world.  Kindness counts!”

Ruth hosts

at Celebrate Friendship