Soul Music

My favorite song of the moment is Comptine d'Un Autre Été by Yann Tiersen. Many of you will remember this song from the movie Amelie. I loved the movie and I'm sure the soundtrack spoke to me but I truly heard this song this September. My family and I participated in a music school matinee and the piano teacher played this. I nearly burst out crying from being so touched by the song. I think I've mentioned this here before but I don't usually cry publicly but this time it was close. My soul was bursting but a positively emotional way. Some songs do that.

Other songs I've loved in a soul-bursting way, in no particular order...

Ennio Morricone - Gabriel's Oboe

Kent - 747, FF, Dom Andra

Lauryn Hill - Zion

The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

Janet Jackson - Got 'Til It's Gone, If

Michael W. Smith - You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)

Robbie Williams - No Regrets

Faith No More - Easy

Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

Stone Temple Pilots - Plush

U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday, Beautiful Day, One, Miss Sarajevo

The Corrs - Radio

Ronan Keating - Life is a Roller Coaster


I'd call these my soul songs. The list goes on of course. As for the Soundtrack of My Life, well, that's much more cacophonic ;)

I don't know what these songs do for you, if they do anything for that matter, but if you listened to them you'll have glimpsed into me.

These Guys Never Showed Up

Last time I posted about Obama's upcoming visit. Well, he was here as far as photos prove. I had no connection to his visit whatsoever except that a) we hibernated at home as planned in order to avoid traffic jams and police, b) our nanny got stuck in traffic jams caused by police and Obama's convoy. 

Considering that even the international press was 'gently escorted' in and out of ASEAN meetings, I can't complain of feeling left out. I mean even Obama's speech here was given behind closed doors since the media was escorted out of the conference room at that stage... Talk about an anticlimax. 

But, like I said, I can't complain. Especially since I'm not Mike and he's got a reason to complain. Mike's the guy behind Mike's Burger House, a good old burger joint here in Phnom Penh. Today's Cambodia Daily had an interesting article about how Mike, a Khmer-American, had been visited by the secret service a couple of weeks back because, it turned out, Obama would have wanted to drop by for a meal. How cool is that! You have to take into account that this joint that definitely makes a juicy burger is just one of many gastronomically pleasing locations in town. On the downside it's right next to a big gas station. On the upside maybe it makes it more authentic for car-enthused Americans. And on the very realistic side, it's a Khmer-American enterprise, a successful business, AND on route from the airport to the Peace Palace where ASEAN meetings took place. 

Unfortunately this story takes a sad(-ish) turn here since president Obama didn't have time to stop at Mike's after all. All that fuss, all for nothing! Secret service visits and all! Imagine the excitement in the kitchen in the past weeks! And the letdown. Well, with US presidents I'd take few detours for granted so honestly you can't be too shocked, Mike, by this outcome. And apparently duty calls, there's the Middle Eastern crisis to solve. But that's another story.

ps. At least Obama was here. Can't say the same for Putin or Hu Jintao who were, by some reports, expected to join the meetings. Since it appears neither showed up I had to correct an article I had submitted to a Finnish newspaper only yesterday. I'd gambled by writing down those two names as having come, thinking the odds were surely in my favor. But no, the party's over, and 'only' Wen Jiabao came. Good old Wen. 

Like I said, the party's over. Back to hectic PP traffic. Back to Mike's. Back to street kids, hopefully soon released from the centers they were swept into.

Obama's Coming to Town

So there's a definitely buzz in Phnom Penh now. The 21st ASEAN meeting started today and it is bringing some of the world's most influential people to town. Presidents Obama, Putin, and Hu Jintao if you've ever heard of them. I have to say that Obama's US presidency and notably his very recent reelection are stealing the show in that it took me a moment to realize that "some other" presidents may be involved as well. Everyone's talking about Obama's arrival and the standstill his presence will cause on normal life for any and all Phnom Penhers. But we should blame a couple of the other attendees for this inconvenience, just for the sake of fairness. I'm sure Putin wants a couple of luxurious hotel rooms (and floors and whole 5 star hotels...) for himself. And I can see Hu Jintao might be pretty keen on security details when he's outside of Beijing. I could be wrong though. Or not ;)

As fun as it might be to participate in this historical coming together of nations (as a participant in the meetings or even as a bystander on the airport road) I'm thinking of hibernating at home with the boys instead. Couch-potato politics. I even went as far as to inform my older son's kindergarten that I won't be bringing him to class on Monday (Obama Day) and possibly even Tuesday (Lesser Obama Day). The prospect of jumping into a tuktuk with my soon-1 and soon-4 year old boys and trying to cut through gridlock traffic at 7 am... is not that thrilling. Or actually it's overly thrilling and I prefer a tad more certainty of reaching my desired destination in, say, max. 1.5 hours of exhaust fume inhalation and bumpy road travel (it should take 30 min so let's assume I'd tolerate an extra hour). And I do want to be certain that I will be able to pick up my son at the appointed time and not hours later. Besides, from the ASEAN map it seems our routes are pretty much blocked to town. If we can't cross the airport road which lies between us and the city center, well, then it's hibernation and tv. Oh, and Air Force One spotting!! We may be cut off from town but we happen to be on the flight landing route...

How to Dissect a Sea Urchin

I'm watching Masterchef US 3 and hence sea urchin dissection. Never tried sea urchin but it seems to be in at the moment since it's not the first time I come across the spiky delicacy on TV. Maybe I should try it... Maybe.

I'm actually planning a sea or ocean theme for my baby's first birthday party ;) Maybe we'll do a game of faux-urchin dissection for the older guests! I need to put my creative hat on and see what I come up with. I've been inspired by my American friend here who creates amazing theme parties. She did a puppy theme for her son's birthday and a ballerina one for her daughter. And it's not just blue-for-boys and pink-for-girls but she created 'dog bones' out of pretzel sticks and marshmallows and served them out of real dog bowls (new of course)! And for her daughter each cupcake had a dancing Angelina Ballerina figure on top. It's not over the top, it's really creative and as cool as kiddy parties can be! I love hosting and I love doing creative stuff but I usually don't combine them to a great degree. I'm trying to cut down on the hosting bit now in the sense of delegating catering (cake order) and limiting food items (just cake, pop corn and drinks) so that I'd actually have the time and energy for some more fun creative stuff as well.

I'll give a report with photos, I promise. 

;)

Changes in the Air

Wah, it's taken weeks to get back to blogging. And now I'm feeling the time pressure in that I have only 2.5 weeks until I go back to work...! Got to blog, blog, blog! Then again so many other things to do, including concentrate on this phase of life of being Full Time Mommy. And next to that to reorient myself to the working world, specifically get myself up to date on what I'm a Specialist on ;) Not feeling too torn between these 'demands' though since I'm a firm believer that there will always be work to be done no matter how much you do work. Don't get me wrong, I definitely want to have my pencils sharpened and notebooks in order before Day 1 at the office. But still. My baby is just turning 1 this upcoming Monday. These are special days.