BANGING OUT BANGKOK

Phew! 
I’m back…
Jet lagged…
A bit sick (actually major) from something or other.
But all in all?
The trip of a lifetime!
I’ll sum up each city this week the best I can.
Bangkok….
Beautiful new city…
Beautiful old city…
Loved the open night markets...
a.k.a. red light districts…
Such as Patpong and, Soi Cowboy,
What?
I’m a writer. It’s research! I had to see for myself.
And actually...
Those districts, at best, seemed silly to me...
Or at least, pathetic.
But the new riverside market, Asiatique?
Awesome!
Also awesome, the food in Bangkok…
And the people.
And of course the unbelievably gorgeous temples.
I only spent a day and a half in Bangkok…
But it was enough to make me fall in love...
And I would definitely go back.  
Here’re a few photos… 

Me at the Asiatique riverside market

Getting around by boat

Getting around in a tuk tuk

Just one of many temples at the Grand Palace

World's largest reclining Buddha

Just one of many Buddhas

At the Grand Palace, don't know what these are called

Me pooped after a long day, hence no smile

Well, that's all for today...

Obviously there are more photos...

But these are my impressions of Bangkok.

Always, Em-Musing

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO INSIGHT

Guten tag….

Sawasdee Ka

Kuzu Zampo…

Namaste

I’m staring today’s post…

With greetings from Bangkok, Bhutan, Nepal…

And Germany.

Why?

Because I’m going on a journey…

A spiritual journey…

And these are the countries I’ll be visiting.

To say I’m excited is a huge understatement…

I’m off the wall excited.

Life has been strange for me this past year…

Who would have ever thought…

I’d be living now by myself in Mexico?

But I’ve always felt that Mexico…

Was the beginning of my path on my spiritual journey…

And when my friend Donna invited me on her tour…

These faraway places called to my soul.

I’ll be spending most of my time in Bhutan…

Visiting monasteries and attending festivals.

And this is what Bhutan’s philosophy is:

The wise and farsighted King of Bhutan has introduced this philosophy of gross national happiness. According to this philosophy, the progress and development is measured in terms of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) rather than the gross domestic product (GDP).

Can anyone not find happiness with this already?

I won’t be posting again until the end of November.

I can’t wait to see what this trip does to my muse.

Bye for now…

Auf Wiedersehen 

la kxn

Kuzu Zampo…

Namaste

And of course, adios.

Always, Em-Musing

DEATH DOES NOT BECOME ME

Hmm?

Perhaps gringas…

Shouldn’t celebrate holidays…

That are not of their culture or custom.

Why?

This morning..

I posted on Dia de los Meurtos…

Day of the dead…

And then hmm?

My car died.

But then again

Perhaps the car died due to karma?

I killed a dog yesterday…

Not on purpose, of course…

And I didn’t even know I hit it…

Until the irate owner tracked me down..

To my Spanish class.

Thankfully my teacher ran interference.

Because I don’t know enough Spanish..

To have maneuvered that conversation…

Other than, lo siento! Lo siento!

Mind you, there were no body parts on the car…

But the security cameras clearly showed…

Me at the wheel…

And the pooch running under my tire.

I had hoped to spend today social networking…

But now I’ll spend it finding a mechanic…

And seeing what’s up.

I’d wish you all a happy weekend…

But I’m afraid I’ll jinx that too.

As I knock my head on some wood.

Always, Em-Musing

THE DAY OF THE LIVING DEAD

Happy Dia de los Muertos!

Day of the Dead!

It’s been celebrated for centuries here in Mexico…

And originated with the Aztecs…

Who honored their dead for a month…

But when the Spanish took over…

Of course they had to change it.

And they incorporated it...

With the Catholic holiday of All Saints day.

Here in Mexico...

Families go to the cemetery with food and gifts…

That their loved one loved....

Or set up a temporary alter in their home

As you can see in the pic below… 

            Celebration at the gravesite  
Dia de los Muertos is a colorful holiday…
With most images being skeletons

                Catrinas

      Catrinas face painting 

       Face painting of skeletons

               Pan de Muertos
It's a traditional bread eaten on this day...
And has an image of a spider.
             
   Calaveras de azucar

    The last one is a pic of actual skull candy
And speaking of pics….

Check out the 1910 vintage photo of Halloween…

Um, yeah…

Those people coming at me would definitely freak me out. 

 

Have a great weekend...
My computer is still limping along...
Perhaps I can celebrate it with candy and flowers...
And bring all my software back to life?

Always, Em-Musing

ATTACK MODE

Hi…

I’m back from the States…

And all I can say is…

AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Invaders struck!

Oh, not my home…

My files on my computer!

And unlike a couple of weeks ago…

The files are not in Dropbox this time.

Yesterday…

I noticed my computer was acting funny.

And so I had Microsoft Security Essentials check…

AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

A Trojan attack!!!

Seven of them to be exact.

I then removed them…

And cleaned up all the malware that invades daily.

Everything seemed to be fine until this morning…

I opened up the file that my blog posts are in and…

AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Of course I searched,

Nada!

I think the time has for ME to go into attack mode...

I'm going to invest in an Apple computer.

I’ll use this Windows PC for writing only…

And the Apple for researching the Internet…

And social media.

Whatever the cost of a new computer…

Is definitely worth preventing…

The agony of losing files of my writings.

What about you?

Been attacked lately?

Ever?

And BTW…

I was on Facebook when the Trojans attacked…

So be warned.

Always, Em-Musing

CAN'T KEEP THIS

23,000 words!

LOST!

Dear God!!!

My stomach dropped!

My heart sank!
Where were they?
Not to mention all those hours of writing, creating...
Wasted! sank!

**segue**

To the other day...

When I was at my chiropractor…

She tells me that her sister is a hoarder…

And that her sister who is in the States…

Will be in an upcoming Hoarders episode.

I, of course was sympathetic to her face…

But as I left her office…

I felt smug thinking, I’d NEVER hoard.

**segue**

Earlier this morning…

I was at my computer, fingers poised to write when…

Hmm?

Where is the file ...

On that story I was writing a month ago?

I searched my documents—nada!

I searched the recycle bin—nada!

Where the~*blank*~ is it?

Fifteen minutes later—oh ha, ha...

DUH!

I found the file in Dropbox of all places.

Thank God!!!!

But before that..

I looked through all my files…

Geeze!

Why did I have so many files I don't need?

But then I remembered thinking…

If I send this file to the recycle bin, I’ll be sorry…

Because I never know if I’ll need it.

But truthfully?

I can barely remember many creating these files.

And that’s when…

**segue**

Every episode of Hoarders…

Came into memory...

The part when the hoarder’s family..

Rummages through the hoarder’s junk…

And the hoarder goes, “No! Not that!” 

I may use that one day!”

The family members rolls their eyes…

And every TV viewer, like me, swears, “I’ll never hoard.”

Well, I'm here to tell ya...

I AM a hoarder...
At the digital level.

What about you?

Have you looked in your document lately?

Are you a digital hoarder?

Or a hoarder on any other kind?

Always, Em-Musing

A SAMMY SENDOFF

Last week…

I posted about how hard it was…

To hit the ‘send’ button…

For a submission to a publisher.

Well yesterday I hit 'send'...

My manuscript & synopsis went to the publisher!

YAY!

And...

I also sent...

A query and 10 pages...

To an agent.

YAY!

And as I hit 'send'...

I couldn't believe it!

I heard singing!

It was my manuscript, synopsis & query singing...

Or at least they sang to me through Sam Cooke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX6QlnlMqjE

Obviously my submissions are happy…

I’m happy…

And hopefully publisher and agent will be happy too.

So?

Do you sing a happy song when you send off your stuff?

And are you old enough to remember Sam Cooke?

Always, Em-Musing

MUU MUUS & MARGARITAS

A few years ago…

I, my sister and two cousins…

Got together in Florida…

And because we are—the Baldwin Women…

We can’t just get together…

We have to play when we’re together.

Well, it started off innocently enough…

I found matching muu muus for each of us…

Because, well...why not? 

I made some margaritas…

And well...

The rest is recorded here in full digital color.

We toast us being together again…

 

Just a sip…

Perhaps more than a sip

 

Uh, oh. Tequila kicks in fast 

We honor the tequila god

 

And pray we don't hurl...

 

And then, Yeah Baby!!!

The force is with us. We didn't hurl.

 

And then, as all good things must come to...

THE END.

Or course no names, other than my own…

So as to protect the reputation of...

The Baldwin Women! 

Have a great weekend...

May the force be with you...

Or the tequila...

Or whatever spirit moves you.

And as you can see...

Never mix muu muus & margaritas.

Always, Em-Musing

SIRIOUSLY?

 

Idea pops into my head   check
Scribble it down on random piece of paper  check

Write first draft by the seat of my pants  check

Write second and third drafts  check

Edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit ad nauseum   check

Write query & synopsis   check

Research agents and publishers  check

Send query, synopsis & partial   check

Get a request for a full   check

Edit, edit, edit, again!  check

Attach the full in a file in an email to publisher  check 

Hit Send!   **choke**

Hit Send!   **choke**

Hit Send!   **choke**

Hit Send!   **choke**

HELP!!!!

I need SIRI…

To hit the ‘send’ button for me!!!

Siri is the only one who can do it...
After all…

Siri has no emotion…

Siri has no stakes in this submission…

Siri is just a submissive…

Siri has no qualms about submitting…

My submission.

LMAO  Now!
So for the fun of it...
I actually went to my iPhone...
And asked Siri, "Can you send my submission?"
And her answer:  Who? Me?
So I guess the job is really up to me to...
Hit 'send'. 
Lord!
Why is this so hard?
Is it only me?

Or is the worst and scariest part of writing…

Hitting the ‘send’ button?

Always, Em-Musing  
FYI...Siri is actually a voiceover talent
named, Susan Bennett from Atlanta.
Siri in Norwegian means, 'beautiful
woman who leads you to victory.'