Music Makes Me Happy

You must sing well!

One of the usual remarks I get when people come to know I'm Filipino.  I don't sing well.  I can carry a tune, but not well enough for people to want to hear me sing again.

I love music. I grew up with music. As a child, I listened to all the 70s music that my older siblings, then teenagers, would play on the radio and the cassette player.  I remember liking songs from Saturday Night Fever.  My older cousins who lived across the street would also play music quite loudly on their hi-fi stereo. The stereos then were as big as a today's TV cabinets, with a long player to boot. What fond memories I have of those years.

During the 80s and the 90s, I was glued to the radio.  From heavy metal to punk rock, new wave, pop and light jazz.  I loved the 80s, the era of big hair and shoulder pads, and of synthesizers. My high school friends and I argued on who was better,  Duran Duran vs Spandau Ballet,  Tears for Fears vs Depeche Mode, etc.  I had posters of these bands in my room, bought Jingle songbooks when my allowance allowed, watched as much music videos as I can. And, for the love of music, I learned playing the guitar on my own.

For a time, my interest waned, replaced with household and work matters. Now with the kids growing up, I'm attuned with the latest once again.  I've found a whole new pleasure again in music. I put on my earplugs at every opportunity.  From Christian music on my way to work in the morning, I listen to whichever music suits my fancy during the day. From Earl Klugh & David Benoit, new wave hits  (just now, I'm playing Howard Jones' "What Is Love" and When In Rome's "The Promise" and love the synths), the boy bands, Sting and Bryan Adams (my favorites), the more recent hits from Linkin Park to Rihanna and Bruno Mars, and Glee, of course! Loud songs are reserved to lunch hours and after-office hours, when I'm by myself in the office. Yesterday,  my daughter was so surprised that I know Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe",  and even more surprised when I showed her the A&F video full of fab bods! 

Listening to my favorite songs gives me energy, makes me feel younger; old faves brings back pleasant memories. Studies show that music helps people relax and release stress. It can alter the mood - the effect depends on the music one listens to, of course.  I agree. 

It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

Leaving Home

Where is home?

School has just ended.  The kids are happy to rest and relax, no pressures on homework and projects for the next couple of months.  It also means saying goodbye to some friends whose families are moving out of Vietnam.  Soon, it will be our turn.

At age 11, I left home for the first time. I stayed in a boarding house in the city during my high school years, and went home every weekend.  At university, I stayed in a campus dorm and went home every month.  The kids had their first stay of "leaving" when we moved to KL.  After a while, we settled down and KL felt like home.  We met good people who patiently helped us find our way - where the wet market was, what to do when we got a parking ticket - helped us move to a new apartment, and with whom we spent holidays and had barbecue parties with.  After a few years, we left home. To go back home.

The world seems smaller now, more people are moving, and moving again.  A sense of adventure, discovery and desire for growth had taken hold of the younger generation especially. Connectivity in this digital world made being apart more manageable.  As people move, settle down, move again, where really is home?

Home, to us, is where our loved ones are, where we feel comfortable to be and accepted for who we are.  My daughter H has been to 5 schools.  Yes, the adjustment has not been easy but when I asked her if all the moving has been hard?  She said "not really as long as we're all together". 

And when one has to leave home,  here's a quote from Donald Miller  :

“Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.” 

Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

My BEST Brownies

Brownies. True comfort food for me.  Over the past month, my daytimes have been  filled with meetings, even during lunchbreaks!  I get to check and respond to emails, make presentations and all that stuff, only in the evenings.

Feeling stressed,  and guilty as well (the kids just started summer holiday and I've been working mostly),  I decided to bake brownies. It could lighten my guilty conscience. 

Maybe the feelings of love and good intentions that were poured into it helped make those brownies truly terrific – moist, fudgy  and super chocolatey. Not far from the brownies I buy in Voelker or L'uisine (and friendlier to my wallet!).

My kids tell me they're "awesome" and "yummy".  Their actions speak louder than words - they've been devouring it.

What I used and did :
Berry Crocker’s Ready Mix Brownies - Dark Chocolate

-  mixed per pack directions (with ½ cup melted butter, ¼ cup water and 2 eggs)

Plus 3 tbsp of Van Houten unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 egg (for more fudgy, cake-like brownies)

I made 3 trays 

      1st tray - plain

      2nd tray - I added chopped Lindt dark-chocolate-mint

      3rd tray - I topped with chopped toasted cashew nuts

I baked the brownies at 170 degrees Centigrade. After 20 minutes, I turned off the oven.  (I actually forgot to take them out as I was checking emails. Felt so relieved the brownies still turned out great.)

The kids and I have been playing a game (similar to taboo) this morning,  munching on them continuously,  especially the younger boys.  Guilty conscience now officially relieved.