tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60888701344275175582011-11-28T07:07:18.191+07:00prose and poetry for the soulChef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-16893263299960232142009-06-23T01:28:00.003+07:002009-06-23T03:04:43.105+07:00

@import url(http://beemp3.com/player/embed.css); Culture Club - Move Away Found at bee mp3 search engineMy apologies for the silence.I'm moving this (and my other) blog to yet another new home.I sometimes feel like Nora Aunor in the 80s, with her seemingly endless changes in residences. Or am I a busy bee flitting from one blossom to another? Or a social butterfly flying gracefully amongst

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-36511671300767563752009-06-11T11:58:00.008+07:002009-06-13T11:02:11.057+07:00

I Love U But I Dont Trust U Anymore - PrinceTrust is like a glass window pane, once it is broken, you can mend it in many ways but it will never be the same. I am speaking from experience. In my younger days I have done many things that have broken my parents' trust. I spent the later years trying to make up for these transgressions, knowing too well that while their love for me has remained

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-58843942357838200272009-06-10T11:28:00.005+07:002009-06-11T09:54:01.963+07:00

@import url(http://beemp3.com/player/embed.css); - - The Heat Is On In Saigon Found at bee mp3 search engineOn May 27, my friend D celebrated his 42nd birthday by going on a trip to Ho Chi Minh City (otherwise known as Saigon), a place he has never seen before. Having nothing better to do (one of the realities lived by a freelance worker), I tagged along. We planned to make this a

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-25070753642287407132009-06-09T22:17:00.002+07:002009-06-10T01:20:13.649+07:00

IIIt seems I've waited forFar too long that I haveForgotten what or whoI had been waiting for;I have distanced myselfFrom people that nowI can't figure out howTo behave in this circle;Seems I have unlearnedAll the nuances that madeMe so attractive before--All I have now, aside fromThis quick wit, are mySharp tongue and insecureHeart beating furiouslyInside my hollow chest(not very charming).

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-74696562409918357862009-06-05T10:05:00.000+07:002009-06-06T10:34:11.994+07:00

IWaking up from a dreamOf walking with our handsClasped and kissing youOn a deserted street,My eyes squint againstThe bright rays of morning,Wondering for a momentWhat could I be doingThinking that I've fallenIn love once again.There are no answersTo my questions, no promisesTo assuage my heart, and noPrayers to pacify my soul;Except for, perhaps, yourLingering presenceIn my life right now.Yet

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-48876551678858313412009-05-24T22:21:00.004+07:002009-05-24T22:30:25.883+07:00

True - Spandau BulletRecently received this gift from my room-mate, who returned after almost 2 months in Jakarta. Who would've thought of finding truth in something so trivial? Hahaha! Thanks a lot, Vic (for the bottle of perfume as well)!

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-62988547106956397462009-05-22T14:31:00.006+07:002009-05-22T15:20:45.178+07:00

no boundaries kris allen mp3 | lyricsfree music downloads | funny games | picturesI have never been able to watch any of the previous American Idol finals night, due to various reasons. This season, however, that has changed. I went back to Phnom Penh after a week in India and Thailand, in time to watch the final performance night of this season's finalists: Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.To the

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-2967788258274635802009-05-16T16:11:00.010+07:002009-05-22T15:30:21.073+07:00

this boy mp3 | lyricsLately, my mind keeps going back to a short story I read many years ago. The story is called 'His Eternal Boy', and it was written by Peter Wells. It's about the seduction of a schoolboy by a middle-aged antique shop owner. And just a few hours ago, 'Lan Yu' was screened in the workshop that I am participating in as faculty. This film is about the love story between a grown,

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-13999966887923178612009-05-09T07:45:00.002+07:002009-05-09T08:56:33.846+07:00

FugueI seeThe foamy wavesKissing the sandThe shoreThat is you.They whittleEach grain, timeAnd patience etchedInto the fine faceThat is love.Sea-birdsFinding the flowGlide to someTender spaceWithin your limbs:Nest of my feelings.If clouds refuseTo heed the outlineOf your smile,I will be sun-raysDropping gentlyOn your skin.Manila, 1998Copyright Michael P. De Guzman

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-67598681965029512682009-05-07T23:54:00.005+07:002009-05-08T11:47:31.351+07:00

Stay (Faraway, So Close) - U2If you had been checking out my other blog, you will notice that the last 5 posts all featured photos from my last visit to the Angkor complex in Siem Reap. I went to Siem Reap on Labor Day weekend and spent 2 days straight roaming around the complex. This has been the longest I had spent on visiting temples.Of course, about a couple of years ago I would periodically

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-30876600714529587172009-05-06T10:00:00.005+07:002009-05-07T00:28:15.542+07:00

Lupang Hinirang - Gary GranadaAs the Pacquiao-Hatton fight unfolded before the world, I was traveling by bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. The bus was inexplicably late (almost an hour, imagine!) and it is only now that I realized--could it be because of that fight? In the Philippines, Sunday traffic is greatly diminished whenever Manny has a fight.In any case, I tried to follow the progress of

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-18212829570620809972009-04-29T00:00:00.007+07:002009-04-29T00:41:48.443+07:00

What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life? - Della ReeseShe recently celebrated her 90th birthday, surrounded by her family--both biological and the writers she has nurtured with her generous wisdom. I count myself very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to be at the receiving end of her wonderful insights and ideas on writing. We never corresponded after the 3-week Dumaguete Summer

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-16817702007730115042009-04-27T08:15:00.009+07:002009-04-27T10:32:47.123+07:00

This was forwarded to me last week. It's from Vital Voices. I already posted this in my Facebook, tagging all my Khmer contacts. Not one has reacted. I'm hoping to reach a wider audience here. Please help spread the word.Dear friends,Your help is urgently needed!News has reached us that the Cambodian government is taking steps to imprison Mu Sochua as early as next week.Mu Sochua is an elected

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-5464041843413156212009-04-26T17:12:00.009+07:002009-04-27T08:31:32.072+07:00

Thank You for Hearing Me - Sinead O'ConnorIt has been more than 14 months since the dissolution of my last relationship. Please don't think that I'm counting the days. I'm not. I just happen to think about it because (of my prodigious memory?) in the last few days it has been the subject of my conversation with friends.When I caught up with A, my Singaporean friend in Kuala Lumpur, we talked

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-31709001019492856612009-04-24T10:35:00.005+07:002009-04-25T12:31:57.305+07:00

The Point of PoetryFor you who do not seeThe point of poetry,I offer these few lines,With lovely words,And possibly, a melodyTo touch your heart,The way sometimes artPlays with our sensesAnd reminds usThat we're all a partOf life, and its poetry--Its chaos and symmetry:Like how your cheeksAre bisected by commasThat appear magicallyEvery time you smileWith no pretense or guile,Like how your

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-86452514480123773242009-04-23T16:27:00.013+07:002009-04-23T19:12:51.860+07:00

Turning Japanese - Sprung MonkeyOn Sunday I woke up at around 9AM. The flat was silent, as Danika has left for work. After a breakfast of Milo and peanut butter sandwich, I went out. It was looking to be another sunny day, as opposed to the almost daily dose of rain in Kuala Lumpur. And since I was able to do a lot the previous day, my schedule for my second day in Singapore was pretty flexible.

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-71825039977550467152009-04-23T09:12:00.001+07:002009-04-23T09:47:06.500+07:00

There Are No More Songs"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,in secret, between the shadow and the soul." -Pablo Neruda, Love Sonnet XVIIThere are no more songsI can sing to make you love me.Day and night I prayed for melodiesThat will catch your fickle attention,I turned to the stars for inspirationBut they turned their gazes elsewhere,Leaving me with this gaping holeSo that

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-6560310632878211012009-04-19T23:17:00.009+07:002009-04-23T10:06:14.703+07:00

You Gotta Work (Supermodel) - RuPaulI arrived in Singapore at 4.30AM Saturday, after a 5-hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur. The trip was uneventful; the bus was way better than the buses that plied the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh route. I got to my friend Danika's flat at around 5.30AM. He didn't answer the door so I called him. He was on a night shift at the hospital. He misunderstood my

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-22160640211053499912009-04-19T00:19:00.005+07:002009-04-19T01:12:32.801+07:00

work it - missy elliottLast Sunday, I went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to participate in a training organized by TSF--an institution that has been both my client and my provider of PDA (professional development activities, not that PDA!) This was not my first workshop with them, as this was certainly not the first time I have been to Malaysia. The last time I was in KL was February 2008, at the

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-66647359187005116652009-04-14T00:29:00.005+07:002009-04-22T23:19:04.137+07:00

If Ever I See You Again - Sheryn RegisHe stayed with me until the very end. He asked me if he could stay. He was so polite. "Do you mind," he said. He looked like a kid shyly asking me for candy. Or some equally sweet treat. I did, actually. After all, moments like what was going to happen were supposedly spent alone.But it was his pills that were on a small plate on the table, leering at me like

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-40915731917407640472009-04-07T12:32:00.001+07:002009-04-07T12:59:39.560+07:00

I heard love is blind (live) - Amy WinehouseIkaw LamangDi ako nakatiis,Magkahawig kasi kayo.Ikaw ang nasa isipHabang yakap niya ako.Huwag sanang magalit,Labis akong nangulila.Ikaw ang lahat sa ' kinSiya nama'y bale-wala.Di na nakapagpigil,Tagal mo kasing bumalik.Hindi 'to pagtataksilDahil sa puso ko't isipIkaw ang tanging kaniigKahit iba ang kasiping.Only YouMy love for youHas become like air--

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-43977208330987293212009-04-06T13:02:00.006+07:002009-04-06T17:07:51.595+07:00

What I Did for Love - Alyson ReedIs there a bigger tragedy than a crime of passion? This has been a subject of many films and television programs, consistently presented as a tragedy. Love, specifically the intense (and obsessive) kind, can easily result in the murder of one (or both) of the lovers, or some other unsavory fate.A crime of passion is defined as a crime in which the perpetrator

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-37779264621139043852009-04-06T12:17:00.004+07:002009-04-06T12:34:32.322+07:00

No More Tears (Enough is Enough) Remix.mp3 - Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand*written many years ago, but still rings true todayMy KarmaIt's almost funny, the wayPeople and things comeInto one's life, like rainIn the middle of summer,Food while one is fasting,Like love, after deciding,That enough is enough.Phnom Penh, 2004Copyright Michael P. De Guzman

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-34166608829017277982009-04-03T09:06:00.003+07:002009-04-03T14:13:58.955+07:00

If Love Is Blind - TiffanyI went to India a couple of weeks ago to join a training for trainers on sexuality and development issues. We were billeted in a condominium-type hotel that consisted of 2-bedroom flats, so between 2-4 people shared one flat, which had its own living and dining rooms and kitchen. We had no use for the kitchen, though, other than to make tea or drink water because all our

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-78537646834195421912009-03-26T10:20:00.005+07:002009-03-26T20:20:35.466+07:00

Me, Myself & I (Remix) - BeyonceThe Narcissist1The mirror has two faces:They're both looking at me.The mirror has two facesAnd they both belong to me.2Look at meStare at meTalk to meJust don'tExamine meScrutinize meAnalyze me.3My greatest fearIs when the world turnsIts gaze on another--The devastationIs going to be immenseAnd the whole worldWill have no choiceBut to suffer with me.K.S.P.1Dalawa

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-77820609339921587992009-03-23T09:30:00.008+07:002009-03-23T15:05:39.096+07:00

Centerfold - J. Geils BandMore than a year ago I was able to live--albeit briefly, my dream of working in a magazine. I served as Editor of Square, a magazine for young people. I chronicled that marvelous experience here and here. After that, I spent last year doing what I usually did, in terms of work. Until early this year, when I got a call from a friend who recommended me to be involved in

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-43804271335017473762009-03-19T01:29:00.010+07:002009-03-23T03:22:44.542+07:00

I read in an interview that Allan Ball (creator of Six Feet Under) first read 'Dead Until Dark' at the airport, liked the book so much, found out that it was the first of a series of books (what would came to be called the Sookie Stackhouse novels), and read the series before phoning author Charlaine Harris to discuss the possibility of developing a TV series based on the book(s).And the rest

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-55734562717188698522009-03-18T23:51:00.005+07:002009-03-19T01:07:32.671+07:00

Wrong Impression - Natalie ImbrugliaThe other weekend I traveled to Siem Reap to be with two men.The first man took the bus with me. I've known him for about 8 months. We've been seeing each other intermittently over this period of time. Having coffee. Having sex. This was our first trip together. I was going to spend the weekend with him. Although a tour of Angkor Wat was not in our agenda,

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-2290787099798508742009-03-09T11:07:00.004+07:002009-03-09T11:23:54.597+07:00

Prayer For The Dying - BambooVanitasMalasutla and kumotNa bumabalot sa kanyangMatipunong katawan:Makintab sa mapanglawNa liwanag ng kandilangMalapit nang maupos:Tila hinahaplos ng usokAng malapad na balikatAt malamang bisig:Mukhang naghihintayNg basbas ang paladSa kanyang pagkahimlay:Tahimik ang paru-paroSa ibabaw ng hintuturo;Nag-aabang sa hangingBubulong sa balakang,Maglalantad sa

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-76819484237753437672009-03-08T02:57:00.010+07:002009-03-09T00:34:40.965+07:00

Jai Ho - AR Rahman and the Pussycat DollsLet me say this now, this post is not about the film 'Slumdog Millionaire', which I loved very much (it made me cry in a good way). This is more likely a reflection of the side effects of the fame of the award-winning film on the Indian people. Because the film made a killing at the recent Oscar awards (and the film is quite good as well), most of the

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-19756794605615482192009-03-06T10:35:00.004+07:002009-03-08T02:02:46.047+07:00

Deja Vu - Beyonce Knowleswhat the body rememberstonight i wanted to disappearin glasses that clinked with iceand swirled with potent liquids;tonight i wanted to become lostin the music invading my earsand coaxing my body to dance;tonight i wished to stop recallingall the bad that has happenedand all the pain that i had felt;tonight i drank, sang, and dancedbut the more i did these thingsthe more

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-20773339685892464572009-03-04T23:45:00.002+07:002009-03-05T15:06:01.307+07:00

Don't look back in anger - OasisSince the new year started, I'd been invariably putting many aspects of my life under the microscope, so to speak.I examined my physical state and reiterated my months-old decision to take better care of my (maturing) body. That I should continue eating better and exercising regularly, even if laziness (to follow through this decision) always threatens to persist.I

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-32681401198144977182009-03-03T00:39:00.005+07:002009-03-03T01:18:56.118+07:00

J-O-Y In My Heart - BitoyI had suspected that she was coming for a visit. The messages she left on my Facebook fueled this speculation, which I shared with a couple of friends--one of whom flatly said that he didn't share my hunch. Last week, I was proven right. The Empress of Ulan Bataar left her frigid land to bask in the tropical climate of Phnom Penh with her old court.After 9 months, I met

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-21204175096820385582009-03-02T00:18:00.005+07:002009-03-02T13:49:27.663+07:00

Mama Told Me Not to Come - Three Dog NightSince arriving here in Cambodia in 2004, I've resisted joining the organization of Filipinos living (and working) in this country. Sure, I'm registered with the Philippine embassy here--including the POEA back in the old country, but I have managed to avoid signing up for this organization. Why, one might ask.This can be largely attributed to my

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-63385834259777082612009-02-23T18:23:00.004+07:002009-02-24T12:13:30.902+07:00

One (From A Chorus Line) - The Philadelphia Boys Choir & ChoraleA few days ago I read in The Phnom Penh Post an article called 'Being Single Sucks'. I checked if it was a local article (written by a Cambodia-based writer) and found out that it was a re-print. I read the article with growing alarm. It extolled the virtue of being married, not partnered, and boldly declared that women who said they

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-5583344586048020082009-02-23T09:04:00.004+07:002009-02-23T09:12:10.651+07:00

Come See About Me - The SupremesI was tagged by Luis but didn't know about it until recently. I was similarly tagged with this meme in facebook by a few other friends and I didn't complete the task until a couple of days ago. Pardon my laziness, but I'm copying the facebook meme in this post.Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, beliefs,

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-10387575828478638032009-02-05T15:42:00.003+07:002009-02-05T16:05:54.318+07:00

This morning, as I was sitting in front of my computer in my new office, at work on the plans for the magazine's next issue, I thought briefly about logging on to my new/old blog.If you're one of the few spectators of my blogging life, you know that I recently moved back to blogger after almost 2 years with my previous platform. Along with this move, I left my apartment after a mere six months

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-81876763890533778192009-01-07T00:41:00.007+07:002009-01-07T02:11:58.174+07:00

Variations on a Theme: Larceny1The first thoughtThat comes to mindWhen you wake upAnd find your thingsGoneIs, "This can't be--"Uttered silently likeA prayer to a deityFull of cruel humor.ThenThe feeling sinks inLike knife into fleshAnd you bleed insideBut nobody else canTellBecause your griefIs kept well in checkAnd all you can doIs smile like you'reFineWhen all you wantTo do is scream andWish a

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088870134427517558.post-67558564666527643932009-01-06T09:55:00.003+07:002009-01-06T11:28:13.570+07:00

2009 finds me packing and moving yet again.The landlord of the flat that I'd moved into six months ago (continuing my friend's lease) decided not to renew the lease, which expired on December 31. We were able to negotiate a 2-week allowance to move, because (1) it was the holidays, and (2) my room-mate and I were equally busy with work.The move to Blogger, however, has been brewing for quite a

Chef-in-the-Closethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540132159321813048noreply@blogger.com3