About Yesterday

My colleague and I were starving since around lunch yesterday and so each of us had a sandwich but still ended up eating in a Thai Restaurant after work.

The place is just a 5-minute walk from the office and is just a small space with four tables that can sit four people. Luckily yesterday, the restaurant wasn’t busy.

It wasn’t our first time to dine here so it was easy for us to choose what to order.

We ordered tom yam soup with shrimps, chicken satay with peanut sauce (of course!) and stir-fried shrimps with basil and chili…

tom yam soup with shrimps

chicken satay with peanut sauce

stir-fried shrimps with basil and chili

We also had seafood fried rice and shrimp pad thai…

seafood fried rice

shrimp pad thai

We had a very satisfying meal. Generous servings and very reasonable prices. I can happily recommend it. 🙂

The place is A Roy D Thai Restaurant located in Al Muthanna Complex in Kuwait City.

Happy Thursday, homo sapiens!

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Quote of the Week

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. 

-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Quote of the Week

One of the hardest lessons in life is letting go.

Whether it’s guilt, anger, love, loss or betrayal.

Change is never easy.

We fight to hold on and we fight to let go.

-Unknown

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Book #18.

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

This famous opening line begins the story of our unnamed heroine, the second Mrs. de Winter. Young and shy, she met the much older, wealthy widow, Maxim de Winter (I so love the name!). An unlikely friendship started and eventually, courtship followed.

They soon got married and went to Manderley where Mrs. de Winter found it difficult to fit in. Throughout the story, she’s in constant battle of Rebecca’s (Maxim’s first wife) legacy.

There’s much to enjoy in this book, however, I just wish there’s more about Rebecca. Ms. du Maurier made her sound so intriguing. Her presence is strongly felt in the novel but I think I didn’t get enough of her. Was she really a strong-willed woman or was she a psychopath or something? She somehow reminded me of Amy in Gone Girl. 🙂

I also think I have to mention Mrs. Danvers. I personally think she stood out the most among the characters. She’s creepy.

All in all, this book is beautifully written, great characters, terrific plot and pacing. And the ending? Awesome! Yes, I love the ending!

Anyway, I don’t read classics very often but I always find myself pleasantly surprised when I do. And maybe tonight, I’ll dream of Manderley again…

Quotable Quotes:

“If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again.”

“I suppose sooner or later in the life of everyone comes a moment of trial. We all of us have our particular devil who rides us and torments us, and we must give battle in the end.”

“We’re not meant for happiness, you and I.”

“The moment of crisis had come, and I must face it. My old fears, my diffidence, my shyness, my hopeless sense of inferiority, must be conquered now and thrust aside. If I failed now I should fail forever.”

“I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say.”

Rating : 5/5

Quote of the Week

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.
And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. 

-Dalai Lama

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

He suddenly disappeared. No explanation. Four years later, Julia has a letter that might lead her to him… Book #17.

This is the story of Julia who traveled to Burma in search of the truth behind her father’s disappearance. In Burma, she met U Ba and learned of the story of Tin Win and Mi Mi. If I continue to tell more about the story, I would surely spoil it for you so I won’t say anything more.

I have never heard of Jan-Philipp Sendker before but I will surely look for more of his books. He knows well how to write a very inspiring story. And this book speaks of that — inspiration, life, love, heartbreak, loss, hope and believing.

The simplicity of the prose and the passages in this book were beautifully written. It may even sound old-fashioned yet it is so powerful.

A must-read!

Quotable Quotes :

“Life is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one without the other was simply bound to fail.”

“Love makes us beautiful. Do you know a single person who loves and is loved, who is loved unconditionally and who, at the same time, is ugly? There’s no need to ponder the question. There is no such person.”

“Only a few days earlier he had explained to her that he did not merely read books but traveled with them, that they took him to other countries and unfamiliar continents, and that with their help he was always getting to know new people, many of whom even became his friends.”

“We wish to be loved as we ourselves would love. Any other way makes as uncomfortable. We respond with doubt and suspicion. We misinterpret the signs. We do not understand the language. We accuse. We assert that the other person does not love us. But perhaps he merely loves us in some idiosyncratic way that we fail to recognize.”

“…there are wounds time does not heal, though it can reduce them to a manageable size.”

Rating : 5/5

Quote of the Week

I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

-George S. Patton

Holding On & Letting Go

Photo saved from aspirace.com

So true.

Galbitang

Korean food has become really popular for the last few years and I can really understand why. I work for a Korean company and yes, we get to taste their food every now and then. But my friend and I usually go together in a Korean restaurant near our office and yesterday was one of those days.

Yesterday’s meal was galbitang (갈비탕). It’s become one of our favorites this year (I think?) and it’s really good. It’s a beef ribs soup which I think has very little ingredients served in a stone pot/bowl but it really is very tasty. Even tastier when it’s spicy.

And of course, I have to mention the free side dishes. Kimchi, kimchi pancake, fish cake, cauliflower, spinach and pickled cucumber were served last night.

Happy tummy! 🙂