Piri Piri Portuguese

                                                         Click on photo for a larger view                                                                            

A friend of a friend recommends the chicken dishes at Piri Piri. Several times I pass by the restaurant in Siam Paragon but refrain from getting in because I read "flaming hot" and I'm no fan of hot, spicy food. But one weekend after church I wandered around looking for something to eat. There's an advantage when you're not that hungry while restaurant-hunting. You get to vary the restaurants you go to. I was curious and didn't want to miss what Piri-piri is famous for: flaming hot chicken.

No smoke came off my ears and nostrils - a discovery that tells me it's OK to go back. I love how fresh the lettuce and capsicum strips are. The menu presentation is charming, and that's great in my books. There's a little story in it which makes up for leisure reading while waiting for your order. So I learned Piri Piri is Portuguese / Mediterranean cuisine. There are small pictures of ancient sea vessels around the menu which remind me of the Portuguese explorer Magellan. And yes, this was a yummy brunch experience.

There are two Piri-Piri restaurants in Thailand, both are in Bangkok:

Emporium, 5th Floor
622, Soi 24 Sukhumvit Rd, Klong Toei Nua, Wattana 10110

Piri Piri Siam Paragon, Ground Floor
991/1 Rama 1 Rd Pathumwan 10330

Business Hours: 10.00 - 21.00 every day
Price Range: 200 - 1,000 Bht / 6 - 33 USD

ABC Wednesday

Mozart hates glasses

Shoes? He shuns them. Sunglasses? He doesn't like them either. I am sadly accepting the obvious: my fur son does not share my fashion sense. The one shot of him grudgingly wearing a dark pair once was not even to shield his eyes from harmful rays during walks. He agreed to have them on his head, sitting on the coffee table. Yes, like a crown. I thought only cats were aristocratic by nature. Sometimes I wonder if he needs corrective glasses instead after his right eye was injured by an irate neighbor, which is another story.

Mozart should watch Arlo.

Centered, sane and grateful - a review

How wonderful it would be if that's the case for everyone all time! But as we live in an imperfect world we can only take life one day at a time. If CEOs are people trying to hold their sanity for obvious reasons, moms are no different. Whether they are working outside the home, homeschooling, moms are usually in the center of many important things.

This Gabby Moms October product is about staying sane and centered in a sea of mothering responsibilities. Gratitude is crucial. You have to learn it. As if it's not enough that you have managed to stay centered and sane, you have to be grateful as well.

That's right grateful. I heard that too. Vividly.  When author Lorrie Flem started talking about gratitude I wondered what version of the virtue could I have exercised in the aftermath of divorce; in the face of a harrowing diagnosis - coordinating with specialists and therapists, not to mention dragging the son between two countries thrice before he could even say 'airplane' and being reduced to a humiliated mess over petrifying tantrums at airports and malls. Hang on. After having to do all that alone I'm supposed to flash a smile of gratitude across my battered face? This woman must be kidding.

Well, she wasn't. Actually she went on giving tips and practical ideas on growing gratitude. My fury and curiosity blended well on the admonition to read the Word. As I listened to the audio, I realized anew that my ordeal did not kill me. That I am able to do all this without a single cent of support from the ex, yes, that is some reason to be thankful despite the troubles. But more importantly being in one piece for a son badly in need of a parent woke me up to a clearer understanding on the importance of gratitude. There's quite a lot of sense in gratitude as a way to a centered and sane life. You will find out how and why in this new audio series which will be available on November 1st. A wealth of related info abound on the author's site Eternal Encouragement Magazine. Try a visit and be blessed.

***         

This Gabby Moms product was provided to me free in exchange for my unbiased review.

Socks and signs

 

A child's feet grow rapidly. It's a fact known to many parents or those in child care. So it is safe to assume that your child's shoe size is not the same as the last time you went on a shoe-shopping trip.

The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests measuring your child's feet before every new shoe purchase. I fall short of this. And even if I did measure, I still would not have known we were to measure 'no matter how recently the feet were last measured.'

I don't remember my kiddo regularly wearing typical socks while trying on shoes. And I don't remember myself inspecting his feet for signs of irritation after trying on shoes.  You may join me in making a note to self: socks and signs (of irritation)

If you don't mind secondhand shoes, the advice is to avoid them as they 'could cause fungal infection.'  I remember a colleague proudly telling me how she bought her daughter's shoes for 25 cents at a garage sale. And I remember wondering if there were garage sales like those in my neighborhood. Glad there weren't any as my adventurous self  who is open to trying things at least once may have fancied purchasing a secondhand pair.

Do you notice signs of uneven wear? Sometimes they are unmistakeably present, but we may not know that they could be 'indicators of a foot problem.' A child's foot can be bigger than the other. We are to 'choose the size that fits the larger foot.' That would ensure space to wiggle the toes, and therefore less chances of hurting the feet. If you are good at determining shoe sizes you still may need to take your child along to the shoe store as you could miscalculate. I remember how delighted I was by pretty strappy sandals bought for me when I was sleeping. The dismay? They were impossibly larger than my feet. This is why now with my turn to be a parent, I normally allow my kid to hop along for the shoe-buying experience.

I guess you would agree with this tip: "shoes that are comfy in the store are good bets that they would be similarly comfy when you are wearing them outside the store."

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Arlo needs glasses

Fortunately Arlo's story is one of love, concern and creativity, unlike Missy's. Animal lovers would nod on Arlo needs glasses by Barney Saltzberg. Families with dogs might be interested too.

It's not just the story I am interested in.  Arlo Needs Glasses is an interactive picture book. What children do not like names on pages that appear in equivalent of lights with letters that are outlined in different hues? They get to pull a tab and be part of the activities in the story.

An eye chart in the doctor's office is shown on this book. Letters blur with the pull of a tab giving readers the idea of what the lead character might be seeing. It would even be more interesting to be able to detect words, which reviews of this book, suggest are hidden in the eye chart.

Saltzberg spells out "phoropter," he uses the Broadway-marquee lettering, as if children are picking up a party favor when they look through the accordion-style fancy-dancy binoculars. At the very bottom, in tiny letters, a prognosis awaits: "Arlo (the dog) needs glasses."

True to being interctive, a trio of glasses in slipcases mounted on the page are provided for kids to try on Arlo. I wonder which among choices of Movie Star, Superhero and Mad Scientist spectacles will my kids, or yours want to try on themselves.

The book provides awareness of eye problem solutions for children. It tells young minds things to expect at the optometrist's office. Like Saltzberg's Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses is a book about solving problems with humor all the way. It seems everything one would expect in an interactive picture story are packed in this book.

Photo credit and more info at Workman 

This blog is not affiliated with Workman. This post is for sharing purposes only.

Leo the leopard

Meet Leo, the baby leopard. For 100 baht (about 3.40 USD) he's yours to cuddle and feed. The milk in his bottle is very little, just enough to be consumed in 2 minutes or less. Leo lives in Kanchanaburi.

ABC Wednesday