Birds @ Hawker Center

These days, the convenience of finding different menu at one place has extended to our animal kingdom. These birds are happily feeding off the leftovers from a noodle store, a roasted meat + rice store, fruit juice and what seems like mutton soup store as well.

There's at least a dozen of these birds chirping loudly to nudge another bird off their food and chomping down hungrily.

Please folks, eat up all your food or return the trays/bowls/plates filled with leftovers to the stores rather than allowing these aviary feasts.

The clip was cut off abruptly because one of these birds who got rustled out of the feast was looking for another feasting table... and guess whose lunch it was eyeing? MINE! That bird was moving towards ME! While I was still seated on my table, eating my food. They are indeed getting bolder!

The clip was cut off in time from my scream too hee....

Charlie Brown & Lucy are clean again!

I've been using these two dolls as "fillers" to our already very full book shelf for a while now (at least 2years?).

With the daily dust that lands on them and the sickening brown spots that seems to creep on them, they both looked like they are ready to be recycled into other "toys".

Not giving up on them, I decided to give them a good wash & dry (using my reliable washing machine & favourite home appliance the dryer).

Now they look as good as new!

*clap* *clap*

now we know that any dolls can be cleaned just like our dirty laundry hee hee *wink*

Metamorphosis

A thought strike me in my wee morning awaken hours. What goes through the mind of the caterpillar as it eats to grow, grow to morph into a butterfly?

How much faith would it have taken that little insect to totally trust the bodily instincts and body clock to act as it goes through its varies parts of its life cycle?

Imagine having to grow out of an egg into a multi-legged caterpillar. Its hairy, segmented, eats all the time. Every now and then, it out grows its exoskeleton and needs to moth into a bigger one. Most would consider a caterpillar an ugly organism. Would it know that from what it seems as the bottom of the charts, it'll one day be right at the top? Would it realize that one day, he would be transformed into a butterfly? From multi-legged to a flying creature leh!

It is not without hard work that the caterpillar goes through its life cycle from an egg, into the larvae stage (caterpillar), into the pupa (chrysalis) stage and finally into the beautiful insect that flies!

What if the caterpillar gave up? it'll be unable to reach its eventual stage, that would be quite sad right?

I'm drawing a parallel to me life to the life cycle of the caterpillar. Every stage of life, there seems to be a egg stage when I have little clue of what's going on. Then comes the caterpillar stage when I have to eat and ingest all the information, happenings that is occurring. Also have to run away from potential danger. Then comes the toughest stage when you have to inactivate all your physical activities, slow down, allow major transformation to take place. The chrysalis stage, when the caterpillar have to re-organize its entire being. No more multi-legged animal. No more chunky hard outer shell. No more hairy back. Even the internal organs needs to be shuffled, needs to undergo metamorphosis.

Its liken to the training of being a student of life, student of some degree, student of Christ. Our internal guts have to undergo re-organization first before we can emerge as beautifully as the butterfly.

Scientific details of the life cycle of the Butterfly here with pictures.

Why Does It Take So Long?

Another inspirational reading that clears up the cloud skies in my mind.

Thank You Lord. You are indeed wonderful & knows me through and through. :)

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“The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once” (Deuteronomy 7:22 NLT).

Although God could instantly transform us, He has chosen to develop us slowly. Jesus is deliberate in developing His disciples. Just as God allowed the Israelites to take over the Promised Land “little by little” so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed, He prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives.

Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons.

We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a lesson forty or fifty times to really get it. The problems keep recurring, and we think, “Not again! I’ve already learned that!”—but God knows better. The history of Israel illustrates how quickly we forget the lessons God teaches us and how soon we revert to our old patterns of behavior. We need repeated exposure.

We have a lot to unlearn. Many people go to a counselor with a personal or relational problem that took years to develop and say, “I need you to fix me. I’ve got an hour.” They naïvely expect a quick solution to a long-standing, deep-rooted difficulty. Since most of our problems—and all of our bad habits—didn’t develop overnight, it’s unrealistic to expect them go away immediately.

There is no pill, prayer, or principle that will instantly undo the damage of many years. It requires the hard work of removal and replacement. The Bible calls it “taking off the old self” and “putting on the new self” (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22-25; Colossians 3:7-10, 14).

Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain. We fear these losses, even if our old ways were self-defeating, because, like a worn out pair of shoes, they were at least comfortable and familiar.

Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new.

Loving Singapore, Loving To Be A Singaporean

The older I get, the further I've travelled, the more pride I feel about our country, Singapore. A tiny dot, with a loud presence. We get to travel to many places without the need for a visa. We have products and services known for its uncompromising quality, distinctive performance internationally. We are a legend of what may be small and limited in natural resources but definitely not limited in living beyond our dreams.

I am proud to be a Singaporean like never before, as I walked through the photo journeys that shows our first National Day Parade at the Padang. I saw the eager crowd waiting to witness the parade by the sides of the roads along the 5 foot walk ways. These are such precious memories of Singapore, precious reminders of how far we've come to be where we are today. And also, understanding the bigger challenges ahead of us.

Looking at our nation, we are truly blessed by great leaders who have made many right decisions for us. They have made it possible for us, Singaporeans to achieve the many dreams that we've set. Or to even make it possible to set dreams. One of the pillars of our nation is our investment in our youth, our next generation through Education. Every child is given an opportunity to learn the english language, their mother tongue, math & science. Not every child in today's world can be so fortunate to attend school.

We have a tremendously safe environment. Try leaving your bag on a chair in any other parts of the world, you'll be amazed at how fast it'll disappear before you! A friend recently shared his experience of traveling in europe. A "mother" threw her "infant" in the air, so that the tourist around her would raise their hands to catch the falling infant. And neglect their belongings for a few brief secs therefore losing their possessions in the process. He witnessed it with his own eyes just as his tour guide was warning them about it!

Here's some links to great NDP Celebrations coming up in Singapore!
Singapore NDP site

Photo Gallery of Singapore NDP from 1966

NDP Songs!
My favourite is still We Are Singapore after all these years!

And I'm so going to recite my pledge at 8.22pm on the 9th August 2009 Singapore time! Will you join me?

Enjoy my photo journey that was taken today at the HDB Hub:









Mr. Wee, you are still the BEST president in my heart! Love your smile, love your grandfatherly nature. :D


Mr. EW Barker, I'm all grown up now! From the days of sharing a photo moment with you when I was 5, I'm delighted to share another photo moment with you again today! *hugs*

Lucky Me!

*giggles*

Good morning Sg!

Its almost 6am and yes, I cannot sleep! Mind is too wide awake!

Guess what? 5mins to 6am and I can hear the birds chirping! Never before in my home here! So cool! Except that the weather is not as cool.... *bleah* so hot!

But yes, Good Morning SG!

Dentist Chair!

Help! Save me! I'm on the dentist chair again! My annual checkups always scares me due to flashbacks of having to pull out at least 1 tooth whenever the dental nurses calls for us in Primary School. I would LOVED to have some comforting words from my friends at this point in time. Wished I could share this moment with the world!



Live Life Online Anywhere with SingTel BroadBand on Mobile Youth Plan!

Can we really change?

Had a dream last night about a strong argument with a stranger on change. This person is in his 50s or 60s, carried a backpack and was insistent that he cannot change himself to be a happier person. That all his ways are set.

While me on the other hand, was trying to convince him that he CAN change his mindset, his perspectives to seek a happier outlook of life.

Can we really change?

Must we really face some serious, major catastrophic events before we will come to a realization that one can continuously evolve to combat the ever-changing world?

Paradigm shift. How can we achieve that?

I wish for more of my friends out there to be more adventurous, to try new experiences to enrich their lives. I wish for more of my friends to be more open-minded and not draw that thick boundary for themselves, limiting their thoughts, actions, defining their lives.

I do not mean for people to start flirting away (only OK if u r still single hee) nor get entangled romantically with 3rd or 4th or 5th parties.

Instead, try a new experience each day and embrace life with more positivity. Learn to let go of things/events/situations that you cannot change. Learn to appreciate people for their strengths. Be civic.

I used to have a pretty tunnel vision about the world and life. Christ has really enlightened me that I can be happier if I learn to let things go, learn to see life from His angle, learn to live life from His angle. I get frustrate at times. I get annoyed mostly. Only because I care so much to want the best for each person.

10years ago, Jen was a fiesty, hot-headed person. No real friends around but lots of party folks. People gathered around for the company, but hardly anyone would ask you "how's your day". Things started to change when a series of events happened at home to the point where I was not only physically strained, but also emotionally drained. I started to attend RCIA classes and found solace in the pain that I was seeking. Then MORE things happened at home, till I was so drained, that I dropped out of my weekly RCIA classes. And naturally, I got into a bigger mess! In the following year, I was determined not to drop out of my classes and making that commitment was a huge step towards building a new Jen.

I have completely mellowed down. Ha ha... yah, mellow is the word that my friends describe me with now. For those who have witness how I was before. And these are the folks who has worked hard towards maintaining our friendships through the years. And these are the folks whom I will miss dearly when I'm not around anymore.

So, if I can change, so can YOU hee.

Think of areas in your life that you are unhappy with, especially those for a really long time. Ask yourself if its because of your own stubbornness, or upbringing or other factors that cause this recurring unhappy situation. Look at ways to overcome this unhappiness and do it!

It takes alot of courage to shed off your old self to move into your new untested self. Be sure that you'll be happier once you step out of it.

We need to evolve in mindset too people!

Lessons learnt from conversations with elderly folks

I used to have alot of perceptions about the elderly folks. They seems very set in their ways and full of criticism for the world. For the many that I've met, nothing seems to please them. Their world just seems dark, gloomy, unhappy, sad.... They are full of fears, afraid of letting the tap run while they are out. Afraid of the gas being turned on. Afraid of robbers on the street. Afraid of falling down. Afraid that one day their kids will disown them and throw them out of the house. Afraid of how they will die. They have just sooo much fears!

As time goes by, I noticed that these elderly folks do not have other more exciting things or events to focus their energy on. Not like us, younger generations with a bright future ahead of us. We've got lots of to dos, lots of plans, lots of places to go visit etc. For them, energy is short-lived. If they get a good night's rest, they get alot of energy in the morning to perhaps go marketing, chat up with a friend or even take a walk. If they dun sleep well, the whole day is fuzzy and there's very high inertia to overcome in order to do anything for the rest of the day.

Now, isnt that kind of life pretty depressing?

THEN, they have tonnes of their friends around their age with horrifying stories of how they get "kicked out of the house" after they helped raised their grandchildren. Or how a fall became fatal. Or how two unrelated persons came together and caused each other "bad luck". Stories fly, more exciting details are added with each version and it becomes real life horror stories that accompanied them to bed each night.

How to get a good night's rest with such frightening images running in their minds?

Lessons learnt:

1. Always be financial independent from any other sources. Remove potential threats of dependence on others.

2. Surround yourself with positive friends/family. Nothing is more damaging to our minds than negative thoughts.

3. Be healthy, exercise and keep exercising to keep joints & limbs alive. Losing one's mobility = losing freedom = alot of sadness

4. Even if mobility is limited, one can get a motorized "tractor-like vehicle", very cool on the roads!

5. Travel often, the more worldly you are, the less likely you are going to think badly of yourself. Even a simple trip to bintan or JB is enough to distract the mind and infuse it with some positivity.

6. Take things easy, by 60yrs old, you would have seen alot of shit already. So dun let any event that occurs shake your nerves too much. Relax lah.

7. Plan ahead with your assets, learn how to manage them when you are younger so that you can lead a care free life later.

8. Laugh everyday. Be it a light breeze on your face. Be it a clear blue sky. Be it a pretty butterfly. Be it an adorable face. Be it a cute advertisement. Laughter will chase away alot of blues.

9. Go out to someplace new every week (if you cannot tahan going out everyday). There will always be something new and interesting on the streets. Be it a new poster, a new gadget, a new store. There are so many creative, inventive people out there, if we do not get out of our house, it'll be tough to explore the world! (Dun forget there's always retail therapy!)

10. Think about how you want your funeral to be. What to do with your body/ashes. Let your family/close friends know of your preference and it will be easier for them too. No need for surprises for them. No need for them to argue over colors or flowers etc. Because you would have planned everything ahead. Do not be afraid to think about your death. It will happen, whether you like it or not. Its better to plan ahead than to leave things as a mystery.

Okay, now someone remind me of this piece of information when I'm 60yrs old. Because I get the feeling that I wont remember a word that I wrote here! hahahahaha :P

Me & True Yoga Trial

I was offered a 4 weeks pass at True Yoga by a friend who has signed up for their classes. She was super hooked on to them, till the point where she only feel shiok with either their hot yoga or bikram. Out of curiosity, I wanted to test for myself if these classes do make a difference.

Initially I was skeptical about having to share changing rooms, showers with tonnes of other ladies. Looking at their locker rooms, showers & toilet facilities, it kinda reminded me of boarding school or hostels with endless rows of lockers, showers & toilets. I'm not a fan of public shower facilities, but for those who dun mind, they do have quite abit of space around the lockers and shower for chit chats and changes. Not posh like country clubs for sure but definitely decent facilities.

Week 1:
Only managed to attend 2 classes, I was invited to take the basic, therapy classes as a beginner. So I went for Therapy Yoga and Basic Yoga. My friend also stressed that one must feel the strain, push my limits to get maximum benefit for each session. Pain is normal. So I cheong lor! Every position I also stretch and stretch, push and push. It doesn't help that I did my first jog in 15yrs the night before and with a whole body that is aching, I invited MORE aches & pains to my body.

With the aching body, it felt good that I had a workout heehee.... *happy* & looking forward to next week's sessions.

Only pity is that their schedules is only released on each Monday morning, so one would not be able to plan in advance. :(

Week 2:
After 1 session of therapy yoga, I found that the first instructor Adi was really good! He was clear with his instructions, precise with his timings, encouraging with his words. He tries to push our limits a little more with each repetition and that was pretty good.

So I decided that I was ready for pilates! Yeah! WAH, it was super tough! Especially when the instructor told us that the tough posture we did was 1 out of 3 sets! I want to faint! But since everyone in the class seems to be very PRO & ON, I kept a straight face and kept pushing lor. After the completion of each set, it is usually accompanied by a huge SIGH hahaha... (thankfully, I was not alone ;-D )

Week 3:
I had some time before my next appointment, so I decided to go for Yin yoga which lasts 1.5hrs instead of the usual 1hr. When I entered the studio, there were something different about it. Besides the usual mats all set up in the studio, the other participants went to one corner of the room to get cushions & ropes and walked over to the other end of the studio to get blankets! Wah, it looks like a pretty serious class... so much gadgets! Then instructor came in and started lighting a row of candles on the platform and also encouraged us to go forward to get some aromatherapy oil on our wrists.

Turns out that this "super long workout" session in my mind is meant for connective tissues! Not muscle toning! We did simple stuff like sitting on our feet like in a jap posture. But dun look down on that simple posture wor! After 2.5mins, I want to give up already! Tough leh!! And we had to tahan there for 5 full mins!! I can feel the sweat peeling off my forehead... just from sitting down... impressive eh?

For the 2nd session, I decided to get creative, took the Hatha yoga. But I did not take note of its difficulty level, it was M for multi-levels! Which means TOUGH again! Wah piang eh.... got hand stand wan leh! But the instructor noted that its my virgin hatha class, she came over when I was strangling to put my knees on my inverted arms... and told me that's enough for me! hahahaha I almost wanted to thank her for getting me out of this tricky situation! How in the world would I be able to lift my legs up using my non-existence abdominal muscles? I dunno. Just very glad that she ended the class then. Ha Ha Ha

Week 4:
Looks like my body is getting used to the stretching and postures, its not aching that much anymore! Could it be just me, the lazier version who dun seems to be pushing as hard? *Bleah*

We'll know tomorrow if the aches starts....

OK, tomorrow came and I'm bloody aching alot today!!! I went for core yoga which emphasized on building core muscles around the abdomen. It was some twisting and turnings, leg lifts and boat positions. I struggled for some bits of it of course but I did not expect the extent of the aches! I never knew that I have "muscles" just outside my rib cage! hahaha I think it was that release all the air in the lungs pose, combined with contracting the stomach towards the spine that gave me this ACHE!

Okay, dilemma now, should I go for morning sessions today which has siong-sounding dynamic pilates? Or take it easier with afternoon sessions?? Hmm....

A Thoroughly Satisfying Phone Conversation with IBS Telemarketer!

This is so much joy hahaha....

Phone rings, Jen picks up

Jen: Hello?

IBS TM: Hello good morning, madam, may I speak to J?

Jen: Yes speaking.

IBS TM: Hi, I'm A calling from B company representing IBS Bank. Today, we want to offer you our credit card that comes with free subscription for life. And also our credit line services.

Jen: What makes you think that I need a credit line?

IBS TM: Oh mdm, you can enjoy our credit card that is has no subscription charges for life time then. (And she went on for 1min telling me how good this credit card is....)

I listened and really got interested in this all round wonderful card that she described it to be. She even got to the part where she'll send a courier down for me to sign on the forms... this is where it got interesting hehe

Jen: Oh, I really like to sign up for the card, now that you mentioned all these privileges! What do I need to give to the courier?

IBS TM: Oh mdm, it is really easy, I can fill up the application forms for you, you just need to sign on it. By the way mdm, how long have you been working in your current job?

Jen: I'm not working currently.

IBS TM: Oh sorry mdm, the first criteria of owning this card is that you must be working.

Jen: No, you did not ask me if I was working before offering me this card. You told me that you wanted to give me this card with all this special interest rates, privileges and now you asked me about my job? Why dun you ask me if I'm working first before offering me the card? I'm so disappointed you know? I really WANT the card now!

IBS TM: I'm sorry mdm, you need to be working, maybe you can ask your husband to apply for it?

Jen: Why ask someone else to apply for it? You called me right? Don't you want me anymore?

ISB TM: Yes I called. Maybe your husband can get the card instead?

Jen: What makes you think I'm married? Can't I be single?

ISB TM: Oh sorry mdm.

Jen: Or worse, what if I'm going through a divorce? Won't your constant reminder of my "husband" make me really upset?

ISB TM: hangs up!

hahahahhaa..... I love it!

I think the next one... I'll sob at the mention of a job....

Jen's Stash *giggles*

Your Friend S-H-A-R-O-N

Got one of the thousands tele-marketing calls again. This time they were a little bit more creative, they found me a friend named Sharon. Here's the conversation:

Telemarketer (TM):"Hello, good afternoon, may I speak to Ms J please?"

J: Yes speaking?

TM: Ms J, your friend referred you to us, we are from True Yoga, we are very happy to offer you 1 week FREE trial at True Yoga.

J: (tempted to say YES immediately, FREE leh, my kinda of cool. But this is also like the 1001th Free trial i've been offered, so abit more cautious)
What is the name of my friend who gave you my name?

TM: Oh let me check, (flips paper in the background for 0.01sec). Its your friend Sharon.

J: Sharon? Sharon what? What's her surname?

TM: Oh surname ah, (flips MORE paper in the background) we do not have that data with us. Its just Sharon.

Wont it be strange that for a member to register, they have to pay quite abit of registration fees, subscription fees etc and they wont have their member's surname? Even donkey forms in most places would require you to give them your NRIC. They don't have the member's surname?

If its an authentic phone call with an authentic recommendation, there should be more details. What's there to hide anyway?

J: I don't have a friend by that name.

TM: (in shock) You don't have a friend called Sharon? Its S-H-A-R-O-N! (yes, she spelt it out for me)

J: Nope, not one that will give you my particulars and do not dare to admit it anyway.

TM: Oh okay, thank you very much then.
*hangs up quickly*

How fake can this be?

They gave me a pseudo friend ha ha ha

And she was not the first one to do so. The last one gave me a friend with a local dialect name which I really dun have a friend by that name ha ha ha Like di-gum for them eh?

So for all those reading here, please do kindly drop a note to me if you were pressurized to give my name to any organization, for any purpose, for any free trials, freebies etc. Its only courteous to do so if its a friend that you are pushing to these telemarketers.

But I know for much certainty that my friends are sensible enough not to put my name down on these forms. Because they are nothing but a nuisance!

Things occur for a reason

Yes, I firmly believe that things do occur for a reason, sometimes reasons. Most times, beyond our comprehension.

This morning, when I opened my inbox, I received a chain of emails depicting the pain that a friend is going through with her continuous stream of emotional torment. A close member of the family fell ill for the past month, arrangements has to be made from sending her to hospital, check-ups, post-discharge care, hiring a maid for the first time and then dealing with a runaway maid!

It may sound funny on hind sight, but for now, my friend is really just feeling emotionally exhausted welcoming the end of the nightmare.

Its a familiar situation I recall back in 2001 when my world seems to just turn upside down. I started the year resolved to finish my MSc with a bang and write it up into some life-long achievement book. On the first day back in the lab, I received a phone call from my sis's house in the mid-morning. (Always NOT a good sign to receive an unexpected call) Turns out that there's serious shit there occurring, took our family many months to come to terms with it, deal with it and move on with it.

Few months later, one of the nights when I went out partying with my friends and received a phone call from mum (again NOT a good sign), telling me that my dad had been sitting on the toilet bowl for the whole night with some vomiting. Being chinese, they popped some bo zhe pills and it did not help with the situation. So I headed home early that night and went to check on dad. His face was rather pale and we thought that it was just dehydration. My dad could still climb down 4 flights of stairs to our vehicle so that I can drive him to A&E.

The moment we arrived at A&E, he turned even more pale! There was a doc nearby and saw him in the state and quickly found him a wheelchair and whisk him away for the checks. Yes, you guessed it, it was an heart attack! After his ultrasound scan, 3 of his major arteries were blocked. Ballooned him in the middle of the night.

The following month, my mum got a mild stroke after having to take care of my dad from his heart condition.

The month after that, I went for an op...

Feels like a house full of sick people!

The morale was pretty low in the house. No one could see the light at the end of the tunnel. We were waiting to see what other shit will fall into our laps. We really just have to keep moving forward to get our minds out of all the darkness, finding the right kind of emotional support that fits our needs.

Moving from those dark years, we have all grown to another new level of understanding.

We know our physical limits. Mental limits (how much shit we can take before we fall apart).
We know what kind of emotional structure keeps us in check (be it a tub of ice cream or a bottle of beer, or some real good bitching with some friends, hey, whatever works for you man!)

And most of all, I've learnt to be more human when someone else is in some kind of shit. Brings out the humanity side of me.

In another incidence, one of our friends bought a new car! Being a new driver, he was fairly careful on the road, sticking to speed limits (I've not seen anyone MORE anal about the speed limits than him! He's car never felt what was like to travel beyond 80khm before I took over the wheels! ha ha) So you would think that this guy would be accident free on the road right? Well, not so much, he had 2 tyre punctures, 1 died battery on his way to VOTE during the last GE, 1 accident involving motorcyclist crashing into his boot (his car was stationary @ traffic junction), threw both the rider & passenger off his car, with a huge dent in the roof + smashed rear windows. I think all these occurred in the first YEAR of his driving experience! Such a nightmare! Never knowing what you're going to get when you get into your car that day.

But hey, his experience at changing tyre came in handy a few years later when he was traveling overseas in the desert. Tyre puncture in the middle of a desert where there's NO mobile phone signals! He was cool about changing the tyres all on his own! Damn cool if you ask me!

So my dear friends, if you feel like u r in alot of shit right now, know that it occurs for a reason. Know that you'll survive!

Loving my new Timbuk2

We fell in love with the sturdiness of Timbuk2 laptop bags about 3yrs ago. This happened when we were in search of a laptop bag for Ad (AGAIN!) as his 3rd Samsonite laptop backpack was wearing out under the tremendous stress that Ad puts it through. Besides his laptop, Ad has his 1L water bottle, charger, brolly + tonnes of other stuff in his bag that at times, we are surprised that it exists! ha ha ha oops... hopes he dun kill me for being too "revealing".

We found Timbuk2 laptop backpack really durable, after using it daily for more than 1yr, its strap is still in great condition! The strap is one of the first things that get worn off, thus making the heavy weight too unbearable on the shoulders. So for the past few years, we were contented to keep changing his laptop backpack every 8-12months depending on how "painful" they get and how much pain Ad can bear with daily.

In addition to its ultra durable strap, not worn out after 3yrs, its also got great capacity for loading up things! I get amazed by how much there is inside the bags. I have travelled with a camera bag inside (dSLR camera bag that fits 1 body, 2 lenses + other cleaning tools), my jacket, scarf, 1L water bottle, light toiletries bag, wallet, keys etc. Its amazing how they can all fit inside the bag + not weight the tonne that they are supposed to. As you can guess, I've inherited Ad's older Timbuk2 backpack as its not in the "professional" color that he would like it to be. On discount mah! It was cheap! Cannot chose :P

I inherited it only because Ad found another similar bag that was even CHEAPER! ha ha, this was 1yr later... boy was he happy!

I've been drooling at the prettier totes to add more girly twists to my bag collection. Not forgetting my 1st Timbuk3 ladies Tote laptop bag which is called the Marina, its a snug laptop bag that allows enough things in the bag without weighing a tonne.

So when I saw their beach totes, I was drooling non-stop. But I was not convinced at the price point. I told myself that its way too expensive for a beach tote!

Fortunately for me, Ad heard my countless cries of excitement for their beach totes and he kept an eye on cheap bargains for them hee... So finally, after like what feels like an eternity, he got me my new beach Tim tote!



I was hesitant about its capacity when I first saw it. It looked like it had alot of small compartments with a huge central space inside. You know how open spaces actually look smaller than it actually is? Yah, this is one of the cases hee.

I was totally bowed over when I can fit in as much if not MORE stuff in this red tote than Ad's giant laptop bag! ha ha ha It feels like its got a hidden capacity that doesn't say NO to you when you load it up. So I just kept stuffing and stuffing and stuffing things in it. Then weight distribution on the shoulders strap is amazing! I wonder how the folks at Timbuk2 does it. How can it feel lighter than its actual weight? Doesn't make sense to me but I'm happy with it :)

Love the adjustable longer strap with it too! I threw my laptop in it with a slim laptop casing as this tot does not come with any laptop compartments and used the tote's longer shoulder strap for my slim laptop casing when I needed to separate them! Its like a bonus! ha ha

One last thing which I love about Timbuk2 bags are their very functional, very thoughtful compartments. For cards, for mobile phones, for PDAs, for pens, keys, zipper for important documents etc. Makes it very easier to use the bag and know exactly where these small items are in your bag inside of having to fish around for your staff pass...

Loving it!

Crossing Borders

I din have much chances to travel when I was a kid. I recall listening with amazement to my primary school friends who used to travel every holiday to different countries, disneyland, white winters in snow, skiing, sakura flowers. I was even more amused when some of my school mates would skip school just to go on holiday. Being young and innocent was a strong advantage then because I never really knew what I missed hee.

As I have more opportunities to cross the borders, I was fascinated by the rich and vast diversity of cultures out there! (we dun get travel & living programs at home till 5yrs ago...)

I was impressed by how smart the Romans were, to build towns, cities, ports, libraries (with underground links to brothels), colosseums, even public toilets with proper sewage systems. All these were built more than 3000years ago! How clever they were!

I was awed by what man can do, building all the magnificent architectures all around the world.

Some experiences remain stuck with me for a long time like experiencing a turkish bath. Hee... you sit in a steam room to sweat it out until you cannot tahan anymore, then you jump into an ultra-chilling cold shower and back into the steam room again, jump into the cold shower again. Repeat at least 3 times. This process opens the pores on your skin and allows the dirt/toxins to be perspired out of your body. The cold shower helps to close the pores ( I think). Next you lay down on cold marble slab about the height of a chair and a huge turkish man will rub you with a foamy sponge. He will scrub and scrub you front & back until you can see the white foams change into slightly greyish foam (white+dirt=grey). Then he'll rinse you down with spring water. Feeling totally refreshed and 100% clean. It was such a treat!

More than 15yrs ago, when my parents decide to bring me to Lake Toba along with their friends and friend's kids. We were brought to a village on the island where they have unusual burial practices or rather, they do not bury the dead until the corpse is totally decomposed! We were brought to a special forest that had some species of the trees which absorbs the bad odour from a decomposing corpse. So when we were there with the guide explaining to us the varies degrees of decomposition, we were not infused by bad odour at all. I recall being fascinated by the various states of decomposition of the corpse and after about 1 month or so, when all the flesh/proteins are ingested away, leaving behind the skeleton, the family will return to collect the remains of the corpse. And do a proper burial for that family member. I can still recall how the corpse were neatly place in rows for the decomposition process.

Many other wonderful traveling experiences were made up of interacting with the drivers, stall holders, service staff of the restaurants, hotels, cab rides, museum attendants that we visit. The first hand interaction with the locals gives us a good sense of the culture of the place. The Italians are crazy drivers but totally polite on buses/trains, they will give their seats to any ladies. The French loves to sit outdoors to enjoy the sunshine and a good wine. The American meal can easily feed 2 Asians any time. The Thais are so polite and friendly with their gestures.

These are true first hand experiences of the people that makes up the cultural experiences for a traveller.

With the increase in foreign talent-scouting, can we say that Singapore is giving our tourist a true-blue first hand experience in Singapore? I walk into our Orchard Road malls, its flooded by service staff from neighboring countries who at times have difficulty understanding english. I try to ask about the discounts offered in Giordano (in Suntec City) and was greeted by "可以說華語嗎?" Instantly, I felt as if I am not in Singapore! Our first language in school is english, how come I cannot speak that in our own malls to ask a basic question in the shop? In almost all the service centers that I've been to for the past 6months, I have yet to be served by a Singaporean. We are talking about Starhub, M1, Sony Ericsson etc.

Even the hawker centers are now flocked with foreign talents, I get ultra salty fish soup from more than 1 food stall wondering if I'm actually tasting overseas version of our local delight. I find it really weird to imagine that I'll be eating prata prepared by a non-indian, can we really say that its one of our favorite indian cuisine if its no longer prepared by our Indian friends?

This phenomena does not limit itself to within our shores, when I was in Guangzhou a few years ago. My relatives who were native folks there shared that they can no longer place their orders for food in cantonese (native dialect in Guangzhou, China) because most of the service staff that works in restaurants are no longer native folks of Guangzhou. These service staff comes from other parts of China with little comprehension of the Cantonese language so hence part of the culture of ordering food in Guangzhou was lost. Its pretty different experience to order dim sum like xiao long bao, har kao, siew mai, lor mai kai etc in Mandarin. Part of the fun of ordering food in dim sum places is in the use of Cantonese itself as we do not have much opportunity to use it in Sg. So you can imagine our immense disappointment.

When we were in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we were lured by the travel agents to visit the elephant reserves along with the visits to the tribal villages of the Long Necks and Big Ears. So thrilled to visit the natives of the rural outskirts, we had to wait till our necks were long for this part of the itinerary as its the last bit before we head back to our hotel. What was disgusting about the "visit" was that these "tribal folks" are not thais! They belong to tribes outside of the Thai border. They were the foreign talents lured by monetary rewards to display their native practices of inserting metal rings around their necks as a sign of beauty and enlarging their ear lobes by wearing heavy earrings (2 separate tribes). The "village" is a poor attempt to mock their homes with attap houses built on stilts, their tribal clothes were like uniform to them. Those who were not "on-duty" that day wore normal tee-shirt & jeans like any regular folks. What was worse is that they were not allowed to leave the premises on their own, almost like a form of imprisonment!

The benefit of these foreign employment is beneficial to the business owners as it reduces their operational cost for manpower. However, it totally removed the joy of interaction with a native for a tourist. We are unable to fully immerse in the culture of the place. Which leads me to my next question:

What's the point of traveling?

When my prata is no longer flipped by an Indian man in his sari?

When my dim sum is not ordered in Cantonese?

When my sushi is not prepared by a Japanese Chef?

When its just a job for them and not a passion of sharing the rich culture of the place?

I wanna file my taxes!

For a long time, I did not have to file my own taxes due to super efficient systems for the organizations that I work in.

So this year, I get the "luxury" of filing my own taxes, after digging up the dust filled pins that I would need to do e-filing, I got this message:



*bleah*

Its ThanksGIVING again!

This is one of my favourite times of the year, because I know that Christmas would be round the corner! And after receiving Christmas presents, it'll be time to prepare PineApple Tarts (PATs) which leads on to Chinese New Year celebrations! Yahoo!

This year's Thanksgiving was kinda abit too short for me, I was up in the air and did not have anyone I know to celebrate it with me. However, there are tonnes of things that I'm thankful for.

1. I'm thankful to be alive, really, with all that chaos that happened around the world, it could be me who got shot in some terrorist crossfire. But I'm not, I'm very thankful that I'm alive to be able to spend meaningful time with my hubby, my family and my friends.

2. I'm thankful for all the blessings that we've been blessed with. Its really amazing how God gives so much MORE than what we have offered. Even under the scorching hot sun when I was melting away waiting for a fren to show up, I looked up at the sky and there were such beautiful cloud formations that just took the heat off my mind!

3. I'm thankful for my hubby who constantly tries to work towards our common goals and making our family a priority in his life. :D *muaks*

4. I'm thankful for my many many many good good friends who have lend a shoulder, a listening ear, given me great advice, provided a cheerful joke to jumpstart the week, filling up my life with their cheerfulness, support and care. (not forgetting the shopping angels hee hee) Thank You folks! Love You!

5. I'm thankful for TECHNOLOGY! haha, I bet some of your reading this will laugh out loud!
But well, this year, I found quite a few long lost friends through technology so that's COOL!

6. I'm thankful that I got to spend time with my mum and family whom i rarely see if I was working full time. I believe this is important because there will be no other time when I can have lunch with mum whenever she cooks. This sense of comfort knowing that her daughter is just a phone call away is what no money can buy. And I believe, its pretty assuring for a 73yr old granny who has two pretty trying grandkids at home. Plus, I get a really lovely relationship with my nieces who are growing up to be very cheeky kiddos whom I cant wait to show them what cheeky things they can do! hee hee

7. I'm thankful for having such a lovely home, I miss my home whenever I'm not at home. Does it sound strange to some of you? I think I've really grown super HOMELY haha

Ok, that's my top 7 Thanks for this year. What about YOURS?

Peppermint's desktop these days...

What's Your Miracle Today?

For our 888th post, I wanna share a miracle that occurred today!

I was really really really boiling mad this morning with someone who keeps making the same mistake, who did not seems to have learnt from his mistake. The anger was fueled by my mega disappointed in unfulfilled promises.

I was so mad that my physical body temperature went up the roof, I could have killed that person today!
(almost like the anger has overtaken my physical being, like a hot pressurized steam needing to find the outlet)

As I try to relate to my anger, it got worse.....

Then I recalled having read some articles about resolving conflict & about anger.

I quickly dig them out, before long, I calmed down. As I prayed for God to guide me, help me with my anger, see that I do not sin as a result of the anger, I cooled down and was able to apologise for the bad behaviour when I was angry.

I have the right to be angry most definitely. But I have no right to vent my anger, being rude to another person, cursing or swearing or physical whacking is a No No.

And I'm so thankful that God gave me this experience today, to once again demonstrate that He cares for me, He is always around me, ready to help me deal with any situation using the resources that I have around me. :)

So what's YOUR miracle for today? wanna share?

New Bags!

In a moment of excitement, under the influence of prolong waiting for the FJ Benjamin Sales....

this happened....



oops.... hee

bored stiff

i cannot imagine how bored i am right now

my mind is just so not able to focus on completing the last 10m of my 1st race

arrggghhhhhh!

-signing off by a frustrated writer

Things that I will never understand perhaps...

There's this activity which a group was interested to participate on a monthly basis or at least seems to be interested to participate.

But since the beginning, it has been an uphill task to gather the members together every month. Like little children, they have to be coax and conjured to the activity. If so, then why do they make that initial agreement to it in the first place?

Or time has changed their minds about it?

If so, why not just be straightforward to admit that the activity has no significance to them and they would rather let it end?

Instead, every month now, I have to go round coaxing the little children to get together for something perhaps they themselves see no meaning in.

Should I just stop being hopeful about it already?

I think I'll have to seek higher powers for this....

why so much blogging?

Cos i'm feeling very restless in the middle of the night!

Plus, I have to write some stunning reports to woo some reviewers to say Yes to my reports. And I suck at writing. I figured that with more blogging, I feel more at ease with writing and hopefully, I can write better?

I may have to write in more scientific terms, so please bear with me.

As it shows, I can most likely complete my tasks something this life time. Hopefully.

*deep breaths*

Make Up Day

Then another day, when I was sooooo bored out of my wits, I decided to wear make up to work.

My fren D, called me bo liao when he heard what I did.... *bleah*

It took me 1hr to wash up and put on the make up and get to work! Much longer than what I normally take, which is like 5mins. So I concluded that its not time worthy to wear make up to work!

(btw, i work from home hee hee)


besides the eye brow set & eye shadow set, I wasnt very fascinated by the rest of the items! :P

I guess I gotta try them in different combinations again to have a fair assessment hee

when shall I wear make up to work again? any suggestions?

I'm Queen of MJ! Yahoo....

Its rare to game after collecting $ for kang.... hee hee....

this happened really long ago... just decided to blog cos i just found the picture....





Woo hooo..... I love MJ in moments like this!! I feel like the Queen of MJ!!! hahahahhaaha

Clearing Dead Skin

Where's the trust?

I was at a queue after an elderly lady in NTUC, clearly, she was purchasing daily necessities for her home, she's got canned food, veggies, maggie mee etc on the side a bag of 5kg rice and a tin of biscuit. She asked the cashier if the tin of biscuit can be purchased at a much cheaper price if she hits $25 with her other purchases (the famous Purchase with Purchase deals from NTUC). Cashier nodded her head towards the elderly lady.

After putting the items through the scanner, the elderly lady will have to purchase the 5kg bag of rice in order to make it up to $25!

My heart goes out to this elderly lady, for one, she's really good at saving her $$ because most of the products she purchased were NTUC house brands, hence savings from purchasing other brands. Secondly, she made use of the extra discounts offered to elderly by NTUC on Tuesdays, 5% off their purchases! Thirdly, she bought the tin of biscuits at a discount by chalking up enough $ to qualify for it. Such a smart shopper!

Problem is.... all her stuff put together, is.... very HEAVY!

After I paid up for my tiny packet of gummy bears (to bribe my young niece hee hee), the elderly lady was still struggling to sort out her many shopping bags worth of groceries. So I offered my help. To help her carry to where she needs them to be. I figured, she will probably take a bus/train or at most walk a few blocks away, no big deal for me.

She said "NO, thank you" consistently but was happy by the kind gesture. She said that someone would be meeting her to help her with her stuff. So I thought ok, I left her to continue sorting out her nightmare of about 6 bags.

I was distracted at a corner shop and stopped in there for a minute or two before continuing my walk home... and guess what? The elderly lady has just crossed the roads in front of me, alone! Aiyo! I think she was afraid that I'll ran away with her stuff. And I dun blame her for it.

Again, I walk up to her and offered my services... again she denied it. Well, I guess its hard to believe that there's someone who is wiling to help. But that kampong spirit of helping your neighbors is not so evident in our current HDB homes. We live with suspicion of each one that passes us by. There's little trust in the fellow being next to you anymore. Scary but its true.

got me my 3G iPhone!

yahoo!!!!!!!

never knew I was going to get it tonight, came as a surprise to me when Ad told me in the afternoon that we ARE going to the launch of the 3G iPhone tonight... or rather the very 1st min of 22nd of August!

We alighted along Killiney Road and the people queuing to get into the building for their phone for the min past midnight is CRAZILY long! It was 1140pm at night!!! Why are there hundreds of Singaporean in the queue for a phone?



There were giant screens doing countdown..... just to ensure that the crowd has a fair idea of how long more is their long awaited iPhone going to reach their hands hee....



Oops, round the bend, there was ANOTHER queue! This time they were queuing infront of a new structure that looked like the NY Apple Cube which has been replicated in many countries subsequently....


These folks looked HOT under the tentage, no one would believe that its almost midnight here.... the heat is ON!
Has there been any company out there who dares to pull a stunt like this? Launching at midnight and expecting a crowd+media+cab support? Never! Even the cab driver who took us home was asking us a million question about the iPhone even about WHEN is he going to get HIS iPhone... considering that he just placed his order last Fri.... I think maybe much later! Taxi uncle was asking about surfing on the iPhone, dun play play! iPhone is really opening up the internet world to so many MORE! Cool!

Here's the "cube"


Its wrapped up like a giant present with lots of new 3G iPhones inside.... *slurp*


Following a countdown and the "unwrapping" of the cube-present, there were fireworks on the roof! That kinda thrilled us for a while hee... but you can sense that the crowd really just want to get their hands on the iPHONE! *hurry*

And the 1st guy who registered for the iPhone in Singapore got his goodie! This lucky chap was the focus of many many cameras, video-cameras, mobile phone cameras and the envy of MANY! For him, his wait started in June!

Applause for this lucky dude!



As for me, I din go home empty handed as well.... I got meself a new 3G iPhone too!! hee... not too bad for a night's out *wink*
anyone wanna borrow my new 3G iPhone?

Olympics to me....

We've been trying to catch bits of the Olympics on tv whenever we can. Its not an event that occurs everyday. What fascinates me is always the diving, gymnastics and swimming. I love watching the different sports persons push their barriers and perform beyond our wildest expectations.

It was a historical moment when the Koreans lost their 24years top position in archery to China. I can feel their pressure even when we are a few thousand miles away, watching them behind the box.

I was amazed at how Michael Phelps could swim so FAST! In his 100m swim, he wasnt even leading in the first 50m, but that sudden burst at the last 50m.... felt like he had an engine underneath that water. Impressive.

Synchronized diving was another sport that amazed me this time when I saw how the world champions from China do their nearly perfect dives. They have perfect synchronization even in the slow motion playback. That was so unbelievable. I wonder how many million dives have they jumped before they could achieve such perfect dives.

When you look at each of these athletes, they are all just one individual, from humble background. Who pursued their dreams, persevered in trying to achieve their goals. The amount of sweat, blood, tears that has gone into their training must have weighed buckets. For their determination, I salute them.

On screen, you can also often see the gymnast falling off the poles, landing on their knees, that feeling of failure must be immense for them. To be able to put aside that lousy feeling, pull themselves together and garner more courage to continue on with their item. That to me is real courage and maturity.

Well, the most exciting moment must have been getting sms updates from Alvin who was watching the table tennis semis LIVE! His smses kept me on my toes, wishing that i was right infront of the tv at that moment!!

It was a proud and joyful moment when we knew that we will definitely WIN a medal! At last, we wont be just a tiny red dot, we'll be a tiny red dot with some decent paddlers. hee hee

I was going to sing MAJULAH SINGAPURA but all my friends were not into expressing their love for their country so openly... so I just have to secretly sing that in my heart lor.

Here's to more exciting matches!

More of Jen's mania....

*giggles*

Best heat Buddy!

These days, its so super HOT!

Not very economical nor environmentally friend to use the aircon for the whole day right?

So we found my BEST HEAT BUDDY....

mini-fan! its 6inches in diameter from leg stand to tip of the frame, provides great air circulation and doesnt blow away your notes. Great for bringing the temperature down a few notches on a warm day ;)

available in NTUC for S$19.90!

Jen's madness...

Great Buys!

I'm a lazy person in principal.... hee.... who isn't right?

so I found this really really GOOD make up removing wipes and I'm sharing the good news!

it cleans light mineral make up away effortlessly, leaving the skin feeling soft and clean! I LOVE IT! Go get it NOW at Watson's, its on 20% discount!



there's another product in the same family, I have yet to see its effects but its affordable...

Things that I wanna blog about....

I have about 10million 501thousand things that I wanna blog about starting from as early as January this year, BUT I cant!

I cant because I feel bad "wasting" time on blogging while I'm supposed to be doing eyes-popping actions of analysing data, writing reports, reading journals.

*boo* *hoo* hoo*

here's a mini list hee...
1. young singer in the making....
2. how to be a safER traveller
3. new tech toys at home!
4. birthday bashes!
5. new "kang-taos"
6. work-life-balance
7. car race
8. lego
9. story of a tree
10. how to feed a 2yr old & 30yr old at the same time....

see... so much to blog about! but I cant.... yet.... soon I hope.... I pray.... pls pray for me too!

:)

All About Love

Love is a wonderful feeling of warmth, comfort, a deep sense of belonging, an endless joy like a fountain pouring out with water.

Yet, Love cannot be seen nor touched, can only be felt by the heart.

This is our 800th blog and I want to dedicate it to the greatest gift of all, Love.

I want to share a few examples of love with you all....

A friend S, starting seeing a lady A, they fell in love, (after being friends for a while) and they intense love for each other overtook me by surprise. I was overjoyed to know that S finally found someone he can rely on and A is a great great great choice for him. One day, as I was chatting with S, he had suddenly taken a serious interest in his health, diet, exercise etc (he's growing in age & inches around his waist for many years already....). I was curious why has he suddenly became so healthy-minded out of the blue.

S explained to me that normally, men has a shorter lifespan than women which means its very possible that every wife will outlive their husbands by 5-10years. On top of that, S is quite a few years older than A, that means its very possible that A will outlive S for 15-20yrs! With that in mind, he wants to be as healthy as possible to reduce that loneliness that he knows A will experience after his departure.

That is Love. A Love that runs deep, strong and far. I was very touched by S's thoughts of how his presence will affect A in the long term. It was not a short-sighted Love between them. *heart melted*

Another friend T grew up as the big sister at home, often responsible for taking care of her younger siblings and household chores. She continue to provide for her family financially, emotionally and physically without any complaints even though her parents at times clearly favour her younger siblings over her. I asked her how can she continue to provide for an unappreciative family? T responded that what she does for her family, she does it out of her own accord for them, not expecting anything from them.

That's the way T Loves her family. A selfless Love.

In my own experience, I've experienced Love in so many ways. And through each of them, I learn that Love is an endless commodity that we can continue to give and give and not feel empty/tired when we give from our hearts. With each time we give, we maybe surprised ourselves how much MORE we have to offer.

In 1 Corinthians 13, it says:
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So my friends, claim your gift of Love from God and you'll have so much of Love to offer, it'll last you more than a lifetime!

*muaks*

How lovely it is to receive Presents!

Yes, I cant believe it! Its almost mid-May and out of the blue I am opening up a beautifully wrapped present from Ladybird & Otterman! hee hee.... so cool!



Very pretty wrapping hor? I couldn't bear to untie the ribbon... I knew I had to immortalise this moment when the present is still in such a beautiful state hee....

Guess what it is???

A Sling BAG! yeah!! I've been thinking of a sling bag in this shape for a long time!! Its GREAT! Its got a huge space inside, which means I can do my usual dumping of my many things in it hee hee....

Thank YOU guys!

And guess what??? I also got a present from R, specially brought back from BJ! So happy to be surprised by such wonderful gifts of thoughtfulness. I love it! I can only get present from a person when they think of me right? hee hee Thank You R! *muaks*

now I have a pretty pretty feminine purse! yeah!

Long Curly Lashes!

I have to admit that its pretty addictive trying out the different products out there that can enhance one's beauty....

I have tiny eyes with folded eye lids... yep, other people talk about double or triple eyelids while I have trouble "showing" the eye liner if I were to wear any.

Hence, the saviour..... MASCARA!

Saw in a program how it should be applied to enhance the length, volume and curling effect without having them to look like false lashes and cakey feeling. There is ALOT of knowledge involved I tell you.

First you'll have to start with curling your lashes... I bought (hee hee) an electric curler to help me with it cos the normal spring ones dun seems to do the job... (do you know that you have to find a curler that is suitable for your eyeball shape? I din know that! ha ha ha Asian eyes are more wide-spread and less curvy, so we'll have to find curlers that are not as curvy. TAKE NOTE!)



Then I applied the Kiss Me black mascara (water proof, lengthening and curls) on my upper and lower lashes about 3-5times. You have to keep pulling the mascara brush straight away from your eyes, do not do the the Zig Zag movement, it will reduce the lengthening effect. (Zig Zag movement is suited for other mascara brushes, not this one)



And the effect... is amazing... see for yourself!


美美嗎?

I'm Loving It!

I'm into very girlie things lately... I figured I should have done these things earlier by like a decade or two... Maybe I wasn't listening hard enough when I was younger hahaha

Two big things that I'm into lately.... Skin Care & Make Up!

For skin care, I've started on Body Shop's Moisture White series from facial foam, toner, hydrating essence, serum and even eye cream.... after about 2months of use, I can see visibly some improvement to my skin, the acne scars heals ALOT faster now, leaving less spots on the skin. My skin has more texture now as well, got that spongy effect when u press on it.... (as compared to the "deflated balloon" on my hubby's skin ha ha ha ha)


The good part about this series is that its pretty light on the skin, not too greasy, suitable for beginners like me :D *happy*

BUT then I found out that one HAS to do other stuff to their face TOO! (for INTENSE treatment on top of the daily routines - okay i'm slow in discovering it....) So, I started on the search for them.... I found a few different types of MaSks in the market!

1 = packets with a sheet with pre-cut holes for eyes, nose & mouth. You just stick it on ur face for 15-20mins and peel it off and rinse off.

2 = bottle form creamy paste which you again apply on your face evenly for 15-20mins and rinse off. Some of them are also peel off masks, they become dry and looks like a 2nd face you have. It can get rid of some white heads & black heads for you as well during the action of peeling it off after it has dried.

3 = apply on your face and leave it on overnight. (my personal favourite for its ease of use) Effects of it yet to be seen yet...

BUT today, I want to SHOUT about this...



I applied it on for 15mins.... peeled it off and used the reminder of the "juice" to keep applying on my face... (watched this trick on tv, dun waste the "juice" of the mask, you paid for it anyway!)
And rinse off the sticky bits that seems to be dead skin that came out from the skin.... and guess what???

the water molecules just GLIDED OFF my face!!!

This is the first time it has ever happened to me. It's just so darn cool.... And my pores are CLOSED!!! YEAH!!!

*happiness is an ultra smooth skin*

guess where else I applied the balance of the "juice" hee hee

A sweet gesture

I was helping out at ADEX with Dive Junkie over the weekend and there's this gentleman who made a really sweet gesture that is deeply engraved in my mind. He has a gentle nature and a sweet smile, tanned and semi-blonde hair due to the expose to seawater.

Over the three days, this gentleman came over to our booth to purchase our apparels and wore them the next day! We had great fun asking him to stand infront of our booth to take pictures of him with our apparels. :) hee....

On the last day, again he came over and purchased yet another tee shirt while wearing OUR tee shirt, I cant resist but to ask him to take another photo with our booth again.

After taking his solo shot, he whipped out his camera and wanted to take a picture with ME hee hee... (cos i'm the self-proclaimed BEST sales person on the sales floor...)

He said that he'll email me my shot! Yeah!

At the end of ADEX, while everyone was madly packing away, I was hidden away in the store trying to organise our stocks, suddenly a head popped into the store and it was HIM! He came to say goodbye! Just for me! So sweet hor?

These days, everyone is so involved with their own lives, they dun make the effort anymore to have a personal relationship with each other. Emails, sms feels cold while a face-to-face, over the phone feels warm. I'm touched by this very sweet and heartwarming gesture, which reminds me that I should have a more personal relationship with those around me too!

(now I hope that I look GREAT in that photo hahahahahaha)

Come & Find ME!

Its an exciting time for all divers again!!!

Time to look for great deals, hunt for the best diving spot around the world and time to listen to some of the very experienced divers who can find you something interesting underwater, take the most gorgeous underwater photography eg. Michael Aw, renowned underwater photography who organised numerous trips to discover new species, lead a few campaigns to save our marine life.

Its called ADEX! happening NOW! Suntec City Convention Hall 602-603.





Why am I so ON about this??? Not because I've been soaking myself under the sun too much, but rather, I've fallen in love with the Dive Junkie casual wear! They are so comfortable! Color lasts me 4yrs already and its still going on BRIGHT (mind you, I throw them into the washer & dryer to wash them hee) Their collars will NEVER stretch, their prints are always fashionable. What more can one ask for in a tee shirt?

Plus they've got NEW designs in exciting colors! Sunset orange, Atoll, Kelp... sounds so delicious already, how can anyone resist?


Check out their website NOW!

Vote for Me (friend)

KFC had a photo competition which wanted contestants to submit photos of how they "give in to the moment". Following this theme, me and a few of my very sporting friends spent 2 days, invested quite abit of our food allowance to craft out what we felt was our "giving in moment"


which one first?
(was my entry)

but it din get picked! :( *bleah*

However!!!! My friends' entry did get picked!!! *hoorray!*

So now, in order for my friend to win grand prize... ALL must vote for her!

Vote for KFC03 titled "Eat first! Pay later!" by clicking here to link to KFC's site.


But you'll have to sign up as a member first in order to vote....

By voting, you'll get a chance to WIN 32' LCD TVs!! (i want!)

you can vote ONCE daily! So please help me friend WIN the grand prize... i'll tell u when she does ok?

There's an old saying that goes "help a stranger everyday, make your day brighter in every way!" Help my friend to win and she'll be eternally grateful! (ok, I made up that saying... but doesnt it feel good to know that you are of help to someone whom you dunno? TRY IT!)

VOTE for KFC03! Now!

Jen's current music

Saw the movie "Music & Lyrics" by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore over the weekend and I cant get enough of its theme songs!!!


Don't write me off just yet
Its never been easy for me
To find words to go along with a melody
But this time there's actually something on my mind
So please forgive these few brief awkard lines
Since I met you my whole life has changed
Its not just my furniture you've rearranged

I was living in the past
But somehow you've brought me back
And I haven't felt like this
Since Frankie said relax
And i know based on my track record
I might no seem like the safest bet
All I'm asking you is
Don't write me off just yet

For years I've been telling myself the same old story
That I'm happy to live off my so called former glories
But you've given me a reason
To take another chance
Now I need you
Despite the fact that you've killed all my plants
Although I know I've already blown all my chances
Than anyone should ever get

All I'm asking you is
Don't write me off just yet
Don't write me off just yet


Way Back Into Love
I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with the cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
I've trapped in my past for so long
I just cant seems to move on

I've been hiding my hopes and dreams away
just in case i may need them again some day
I've been having a sad time
Clearing a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love

I've been watching but the stars refused to shine
I've been searching but I just dun see the signs
I know that its out there
There's gotta be something for my soul somewhere

I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not somebody to get through the night
I could use some directions
And I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love

If I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping that you'll be there for me in the end


There are moments when I dunno if its real
Or anybody feels the way i feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love

If I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do

And if you hold me in the sun again
You'll know that I'll be there for you in the end

Very awesome lyrics! Go and enjoy them! watch

Oprah's Book Club goes ONLINE

I've always been fascinated with the things that this lady does on her shows, especially her GIFTS!!! OMG if ever one day if I ever get the chance to go on her Christmas giveaway shows.... I'll so be living in ecstasy every moment of receiving the news heehee

Last year a group of us read a book together and we did some exercises and did some sharing and some reflections. It was a pretty enjoyable experience coupled with some essential materials made available by a very generous source.

Now, Oprah has launched another book in the same domain, called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and she's inviting anyone and everyone to join her online in her "virtual classroom". Maybe it will be one of the biggest classrooms ever...

So go and pick up the book today! Join Oprah and join me! (if i can get out of the house tomorrow to get the book.... hopefully its still in stock and not too expensive!)





Click here to go to Oprah.com direct!

OR Click here to go to her book club direct.

You will have to register at her Oprah.com site first to be a member (pretty fast and easy), get a activation email and link to click to confirm your membership. Thereafter, you can have access to the materials for "A New Earth"'s online classroom materials which includes very pretty bookmark, worksheets (you can write your answers/feelings/thoughts/reflections online and save it for reference later on or print it out to be used in your classroom) Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!

Go sign up today! Let's read A New Earth together with Oprah!!

Yeah!

oh btw, the classroom will start on the 3rd March in USA, so it'll be 4th March Asian timing.... *excited*