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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

30-Day Challenge Terminated - Mission Failed!

Remember the 30-day challenge I posted myself to not pick on my pimples? Well, I failed, I did not even get pass Day 2. I am such a pathetic!

It is probably too ingrained in me and my pre-programmed fingers will automatically roam around the face to locate the first bump in its way. Then the pimple stick follows naturally and is whipped to eradicate it. To be honest, the sense of satisfaction is overwhelming, but so is the guilt that comes with it. I knew I had deliberately injured several skin cells in the process and that the healing process is going to be delayed for another one more week. Damn!

I cannot imagine how weak my will is in this aspect. I should have done better. Anyway, one should always get another chance at redemption, right?

Today is the last day of 2008 and I have arranged for a facial to get professional help to eradicate all the pimples, comedones and clogged rubbish in my pores. Start 2009 tomorrow, I resolve to keep my fingers off my face and let it have some peace. This time, I must make sure I come out victorious!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My 30 Days Challenge of No Pimple Picking

I just read the most enlightening website, Stop Picking On Me, on pimple picking and the horrible damage it can do to the skin. Everyone knows the damage pimple picking can bring but until you read the facts that are logically laid out to you, you never know how bad it is.

The nasty results of picking? Scarring, skin pigmentation, infection, cancer, aging etc... you name it.

To be honest, I am scared out of my wits. The aftermath of picking is really not pretty. So I am declaring myself to a 30 days challenge of no pimple picking. It will definitely be tough as I am so used to gravitating myself to the mirror to check out my zits (especially now when Star Wars is still in battle) and find the one or two that look ready for me to pop them.

Today is Day 1. Let's see how I fare...

Monday, December 22, 2008

Save My Face!

As if a tribute to my turning 30, my face waged Star Wars on me. It is terrible to see horrifying zits erupting on my chin and forehead. The aftermath is even more scary - ugly dark marks left behind from healed zits. I had never had such bad face days, why must this be the first most significant event after the milestone big 3-0?

I wonder if it was the stress from my ticking bio clock and the undies saga. I think most likely that. Also, the dermatologist says it is hormonal and the many web materials I read also said so. Imagine, hormonal changes plus stress, can't get any better then that!

This morning, I celebrated as a stubborn zit finally seem to surrender and turn pacified to be healed. But darn it - another one popped up somewhere. I just wonder when will this end and I get my nice skin back. It also does not help that where the zits are, the skin had became raw, red, tight, stingy and flaky. It is a horrible sight! I feel like a monster...

For now, I am trying hard not to pop those zits, although in the past when they are rare and few, popping them (if done carefully) accelerated the healing process. Guess I can't do that now. I am also taking evening primrose oil supplements as they are famed to help regular hormonal imbalances. I am hoping that this will help me win the zit war.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Down-In-Luck From Undies Washload?

Just got pissed beyond words. I am fuming! The Queen just chided my Prince Charming for allowing his dearest Beauty to wash her undies/bra in the common washload. I hate it when someone say things about my Prince Charming! You see, in the ancient folklore, washing a lady's undies and bra together with the man's load will magically bring him bad luck beyond his wildest imagination. It can get so bad that the man might just drop dead for no reason!

But I don't understand, aren't the man also borned out of a woman? So, he has already been from down there, so does it matter that the undies/bra are washed together in a common load? If so, then Prince Charmings out there, don't ever lay a hand on your Beauties as it would bring you bad luck, worse then you can imagine.

I just wish my Prince Charming would be firmer with the Queen and just tell her off. What's wrong with washing together? If that is bad, would it be worse to always keep walking under the Queen's trousers while it is being hung to dry? I think those are the ones which is bringing the 'supposed 'bad luck' to my Prince Charming.

For now, Beauty is comtemplating getting a mini washing machine just for her undies/bra. But then again, why should I go through more water and electricity just to appease the unreasonable Queen. Just heck it. To the Queen, wake up... you are in modern day now...

Monday, November 24, 2008

Time Bomb Bio-Clock...Tick Tick Boom?

I was at a gathering with a bunch of gal friends whom I have not met for a long time. My gosh! Boy, was it a long while, cos they turned up either with a kid in their hands or a kid in the stomach. Suddenly, I felt a horrifying wave of silence washed over me, followed by an ascending but clear, crips - tick, tick, tick.

Omigosh, is that my bio-clock ticking? Does it seem to be ticking faster with each beat? I felt like it was going to explode in no time. I look at the mothers and mother-to-be amongst my friends and realised how blissful they all are. Every thread of conversation was baby-related. As much as I like to participate, I can't help feeling slightly detached from the clan. Is that how future gal-pal gatherings would be like - mummy-focus group? I missed the days where we bitch about bosses, weird fellow colleagues or just some idiotic rumours running around our offices.

Sigh... My turn should come eventually. Just don't know when. But I hope the bio-clock will not explode before that...

Friday, November 21, 2008

Familiarising Myself With Chinese Herbs

I was trying frantically to figure out what the many plastic packets in my fridge contains. You see, that's the mother-in-law's fridge (I am just squatting at her place before getting our own). And, guess what, those plastic bags are full of chinese herbs. Sometimes 2 or 3 packets of the same ones... gosh, why does she need so much? can't she replenish when they are finished? Don't they have expiry date?

Come to think about it, I was raised with my mother's love-meals that cannot go without some form of herbal soup. That's Cantonese's pride. Now, it is time for me to take over the legacy...It is time to familiarise myself with all these herbs.

I scoured the internet and found this fantastic site of a fellow blogger - Cuisine Paradise Kitchen's Tips. These photos were my first step of the familiarisation exercise... 3 cheers for those photos!






Monday, November 17, 2008

Tighten Pores? Read My Review, Try Rojukiss

Want to tighten pores? I tried and this work quite effectively... Read my review about Rojukiss here:


Friday, November 14, 2008

Write What You Think and Make Money At ReviewStream.com

I chanced upon this great website where you can write reviews about anything and everything under the sun and get paid. This site pays you US$2 for every accepted review that you write and you can withdraw funds thru paypal once you reach US$50. That means 25 accepted reviews.

Don't fret if your reviews get rejected. You can always re-submit them and click on the 'accept bulk rate' check box and you will get paid much leser but based on what I read on the web, your review will almost always get accepted.

I personally just like this avenue of writing how I feel about particular product or service and sharing the experience with fellow netizens. I have a few reviews accepted already. Here are a few of my reviews... just to share...

Monday, October 20, 2008

3 Quick And Easy Dishes - From Stove to Tabletop in 45 Mins

3 quick and easy dishes take would take you within 45 mins to prepare and serve. On top of that, the dishes are relatively balanced in terms of the carbohydrates, proteins and fibre! What is best is that, the food are healthy steamed dishes - no oil and frying! What you need is a 2 layer steamer and your rice cooker!

1. Five-Spiced Meat With Steamed Potato Strips

1 can Narcissus Five-Spiced Pork Meat
1 round potato, cut into strips

1. Spread potato strips at bottom of plate
2. Open can of five-spiced pork meat and spread on top of potato strips
3. Lay aside to prepare for steaming

2. Steam Egg With Minced Pork Meat

1/2 bowl of minced pork (season with soy sauce and pepper)
2 eggs
1 full egg shell of water

1. Whisk the 2 eggs well in a bowl. Use half the egg shell to measure water. Use proportion of half egg shell of water to 1 egg. Mix well
2. Add in minced pork and mix well with egg mixture
3. Pour into shallow plate and lay aside for steaming

3. Steamed Fish With Tomato And Mushrooms

1 piece/whole fish of choice
1 medium sized tomato, cut to small pieces
1 pack mushroom
1 small ginger, diced

1. Season fish with salt and pepper. Take care to season both sides
2. Wash and clean mushroom. Lay at bottom of plate
3. Lay fish on top mushroom bed
4. Spread tomato and ginger (to rid of fishy taste) on top of fish
5. Set aside to prepare for steaming

- Now, place the fish and five-spiced dice meat into the 2 tier steamer to steam for about 15 mins
- Wash your rice to be cooked in the rice cooker. Place eggs into rice cooker as well. Wait for rice to cook in 15 mins
- When done, you would have a nice meal that is healthy and well-balanced!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Great Western Food At Clifford Centre Food Court

If you are looking for a good western meal at an affordable price, you can pop down to Sets Cuisine which is in the Banquet Foodcourt at Clifford Centre.

I was down in the CBD area with my husband and popped over to the foodcourt at Clifford Centre for lunch. We decided on the western food as it looks to be serving something rather different from those we usually see in food courts' western stalls. This one has stews and wraps, on top of your more usual pastas, soups and chops.

I ordered a Tex Mex Chicken Stew at S$6.90 and topped up S$2.00 for the additional mushroom soup. The mushroom soup was fantastic and taste exactly like those you could get at fine dining restaurants. The soup was thick and creamy but you could still taste the bits of mushroom in it. Of course, there is this huge piece of garlic bread that is so crunchy, you could eat it on its own.



My Tex Mex Chicken Stew was equally great. You can choose mash potato or rice or pasta to go with it, all included in the price. Chuncks of succulent chicken meat stewed to just the right level of softness. Tomatoes, mushrooms and celery also soft from the stew. I think the best is the stew sauce itself. It has a tangy taste and is extremely appetising.



The husband was less adventurous and ordered mushroon pasta, which was surprisingly good for its normalcy. It came in a good sized serving and had heap-loads of mushroom and chicken meat.



I think I will return next time to try their wraps and salad.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

My Article - 'Best Treatment For Cellulite' is on Helium Homepage!

This is such a proud moment. My article 'Best Treatment For Cellulite' has appeared on Helium Homepage!

I have been with Helium since Sep 2007. Helium is a site where anyone can write and contribute their articles to. You voice your opinions and expertise on your favourite subjects. Also, you can also read and rate what others are writing on those subjects too. I see Helium like a treasure vault of knowledge. The nice perk of contributing to Helium is that you actually accumulate earnings from your articles. And for additional earnings, you can submit to Marketplace, a place where publishers actually load their required topics and pay if they select your articles

So far, I have written on varied topics like irritable bowel syndrome (which i was suffering sometime ago); my recent travel to Bali; leadership and strategy issues and of course, cellulite troubles etc. As you can see, I write basically on anything that interests me!

So, if you are reading this blog, unleash the writer in you. Check out Helium!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Inspirational Quotes For The Much Needed Pick-Me-Up

I was housekeeping my computer and found a word document that I used to keep as my ‘database’ of inspirational quotes. Whenever I come across something meaningful and inspiring, I would type it into the document. Looking at the last saved date, the last entry was at least 3 years old!

I remember it was a happy hobby or ritual of mine. Reading, finding something meaningful, then keying into the database. And, every so often, whenever I am feeling a bit down and need some boost, I read through those quotes and it always provided an uplifting effect without fail.

Anyway, I am definitely reviving this ‘ritual’. For a start, here are the best 5 of my many favourite quotes:

1. "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost

2. "Usually we figure out what we think would make us happy, and then try to make those things happen. But happiness isn't circumstance-dependent. There are people who have every reason in the world to be happy who aren't. There are people with genuine problems who are. The key to happiness is the decision to be happy." - Marianne Williamson

3. "One of the tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today." - Dale Carnegie

4. "Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely and the likely definite." - Robert Half

5. "If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcomed." - Anne Bradstreet

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Paid Online Survey Sites That Earns You Cash

Another interesting thing I found on the internet – paid online survey sites. In fact, there are many of such survey sites and they are seeking for people to participate in the thousands of online surveys that go on in the cyberworld everyday.

These sites are free for sign up. You don’t pay a cent to put your name as part of the survey panel. There are cash rewards and payment is typically through check or PayPal. You can do your part for charity if you don’t wish to take the cash as some sites allow for direct charity donation for your survey rewards. The sites also have referral system which helps you accumulate your cash rewards faster. Last but not least, your voice gets heard through your contribution in the surveys, helping to the world in your own way!

Anyway, below are a few sites that I am currently signed up with. The rewards are accumulating slowly and I am also trying to find more bona-fide ones (there are many who are just hoax) to add to the list. Here are those that I am currently signed up with:

1. GlobalTestMarket
2. Clear Voice Survey
3. SpiderMetrix
4. SurveyHead
5. SurveySavvy
6. OpinionWorld

A point to note! Beware of survey sites that require a sign-up fee to gain access. These sites are only selling a list of other survey sites, which could be easily found via google without having to pay. So beware!

Look out for additions to this list…

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Bali and All Its Wonders

Following my last post about my interesting observations about Bali, here is a list of the places I visited during the week (there are also the beaches, which bears little need for explanation). We covered mostly South and Central Bali during this trip. This would be good reference for first timers who are planning their trip:

Day 1 (Took us from 0930hrs to about 1830hrs)

1. Barong Dance This is approx. 1 hour long religious dance representing the eternal fight between the good - Barong and the evil symbolized by a horrible looking witch called Rangda. The costumes and set are elaborate and nice. The trick is to get there early, so that you get front seats and be close enough to see the facial expressions of the dancers.

2. Celuk (Gold & silver smith), Mas (wood carving) and Stone carving villages - You would drive past these 3 villages and see the array of shops selling the gold, wood and stone. As you get into Celuk, all the gold and silver smith shops flank the roads, you can also drop by their factory to take a look at the production process. The same goes for the wood carving and stone carving

3. Mount Batur (Kintamani) This is the second largest active volcano in Bali. It is 1,717 meters from sea level, and bears the remains of the black lava from it's eruption in 1917 and 1927. There is a nice scenic crater lake there. You can do buffet lunch at one of the restaurant and admire the breath-taking view as you eat. The buffet lunch cost about S$10 and has reasonable spread

4. Trita Empul - Tirta Empul means " bubbling water " and is a holy water temple built in 960 AD. The temple is beautiful temple and has holy water fountains for different purposes of purification and blessing. There were people in the fountains doing their purification when I was there. Further inside the temple area, you can see the source of the water – a spring where water is bubbling up through the black sand. A totally make of nature. Legend has it that one of the gods shot an arrow from heaven to look for water, and the spot where the water is bubbling up now is the exact spot where the arrow hit

5. Goa Gajah – Means " elephant cave ". Found in 11th century, this cave was dug in the peaceful riverside valley in a hard sand stone. Entering the inside T-Shape cave, there are some niches used by Buddhist Monks for meditation. Among the many historical remains found around this cave is the holy Ganesh Statue (a human body with elephant head) which is believed as the God of Purification and Evil Controller. The cave can be quite claustrophobic for some people but is well worth a quick look inside

6. Sebatu Holy Spring Temple - Is named " Gunung Kawi " in Balinese. It is a very beautiful village temple located in a peaceful valley with its holy spring. Somewhat similar to Trita Empul, there are large fountains outside the temple area, where villagers use to take a bath. However, my driver told me that this place is not as ‘holy’ as Trita Empul.


Day 2 (Took us from 0930hrs to about 1830hrs)

1. Taman Ayun - Is the largest Royal Family Temple Complex built in 1934 in the village of Mengwi, Badung Regency. The area of this temple is surrounded by moat with some water lilies and lotuses. The place is still used during prayer sessions and important ceremonial events.

2. Tanah Lot One of the most famed temple in Bali. Tanah Lot means " the land of ocean" is a fascinating Hindu Temple built on a piece of cliff in Indian Ocean shore. This temple is dedicated to the God of Ocean "Baruna" built by a high Hindu Priest name Dang Hyang Dwijendra in the 16th century. During high tide, the cliff is surrounded by water and the temple looks like it is floating. In the bottom part of the cliff there is a fresh water holy spring while on the beach cave there are some holy snakes that guard the temple. In the South and North part of the temple is absolutely beautiful view and best for watching sunset.

3. Uluwatu temple - Also built by the same Hindu Priest who built Tanah Lot, Uluwatu temple is also another magnificent temple built perched on a cliff. The whole temple stretches across a large area and it is flanked by the fabulous India Ocean. Here, you also see large numbers of monkeys, mostly mischievous ones, who snatches food from visitors

4. Lake Beratan & Pura Ulun Danu - Beratan is a name of the Lake and Village. There is a spectacular floating temple called "Ulun Danu Temple" and is an absolutely interesting sight. The weather at the lake is cool, which is a nice break from the mostly hot sun during my trip. There were people who hired a traditional paddle boat or speed boat to go around the lake, although my driver said there really is nothing much to see around the lake

5. Jatiluweh – A place where you see lots of terraced rice paddy fields. The sights are breathtaking as you see the green terrace, meandering around you. This place is supposed to one of the few in the world that has such nice terraced paddies. Those terraces are probably cut decades ago, and now resulting in the fascinating view today

Bali and Its Interesting Facts

Just got back from a week long vacation in Bali. Bali is a fascinating place, with lots of intriguing architecture, beautify sceneries and of course, gorgeous beaches. There are some really interesting things I gathered about Bali over this week long trip. Here’s some to share:

1. Bali actually has 80% of its population in the Hinduism religion. In fact, it is considered one of the largest outpost of Hindus outside of India!

2. Temples permeate Bali island! Everywhere I turn, I see a temple – big or small. Balinese are rather pious people and every temple is seen as a solemn place that should be treated with respect. In all areas, houses should not be taller than the temples there!

3. Balinese has a god for almost every purpose. My driver, Teddy told me they have god for education, god for the economy, god for the rice paddy fields, god for looking after the shops, god for looking after the roads and even god for looking after the cars on the roads! I really feel very protected while I am there!

4. Besides temples, the next most common sights are the rice paddy fields. As you meander through the countryside, or even the slight outskirts of the city, you see rice paddy fields intersperse amongst houses. As long as there is land, it would be a paddy field of some sort. Well, Bali is self-sufficient in its rice production, you see!

5. Balinese are a happy lot of people. You see smiles wherever you go, you see people at the villages just gathering around to sing and chit chat.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Great Online Sites For Perfume, Skincare, Makeup and Cosmetic Products

I had been doing my research for cosmetic/beauty sites that are trustworthy and sells a good range of perfume, skincare, makeup and cosmetic products.

Here are the 2 high on my recommendation list:

1. Strawberrynet.com
This company and its site originate from Hong Kong and offers free shipping to any parts of the world. I just made my first purchase from the website on a Thursday, and it arrived at my doorstep on Mon - truly living up to their shipping promise of 4-6 days delivery. What's more, there is a fantastic range of stuff at the website, and you get discounts if you buy more or if you are repeat customer. The prices are considerably lower than if I get it from the shopping malls (I did my research as well).

2. Best Buy Comestics
Another company whose presence is in Hong Kong and has a warehouse in Singapore. It only ships to Singapore and gives free delivery for order of S$50 and above. Below that, a S$10 delivery charge levied. The interesting part about this website is that they sell bite sized samples and when you do the maths, it is actually much cheaper than getting the normal size. They also sell the normal size at a slightly lower price than in the market too. The samples are good to have if you are travelling, as it saves on the bulk. Also, I feel that the product would be fresher as you are exposing a smaller amount of the product to the open conditions!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Brain Games To Improve Memory And Attention

Anyone realise how much we are neglecting the use of our brain? Through the advent of technology, we only need to flip out our handy mobile phone, and we do not need to even need to waste a single brain cell on a simple arithmetic calculation.

I read that there are brain games that could help reclaim this lost domain of ours. I found one such site - Lumosity (http://www.lumosity.com/).

The site claims that Lumosity users have experienced clearer and quicker thinking; improved memory for names, numbers, directions, etc; increased alertness and awareness; elevated mood as well as better concentration at work or while driving.

I am not sure how quickly I will see those changes described but I am already addicted to the games, while trying the 7 days free trial now. The games there are fun and totally addictive. Somehow, I do feel my brain working harder than usual and getting stronger!

Friday, March 28, 2008

Chicken and Winter Melon Soup

This soup soothes the body and clears it of heatiness. The chicken gives it the nice brothy taste, while the winter melon works to soothe the body.

Chicken and Winter Melon Soup (serves 2)

1-2 pieces chicken breast or drum stick
1/2 winter melon (the size of about 15 cm in diameter)
6-8 red dates
1 table spoon of wolfberries
2-3 pieces dried scallop

Preparation
1. Wash and clean the chicken, getting rid of the skin and fats
2. Wash and cut winter melon into cubes
3. Soak and wash red dates. Remove seeds
4. Soak and wash wolfberries
5. Soak dried scallop in water. Save water for later

Cooking steps
1. Blanch the chicken with boiling water to rid of odour and oily fats
2. Place chicken, winter melon, red dates, wolfberries and dried scallop (including the water it was soaked in) into a pot
3. Put enough water to cover the top of the ingredients
4. Put on high and bring to a boil, before turning down to medium to simmer for 1-2 hours
5. Serve hot in individual soup bowls, with chicken and winter melon for a soothing sweet soup

Monday, March 17, 2008

Pork Ribs and Sweet Corn Soup

This soup comes out light and tasty. The sweet corn gives it the unique flavour, while the pork ribs provide the richness.

Pork Ribs and Sweet Corn Soup (serves 2)

4-5 pieces pork ribs (preferably with a bit of meat)
2 -3 sticks sweet corn
1/2 stick carrot
6-8 red dates
2-3 pieces dried scallop

Preparation
1. Wash and clean the pork ribs
2. Wash and cut sweet corn into halves
3. Wash and cut carrot into cubes
4. Soak and wash red dates. Remove seeds
5. Soak dried scallop in water. Save water for later

Cooking steps
1. Blanch the pork ribs with boiling water to rid of odour and oily fats
2. Place pork ribs, sweet corn, carrot, red dates and dried scallop (including the water it was soaked in) into a pot
3. Put enough water to cover the top of the ingredients
4. Put on high and bring to a boil, before turning down to medium to simmer for 1-2 hours
5. Serve hot in individual soup bowls, with pork ribs, sweet corn and carrot, for a nice clear soup

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Invincible Iron-Goddess

It has been a long while since I am up in this space. It is a bit different now that I am officially a 'Mrs'. No more living like a princess but guess what? I became an invincible Iron-Goddess!

Well, what I mean is that I iron shirts like a breeze now. Throw me a pile and I can zip through them in a jiffy. Bearing in mind I have the TV switched on in front of me and often enough, I have 2 eyes on the TV and none on the iron! Imagine how far I had came till today - I had started off taking almost an hour to iron just one shirt!

To help my fellow sisters achieve the Iron-Goddess status as well. I found some useful tips on how to iron clothes in a jiffy. These videos are useful. Check them out.

How to iron a shirt: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-iron-a-shirt
How to iron trousers: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-iron-trousers