CNY 2013 Day 1: My date with Candy Crush Saga

Happy Chinese New Year everyone, esp to those who are fellow Chinese (like me) and is celebrating this festive season of Ang Pows, feasting and merry-making.

Today is the first day of the new year, and most people will be waking up really early to prepare to go visiting relatives today to bask in the celebrations. Most people will do the following:

1. Give out/Collect Ang Pow
2. Exchanging mandarin oranges
3. Feast on all the new year goodies like Ba Kwa, Pineapple Tarts, Love Letters, 年糕 etc
4. Lo-Hei or what we call 捞鱼生

For my family, we are kinda special where we only do the above-mentioned on the next day, 大年初二. My brother's wife is not Singaporean, so they will need to travel back to his wife's hometown on CNY eve, and will only be back today. And the only place we visit is usually my grandmother's house. Thus, my day today is technically lazing around and not doing anything much.

I seriously have plans to hit the gym, but as my mother vehemently objected to me going out on CNY, and the very heavy rain just made it very difficult for me to go out. But, it has been a restful day. And i exercised my brain.

Candy Crush Saga

Yes, i've downloaded this game like 3 weeks ago, and i must say, it's such a sweet game, i'm kinda hooked.

In fact, i really gambatte-ed the past 2 days and accomplished like 20 levels. But unfortunately i'm stuck at level 70.

Stuck here since this morning! :(

But i must say, it has been a good brain workout, as i'm still racking my brains trying to complete this level. The good thing about this game is that you earn 1 life every 20 mins. The max. no of lives you earn is 5 lives. So, there's some control if you can't complete a level. If you want more, ask FB friends to send lives to you.

Not a very CNY-ish thing to be doing, but yea. Half of my day is spent on this. I need to charge my IPAD and my NOTE 2. Haha.

To more CNY-ey stuff, i did my nails again, after a long break. I had wanted to do water nail art, which i've managed to do so last year. However, i think with the lack of practice/reading up on it/watching Youtube about it, it didn't happen. So i had to do the conventional way, but definitely must be special!

Orange base + red sparkling french + cyan and gold polka dots

I'm pretty crazy about photo apps ever since i got my NOTE 2 (One of the best decisions made in 2012 to get this awesome phone. Samsung has indeed redeemed itself this time!).

There's no rational behind the color combinations but it stems from the fact that orange itself (my favorite color) is kinda boring on its own. So i added in some OPI red sparkles as French and ribbon stickers and polka dots. Maybe.... maybe a lighter color as base will bring out the french and the add-ons. Am just too lazy to redo my nails.

Chinese New Year should be like this mah, have red and gold and orange.

Here's wishing all a happy CNY. May the year of the snake be a fabulous year for all of us! :)

HUAT AH!!!!

Readying for CNY! :)

OH! It's my first blog post of 2013! *sheepish smile*

And yes, i didn't wait another 2 months to post another entry. And i think, with this weather and my impending plan to leave the house for gym will not allow me to write too much. (We'll see).

And usually CNY will come with the usual cleaning up and the removing the old and decorating the new, which we Chinese calls it 除旧布新.

I would like to proudly present my new bedsheet which i personally changed for my bed. 

My beautiful flowery bedsheet :)

Though i didn't buy it, but it's so me... thanks to my mother for getting such a cheery bedsheet. It literally lights up my mood when i sleep on it and wake up on it.

Not forgetting that i've already started my annual leave, so there's not much negative vibes till the end of CNY..... at least not until i try to Gek-seh by opening my emails, and then my mood will either turn for the not-so-good, or just want to burn off the stuff that i've brought home to process.

So much for wanting a break for work hur?!

And of course..... WORK goes on, even though i'm on leave...... WORK to 除旧 and literally throw out whatever's not necessary. 

Trash from my bedside table

It's already like the Eve of CNY.... and that is where i've stopped. And it seems that i wanna stop at that liao and not want to challenge my horrendous hoarding habits when i was much much younger. :/

As i turned my head left and look at the pile, i could only sigh in disbelief.

I WAS SUCH A HORRIBLE HOARDER!!! OMG!

In essence, CNY is a time to throw out whatever waste that has been accumulated over the year/years/decades and to bring in new ones, which you need and not want, lest it becomes waste in years to come. 

And usually in this season, the weather is kinda cooling because the Spring Wind or 春风 is blowing. However this year, it's not just the wind, but the rain is coming very heavily on us. Wind + Rain = super cold weather, where everyone is falling sick left, right, and centre.

The rain at my void deck at 1.55pm today (via Instagram)

Was caught in the rain and was stuck at the bus-stop opposite my house for a good 20 mins. Even with mama to the rescue with her little automatic brolly, both of us were literally drenched and the brolly nearly 'died' from the strong winds.

You can 'see' the strong wind in this picture actually.... the drains at the lift lobby are trying really hard to hold in the rain before the flooding comes.

The weatherman tells us that in the next few days, there's gonna be more rain, so carrying a brolly is a must, unless you want to see the doctor pre and/or post CNY. The clinics are busy enough, with people having sore throat/heatiness from all the Ba Kwa's and the pineapple tarts and not forgetting all the weight gains.

Thankfully, i'm gonna hit the gym on days that i don't need to 拜年 (haha), and am not gonna eat any Ba Kwa. So i'm pretty safe..... but there are so many other tempting goodies AHHHHHH..... :///

Till my next entry... the next time.

My journey to a healthier lifestyle

You might have known that i'm quite health-conscious, especially after i started gymming at Fitness First. I think that is the best investment that i've made in the year of 2012 and am continuing to enjoy the gym.

Of course, there is a price to pay which is a 3 digit figure every month that is deducted from my bank account. But as i hear from someone who also joins a gym, telling a non-gym goer this, that you should not look at how much you are losing (the monthly payments) and look at what you are gaining.

Me? The moment of truth starts here.

I started running in 2010, where i think i have reached the stage of obesity. I was at 1.57m? at *GULP* 75kg. But i guess, i was very into running and it all started out with the PAssion Run, where i went on to complete the Nike City 10k run and then the Standchart 10km run. Despite all the running, i didn't lose any weight, even though i started feeling healthier.

Over the 2 years, i only lost a grand total of 3kg, even though i was running a few more races... and longer distances (like Sundown 21km and Adidas KOTR 16.8km). And i got one fren who commits to run with me... and then we feasted after that. Like that, how to lose weight hur?? 3kg was the max that i've lost up till April 2012.

When my running buddy decided to join back Fitness First, i had to run on my own. And it was kinda more difficult because i gave myself all sorts of excuses to not run. See people, when you have people doing things of the same cause, it gave u lesser reasons to give excuses. And there are a lot more people around me who are losing weight because they joined a gym (not necessarily Fitness First).

And you know, at all gyms, members are encouraged to bring friends into the gym... all sales stuff and they eventually join the gym or not... it's another story. So my running buddy brought me into the gym to attend a Yoga class... and i saw that facilities are really good, as compared to the gym i was previously with. Not to mention this is the biggest gym in the world. And there's one near my office (5 bus stops away), and one near my house (3 MRT stops away) and one near Suntec (10 mins walk) and one near to Expo (Tampines) and many near to the MRT and some even has swimming pools! I swiped the card and took up the membership!

Anyway, i started out in May, and now is December already. Let's review my results.

1) As of 26 December 2012, my weight has gone down to 66.5kg, thanks to all the Bodypump and Bodycombat classes i attended, and some 指点from a PT at Cathay. Though i didn't sign any PT package with me, he gave me some tips like ... no carbs after 6pm (er i didn't follow that religiously, but i realized i can survive on yogurt drinks after an evening workout), and to tone up using either weights or Bodypump classes. Oh, and i totally enjoy Sh'bam and BodyJam... esp the holiday classes :) Looking to attend classes on New Year's Eve and New year. With proper nutrition and exercise, Output lesser than Input, that is the correct way to lose the weight, and tone up my muscles.

Many people has also commended that i looked better and it's very obvious i lost weight! Haha. I was totally swooned when i realized i can wear my mother's skirts (so yea! Save more money!) and i need to alter some skirts cos they were too big for me.

2) I've managed to achieve Personal Best twice this year for my Half-Marathon Category. During the Army Half Marathon i've improved my timing to 3h 33 mins from 3h 40 mins (from RUN350), and in the recent Standchart Half Marathon, i further improved to 3h 25 mins, considering it to be a never tried before route, starting from Sentosa through to Marina Bay. I've been doing quite a bit of Yoga (helps in running, apparently)..... like Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa, Hot Flow... and my favorite class is Bodybalance.

I continue to aim towards a 3-4 times per week to the gym, where i aim to run about 5-6km every week with some mixes of classes such as Bodypump, Yoga/Balance, Combat, and spice it up with some Sh'Bam or BodyJam. (think the younger but more fun version of 土风舞, haha).

And yes, i need to eat healthier. Have discovered a new soup joint which surprised me from my usual favorite Soup Spoon and her Asian Tofu Salad.

What i like about them:
a) Their soup is awesome.... Super Duper Gao! And they lived to what their belief is in, that their soup will taste according to the flavor of the soup... So nutritious! Totally no tinge of Cambell (who???). That's their main selling point, to start with! :)
b) Their set menu comes with either a selection of Crepe or Bread, and drink/fruit, at a good value.
c) The corner looked really cosy, and i like the bright decor of the place, even though it's a bit small.

What i didn't like about them:
a) Do we need 4 pieces of bread????? I didn't even finish the bread, actually. it is a bit oily, i think. But it's great to use Focaccia. :)
b) The banana looked a lil.... hmm
c) I can only find them at PS or J8?? Or GV at Vivo? But then, good things doesn't come in large quantities. :)

But i will definitely go for it when i passby it again! Loves their soup! :)

Till then! (It should probably be in 2013)

1st World Problem?

I AM BACK!

It's only about 2 weeks since my last post. It happened that today is also the first time i've turn on my laptop since the last time i blogged. As i've said, i will make this more regular, though i won't be as regular as my tweeting.

Firstly, the shingles have recovered but the scars lingers on.... And i won't know how long it will linger on. But the ability to get out of the house, even to go to work, is a luxury in itself. :)

On the main thing, i had a really tough day at work, and this time of the year is about appraisals.

I cannot say that i'm a very good worker, but no one is perfect. But to receive an awfully low score, and then when you try to justify yourself, the other party use another example to beat your justification down, to keep you there. Whether if either party buys into this justification or not, it's according to the discretion of either parties. Cos at the end of the day, it's the evaluator's evaluation that mattered.

I've accept it, no matter how awfully bad it is and how unjustified i feel about it, it's a good time of reflection and to see what has gone wrong, and how i can make it better the next time.

The MOST INSENSITIVE thing you can experience after such a session is  is having people noticing your sian-ji-pua look, and tell you not to feel this way..... TRY GETTING MY RATING AND REMAIN NOT SIAN! (does that translate to be Bo-Chup if i remained happy-go-lucky?) Goodness! One will never understand the pain until one personally experience it first-hand. 

Anyway, I end my rant. I will not curse it, rehearse it, nurse it but let God and time heal it.

Having a bad appraisal rating is akin to.. a First World Problem. So, it's not the end of the world. There are many other things in this world that are more worrying.

Have a laugh via this funny video on First World Problems, which essentially, is not a life-endangering problem. :)



Till my next post! :)

My experience with Shingles

Hasn't been blogging here since the longest time.

And yea, i guess my twitter account has taken over the importance of my blog here. But, am still thankful that my blog is still alive, though is not active.

But yea, will bring constructive and informative stuff here, whenever i can, however i can. Especially now with my iPad being more used than my laptop itself.

I've encountered something which i feel that it's good to blog about it, since i'm currently stuck at home.

And boy, this is like the 2nd time that i'm 'quarantined' at home, the first being the Influenza B, which was like 2 years ago. By chance, i realized that i've got Shingles. And i actually didn't detect anything wrong with me until morning evening, an hour before work ended for the day.

On 09 Sep, i attempted my Army half Marathon and came back with a personal best of 3 hours 33 mins

i must say i'm rather proud of my timing, especially if it's a PB, and coupled with some 10 mins of bottlenecks, i was satisfied, and ready myself for 5 days of adventures in Taiwan.

11 - 15 Sep 2012 was a great time of exploring a new city. For a rare traveller, i've actually went to Taiwan, with no tour group. Thanks to my younger friends who did the planning, we literally scouted a few parts of Taipei, namely 九分，淡水，五分埔，西门町. 

Thinking back, it was during the trip that i was experiencing some symptoms of shingles, without realizing it. I had some rashes on my body, which i thought was really mild (and i had a rashes episode some 2 months ago) and it hurt a little, and i was feeling tired and i didn't have much appetite. Imagine a lot of food in Taiwan, what a time to have a lack of appetite!

My mom saw my rashes and concluded that they are insect bites, and suggested that we should change the mattress. But..... i had my doubts.

I went back to work on 17 Sep, and still feeling disturbed about the doubts. And i was getting quite freaked out by how the rashes looked - not friendly. So out of what i dunno, i typed "rashes on the body" and tried to get an answer. And i got the answer, cos the similarities are totally similar. And having my manager to see for me, she confirmed that it looked like shingles. A visit to my GP confirmed the shingles, and MC for the rest of the week until Sunday, before i go for the review.

Now is day 3 of my quarantine. 3 more days to go before i can leave the gate of my house. Am still grappling with the pain, and at times it got quite bad i need to take the painkiller, but that was for nights. I'm still coping with the boredom, but 3 more days to go before i can leave the house (even if.... it's another confinement for a few more days), i want to smell the air of freedom, albeit for a while.

Looking forward to getting better and the rashes to go, and the pain to subside. But i guess it's all about learning to cope with it. And be really thankful.

I'm thankful that i only have some on my upper back and front on the right side, and not on more areas, thankful that i can be awake and be alive and can walk around in my room, stay connected to the world outside my house via the social medias.

Till my next entry! (Won't take that long, i promise)

Cherry Angiomas – What is this???

I remembered as a kid, that my dad has quite a fair bit of reddish lumps on his body. He had quite a fair bit of it.

But as he grew older, it seemed that these lumps were either gone or that it has flattened and turned black. I couldn’t really remember.

I didn’t remember much of it until last year, that i felt a weird little bump on the right side of my neck. And it was kinda disturbing actually. Cos i have the habit of feeling around my neck and this little bump was quite a distraction to me.

Anyway, over the course of the few months, i felt disturbed about it, but at the same time, i tried to deal with it like how i would deal with a pimple – squeeze it! And well, of course, it didn’t work.

Initially this little bump was skin color, and i think these few days i ‘played’ too hard with it, and it kinda ‘graduated’ to be a reddish slightly bigger bump.

(If i have known, i would left it on its own!)

And it was until 30 mins ago, that i decided that this bump is disturbing enough for me to find out whatever it is, whether if it calls for any concerns to see a doctor or to raise any siren. Whatever it is!

I tried the following:
- Lump on the neck – which brings lotsa weird answers from the Lymnodes and some other stuff. Freaky!!
- Bump on the neck – which shows the same thing.

And i realized that i wasn’t searching in the correct direction. Technically it didn’t appear under the skin. But on the skin.

So once again, i tried bump on the skin, and it yielded some results, which i think it is.


(i’ve inserted the link from where i’ve got it from)

It’s proof enough that this disturbing thing is this thingy called the Cherry Angioma. Man, Cherry sounds kinda sweet and cute, but not such things!

Well….. At least it’s a COMMON thing, so, Phew!!

They are common after age 30, which i am post-30. Hurhur.

And they tend to be genetic. So my dad has/had it….. so i guess i have it. This seem to conclude what this disturbing thing is!

Now, the cause of it is unknown. However, upon further Googling…. i found a website which may well tell of what caused it.

It’s kinda scary to say that it is caused by Bromine poisoning… which is… a form of poisoning. The article talked about a lack of iodine. Hmmm.

But u have to recognize that not everything is credible online. So, before i proceed further to explain what i think about this article, i need to read more to see if there are more articles about the causes of this Cherry Angiomas.

At least one thing i know, it’s a common condition. But yea, i should want to deal with it some day. Just that i should not be over-conscious of it for now. Just let it remain as a dome-shape mini little lump until i decide on how to deal with it.

This bump-on-the-skin disturbed me for a while, and thank God, i kinda self-diagnosed what it is. Sharing it will bring knowledge to people who may be having this thing and wonder what it is. Fyi, this is a common thing, which means that quite a lot of people might have this; it’s just where it occurs.

The NEW iPad… not the iPad 3 or iPad HD. Just the NEW one.

 


  What can i say???? I want this LOVE!

Been contemplating since yesterday morning since i’ve set my eyes on this new BABY…. Whether if i should just order online, or do the crazy thing as per all Apple Fanatics, to take leave and go queue up.

Theoretically, the logical side of me just tell me to wait and not waste my leave and go queue up, which may even end up not having the NEW iPad eventually on that day itself.

After i’ve Ooo and Aaaa… for the 2 days since its launched, there’s a new problem – I didn’t even get a casing for it, how to buy???

See, the problem with an over-logical mind.

And then there’s a problem that linked to this problem. The NEW iPad is slightly thicker, so iPad 2 casings may not be a good fit.

And seriously, i’m prepared to like splash a good amount of moola on the casing. Something like $50 ~ $80. But until someone confirms that the iPad 2 casing is good for this new one, i don’t think i will get any yet… which leads to me getting my hands on this BABY Later!

Aiyo it’s just an iPad, so many things to consider!!

Now…. to go queue up or to pay online and wait for it to be delivered. Sigh. Here we go again!

Oh btw, i’ve checked out some authorized Apple sellers on pre-orders. They simply tell me to pre-order directly from the Apple website.

Let me go feast my eyes on some attractive iPad covers first… and look forward to next weekend to see if i have the mood to go queue for the New iPad. =)

2 more days to the new iPad

Last year, i wrote about wanting a tablet, and i was contemplating between the iPad, the Blackberry Playbook and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

That was in July.

Till the later part of the year from September – December, i seriously think that i might end up with a Galaxy, since i hold a BB, and have the intention to switch to a Mac, so i get the best of all worlds.

But apparently, at VC we use the Macs,we also use the iPad for sermon purposes, and i have chances to ‘interact and build rapport’ with the iPad, which i have a relatively good impression of.

And somehow somewhere, i’ve secretly fallen in love with the iPad. But of course, i came clean with this love relationship with the iPad when i finally decided to get one for myself in late January, and all the rumours of the iPad 3 emerged.

Rumours were flying in February on the Launch…. 16 March???? And then the confirmed event of introducing my LOVE, on 7 March, which is in 2 days time.

Before anything’s confirmed, even the name of  is not even confirmed.

Just like the iPhone. Everyone anticipated the iPhone 5. And iPhone 4S came about. Though there’s a lot of speculation that it’s gonna be iPad 3, but after reading a few articles here, here, the iPad might not even be 3.

So…. expectation management is required.

I don’t want to expect an iPad 3 and then it turn out to be iPad 2S or some other name that i can’t really think of. So, from now till its name/number is confirmed, i will call this LOVE the new iPad.

There are also many other rumours about this new iPad. You can just type on Google and u can go read it.

My advise to those who are awaiting the new iPad: Be open, have expectation management. Don’t be too surprised or too disappointed, so that you will really enjoy the new iPad at its peak performance. :)



Can’t wait to feast my eyes and hold the new iPad in my hands!!! =)

(I hope it’s called the iPad 3!!!! and not some other name!)

One of my fav 1-day sneakaways

It was only until i was 25 years old, that i learnt about going for indulgence on a one day trip. That was to JB, with my ex-cg (had been there for the past 6 years whoa…….). And since then, i would consistently do trips up to JB via public transport… from the chui-est looking terminal, the Jln Sultan Ismail terminal has evolved to be air-conditioned and links to City Square in JB.

Not forgetting my gradual like for massages and cheap movies, and DVDs and and and cheaper stuff from Face Shop etc.

Then, i heard about Batam, and went on my virgin trip there with my ex-colleagues on a Groupon deal, and there, i found another place for a 1-day sneakaway. Of course, we can do more if we overnight there. Afterall, we are paying about $50 for a 2 way 1 hour ferry there.

Last Sunday, i went to Batam again on a 3S trip with my colleagues, whom a colleague described us as 七仙女过海 (haha…. very apt). Now, what’s 3S:

SPA…. SEAFOOD…. SHOPPING!!! (In that order)

Visited a new spa, which is pretty good, though more pricy, but much much much better facilities.


(Click on picture for link to the spa site)

I totally love the steam bath and the jacuzzi! 2.5 hours at a very very good rate, and most importantly, it’s directly opposite Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre.

Seafood is so good at Golden Prawn.. 555 (there’s another one with similar name, just a different number. Do not be mistaken). Had Black Pepper crab, cereal prawn, kangkong, steamed fish……. divinely delicious!

And of course, who can forget about shopping?? Now, if u want to get latest fashion, this is not the place to go.

Batam is part of Indonesia. And here, is Blackberry Haven! And i never fail to sweep up some BB stuff! And their toiletries are way cheaper (before we count in the cost of getting in from Singapore).


My stash of stuff from Batam.

My list of must-buys from Batam:
- Layered Cake (Kueh Lapis)
- Minute Maid Pulpy O’Mango (Singapore doesn’t have it)
- Indomie (Singapore doesn’t have the real thing)
-Teh Botol (u can only find it in authentic Indonesian restaurants)
- Blackberry housings.
- Sanitary pads *blushes* (crazily cheap, seriously)
- Toiletries

I just love small sneakaways. Even if they are just so near, and we end up more tired than we first start out on the trip. But i love the massages, and sneakaways are for us to get away from work and recharge ourselves.

Hit and run of pregnant doggie :(

I wanted to write about my experience in Batam today, which should be the highlight of this entry. But right after activating my 3G and my usual routine is to read my tweets and one news tweet kinda affected my mood to blog about it.

Bowler Remy Ong causes uproar over hit-and-run incident involving dog
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 19 February 2012 2150 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore national bowler Remy Ong has found himself at the centre of an online furore after he allegedly drove over a pregnant dog in Changi - and then left the scene.

Ong has confirmed the incident with Channel NewsAsia, but said he did not realise he had hit an animal at the time.

A picture showing the injured dog has gone viral online, after a note on the incident was posted on Facebook on the page of a group of cycling enthusiasts, the Singapore Eastern Cyclist.

The car plate in the picture belongs to Ong and had apparently dislodged during the impact.

The post said a group of cyclists had moved the dog to the side of the road, but it reportedly died about 20 minutes later, with two broken legs.
According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the dog was a cross-breed stray, approximately three years old.

The national bowler said he was driving out of the National Service Resort and Country Club at Changi Coast Walk, when he saw the dog rush out from behind a tree at a bend in the road.

Ong said he heard a slight sound but thought the dog's tail had brushed against his car, and so he continued driving. He added he felt uneasy and later returned to the scene. That was when he realised what had happened.
Ong said he waited with the crowd until a rescuer from the SPCA arrived.

He said he left when the dog was taken away, and that he accepts responsibility for the matter.

The SPCA said it will be taking a statement from Ong. The SPCA said drivers who hit animals should stop and give help.

Under the Road Traffic Act, those involved in a hit-and-run accident could be fined up to S$3,000 or jailed up to a year. This applies even if the victim is an animal.

For a subsequent conviction, a person can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to two years.

Police said they received a call about the incident at 1.07pm, and is looking into the matter.

-CNA/ac

According to other sources on twitter and other social networks, the doggie appeared to be pregnant. OMG!

Due to the impact, the doggie also miscarried. Sigh… 一失 dunno how many 命 (especially for animals, we dunno how many puppies the female doggie could be carrying).

I’m pretty sadden by this news. Especially sad news about doggies.

And i think it’s the first time i read news about hit-and-run of preggy doggies!

No matter if Remy Ong is really not aware and knocked the preggy doggie dead or not, i guess, it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether if he take up the responsibility for it or not, eventually it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.

The doggie and her puppies-to-be are gone.

Seriously, animals have a life too.