Welcome to My World

2012 Chinese New Year Dinner

2012-03-11T18:52:00.001+08:00

Initially I was not too keen on preparing anything special for dinner especially after my mum passed away last September. This is the first year that CNY is exceptionally quiet! I've given up visiting anyone during the CNY eversince Mikaail had stroke and eventually lost his vision!

Anyhow, we still need to eat dinner and so I thought life has to go on and perhaps just cook something a bit different from the normal canned/prepacked stuff.

We subsequently had dinner with 3 of my sisters the following week:

Getting ready for yusheng to bring in the
fortune and good luck for the family

Tucking into sumptuous dinner - home cooked!

R & R after dinner

Mum

2011-12-24T22:43:00.000+08:00

It's more than 6 months now since my mum left me on 28 September 2011 yet I still feel like she is just away from my home to either my brother's home or her own home in Toa Payoh. I want to remember my mum this way!

There are instances when I could sniff the "kemiyan" smell. Just the other day I asked one of my sisters whether my mum could just visit her own family anytime or at specific times. She told me that though she is not an expert in this field, the smell of such are due to the "invisible" passing by. These can be in any form ie shapes, smell or may even resemble people we know.

She only know that when a person is dead, all is gone except:

children who are pious who will pray for the deceased
the deceased good deeds such as donation
religious learnings

So it is encouraged that the children pray and offer special prayers for the deceased as whatever the children do will have impact on the deceased.

Also another thing that I heard was sending my mum's soul to perform the "haj". I am unsure about this bit as it's practically paying for someone to perform the haj on my mum's behalf! Need to get more information on this though between another of my sister, we already started the account..

Is there a correct time to drink water?

2011-12-24T21:07:00.001+08:00

This is really interesting. Generally I drink about 2 - 3 liters of water a day, especially when I am at work and I usually drink warm/hot water. The only time I drink cold water is when I have my daily dose of caffeine in my iced coffee!

So when I received an email from a friend about the Correct Time to Drink Water, I thought it rather interesting. I knew I need water to flush the toxins out of my body, but this was news to me.

Drinking water at certain time maximizes it's effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Rectifying Motorola Atrix 3G Connection

2011-12-24T20:44:00.001+08:00

My husband recently told me that he was unable to access internet on his mobile phone. I called Starhub to request for their assistance and was attended by 4 different technical specialists over a couple of days but none was able to rectify the problem. Anyhow, one of them told me to remove the SIM card and insert it into another phone to isolate the problem ie check if its a handset issue or the line issue. After I did this, I was able to access internet on my other handset. So it is now confirmed that it is a handset issue.

When I spoke with the operator from Motorola, she told me to:

Settings
Data Manager

Data delivery
Check that Data Enabled is ticked

Exit

I tried connecting internet using 3G and WiFi. WiFi works fine but not the 3G. So again, I called Motorola and another of their operators told me to try the following:

Settings
Wireless & Networks
Mobile Network
Access Point Name

Click on the menu button (the icon with 4 tiny squares on the bottom left hand corner)

Exit

She also told me that sometimes after upgrading of the phone software, this problem might occur as she had attended to some other users!

H&M Outlet @ Orchard Building

2011-11-25T22:04:00.000+08:00

Decided to check out H&M at Orchard Building today. With so much hype and all I thought I would probably spend a couple of hours shopping at H&M so I decided to apply annual leave to shop with Mikaail to avoid the weekend and school holiday crowd especially since Mikaail is on wheelchair. It is not easy moving around on a weekend especially with the year end school holidays now!

After breakfast at Enak Enak at Simpang Bedok, we head for H&M @ Orchard Building. I was quite surprised at the condition of the clothes on display. They looked like as if these were taken out from the carton and immediately displayed. So far, most shops display clothes that are neatly pressed apart from the sales items!

Anyway, we picked up a couple of clothings, tees, hair accessories and a cap. Unfortunately, I didnt get to try them out as Mikaail needed the toilet and guess what, there is none in H&M! I think this is about a first - a shopping mall has no toilet facilities? How could there not be a toilet in the building? How about their staff? Dont they need to go to the toilet as well? Ridiculous!! So I decided not to bother with the purchase and also wont go to their outlet ever again!

Mum's Last Moments

2011-11-16T22:19:00.000+08:00

I remember mum's last moment clearly. She left us peacefully on Wednesday, 28 September 2011 at approximately 1:35-1:38 pm though the official time was indicated as 1.45 pm.

I cant get it out of my mind that I was the one who accompanied her in the ambulance then to the hospital and she never came back! I feel really dumb. She is so sick and yet there was no medication administered to cure her and the only medication given to her was to calm her so she can die peacefully!! Crap right! Cannot forgive myself and I really regret it. One one hand, when mum was alive, she was constantly in pain and by living means she would be going through her pain daily. What good is life if there is no quality?

Anyhow about a few weeks after my mum's departure, around 7/8 pm, I suddenly got a sniff of the "kemiyan" then I sms Jaye and guess what she said, "mum came to visit on weekend!" Then at night - my room door suddenly rattled as if there is wind knocking on the door. "Wah lau" - damn scary ok. So I immediately shut down my laptop and rush to bed but unfortunately I was quite wide awake till early morning!!

My personal feel is that maybe mum was disappointed with me, especially since I was the one who brought her to the hospital although she was the one who wanted me to bring her there. She must have been in severe pain otherwise she would not want to go to the hospital. She knows that when she gets admitted, there will be tests which inevitably result in pain for her! Going to the hospital is one thing. Not coming back alive is another!

Also mum had sort of lost her will to live and was groaning in pain almost every night. The day she was admitted to hospital, she must have been in severe pain. Its better to let her go then suffer. Who are we to decide that she had lived up to a ripe age.

The doctors showed us x-rays taken when she was discharged in early Sept and upon her admission on 26 September. Her lungs were filled with water and only a section of her lungs was filled with air - its like she is "drowning".
Right up to now, I still have images of my mum in my head - images of her during the cleansing ritual and how peaceful she look. Who am I kidding?? Imagine if you are given only medication to be calm, wont you be calm as well? True mum was in pain and she wanted to go to the hospital but I am sure she didnt expect me to leave her there to die. Peaceful or not is really subjective! On hindsight, I feel really dumb! How can anyone who is seriously ill recover if there is no medication administered! The only medication really administered was the painkillers to calm her. I've decided that I must sign the Advanced Medical Directive in order that I dont add unnecessary stress to Alex in the event that I am seriously ill!

Then there was an article in the Straits Times recently about a couple who did not give up on their son all the way to the very last moment before donating their son's organ. I think perhaps mum should be given a bit more time to live. Maybe she can use the time to really decide what she wants done after she is gone ie her wishes. I am worried that I might lose the memories I've had with mum.

Asmah's Birthday

2011-10-23T22:36:00.001+08:00

22 October was my youngest sister, Asmah's birthday. As a few of us attended Mikaail's Make-A-Wish Foundation party, I thought it would be a great idea to celebrate her birthday at my home. It was an impromptu party and another of my sisters, Rose bought some snacks and I got her ice cream cake from Swensen's.

Usually with Swensen's cake you need quite a bit of time to defrost the cake but as this one was taken off the shelf, it was much easier to cut though we still need to use the normal knife - not the plastic cake knife.

Gathering at Mum's

2011-10-16T19:52:00.007+08:00

How time flies!! Yesterday, 15 October, is mum's 18th days of departure and it being a Saturday, we, the sisters, met up at mum’s to clear out mum’s wardrobe.

Didn’t realize mum had 8 wonderful daughters! Yes, 8, and 1 is in Perth Australia. Seated in between my eldest sister, Ani, is my son, Mikaail - the only thorn amongst the roses!!

As we didn’t want the hassle of cooking and clearing up, we decided to have lunch at Fork & Spoon Foodcourt. We intend to meet up perhaps over hi-tea perhaps once a month.

Then when I prepared iced coffee in the kitchen, suddenly I sniff a sweet smelling flowery sense. Got me a bit of a surprise then I called out to one of my sisters so she can confirm if she also could sniff the sense. Assumption was that mum was there in the kitchen. How true is this? I supposed no one can really confirm this.

Am I Being Fair to Mum

2011-10-14T21:47:00.000+08:00

I still remember my last communication with my mum - Monday, 26 September. When I saw a missed call from my mum's mobile number on my mobile phone, I panicked. All these years, my mum never called me on my mobile especially when I am at work. So I immediately called my mum and spoke to Marie, my helper.

Mum is very sick and this time when I asked her if she wants to go to the hospital, she said ok. Usually she wouldn't want to go. I took urgent leave and left my office slightly after noon. Called the private ambulance service when I was near home and they arrived about half an hour later.  I accompanied mum to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Never in my wildest dream did I think that was the last time I communicated with her.

Throughout the time she was in the A&E, she was administered with oxygen to help her breathe better. This makes it difficult for her to speak. So I told her to just relax and not think about anything else.

She was eventually allocated a bed in the ward close to dinner time. When her regular cardiologist came to check on her in the ward, he told us ie me, my sister and my husband the severity of my mum's condition. Her vital organs ie lungs, heart and kidneys are failing.  Her lungs only had a tiny space of air and the rest of her lungs were filled with water. If she was to be transferred to the ICU, there will be tubes to be inserted into her throat and chest to remove the water and of course she would feel some pain and discomfort.

The cardiologist also told us that the ICU stay was for them to help the machine take over from her while her body recovers and her body will eventually need to function without the machine.   He also stressed that there is no guarantee that mum would be out of the ICU after all this, alive. Mum had told my sister and I previously that her last hospital stay where she had tubes inserted into her to pump out the water was rather painful.

Then another doctor came and she also reiterated my mum's condition and even showed us the x-rays taken when she was discharged on 8 September and again the one taken upon admission. The x-ray taken at A&E showed that water had filled her most of her lungs! No wonder she looks so plump though soft!

I remembered that she complained of severe pain several times in the night and on ocassions I gave her painkillers just to ease the pain for her.  Sometimes she groaned in pain and on ocassions she will ask for medication even though she had already been given. Up to now, I still feel that I didnt give my mum a chance to really decide that she didnt want to prolong her life.

Looking back, I now realised that there was really no medication that was administered to my mum during her stay in the hospital other than medication to calm her and I suppose to slowly let her go. I am very disappointed with myself!

Mum's Last Days

2011-10-12T21:14:00.012+08:00

Mum left me on 28 Sept 11. Incidentally, it was the last day of Hari Raya Puasa. Official time of her passing away is 1:45 pm though she breathe her last breath around 1:35-1:38 pm. This was about the time that the heart monitor went flat. The doctor was away and the hospital requires the doctor to certify her passing away therefore the time difference.

I could still remember the look on her face. She looks like she was sleeping and her tongue was hanging a little loosely as if you were teasing someone.

I feel a sudden emptiness in my heart though I know that mum would not have to suffer the pain that she has been enduring the past few months. I still feel that maybe mum was not ready to leave this world though she did say she would be better off dead. After her fall last September, she never fully recovered and one thing leads to another. Whenever I hear her moan she tells me of the pain which is unbearable. I will usually tell her to think about Mikaail who, though handicapped, is a happy go lucky chap!

I feel a lump in my chest and I cant believe that my mum has left me. I still feel as if I had not given my mum the chance to live on.

Mum

2011-09-25T21:10:00.000+08:00

Mum's condition does not look like she will improve ever since she was discharged on 8 Sept! Her water retention issue seems to worsen and she is terribly tired. This picture was taken on 22 August when she was still in the hospital.

Mum on 22 Aug 11 in TTSH

Mum & I on 2 Sept 11

I felt that mum needs to be involved in something around the house. I got her to help pluck the beansprout tails, taught Marie how to prepare pickled cucumber ("achar")

Mum telling Marie how to prepare pickled cucumber

Mum explaining to Marie what needs to be done with the cucumber

My Personal Trainer

2011-09-24T23:29:00.000+08:00

Check out my personal trainer - an investment of $499 plus a one-time payment of S$59!

There are so many selections to make - personal training, gym and fitness. Didnt realise that there so many to choose from. For all the exercises, you see the number of calories burned and hear the encouraging comments from the fitness instructor.

You can change your personal trainer anytime by going to the Kinect Home Page!

Weekends

2011-09-24T23:03:00.000+08:00

Mama bathing Mikaail

Weekends are generally super duper busy for me. The day starts with me going to NTUC for my weekly marketing at NTUC around 7:45 am, then head to Mr Bean at Causeway Point to get beancurd for Mikaail and my mum, got back about an hour later, prepared and fed Mikaail his breakfast ie soyabean drink and , beancurd then fed him his mediation plus his vitamin, attended to his toileting needs, shower, etc, etc.

Today's lunch for both Mikaail and mum is Campbell chicken soup with alphabet pasta, baby shanghai green, carrots, sausage and crabstick. After having 3 spoonfuls, mum decided she wanted porridge. So got Marie to cook congee for mum plus the other sides.

Then I panfried a fish fillet and also my favourite "chincalok" omelette with preserved sliced green chilli. Taste was just superb. Chincalok is an acquired taste so it wont appeal to everyone!

Despite him not having vision and his disabilities, he is always so cheerful and very obedient. As always Mikaail is ever so grateful. He thanked me for attending to his needs!

Shape Run 2011

2011-08-23T21:57:00.000+08:00

I've just received my Shape Run 2011 certificate. It's official - I completed my Shape Run 2011 in under 45 minutes!

Mum

2011-08-21T22:31:00.001+08:00

Mum is very sick and when I visited her earlier this afternoon, she complained of breathlessness. She seemed very much weaker than when she was in my home before her medical appointment last Tuesday, 16 August. Not sure if it was better for her to be admitted. Though she was weak with the water retention and breathlessness, she definitely looked worst now.

This picture is taken last month before she got discharged.

Me & Mum in July in TTSH

Maybe she should just be discharged and at least let her spend her last days at home! In the hospital, the other patients are all given oxygen to help with their breathing too. She commented that ya but she is the one with one leg.

I had discussed with my siblings that we will hold the Hari Raya gathering in my home but looks like we will likely hold it in my mum's home instead. My nephew is really very thoughtful. He will be taking leave this week to take care of my mum!!

Exercise Regime

2011-07-28T23:24:00.009+08:00

I’ve got new exercise regime which I have been doing on a fairly regularly. These are extracts from Shape Magazine – June 2011 – issue.

Plank Hop – Works core, chest, arms and butt

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
2. Bend over and place palms on ground (bend knees if necessary)
3. Straighten legs until you’re in plank position, balancing on toes with wrists aligned under shoulders
4. Tighten abs so body is straight.
5. Jump feet to hands then jump back to plank
6. Do 10 times

Torso Twist with Knee Lift – Works abs, legs and butt

1. Lower into a semi squat, elbows bent 90 degrees in front of chest
2. Keep hips squared forward as you twist torso to the left, right and left
3. Twist back to the right as your lift your right knee out to the side,to the hip height and lean over in a side crunch
4. One rep is twist, twist, twist then twist and crunch.
5. Repeat 15 times then switch sides to complete set.

Apart from these exercises, I’ve also embarked on a new exercise regime where I get personalized training from a personal trainer at a one time fee of S$59! It’s an Xbox disc – “Your Shape – Fitness Evolved”. Oh, of course, you would need to first purchase the Xbox Kinnect Set which cost S$499 excluding GST.

In this disc, I get to select from 3 different programmes:

1. Personal Training
2. Gym
3. Fitness

There are several stages as well for the different fitness level from beginners to the experienced. I’ve done about half an hour of a mixture of the exercises and so far, I've enjoyed it tremendously.

Shape Run 2011

2011-07-24T13:05:00.000+08:00

I am very unprepared for this Run as I didn’t get around doing any training. Anyhow, I proceeded with the Run as planned. I beat my 2 previous timing though by 3 minutes! Of course I still stop along the way to take photos!

Couldn't resist temptation to stop at the markers for a photo!

Flat out after the 5km run, just needed to literally lie flat!

I did it again!

Laksa Craving

2011-07-24T12:40:00.001+08:00

The last time I went to Nex @ Serangoon was to join the queue to buy the Xbox Kinnect. After buying the discs, etc, I went to Laksania and I ordered the Penang Laksa instead of the original Laksa. My husband and maid had the Singapore Laksa and when I tasted the Laksa, I thought it was good.

I told myself that I will be back to Laksania and will order the Singapore Laksa. So when I went back to Nex @ Serangoon last Friday to exchange a faulty USB powered fan at Challenger, I ordered the Singapore Laksa!

The Laksa gravy was nice and I guess the cholesterol would be much higher than the normal laksa. Anyway, I thought the ingredients were so-so. There were very few slices of the fried tofu and a couple of sliced fish cakes and cockles. I would have preferred a lot more of the beansprouts though. Missing from the bowl was the thin slices of julienne cucumber.

Anyhow, I finished off the laksa – every bit of the gravy!

Thunder Tea Rice

2011-07-11T21:51:00.001+08:00

It’s been a very long time since I first cooked Thunder Tea Rice. I first came across this Thunder Tea Rice when an ex-colleague from the Hakka clan told me the goodness of this dish.

Anyhow, while flipping through my recipe collection, I stumbled upon this recipe and I decided to cook it for my family. Though it is relatively easy to cook, I find that it’s time consuming.

Two weeks ago, while at Food Republic in Vivo City, I saw this Thunder Tea Rice stall and I immediately know what I was going to have for lunch! This stall also serves brown rice – just my type and I really love it.

According to this stall, this dish can “help to lower cholesterol, remove body toxic, fluid waste, strengthen immune system, ease digestion and gastric, combat flu and headache, expel body winds and gas plus maintain youth and enhance beauty.” I don’t know how this dish can really provide so much benefit but I just love it. I don’t drink the soup on its own but I scoop some into my rice then mix the rice with the soup and eat it this way.

Since then I’ve had this thunder tea rice at least another 3 more times! Yummy! So my cholesterol level should come down too!

Eating Habits

2011-03-24T21:05:00.000+08:00

Your diet and eating habits can help you lose weight and maintain your ideal weight. You need to be aware and take conscious effort to reduce the amount and also be selective in your diet.

Strategy 1: Eat more lean proteinProtein comes from chicken, fish, beef, lamb, pork, eggs, dairy and soy products.

When you consume protein it is actually much harder to turn to body fat, will keep you full for longer and will assist in building body muscle. This in turn will increase your metabolism and fat burning. Protein will also stablise your blood sugar unlike carbohydrates which will reduce your need to snack on sweets, have cravings and feel tired.

At every meal, it is best to aim for a fat-free portion of protein, about the size of the palm of your hand.

Strategy 2: Reduce carbohydratesCarbohydrates are found in rice, pasta, noodles, bread, potato, pumpkin, sugar and honey.

All carbo are digested and broken down into sugar (glucose). This sugar is the fuel for the body's cells however if too much carbo is consumed, the body will store the excess as body fat to use for fuel at a later stage.

Additional fat storage results to obesity and raise the risk of weight related illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease and certain cancers.

Aim to reduce carbo intake at every meal to only 1/2 cup of cooked portion or the equivalent of the size of your fist. By reducing your intake of carbo, you will also notice a reduction in your cravings for sweets, less hunger and a noticeably flatter tummy!

Strategy 3: Reduce FatFat contains the most calories per gram and will very quickly cause you to gain and store body fat if you dont manage this element of your diet!

Fat in food will also increase the risk of heart disease by leaving fatty deposits in your arteries. One of the most harmful fat consumed is known as Trans Fat which have the ability to lower your good cholesterol (HDL), increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Trans fat are in most processed foods such as butter, margarine, salad dressings, ice-cream and biscuits. To keep your body healthy and manage your weight, minimise fat intake especially trans fat.

Strategy 4: Reduce sugary drinksA can of soft drink/soda can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar and nearly 140 calories. One of the biggest misconceptions is that fruit juice will be the healthier option but the average glass of juice contains 8 teaspoons of sugar and 130 calories.

To avoid taking in additional calories and sugar, reduce all sugary drinks and fruit juices. The best option would be to replace these type of drinks with water.

Strategy 5: Limit Fruit IntakeFruit is healthy if taken in moderation. Fruit is high in sugar and energy (calories). You should limit your fruit intake to only 2 pieces per day.

The lower sugar and better options for fruit snacks are apples, pears, watermelon, kiwifruit, oranges and pineapples. Wherever possible avoid regularly snacking on mango, durian, lychees and jackfruit.

When you control portions and make healthier choices for your meals, you will be well on your way to managing your weight and health effectively.

Remember, you are what you eat. So if your diet is high in carbo, fat and surgar, it will have detrimental effect on your body. A slight modification to the way you eat is such a minor sacrifice for the benefits it can produce. Prevention is always better than cure!

Follow the 5 strategies above and you will notice the change in as little as a week.

One last reminder: When you eat, eat slowly. Best not to eat watching TV or in front of the computer. Always stop eating when you feel 80% full because its better to waste it than to "waist" it!

Meals are to be enjoyed - so happy eating!!

How to Achieve Ideal Weight

2011-03-21T21:56:00.001+08:00

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of losing weight is to exercise. I've signed up with a ladies only gym about a year ago in the hope of meeting my weight loss goals. Due to time constraint, I was unable to go for training regularly.

What I've realised is that while exercising does help in losing the excess weight, this may not be as successful as one might like. Exercise on its one may not be easy to do everyday for the rest of one's life.  I came across an article on Eating Your Way to an Ideal Weight and here's why:

1kg of fat contains 9000 calories.  An average 60kg person walking at 4 miles per hour will take 28 hours of walking to "burn" off 1kg of fat. For the general population this does seem unrealistic.   Also not many people realise the extensive exercise needed to "burn" off their favourite treats. For example, if you consume 1 glass of red wine, you would need to jog for at least 35 minutes to "burn" off the calories. 1 plate of chicken rice would mean 2 hours of jogging and 3.5 hours of swimming if you eat 1 Big Mac Meal.

So exercise does play a part in maintaining weight by burning off some extra calories. Exercise is also important for a healthy heart. Looking at the exercises needed to burn off the extra calories, it would be best to just eat vegetables!

I would think that the most successful method of weight loss is through managing your diet.  Through reading several magazines, I've come to the conclusion that it is completely possible to eat and lose weight at the same time.  This method is how you will be most successful.

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. This simply means the types of food you choose will help you lose weight and also be healthy at the same time, making it possible to eat your way to ideal weight.

What is Ideal Weight?

2011-03-18T17:43:00.000+08:00

I always make it a point to weigh myself every evening once I get back from work, after shower. Some people I know said that I should not weigh myself daily or I should weigh only in the morning. Then there are some who are afraid of even weighing themselves.

The body is made up of 70% water and then of course there is muscle, blood, bones, tissue, ligaments, skin and body fat.

One conventional method of assessing weight is to measure your Body Mass Index (BMI). To calculate your BMI, you divide your weight (kg) by your height (metre) in sq metres. However, this assessment doesnt acknowledge the difference between lean muscle and fat composition of your body. So it is of very little importance in judging your health.

It does not mean that a skinny person is healthy. This is why to know if you are at your ideal weight, you need to also consider a couple of important health clinical markers apart from just your weight and BMI.

The clinical markers that should be considered are:

Body Shape: Waist circumference, Waist-to-hip ratio
Body Composition: BMI, Body Fat Percentage, Visceral Fat, Lean Muscle Mass, Fat-to-Muscle Ratio, Bone Mass, Hydration
Body Function: Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, Blood Pressue

Once these clinical markers are within the Normal range, you can be considered as healthy and on your way to living a life of reduced disease risk and a better quality of life. The challenge is to maintain this.

Eat Well, Stay Well

2011-02-20T16:15:00.000+08:00

"We are what we eat" - nutritionists from around the world would agree that the food we consumed has an important effect on our health and vitality. From the moment we were conceived and throughout our lifetime, diet is a very crucial role in helping us stay fit and healthy. A healthy balanced diet can protect us against serious illness such as heart disease and cancer, increase resistance to colds and other infections, boost our energy levels, help combat the stresses of modern living and improve physical and mental performance.

Our body needs over forty different nutrients to function and stay healthy. Some, such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, are required in relatively large amounts; others, such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements, are required in minute amounts but are nonetheless essential for health.

No single food or food group provides all the nutrients we need. This is why we need to eat a variety of different foods. Making sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs is easy if you focus on foods that are nutrient rich and dump those highly refined and processed foods that provide lots of saturated fat, sugar and calories but not much else.

Ten Principles of Healthy Eating:

Enjoy your food
Eat a variety of different foods
Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight
Eat plenty of foods rich in carbohydrates and fibre; whenever possible, choose wholegrain cereals
Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and/or vegetables each day
Keep sugary foods and drinks as a treat rather than something you consume every day
If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly and stay within the safe guidelines. Women should note drink more than 3 units of alcohol a day and no more than 4 units of alcohol a day for men, with at least one alcohol free day a week.
Choose reduced and low-fat dairy products when possible
Aim to drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water a day
Avoid adding salt to food

Family Gathering

2011-02-19T23:17:00.001+08:00

My next family gathering is scheduled for this Saturday, 26 Feb. Original venue was supposed to be at Asmah's house but this is now changed to my mum's place instead. Good as well since it will be quite difficult otherwise for my mum.

I am excited about this gathering as I felt that it is really important to have this kind of social gathering when everyone is happy and relaxed. The theme for this month's gathering is "Rice Dumpling".

What I intend to do is to prepare the glutinous rice - a couple of variations - also a couple of variations for the fillings. I've also asked Rose if she could get coconut leaves so we could use the dumpling ingredients for the ketupat.

The intention of the family gathering is to meet once in 2 months on the last Saturday of the month. So after this month's session, it will be in April ie Saturday, 30 April. As it's a long weekend, maybe we could all travel up to JB - Asmah's resort home on Friday, 29 April and stay the weekend. Sounds like a good idea to me! Will discuss with the rest when we meet this Saturday.

Negative Thoughts

2010-10-04T22:31:00.000+08:00

A friend sent me a softcopy of The Secret about a month or so ago. After I upgraded my phone to Samsung Galaxy S, I emailed the book to myself. I am now into my 2nd reading and am thoroughly inspired by The Secret.

I realised that in order not to have too many of the negative thoughts I must not even focus on them! It's the law of attraction. Your thoughts attract negative thoughts in abundance!

When you "try" to stop negative thoughts, you are focusing on what you don't want - negative thoughts - and you will attract an abundance of them. They can never disappear if you are focused on them. The "stop" part is irrelevant - the negative thoughts are your focus. It doesn't matter if you are trying to stop negative thoughts or control them or push them away, the result is the same. Your focus is on negative thoughts, and by the law of attraction you are inviting more of them to you.

The truth is always simple and it is always easy. To stop negative thoughts, just plant good thoughts, deliberately! You plant good thoughts by making it a daily practice to appreciate all the things in your day. Appreciate your health, your car, your home, your family, your job, your friends, your surroundings, your meals, your pets, and the magnificent beauty of the day. Compliment, praise, and give thanks to all things. Every time you say "Thank you" it is a good thought! As you plant more and more good thoughts, the negative thoughts will be wiped out. Why? Because your focus is on good thoughts, and what you focus on you attract.

So don't give any attention to negative thoughts. Don't worry about them. If any come, make light of them, shrug them off, and let them be your reminder to deliberately think more good thoughts now.

The more good thoughts you can plant in a day, the faster your life will be utterly transformed into all good. If you spend only one day speaking of good things and saying "Thank you" at every single opportunity, you will not believe your tomorrow. Deliberately thinking good thoughts is exactly like planting seeds. As you think good thoughts you are planting good seeds inside you, and the Universe will transform those seeds into a garden of paradise. How will the garden of paradise appear? As your life!

Tickle the funny bones!

2010-10-03T23:00:00.000+08:00

If you need a laugh, check out this site. It's so funny and you can pick a word or two to add into the Singlish vocabulary.

Visit to Tan Tock Seng Hospital

2010-10-03T22:33:00.003+08:00

My mum had a fall recently and this morning she complained of pain. She also complained that it was very painful for her to walk. My nephew who stays with her brought her to the hospital. X-rays were taken and the x-rays showed that she had dislocated her hip.

Naturally all my siblings went to visit her in the hospital today. The hospital has a new visitor tracking system in place. All visitors had to register with their identification cards. This is not an issue as generally everyone has to have their identification papers with them at all times. But the process was rather troublesome, I would say.

Previously there can be several visitors for one patient and no one would really stop you. Even after the visiting hours. Now this is no longer possible apparently. In a way it is good so it can reduce the ratio of patient to visitors. The process needs to be tweaked a little or some sort of awareness be made known to the general public.

First I put my IC on the scanner and the machine captured my IC number. Next I had to key in the ward number, bed number and patient's surname. How difficult could these be? Anyway, this is where I got really annoyed. The system kept showing the first 4 digits of my IC. So I hit the backspace button to enter the ward no. The system then brought me back to the regisration screen!!

Then one of the counter staff who was assisting the other registrants stopped by to assist. When she encountered the same problem, she realised that my IC was still on the scanner. She told me that I need to remove my IC as the machine is scanning my IC and that is why my IC number is shown on the ward number. Anyway, there was no indication to remove my IC after the machine had scanned it!

My next grouse was that the system had asked for Patient's Surname. So when I keyed my mum's surname, the system indicated error. Apparently it was not the surname that was required. Rather it was her first name! So frustrating!!

I told my sisters that in future if we need to come to visit her in Tan Tock Seng, then only one person goes to the ward and bring her down so that more people can meet her at the cafeteria! Less stress for everyone especially me!!! Urgh!!

Evolution of Dance

2010-09-26T17:28:00.002+08:00

Came across this You Tube video while surfing the net for children songs. This is one of the most watched videos on You Tube.

Quite entertaining. Have a good laugh!

Memories of POE 2

2010-09-25T17:25:00.001+08:00

I remembered one session when Adam asked something about what would you do if there was a violent fight kind of do or die type. He asked the class and I supposed most of them said they will fight. Then he asked is there anyone who would not fight and I raised my hand. Oh boy, was that a wrong move or what! Tell you why, just read on.

Anyhow, that's how I really felt. With my life, I just felt at times, that it is not worth living. I've always wanted a son for a child since I was in secondary school. I remembered telling my home economics teacher that I would prefer a boy than a girl. In my mind, boy would be easier to take care and they can grow up wild whereas growing wild do not apply for girls.

Then when I got pregnant with a boy, I was so very happy. Then he was diagnosed as a cerebral palsy child at the age of 1. The neurologist told us that he was a mild case of cerebral palsy, but there is no cure. I've accepted him as much as he had accepted me. To make things worst, he had stroke when he turned 7 which was almost 5 years ago.

I really regretted signing the papers to allow the damn doctors to operate on him to save his life! Little did I know that he was going to lose his vision, his speech, his movement. The surgeons then told me that the vision nerves are far away from where they will be operating/cutting the skull. Like hell, it was far away! Up to today, I felt that it's fine if they can save him but at least save a person's life if there is quality. No quality - save for what? For their own personal mission, I would assume. I wished I had the courage to tell the doctors to go to hell!

Anyway, back to Adam, then he asked if someone were to take a knife and kill me, would I allow it. Guess what my answer was? I nodded my head. Another big mistake! He asked if 20 million people die and only one person lived, what would you say to this survivor. Most of the participants responded by saying that they will ask this person to be grateful to be alive or something to the effect. Then he talked about what if you have a quarrel with your sibling. In a fit of anger, you ran across the road. A speeding car just happened to drive by almost knocking you, then the sibling you had the quarrel with managed to pushed you to safety sacrificing himself/herself, what would your life be. My response was I will live the rest of my life in regret as opposed to the others who said they will value their life more so that the sacrifice did not go to naught!

Then he talked about the sperms and the egg thingy. It's like teaching biology - the human body - the birds and the bees! Anyway, while explaining the sperm story about only the strong, determined sperm will survive the journey to the egg, he practically slammed the flipchart and it fell, hitting the wall causing the legs to be dismantled! He looked so angry and I got worried, I cried especially when he said something like I didnt value my own life! I've never seen him so angry in all his sessions I've attended. He's always showed the jovial part of him!

My Life Transformation Experience - POE2

2010-09-20T17:30:00.000+08:00

I've completed my Patterns of Excellence Module 2 on 12 April 2009 after spending almost 5 days. It's a course I would encourage every person to attend! Make time for it as your life will change for better! It is a life transformation experience I must say. I am glad that I attended it.

In a nutshell, I experienced the swinging log which is quite a tough walk on a beam hanging by a rope above ground by about 1 foot. Then the coaches will be kicking the beam, shaking it while you walk without having anything to support the walk. The point of this exercise is that life is not a bed or roses and they will be rough times. You are reminded to focus on your goals in order that you can work towards your goals. I completed it after my fourth or fifth attempt.

As for the high beam, it looks really easy as every participant looked so happy on the beam. When I went on the beam, it was different altogether. The scaffolding was made of stainless steel and therefore slippery. To make it worst, I guess it was because my shoes were full of mud and this added to the climb much harder. As I got up the scaffolding, my team mates were chanting some empowering phrases"like Rock Me, while I walked on the beam, they chanted, "Believe in Yourself, Focus, Balance, Keep Walking", on my way down, I cant recall what I had wanted them to chant.

Once I reached the top and before taking the first step on the beam, I froze. I didnt want to let go of the scaffolding. Then I talked to myself, either I let go of my hand, lose focus and fall which means, I would have to go up the scaffolding all over again. Alternatively, focus and take the chance to go on walking and do my best. I also remembered what Stuart did to help me overcome the phobia by taking baby steps. I did precisely that ie baby steps. One small step on the beam at a time and to keep looking at the big red dot!

Language Patterns

2010-09-18T21:00:00.003+08:00

During the lessons, I could not really focus on the topics. It is so very confusing. I did read through the reading material though I should have also listen to the CD, given during Module 1. I was so focussed on understanding the values that I had overlooked to listen to both the Milton Model and Meta Model. Wished I did.

I keyed in all the language patterns into my mobile phone so I can read them while travelling on the mrt to home. I've also uploaded all the CDs into my phone to listen to them on my return journey as I dont usually put on my specs when I'm out of the office. Also, journey home is partly sleeping time. Hopefully by listening to the CDs while I am half asleep, my subconscious mind can take over the job!

Good strategy, isn't it?

After the Phobia Cure

2010-09-17T21:51:00.001+08:00

Its been more than a year now since the phobia cure session. Memories are still quite fresh in my head. My family and even my maid couldnt believe that I managed 2 conquer my phobia of the snake.

They were surprised that I was able to go through the whole process. I even had the snake on my shoulder! My husband thought I might back out or probably conquer only 30% - maybe see the snake from a distance and not holding it. He knows that I will be well taken care of since this cure will be handled bythe master trainer himself ie Stuart Tan. What a pity there was no video recording otherwise it will be nice to see the bit that I had no recollection of.

See my finger touching the snake!

Snake on my shoulder -
of course with the master trainer,
Stuart Tan

Sisters

2010-09-16T22:00:00.000+08:00

A photo of some of my sisters: Left to right: Rose, Me, Elsa, Jay, Serena (niece); Back row: Kayle & Elise (nieces).

I like the following email which was forwarded to me by a friend. I felt I could connect to this email as it seems very true.

QUOTE
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass.  "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. "Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. "You'll need other women. Women always do."

'What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

        Time passes.
        Life happens.
        Distance separates.
        Children grow up.
        Jobs come and go.
        Love waxes and wanes.
        Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
        Hearts break.
        Parents die.
        Colleagues forget favors.
        Careers end.

        BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

UNQUOTE

Getting Rid of Phobias

2010-09-16T09:00:00.000+08:00

It's been almost a year since I've attended both modules of Patterns of Excellence workshop conducted by Adam Khoo Learning Technology. The funny thing is I felt a sense of emptiness especially after 5 days of all the hyper activities and surrounded by very positive people all around!

Overcoming my phobia issue still seem so fresh in my mind. I am very pleased with myself that I have managed to conquer my phobia of snakes. Prior to participating in this phobia cure, I would usually say "the thing" and everyone around me knows what that means. It seems really strange that I can now write the word, snake, with a slight squeamish feeling although it did feel kind of uncomfortable.

Can you believe this is me with the snake on my shoulders? I would not have been a metre away from the snake in the first place had I not attended the Patterns of Excellence Module 2. Yes, I do look scared and I do. This is the first time I ever had a snake on me! Honestly, at least the yellow one dont look so scary. I doubt I would have done the same thing with the black one which was brought into the classroom in the first place.

I had expected the soft toy version of a snake - like the one in Ikea but they used the real thing!
Looking back at what I went through during the fast phobia cure, it was a really very "trying" experience! I've put the word "trying" in quotes as this is a forbidden word in the class and if you are caught using it, you will be penalised and it is quite drastic. I heard from some of my team mates that I really behaved like a kid, jumping and screaming and they were quite shocked actually seeing the process I went through. One of them was worried that I might just go bananas!

I was prepared to have a go at the cure since the cure will be managed by the master himself, Stuart rather than any others. I have a lot of confidence in him and he is extremely patient. Stuart did ask me before I took to the stage whether I was ready for the cure. I told him that I cant say for sure that I am really ready for it as I would like to give it a shot. If I dont do it at the POE 2, I know that I wont do it anywhere else.

Here's my account of the process:

The whole process took about 3 hours instead of the usual 45 minutesand I felt really guilty to have kept all my team mates into the early hours! When I read the manual, it indicated something like between 25 - 45 minutes but I thought probably 1 hour! Luckíly all of them were so supportive and was not a bit upset with me. I really appreciate their thoughtfulness. Stuart was very professional in handling this situation and I am really glad to have had this golden opportunity and extremely grateful for his guidance and patience!!

We started off on a very casual chat with him asking me about my favourite colour - which is pastel pink, my favourite snack - marshmellows. Cant remember what he asked me but I told him that I am basically someone who is very "manja"ie who loves to be hugged lovingly and usually my husband will "sayang-sayang"me. As for friends, some of them would put their arms around me and even hug me. In my mind, I remembered them hugging me to comfort me when my son, Mikaail was in the ICU undergoing a major operation. This was a very traumatic experience which is still fresh in my mind!

Then he asked me close my eyes and to imagine being in a cinema and I was the only one in the cinema, also as the person in the movie as well as the director of the show. I vaguely remembered that he asked me to imagine that I was in the movie. I recalled telling him that I could see forest with big trees, a brown wooden house and the snake. Not sure when I started shivering and my team mates told me they could see me shivering. For them to be able to see me shivering on the stage so strongly is really embarassing. Wish there was a video taken of it so I could see and really share this experience with my husband.

My husband picked me up after class as always and I spent a good 20 minutes telling him about the cure. He was also proud that I actually held the snake. Good thing I had a picture of the snake and me taken using my mobile phone. Most of the photos taken of the phobia was taken courtesy of one of the coaches, Jacklyn.

I remembered Stuart asking me to breathe and guided me through the breathing process. When I came out of this shivering bout, we had little discussion on unrelated topic which is known as break state. While chit chatting, I noted that he made a signal to the coaches and I assumed that it meant for the snake to be brought into the classroom. When I saw the door opened and someone coming in with the snake, I panicked and started running to the corner of the stage and jumping.

Seems that I must have toppled the table or something as I could hear the noises and some people coming onto the stage. I could remember I was crying and screaming. I just kept on crying and screaming. I did hear him shouting at me to "stop it" at least twice and to "shut up" and "scream". Funny thing is I just kept on screaming but when he told me to scream I kept quiet! I remembered pulling his t-shirt to cover my face though.

Anyway, I heard that I had a cup of water splashed on me! No wonder my t-shirt was a little wet but I thought it was due to the jug of water that fell off the table. The things I go through to cure this phobia! Looking back I must have looked really silly - I think more like an idiot!

I did think of stopping the process. However, Stuart said that as we are so far into this phobia cure, it would be in my best interest to continue. He is concerned that my phobia will get intensified if I didnt continue. I didnt want this to happen so decided to go ahead with it. With his assurance that he will be with me all the way, I decided to be brave and proceed.

I was told that at one point I hyperventilated and had to be helped to a chair! Sound scary! These are parts that I am not aware of. I had to ask my team mates as I had very vague memory of these sessions!

Stuart is really patient and he allowed me to decide on how close the snake should be before I am ready to really touch it. It was very gradual. When the snake owner eventually brought the snake close to the stage, I first screamed that I didnt want the snake to be that close. Stuart is so thoughtful and he took me step by step at my own pace to touch the snake. I held his finger first to hold it in order that I do not touch it directly though I will be close enough to see the snake.

I asked him to hold my finger to touch the snake before I eventually touched the snake with my finger. Up to now, I could still feel the sensation of the first touch of the snake. See what the mind can do! I've decided that since I've gone so far, I will make the effort to take a look at the photos taken with the snake on my shoulder.

This is me with Stuart and the snake. To summarise, I feel that I have conquered at least 80% of my phobia. Even when I looked at the photos in my phone and suddenly when this picture appears, I do get a little jittery. I then convince myself that it is ok.

I strongly encourage you to sign up for the Patterns of Excellence course. Once you are able to clear your phobia, you will be able to see things in a different perspective.

Patterns of Excellence - Next Step

2010-09-12T09:00:00.000+08:00

I have signed up for the Patterns of Excellence Module 2 workshop. In this Module, there is the phobia bit where you would be able to get rid of your phobia within 25 - 45 minutes, as indicated in the brochure.

I am not sure if I really want to get rid of the phobia as I would have to face it first before I can get rid of it! I am so damn frightened that I have been thinking of this phobia since I heard that the trainers will have real stuff that people would generally have phobia on.

Then, like the Law of Attraction, the more I think about it, the more this phobia keep appearing in the newspapers and TV traillers!

To know what this phobia is, stay tune to my posts. I will have pictures of them as well.

My Phobia - Pre POE Mod 2

2010-09-11T17:32:00.000+08:00

As I am writing this post, my most concerning thoughts are how am I supposed to manage my phobia at the POE Mod 2 session. I am terrified just thinking that this thing will be in the class and there will be my classmates who will be holding it. I did think about withdrawing from this session altogether as I am afraid of making a fool of myself in front of so many of my classmates.

This aside, will I be able to overcome this phobia? What if I cant? I believe that I could die of shock if not anything else! If I can, then there is no issue but ... Also, I had wanted to work on testing out the submodalities, swish pattern but was worried that I would have to bring this thing closer to me before I could dump it away!

I needed to get assurance that I wont be left alone by myself. Like I told one of my colleagues, I am very "teh" so I really needed this assurance that there will be someone to hold and sort of sayang me there! The other night during the booster session, I didnt feel this assurance was something that the coaches practice or even preach! Seems like I would need to get a hold of it myself!

Why Must I Change?

2010-09-11T08:00:00.000+08:00

This session in the Patterns of Excellence Module 1 is quite intimidating. First, I didnt think there is anything that I should, need, must or want to change! Honestly, I dont think there is anything that I should, want or need to! So I thought the best is to skip this session so I asked to be excused. Of course, as expected, it is not an option. Apparently, every participant has to go through this session.

The demo between the trainer and coach gave me the shivers. I felt that there is really no basis for them to be screaming at each other so I got really nervous. I know that I definitely will breakdown and to do this in front of strangers would be a disaster for me!! I partnered another emotional person and obviously this didnt work! We got separated and both of us partnered our coaches - even more traumatic! Then I did the next best thing - sat on the floor and covered my ears and face as I didnt want to hear the coach screaming at me!

My trainer, Stuart Tan, came over and talked to me. I told him about my feelings towards my son. There is nothing any of the so-called medical professionals could do to correct the wrong! I felt very cheated as instead of them saving his life with quality, they save his life with no quality whatsoever!

What I learned from this session is that in order for me to be happy, I must first be happy for myself then I can share my happiness with my family. I used to think that it does not matter if I am happy or not so long as my family is happy!

My Patterns of Excellence Experience

2010-09-10T23:00:00.004+08:00

Although I attended the Patterns of Excellence course more than a year ago, the activities I've participated in remained in my mind and they all seemed very fresh still. I do miss the sessions and had hoped to join the team again either as a participant or trainee coach.

For a start, it was very difficult (instead of "trying") to keep myself awake especially between the hours of 9 pm and 12 midnight and this goes on for 4 nights! I had to practically stuffed my face with coffee which on normal days I only drink a glass of iced coffee after lunch. Previously I don't even drink coffee. It's a bad habit I picked up a couple of months ago.

First thing I must remember is to stop using the forbidden word in POE sessions, "TRY"! This word is very expensive when used in the session or within the premises. It cost you anything between $2 and $20! Damn expensive and I had to fork out $30 for it! It really hurts my pocket. Their logic is if you don't feel the pain, you will continue to use the word! In short, no pain, no gain.

My son who is a special needs person tends to get really upset whenever we do not understand his hand gesture or his words. His spoken words are not very clear so it is quite difficult to understand him as well. He lost his vision when he was 7 due to stroke. I am working towards changing my son's attitude of getting angry by reminding him that he can only get angry 2 times a day for 5 seconds. Then he must change this angry state to a happy state. He bargained for 7 times then he increased it to 8 and now he said 10!

I am also working towards being a bit more patient and not to flare up especially with my maid! She is my stress factor but I must remember to take responsibility for my action instead of blaming her. It is the E + R = O equation.

Swinging Log

2010-09-10T17:22:00.001+08:00

On Friday, 11 April, it rained quite heavily that the outdoor activity was postponed to Saturday. So on Saturday, at 8 am, we all set to go to Bishan Park. Adam did the demo and also explained the purpose and what we should be focusing on when walking on the log. Team mates act as supporters standing on both sides of the log. We were all ushered to the log for the group. The ground was muddy and I was having trouble walking on the ground as I didnt want to get my shoes and jeans dirty. On Friday, I had to make a commitment (much against my will) to be the first in any activity. I had to go up on the log first. I had no preparation, no strategy, no action plan - only goal was to reach the other end of the log. When I got up on the log, I had to declare my goal - lose weight and inches. Very weak goals - not a do or die type of goal! Next, as I attempted to lift one foot up and the coach kicked the log, I started screaming. Adam was looking and told the coaches that I need to refocus on my state first. I did a couple of attempts within the 8 minutes allocated and decided not to continue as I was getting really pissed. Not so simple. Does not mean that you want out, you are out. Coaches will speak with you to explain situation. Felt really stressed. Many times I had to ask myself why the hell I am going through this whole process. I told one of the coaches that the log is more shaky than my life!

Patterns of Excellence

2010-09-09T17:45:00.001+08:00

I attended a 3.5 day personal empowerment workshop known as Patterns of Excellence with Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group in March 2009. I feel everyone should go, even if its not for the workshop, at least go and listen to the preview. Trust me, you will really feel that you want to discover more!

Here is my Personal Mission:

I am an honest, quiet and loving person and my mission is to:

be a more patient person so I can fully love and care for my family especially my son, Mikaail.
be healthy, fit and energetic so I can enjoy life to the fullest and have the energy to pursue all my goals. I will do this by exercising regularly on my urobic machine and stationary bicycle at least half an hour a day, follow a nutritious diet plan, reduce the high cholesterol intake of food, eliminate negative habits that are impacting my health.

My 5km Shape Run Experience

2010-09-09T17:41:00.001+08:00

After I completed both modules of the Patterns of Excellence workshop, I made a commitment to participate in the 5km Shape 2009 Run with the hope that by practising my runs, I would be able to also lose weight thereby bringing my goals closer.

It's been years since I did any runs so I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to complete the run in under 1 hour! I did a fair bit of walking actually as I was just not fit enough to complete the full 5km run by running!

I participated in the Shape 2010 Run this July as well. Unfortunately, I didnt get much practice either as my son was hospitalised a bit, then I was without maid for a while so I had to rush home after work.

My hubby gave me a lift to Concourse on Beach Road for the Run. I didnt get to take many photos but I did stop at several locations and asked others to take pictures of me. Despite this and walking, I still made the 5km in less than what I did in 2009.

My target for 2011 is to run the full 5 km and hopefully can cover it in 30 minutes!

Apologising

2010-09-09T14:01:00.000+08:00

"Apologizing does not mean that you are

wrong and the other one is right...It simply means

that you value the relationship much more than your ego ..."

Lotus Seeds

2010-08-21T09:58:00.000+08:00

A colleague from Vietnamese will be giving me her Vietnamese style dessert using the lotus seeds and I am sure to experiment the dish.

In the meantime I will also be cooking the dessert with red bean. Have to source for other recipes as I have 3 kg of the raw lotus seeds to finish within 6 months. That's the duration I was told that the lotus seeds can be kept fresh. I still have some supply of the lotus seeds from the previous purchase I got from the market and it is still in the fridge!!

Jokes on Health Topics

2010-08-19T20:02:00.000+08:00

Thought this was funny! It's been said in medical journals, magazines that exercise is good for you. What do you think of this quotatable quote?

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

So funny!!

Responsibility

2010-08-09T19:59:00.001+08:00

We must always accept responsibility for our own happiness as no other person can ever dictate the amount of joy we can experience in our lives. Happiness is a state of the mind, I was told when I attended a-4-day Patterns of Excellence workshop with Adam Khoo Learning Technologies. No one or nothing can cause anyone else to be unhappy. Unfortunately there are people who relentlessly cling to the thought that someone or something can cause us to be happy or unhappy. I am sure that generally everyone wants to be happy. Everyone has a right to live their lives according to their own values and beliefs.

Negative comments from other people only last the amount of time during which they're uttered. The same goes for their actions.

If you think you're having a problem you need to figure out exactly what is the problem. It is not the end of the world. It is a life process. There will be moments of disappointment and pain. These are unavoidable. The important thing is not to let these moments overshadow the happy and successful ones or be a barrier to our future moments of joy and contentment.

You can choose to rise each time you fall, or you can choose to crawl on your stomach the rest of the way. Remember that you have a choice. You can do whatever you want to, if you set your mind and heart to it.

You are capable of all the wonderful things in life: love, knowledge, joy, and creativity. Have faith that no matter how big your problems may seem, you will find a way to overcome them. Accept your responsibility to be happy today.

Success Creed

2009-07-02T22:25:00.000+08:00

I have the power to choose.
What I choose in life is what I get.
What I think is what I get.
I move in the direction of my thoughts.
I think I can, I can.
I think I cannot, I cannot.
I think big, I become big.
I think small, I become small.
I think positive, I become positive
I think negative, I become negative.
I think hate, I become hateful
I think love, I become lovable
I become what I think about.
The me I see, is the me I will be.

For things to change, I must change first.
Whatever I can conceive and believe I can achieve.
If it possible for others, it is possible for me.
It is only a question of strategy.

I focus on my goals and take action towards them constantly.
There is no failure. There is only feedback.
I will change my strategy and do whatever it takes to succeed.
I will make today much better than yesterday.

I shall pass through this world but once.
Any good thing that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now and not defer it for I will not pass this way again.

My Dieting Strategy

2009-07-02T22:15:00.001+08:00

In order to lose my 6 - 8 kgs, I have decided that with effect from Friday, 3 July 09, I will work towards reducing my weight by restarting my dieting routine as follows:

Breakfast

2 hardboiled egg whites for breakfast, 1 packet of wheat biscuits (3 pieces) and 1 mug of milo/horlicks to go with my vitamins.

Lunch

7 pieces of yong tau fu items, preferably non fried items and without noodles or rice

Afternoon snack

1 packet of wheat biscuits (3 pieces)

1 cup of iced coffee

Dinner

Half a bowl of white rice

Half a fish

Exercise

Half an hour of cycling and u-robic exercise daily.

10 minutes each of stretching for warming up and cooling down exercises

My 2010 Goals

2009-07-02T21:55:00.000+08:00

Create opportunities to earn passive income of S$10K by Dec 2010.

Create my personal blog to share my adapted home cooked recipes.

Create blog on my son, Mikaail, who is has cerebral palsy and also had stroke in 2006. I hope to share my experience with other parents of special needs children in order that we can learn from each other.

Read books on wealth creation by Adam Khoo and Conrad Alvin Lim as well as books on internet marketing by Stuart Tan.

Listen to audio CDs on wealth creation and personal excellence programme by Adam Khoo and Anthony Robbins.

Lose 6 - 8 kg and 3"of my waist by end 2010. I aim to reduce the amount of snacks I consumed and also by careful watch of food intake.

It's My Life

2009-06-27T22:31:00.000+08:00

Personally I enjoy cooking and baking and I consider these as my hobby. I only started cooking and baking after my son had stroke in January 2006 as a step towards bonding with him. He knows that after my weekly marketing on Saturdays, I will either cook or bake something either on Saturday or Sunday.

Since I've started baking and cooking, I've done several types of cakes, muffins, cookies, dishes. I will be sharing my recipes on my blog. The feedback I've received so far has always been very encouraging. I've even given them to friends to sample.