Friday, December 6, 2013

Current diet trends

Some of these diets are absolutely ludicrous. For the price of vanity, people come up with such strange ideas which serve only to hurt their health in the long run. They then construct high-sounding terms to give names to these strange ideas, some of which are not even medically proven or recommended.

-Breatharian diet: air as the only sustenance.
-Alcorexia/Drunkorexia diet: alcohol-based; binge-drinking.

Don't they deserve to be classified as rubbish?

Sunday, August 19, 2012

SFX Fun Day

It has been a long time since I really mingled at leisure for my parish fun fair. Last night gave me the opportunity to do so. I was given the starting and ending shifts for the stall my choir was running. I had 3 hours in between to buy things with my coupons.

My favourite section is obviously the food. There were many ethnic dishes, snacks and local food. From Eurasian to Filipino and Indian, it really felt as if I was at a huge buffet! There were the old favourites like Fried Chicken Wings and Kueh Pie Tee, as well as new offers like Shanghainese Noodles and Chocolate Fondue. There were also healthy things like fruits and cold tea drinks. I bought the noodles, the kueh, Tuna Cutlet a chicken wing which I gave to my friend, 2 apples and 2 tea drinks.

I skipped the games section as it is not my cup of tea. I went to the articles section. I was hoping to get some old but useful things. Instead, some prices were exorbitant due to their handmade or Swarovski crystal elements. Those that fell into my prescribed category were not appealing, however. In the end, I bought a pair of baby's footprints earrings.

I got the chance to spend some time talking to both old and new friends. I talked to my god-sister, four old friends and a new friend. I also spent time talking to a parent and the seminarian attached to my parish. Those moments spent with the old friends were especially heartwarming.

My shifts gave me the opportunity to encounter food in a culinary manner. I got to place strawberries and grapes on skewers, and cut strawberries too. I also got to learn how to make chocolate fondue. Interesting! I am heartened too that I got to fulfill almost all the expectations set upon me in my role as equipment i/c and there was understanding towards my failure. I just need to learn how to take professional compliments... Thank goodness I made up for it today.

I know I was given a lot of leeway in my duties due to my legs. Hence, I decided to do extra work by washing the equipment and counting our earnings too. I guess I am not the type who feels comfortable with ordering people around too much, even though I was put in charge of two interns. I decided to do some of the work on my own. Though I chose a place further away to wash it, I was blessed to get to know some fellow parishioners who were running their own stalls in the process.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Friday, May 6, 2011

Passion for everything British spilling over!

I have been exposed to British things since I was born. I moved to Serangoon Gardens, a suburb whose street names are British. I remember having learnt to bake Queen Cakes, Butterfly Cakes, Sardine Sandwiches and Victoria Sandwich Cake during Home Economics class in secondary school. These are essentially British food. I remember seeing one of the Art teachers wearing a hat to school. It made her unique from the rest of the school teachers, and she did it with such finesse. She was not conscious of being the only one to do so. Somehow it seemed to fit her hairdo too :) Since Singapore was a British colony, my first language is English, whose written version follows that of British English.

My exposure escalated as I embarked on my English Literature degree. The works I studied had British texts and where more suitable to get the degree from than the University of London? My favourite authors were Alexander Pope, Richard Sheridan, William Blake, John Keats, Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Tennyson. I also got to study the history of England, which still fascinates me even till today.

Graduating was not the end of English Literature for me. The degree only served to boost my love for the English authors. I have a nostalgic feeling for the English poets and have developed a fanaticism for Jane Austen, especially her characters of the Darcys. Agatha Christie and her detectives is also a favourite of mine. I love even more British television programmes, both in quantity and quality. My favourite accent is definitely the British accent. It sounds very cultured to me.

I have gone to England four times now but it was the most recent trip that caused my passion to overflow. I got to finally go to Bath which is associated with Austen. As a result of this trip, I have cultivated a love for English country cottage decor, my latest craze. I have also relished in the delights of English fashion and food. In my journey of appreciation, I have discovered that my exposure to the latter is far greater than I thought. I remember having eaten Quality Sweets, Butterscotch sauce and Peach Melba with ecstasy as a young girl.My second trip was a catalyst for tennis as one of my favourite sport to watch. I had been a spectator at The Queen's Club for a Stella Artois Tennis tournament. Watching it 'live' had me blown away, as I soaked in the atmosphere.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Reading - convenience versus real pleasure

This is my second entry on e-books versus real books, but the former has become so dominant in people's lives that it brings a fear to my loyalist heart that beats for the latter.

Parents nowadays are already exposing their young kids to the former. Granted, the kids are still enjoying the reading and learning process. However, they don't have the opportunity to fully do so.

I agree with the article by Huang Huifen. The e-book may make it easier for parents to ensure their kids are occupied but the reader of the e-book is not the parent. As a result, there is not enough bonding between the family members. It is as if the kids are merely watching a movie. I do acknowledge the benefit of the interactive games that will help the kids better understand the story though. At the same time, there are other ways to occupy the kids. Parents can give them colouring/activity books, jigsaw puzzles or building blocks/playdough. These toys enhance the creative and mental aspects of the kids' development, far better alternatives to a technological option.

Indeed, real books spark the kids' sensory development through the accompanying features of sound and touch complementing their understanding of the world around them. This form of development is more important to their growth, since it is the most basic one. Also, it is chilling to note that older kids' imaginative skills are compromised due to e-books. The novel and poetry industries will have fewer outstanding writers to come as a result. How will traditional literature continue to survive through the ages? On a note which is closer to home, it is no wonder that the essay content of kids in school suffer. The plots they come up with are too simple, since e-books unfold the plots for them with the interactive features.

I am impressed by a parent who uses both tools to teach her kids the English language. Most parents nowadays use just the e-book. Another parent really hit the nail on its head by saying that reading real books teaches patience. To add on, it enhances the real pleasure of reading via increasing the anticipation of how the plot will proceed. For this to occur though, the power of the language used must be potent enough; the descriptions of the settings and the emotions of the characters must 'speak' so convincingly to the reader that he becomes part of the story and can't wait to live it out.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dressing according to age

Women are advised to wear what is appropriate for their age range. According to Urban, those in their 20s are to wear preppy designs, those in their 30s are to wear ladylike outfits and those in their 40s are to wear classic, clean lines.

I am in my 30s and this suggested trend appeals to me, since I love feminine clothes. However, I dread the time I reach 40 years old and above. The suggested trend seems too plain for my liking. Now I understand better the reason why a participant on How Do I Look protested against some of the clean lines her accomplices chose for her. If those outfits have feminine details, I will not mind it so much. Hence, I plucked up the courage to try on a tube dress for the first time. Though I am not used to wearing it, knowing that I have at least tried to wear it is satisfying. I used to find ruffles too girly, even for me. However, I just bought a feminine blouse with ruffles on the front and Georgian-like sleeves. :)

Also, my age range is one where I can look "naturally beautiful" with makeup, unlike the earlier range which has a fun makeup look and the coming range which shows one's lines more clearly. I love natural makeup, that which brings out my natural looks. Thus, I go for sparkly eyeshadow in pastel shades and pink itself.

I feel as if I am really in the best age range of my life, based on these revelations. :D My fashion tastes have certainly changed with the passing of time. They have become much more feminine and I love the evolution!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Singapore's unappreciated "tourist attractions"

Jamie Yeo's blog mentioned a few shopping malls in Singapore that she doesn't like. I don't really agree with most of the ones on that list of hers.

Lucky Plaza may not be good for shopping due to unscrupulous shopkeepers who cheat customers of their money, but it houses good Asian food. It is very well-known for Filipino food and also Indonesian food. Minang House, Resto Surabaya and President are three outlets which serve really good Indonesian dishes.

People's Park Complex has a huge shop which sells beauty and skin products that are uncommon. I was trying to look for a particular brand of soap and after looking all over the island, I finally found it at this shop.

Parkway Parade is one of my favourite malls. The huge Borders is the highlight for me and the service staff at Jack's Place are really friendly. As a regular customer, I am blessed to have them know exactly what I want to order each time I go there :) Jamie Yeo mentioned the parking problem in its carpark. For those who are not in the know, there are spaces in the areas of P5 and P6. They aren't too far off from the entrance to the mall. Yes, I like the Cold Storage outlet. There is a bakery in it that sells absolutely luscious Lemon Lust, a type of pastry with lemon curd. It is tangy in taste; sweet and sour at the same time. There are also outlets like Famous Amos and Auntie Anne's. Giant is also there. Some other favourite outlets of mine are Pastamania, Isetan, Four Leaves, Banquet foodcourt, Best Denki and Harvey Norman.