Month: August 2009

Manuka Honey

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Something like 10 years ago, I was a pill popping, instant solutions type of girl.  If I had a headache, I’d pop a panadol.  Hungry?  Bring on the instant noodles, microwave meal or a drive through.  My thoughts were that we lived in the then 20th century and modern science is there for a reason.  As I grew older and started to appreciate the beauty of why you sometimes don’t fix something that isn’t broken.

Fast forward to my 30s where I don’t take medication unless I explicitly need to, usually when I can no longer stand up and finding the beauty of a freshly cooked meal.  Hence, the whole vegetarian, sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle.  Only because I’m in a position on the history time line to have been exposed to the the negative effects of the instant gratification lifestyle and have benefited from changing the way I treat my body.

That’s just a long intro to the title of this post, Manuka Honey 🙂  While can be expensive, something like S$50 for a small jar, it works wonders for your sore throat, which was what I woke up with at the start of the weekend.  Tell me about it?!?!  What a way to start a weekend with plans :p  Anyway, realising that I was going to have to fight something, I piled on the Vitamin C, echinacea tea, Manuka Honey with lemon and sleep 🙂  It wasn’t instanteous but slowly and surely, I’m feeling better now … just in time for work tomorrow … …

A Time Traveler’s Wife

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I remember reading this book in Taipei in 2003.  I was there to shoot a documentary about ghost weddings and was trying to figure out what life had in store for me.  When I look back at my journals, it was quite an inspirational time that led to short film scripts, poetry and drawings.  So in the midst of the Chinese chattering, I was completely enraptured by a book and finished it in the first 2day break we had in our hectic production schedule.  The book was Audrey Niffenegger’s A Time Traveler’s Wife. I love how the characters were a little odd and although completely impossible, how their situation was so relate-able.  So when I first heard heard about them making it into a film, I got scared.

Movies have a tendency to spoil a good book for me and if the trailer is anything to go by, it does look a lot more cheesey than the book.  For one thing, Eric Bana is much too good looking to play Henry.  So while I was pretty game to watch it before I saw the trailer, I’m not entirely sure now.

Ah Boy, The Daddy

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Growing up I wouldn’t have guessed that my cousin, Gary aka Ah Boy would have been the first of us to be a parent 🙂  Thank goodness he is though, other wise I wouldn’t be an aunt.  By the looks of things, his sister, my sister and me aren’t going to be Mummies soon and the rest of my cousins are on the younger side … though one of them is getting married in November … there could be more this time next year 🙂  Wish me luck!!

Anyway, beside having the 3 cutest kids in the world, my cousin is the coolest Daddy because of this:-

It is not a fake sticky kind, it’s a real tattoo of Optimus Prime on his thigh!!!  And he has a work-in-progress Spiderman on his arm too 🙂  Yes, his friends reckon he’s going through a mid life crisis.  I’m just glad that it’s some of my favourite animated characters and not some ah beng dragon, which bring me to another cousin of mine but that’s a whole other post – how my sweet cute little Ivan is growing up to be a Casanova with yes, an ah beng dragon tattoo across his chest … …

Anyway, back to Gary, affectionately know as Ah Boy, born in the same year, we’ve shared many moments, friends and of course our sisters.  I never thanked him for the time we got our ‘O’ level results and I didn’t do as well as what I had expected of myself.  He was there, he hugged me for a long time and then told me it’ll make no difference.

I wasn’t so sure then but you know what, as life would have it, it sure doesn’t at all.  I don’t even know if he remembers that day but I do.  So thank you Ah Boy for that and now for my lovely nieces and nephew, you have no idea how very proud we are of you 🙂

Coco Avant Chanel

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It’s been a while since I last saw a French movie and I was looking forward to this.  It was nicely shot, but somehow it left me feeling not quite satiated enough.  A biopic about the designer Chanel, yes, the Coco Chanel.

It’s one of those movies you have to watch on the big screen, anything smaller you may fall asleep.  That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did but it’s … it’s very French so it’s slightly indulgent and not for everyone.  The story is literally about Coco Chanel right up to the point she makes it big, it’s really about a woman before her time.  A feminist story at heart and despite what we all say, man or woman, we just really all need love.

The thing that amazed me about the film is her design of the classic Chanel suit.  It does say something about a designer when what she comes up with is fashionable in the early 20th century and is still ‘in’ during the 21st.

The Proposal

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Sandra Bullock is back and she’s still as funny as ever 🙂  And Ryan Reynolds … very very yummy.  So in a nutshell, I did enjoy a lazy afternoon with Zack and Resh watching what I would label as the best couple on screen this year in The Proposal.

The movie is about how a boss manipulates her assistant into marrying her so that she can get a green card to stay in the US.  Originally Julia Roberts was cast for the part but she wouldn’t lower her quote and so Sandra Bullock stepped in.  While Sandra did good, I think Julia would have been absolutely perfect for the role.  She has the more sultry older woman look.  Sandra, in my humble opinion, is a little too young for the role.  Playing Margaret, she’s the kind of cougar I could be and if I had to pick a younger man, a Ryan-seque type would so right 🙂  In real life though, he’s only a year younger than me so it wouldn’t work.  Nonetheless one can dream, so leave me be 😉  After all I had a friend once tell me that if my life was made into a movie, Sandra Bullock would probably be the best to play me.  Hmmm … both Ryan Reynolds and my husband share the exact same birthplace … ok ok ok, it’s a stretch … even I know that :p  but if I wasn’t married yet, I could so date a younger guy 🙂

Since I am, I live vicariously through a couple of friends.  You ladies know who you are and I’m so proud to have you cougar chicks as my friends 😉  I say, wear it like a badge and wear it proud!!

And if you aren’t doing anything this weekend and want something fun to watch, try The Proposal.  If not, you can be like me and watch Up again 🙂

Ribbon and Tomi

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Over the weekend I finally caught up with the only boy I know who’s born this year.  Little Tomi is at his first big milestone, the first month and this little prince is the first grandson of the Chan clan 🙂  Congrats to Dennis and Carol and thanks for the goodies!!!

The cupcakes, little ang ku kueh and the all traditional red eggs came in this lovely basket.  One month celebrations are a far cry from when I was a baby 🙂  Little Tomi was the perfect baby, asleep in his maternal Gran’s arms most of the time I was there.

I love his full head of hair and does he look like his big sister?  Yah, I reckon so but he does have that boy thing going for him.  Their Mummy sent me a picture of the siblings at the same day of this respective first year.

So I spent my time catching up with Ribbon as she warms up to the idea of being the big sister 🙂  We had fun with girly activities making necklaces, having pretend picnics and of course, watching Spongebob Squarepants.

Looking For Change?

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Why not check out the Jobs Central Career and Learning Fair?  That’s where I was this morning.  Like they say, it’s not what you know but who you know 😉  So when you roll deep with the founder of the company organising the event, you get to walk through security with just a smile 🙂  Thank you, Shell!!!

It was fun walking around and checking out what kind of jobs are out there … … but not so fun when you realise what you can do is actually not that in demand :p  actually not in demand at all.  Yah, coming from Media and Entertainment i.e. fluff doesn’t translate to other industries that seamlessly … well, not the kind of industries I’m exploring like education or health care.  So it was all about the company, hanging out with friends, catching up and dreaming up ‘what ifs’ 🙂

I did walk past the booth of my current employer where a big group of our HR department was there, even our Deputy Director who of course, eyed me suspiciously :p  But hey, I was there to support my good friend, Shell 🙂 who I have to say did a great job with the fair, especially the website.

So all you out there who’s looking for a change, the fair is open to Singaporeans/PRs/work permit holders today and tomorrow it’ll be open to all 🙂  If nothing else, check out the Job Central booth there’s a cute teddy giveaway 😉

Two Nieces and a Nephew

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That’s what I’m an aunt to.  A six-year-old who has no idea what will hit him when he starts primary one next year, a precocious three-year-old who for now is enjoying being the big sister and a brand new one-week-old baby 🙂  she’s such a petite one too!!

It takes so little effort to carry her that when I have to carry the other two, I realise just how small newborns are 🙂  Too too cute.  She’s mostly sleeping, drinking and smelling all nice … my favourite bit 🙂  There’s nothing like a brand new human being that reminds you why women all over the world go through all the trouble over and over again to have babies. Even when they grow and have bad days, the good days make it all worth while and yesterday, my visit with them was such a good day 🙂 A very good day.

The original meimei (that’s Chinese for little sister) has given up her title and seems to be happy with it.  She gamely posed with her little sister, talked to her and even sang to her.  Her big brother though wasn’t quite as intrigued, after all, he’s done all this once before 🙂  Although, he was completely distracted with his game, he was still a sweet big brother and planted a few kisses on baby Rachel too.

I can’t wait to show them this video when they’re older 🙂  In the meantime, I’ll enjoy all these times with them.  It’s so true about how times flies and before you know it they’ll be all grown.  So with good days like these, I’ll lap it all up.

Of course until they start acting like the little monkeys they are 🙂  like when I try take a photo of the three of us, they are into a little antic where they put their hands up to cover the lens :p

As you can tell, not one useable picture.  After a couple more tries, I gave up :p  but hey, they aren’t anything like the kids I see on Supernanny, not even close so I’m grateful and not complaining one bit.

Best Veggie Laksa

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Green Room Cafe has one.  My husband and I have always enjoyed the food there and the ambience helps too.  It’s one of the few places in the Singapore where it doesn’t quite feel like Singapore.  So we are regulars there.

And that’s my favourite, the laksa.  They have a couple of other things on the menu that I like too but 8 out of 10 times I’m there, it’s laksa for me :p  Yes, I can get predictable.  My other favourites are the smoothies 🙂  Totally yum.  Yes yes yes, I know I can make them at home at the fraction of the cost but you have to agree with me that there’s a difference between being served chilled smoothies al fresco and cutting up fruits yourself in your T-shirt and shorts, then working the blender.  So while I do the latter, I sometimes like to pamper myself with the former.  And when I do it’s at the Green Room Cafe 🙂

Why isn’t there a successful Starbucks version for smoothies?  That’s what we need, more people drinking smoothies in the morning than skinny lattes :p  Well, if you ever need company to check out the Green Room Cafe, you know who to call 🙂  Oh yah, their spinach salad … …

… another yummer 🙂

Looking for the One

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This was in my in-box from a dear dear friend and I couldn’t agree more with it:-

If you are not yet married, we pray you will marry a person of integrity who will hold to these high standards all the days of their life. “Integrity has been defined as ‘who you are when no one is looking.’ A person of integrity is convinced that the unrelenting pursuit toward wholeness and godliness is more valuable than fairness. Integrity has nothing to do with how the other person’s behaving. It’s doing what is consistent with the person you want to be regardless of the external environment. And serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we accept full responsibility for our own actions and feelings rather than letting our spouse’s behavior determine how we behave” (from the book “Authentic Marriages” by Jeff and Lora Helton).

The emphasis is all me because I’ve found that to be what works for me, not only for my marriage but for all my other relationships with my parents, my sister, my friends and even God, as Ghandi so accurately said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  So this is just another reminder for me to keep working on myself and complain less.

Sigh.

Good reminder, just in time for this week because I’m so filled with complains that I’m bursting at the seams :p

Ommmmmmm.

Be the change you want to see in the world.