Struggling to get my 40 winks....

It's been sooo long since I've written a post here.... Since I started work in SGH lab, I've been receiving lots & lots of offers to teach personal tuition and the remuneration is good....

Thus, I ended up taking in 7 kids under my belt, ranging from p3 to sec4... So, you can roughly have an idea how hectic my days are... I practically work 7 days a week... & if inclusive of spending time with my dear.... that will be almost not much time for myself...It did't help either if my DXI machine I'm currently being trained to operate, choose to break down every now and then.... ( I actually stayed back til 7pm to fix many things following the breakdown...sulk... My boss told me it's just the beginning...boohooohooo)

My library books are fast catching dust on my table.... It's quite sucky that I don't get to do the things I used to often do with my baby anymore... we rarely get to go to the library to sit in & read quietly, nor frequent jogging or visits to the gym... I feel fat!!

It doesn't help either that my dear is also working & going to start studying on a part-time basis as well... I hope our engagement plans will go smoothly @ the end of this year... whatever it is, we always try to compromise to each other's schedules and stretch our time to do things together...no matter how short the time span is...

We managed to slot in time to catch a movie, called 'Taken'... but will blog on the movie in my next post...

Career-wise... I'm managing great @ my new workplace... almost everyone is great... Let's just say there's never a day in lab that I never laugh or smile.... I was quite surprised there's a handful of Malays working in the lab & that so many crazy people thrive in the lab...

Stress...because the big boss has huge plans for me... My probation period is to be halved as requested by the head... So, instead of being trained for 6 mths...everything has to be done within 3 mths... before I'm sent for night duties...yikes!! Stress......

Read : I can't help but be fascinated by the pneumatic tube system... such a waste I can't take any pictures in the lab to show to others the gorgeous setup in the lab.... the pneumatic system allows specimens (from almost everywhere linked to SGH)to be sent to the lab within a short period of time... using vacuum suction... specimens from wards & emergency dptmnts are especially prioritised.... cool system... I like.....

A shopping spree in KL....

KLCC


Just got back from a 3 days 2 nights tour of KL... went with my mum,dad & sis, riding a super VIP coach from Grassland Tours, staying @ Ancasa Hotel & Spa... since I'm off work for 10 days before starting work @ my new workplace (SGH)...

Ancasa hotel's restaurant

My aim at the end of the trip was to enjoy & take pictures of the picturesque view from KLCC twin towers & KL tower, enjoying the nice food there (as recommended by some friends) and some nice shopping...

Sad to say, we ended up not getting to the top of KLCC as all the tickets to the bridge linking both towers were sold out even by afternoon... ( it was supposed to available til' 7.30pm )...we were not the only tourists disappointed...

I also failed to enjoy the view from KL Tower because my mum, being soo afraid of heights, declined to join us... so we decided to scrap the whole idea of going up... No one in my family also wanted to join me to Times Square shopping centre when I told them of my intention to try out the in-house roller-coaster rides & other such thrill rides within the shopping centre... they freaked out!! haha!!

Some places we visited though... Pavilion, KLCC shopping centres, Kota Raya, Chow Kit Rd, Petaling Street ( Chinatown )...etc

At the Pavilion

Maybe I should go with my hubby next time when we're married....maybe next year... guess he's the only person who's willing to tag along & be my everything ( best friend, sports trainer, reading companion,shopping companion, lover, bf, husband, etc ) even though sometimes he doesn't really fancy some of the adventures I intend to seek in future... haha!!

Bought some workclothes from some of my fav lines - The Executive and Iora... was disappointed not to be able to find other fav lines I intended to shop in... such as Crumpler, Scholl, Charles & Keith, etc...



A perfume I fancied and bought from Petaling Street @ a great bragain!! Love its design and colour... a line from Paris Hilton... Smells similar but I'm not sure whether it's original... but the box and everything else looks original...duh... who cares anyway... :)

My next holiday will be in June, to go back to kampung days & bringing along my grandparents, family & relatives to visit some relatives in Batu Pahat... climbing waterfalls and hiking the forests sounds like what I would love to experience... miss those kampung days when I was small & used to climb trees for mangosteens but ended up bitten by red ants...chasing chicks...yada..yada...

10 days off work!! yeah!!

It's official...

I am not part of Parkway Laboratory Services now, & will be staff of SGH Biochemistry Lab from now onwards... but my first day of work will fall on the 14th of april...

However, there's so many things to do :

1) Pack up for my shopping spree @ KL..will be going KL for 3 days 2 nights, 7-9 April 09... gonna miss my baby!!! :( But really need to shop for new workclothes ( more formal ) & take my mind off work...

2) Prepare test papers for Bio, Chem & Phy ( upper Sec ) by this week... for my 4 tuition students

3) Go gym & running as usual...

4) Update my facebook!! Yeah!! I just made a facebook account 3 days ago!!

5) Update my blog!! Just went to Mind Cafe yesterday with my colleagues!!

6) Revise for my ASCP exams

First time in my whole working life of 2.5 years that I woke up so late... @ 11am!!

Will update some pics from my outing with my close ex-colleaguees aka friends as soon as I receive the pics from them via mail... so funny!! We had a fantastic time laughing so hard our cheeks burned in pain...haha!!

Gonna miss the whole crazy bunch!! But we'll be meeting up at least once a month I hope, I will try my best despite my super busy schedule...

Received 2 more offers to teach tuition... still trying to figure out how to slot time for more tuition... how I wish I can have the option of having a car...then travelling will be no problem & more tuition is nothing for me... but I don't want to entertain the idea of having to pay for 2 cars when I get married...most prob nxt year... cos my bf already possess a car under his name...sucks...

Life is great! Looking forward to my first day @ work!

Counting down to my last day of work....

Counting down my last days @ work, yet with such a heavy heart... to leave all the great, funny, crazy, incredibly talented people I've met in Parkway Lab Svcs.... gonna miss my friends aka colleagues....

We're gonna meet up tomorrow evening for a hangout fun @ MINDS Cafe at Bugis... hope it won't be crowded... gonna call up to reserve some seats for us tomorrow morning... It will be harder to meet up like this in future as each of us will be leading our separate lives & focusing on our individual goals & future plans....

Most of them are searching for better positions elsewhere...some still persevering whilst pursuing their part-time degree programmes & working full time @ the same time... ( I really respect these guys man.... take my hats off...)

As for me, I'm going to start off from a new workplank... I'm sooo excited... will see myself working very hard, as my goal will be to stay long & gain sufficient experience and recommendations to score a ( Masters )scholarship to specialise in the Biochemistry field & be someone important....

In the meantime though, I'm studying independently for the ASCP exam to be a more qualified Medical Technologist, on an international level... I want to prove to people that nothing is impossible in life... especially to my sis, to never give up & persevere in all endeavours to reap the entailing rewards... cos God is always fair to us if we deserve it....

Live life to the fullest!!

An excerpt taken from ' Life's A Stitch '...
(even my hubby giggled when he read this )

'...What would happen,for instance,if suddenly,magically,men could menstruate and women could not?

The answer is clear - menstruation would become an enviable,boast-worthy,masculine event.

Men would brag about how long & how much.

Boys would mark the onset of menses,that longed-for proof of manhood,with religious ritual & stag parties.

Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea to help stamp out monthly discomforts.

Sanitary supplies would be federally funded & free.

...only men can serve in the Army "You have to give blood to take blood"...

...In fact,if men could menstruate,the power justification could probably go on forever.

If we let them.'


Gloria Steinem

Life...hectic as usual...

Counting down...to my last day of work @ parkway lab... my last day @ work will fall on 4th April 09'... and my first day of work @ SGH Biochemistry Lab will fall on 14th April 09'... which subsequently means that I have 10 days to rest!! YES!!! Next plan is to go on a short shopping trip with mummy & sis @ KL til' we drop!!!

Started teaching at Silat RC, but only on alternate weekends... the pay is definitely not fantastic, but will suffice for some surplus liquid assets... As usual, tried slotting in hours of running & gym, even though Ben & Jerry's seems to sound like a much better option after a long, tiring day @ work.... teaching triple pure science to 3 upper sec students from SAP schools... on top of my private tutoring hours...

I'm definitely a busy woman....

YET, able to slot in hours to read a book as and when I find some available time, no matter how bulky the book may be & how nerdy I might seem to others... My current read is closer to feminism in nature, entitled 'Life's a Stitch', edited by Anne Safran Dalin : A compilation of fantastics works by women of all backgrounds....



A definite read for all women in the world!! One common denominator that exists in all the women's works - a great sense of humor surrounding women's everyday struggles with life : work & love.... A great work ALL women can relate to...

I love the fact that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity.

I will share some of the excerpts taken from this lovely book, in different postings:

On why men & women can't stay married....

'...Large appliances break up far more relationships than do sex, money, household chores, and relatives.....'

'...Even if her marriage survives the refrigerator challenge, the "what-were-you-doing-when-you-broke-it?" menace awaits...'

'..."It just started beating itself against the basement wall like it was trying to commit suicide".....'

'....Did you spot the trend? One spouse, usually the male, forms a series of questions aimed at finding out whose fault it is. Large appliances provide the easiest available way for a husband to blame his wife for an expensive inconvenience for which she was no way responsible. For reasons that no one has been able to discern, this makes him feel better. For reasons that are perfectly obvious, this makes her feel like keeping the washer and trading in the husband....'

Marcia Steil

rating = 5/5 stars

career switch....

I'm currently in the midst of a career switch... still the same profession, but will be joining the public sector next month.... I believe I've made the right choice for my future... planning to settle down with my beloved hubby... :)

Recently I've read a book on creative thinking... called 'A Whack On The Side Of The Head' by Roger von Oech.... most of the quotes in the book were based on Heraclitus, the presocratic Greek philosopher..... The arguments delivered in the book forced us readers to look at life's everyday problems and day-to-day living from as many viewpoints as possible....



Just focusing on the best possible answer to a problem is not enough & might even limit out range of creativity... always open doors for the 2nd and 3rd best solutions which might be more economical or beneficial in the long run....

The most important thing in life is to remember...never make excuses in order to easily break through status quo.... Read the book & gain the useful insights to be applied to your personal life... Go ahead... :)

All thanks to God the almighty that my family's problems regarding withcraft is improving... our relentless efforts in seeking help from learned Muslim leaders and ustazs had finally paid off.... I'm so glad things have improved gradually.... May Allah bless our lives...& provide equal punishments to those who have sinned against us...

feb sails along sooo fast....

Been busy with so many family problems to face to... work has always been busy ( as usual )... was even posted to microbiology lab for a week as to allow several staff to clear their leave, incl the boss....

Recently went to a friend's engagement ceremnony... didn't really stay long, but love to be part of the whole ceremony... it was quite grand for me... but in my case, I didn't plan to get engaged at all... just get married, possibly next year if everything goes smoothly...



Here are some pics I took of my friend looking demure yet gorgeous along with the gifts she had prepared for the guy's side... simply loooove the beautifully decorated muffins!! :)





Was quite saddened by the fact that by cousin, who was recently engaged to his long time girlfriend... had recently broken their engagement, as well as their wedding plans... supposed to be held end of this year... the main reason being the period of time given by the girl's side is too short for the guy to save up enough to marry the girl...

All the more I have to be more patient in my relationship... and it takes calculated planning and lots of patience to get married smoothly... no use stressing yourself to get married as fast as possible but unable to cope financially & emotionally...

Let's chill & relax...

Work is getting more hectic as more of my colleagues resigned... leaving more workload to those left... I hope my company will cease their freeze-hiring program & employ more new staffs before the lab department collapse due to unrealistic pressure focusing on consistently high quality & fast service we've always sworn by...

To fight work-related fatigue, I swear to chill more often with my bf ( I hope my company can compensate for the extra hours I've slogged, but working alone in spin room the whole day is considered quite a feat..)

I currently make the effort to read more often, clock in running sessions & weight-lifting hours in the gym... esp enjoying brownies topped with ice-cream, esp one offered by Ben & Jerry's!! :)



Recently read 2 great books... the first is entitled,'The Odd Brain' by Dr Stephen Juan... which reveals so much valuable new information about our brains... The various kinds of brain illnesses we can possibly have...& the symptoms we can look out for in ourselves or in our loved ones... as well as the possible treatments to seek....


Our brain is the most intricate organ full of unsolved mysteries of its own... indiscriminate when befallen by illnesses, yet works its wonders in unique ways in different individuals - regardless of sex, age or race.... Dr Stephen Juan has written it in such a way as to make it difficult for me to skip any pages...

Rating = 4/5


Another book is entitled,'Gut Feelings' by Gerd Gigerenzer... a provocatively written book, backed with extensive research & exhaustive statistics... the theories which filled each chapter can be applied across the boards spanning various fields - economics, medical, moral, social, psychological, political, aviation to critical personal life-changing decisions we have to take each and every day....

The book was written in such a strong manner I was taken aback, deeply entertained, yet extremely captivated with its spine-chilling truths.... A book worth buying and reading for life... as it shows how life's complexities can be solved using simple solutions...as called 'rules of thumb' in this book, and when it's best to let your gut feelings take action... also called the 'unconscious intelligence' which exists indefinitely in everyone of us...

Rating = 5/5

welcoming the new year...2009...

The year of 2008 never fail to catch me by surprise with it's twist and turns in life... the ups and downs of economy...natural and human tragedies worldwide...& my personal problems....It has really made me steeler to face the upcoming year of 2009, foreseen to bring more depressing news in relation to the financial crisis which will sweep the entire globe...

All the more we have to consistently be vigilant and continue improving and living our lives to the fullest...

The year 2009 will never be the same as 2008, with the recent loss of my beloved cat, named Baby... who never made it pass 2 years of living on Earth... my cat was knocked down by a car reversing into a parking lot.... Despite not knowing the exact details of the tragic event, I hope my cat died a painless death... hope to see him in Heaven soon...




No more sweet cuddles before a good night sleep....

No more wake up calls at 4am,5am,6am,...etc

No more attention seeking cat at home ( my other 2 female cats love 2 slp than play )

The whole family will miss you always...rest in peace in heaven Baby...muah!!

Don't sweat the small stuff...

The saying that god will not test you that of beyond your capabilities... brings a huge sigh of relief to anyone facing problems in life... I'm currently back at the comfort of my own home... but not without problems... I guess life has to go on as usual and we have to face problems in the face to address it in a way vital to other parties to learn from...



Reading books and surfing the net playing games online are great ways I found to be stress relieving... The most recent book I had just finished is a must-have for all forensic science enthusiasts like myself...

The book is entitled 'Never suck a dead man's hand'... by Dana Kollmann... who had at least 11 years of experience, painful bitter yet teeming with sweet memories, as a forensic scientist... ( she's currently a professor specialising in forensic anthropology )

Be warned that this is a no-holds-barred book... certainly not for just anyone to pick up & enjoy reading.... ( I need a breather once a while myself due to my highly imaginative mind )

Dana never fail to consistently inject a great sense of humour into every interesting encounters( which others might find extremely repulsive ) she had during her whole career... yet she resigned due to the fact she felt unappreciated and redundant in the whole organisation... there's no official way of appreciation for a job well done, as she is considered 'the person behind the scenes'.... not only that, she has decided to devote the rest of her life to her family who had been so understanding throughout her time-consuming career....

P.S : I love the front cover of this book... so cunning and deceiving... read the book and you will understand why the title of the book is as such... ;p enjoy!!

rating : 5 stars
**This book is definitely NOT for those with weak hearts and stomach...**

Still surviving....

I guess this December is the worst month of my life in 2008... I'm facing a HUGE family crisis currently... and living on the run for now...( I miss my cats and my comfy bed...) I can't wait for everything to get slightly better because it's been such a torturous and mentally exhausting period of my life... I hope I go through this stressful period gracefully and make me emerge as a stronger person in the coming year...

It's quite sad that drastic actions have to be taken for things to get better for others...to open their eyes to the reality of life... not to take everything in life for granted.... and consistently strive for self-improvement... but what's done is done... and everyone has to pick up their courage to face all the consequences... but I never ever give up hope that life will get better with constant perserverence and faith....

I'm really thankful to have such a loving boyfriend... who promised to stand by my side and go through thick and thin together.... thank u for everything you did for me my dear...really appreciate it... thank u so much...

November wasn't such a smooth month for me....

There won't be much entries for the month of November... as I have no leave or off days from work... and I'm keeping up with my hectic daily schedule...

December will not be a lot better either... I'm scheduled to work on Sunday and on Christmas day.. spending Christmas eve working alone ( a one man show ) handling spinning room...and will spend half the month in Gleneagles stat lab, and the other half of the month in headquarters lab... shuttling to and fro here and there....

It doesn't help either that my hubby had carelessly broken my lappy's lcd screen... and holes were burnt in our pockets having it fixed so I can surf as normal again...

On the 15th of November, I changed my work schedule with a fellow colleague so as to be able to see my hubby's parents off at the airport, with the rest of his relatives... it was a teary farewell as both of them will be travelling to Jeddah, to perform their Haj for a month at Mecca... the holy city for all Muslims...

Me and my hubby's beloved mother....



My hubby with his ( from left ): brother, father and mother... the far right is my handsome hubby!! :)




Read : All Muslims are required to perform the Haj at least once in their lives... It is one of the five commandmends all Muslims are to fulfil... of course, the Haj is only applicable to those who can afford it... $10k per person... and should be the lifetime goal for all Muslims worldwide...

I hope they can perform their Haj peacefully and successfully... and may everything go smoothly for them... May they come back as safely as possible... and find their prayers answered...

Here's a very touching video that I watched on youtube ( recommended by a good friend who knows that I run..) that touched me soooo much I was left in tears... the love of a father so endearing he would do practically anything once deemed impossible by others, for the love of his son ( who has a condition called cerebral palsy and left paralysed since birth... )

Any runner or marathoner or triathloner will feel for this man... the pain he went through for love... yet we can only imagine how difficult and painful it is....

This is the True Story

A son says to his father: 'Dad, would you be willingly to run a marathon with me?'

The father, despite his age and a heart disease, says 'YES'.

And they run that marathon, together.

The son asks: 'Dad, can you run another marathon with me?' Again father says 'YES'.

They run another marathon, together.

One day the son asks his father: ?Dad would please do the Iron Man with me?'

Now just in case you wouldn't know, 'The Iron Man' is the toughest triathlon in existence; 4km swimming, then 180 km by bike, and finally another 42 km running, in one stroke.

Again father says 'YES'

Maybe this doesn't 'touch' you yet by heart ... until you see this movie (put on sound!):

Venturing into the other world....

*Warning : This blog entry is not for the faint-hearted... please please do not play any of the videos if you don't think you can take it...**

Today is my day off work... clearing my leave for this year...up til friday... As curious and baffled as always, I love to explore videos and pictures online to have some glimpses of other peoples' experiences with entities from the 'other' world...

I respect people's individual beliefs... so this entry is for people like me... who is interested yet not have much experience in this subject... can't wait to go for ghost tours in future with my hubby for our holidays!! I might capture some interesting images I can share with others here... :)

Here are some clips and pics I found very interesting, peculiar yet unexplainably realistic... you don't have to judge... just watch and enjoy yourself...



For this clip, the crew has invited an 'expert' to perform some ritual acts and chants to call for some spirits to show themselves up to the people who dare take up the challenge to see ghosts... whoever can remain standing the whole night until the next morning, despite being 'disturbed' by the entities lurking around them.... will win a million rupiahs... ( This show is only available in Indonesia if I'm not mistaken, but not sure which district )

Read : Infra-red cameras will be located to film the whole event, as the crew will be hundreds of meters away from the scene to leave the challenger alone in the dark... The microphone used is very sensitive to the slightest sound available...

My fav part of this clip is the isolated underground tunnel... whereby you can hear the 'pontianak' laughing loudly... she showed herself up at the end of the tunnel ( a lady in white with very long hair ) nearing the end of the clip.... the guy gave up despite trying his best to remain calm by meditating....



This video is by far the most realistic candid videos I've seen online... unlike the others which are just spoofs... The guy is playing with his camera video featuring his friends slacking around when he noticed a 'Pontianak' lurking in the background...

He urged them to come into the house first before all of them scrammed... but the funny part is the part where nobody dares to close the door... in case she is right in front of it...

Verdict : I think this video is real... not everyone is so lucky to capture such a clear image... but can't see the face of the entity...

Will share more realistic enough to believe pictures and videos I stumbled across.... so far I can't find good pictures because due to the advancement of technology and knowledgeable people's creativity... most of them are rigged...

Great Eastern Women 10K run....

First of all, let me wish everyone a Happy Deepavali!! Today is a public holiday ( thank god )... so I have one more day to rest my aching legs from work... had a great experience running the 10K race yesterday under the Women Open Competitive category yesterday... despite it being my 2nd time... Would like to thank my hubby for being so supportive and sweet... waking up so early in the morning and spending the rest of the day with me...




I improved my timing compared to the prev run!! So happy!! My timing this year is 1hr 12min... as compared to 1hr 24min in 2006... I was disappointed with myself though as I stopped like almost 20 times during the whole race.. I felt dehydrated and kept looking forward to every drinks station...








This year I saw lots of women collapsing and suffer from concussion along the route... I guess it's due to the fact that they refuse to stop for a drink... I wore the shirt given from Adidas this year... and regretted it... It made my whole body so hot during the run I felt like taking off the whole thing along the way... It actually made me sweat more than usual... guess I should have stuck to wearing my running shirt climalite...




So my next target is to get myself more hydrated before my 10K run... and stop less...next target will be under an hour... still contemplating joining the Standard Chartered in Dec 08...

By the way, the picture on the right was taken by my hubby from the sidelines, showing the elite Kenyan women runners leading the race upon the commencement of the race... The urban landscape at the background is beautiful...


After the run, I sat by the pool in Safra Mt Faber to wait for my hubby to clock in some swimming time... ( read : Im planning to sign up for some adult swimming lessons so I can join my hubby for a nice swim in the pool in future...) I had a haircut and a rebonding session at Jean Yip salon... planned to look like Katie Holms but I guess her hairstyle is too short for me... so I went along with shoulder length, to my hubby's delight... he was sitting beside me the whole time at the salon... so sweet.. :)

Night Safari Halloween Horrors...

( On the 17th of October )...In celebration of my hubby's 30th birthday, I took a day off work & brought him to his fav restaurant, 'Breeks!' to enjoy our lunch before proceeding to the latest attraction for Halloween specials at Night Safari...









It was packed with people from all walks of life... and teeming with activities... our favourite was beyond a doubt the tram ride... incorporated with the halloween 'specials'...





In the middle of the ride in the cool of the night... there will be 'ghouls' and 'monsters' lurking around in the dark forest and scaring you out of your skin... be ready to scream out loud!! I applaud the whole scheme of events organised by Night Safari for their world class tourist attraction activities, esp for the month of October... The whole layout around the venue was fantastically perfect for creating the eerie 'atmosphere'...



I was most freaked out by the witch because her acting was truly realistic... and the monsters which jumped onto the tram to scare the hell out of us... haha!!




Keep up with the great work guys ( all Night Safari staffs who made the whole event successful )!! It was truly one hell of a jolly good time for me and my hubby...

The whole experience at Night Safari reminded me of a friend of mine who used to work there... He will always experience chilling voices along a bridge deep-seated in the forest area...( you will only find the bridge if you explore the forest by foot instead of via the tram ride )... there was even once he saw a lady in white in the trees at midnight... and he fell sick after that, followed by a resignation letter... I'm not sure how true his story is, but there's only one way to find out... you have to see for yourself.... :)


p.s. please bring along lots of cash... the atm is out of cash... you will need the cash trust me...

My new phone..LG KS20....

I tend to attach strong feelings towards my personal belongings... which can be both good and bad... but I agree with my hubby now, that it's more towards the bad side if the belonging happens to be a gadget like the handphone...

I've been using my Motorola V3 phone for over 3 years on now.. and living in denial despite the fact that it's become so obsolete that no phone shops sell the battery anymore.. and that the phone is not able to serve it's purpose anymore...

The reality of fact only hit me hard on the head after an argument with my hubby over the phone ( hehe..he's frustrated with the fact it's so hard to get to me...my phone kept dying and all despite being fully charged )and the day my phone just died on me during those crucial times when I really need it...

So here comes the new phone... :) LG's KS20... it has a touch screen pad, with WIFI available... I'm still currently trying to adapt using it... it will take some time for a computer idiot like me... ( read : it can be considered more of a compact PC rather than a handphone... ) I love the fact that there will be enough space in the hp for songs I love and lots & lots of pictures to save in!!

Here's a picture I took of my pampered fat cat... using my KS2O...

Night Safari 'Halloween Horrors'....

Can't wait to enjoy my off days after slogging my ass off for half a year without a break... My off days in October are quite sporadic though.. and all over the place... yet totalling to almost 9 days off work...more than enough for me cos I hate to just laze around at home...

Things I'm looking forward to in the month of October :

1. Booked tickets for 2 to enjoy the latest attraction at Night Safari...'Halloween Horrors'... took leave for 3 days to celebrate my hubby's birthday!! yeah! Coincidentally it falls on 17th October... muahaha!! Will look forward to go for overseas ghost tours with hubby when married...Need to prep my hubby for a strong heart to endure my strange interests...

2. Hari Raya celebration with my family, relatives and friends... The date is fixed on 12 Oct 2008 to visit each other's house together ( with all my relatives ) for the whole day.. spending time together eating and chatting... 15 Oct 2008 for just my family.. will be the driver for the day to bring my family around to visit family friends... and the dates are not set yet for my own friends...

3. Great Eastern Women 10K will fall on 26th October... currently trying to get my body back on track ( hadn't been running consistently during fasting month ) by running at least thrice a week to prep myself for the long run... still considering whether to sign up for the upcoming Solomon X-Trail run held in November, to encourage my hubby to join...


4. Lots of studying to do... cos I will be signing up for a very tough examination called ASCP... for certification as a medical technologist qualified to work overseas, esp in US... just for the fun of it, and to polish up on my interest in my job... I hate doing things without understanding the theories behind it... I'm planning to sit for the exam in March 2009, and currently doing my own revision... because signing up for night classes is too expensive, time-consuming and exhausting for me...considering my stupid inconsistent work schedule... ( read : sometimes I finish work at midnight... I can hear my bones breaking..haha! )

P.S. What's the use of life without any challenges ? ?

Selamat Hari Raya 2008!!

Today marks the end of one whole month of fasting and the beginning of a whole new year for all Muslims worldwide to celebrate their successful endeavours and perseverences in life - not forgetting at the same time, the unfortunate ones and their sufferings...


On a personal level, I have a love-hate relationship with Hari Raya Puasa, because this is the only day that families get together, have fun, seek forgiveness from each other... but, my pockets will be burned and there will be lots and lots of glorious food everywhere you go...arrghh!! It'll be a great challenge for me to abstain from eating too much...

Normally when we go house to house visits, every relative of mine will have a featured dish for the day, with lots of cookies.. ( On a week alone, we can visit up to 20 relatives' houses!! ) I have this bad habit of sampling their festive cookies and dishes just out of curiosity on how I can polish up my cooking and baking skills... haha!! Guess I need to run more in the month of October... :)

Talking about food...reminds me of a book I just finished... entitled
' The Truth About Food ' by Jill Fullerton-Smith...



This book is especially for the health-conscious... read : Even if you're not naturally health-conscious, you will be affected if you hang around with me...haha!!


There's a lot of eye-opening truths behind the foods we consume daily and advice on the best types of food to eat on a daily basis... I love the beautiful pictures of various types of food in the book... so simple yet captivating til the last detail...

What I found disappointing though, are the experiments they carried out to test their hypothesis, everyday myths and the hardy theories people live by... Almost every experiment performed ended in failures, are incomplete, or just inconclusive because they didn't get to publish the findings in the book in time as it turned out to be too time-consuming... The down-side of this is it creates doubts in readers about the trustworthiness of the facts published in the book itself...

Here are some interesting facts I discovered from this book though...

1. How to be slim?

- There is evidence that a diet rich in calcium, and particularly in low-fat dairy products, can help with weight loss.

- Contrary to popular belief, heavier people have higher metabolic rates than lighter people.

- Being distracted (e.g. watch TV while having dinner), being served large portions (like upsizing your meals due to value for money) and being presented with a large variety of foods (like during buffets) can all make us ignore our body's appetite signals, and thus we ended up eating more than we need.

- Certain foods will fill you up more than others; for the same amount of calorie intake.

2. How to be sexy ?

- The aromas of food can affect the volume of blood flowing into a man's penis. It differs with differing cultures and upbringing though, so try experimenting with various kinds of food with your man and see which works best!! :)

- Garlic causes the body to release nitric oxide into the bloodstream. So does viagra! Thus, a diet rich in garlic can help men overcome erectile dysfunction.

- Calcium has been shown to effectively reduce the horrible effects of PMS... Vitamin D is important as well, as it helps the body to absorb calcium.

3. How to detox and be healthy?

- Eat a diet high in nuts, veges and fresh fruits; they help cut cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure.

- Broccoli's super-chemical, sulphoraphane, fights cancer..but only in people who have a particular version of a gene as the way food interacts with your body is partly associated with your genetic makeup.

- Eating foods high in fibre can keep the billions of beneficial bacteria in your gut going, keeping you a regular which helps prevent bowel cancer. It also slows the absorption of glucose from the intestines, thus reducing the likelihood of obesity and adult-onset diabetes. The best part though, is thickened soluble fibre in the gut holds onto cholesterol from the bile, meaning less cholesterol is reabsorbed by the body...

4. How to stay young and beautiful?

- Tomato skins are a great source of lycopene, a chemical that prevent skin cancer by acting as a natural sunscreen within the body, absorbing the harmful UV rays from the sun. The chemical can also be found in watermelons, guava and red grapefruit.

- A regular intake of berries and other fruits n veges can keep your brain young. The anthocyanin pigment (deep blue) in berries is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and thus reduce inflammation in the body. Just a half cup of blueberries contain the same quantity of antioxidants as 5 servings of peas,broccoli,carrots or apples...

- Spinach is a great source of pigments (which cannot be formed by the body) that protect the retina; help protect your eyes from damage, and in particular, a disease called age-related macular degeneration.

Rating : 3 stars

Liaisons of Life....review

Nowadays my working hours takes almost the whole day ( I finish work only at 7pm ), followed by breaking fast and sometimes gym sessions with hubby... other than that, we read together a lot, hanging out at McDonalds in Ang Mo Kio... sharing a cup of steaming cuppacino...

The latest book I've read is 'Liaisons of Life' by Tom Wakeford.

The content is evidence of a very thorough and exhaustive research done on the author's part, and the topics discussed really is truly eye-opening and captivating as it allows the reader to view the world through a different lens...

This book is not for anyone to pick up and read though... only for the fervent science lovers like myself, who is used to the scientific terms and lingos used in the book... which reminds me of a friend who labelled me as a 'Science Freak'..haha!!

Some interesting issues from the book I would like to share and worth discussing on:

1. All through my life as a student in school, we were taught that all plants in the forest are involved in competition for sunlight, resulting in survival of the fittest...that would only leave the forest floor bare of life right?

However, the actual explanation for the forest floor we see teeming with plant and animal life is due to the dependence of all plants on the fungi kingdom - which exists as a vast interconnected network underground (like the world wide web), linking all the plants together, domesticating them to share rather than compete for resources... ensuring survival of all plant species present...

2. Almost every studied animal life on Earth exists in symbiosis (mutualism) with the microbial kingdom in the continuously challenging face of evolution - including humans. However, the relationship between mutualism and parasitism is a reversible process, dependent on the balance of the coexisting good and bad bacteria colonies in the host.

For example, for humans, the good (probiotics) and bad bacteria in our bodies, helps to maintain a healthy, working digestive system and the strength of our immune system thus our overall health. Prior to contrary belief of parents to ensure their children are sterile at all times, we actually need to expose our children to the various microbial communities existing in nature for them to benefit by boosting their immune system against particular infections.

Research shows that children born vaginally will receive their first gut flora from their mothers - from good bacteria existing in the vagina. Babies delivered via Caesarean section however, have fewer beneficial bacteria, and more potentially harmful ones. Before birth, the baby is considered 'sterile', especially having no bacteria in its colon at all. Thus, the baby's body will be exposed and bombarded with the various microbial communities of the outside world, making them more susceptible to infections and illnesses if their immune system are not adapted to fight these microbes beforehand.

For human adults though, to ensure the good bacterial colonies overpowers the bad bacterial colonies in our gut is actually quite simple, yet unpractised in the modern & developed countries like UK and USA due to the advent of fast food enterprises...

We just have to include fibre in our daily meals... there's 2 types of fibre : soluble fibre (which absorbs water) & insoluble fibre (which does not). Soluble fibre can be found in nuts, onions,garlics,bananas,seeds, peas, beans and lentils whilst insoluble fibre can be found in rice, carrots and cucumbers. Just include lots of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet to be on the safe side...

This is because the good bacteria thrives in our gut by feeding on these fibres - also called prebiotics, fermenting them, with by-products that can help strengthen our immune system and also fight cancer. We can ingest probiotics(living cultures) such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium which can be available in milk-based drinks, yoghurts and cheeses. Research shows that to maintain a healthy digestive system, we can take in more prebiotics as they work better than taking in probiotics ( which exist in negligible amounts as compared to those already present in your gut)

3. We should question ourselves whether we exist from microbial ancestors instead of just existing in symbiosis with them. This is due to research findings that the mitochondria and sperms (vital for our fertilisation techniques) inside our bodies have traces of bacterial DNA origin. And so do plants, as the chloroplasts they depend on for their daily living are also of microbial origin. It is a sort of bacteria that can make use of sunlight to produce food for the plants. So, are mammals the result of evolution from the microbial world?

Working as a medical technologist....

Today marks the first day of me going back to the headquarters lab ( read : I'm working under Parkway Laboratory Services and we have clinically statutory and routine labs all over Singapore... ) located at Ayer Rajah Crescent ( ARC ).... Time flies so fast when I'm just starting to get comfortable & having lots of fun & friends at Gleneagles Hospital that I didn't realize it's been a whole year I've been trained there....

Sigh... guess it's time to move on and learn something new...as suggested by my big boss as he's the one who shifted me to work in a new department... I'm currently working in the spinning room, whereby I'm resposible in making sure every tube's presence, quality and quantity are above the standard requirements before despatching to the respective departments performing the tests.... Any tests missed out at the end of the day will be all your fault... So no mistakes will be tolerated...

This is the 3rd manager I'm reporting to in the 2 years of my working with Parkway, and I hope I can impress her the way I managed to impress the previous 2 I've worked with... My goal is to finish my training in spinning room within 3 months and move on to another department... Will persevere and do whatever it takes to keep improving myself as a medical technologist...

The month of September will prove the toughest month to conquer considering it's the month where all Muslims are required to fast ( read : go about doing their everyday life without food or water the whole day... we break our fast only after 7pm )...and I still have to train for my upcoming marathon - Great Eastern Women 10K.... I'm also teaching freelance tutoring so it's a great challenge for me...

Chia yoh! ( don't give up !! ) Life is great! :)