A picture speaks a thousand words

Stumbled upon the photos I took during family trip to Thailand previously and thought I share the few of my favourites. The random representations of what were and still stuck on my mind.

Beautiful nature blending harmoniously

Where the hell are we all rushing to?

Lights,colours,art

The light always prevail

Friendship is beautiful anywhere,anytime

Commitments? Survival? or just plain Contentment?

Are we able to go thru what he went thru?

Dare to take a drastic point of view even if it seems endless

Ideal life

Something I read and extracted. Ideal life.

It would make more sense if the life cycle is all backwards.
You die first and get it out of the way.
You live in a home for the aged, get a silver watch and go to work.
You work for 40 years until your'e young enough to party, drink booze and get high.
You then become a kid and play all day long with no worries.
Become a little baby all cared for by his parents.
Then you go back to the womb and spend your last nine months all warm and peaceful until you finish off as an orgasm.

Tempting or what??

Numbness

Have you ever walk in the midst of a crowd and hear completely nothing? Total silence. So many people around you but you can't hear a thing. You're walking there amongst the busy people but you felt as if you're the only one there. In your own little world where everything is oblivious around you. The more people there are, the more lonely you feel. It must be funny cos how can you feel alone when so many people are surrounding you?

Have you ever sit in a cafe or restaurant on your own with a book? Instead of being distracted by the busy waiters walking around, you're more engrossed into the book and couldn't care less about what's happening around you. You couldn't even taste the food in front of you.

Have you ever travel in the crowded mrt or bus on your own, with earphones stuck to your ears,playing your favourite tune, soothing, sentimental and as you listened, you look out the window and everything seems like a movie. Like a background music, your own movie is directed by your own imagination with the view you see. The theme of the movie totally depends on the songs you listen to. A comedy, a sad, love movie, a depressing epic, you get to choose.

Sometimes, I think those are the best time for me to think. Rather than locking myself in my own quiet room, I rather go out and think 'quietly' among those people. I'm more focused, more into my own world then. The best thing is that when I get emotional after deep thoughts, I won't break down and cry in front of those strangers like I do in my own privacy. Everything else seems blurry. Everything else doesn't seem to matter anymore. I don't have to entertain anyone except my emotions. That may sound selfish but it's even more selfish when you let your emotions affect other people. Think about it.

On the First Beat- Latest TVB craze 學警出更

Introducing TVB's latest craze after 40 episodes of Heart of Greed, I present you, On the First Beat.

If you've previously watched The Academy, this is the follow up series. In exchange of Michael Miu, Fiona Sit and Tavia Yueng, we have new recruits this season, Joey Yung, Kate Tsui and Sonija Kwok. They're no more cadets, out from training at the academy and serving the citizens as real officers on the streets.

Fiona Sit died on Ep 2,(boo hoo) and Tavia Yeung went for fashion design in Japan on Ep 1, I'm happy to see new hot babes, Sonija and Kate Tsui. "Ooohhh Yes, Madam".

Joey Yung Jo Yi, Chin Ka Lok and Sammul Chan Gin Fung

Ron Ng Cheuk Hei , Sonija Kwok Sin Nei and Michael Tao Dai Yue

Kate Tsui Tsz San

As usual, we will see them all pair up.

Sonija who used to be Michael's ex wife and being Sammul's superior eventually falls for him. Ron Ng may actually end up with Joey.

After shooting this series, in real life, Michael Tao's marriage hit the rocks as his legal wife claimed Sonija came between their marriage.

All the publicity you could get to attract public's attention for this new series,huh? However, I wouldn't be surprised if Michael was attracted to Sonija and her killer looks.

Anyhow,enjoy the show. Currently on Ep 5, I still prefer The Academy. ;)

Click on this to have a taste of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYnmfTMrBaA

Laugh your way to a healthier life

Cousin sisters, Andrea&Alverlyn

Nothing can beat the sound of laughters coming from the ppl I care about.

Laughters coming from my grandparents would encourage me to make them laugh even harder.

Laughters coming from my cousins during family gathering would make me make a fool outta myself just to see them scream with more giggles.

Laughters coming from my friends would make me forget my own problems and concentrate on cheering them even more with jokes.

Laughters from strangers can be even more satisfying.

It's hard to explain but it's as if whatever disturbing problems I have in my life would disappear the moment I manage to make someone laugh. I'm not ready to be a missionary, I'm not fit to be a volunteer, I'm giving myself reasons for not helping enough for the charities but I'm making this as my achievable goal in life for a start. When I'm able to make the ppl around me laugh even for a short period of time, that's a good enough motivation for me to do more for people.

The Heart

It has been shown that laughing helps protect the heart. Although studies are not sure why laughing protects the heart, the studies do explain that mental stress impairs the endothelium, which is the protective barrier lining a person’s blood vessels.

Once the endothelium is impaired, it can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to cholesterol build up in a person’s coronary arteries, which can ultimately cause a heart attack.

Godsis & her son

Psychologist Steve Sultanoff, Ph. D., who is the president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, gave this explanation:

"With deep, heartfelt laughter, it appears that serum cortisol, which is a hormone that is secreted when we’re under stress, is decreased. So when you’re having a stress reaction, if you laugh, apparently the cortisol that has been released during the stress reaction is reduced.

Sultanoff also added that research shows that distressing emotions lead to heart disease. It is shown that people who are "chronically angry and hostile have a greater likelihood for heart attack, people who "live in anxious, stressed out lifestyles have greater blockages of their coronary arteries", and people who are "chronically depressed have a two times greater chance of heart disease."

Alverlyn

Diabetes
A study in Japan shows that laughter lowers blood sugar after a meal. Scientists conclude that laughter is good for people with diabetes. They suggest that ‘chemical messengers made during laughter may help the body compensate for the disease."

Baby Xiao Xin

Blood Flow
Studies at the University of Maryland found that when a group of people were shown a comedy, after the screening their blood vessels performed normally, whereas when they watched a drama, after the screening their blood vessels tended to tense up and restricted the blood flow.

Immune Response
Studies show stress decreases the immune system. "Some studies have shown that humor may raise infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells."

Stef Sun wif her glittering laughter

Sometimes, life isn't all that serious.

Even if it's dead serious for some people, it's the mentality which you choose to have that will make a difference. Two can be in the same, difficult situation but if one chooses to laugh her way out and one chooses to let the situation get her down, I'm sure you know which one will get out of the situation quicker and happier.

Start you day with a laugh. Look yourself in the mirror and flash that happy smile and laugh at yourself for one minute. Then tell yourself that you're going to be bright and sunny like this throughout the day.

Believe me, it's contagious.

Ha ha ha....

A memorable experience

How come all the oddest things seem to happen to me only? This time, I must blog it down in case I forget to thank God for blessing me with freedom.

Trying to recall back, when I was about 8 years old, I was not the tall Val you all know. In fact, I was a little, skinny, tiny gal who thought she could do anything on her own. One day, at my Daddy's office, I trotted to the toilet which was quite far behind and locked myself in. Determined to be a good girl, I did my business, flushed the toilet and shocked at my disability to unlock the door. Started to panic, I kept trying until I started to sob. (I would wish to have a mobile phone but at that time, I didn't even know what a mobile phone was.) Eventually, I banged on the door and shouted for help. It must be at least 30 mins before someone heard me and I could hear my dear Daddy, Grandma and my relatives asking me to calm down. Step by step, he instructed me to focus and guided me to unlock myself to fresh air. Then, I still had tears in my eyes, but it was more like tears of shame. "Shiao Yin locked herself up in a toilet," it was the joke for the month.

Now, today's story. Around 6.30am, I woke up earlier than usual cos I planned to go to work earlier to complete my report. Eyes half closed, one hand was scratching my butt, sorry, I meant scratching my head and another hand turned the doorknob. To my horror, the door remained locked. I realised that the internal mechanism of the lock must be broken and got stucked. The door just wouldn't budge at all no matter how hard I tried to pull. Tried using my tools to pry on the sides but to no avail. This time, I had a mobile phone, thank God. :) Called my landlord who was just sleeping next door and told them the good news. The wife came with the spare key.With the key, the knob turned but the internal lock was still stucked to the door frame. Her husband came to the rescue with his tool box. I was impressed but the banging and clanging with the hammer and screwdriver didn't sound very comforting. After about 20 minutes, I saw that I was going to be stuck for a while, I started reading a book that was collecting dust on my shelf.My boss asked me to read it two weeks ago, so I figured it was the best time to start while the banging continued.

Super landlord suddenly turned into superman and went outside, asked me to open my windows. I used to curse the fact that my room is by the corridor which resulted in peeping Chinaguy Tom watching me sleep with his perverted eyes. (That's another unfortunate event which I want to forget) However, now, thank God for the corridor cos my landlord was able to climb in my room and work on the doorknob from inside. 15 minutes later, the knob was fully disassembled from the door BUT the damn lock was still stuck!

" I have no choice but to knock and break my way in from the outside." he concluded.

The next thing I know, he climbed his way out my window and started to kick and break the door from outside. Two minutes later, I was free!!! The time was 7.30am. So much for going to work early.

The feeling of freedom is fabulous. I kept thinking who the devil was playing a trick on my door when I was sleeping but I guess the lesson for the day is to never install a cheap lock on your door. Hope my landlord learns his lesson.

It was a lucky thing that I didn't have to go toilet in the middle of the night. Tonight, I'll be sleeping with a hole in my door. I don't mind, at least I'm free.

In fact,life is quite interesting when you get to wake up to surprises like this everyday.

Great Singapore Sale ' 07

T'is the season to be jolly....fa la la la la, la la la la.

Yeah, right, if you're loaded!!

This is really the season everybody, well, every Singaporean is waiting for. The annual Great Singapore Sale 2007. I missed it last year and this year, I wanted to see for myself what's the huge fuss about this so called SALE. Therefore, today, I set off and reached Orchard (Shopping Heaven) at around 3pm and began my adventure. I began to feel the crowd piling in the mrt and as I came out from Orchard mrt station, the crowd was just madness. I was determined not to be influenced by the busy crowd so I took my sweet time, strolled down Orchard Rd, enjoyed the shade under the trees.

My first target, Takashimaya, the mall which everyone seems to rave about. In I went thru the front entrance and the first thing I saw was a long queue. Right outside LV boutique. Yup, people are queuing up just to go inside LV where a handbag costs more than my montly salary. Apparently, there's only a limited number of ppl allowed inside the boutique. Maybe even 10% discount makes a huge difference when you buy merchandise costly enough to feed a typical nucleus family for a month.

Anyway, I thought the mentality for these crazy shoppers during this great sale is to start from the top and shop your way down to the basement. I went up the escalator and came down within 10 mins. There was absolutely nothing that interests me or I should rephrase, there was absolutely nothing that I could afford in these boutiques. I didn't even need to be lured by the 30% or 50% discount signs. And ppl were swarming the designer bags, clothes, shoes like there was no tomorrow.

Fitting rooms queue were as long as the queue at the paying counters. I really wonder whether people here actually abstain from shopping for the whole year and save up just for this ONE TIME splurge during this so called Great sale. Otherwise, where on earth does everyone get the money to 'celebrate' this season. It is indeed Great no doubt, in terms of size of the crowd. Other than that, I just don't see anything great about it. Except that it's a GREAT way to spend money.

Having said that, I spent a total of 4 hours 'celebrating' together with the other shoppers and ended up with 3 fabulous tops and a tube of facial cleanser. Not bad for a newbie. I plan to start my next shopping adventure earlier in the day next time so I get the whole day to shop and to qualify as a true shopper in Singapore for next year's Great Sale. Oh ya, just for the record, the 4 hours spent was solely at the first mall I entered. There was just no time for a 2nd mall.

And nope, I haven't jumped into the band wagon at all.I'm still a true Teresian from Kuching. :)

Friendships

After watching episode 36 of Heart of Greed, I was touched by a scene where Yoyo Mung seeked forgiveness from Linda Chung for stealing her bf from her best friend. Here's the touching line that put tears in my eyes.

"I thought the worst suffering is not able to be with the one I love but I was wrong. I was equally devastated for not having my best friend. The only difference is that I can afford to lose love for many times but I can't afford to lose my one and only best friend. "

It is true. In life, we have many aquaintances. Some stay, some don't, lovers come, lovers go but one thing for sure, you can't afford to lose your best friends. True friendships survive stormy weathers, may it be bitter,sour or sweet, a real friend stick with you through it all.

I wish that each and everyone of you have the luxury that I have in Friendships.