`XIAOYU's world ;)

Friday, December 26, 2008

3 super interesting blogs!

These two are really interesting blogs. Both started off as a self challenge but ended up as international hit blogs.

http://www.oneweekjob.com/road-journal/ ~This blog is about how a graduated student decides to try out different jobs, each for a week, before he decides on his favourite job to settle down. He traveled anywhere in the world working 52 jobs in 52 weeks. All his wages were donated to charity. I saw him on RachaelRay's show. He's really a cool dude!

http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/ ~I saw this on yahoo.com.sg news feed. It's about how a couple started off with a quarrel about expensive grocery shopping. They then decided to spend US$1 per day for a month for grocery expenses to save save save...lol Eventually they both lost over 10 pounds! Ok, it's not so much about the the weight lost but it's definitely a bonus. The projects actually deals with broader issues like the rising cost of basic commodities. With such a low budget, the main point they realised is that they cannot afford fresh produces, only canned food! Thus this probably shed some light on people in underdeveloped countries whom cannot even afford healthy food, let alone choosing healthy foods. We people so called in the 'rich' countries are actually falling ill due to poor food choices and wasting food blatantly, really need to do some reflections.

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/ ~I saw this in Times mag around the beginning of this year. It's all over the news so I bet u had probably heard of it b4 too yea? It's a super creative project where a guy (who's probably too bored) decided to start trading his little red paper clip. The criteria of the trade is that the item of exchange must be something of higher value. He eventually ended up with a house to his name within a short period of time. You should really go and check out the items that lead from a simple paper clip to the house. The exchanged items are both interesting and funny...haha.

Labels: interesting blogs, onedollardietproject, oneredpaperclip, oneweekjob

★ xiaoyu; posted at 1:00 PM ★

Uncle Jackson's hse...

We are so late cos we'r waiting for XJ whose never late but start getting late after she's got attached. Is there a link...???

LL looked so profession above 'o'
We got a Peach flavoured sparkling water from Cold Storage for Uncle. We dunnoe wad it'll taste like but I still think Strawberry is better...haha.

Jc clique! Glad to know that all of u are doing fine and some are enjoying life:)

We'r now at Uncle's Jackson hse after we eat full full from a steamboat.

Actually, I got something to confess here. I actually got flu after I got home. So either is someone pass me flu from steamboat or I pass someone flu through steamboat. Everybody's feeling fine after reaching home? If not fine den I guess probably is Jerry's fault, not mine. So don't come find me!

Uncle Jackson! He's so kind, always so willing to share with others and welcome people with open arms. He's in fact the kindest non-blood uncle I know. Ok, sounds awkward but that's basically what I sincerely thinks:) He gives u the feeling that you can always go to him whenever u need guidance in life. I haven tried before but I just know he will!

Next I meet up XX n her beau at Jurong Point. Before arriving, I keep hearing people including friends and family exclaiming how big it is. Like, "It's more than double size the original shopping center!" (Ok, whoever say this to me pls owe up cos I forgot who u r.)

Ok, anyway, the person is damn right!!!

We eat at Lai Lai at basement. All the eating places queue very very long lo! Place so crowded. Until now my flu getting worse.

The LaiLai menu so cute.

Front is cow head and...

back is cow's 'ka ceng'!

U looked a bit like photoshoped with the Christmas hat.

U say one huh not I say...haha

Anyway I looked like I wear pyjamas hat. So sleepy.

This is the stupid guava freeze with bitter jellies which make my flu go from bad to worse!

Curse the guava!

Labels: jurong point, lailai

★ xiaoyu; posted at 11:21 AM ★

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Vivo City so crowded.

Had lunch at Bonbon Tea Restaurant. #02-141
The sea view is very nice.

Great weather today too!

I had this Vegetarian Salad.

Light lunch:) Looked and felt healthy too:)

The sautéed purple vege very nice.

Edlin had Crepe with cheese.

Serving is super small! Like some side dish~Edlin says.

Edlin long long long time no see u.
But still as many things to talk about:)
Really must try to meet up at school to help each other fight the gloomy days k?

Christmas here!

Beautiful seige! But where's Santa?

The super big Christmas Tree.

Labels: bonbon tea, crepe with cheese, vegetarian salad, vivo city

★ xiaoyu; posted at 1:32 AM ★

Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Buddha, Geoff and Me.

The Buddha, Geoff and Me by Edward Canfor-Dumas is a very creative and inspiring book. It discusses and applies Buddhist philosophy (without the religion aspect) from an everyday city dweller's perspective-just like almost everyone of us.

Just to use some ideas from the book. It says that life operates on the Three Realms: the self, living beings, i.e. society, and the physical environment. If you want to be happy, you need to create good, positive relationships in all three. You need to be at one with yourself. And you need to have good relations with the living beings around you-other people. And you've got to respect and protect your physical environment which supports your life in the end. Like you must be connected to your true self, what you really want and need to make you feel happy. You must also be connected to others in a creative way because a lot of unhappiness around are caused by people being isolated from each other, which historically is not a natural way for human beings to live-especially if physically they're very close to each other.

This is an interesting quote about the meaning of life from the book:

I doubt whether a doctor (he was a psychiatrist) can answer this question in general terms. For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. To put the question in general terms would be comparable to the question posed to a chess champion: 'Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?' There is simply no such thing as the best or even a good move apart from a particular situation in a game and the particular personality of one's opponent. The same holds for human existence. One should not search for an abstract meaning to life. Everyone has his own specific mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone's task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.

As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognise that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life...

Basically, there is no meaning 'out there' waiting to be discovered,. It's here, in us and our circumstances, waiting to be realised.

The book also says that in everyone's life, there's an anchor. Once the anchor is shaken or disappears, you would feel lost and that life is meaningless. The anchor can be based on a person i.e. lover, money, religion, appearance, materials or ego. These are mostly things that changes easily so basing on them would be dangerous. However, one should base his anchor on something more consistent.

The book also talked a lot about karma. So much that it's hard to summarise here. It's really a book that let me gain some new understanding of life. Hope it does so for you too:)

Labels: Geoff and Me, karma, life anchor, meaning of life, The Buddha

★ xiaoyu; posted at 1:04 AM ★

Verdict.

The verdict for the above two products after 1.5 weeks of almost daily usage.

Blemish scar cream from BodyShop: There's a slight tingling effect when you put a thin layer on the blemishes and acne which makes you feels that it's working on first application already. Then when the skin conditions itself for a few days, the tingling effects disappear but then I started to see some effects. The scar seems to lighten a teeny weeny bit the second day you wake up. The salesgirl said that it's suppose to have effects around two weeks usage. The effects seems very very slow but afterall it's $26 plus (which is quite cheap compared to many other face care products) so be patient and hopefully I can see more results.

Seaweed face mask from FaceShop: It claims to tighten pores. But I really seriously doubt it cos my pores are nowhere near tightened even a bit. So sad cos I've got like half a tube left. Ok, maybe I should give it more time? Probably so...

Labels: blemish scar creme, bodyshop, faceshop, seaweed face mask

★ xiaoyu; posted at 12:27 AM ★

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Random happenings...

These pictures basically shows what I'm up to the past few days...

This is the Christmas tree at New York Skin Solution. This is the 2nd time where I wasted my trip down to the woodlands civic center branch. I went down and they say I didn't book an appointment! The last time I went, I was late so it isn't really their fault. But this time is really them! The last time I actually saw 2 friends having the counter girl telling the same thing to me," Sorry, out record shows that you didn't book any appointment." What's worse is that I just wait there...wait...wait..wait...30 mins then they tell me this! Basket! I know obviously that they got manpower issues, but they shouldn't just hire anyone off the street who may not even know what's an "appointment", much less taking it down. I was so fuming all the way home from there until I really planning on writing a complaint letter. The whole contend was like 80% in my head already. In the end I just forget it. Is not that I don't dare or think that it would somehow be ignored because I tried it before somewhere else and it works. Don't ask me where though...lol. Secret. Anyway, as I was waiting, I saw damn lots of guys coming in and out. The number of male customers coming to facial really hmmm...kinda surprise me. Furthermore, it's pretty funny to see their 'uneasy' faces as they walk in or out. A facial house is certainly dominated for too long by females that make males' presence relatively a new scene. Ok, I admit I'm partly at fault for their uneasiness. I stared at some of them. My point isn't to make them feel out of place but I'm assessing their skin conditions. I'm thinking, "Is it really that serious that makes them actually step out of their comfort zone to a facial house?" My answer are some yes some no. I'll tell you something funny about a guy visiting in my next post which the post in front of this if you are reading this first before the front one. Haha...

The same day when I borrowed some books to read and trying to enjoy the rest of the evening while calming myself down from the afternoon unhappy event. Then I saw this air ticket stud inside the book. It's an SIA ticket flying from Singapore to Dubai in an economy class. Wao...it must have been a cool place to go. I guess it's a business trip. The name is a female name with a Chinese surname. But the name ended up with some long unpronounceable words. So, I gathered that she's a Singaporean Chinese girl marrying a foreign husband, probably a Dubai millionaire. Haha...did I think too much? There's sometimes lots of funny things you'll find in a library book. This is the most interesting I've ever found. The bulk been, bookmarks and useless book loan receipts.

Another day, I went to coffee bean while reading another borrowed book about a real story about a man suffering from binge eating disorder and his road to recovery in the 1980s. What an irony, I was here eating a sinful 'thousand leaves chocolate' cake while reading about binge eating. Actually the book really is interesting but I'm now still only halfway through it. I'll definitely continue reading. But the cake not not not as nice as it's price leads me to think. This is my first time sitting in a cafe and enjoying reading a book alone. Feels good actually. Do try it yourself.

After reading, Marilyn and me when off to Orchard to walk walk again.

Anyway, one thing I want to say about my handphone camera. Though it's only 2 mega pixel and definitely suck at taking things more than one meter away. But for closer objects, it takes rather clearly and best of all, it's got a great contrasting effects. Making everything looks so nice. These few pictures that follows shows it all.

We like eat at this Whisk restaurant at Wisma or Taka? Pardon my poor memory... Marilyn really look nice in this pic.

I'm smiling, but the Earl Grey Tea really doesn't deserve a smile. It's so so bitter even with the help of some sugar. No wonder they gave a whole glass of sugar along with two cups of tea. Initially, I though is a waste, like how can anyone need so many cubes of sugar. In the end I concluded that it's totally necessary. But I put like 2 cubes only...sugar rush will cause inflammatory effects you know, especially bad for pimple prone victims like me.

The smoked salmon salad I ordered. Salmon slices are really only those you see on top. There's totally nothing you can find within the salad. But it tasted as nice as those I ate at International Family Buffet. Just that the previous one comes in unlimited supply and you can have it filled your whole stomach if your face is thick enough to pass by the chef standing behind the salmons whenever you go for new servings. Haha...

Marilyn ordered her roasted chicken salad. She said it tasted nicer and nicer as you continue to eat. Which means it tastes weird at first. Haha...it's like $15 plus, of course you got to learn to love it.

yea, the glass of sugar cubes.

The beautiful Christmas tree behind making up of cute little colorful bears says that its high voltage plus dangerous and warn us not to touch it. Oooh scary man...it's suppose to be Christmas or Halloween? Wahahaha...

The display windows at the shops at dunnoe Taka or Wisma again are all very creative. For example, the Christmas tree make of feathers looks so nice and wonderful and totally bring out the theme of a white Christmas. But on second thought, if the features are real, then at least 100 chickens or 300 chicks went hairless and probably jittering from cold and suffering from flu for this tree which they probably am asking what's the great deal about this tree. Ok, am I thinking too much again.

Another nice display at a window display. It's so cool and totally brings out the message about the professionalism and the usage of the latest technology to boost the accuracy of the measurements of each suit to perfect fit for each and every customer-who can afford it that is. The red robert is holding a long measuring tape if it's not clear.

It's like 11 pm plus and the streets are still bustling with live and activities. It's probably cos Christmas is round the corners. Walking in a busy street at night is therapuetic but the hot weather even at night is spoiler. This is Singapore, what can I say.

Another Christmas Tree. Yea, we walked the same route from Orchard to doby gaut again. This tree is in front of Plaza Sin.

I bought this at Ntuc. I always am so tempted to try its so many flavours. Like whenever I go to the basement at Raffles City, I would buy some too. Not that any flavour tastes particularly nice but the fun of trying new things really worth the try. I can probably say that a great marketing team is behind Jelly Belly which totally captures the consumers' needs and wants from the primary level to the secondary level of variety seeking mentality.

Jelly Belly rock!

Yet another day. Cup of nice Milk Tea at *** street cafe (I forgot the full name) at the basement of Raffles city after contemplating that we students really shouldn't spurge too much at Shoduko instead. So we settled here.

I ordered salted fish with chicken fried rice. The salted fish is really salty! I can almost imagine the kitchen soaked the poor living fish in the 99.999% salt solution until it die from dehydration since the more concentrated salt solution will slowly draws out all the water from the fish. By this time, the fish would have taken in the salt water and the salt water would have totally penetrated the fish into it's bone. Then after 30 days soaking-since the salt preserve the meat nicely, the chefs would finally take out the fish and chop it and fried it. This is basically how saltish the fish tastes. Just imagine.

The nice ceiling at Marina Square.
Later, we watched Twilight. One sentence, the male lead is super gorgeous. Watch it!

Yet another day. I drag along yx, fw, my to eat at this "dong hai luo" at Toa Pa Yoh after I saw that it's recommended by JJ Lin on Channel U magazine. It costed like $16 bucks per person for some simple hawker fare. But the scenery is very nice as you can see above. But that day was raining so didn't enjoy the scene.

If you guys realise, I didn't eat the deer meat at all, I only try the spring onion fried with the deer meat. Deer is too cute to be eaten you know, but I don't want to 'shao xin' so just let you guys ordered it.

Later watched 'The day the world stood still'.

The movie is quite worth it. 40% on excitement and effects while 60 % on emotionally touching story. But throughout the whole movie, there's not a single scene where it shows the earth stood still.

My this post is like super long. Haha...I wonder who really will read every words.

Labels: coffee tea leaf, dong hai luo, jelly belly, new york skin solution, whisk cafe

★ xiaoyu; posted at 1:17 PM ★

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Grow le grow le...

Hope

My father's umpteen effort at growing water lily ( i think) finally see some results:)

★ xiaoyu; posted at 7:18 PM ★

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Lao Xiang Gang...Makan!

Ytd went Novena Square with family to dine at Lao Xiang Gang.

Not really intended to dine there, look here look there until tire le and just wanna settle down le.

But of course the restaurant looks good enough for us to want to settle down.

Recently I really got an affinity with empty shooping centers lor.

Novena Square is like...er...almost empty lor.

The extended part of Novena Square...dunnoe call wad...worse 2 times lor.

It's Public Holiday eveing lei! For god sake!

But nvm, cos here comes the food!!!

First up: Two hot brew of Rose Tea & Chrysatamum Tea (ok, I know my spelling got problem).

Spinach soup with egg white with fresh shrimp and....anw it's delicious man.

Fried seafood roll with salad sauce...typically delicious. Anything fried are delicious right?

Seafood balls? Can't really taste out wad it is. But nice can le.

The chilli really deserve a mention lor! there fried sia mee and fried chilli flakes and probably garlic inside. Siok man I tell u!

Pawns covered all over with many many many fried garlic. Actually the garlic tastes nicer than the pawns. But the pawns very fresh lor.

Fried fish. Nice!

Nuo Mee Fan. Not bad.

Brown rice. Tasteless lei. But can't expect plain rice to taste like fried rice right?

If you can recognise...this bowl of water is meant for....washing hand....for eating crabs!

Crab! Too bad I didn't eat. You know why right?

The desert! Super nice lor. They got put those ice under the mango puree and ice cream so the smoke like spray every where. So romantic sia...lol Yup, the desert is mango puree with rasberries ice cream. Yay!

Super nice meal sia!

Actually we sat in the middle of the not-so-big restaurant and I keep taking photos of every dishes. The people there must think I su ku sia.

Then went Orchard walk walk. (Actually i personally don't like walk & walk along Orchard road lei. But the people around me seems to like it. yyy?)

The ceiling very artistic right?

The ceiling at Weelock Place.

A typical Christmas tree everywhere along Orchard.

Dunnoe wad also.

Until now I sounded like ytd very happy right?

But actually very sulky throughout the day.

Haiz...

Labels: lao xiang gang, rose bud tea

★ xiaoyu; posted at 4:46 PM ★