HEALTHY LIVING




This might come as an odd surprise for many, but I am - actually - not a big fan of modern medicine. A bit rich and hypocritical, I know; coming from someone who has had spent 3 years chasing after a Diploma in Biomedical Science, and is already more than halfway through her studies in Chemistry. It is such an irony; a paradox.

But really, that aside, I believe that the human body has its own immunity. AND unnecessarily meddling with our body's natural line of defense with harsh chemicals or modern medications or facial masks or night repair lotions or facial scrubs or exfoliating cream and the likes is pure nonsense. I like organic. I like natural. Think aromatherapy. Think organic plants. Think chiropractic. Think TCM. Think alternative medicine. Think healthy.

Of course, having said so, I have absolutely nothing against modern, mainstream medicine. In all common sense, one should - by all means - always go for modern, mainstream medication if a need really calls for it. Such as raging fevers, viral infections, bacterial or parasitic infections, cancers, tumours and etc. Alternative medicine (e.g. TCM, aromatherapy, moxibustion, yoga, chiropractic etc) should NEVER replace mainstream Western medicine in the course of treatment. Rather, the former can be used as a complementary medicine - as long as there is no drug-drug interaction with the Western drugs. All these should, in all common sense and necessity, be done under the supervision of a physician.

Anyway, I brewed some TCM this afternoon. AND it tastes great! It doesn't have the bitter aftertaste that makes most TCM dreadful. In fact, it tastes a little sweet, and it's so easy to swallow. AND it's easy to concoct. So easy; I can take a nap if I chose to.

Voila!

Anyway, for the benefits of those who would like to give it a shot, I'll disclose the recipe here.


He Shou Wu Yang Yan Tang (He Shou Wu Nutrition Soup)
INGREDIENTS:
Hei Dou (black beans) - 5g
Qi Zi (red dates) - 5g
Da Zao - 2 pieces
He Shou Wu - 2 big pieces
Dang Shen - 8 sticks

METHOD:
1) Place meat and ingredients (please pre-wash them) into 1.5L - 2.0L of water.
2) Bring to boil.
3) Simmer for 2 - 3 hours.
4) Serve.

BENEFITS:
1) Improves blood circulation
2) Darkens hair
3) Enhances complexion

CREDITS:
H. W. Herbs Trading Pte Ltd (Singapore)


All the herbs listed in the ingredients list can be easily obtained from any tonic or herb shops. And it's rather cheap too. Alternatively, like me, you can also simply purchase it pre-packed. They come in pre-prepared packages.

P.S. If you have any food allergy(s) or medical condition(s), please consult a physician before consumption. Please be mindful that different people reacts differently to medications and herbs. I hereby absolve myself from all responsibilities.

HOOKED


There is something strangely psychotic about cleaning up rooms.

Not that my room is a pig sty. Said room is basically made up of a built-in wardrobe cabinet, a bed, a piano (that I never got around to learning), a guitar (that is garnering dust), and a small TV console. No writing desk; therefore, considerable space is saved. As there is no writing desk for a student (that is, yours truly), the idea of having a TV in said room was abandoned, and the TV console was better utilized as a "writing desk". Therefore, given the spacey room, the only areas available for clutters to gather are limited to:

1) within the wardrobe
2) the make-shift "writing desk" --> post-its, stationaries, letters and documents, bookmarks, hole puncher, staplers, stapler bullets, giant clips, treasure tags, blinder clips etc
3) the top "platform" of the piano --> soft toys, and photo frames.

Therefore, said room is considerably neat under normal circumstances; save for the occasional little clutters in 1), 2), and 3).


2 weeks ago, I was in one of those "weird" moods. Who knows what possessed me, but somehow, I just felt like tidying up the humble abode in which I sleep in. Crazy, I know. Which 20+++ year old just suddenly felt like doing some CLEANING UP out of the blue? Afterall, there ARE more interesting things to do, ya know? Such as watching TV. Such as surfing the net. Such as reading an exciting book. Such as disturbing brothers. Such as sleeping. Such as blogging.


So, there I went.

Pulled and straightened the bed linen. Rearranged the cushions neatly by the side of the bed. Punched the flattened pillow to make it "fatter" and cushier. Fanned the duvet. Hugged the bolster. Stroked the dolphin.

The dolphin. And no, I'm not going to show you the whole of my bed.

Dusted the "writing desk". Wiped the table lamp with a wet cloth. Arranged the stationaries tidily in their respective places. Sorted out the letters and documents courtesy of CPF Board, Citibank, POSb, RELC, MOE, World Visions, M1, and who knows what else.



Dusted the piano. Dusted the photo frames. Dusted the doggie. Dusted the soft toys and teddies. Wiped the piano. Wiped the photo frames. Wiped Doggie. Wiped soft toys and teddies. Wondered silently if I should wash them instead because the dusts seem to be clinging stubbornly onto the furs and feathers.

Can ya spot Doggie?

Rearranged the clothes in the wardrobe by the LENGTH of the sleeves, then followed by their COLOURS (white, yellow, orange, beige, pink, blue, purple, brown, gray, black). Clothes were hung with their FRONT facing left, with the HANGERS hooking onto the rod in the same direction. Was amazed that some of the clothes have been with me since upper secondary school days. That's freaking 7 years.

Swept the floor. Stupid dust.



And voila! A NEW ROOM BIRTHS FORTH. Okay, there's not much difference between the "before" and "after"; given that it was not a pig sty to begin with. Maybe it's self-delusion (although I prefer to attribute it to the power of the brain), but the air definitely smells fresher. Cleaner. Man, the room even looks brighter! I love it!

And I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process of cleaning up - working from scratch, transforming something through sweat and efforts, and finally seeing the fruits of your hands and the results of your labours. It is just so oddly satisfying.

I love it. Totally!


I've said. There is something strangely psychotic about doing household chores.

MEME


7 things she likes most:
1. Chocolate. Especially dark chocolate.
2. Dogs.
3. Alcohol.
4. Lavender - aroma, flower, colour.
5. Seafood.
6. Japanese food.
7. Anything and everything Korean. DBSK!!! Bibimbap!!! Bulgogi!!! Kimbap!!! Kimchi!!! DBSK!!!

7 things that frighten her like nobody's business:
1. Lizards.
2. Height.
3. Nightmares.
4. Losing loved ones or friends.
5. The loud banging and clattering of utensils.
6. Doors banging. Forcefully.
7. Raised voices. Loud shouting.

7 random facts about her:
1. She always get tricked. But she still wishes to remain who she is, and honestly-speaking, preserve her child-like naivety for as long as possible (Please don't puke).
2. She always get teased. Sometimes she lets it pass. Other times, she gets pissed secretly in her heart. Afterall, everyone has their threshold. She has one too.
3. When she gets pissed, and is attempting to keep it under control, she'll blatantly ignore whatever that person is saying. That offending person can yak on and on to the wall for all she cares. Sorry if she has unwittingly hurt anyone; she's just merely trying to keep her pissed-off feeling under control.
4. She hates crowds.
5. She can't take sour food. REALLY can't. Not even oranges or pomeloes.
6. She truly hates being ignored. So please kindly and benevolently reply her SMS(es) or question(s) or whatnots - even if your reply is days or weeks or months late. AND if you don't feel like replying, just say so straightforwardly. She can take it. BUT PLEASE JUST DON'T ignore, let it pass, and behave the next time you see her as if nothing happened. She remembers; even though she doesn't voice it out. And pretending as though nothing has happened reflects very badly on you. Ignore any of her messages once - she'll let it pass. Do it more, and you're marked down permanently - no matter who you are and what you do. She loses a significant bit of respect for you, and you're deemed somewhat unreliable in her eyes.
7. When she plays, she plays. When she's serious, she's firmly serious. Please recognize this fact.

7 things she plans to do before she dies:
1. Swim with dolphins.
2. Get married and have her own children and prepare meals for her family. At least one meal out of 3.
3. Live in a comfortable house with a huge garden for her dog(s) and children to run about freely in.
4. See 1 & 2 & 3.
5. See 1 & 2 & 3.
6. See 1 & 2 & 3.
7. See 1 & 2 & 3.

7 things she can do:
1. Cross her eyes (duh).
2. Cook a decent meal.
3. Raise one eyebrow.
4. Go shopping alone.
5. Really scold the hell out of someone when there's really a need to. That's why she seldom flares up.
6. Learned a bit of French and Bahasa Indonesia.
7. Take REALLY spicy food. She can't imagine eating without chilli. Kills her appetite. Totally.

7 things she can't do:
1. Roll or curl her tongue (just like dimples, it's all in the genes. Serious).
2. Control her laughter.
3. Tell you what an "adjective", "noun", "pro-noun", "participle", "past-participle", or "past-perfect" etc is.
4. Navigate her own way around without getting lost.
5. Execute mental sum like a calculator.
6. Whistle a tune that sounds like a tune.
7. Drive. But she hopes to, someday.

WHAT A WASTE!


Spending on food is a pathetic waste of money. Especially when you have trouble keeping it down to start with.


Update:
12.32am: I know for a fact that it has been recurring on and off. And I just realized - what I DON'T KNOW for a fact - is that it has already been recurring on and off for a couple of years. Maybe it's high time to be worried or something.

AND these only constitute the times when I bothered to blog about it. Shucks!

24th December 2006. 31st December 2006. 1st January 2007. 1st May 2007.

KIDS


A boss was wondering why one of his most valued employees was absent from work, and had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. "Hello?"

"Is your Daddy home?" he asked.

"Yes," whispered the small voice.

"May I talk to him?"

The child whispered, " No."

Surprised and wanting to talk to an adult, the boss asked again, "Is your Mommy there?"

"Yes."

"May I talk to her?"

Again the small voice whispered, "No."

Hoping there was somebody reliable with whom he could leave a message, the boss tried again. "Is there anybody else at home?" He asked.

"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman."

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak to him?"

"No, he's busy," whispered the child.

"Busy doing what?"

"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman," came the whispered answer.

Just then, the boss heard a loud noise in the background through the phone. Growing more worried, he asked curiously, "What is THAT noise?"

"A helicopter." answered the whispering voice.

Truly intrigued now, the boss demanded, "What is going on there?"

Again, whispering, the child answered, "The search team just landed a helicopter."

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated, the boss asked, "What are they searching for?"

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle...







" ME."

NEVER TOO LATE


As we grow, we learn. We learn that if we want to enjoy the rainbow, we've got to put up with the rain. Even then, we learn that a rainbow does not necessarily always appear after each and every rain. We learn that ugly caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies, and that that innocent-looking plant is actually a vehement Fly Trap. We learn that a man's greatest battles are the ones he fights within himself. We learn that prosperity is a great teacher, but adversity is a greater one. We learn that the reason why we fall is so that we can learn to pick ourselves up. We learn that we must either find a way, or make one. We learn that man has never made any material more resilient than the human spirit.
AND we learn that we still have loads more to learn.

We learn that even the one person who wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken; probably more than once. The fall might even be worse than the previous. You'll break hearts too. Therefore, remember how it feels when yours gets broken and shattered.

There will be days when you wish the Earth would swallow you up. There will be nights when you dread the dawn of the next morning. There will be times when you raise your fists to the skies and rage blindly in helpless distress. There will be moments when you are so utterly lost and totally discouraged. There will be instances when you give your all, but are not reciprocated even the least.

You'll meet nice people. You'll make new friends. You'll fall in and out of love. You'll give and receive love. You'll dance through childhood, adolescence, youth, young adulthood, adulthood, and eventually, old age. You'll walk down the aisle. Someday. You'll gawk in silent awe at the little bundle of joy sleeping soundly in your arms. You'll derive indescribable and unmeasurable ecstasy from parenthood. You'll relish in the satisfaction and love in starting up a home and family of your own.
You'll grow. You'll make mistakes. You'll also learn in the process, along the way.

You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll get reminded of bad memories. You'll cry because time is passing too fast. You'll grieve because your heart hurts. You'll wonder why you did the things you did. You'll doubt whether the correct decision has been made. You'll regret things that you have done. You'll also regret things that you should have done. You'll be so very disappointed by people - even those whom you had loved, trusted, cared deeply for, and was willing to give up anything for. You'll eventually lose someone you love dearly. Very much.





So, find joy in everything; even the simplest things. And when you've found it, don't let it go so easily.

Share aplenty. Communicate openly. Apologize readily. Forgive sincerely. Forget quickly. Move on steadily. Bounce back resiliently.
Take too many pictures. Smile too much. Laugh too heartily. Love too truly with all your heart. Love like you've never been hurt before. Love others like you love yourself.

Life's too short to make all the mistakes life has to offer. Therefore, learn from everywhere. While you're at it, learn as much as you possibly can. Learn from mistakes - both yours and others'. It's okay to lose everything, even wealth or friends or pride or dignity; just don't lose your own moral values, integrity, and self-esteem. Do anything you want, as long as it's not against your conscience and morality.

Let go of the trivialities. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Exploit the negatives in life and extract something good from it. There is always a positive in every negative. Laugh at yourself. Muse at your own clumsiness and embarrassment. Poke fun at others. Play a harmless prank. Build a rapport.

Look on the bright side. Dwell in happiness. Soak in gratitude. Never forsake thankfulness and humility. Don't forget who you are and where you come from. Have a sound estimation of yourself. Have self-awareness. Eat the humble pie occasionally. Know where you stand always.

Don't lose yourself. Don't lose your inner child, your inner self. There's no need to fit in with the norm or go along with the crowd. Don't be easily influenced. Be daring. Be independent. Be yourself. Be real.
Be real to yourself. Be real to other people and everyone else.

Every sixty seconds you spend being upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.


Don't be afraid that life will end; be afraid that it has never truly began!

CARROT, EGG, OR COFFEE BEAN


Got this from an email.

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A teenager daughter was complaining to her father about her life and how things are so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. Twenty minutes later, he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them on a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them on a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

She humbly asked, "What does it mean, Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each, however, reacted differently.



The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.
But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however.
After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.



"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"


How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff, have you become hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water. The thing that is bringing pain, to its peak flavor reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. If you are like the coffee bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you.

How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?