A day of Spore

So, we finished the whole of Gossip Girl Season 1 last night.

Our craze today is this. Tadah!

Watch him laugh and dance, it's hilarious. Creating weird creatures in Spore is super fun and we are looking forward to the launch of this game on 7 September 2008. =))

Mdm's abs training starts TODAY.

Mdm is determined to start my abs training again. All done without any equipments. =)

I know I wouldn't be able to flaunt my abs even if I manage to get it to look vaguely like Jessica Alba's. It's all for boosting self confidence and I think it really works. I don't think I have mentioned this before. My mummy totally hated my look when my weight was at my all time low last July. It's not only her, my dad for once actually commented on how I looked. P said I looked like a monkey (monkey!!!) and I received numerous remarks about how unhealthy/ old etc. I was. I myself was kinda bothered that my cheeks were kinda hollowed. But for once, I was able to take photos and look at them without zooming in to my arms first. I was able to go to work without changing in and out of various tops and getting concerned if I looked fat in them. Frankly, it wasnt how I looked anymore. It was how I felt.

Ok, now that I have kinda ballooned back, I am starting to get all freaked out about weight issues again. But it kinda feel different this time round. Not that because I am married and therefore I will allow my self to become auntie-ish. It's more of getting fit and tone now (although I would still be glad if I am able to shed that 2 kilos off the weighing machine). I have been exercising quite abit and I never knew I would ever feel guilty for skipping sessions (which I really do now).

So... Mdm's new resolution is to get tone arms, tone abs, tone everything. And, if I am lucky enough, I would be shedding off that 2 excess kilos. Even better, I may be able to get back into my two-piece in time for my Dubai trip! Imagine poolside, cocktail, shisha, Arabian music. How exotic is that.

So.

Abdominal Exercises - Best Ab Exercises

Some out of the top 10 most effective!!!







I personnaly prefer the bicycle and vertical crunch. I hope I have not turned into an exercise freak.

Let's see the results in a month.

Gossip girl for gossipy me

I think I am addicted to Gossip Girl. We watched 6 episodes yesterday, all in one day. And guess what, I dreamt of Chuck Bass last night!!! *Puke* It's good that Gossip Girl Season 2 will be out on 1 September, meaning it's not going to be a long wait for me! Yuppie!

Mama Mia is out in the theatres today, which is wonderful cos the trailer looks good plus I really like Colin Firth. We haven't been to the movies lately (I think Mummy 3 was the last we saw). Anyway, there are no interesting ones that can't be missed.

And you know what, Mdm is in Thailand for one full year already! I can't believe it that I have survived a year here, away from home and in a totally different environment. Mdm is happy that I am coping rather well. The past year wasn't easy and I think that the hardest part has yet to come (the part where you start to have a lump).

Mdm first near mob experience

We caught the Thai PM on TV yesterday night in some kind of dialogue session with foreign reporters and I thought he seemed pretty cool about the whole situation in Bangkok. And I think, for a 72 year old man who is in the seat for less than a year but have to face constant shit, his composure is rather commendable. At one point he almost flared when a reporter asked if he's a proxy of Thaksin. And he went on for like a minute or two saying something like "proxy or not proxy..., proxy or not proxy...".

I thought I saw 2 protestors taking photographs in front of a building once they managed to climb over the fence. Seriously, most protestors looked like they are in some kind of carnival, not hard-core participants with an agenda but there to join the fun.



Here in Chiangmai, it is just as peaceful as ever.

Havoc in Bangkok

Protests intensify

C sits across from me and watches the online streaming with her brows locked. Some schools in Bangkok would be shut for the entire week and according to her, protestors are flooding the city.

I don't think we would ever have a situation like this in Singapore.

Happy birthday to my dearest MM

Happy 25th!!!



I don't know why but I have this vivid image of you, laughing happily with your mouth wide open. It's really funny. I think in some photos you stretched your mouth so wide that I can actually see your tonsils and uvula. Anyway, that was you 20 years ago.

So, Happy birthday and enjoy your day! Hope that crazy smile will be on your face all the time no matter how much we age. =))

Mdm is glad that after 6 months, I still love my job

We have been downloading Supernatural season 2 for a week now and it seems like it is going to be stuck at the 50% mark forever. So smart Mdm is looking at alternative options. The quality is obviously going to be much worse than DVD files, but I CANT WAIT ANYMORE! Tudou loads so much faster than Youtube. Plus, the quality is better. And tonight, we will have episode 1-4 of Supernatural season 2. =))

Condiment dish using bone china by voonwong&bensonsaw.



Very interesting. This design is very practical, especially in Thailand (considering the number of condiments Thais use in a single meal).

Mdm got a very positive reply from my professor this week. He's cool about making a trip down to Chiangmai. Although the school's paying for the air tickets, accommodation (which is sadly, on campus), transportation and meals, we are not paying him a single cent for his consultation work. I know he's currently involved in multiple projects and I kinda feel bad about not being able to offer him a better remuneration package but on the other hand I'm very excited about getting him here.

I am in my current job for half a year now. Frankly, sometimes it gets very frustrating when things are moving so slowly at work. There doesn't seem to have any urgency in what-so-ever. The pace is uber relax. Anyhow, working in the academic field exposes me to people who are very passionate about learning and education. I am introduced to many who place the benefits of others before themselves and think not in terms of individual monetary gains but welfare of the students and the community. At least, even when things are moving slow (or sometimes not moving at all), but when it does it is satisfying to find yourself part of something meaningful.

Of life and death

2 weeks back, P and I visited a mum of his friend who was diagnosed with cancer. Apparently, her condition is in the 4th stage but the family only found out about her condition a month or so before our visit. Her condition was so bad that the doctor cautioned she wouldn’t live beyond 2 months.

I thought that was my first visit to a patient who’s so close to death. And I doubt I have ever seen someone hurting that much. Seriously, you wouldn’t bear to look at her for more than 5 minutes. It’s really sad to think of how anyone would have to spend their last moments on a sick bed, being tormented and waiting to be taken away.

If you get to see what she’s going through, I bet you wouldn’t understand why euthanasia cannot be practiced. I mean I got to agree that there are lots of considerations in regulating euthanasia but many of the religious and ethical arguments seem so flawed.

There are so many arguments against euthanasia. There are people out there who consider euthanasia as a type of murder, and therefore, is morally unacceptable (and therefore seeing someone else suffer in pain is). And then there are those concern with the value and sanctity of life, the role of healthcare professions, the wishes of the family, etc. I think it’s hard to reconcile the two camps who are divided by their values of life. Not how much, but whose.

It’s sad to know that you ain't in charge of your own life after all.

Abs chair or exercise ball

The Abs chair cost slightly above 3000 Baht.

I am tempted to get either this



or the exercise ball!

Apparently you can do quite a lot with the exercise ball.

10 Reasons to use exercise ball as your chair

The exercise ball will be so much cheaper but I thought I had read somewhere about its disadvantages . Anyway, more research to be done. Mdm don't want to spend on some equipments that I will use for a month or two then chuck it into the museum. It seems like the exercise ball is fine to be used as a chair as long as it's not for prolonged usage.

Time to knock off from work and prepare for the arrival of friday!

Cost of raising a kid is not the real problem

Jake Gyllenhaal in the screen adaptation of Prince of Persia

He looks weird. IMO, Clive Owen or even Mr Wolverine would look better. Maybe they are too old for the moves. Anyway, PoP is one game that I sat through, watching with great enthusiasm while P was playing it. So, the screen adaptation has to be good.

Mdm is looking forward to Tropic Thunder!



I think it's going to be screened in the Thai theatres pretty soon. =))

I digress.

So, as announced, there will now be four months of paid maternity leave instead of three and childcare leave will be extended from two to six days a year. When I saw this in the news, I was thinking to myself that as and when we are ready to have one, I will put on my life jacket and swim back to Singapore.

Anyway, as usual, it's hard to satisfy everyone. This being the most ridiculous one that I have seen

Give grandparents recognition in this 'shared responsibility'


And this second
The cost of raising a kid in Singapore is THE problem.

Frankly, I think we are asking AND expecting too much from the government. If young couples can own a car, have residential property, enjoy frequent dine outs and pamper ourselves with expensive treats, we got to admit that we are simply too selfish to trade the colours in our lives for a baby in the pram.

High cost is a problem for everything, but it didnt stop us from owning a car.

Tuk tuk driver says: "I love farang"

Farang, sometimes pronounced falang, is the generic Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry.

给愚蠢的新加坡人

Some Singaporeans are just so sick.

Hello people,

If you loathe foreign imports that much, why not get home and make more kids. And if you ever trust that we can feel and touch an Olympic medal without them, start sending your kids to the Singapore Sports School.

Looking forward to camels and sand dunes

All in October!!!

Yeah. This will be my happiest wait. =)

Mdm's potentially fearless child

This is cute -- Kids Do The Most Outrageous Things.

How many calories do you burn a day?
This means I have to consume less than 1500 cal per day. In addition, I have to burn 200-300 cal by exercising. It seems so much harder now than before. Mdm is afraid that Mdm will become obsess in wanting to shed off that 2 extra kilos.
___

We have been watching Supernatural for the past few nights. It's not as good as Prison Break nor Heroes but it's interesting nonetheless. Some episodes actually scared the shit out of me.

When I was watching the series, I thought that the fear for paranormal was most probably instilled rather than a result of experiences. And just yesterday while dining at the foodcourt, I saw a dad with a rubber spider in one hand while feeding the kid. When the kid turned his head away and refused to be fed, the dad moved the spider closer. I am not sure if this is the way I would like to Tarzan-train my kid and I thought that the kid would most probably develop some kind of insect phobia. I was just thinking, if I introduce paranormal to my kids, along with insects, wild animals etc. when he's really young and make him believe that they are the nicest creatures on earth, would he then become fearless?

Mdm is using VISTA!

Introducing HP Pavilion dv3000 series:



It even comes with fingerprint logon!!!



Ok, it's not mine. It's on loan from the Faculty of Pharmacy. BUT I will be using this machine till we get the new lappie. The desktop that I was using previously is crankier than ever. For the previous few weeks, it stalled every 5 minutes.

Everything in Vista looks so pretty. Microsoft Office 2007 is more user-friendly too although it takes a couple of tries for me to be used to it. I haven't encountered any problems with the system yet and I hope not. Cos Mdm loves Vista!

Human explosion in Chiangmai

I suspect 50% of Chiangmai population is in Chiangmai Airport Plaza on Mother's Day.




Heavy jams, packed restaurants, long queues.

Thanks to cheap cars, free parking and absence of peak hour charges.

I want to go!

Mdm has an opportunity to visit Dubai in 2 months time and it seems like the stupid visa confusion (again) is going to reduce the probability that we are travelling to 50%!!! I WANT TO GO!!! *sobs*

We are not just small

What a swim
Tao Li came in 5th in 500m butterfly

Her time of 57.99 sec is slower than the time she clocked in the heats. Anyway, she's like the fifth fastest in the world in this event. HOW COOL IS THAT? I told P this morning that if Tao Li clinches a medal, I will treat him to dinner. Well, no treat tonight. But still, Mdm is proud!

We were having a birthday party in the office during lunch and my boss asked if Singapore has ever sent any altheles to the Olympic Games. We do. Ok, it was eons ago that Singapore ever won something in the Olympics but like I told P, the population in Singapore is a mere fraction of US (0.01%) and Thailand (0.06%). AND, Singapore just turned 43 last Saturday.

I am so used to hearing remarks that attribute our accomplishments to our petite size that it annoys me. Hey, we are not even in this list. Maldives gained their independance in the same year as Singapore and I am sure they don't own an airline that has got the largest market share in the world.

From Singapore’s success story a fact

"In the same issue of the magazine, under the title ‘A survey of talent’, Singapore’s education policy was explored. I quote: ‘One of the most successful schools at getting students into American Ivy League universities is Raffles Junior College in Singapore’.

And this is just one of their 17 junior colleges in Singapore. I was told by a friend who studied in UK that for the past many years, Cambridge and Oxford received the most students from a single country, Singapore, and not from where we would think, China or India."

So, what's the conclusion?

Sunday indulgence

Singapore swimmer qualifies for 100m butterfly final

=))

Mdm bought some aspirin pills before dinner and I am now happily having an aspirin mask on my face! It smells so yummy cos I have dissolved the pills in yogurt. It has amazing reviews and it seems like it will only not work if you are allergic to aspirin, or have sensitive skin.

Our Sunday schedule is filled with lots of food, 5 episodes of Japanese drama "Change" by Kimura and Morgan Freeman's "Wanted". "Change" was kinda crap, and so was "Wanted", IMO. Angelina Jolie looked really old and haggard.

Mdm is not experiencing Monday Blues cos Tuesday is Queen's Birthday aka Mother's Day aka HOLIDAY!!! *Gloats*

Products that spice up your living

Suck UK






Joseph Joseph

I cant seem to find these products in Sg. The closest is an online shop selling some clocks and chopping boards from Joseph Joseph.

Rats and square eggs for dinner tonight

Rats as answer to food crisis from today's papers.



Seriously, I'll rather go hungry.

I happened to chance upon this very funny thread about square pigs in the morning. I thought I have seen the egg cuber in Daiso before I left Sg. We saw something which works like it in Chiangmai but it shapes eggs into cute sakuras. I wonder how kids will react to all these odd-shaped eggs. When I become a mum, I'm going to pack these into my kid's lunch box and then make him proudly declare to the rest of the class that our chickens lay odd-shaped eggs. Wakhahaha.

Happy food
Top Ten Happy Foods!
Foods That Make You Happy

I can't seem to hide my happiness that weekend is just half a day away. Lalala~

Mdm is experiencing extreme boredom at work

My boss reminded us that a new policy is in place. Apparently, the IT dept has been tracking our online activities since last week. I have been super free this week and I visited tonnes of websites, ranging from forums, fashion blogs, gossip news to some really nonsensical ones. I am doomed!!! Anyway, it's not my fault that this week at work is really boring. Somehow, Mdm always seem to be in jobs that doesn't require much sweat.

Miss Tan just uploaded these onto FB. This is probably for the benefit of my dear MM who is without a FB account.





The second picture looks quite hilarious. The guys are each displaying a different emotion and everyone's looking all smiles in the last picture (except for my P who looked half-stunned, like he always do. LOL).

We downloaded Red Cliff from Crunchyroll few nights back and managed to watch it yesterday. For the first time, P was actually enjoying a Chinese movie (considering he is totally biased against Chinese movies and refuse to watch anything that is non-Stephen Chow). And for the first time, I feel like grabbing a copy of 三国志. Tony Leung looks really good and I thought Takeshi Kaneshiro looks gayish next to him (although Takeshi Kaneshiro is equally yummy). Is 諸葛亮 supposed to be this gayish?

Mdm is picking up the guitar from the dusty corner again. These few days, I have been practicing 张雨生's 天天想你 and 大海. Check out the 陳綺貞's version =))

Mdm is only 26

My forehead lines are getting on my nerves. Seriously, I doubt aging is the cause and most probably it is my bad habit of raising eyebrows. I seriously think only a botox injection can help.

Before


After


Mdm is tempted!!! Plus, botox is cheap in this part of the world.

Mdm (still) feels so young

I Spy With My Little Eye
___

Just the other day, our elder niece was on the phone till 10 plus at night. I commented about how impossible it is for her to have so much to share with her friends since she had spent 8 hours in school. And then it struck me that this was exactly what my mum told me when I was 14. I am indeed transforming!!!

It is funny how MM and I used to fight so much over the use of phone. I don't think anyone can believe how bad the fights turned out to be. And then there were the 2 boys who I had spent numerous hours talking to. I think the record was like 3 plus hours on the phone. It is super crazy. I cannot recall how I lost touch with both of them but some time back, I found Weide on Friendster. We were joking about this and the stuff that happened when we were younger.

It's pretty hard for me to believe that it has been more than a decade.