Hits 'n' Misses

Singapore Daily Deals | All Deals Asia

2010-12-19T13:27:00.001+08:00

Singapore Daily Deals | All Deals Asia

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Ramblings.. on Death, Memories and Bed Bugs..

2010-12-07T13:58:00.005+08:00

You know, one of the first things I felt I wanted to write about when I decided to start blogging again was about my mom and my grandma. Definitely so, because they were the most important women in my life and I wanted to honor them in some kind of way. Also because I figured my mom is actually almost always at the back of my mind. Somehow I miss her almost all the time. You know the saying about how we only realise how important this person or thing is to us only when they're gone? Trust me, whoever came up with this saying has to be a prophet.

Anyways, though I wanna write and blog all about my mom and my grandma, the fact of the matter is.. somewhere there is a part of me that is kinda refusing to go back there and dig up everything clearly enough for me to put them into words. I tried yesterday but it was really kinda hard.. a part of me relished the memories that were evoked.. yet another part just felt so tired and drained and painful. The end result: yet another draft sitting in the draft folder. Looking at my draft folder, I actually have about half a dozen drafts in there. That's me for you.. sigh.

So right now, I definitely find it much easier sharing another incident currently happening in my life.. and that's my current battle with bed bugs. Yes, the horrible and tiny, stinking bed bugs.

No one in the family is really sure when these disgusting creatures actually appeared in my house, but their presence was made known to me about 6 months ago when the maid suddenly complained of bites all over her body and decided to turn her room upside down to dig out the cause. That was when these horrible bugs were found happily nesting the underside of the bed frame of her bed. It was an utterly disgusting sight and though thank goodness I was no witness to it, the photos taken by my partner who was at home then were something I'd rather not see.

The bed frame was immediately discarded and the room was cleaned and disinfected with whatever resources available we had at home then. That maid was sent away shortly, not because of the bed bugs of course, but due to unsatisfactory performance. The next maid who arrived did not complain of bites and slowly the incident was forgotten.

3 months ago, however, the bed bugs reared their ugly heads again, and this time they came back with a such a vengeance that soon after, my partner started complaining of bites as well. Funny enough, even though we were sharing the same bed, I was spared from the agony. We also never sighted any bed bugs in my room, until about a month later when we saw a big fat bed bug crawling on the floor of our bedroom. We squashed it literally and blood spurted out. Gross.. and boy, did it stink!

We went on high alert after that.. me and my partner constantly on the lookout for the horrible creatures who had uninvitingly invaded our room. Even though my partner was still constantly getting bites that resulted in swells nearly every night, we couldn't find the culprits. It was frustrating.

At the insistence of my partner, about 3 weeks ago, we called for the professional bed bug exterminators. They came and sprayed the 2 affected rooms - my maid's and mine. And we had to soak the suspected affected clothings and fabric in both rooms in hot water. Boy, it was really troublesome but we didn't have much of a choice. Were our troubles over? I definitely hoped so, but the reality was pretty far from it.

Over the course of the next couple of days, my maid literally swept up the dead carcasses of a couple of dozen baby bed bugs that crawled out from the skirtings, under the cupboard, etc in her room. It was a sickening sight but good. At least they were dead.

On our end, we still did not see any bed bugs but the itchings continued. By this time, I was also being bitten by the invaders that remained invisible to my partner and myself. Finally, about a week ago, I spotted them. The first one was a very small one, nearly white in color and barely a-tenth of a centimeter. The second one was slightly bigger, about two-tenths of a centimeter, black and fat. When I crushed it, blood oozed out. The third was black, small but flat and bloodless. That day, I probably killed about 8-10 of them, and for the first time, I realised they didn't have to be all black. Sometimes they came in white as well. And when they haven't fed on our blood, they are flat.

The professionals came again a few days ago, this time the focus was on my room. They found a small cluster of eggs in the underlining of my fabric box cover that kinda doubled up as a storage box as well. I can still feel the chills across my arm just recalling the scene. We found 2 big bugs and 2 small bugs a day after the professionals cleaned out the room.

Anyways, one good thing that came out of this bed bug incident is that my room is now much cleaner. The bed bugs kinda forced me to do some spring cleaning to my room. Over the past 2 weeks, I cleaned out quite a fair bit of junk.. my partner was very pleased, to say the least.

Meanwhile, we are still on the lookout for the blood-sucking little creatures. Keeping our fingers crossed..

Check out Amazon for bed bug products!

I'm Back!

2010-11-28T22:36:00.007+08:00

After a hiatus of more than 4 years, I'm back! It's been this long since my last post.. gosh, even I can't quite believe it myself. A lot has happened, a lot has changed since. The two most significant and heartwrenching being the painful loss of the two most important women in my life - my grandmother and my mom.

Lots more have happened as well, more deaths, more illnesses, more friends, more problems. Oh, and I finally left the company that I started out with even before I graduated.. the company that I had represented for more than a decade.

Oh, and I definitely grew older.. in every sense of the word I guess. Life is not a bed of roses, and will never be. Does life suck? Sometimes, but then again, there are good moments also. So, this is life.. and this is how it will always be.

Feeling Just A Lil' Down...

2006-07-19T17:03:00.002+08:00

Yup, feeling down. Okie, not that down.. just a teeny weeny down. I guess the fact that I'm not feeling well.. and haven't been feeling well the past 5 days definitely contributed to this. Especially the intermittent stinging pain in my right ear and the throbbing pain at the back of the right side of my head.

Well, my family and closest would well testify to how I would avoid going to the doctor. Usually when I fall sick, I would kinda self-medicate.. since it's always the usual stuff.. fever, headache, flu. I would then shove some panadol tablets, flu medicine down my own throat as and when I remember, much to their chagrin.. heheh, and they would go nag-nag-nag again.. hahah. But this time, this pain in my head was bad enough such that I actually went to the doc on my own accord not once, but twice.. yesterday and today. I surprised even myself.

Actually I feel bad about going to another doc today, having only seen one yesterday. It kinda implies my lack-of-confidence in the first doc. Sigh, maybe that is indeed the case. Perhaps I was expecting some miracle, you know.. maybe feel no pain in my ear anymore after taking the prescribed medicine for three times. Perhaps my expectation was too high. Anyway, the damage is done.. and now I shall finish the second doc's prescribed medicine before going back to finish the first doc's. Sounds funny I guess.. but I think that's one way to relieve my guilt towards the first doc. Besides, both docs are actually chinese physicians.. so there shouldn't be any harm in taking the meds in this manner. I would of course not recommend the same for a western prescription. Don't ask me why, I guess they just don't work the same.

Talking about expectations.. I made a decision today while driving today. I decided to stop having a crush on this person I've been having a crush on for the past one month or so. Okie, before I go any further, let me just state that I'm currently happily attached. So when I started having a crush on this person, I did probe within myself to find out exactly what was going on. It was determined that I was curious and wanted to know this person better, I definitely like her, but liking this person doesn't mean anything. Bottomline was, I wanted to be friends with this person. And yes, I've been keeping my partner updated about my feelings.

I scored a breakthrough about two weeks ago when thru' some quick thinking and clever scheming (at no one's expense of course), I conduced a perfect opportunity to spend some time alone together with her and indeed, the time spent led to some quality getting-to-know-each-other moments. Now, don't go off the rail.. there wasn't any hanky-panky involved.. we just had a really nice chat. So much so that where previously I was just one of them within my clique of colleagues, after that chat, I was confident that I definitely stood out amongst my colleagues now. We had become friends.

The following week, we carried on where we left off. I casually bumped into this person at my office and she confirmed my contact number with me. We also grabbed a quick bite together. Over the course of the next few days, we had some nice moments chatting on our phones, and she actually invited my partner and I over to her new place at the end of the month.. and I was pleased, to say the least. But I guess I forgot to keep my expectations in check. 'Cos in the past few days, there wasn't any more phone calls.. not since we had to cancel our impromptu arrangement to meet up last Friday. A phone call from me on Monday afternoon ended shortly in under ten seconds.. not at all eventful.. depressing even. I decided then to lay off and not call her anymore.. I don't wanna make her feel like I'm being a pest.. or seem desperate. I'm not sure which is worse, actually.

Well, we met again today during a company briefing session that we were both involved in. She approached me during the break and we made small talk and joked around. Everything seemed good. But somehow I still didn't feel very good, there was still that tinge of hoping for something more. Subconsciously, I wanted us to be close friends, good friends. So I guess along that line I was expecting more.. and I wasn't getting the more that I wanted. Inwardly, I must admit I was feeling disappointed for the past few days. I guess maybe I was hoping she'll call yesterday or something and we could perhaps try to meet for lunch or study together, but that didn't happen.. and driving along the highway today, I thought things thru' a bit and decided that enough was enough.. I should stop hoping, stop expecting.. and move on. Stop crushing.. lay the crush to rest. I've done enough to lead us to become friends, perhaps now I should just leave things to nature.

I won't go into details here what I've done to build the friendship between us, but honestly I'm gonna give myself a pat on the back for the efforts I had put in, considering what a lazy and laid-back character I am. So, I will play it cool from now on. Nonetheless, I have to admit that I'm feeling kinda sad over this decision I've made. I won't say my efforts have been wasted, they weren't.. but somehow the results sort of fell short I guess. Sigh.

I will be seeing her again this Friday.. we'll be attending one full day of lessons together, followed by a horrible exam (actually that's how we met, 3 full days of lessons every month). I shall not expect anything.. no expectations, no disappointments. That should be the way I guess.

Now I just need to pick myself up, buck up and start studying so I can pass this horrible monster called "exam" this Friday. Gawd, hate it. Love the lessons, hate the exams. Life. Luck, I need lots of it.

It Rained Glass Bits Yesterday...

2006-07-18T20:52:00.001+08:00

Yeah, I was showered with bits of shattered glass last nite. I was at a friend's house in the evening, and as we were getting ready to leave, I decided to be nice and bring the glasses and cups into the kitchen instead of merely leavin them on the dining table. Bad move.

Jemmy's home was beautifully decorated.. the living room was lined with nice parquet tiles.. the dining area was created upon a platform and designed japanese-style such that the table was built-in in the middle and everyone merely sat down on the higher platform floor.. there was no need for chairs at all. The kitchen was separated from the dining area by a glass wall and glass door (think office-style), kinda open-concept, you could see exactly what was on either side.

So, with 2 glasses in my right hand, my left hand went to the door handle to pull the glass panel open. And in split seconds where I didn't even have time to breathe, there was a deafening roar of glass smashing, and the door that was right in front of me before crumbled to pieces right before my eyes. Well, actually it rained on me. The self-destruction was swift, one moment my hand was on the door handle, the next, my hand was grabbing thin air, and shattered glass pieces. And I was bleeding.....

My friends and Jemmy of course, witneses to the whole incident/accident.. said I was actually shining from a distance, hahahah. Glasses bits were in my hair, on my hands, on my clothes, underneath my feet. I guess I must look a glamorous mess. Miraculously, my face did not suffer any cuts; I escaped disfigurement. Actually, I was pretty fortunate, I only suffered some minor cuts on my left hand around the wrist area and the palm.. plus about 4 cuts on my right foot - sole and inner ankle area. The cut suffered on my right inner ankle was considerably the most stubborn and deepest, bleeding profusely enough to soak up one and a half wet tissues. This, plus the cut on my right big toe successfully stained my new sandals, hahahah.

Anyway, after spending some forty minutes apologising profusely for the damage I caused and cleaning myself and the home up, everyone finally managed to leave for home. Well, my wounds were still bleeding when I got home, and I did feel uncomfortable about the suspected foreign bodies that might have entered my body.. so I dropped by the A&E Department of Raffles Hospital, nearest my home. I barely had to wait, they cleaned up my wounds pretty quickly, gave me an anti-tetanus jab (ATT), wrote me a medical leave for 1 day and sent me on my way.

Some twenty hours later, the one thing that's causing me the most pain is from the ATT jab.. hahah. Oh, and not forgetting this throbbing pain I've been feeling on the back of the right side of my head since three days ago. Friends have told me it's migraine (oh my, I've never experienced migraine before and I certainly don't want to have it now or anytime soon), but the chinese physician I consulted today tells me that it's actually due to heatiness in my body.. and well, it kinda makes sense. I'm currently running a fever, feeling kinda delirious.. with a throbbing pain at the back of my head and a buzzing pain in my right ear.. and of course, the pain from my wounds.

Oh, and did I mention I have an exam this Friday? Bless me...

Justice Done To Amelie.. Finally!!!

2006-07-09T00:01:00.000+08:00

Amelie posing for the world to see her Venus Rosewater Dish
(Photo taken from AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

I'm simply delirious with joy now. Amelie Mauresmo, reigning World No. 1 on the women's tennis circuit, and my most favorite player (overtaking Venus Williams on my favorites list during these 2 weeks of Wimbledon), has defeated soundly Justine Henin-Hardenne for her 1st Wimbledon title and her 2nd Grand Slam title of the year!!! *super-big grin from ear to ear*

Momo has finally done it!!! I'm so so happy right now that I'm simply at a loss for words. I'm so happy for Momo.. finally she has shut her critics up, finally she has defeated Justine Henin-Hardenne properly to clinch her 2nd Grand Slam title, and cemented further her No. 1 ranking. In what seems to be a re-match of the Australian Open Women's Singles final this year where Henin-Hardenne retired from the match (from supposed stomach discomforts) trailing 0-2 in the second and down the first set (6-1), Momo continued the fine play that she displayed during the Australian Open final (but was most unfortunately left hanging by Henin-Hardenne's retirement from the match) into the Wimbledon final this year.

Okay, before I get carried away, let me correct myself. It wasn't all that smooth-sailing for Momo right from the word "go". Momo lost the first set quickly and easily enough to Henin-Hardenne 2-6 within 31 minutes.. and had me breaking out in cold sweat and pacing up and down my hall nervously. But she quickly regrouped in the 2nd set.. and came back strongly to level at 6-3. Momo upped her level of play in the final deciding set.. and in the final game when Momo served for the match.. she made no mistakes.. served out 2 beautiful aces and put up a fine and graceful display to bring home the Venus Rosewater Dish - Wimbledon trophy!!!!

What a beautiful day... :D

I Remember..

2006-06-12T02:57:00.000+08:00

I can't help penning this down. Actually throughout the French Open the past fortnight.. whenever Justine Henin-Hardenne's matches were telecast on tv, I've on-and-off been asking myself.. "What is it I don't like about this woman?".. "Why isn't she on my list of favorites?".. "Since when did I decide I didn't really like her?". I haven't been able to quite justify my dislike for Justine.. except to say that it's a feeling, you know. And honestly, I've forgotten when this feeling came about.

But okie, I guess my penchant for favoring underdogs is perhaps one of the reasons why JHH isn't on my list.. for the simple fact that she's never been considered one in any match-ups, at least not as far as I can remember. Objectively speaking, that is good for JHH, 'cos it pretty much reflects just how strong her game is.

And as usual, the same questions popped up in my head in the Roland Garros finals between Kuzzie and JHH again.. and suddenly, when Kuzzie corrected a wrong call made by the line judge (or was it the umpire?) and conceded a point.. the memories started coming back.. and I finally remembered what it was about JHH that I didn't like. It was her lack of sportsmanship.
It first started in the 2003 French Open semi-finals against Serena Williams. JHH took the first set 6-2, but Serena fought back to square off at 6-4. In the final set, with Serena serving, Justine raised her hand to indicate she wasn't ready and Serena served into the net. As Justine wasn't ready, Serena should not have been faulted for this serve, and should have re-served her first serve. However, the umpire did not see JHH's gesture and when he asked her about it, JHH actually kept quiet.. leading to the umpire faulting Serena's serve and calling for a second serve. Serena was upset and rightfully so.. and unfortunately went on to lose the set and the match. I thought JHH was a big coward and liar.. and since then, I actually stopped watching JHH whenever they featured JHH's matches during Grand Slams.. I would switch channels. This memory must have faded with time in the last one year or so considering I had to dig and think so hard to figure out my dislike for JHH.

And of course, the much talked-about finals of the Australian Open between Amelie Mauresmo and JHH, where JHH threw in the towel and quit the match during the second set citing stomach pains as a reason. That was way ultimate.. Momo was playing really beautifully during the match and had captured the first set easily at 6-1. She was clearly on top of JHH and it seems like JHH didn't have any answers to Momo's superiority in that match.. and Momo was on her way to her first Grand Slam title at JHH's expense. So, down 0-2 in the second set, JHH called it quits. Following interviews would reveal JHH gave a load of pathetic excuses for her discontinuance, none of which were really significant nor justiable enough for her act. And that is another fine showing of JHH's sportsmanship.. or rather, lack of one. Actually, I wonder if all these incidents merely reflected her lack of sportsmanship.. I kinda feel that it actually brings her character into question. Sore loser, liar? Well, I don't know.. but it would pretty much seem like it, wouldn't it?

Fine player JHH is.. with a steel will of determination, possibly the best clay-courter on the women's circuit currently, one of the best on the women's circuit, pride of Belgium along with Kim Cljisters.. but sportmanship? character?.. you tell me. A google search on this would probably shed even more light on these incidents, and possibly a couple more incidents.. I don't know.. but try it if you're interested.. and let me know.

Curtains Fall @ Roland Garros 2006

2006-06-11T14:55:00.000+08:00

Justine Henin-Hardenne prevailed over Svetlana Kuznetsova yesterday in the women's finals to win her third French Open title. She won 6-4, 6-4 to go 11-1 against Kuzzie. In spite of the usual unforced errors, I thought Justine and Kuzzie played a pretty good match, especially Kuzzie who absolutely lifted her level of play in the second set.

Yesterday was the first time in a pretty long while that I was able to catch Kuzzie in a complete match. I missed much of her semi-final match against Vaidisova couple of days back, and the little I managed to catch was a conservative Kuzzie just trying to keep the ball in play and letting Vaidisova make the errors. But during the final yesterday, Kuzzie was impressive.. especially in the second set. She was pretty much dictating play.. sending Justine left and right with well-placed shots and was dominating the long rallies. It was a pleasure to see her play but also a shame to see her played well and yet still lost the match. Her fine play wasn't able to win her the match as Justine was able to run down many of the winning shots that Kuzzie fired and especially during the important crucial points. Mentally, Justine was just too tough and smart and simply made sure to come up with winners when they mattered. And that made the difference and won her the French Open trophy.
So this pretty much sums up French Open 2006 for me. Oh, and one last thing, Martina Navratilova was invited to present the trophies to the Justine and Kuzzie, and whoa.. she looked really good. Dressed semi-casually in a black short-sleeved top, light brown pants and with make-up, she wasn't stunningly beautiful, but just looked really smart and attractive in her own Martina way. That was another highlight of the match for me, heh.

Okie, my parting shot.. I personally have no preference as to who should win the men's singles title later at Roland Garros. I read that Federer seems to have found the key to breaking Nadal's game on clay.. I doubt it actually, but we'll see. And of course, may the best man win! :)

(Kuzzie and Justine's photo taken from Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images,
Martina's photo taken from AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Hail, Svetlana Kuznetsova!

2006-06-09T19:40:00.000+08:00

I wanted to pen this yesterday immediately after the match, but Blogger was down intermittently for more than a good half day.. and I didn't have time to do this until now. Anyway, though it's kinda 23 hours late, but still, better late than never I guess.. :)

The title of this posting was decided exactly when the scoreline of the match between Kuzzie and Vadisova was 4-0 in the third set. After the title flashed acrossed my mind for a moment, immediately, said to myself, "Hey, don't get ahead of myself, the match's not over yet.. Vaidisova might fight back." Well, I suppose Vadisova did attempt to, but dear Kuzzie kept her calm and displayed a neat, tight and consistent performance in the final set to eliminate Vadisova and advance to her second Grand Slam final in her career.

Okay, I guess if you've read this far, you would know this is a biaised article from me.. I'm definitely pro-Kuzzie all the way. I've always liked Kuzzie and I'm really happy she managed to do what Amelie and Venus, my two other favorite players failed to. As for Vaidisova, she definitely played well.. and perhaps some may well argue that she was the better player during the match.. but still, my heart's with Kuzzie and undoubtably, her moment will come in future. Afterall, she's only 17...

Actually I missed much of the first set, only saw the opening when Kuzzie was leading 2-0 (I think). I only rejoined the match in the second set and was dismayed to see Vaidisova leading at 7-5, 3-1. Moving on, I was pretty depressed to see Kuzzie playing so conservatively, hitting very safe shots and hardly threatening Vaidisova at all. Vaidisova, in contrast, was dictating play and was hitting furious and hard and going for the lines as usual. The words "lost cause" were dancing around in my head already and I was really beginning to dislike Vaidisova a great deal for defeating three of my favorite players consecutively. (Yes, I can be a sore loser, hahahah..)
Somehow, while all the nonsense was going on in my head, a miracle happened. Kuzzie somehow, despite playing it safe and was non-threatening, actually broke Vaidisova's serve. Vaidisova started missing the lines and was hitting shots wide. After sending a forehand into the net, she started muttering to herself. And amusingly, she continued to do so upon missing shots thereafter. Vaidisova's error count started climbing while Kuzzie's went the reverse. And before I knew it, suddenly, both players were locked in a tie-break in the second set, and to my delight, Kuzzie prevailed 7-6(5) and she never looked back.

It was all smooth-sailing for Kuzzie in the third set, breaking Vaidisova's serve pretty easily as Vadisova's lapse in concentration continued and she continued to mutter to herself. And so, slow and steady saves the day as Kuzzie committed only one unforced error in the final set and went on to win the match. Hurray!

The other semi-final match between Kim and Justine Henin-Hardenne went pretty much the way I expected. I would love for Kim to win, but I kinda predicted the unlikelihood of it. But I had hoped for the match to be a closer fight and not for JHH to have won so easily. Anyways...

As for the final, again I'm rooting for Kuzzie, but playing against Justine, she's definitely the underdog. Against Justine, she's definitely gotta play much better than she did against Vaidisova, 'cos Justine's definitely not gonna lose her concentration like Vaidisova did.. she's not likely to give Kuzzie this luxury. Kuzzie's gotta play her very very best to win 'cos when Kuzzie does that, honestly, I believe she can just about beat anybody!

(Photo taken from AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Svetlana Kuznetsova In Final Four!

2006-06-07T15:46:00.000+08:00

After losing my current most favorite player Amelie Mauresmo in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros 2006, my next favorite player Venus Williams bowed out in almost similar fashion yesterday in the quarter-finals. Both were victims of the same player - Nicole Vaidisova, a young 17 year old from the Czech Republic. Needless to say, I don't quite like Nicole Vaidisova right now.. but I won't dwell too much on this.. though she definitely was the better player against both Momo and Venus. Sigh.

Svetlana Kuznetsova saved my day though. She and Kim Clijsters are the remaining two players on my favorites list who are still competing at the French Open. For Kim to be in the semis is hardly a surprise, I guess.. but honestly, for Kuzzie to have outlasted Momo and Venus is a great pleasant surprise for me.. and at this point in time, I must say I like it. Though Venus was taken out yesterday, Kuzzie more than made up for my disappointment by storming back into the match against Dinara Safina after being down 1-5 in the first set and winning the match in straight sets 7-6, 6-0.
I wasn't able to see Kuzzie's match as ESPN was showing Venus' match live, but I was following her scores live online and was dismayed to see her going down quickly against Safina during the first set. At 1-5, I was pretty much thinking to myself that Safina has got the first set in the bag already. And then surprise!, things turned around. Suddenly, 1-5 became 2-5, then 3-5, 4-5. Whoa, I was most astonished.. and at 5-5, it suddenly seemed like Kuzzie might well take the first set! And she did!

So now.. my hopes are pinned on Kuzzie to put away Vaidisova and do what Momo and Venus failed to do and reach her second Grand Slam final. And in the other semi-final, I'm rooting for Kim to defeat Justine Henin-Hardenne.. but while my heart is for Kim, my head tells me that JHH is more likely to triumph over Kim as the defending champion, plus JHH's really strong on clay.

Sigh, watching Grand Slam matches can be such an emotionally draining activity.

(Photo taken from AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Amelie Ousted.. At Roland Garros..

2006-06-05T02:07:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I was fuming mad.. now I'm feeling down. Amelie Mauresmo just lost her fourth round match against Nicole Vaidisova. It was awfully painful to watch.. the first hour Amelie was playing well and fighting competitively against Vaidisova in the first set, the next hour she was made short and quick work off by her opponent in the following two sets.. and whoosh.. just like that Momo exits from the French Open.

And now, as I'm typing away in front of my tv screen, my other favorite player Anastasia Myskina seems unable to find any answers against Justine Henin-Hardenne. Looks like I'm just not going to get any consolation here.. I'll just have to sleep my blues away tonight.

Vaidisova played well.. pretty well in fact. Her serve was strong and powerful.. and she was fast and very aggressive. Momo just wasn't playing her best game.. her returns were short and many of them ended up in the middle of the court, giving Vaidisova plenty of chances to dictate play.. and dictate Vaidisova certainly did. The scoreline for the second and third set was pathetically 6-1, 6-2. In fact, Momo might not even have gotten on the scoreboard in the second set had it not been for a rare error by Vaidisova. And sadly, that was how effective Vaidisova was at snuffing out Momo.

During the match, the match commentators were commenting and wondering out loud on why Momo was repeatedly serving and playing into Vaidisova's powerful forehand and not into her weaker backhand.. and how she was exposing more than two-thirds of the court for Vaidisova to attack by standing more than a foot away from the center of the court when she serves. Initially, I wasn't paying much attention to their commentaries, but as the match wore on.. and they just kept on repeating their suggestions to Momo, I realised they were right. Momo just wasn't playing a very smart game with this one. At one point, they were even commenting that Momo's coach should try all ways and means to reach out to Momo to get her to hit to Vaidisova's backhand instead. I remembered breaking into a little smile when I heard this.. I guess it kinda showed how much they wanted Momo back into the match. Not much of a consolation really, but still it was something.

At this point, I just have to update that Anastasia.. down 0-5 in the second set.. has just won the last 3 games and is now serving at 3-5. But Henin-Hardenne now has a double matchpoint at 40-15. I hope Anastasia holds her serve and forces Henin-Hardenne to serve for the match. Hang in there, AM!

The earlier part of the day was better. Dinara Safina caused a major upset when she fought back from 2-5 down in the third set and defeated Maria Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 7-5! It was a sensational fightback, and Safina certainly deserved to win. Sharapova had her matchpoints but squandered her chances.. too bad. Sorry to say, but she's never been one of my favorite players, and frankly I was delighted with her loss. But my glee was somehow cut short and snuffed out by Momo's defeat. Somehow I can't help wondering if Momo lost because of my gloating over Sharapova's defeat. I know it's a stupid notion.. but still...

AM just suffered the same fate as Momo and Sharapova. She lost to Henin-Hardenne in straight sets 1-6, 4-6. But to continue from my earlier comment, AM did hold her serve and made HH serve out the match. Sigh, JHH was simply too good.

Though I was aware that Momo did lose to Vaidisova once in their previous encounters, but I really didn't think Vaidisova would have the chance to repeat her feat today. At least not with Momo on homeground, not with the whole French crowd in the stadium behind Momo. Well, I was certainly proven wrong. In fact, after Venus won her match against Patty Schnyder, I was in a dilemma as to who to support when Venus faces off against Momo in the quarter-finals and actually, I had pretty much decided to root for Momo. Unfortunately, my dilemma was unfounded as Momo is no longer in the running. On the bright side though, now I can go all out to cheer for Venus in the quarter-finals.. 'cos I want her to win.. plus, I want her to take out Vaidisova and avenge Momo's loss, hahahah.. ;p

My alarm bells went off when Venus lost the first set to Schnyder. But thank goodness, Venus rebounded back strongly to take the second set 6-3 and even out one set apiece. She went on to finish convincingly against Schnyder at 6-2 for the third set. Her unforced error counts were wonderfully kept to only 16 in the second and third sets. Very cool.

Svetlana Kuznetsova gave me a scare too when she lost the first set 1-6 against Francesca Schiavone. Fortunately, she made a turnaround and won the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Phew!

Kim Clijsters was on cruise control against Daniela Hantuchova. She won 6-1, 6-4. Too strong.

I'm still very disappointed with Momo's defeat. Everything was coming together nciely for her this year and this year really seemed like the best chance for her to triumph at the Roland Garros, but again, she's fallen short. I wonder how she is feeling now. She must be feeling awful, terribly upset and disappointed, I guess. Sigh. If I can get so affected by her loss, I guess whatever she's feeling must be a dozen times multiplied at least. I sincerely hope she does better at Wimbledon and the US Open.

(Photo taken from AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Fuming Mad

2006-06-03T13:34:00.000+08:00

I am fuming mad right now. Absolutely boiling. A bitch sabotaged me at work and now I am left to salvage the pieces. Too upset to even write what happened and anyway, there's the issue of confidentiality. F**k. I feel like giving her two tight slaps. And no thanks to this interfering crazy ^%$&^*()*&^ bitch, I'll have to miss Kim's, Justine's and Anastasia's third-round matches later today. I am exploding. Ever felt so angry that you could cry? I feel like that right now. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

Amelie And Venus!

2006-06-01T10:58:00.000+08:00

Amelie. Gosh, I certainly didn't expect her to give us such a roller-coaster performance yesterday. One set, she was a joy to watch.. the next.. I nearly had a heart attack. One good thing remained constant though.. the overwhelming support reverberating throughout the stadium for Momo never stopped throughout the whole of the game. The chants of "A-meleee, A-meleee, A-melee" by the French kids who turned up in troves to support their number one sports idol seemed like music to my ears. Hah, and that's only 'cos I too am rooting for Momo. But for Vera Dushevina and her supporters, I can well imagine how they must have detested it.

First set was simply smooth-sailing for Amelie, and I had a fun time enjoying the grace of Momo's strokes and finesse as she dominated the set. Dushevina never really settled down at all, and I thought the look on her face showed pretty much how disgusted she was with herself. I never saw it coming, but in the second set, Amelie pretty much came undone by herself. Momo kinda lost her concentration and suddenly her signature solid backhand and forehand strokes were flying wild and wide. Momo couldn't quite keep her serve and was always trailing a break down until she finally broke back and leveled at 5-5. The second set was painful to watch, and I had to work out a bit with my dumbbells while watching to calm myself down. Dushevina wasn't playing exceptional, rather it was Momo who was doing a kamikaze. She couldn't put away easy shots, failed to convert break points and squandered point after point. I almost couldn't stand watching the game. At 5-5, Amelie had to drop her serve and Dushevina once again had the upper hand at 6-5 and serving for the set. Fortunately, Momo broke back to level at 6-6 for a tie-breaker. During the tie-breaker with Momo leading 6-2 and on serve, I thought the game was all wrapped up finally, but no, she had to do the roller-coaster act once more.. and from 4 match points, Momo squandered 3 and gave Dushevina the chance to bring the scoreline to 6-5 before finally closing it out at 7-6(5). Close shave!

My anxiety didn't stop with Amelie. After Amelie's match, Venus rapidly dropped the first four games of the first set within 17 minutes of the match and committed about 12 errors.. and I was like.. oh no, she's totally off today.. she's going out again. And just as unexpectedly, the turnaround came. Mighty Venus woke up, fought back and won the next four games to level at 4-4. She then dropped her serve again for Emma Laine to go up 5-4, saved a set point before levelling at 5-5, and dropped her serve yet again and then broke back to level at 6-6. Venus went on to win the tie-breaker convincingly at 7-6(2), and also the second set and match at 6-2. It was a difficult day for me. As mentioned before, it's unbelievable how Venus kept dropping her serve and then winning points only on her opponent's serve. But still, her fightback from 4-0 down was very impressive and I really hope both Momo and her would do well to set up a showdown with each other in the quarters.

Another good piece of news.. Paola Suarez and Virginia Ruano Pascual are back in doubles. The pair, seeded 8th, won their opening match easily last night.. 6-2, 6-0. Paola, a former top-10 player, has been plagued by injuries in the past year and hasn't had good results in the singles coming back. It's nice to see the pair teaming up again.. and I hope they go all the way to defend their title! :)

(Amelie's photo taken from Getty Images,
Venus' photo taken from AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Upsets @ The Roland Garros!

2006-06-01T01:15:00.000+08:00

Okie, I was wrong yesterday when I thought that Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin should move through easily. I obviously was so blinded by the Greek-god-like looks of Safin that I didn't even realise he was playing the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez who is seeded No. 9. I had totally discounted the fact that Safin hasn't played for quite a while due to injury and that he could and should be rusty. And along that line, I cannot forgive myself for totally ignoring the presence of Fernando Gonzalez. I am ashamed.

As for Andy Roddick.. I was sorry he had to retire.. but on hindsight.. even if he wasn't carrying an injured ankle, he might not have made it.. (of course, he might also have).. 'cos his Spanish opponent Alberto Martin was pretty good yesterday that I had the feeling Andy might have been kinda outclassed. Oops.

Anyway, suffice it to say only Lleyton Hewitt lived up to his seeding.. ranking.. whatever you call it. And watching him play just kinda reminds me why I used to like him so much. Alright, I guess I still like him.. perhaps just not as much anymore. But what I like about him is that he's such a dynamic player on-court that it's pretty charismatic.. just like Rafael Nadal.. but Nadal is even more explosive. But I guess people will find Hewitt offensive comparatively since he doesn't seem very popular among the other players. Well, other than his on-court presence, I have to confess I have a thing for his legs.. his calves to be precise.. I find them very sexy, heheh. *blushes* I like that he wears long socks (well, longer than the other guys anyway) till his lower calves. Hewitt isn't superbly tall.. but that's what I like about him.. his height is just nice.. neither too tall nor short. Okie, I guess I like his build.. strong broad shoulders, great height, and sexy legs.. all these are enough to make up for his average looks. Gosh, I am so damned superficial! Alright, moving on...

Nadia Petrova - World No. 3, seeded 3, No. 1 Russian player. First major upset on the women's side. She was supposed to be one of the hot favorites coming into the French Open.. having only recently beaten Justine Henin-Hardenne and garnering three (or is it four?) titles already this year. Funny, but I never had her in mind as one of the title contenders.. it could be due to my ignorance about her play.. or I might have missed her out. Anyway, better luck next time Petrova. On second thoughts, actually I know why she wasn't in my consideration. Because in all the times I have watched her play.. as far as I can remember, she hasn't made an impression on me. She had always seemed uptight.. and I'm sorry to say this, but I don't quite like the look on her face when she plays.. she almost always looks sulky. Oops, my superficiality rearing its sneaky head again...

Venus is playing now. I'm gonna stop and come back later. Ciao.

(Photo taken from AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Round 1 @ The Roland Garros..

2006-05-30T18:28:00.000+08:00

Just a little update on the excitement at the Roland Garros.. as of now, all my favorite players are through to the second round! No casualties.. yet.. thank goodness.. :)

Amelie had a good game against Meghann Shaughnessy on Sunday, kicking off the championships. Felt a little sorry for Meghann though.. I think it was unlucky for her to have to face Momo in the first round 'cos I felt she was playing well.. if she were playing some other lower-seeded player.. she might have gone through.

ESPN of course showed Maria Sharapova's match as well.. where she was lined up against Mashona Washington. Sharapova was noisy as usual.. and I had to try to mentally block out her shrieks from my head. The first set was typical of a no-brainer as Sharapova sent Washington scrambling left and right with precise heavy-hitting shots down the sidelines. Yawn.. and I kinda dozed off. Felt so sorry for Washington.

Things must have turned around in the second set 'cos when I awoke, Washington had actually managed to carry the match to a third set. Whoa! I immediately sat up, and began watching the game. What a turn-around. Washington was now sending Sharapova left and right.. and even though Sharapova was still hitting balls to the sides, Washington was actually doing a pretty fine job of chasing the balls down and returning them good. She was so good that she was actually up 5-2 at one point. I was actually getting very excited! Twice, Washington had broken Sharapova's serve.. and at 5-2, I was really thinking that Washington's gonna pull off this heavy upset! Now, if only Washington can maintain her level of play and just take down one more game.. and she would have sent the beautiful Maria Sharapova packing...

Sigh, alas.. obviously it didn't happen. Down 2-5, Sharapova started grinding her teeth and armed with super-strong will and determination, she actually staved off 3 match points and went on to win 5 straight games to close out the match at 7-5. I was so disappointed. When Washington didn't carve out her win and the scoreline went on to 5-4 with Sharapova on serve next, I knew Sharapova would prevail. Washington had her chances and didn't make use of them, a player of Sharapova's caliber would never allow her to get away with it.. hell, no. So that was it, Sharapova went through.

Ai Sugiyama is through to the second round as well, disposing off Eleni Daniilidou in a 3-setter. Ai is nice and sweet.. and I hope she goes as far as she can. Her form hasn't been that good in the past 2 years.. and from a top-10 player, her rankings have pretty much slided. I enjoyed the times when Kim and she were partners in doubles.

Kim had an easy first set against Virginie Razzano, capturing the set at love. The second set was much tighter though.. as Virginie started playing better and better, and the winds got more and more gusty.. and Kim lost a bit of concentration (this is according to the commentators). Still Kim managed to close out the set and the match in a tie-breaker, winning 7-6(4). I actually had a whim of hope that it would be fun if it had gone to a third set though I had no doubts that Kim would eventually prevail.. heheh.

I almost always have my heart in my mouth whenever Venus plays 'cos her playing can be so erratic at times. When Venus is good, she can be really good I guess, but when she's not.. she can be so bad that it actually frustrates me to see her play during those times. And for a top player like Venus, she's considered to have a pretty high count for early exits in major tournaments.. so I was really keeping my fingers crossed that things would go smoothly for her and she would have a good game and move into the second round. As luck would have it, ESPN chose to feature Nadal's record-breaking match against Robin Soderling over Venus' match which coincides at the same time, so I was never able to see Venus in action. But won the match she did, and to me, that was most important. One thing bothers me though.. and that is, Venus seems to have a history of not being able to hold serve. I can only be glad she was able to break her opponent's serve as well. High unforced errors count, erratic first serves.. oh dear.. can't help feeling that Venus is playing a dangerous game here.

Martina played earlier.. against Lisa Raymond. No surprises here, she won in straight sets. Just a little incident though, just before the start of the match, Martina had to remove this little patch that says "Sony Ericsson WTA Tour" on the left of her chest from her top.. probably due to some violation of the rules or something. Looks like this little patch isn't that little after all.

Anastasia Myskina had a good game against the "Indian Sharapova" - Sania Mirza. I was able to watch a huge part of the second set on tv after Martina won her match. Anastasia played confidently and her strokes were swift and clean. I was happy for her, 'cos like Venus, she can be pretty inconsistent and I really didn't want her to be ousted in the early rounds. Sania Mirza proved no threat to an in-form Anastasia and Myskina won the match 6-4, 6-1. Good scoreline there! :)

Justine Henin-Hardenne will be playing later.. so will Hewitt and Andy Roddick.. and oh yes, the gorgeous-looking Marat Safin as well. Don't think any of them will lose.. though I certainly wouldn't mind an upset in Henin-Hardenne, heheheh. Oh well, I will hope but I won't pray.. nay, I'm not that evil.. hahah.

Oh, and on a last note, Svetlana Kuznetsova is through too.. gosh, how could I have almost missed her out?? I know, 'cos ESPN didn't show her match on my tv. Sorry, Kuzzie.. ;p

Roland Garros!

2006-05-29T16:37:00.000+08:00

a.k.a The French Open!.. lol.

It's the time of the year again! Tennis Grand Slams.. the 2nd of the year. I'm excited. No, I'm definitely not a player.. hahah.. don't even think I can hold a tennis racquet the right way. But I'm a great tennis fan, and will definitely make a great tennis spectator when I get my chance to go to a Grand Slam.

I am so hooked.. and have been so for the past 3-4 years. Everytime a Grand Slam comes by, I will, without a doubt, try my best to work my schedule around it.. yes, even my work schedule.. just so I can plaster my face on the tv screen and catch my favorite players in action.

I started watching tennis with my focus and preference on men's tennis, but in the past 2 years or so, the women's game has rapidly caught my attention.. and now, I would say I'm definitely more into the women's game than the men's. I still watch the men's game.. but these days with the dominance of Roger Federer in the past 2 years, the men's game has become so much more predictable. Yes, I agree with all the tennis critics out there that Federer is so good, that his style is so graceful to the point that he makes the game look easy, but after a while, it gets kinda boring knowing that it'll always be Federer against some other top guy in the final.. and no matter who this top guy is.. it will always be Federer who would prevail in the end. No more element of surprise.. and that becomes boring for me. I had been rooting for Lleyton Hewitt for quite a while now, always hoping and praying that he would eventually carve out a win against Federer in the past Grand Slam finals, but it hasn't happened, and I doubt it's ever gonna happen now.. not with Hewitt anymore anyway, especially when it seems like he's going downhill. Not to mention that I don't quite like Hewitt anymore as well after he and Kim Clijsters split.

The dominance of Rafael Nadal on clay is such a welcome.. as are his recent wins over the Almighty Roger Federer, but still.. we all know it.. it's still Federer on everyone else's lips.

Meanwhile, the women's game is where my favorites are. Let's see.. there are quite a few players I am so so into... first off.. would be Venus Williams. Not sure why, but I started liking Venus when Serena was so outshining her back in 2003. I guess I've a penchant for the underdog.. but that was how my liking for Venus started. And I still like her now.. but I've added a few more onto my list after she was repeatedly kept off the courts due to injury and stuff. Anyway, when Venus won Wimbledon last year at a time when no one even thought of her as a serious contender, I couldn't stop grinning from ear-to-ear for at least a week.. hahah.. I still smile when I recall her hard-fought victory over the beautiful (but oh, so noisy and dislikeable) Maria Sharapova during the semi-final.. hahahah.. finally! That would be a classic match etched in my memory.

When news broke that Hewitt and Kim Clijsters had broken up, I didn't think much of it. But when news of Hewitt's engagement to a beautiful Aussie soap actress (I think) were splashed just a few months later across the Aussie newspaper while I was in Perth, my heart went out to Kim. Gawd, laid off from the circuit with a serious wrist injury and then dumped(?) by Hewitt.. I felt for her.. and I started liking her. When she returned to the circuit last year and played even better than she had before and finally won her 1st Grand Slam title at the US Open, I added her to my list of favorites.. and it hasn't changed since.

Amelie Mauresmo and Anastasia Myskina are also players I like.. and most recently, I've added Svetlana Kuznetsova onto my list. When Amelie played Kim during the semi-final at the Australian Open early this year, I was kinda sitting on the fence.. because both are players I like. But then maybe I was also rooting more for Amelie because I would love her to win her 1st Grand Slam. Kim had already won the US Open last year, so it would be great for Amelie if she could do the same also. Of course, Amelie did go on to win the Australian Open.. and boy, was I elated! Even though she won it in the most strange of circumstances, still, Amelie was definitely most-deserving of the title.. and nothing should take anything away from Amelie.

One other player who's caught my eye this year is none other than Martina Hingis. When she came out of retirement and played her first Slam this year at the Australian Open, I was blown away by her demeanor during play. Having never seen her play before, I was mesmerised by her cheerfulness.. the smile she has on her face when she played. It was unbelievable.. I haven't seen anyone with a smile on their faces during a competitive tennis match before. And that is such a stark (but great) contrast to the stern look of concentration Venus wears during matches and the seemingly-dark and unfriendly look Sharapova has on her face. And seriously, Martina is really good. She's a very smart player.. and it's really a joy to watch her play. I was happy for her when she won the Italian Open last week before coming into the French Open.. though I'd also wished Venus hadn't lost to her instead. But then, I'm still not exactly decided if I like Martina 100% 'cos I read somewhere that she's pretty homophobic.. having commented Amelie Mauresmo to be "half a man" or something like that years back after Amelie outed herself to be a lesbian.

As the critics will tell you, there's no clear favorite on who will win the women's title for the French Open this year, as has been the case for nearly all the past Grand Slams eversince the "Belgium Pair" and "Russian Army" broke the Williams Sisters' dominance. But I'm rooting for Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters to reach the finals.. and no, I definitely don't want Justine Henin-Hardenne or Maria Sharapova to win the title.

Importance Of Pillows During Pregnancy

2006-05-25T20:21:00.000+08:00

My cousin-in-law Alicia is pregnant again! Okay, lest I paint her out to be a woman who's pregnant ever so often, she's not. This is her only her second pregnancy, her first child is a cute boyish young punk named Darren. Darren's not really a punk, heheh, he just reminds me of one, hahah. Anyway, Alicia came by my house during the weekend with a new big fluffy pillow she had just purchased from Robinsons. Something about needing more pillows to decorate the bed and to make herself more comfortable. So you see.. she's actually the inspiration.. or reason for my publishing the following article.. :)

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Pillows and Pregnancy
by Charles Kassotis

Pillows are generally though of as giving us a comfortable place to lay our heads, or as something that we use to lean against on couches. But there are other uses for pillows. Many of them have special shapes to fit special uses. And one of those uses is during pregnancy. You can use regular and special pillows to add comfort during your pregnancy.

A pregnant woman often finds that she is stuck carrying an increasingly large and uncomfortable load. Her body becomes awkward, and even when laying down she is uncomfortable (special note: during the third trimester one should spend as little time on one’s back as possible). This is because the belly is unwieldy and the body isn’t quite built for comfort in such a state. Using a pillow can help provide support and help ease the discomfort associated with being pregnant.

When using a regular pillow, there are ways to help feel more comfortable. One these ways is to lie on your side, holding the pillow between your legs. Other women find it is more comfortable when sitting to have a pillow in their lap. This gives the belly something to rest on rather than just pulling downward with gravity. Both of these uses for ordinary pillows can result in more ease. These methods both help take some of the pressure off the back, and can help the woman’s back hurt less during pregnancy.
There are also special pillows that can be used to help ease the body during pregnancy. These pillows are specially made to fit the contours of a woman’s body so that they fit easily and comfortably. They are simple to use, and do not require a great deal of extra shifting around and special measures to hold them in place. When the pillow fits the body, it is just easier to work with.

One of these pillows is a pillow that looks like an inner tube with an open end. This snugs right around a sitting woman, just as an inner tub might. It holds up the belly and can provide great relief. A regular pillow might slip out of position, but the special pillow is made to wrap around the body so it stays put. And this pillow is also helpful after giving birth: it can provide an arm rest of sorts for a mother holding or breast feeding her baby. There are other pillows that are made in a shape that fits comfortable between the knees. This sort of a pillow is ergonomically designed for comfort and simply provides a level of comfort unmatched by the regular pillow.

As one might expect, the special pillows do cost more than a regular pillow, but the intangibles in the form of comfort and ease of use often outweigh the cost for many people. These pillows come in a variety of colors, and with the ability to order pillows containing different designs. You can usually find the special pillows in a baby store, a mother supply store, or easily on the Internet.

Find out how you can order special and regular pillows, as well as a variety of throw pillows and accent pillows, by looking at The Pillow Cart

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Keeping Healthy During Your Pregnancy

2006-05-23T17:45:00.000+08:00

Enjoying a Healthier Pregnancy
by Charles Kassotis

While sometimes pregnancy is just difficult, it is possible to have a less stressful pregnancy by following healthy practices. Even though you may not completely get rid of some of the inconveniences (like morning sickness), you can feel better about yourself and your situation if you are careful to indulge in practices that help you feel good. Some of these include exercise, diet, and rest.

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, it is important not to strain your body too much when you are pregnant. Consult with your physician before beginning or continuing any exercise regimen. Walking is usually fine, and if you have been jogging before the pregnancy, it is usually okay to continue. But you should ask your doctor first. Additionally, there are special yoga workouts designed for pregnant women. Many of the moves in more conventional yoga are stressful to the fetus and can cause problems. Avoiding strenuous aerobic activity may be recommended if you do not already do aerobic exercises. And swimming is one of the best exercises you can do for yourself while pregnant. But make sure that you find out from your doctor what is allowed in your condition.
Eating well is another important aspect of pregnancy. It is healthy to gain up to about 20 pounds over the course of your pregnancy. However, this does not mean that eating junk food all the time is a good idea, although everyone needs their fix of it every now and again. Healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and lean meat and poultry are good ideas. Try to avoid fish, as the mercury content can be dangerous to your developing baby. Ask your doctor or a nutritionist whether some types of fish, on occasion, might be acceptable. Avoiding alcohol is important, as is limiting caffeine. The problems associated with alcohol are well known, but many people don’t realize that caffeine can restrict blood flow, making it more difficult for the fetus to receive nutrients from your blood. And be sure to take your prenatal vitamins. This will ensure that your developing baby gets all of the nutrients she or he needs.

Rest is very important during pregnancy. You want to make sure that you get adequate sleep each night. Sometimes this can mean as many as 10 hours. But it is important to give your body and the fetus adequate time to recover from the strains of the day. If something seems too much for you, say no. When you are pregnant, you have other demands on you. You will have a much better pregnancy if you can get rest. If sleeping at night is difficult (as it can be especially in the third trimester), make sure you take some time during the day to lay restfully on the couch with a book or to sit quietly with some other activity that you enjoy.

Taking good care of yourself can contribute to a healthier, happier pregnancy, and one that is a little easier.

Learn more about pregnancy, and about other issues that affect women at the women’s resource site For A Better Her

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Going Natural During Pregnancy

2006-05-21T13:19:00.000+08:00

Use Natural Health Products To Help You During Pregnancy
By: Gregg Hall

When you are pregnant, you are constantly worried about your growing baby’s health and your own health. Investing in natural health medicine can help you reach those goals that are vital to your health and the health of your child.

With all of the products on the market now that are causing unwanted side effects in adults there is no question that anyone who is pregnant would want to stay away from them. Fortunately there is a healthy alternative available for the expectant mother in natural health medicines and natural health supplements.

Doctors often advise pregnant women to be highly selective of the type of medications that they take. This is the reason why so many women opt for natural health medicine when they have any kind of illness during pregnancy--and also why you should consider using natural health medicine if you are pregnant.

Natural health medicine will help you and your baby to achieve a more consistent state of natural health without experiencing those nasty side effects most chemical medications can cause.

It is important to remember that if you have an illness, you should always consult your doctor before you undertake the task of purchasing any medicine, including a natural health medicine.
You can tell them you are interested in using natural health medicine to help you deal with the discomfort that your pregnancy is causing.

That is the best way to ensure that you will not put your baby at risk by perhaps taking medicine which even though the ingredients are natural could have some effect on your growing baby in some way or the other.

Remember that every pregnancy is unique and therefore has unique needs, which you should be aware of. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you are doing the best to ensure your baby’s health.

And normally most natural health medicines will be able to provide for both you and your baby’s needs. They help your growing baby’s immune system as well as your immune system that is working hard to help your baby grow.

If you are pregant or are thinking of becoming pregnant be sure to discuss the natural health alternatives for treating any illness you may have during pregnancy with your doctor.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For great natural health products go to www.shop4betterhealth.com

Detoxifying for Pregnancy

2006-05-21T12:39:00.000+08:00

I've always been somewhat fascinated with the idea of detoxifying my body. I feel it would require extensive discipline and perseverance. Body detox is good for health as toxins-eliminating - that's something I've long known - and for slimming too.. but I've never known detoxifying as a factor that would aid conceiving. Wonderful...

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Detox Your Body to Conceive
By: Sandra Kim Leong

You would like to prepare your body for pregnancy. You take your daily dose of chromium and prenatal vitamins, exercise, sleep well, and chart your cycle so that you are sure to know when you are most likely to conceive. You've done just about anything your friends, magazines, mother or mother-in-law have to advised on this subject. Yet, you find it difficult to conceive.

Now, have you considered an alternative healing method: body detox? Detox is simply the process of eliminating toxins from your body. An overaccumulation of toxins occur with an unhealthy diet, unclean water or in a polluted environment. When this is an excess of toxins, the functions of your body organs slow down and do not perform optimally.
In fact, it is believed among fertility specialists that difficulty to conceive results from a body imbalance. Imbalance can happen emotionally or due to excess stress, hormones or an excess of acidity. When you detoxify your body, you stop feeding it large amounts of sugar that affect your hormones and that throw your acid/alkaline levels out of whack. These sugars come from the processed foods in your diet. Without the process of digestion to focus on, your stressed body can focus on cleaning out toxins. Once your body is sufficiently cleansed, your body is well prepared to "house" a foetus.

It is not just diet alone or fasting or special teas that will aid you in detoxifying your body. Just eliminating highly processed foods full of additives and sugar is a start. More fruits and vegetables will help in a gentle cleansing program. Healthy bowel movements to eliminate waste from the body every day is an absolute must!

Exercise plays an important part in cleansing our body. Lack of exercise allows toxins to accumulate in our bodies, thus affecting balance necessary for smooth functioning of all organ parts. Benefits of exercise for the purpose of detox include speeding up the removal of toxins and waste materials from the cells, increased blood flow that carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells, lowered blood pressure and increased lymph circulation. Exercise stimulates the development and maintenance of bone tissue, muscle mass, strength and endurance – all necessary for smooth labour and delivery later on.

Just as physical toxins need to be cleansed, toxins that affect the mind and spirit must also be dealt with. Stress can create havoc to an otherwise healthy body. Stress can have a vast impact on the ability to conceive. To deal with stress, seek out meditation, deep breathing, healthy relationships and situations that boost your self-esteem. Alternative therapies that you can try are energy balancing and EFT.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Sandra Kim Leong writes on detox and cleansing; including colon cleansing, liver cleansing, kidney cleansing, detox diet , juice fasting and alcohol detox . Read updates in her popular blog at www.Detox-Cleansing.com.

Just for Fun: A Life Survey..

2006-05-16T08:55:00.000+08:00

I came across this survey during one of my blog-roaming.. and found this on one of the blogs and sought permission to make a few changes and replicate it here. This is mine! Do try this out and we could share the info.. :)

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Place an X by all the things you've done, or remove the X from the ones you have not. This is for your entire life! Special thanks to Marlow for the contribution!

( ) Smoked a cigarette
(X) Drank so much you threw up
(X) Crashed a friend's car (indirectly caused an ex to crash his parents' car, heheh)
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Shoplifted (as a kid)
( ) Been laid off/fired
(X) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
(X) Snuck out of your parents' house
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school (oh yes, who hasn't? ;p)
( ) Seen someone die
( ) Been to North Pole
( ) Been to South Pole
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Purposely set a part of yourself on fire (what the hell???)
(X) Eaten sushi (of course!! and super-yummy too!)
( ) Snow skiing
( ) Water skiing
(X) Met someone from the internet
(X) Been to a concert
(X) Been to the Opera
( ) Had a root canal
(X) Taken painkillers
(X) Love someone or miss someone right now
(X) Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(X) Made a snow angel
( ) Been to a pajama party
(X) Had a tea party
(X) Walked in the rain without an umbrella by choice!(X) Flown a kite
(X) Gone puddle jumping
(X) Played dress up
(X) Jumped into a pile of leaves
(X) Walked in a rain forest
( ) Gone sledding
( ) Gone snowboarding
(X) Been to a ballet
(X) Been lonely
(X) Fallen asleep at work/school (all the time! i also mastered the art of tapping fingers while sleeping.. :D)
( ) Used a fake ID
(X) Felt an earthquake
(X) Slept beneath the stars
( ) Been robbed
(X) Petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo or jackalope
(X) Won a contest
(X) Run a red light/stop sign
(X) Been suspended from school
( ) Had braces
(X) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
( ) Danced in the moonlight
(X) Liked the way I looked
(X) Witnessed a crime
(X) Questioned your heart
( ) Been obsessed with post-it notes
(X) Squished mud through your bare feet
(X) Been on the opposite side of the globe
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Been to Africa
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang karaoke (definitely!)
(X) Paid for a meal with only coins
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
( ) Made a bonfire on the beach
(X) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller-skating (and sucked badly at it)
(X) Ice-skating (no talent with wheels on my feet)
(X) Had a wish come true (power of prayer, believe in it!)
( ) Jumped off a bridge into a lake or river

tags : survey | life | fun |

Just For Laughs..

2006-05-15T11:10:00.000+08:00

Ah Beng The Silly Singaporean..

Q: Why did Ah Beng go to a movie with his 18 friends?
A: Because "below 18" not allowed lah!
*******
Ah Beng wants to buy a TV set. He goes into an electrical appliances shop.
Ah Beng: "Do you have a color TV?"
Salesgirl: "Yes!"
Ah Beng: "Give me a green one, please."
*******
Ah Beng is filling up an application form for a job. He supplied the information for the columns on "Name", "Age", "Address", etc. Then he comes to the column "Salary Expected", but he is not sure of the question. After much thought, he writes "Yes"...
*******
Ah Beng goes to a store and sees a shiny object.
Ah Beng: "What is that shiny object?"
Salesgirl: "That is a thermos flask."
Ah Beng: "What does it do?"
Salesgirl: "It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold."
Ah Beng: "I'll buy it!"
The next day, Ah Beng goes to work with his thermos flask.
Boss: "What is that shiny object?"
Ah Beng: "It's a thermos flask."
Boss: "What does it do?"
Ah Beng: "It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold."
Boss: "What do you have in it?"
Ah Beng: "Two cups of coffee and one cup of ice-cream."
*******
After making photocopies of documents, Ah Beng always compares it with the original for spelling mistakes.
*******
Ah Beng always smiles during lightning storms because he thinks his picture is being taken.
*******
Q: Why can't Ah Beng dial 911?
A: Because he can't find the number "11" (eleven) on the phone.
*******
Ah Beng had just bought a new computer and was using it. He then encountered some problems, and decided to use the 'Help' command after some tries. Soon after, he became very irritated and called the computer retailer for support.
Ah Beng: "I press the F1 key for help, but it's been over half an hour and still no one came to help me?!?!"
*******
Ah Beng went to his doctor with two ears red. The doctor asked him what happened to his ears.
Ah Beng answered, "I was ironing a shirt and the phone rang lah.. but instead of picking up the phone, I accidentally picked up the iron and stuck it to my ear lah.."
"Oh dear!" the doctor exclaimed in disbelief. "But... what happened to the other ear?"
Ah Beng replied, "That stupid dumbo called back again lah!!"
*******
Ah Beng is on the phone with a long-distance telephone operator.
Ah Beng: "Could you please tell me the time difference between Taipei and Las Vegas?"
Operator: "Just a minute..."
Ah Beng: "Thank you!" and puts down the phone.
*******
After completing a jigsaw puzzle he's been working on for quite some time, Ah Beng proudly shows off the finished puzzle to a friend.
"It took me only 5 months to do it," Ah Beng brags.
"5 months? That's too long," the friend exclaims.
"You're a fool!" Ah Beng replies. "See this box, it's written for 4-7 years!"
*******
At a bar in New York, the man sitting next to Ah Beng tells the bartender, "Johnnie Walker - single." and his companion says, "Jack Daniels - single."
The bartender approaches Ah Beng and asks, "And you, sir?"
Ah Beng replies, "Tan Ah Beng, married lah!"
*******

Hard Work..

2006-05-08T05:54:00.000+08:00

I managed to accomplish some work on my blogs today.

I finally finished decorating my new blog. It looks pretty okay to me now.. in fact, I feel it's actually quite pretty in its blue template. But I have a feeling my online prince might think I've over-decorated it, which might be true, hahahah. But me being me, I guess I've got so many things that I wanna put up and since I refuse to drop either, that's how the blog's gonna be. So now, I've got a pink pretty blog and a blue pretty one. The next and perhaps the most important thing now is to inject some good content.. which I definitely will. Well, good or not, I already have some stuff in mind.. so I'll probably work on them tomorrow when I can find some time.

Also, in the past one hour or so, I finally managed to figure out just how BlogRolling works. I came across it couple of days back whilst browsing thru' some other blogs. These blogs that I had come across had tons of other blogs that were powered by BlogRolling. And by tons, I really mean tons.. easily over fifty other blogs listed on their own. And one even had hundreds! I went to BlogRolling's website and found they had a huge list of blogs listed there. Naturally, I wanted to be part of it. Well, so I registered myself.. and then I got stuck. Somehow, the hundreds or perhaps thousands of different blogrolls listed there kinda intimidated me. Plus, the navigation was kinda complexed.. and made me quite confused. Hence, I left it at there.. and decided to have another go at it when I feel more intelligent.
Well, I did feel a lil' smarty-ass earlier and decided to launch another "attack" on BlogRolling. Heh, I emerged victorious.. and as a result, my new blog is powered by BlogRolling now.. instead of BlogLinker. Actually, BlogLinker has a more attractive and more user-friendly interface, but BlogRolling seems more popular and seems like it has a bigger database so I think I'll give it a try. We'll see how it goes.. :)

I also managed to finally do up a poll on my other blog, something I've been wanting to do since eons ago. I kinda cleaned up the blog a 'lil.. took out some of the ads that didn't seem to be serving their purpose.. and found that I suddenly had more space. I had seen BlogPoll from earlier when I was reading some stuff from another blog.. and so I decided to create a poll myself. And hey.. it didn't seem so difficult afterall. I actually managed to do it on my own.

So you see.. I feel kinda accomplished today.. so I took it one step further and updated my profile a bit. And then, here I am.. making this entry to mark my accomplishment, lol.

Up And Running!

2006-05-06T02:53:00.000+08:00

It works! My replication of my baby was a success! And so, my new blog is now up and running.. :)

I've just finally completed the 1st feature for my new blog.. so if you guys would like to take a look.. here you go.. click here.

There are still many things yet to be done though.. for instance, I've not done much to beautify my new blog.. it's still pretty much wearing its default look.. which also means there isn't much to look at. And also, to be honest, I'm still wondering if I should change the template of the blog.. 'cos I kinda feel a lil' weird about its color and the functionality of this particular template relative to the nature of my blog.

Well, if you do take a look and if you've any suggestions, comments, opinions, whatsoever.. please voice them out here at this blog.. or that one. I welcome anyone who's willing to share.. :)

So, once again.. my new baby is here.

Oh, and before I go, Technorati is still not accepting my claim on this blog (and I'd really wish I know why).. but it's connecting like clockwork to my new baby. Pinging has been a breeze today.

tags : new blog | template | pinging | technorati |

The Hardships Of Blogging...

2006-05-04T19:35:00.000+08:00

Day 4 in Lock-up now.. that's the life of my new empty blog. So I decided I have had enough. I'm not gonna wait for the guys at Blogger to show me the keys anymore. Since the blog had no posts.. just drafts, I decided to save the drafts and template in my laptop and delete the blog. And I did.

I have not re-created a new blog yet. Maybe I'm grieving for the death of my baby. Actually I'm hoping to replicate the whole thing, from the blog name to the blog url.. I'm still contemplating if I should use the same template. Hmmm.. I think maybe I will. I'm just gonna try everything the same again, and see if I'm really so jinxed. No matter what, I'm determined to resurrect my baby.

Anyway, a ray of light has shone thru'. Earlier, I deleted the claim of my blogs at Technorati.. and re-pinged again. About ten minutes later, presto! my blog posts finally showed up on Technorati! Heh, you won't be able to imagine how happy I felt. Silly me! :P
The blog I failed to re-claim is this very one I'm writing on now. I've tried re-claiming a few more times since, but it's still not happening. Guess I'll just have to keep on trying. Meanwhile, I'll just have to try my best to keep her afloat. Well, at least one is in recovery mode now.

So, for anyone who's having problems with Technorati, try re-claiming. It half-worked for me, perhaps it'll work full for you.. :)

Well, life is tough.. so is blogging. But I'll keep on going... :P

A Blogger's Rants And Grievances

2006-05-03T22:04:00.000+08:00

I don't believe it.

My new blog is still locked by the horrible bots at Blogger's. The one that has a clean empty template and no posts. I definitely didn't know that an empty blog with only a name was capable of causing spam. And the even more unbelievable shocking ridiculous thing is that while it's clearly stated there that the blog would be unlocked in less than a working day once I have verified that there is a real human being working at the blog (which I have faithfully done immediately), it has been more than 3 working days already and my blog remains steadfastly locked.
And while there is the saying that good things come in pairs (or something like that), I can swear the same goes for bad things too. Five days ago, the crawlers at Technorati decided also they didn't like me very much, and decided to stop "pinging" my blogs. So, as a result, my blogs have seen a dramatic drop in traffic.. and are now officially drowned in cyberblog world. And I might as well be blogging offline, 'cos I am almost sure that no matter how much I rant, grunt, scream, curse and swear here, no one's gonna give me his or her time of day.. 'cos Technorati and Blogger have declared w-a-r on me.

Now, at this point, I will explain why I'm typing w-a-r with hyphens in-between. 'Cos my online prince has intelligently enlightened me with the information that there are certain words that can effectively prevent normal Adsense ads from displaying. And w-a-r is one of them. Writing "w-a-r" without the hyphens can cause the Google Adsense bots to place public service ads on my blog for good. And while I'm convinced hardly anyone reads all the nonsense I'm typing these days, I still like my blog to look pretty and sweet.. and public service ads certainly don't cut it for me.

Dear Heavens, what have I done to deserve these??.........

By the way, the blogger here is me.

A Friend's Thoughts...

2006-05-02T16:41:00.000+08:00

A letter from a good friend.. excerpts from her personal offline blog. She has given me permission to publish her letter here, cos this is what she's written to show me.. and also primarily she's not sure if she'll ever talk things over with her partner or show her the letter.

*****************

Feeling down. Haven't been feeling fine the past week.

Firstly, I felt I wasn't getting the respect I deserve in my relationship. When we finally got to "chat online" about the state of our relationship, I unravelled more problems. My opinions, views, suggestions, words of concern, though appreciated, are not welcomed in this relationship. I am instead deemed to be naggy and interfering.

I realise I am viewed as an angry woman whose any attempt to talk about the problems that exist is considered as "picking a fight" or "an attack". I also come to realise that I should not expect to be coaxed or pacified when I get angry and/or upset. Instead, I should calm down or cool down by myself.

And when I achieve that, the relationship will then resume its normalcy. Life will go on; problems should not be further discussed because my partner does not like to talk about problems.

My partner also does not believe in changing oneself to suit the other in a relationship. One should be allowed to be him/herself naturally. Therefore, there is no need to discuss problems. You just have to get over it, accept it and move on.

Here's the problem. I am not a talkative person, but I can be vocal if the occasion calls forth. I have strong beliefs in the importance of communication in my relationship. My partner has to be someone with whom I can share my views and opinions with. Therefore, when I am snapped at and told I am naggy and interfering when I'm expressing my concerns, views or suggestions.. for a moment I am bewildered. Hurt and indignancy then subsequently settles in. I feel like I have been deprived of my rights.
I'm someone who has to talk about a problem when there is one. I believe in addressing the problem.. so as to understand the root of the problem and also to understand the other person better. Even if opinions ultimately differ, there has to be a resolution in order to agree to disagree.

My partner doesn't like to talk about problems. She doesn't believe in talking. And ultimately, that is what I'm most uncomfortable with. It saddens me to know that there seems to be no room for discussion when a problem surfaces.. I am expected to get over it myself and find a way to accept the way things are and will always be. I don't want to have to beg and cower for a chance to talk about problems, this is not what I want in a relationship.

What my partner wants is to have a happy, lovey-dovey relationship where there are no quarrels, no fights.. where no temper flies and anger subsides as fast at it arises. I would love that too.. and perhaps that is possible in some other relationship with someone else. But I have to be realistic and say that it's not going to happen with me. I am definitely someone with a temper, and I hold strong views about how certain things should and should not be. I want a happy, positive and fulfiling relationship where there is mutual respect, where we can communicate and talk about problems as they come.. not sweep them under the carpet and carry on the perfect masquerade.

Feeling lost and helpless now. Emotionally drained also. If I go along with her, she's already there waiting for me.. to carry on the relationship as if nothing has happened. But deep down, there will be this nagging feeling that will bite at me and eat me up. I want to talk, not "chat online". I want to be assured that in the future when problems continue to surface, when differences arise, we will be able to talk about them and not be left wondering, pondering over if I can bring the issues to the table.. or would I have to force my way thru' to lay the cards out.. or would I have to drain myself of all emotions and pretend nothing has happened?

This is my dilemma. What goes on from here from now? Do I have the courage and persistence to insist on an answer now? Or do I stick my guts out and hang on.. and see what happens the next time a new storm whips up?

I don't know.

*****************

Bone To Pick..

2006-04-30T12:10:00.000+08:00

Don't get me started. Moments after I published my previous post, my whole blog crashed. My just-completed makeover wouldn't even load, despite my numerous efforts to republish the blog. And then, what happens? My online prince came to my rescue, hahahah. He reloaded an earlier version of my template.. and at least restored half the pink to my blog. So I spent my past hour inserting the ads and the miscellaneous stuff. Finally, it's up and running again...

Sigh, Blogger. You've made my life a wee bit more miserable.. well done.
And did I tell you the intelligent robots at Blogger's lock up my new blog yesterday? This new blog only has a name and an entirely clean empty template. I haven't even had time to post anything.. and these bots happily locked up my blog due to spam suspicions! What the $%^&*(!! I'm still patiently waiting for them to unlock it....

Good heavens....

tags : crashed | robots |

Pink Makeover

2006-04-30T03:22:00.000+08:00

Blogger is acting up again.. just when I was in the midst of giving my blog a fresh makeover.

From the soothing, almost dull-like green template to this current bright sweet girlish pinkish patch that is staring boldly at you in the face now. Actually, this color is so not me.. I'm hardly what you would call sweet and girly. In fact, I remembered thinking twice and hesitating when I decided to wear a light sweetish pink top out just a couple of days back. In the end, I went ahead with it.. and now, few days later, I've done the same thing again.. not with myself though, but with my blog.
Anyway, I must say, for someone who's just next to being a complete idiot when it comes to html and stuff, to complete this makeover is no easy feat. Coupled with the fact that I'm really quite a fussy woman who demands perfection (something my close friends never fail to remind me about), the makeover has got to be good.. which means the font, font size, lay-out, the design, the color scheme, and what-nots are all stuff that I would scrutinize in the most critical manner. Which explains why this whole makeover project took almost 3 hours.

Actually I would have taken 30 hours and still not be able to complete it had it not been for a wonderfully nice online friend who helped me modify my template the way my fussy character demands it. And guess what, we have never even met! Ahhh, what a wonderful world... and did I tell you I was a complete idiot with html before he came to my rescue?...

tags : blogger | pink | makeover | template |

The South Beach Diet

2006-04-23T03:16:00.000+08:00

I simply cannot resist from posting yet another article about dieting and losing weight.. especially this one talking about the South Beach Diet. In the past two weeks, the words "South Beach Diet" has popped up several times from the mouths of several of my friends during our conversations that when I came across this article that specifically discusses this particular method of dieting, I found this coincidence to be kinda warped.

The questions my friends had regarding the South Beach Diet were the usual ones.. "How does it work?", "What's the big deal about it?", "Is it difficult to adhere to?", etc... Well, I'm not into dieting and I have no special answers to this common questions.. but I think this article would definitely prove to be useful and provide a greater insight to friends who are curious to find out more about the South Beach Diet.

******************

How The South Beach Diet Can Help You Lose Weight And Keep The Fat Off

By: Patricia Zelkovsky

In recent times the South Beach diet has become a popular weight loss program because of the emphasis it places on nutrition and eating habits that helps dieters find the right balance between nutrition and dieting.

Originally developed by an American cardiologist for his patients, the South Beach Diet is known to many dieters as an effective way of losing weight and keeping the fat off.

The basic principle behind the South Beach Diet is that while most diets concentrate on taking away fats or carbohydrates, the South Beach Diet proposes that some carbohydrates and fats are actually good for you and that the ones that do not add nutrients or energy to your diet should be eliminated and the consumption of good carbohydrates and fats should be encouraged.
The kind of fats that the South Beach diet encourages are the healthy unsaturated fats from olive oil and canola oil, for example, and the natural omega-3 rich oil found in fish. Additionally, the South Beach Diet recommends that people get their protein mainly from legumes, nuts, fish and poultry, with red meat eaten less regularly.

The South Beach Diet is divided into stages. Each stage is designed to help the body to adjust to new changes in lifestyle with new eating habits.

Stage 1

During the first stage of the diet which lasts for two weeks, it is important to find foods that do not have saturated fats in them or carbohydrates that may not be healthy like bread, potatoes, sugar, candy, cereals and grains, fruits, baked goods and other types of sugar containing foods. The idea here is that once you cut these foods out for two weeks, your body should be able to balance itself with the nutrients that it needs.

Stage 2

After two weeks the second stage begins and it is in this stage that you can then begin re-introducing, in small quantities, some of the foods that were initially eliminated in stage one. During this time, you will need to figure out how much you need to eat as well as how much weight you want to lose. This will help you to determine how much of each food you can safely put back into your diet in order to stay balanced.

Stage 3

After the dieter reaches the desired weight that he or she wanted to achieve, stage three of the diet begins. In stage three the diet expands to include three servings of fruit a day and three servings of whole-grain a day. The third stage of the South Beach diet is particularly important because it is in stage 3 that the dieter learns to maintain the body weight that he has achieved, while continuing to eat a nutritious and a balanced diet.

Overall, the South Beach diet will provide information on what kinds of foods to eat. This includes seafood, lighter types of meat like chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts and salads which are important parts of the South Beach diet. These types of food are not only known to carry several nutrients in them, but also allow for you to go without being hungry or needing more than three meals a day.

By moving to the South Beach Diet, you will learn to find a balance in your nutrition and in your diet and to allow for you to change your lifestyle so that you can begin to feel healthy and take whatever measures necessary in order to lose weight and keep the fat off.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Patricia has been interested in diets and weight loss since the early 70s and knows how to separate hype from fact. South Beach Diet

An Impulse Posting...

2006-04-18T22:20:00.000+08:00

I shouldn't be writing.. least of all, my blog now. I'm supposed to be muggin' away for my coming exam. To tell the truth, I'm still only at my 1st chapter.. way way lagging far behind my revision schedule. So, I really shouldn't be here.. typing so many words on why I shouldn't be here and where I should be instead. Hahahah.. did I tell you I can be very long-winded?

I can't help it. I was checking my emails.. yet another thing I shouldn't be doing as well.. and I came across this email from DailyOM. I've subscribed to their daily emails ever since I told you guys I came across this article from them that I previously mentioned in my earlier blog posting (but it actually seems like I'm receiving more than one email per day from them).. and so there's always an article of wisdom of sorts sitting in my inbox, compliments from them.

Anyway, yet another article from them caught my eye today. It's titled "The Dance of Intimacy".. beautiful title.. and talks about the dynamics of a long-term relationship. You will be reading this article below 'cos it's really the main reason why I'm still typing away and still doing what I'm not supposed to do.. (hahah, but let's not go back there again).

My best friend is kind of in a terrible rut now in her marriage.. and things are not improving. Hubby and her are doing the cordial act.. talking about the weather and exchanging mere civilities. There are obvious issues between them that they should iron out.. but both are either in denial mode or no one has the energy to lift up the couch and turn out the dust and dirt. In a nutshell, both of them were in my mind when I was reading the article earlier.. and I've already decided to email them a copy.. hoping, just hoping it might help.

Actually, nothing in the article is new.. not to me, and I assume, not to any of you folks as well. But as all-too-intelligent forgetful mortal beings, ever so often, we all tend not to see the obvious.. and many of us have the tendency to go round in circles and complicate matters as well. And then, many a times, certain stuff have to be repeated to us over and over in order to get the message across and implanted in our heads and hearts. And to me, this article seems to be doing just all these.
Oh well.. so here I go, risking copyrights and everything.. to share this article with you. I think I'm not supposed to post this article without seeking their permission or something.. but I'm going to.. but I'm also going to give credit to them... so hopefully, by doing this, I don't think I'm taking anything away from them. An impulse....

To my best friend and her hubby... and sigh, back to my books. My boring life.

*********************

The Dance Of Intimacy
Coming Back To Center In A Relationship

Anyone in a long-term relationship knows that the dance of intimacy involves coming together and moving apart. Early in a relationship, intense periods of closeness are important in order to establish the ground of a new union. Just as a sapling needs a lot more attention than a full-grown tree, budding relationships demand time and attention if they are to fully take root. Once they become more established, the individuals in the union begin to turn their attention outward again, to the other parts of their lives that matter, such as work, family, and friendships. This is natural and healthy. Yet, if a long-term relationship is to last, turning towards one another recurrently, with the same curiosity, attention, and nurturance of earlier times, is essential.

In a busy and demanding world full of obligations and opportunities, we sometimes lose track of our primary relationships, thinking they will tend to themselves. We may have the best intentions when we think about how nice it would be to surprise our partner with a gift or establish a weekly date night. Yet somehow, life gets in the way. We may think that our love is strong enough to survive without attention. Yet even mature trees need water and care if they are to thrive.

One of the best ways to nourish a relationship is through communication. If you feel that a distance has grown between you and your partner, you may be able to bridge the gap by sharing how you feel. Do your best to avoid blame and regret. Focus instead on the positive, which is the fact that you want to grow closer together. Sometimes, just acknowledging that there is distance between you has the effect of bringing the relationship into balance. In other cases, more intense effort and attention may be required. You may want to set aside time to talk and come up with solutions together. Remember to have compassion for each other. You're in the same boat together and trying to maintain the right balance of space and togetherness to keep your relationship healthy and thriving. Express faith and confidence in each other, and enjoy the slow dance of intimacy that can resume between the two of you.

(Article from DailyOM)

Supper!

2006-04-14T01:40:00.000+08:00

This is an article to myself.. 'cos I'm almost always guilty of it. So wrong, but feels so right!.. lol..

*******************

How to Curb Food Cravings at Night to Lose Weight Naturally

By: Jamie Clark

Wanna lose weight naturally and more quickly? Then you've got to control your nighttime food cravings! All food cravings are diet-killers, but the ones that hit you late at night seem to be the toughest to overcome. What's worse, late-night eating has been shown to be a leading cause of weight gain. Your body has much less need for calories at night, so anything you eat is more likely to be stored as fat.

According to a recent USDA study, overweight adults tend to eat significantly more calories at night than normal-weight adults, but they eat only slightly more calories at other times of the day. Another recent study from the University of Texas showed that it's much easier to overeat at night, mainly because late-night snacking seems less satisfying than snacking earlier in the day. Other studies have found that many people eat close to 50% of their daily calories at night!
Obviously, controlling your nighttime eating is vital if your goal is natural weight loss and better health. Of course, it's easier said than done. Here are some very effective tips for curbing food cravings at night:

1. Eat breakfast -- It's been proven that people who skip breakfast have a much harder time losing weight. By eating a big, healthy breakfast in the morning you'll give your body the energy it needs and dramatically reduce hunger and cravings later in the day.

2. Eat several small, healthy snacks and meals throughout the day -- People who eat small meals and snacks every few hours, earlier in the day, tend to feel better and have more energy. They also tend to eat fewer overall calories, especially at night. Keeping yourself from getting hungry may be the best craving-stopping technique out there!

3. Eat a "healthy-sized" dinner -- Don't make the mistake of eating too small of a dinner. You might think you're saving calories but you're just setting yourself up for hunger and food cravings later in the evening. Eat a good, medium-sized dinner that includes lots of high-fiber foods (like veggies, salads, and whole-grain breads, pastas, etc.). It's best to eat more protein and less fat and carbs at this meal because it's less likely to be stored as fat.

4. Keep your mind occupied at night -- Many people have a bad habit of eating when they're bored. They get home at night and "zone out" in front of the TV, often with a bag of chips or cookies at their side. It's called "mindless snacking" and it's a huge cause of weight gain, especially in America. Avoid the TV all together and replace it with something more interesting, like reading a good book, writing letters to friends, or doing a favorite hobby.

5. If you need to snack at night, choose healthy options -- It is possible to snack late at night without piling on the calories (and the fat). Fresh veggies and fruit are good, great-tasting options. So is low-fat, low-sugar yogurt and cheese. If you need something a little more "satisfying" have a piece of whole-grain toast with a small amount of natural peanut butter on top, a handful of mixed nuts, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. Finally, some people find that a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea really helps take their mind off food altogether.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Jamie Clark is a health researcher and writer. He is a co-editor of FreshHealthyUseful.com. Learn more about natural weight loss at www.freshhealthyuseful.com/main/natural-weight-loss-guide/.

Dieting At Your Workplace

2006-04-12T01:04:00.000+08:00

I came across this article on weight-loss once again, and found it to be pretty unconventional. The ideas suggested are worth a try.. :)

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Weight Loss At Work: Non-Food Rewards

By: Virginia Bola

The e-mail comes out at noon. "To celebrate your hard work this week, there is cake and ice cream in the big kitchen at 3 today. Be there!"

The universal reward for hard work always seems to be food: cake and ice cream, a catered lunch for in-service training sessions, pizza for the overtime crew, bagels and cream cheese to brighten up a bleak Monday morning.

Food seems to be the perennial favorite for any kind of work reward because it is universally accepted. Some of us (we hard core dieters) may pass on the sweet stuff but usually find something allowable. In a world where two thirds of us are overweight or obese, is there nothing else available as a gift that cuts across all individual interests?

Recently, we had a whole week at my company devoted to employee appreciation. The primary rewards were, of course, food but other things were added: a company baseball cap, a hiking water container, a lunch bag, and a handwritten note of thanks to every employee from their supervisor. The cap was a bust for those of us with any modicum of fashion sense; the insulated flask and bag were food related, and the handwritten notes were superfluous - good supervisors show their appreciation of hard work constantly while a handwritten note from a harsh supervisor, no matter the "thanks" stated, means diddly squat to a resentful employee.

There HAS to be something else, doesn't there? We human beings have few things totally in common and eating is the primary universal. Other common bodily activities such as urination and defecation are not easily translatable into some kind of reward system. We are all involved in physical activity, to some degree, but that is often more a chore than a delight.

When it comes to our other senses, we all differ so much that one person's pleasure is another person's pain: music, perfume, pictures, or massages are differential tastes rather than general givens.

Money is almost always acceptable but the small amounts that would be individually generated to replace a free dessert or snack would be so minimal that their reward value would be insignificant.

So what can those of us on a permanent diet, and alarmed about our coworkers' increased girth, suggest?

How about plants? Small individual pots or a larger department shrub would save our waistlines while adding to the health and esthetics of our environment. I calculate, just within my call center, that if a plant had been given to each department, instead of an edible goodie, for celebrations over the past 5 years, that I would now be working in a lush rain forest of exotic plants where the stale re-processed air conditioned air would be purer, more humid, and a thousand times fresher. Morale booster and health benefits in one fell swoop!

How about the gift of time? In our overly busy pressured lives, who would not be immensely grateful for a free hour here or there. Rotate it through each department, letting one or two people leave early on a Friday afternoon. That would means something and would carry no cost so upper management should be ecstatic.
Instead of a handwritten note, how about getting Supervisors to perform their subordinates work duties for an hour or so, once in a while? Can you imagine the morale boost for an employee to get off the telephone, or the machine, or the computer, and shoot the breeze with friends for an hour while their duties are performed by their supervisors? And if mistakes are made - so much the better. It creates a sense of equality and inter-relationship between workers and supervisors that is generally lacking in a corporate environment.

How about free "Get out of jail" cards for every line worker? Each person gets one free card and additional cards can be given by supervisors for outstanding work, ensuring that the better workers have more cards. The cards can then be used as excuses for small transgressions - coming in a little late, leaving early, making minor mistakes. With the use of the card, a worker avoids verbal coaching, warnings, or being put on report. And let employees use their cards for coworkers who may need them - think of the teambuilding that would accomplish!

Flexibility of hours, assignments, and days, is another area where workers will universally respond: not to money, or food, but to accommodation of individual needs. Give each employee a wish card and then allow them to use it to get something they need.

What does all of this accomplish? It allows for employee rewards without fats and carbohydrates. Now isn't that worthwhile?

P. S. I'm recommending this to my company. I'll let you know if they buy it!

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Dr. Bola is a psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic, specializing in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. She is the author of a psychology-based workbook for permanent weight control. Reach her at: www.DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html

Can't Beat 'Em? Join Them!

2006-04-08T23:10:00.000+08:00

I can't help it. I'm now hooked on reading up weight-loss articles. I'm not on diet, really.. but these articles are interesting, and so sensible. Anyway, here we go... :)

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Top 10 Health Tips For Easy Weight Loss

By: Tracie Johanson

At any given moment, millions of people in this country are on a diet. From Weight Watchers to the South Beach Diet to the newest diet pill, folks are trying anything and everything in an effort to write their own weight loss success story. Unfortunately for those seeking fast weight loss, the vast majority of weight loss programs on the market today simply do not work.

Diet plans and diet products that offer quick weight loss without exercise are especially prone to failure. "In fact, nearly 95 percent of those who go on low calorie diets regain their lost weight, plus some, within five years. Not a resounding endorsement for low calorie dieting" (Source: Performance Press; April 2006).

That's not to say that all the weight loss tips and diet tips are without merit, however. Tips on losing weight can have a powerful effect when they're combined with regular exercise. That's why we've created this list of the top 10 health tips for easy weight loss.

Is weight loss easy? Not usually, and the reason is that most people try to make huge changes all at once. Pumped up with commitment and willpower, they jump into the latest weight loss product or diet program with both feet. They make too many changes in too short a time period. Drastic lifestyle modifications are rarely sustainable, and all too often lead to failure. If you've been living on junk food for years, trying to switch to a healthy diet overnight will only make you feel frustrated and deprived.

A much better approach is to make small changes that you can stick with for life. So check out the sound advice you'll find in our top ten list, and you'll get the weight loss information you need for success.

** 1) Our first bit of health advice is to skip the super size option. In this tip we’ve assumed that you visit McDonald’s once per week. That may a low average for some of you, so keep in mind that if you’re eating fast food more than once per week the results you’ll achieve by following this tip will be even greater than the example shows. We’re not asking you to give up fast food completely (small, sustainable changes, remember?). Instead, we’re asking you to say no to the SuperSize portion. Just by ordering a ‘regular’ McDonald’s meal instead of the SuperSize option, you will lose almost 6 pounds of fat this year! Want even more good news? This example only factors in the french fries. Add in the calorie savings you’ll get by drinking a regular soda vs. a SuperSize soda and the results are truly amazing.

** 2) The second recommendation in this fitness advice guide is to eat 5 – 6 smaller meals per day. “Eating small meals causes a lower blood sugar response than large meals. A high blood sugar response provides you with quick energy, but it is associated with a large insulin release that tends to cause a blood sugar ‘crash’ soon thereafter. Many small meals taken throughout the day will normalize blood sugar and insulin levels, providing a sustained and consistent energy supply to the cells. A meal every three hours or so is recommended.” (source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; 2001; page 8.4)

A note of caution here, however: This health tip does not mean that you eat 6 big meals per day. Instead, you should take the amount of food you'd normally consume and spread it out over six meals instead of the usual three. For someone on a 2,000 calorie per day diet, that would translate into 333 calories per meal x 6 meals.

** 3) The next tidbit of expert advice is to know the numbers. Everyone on a weight loss plan should know, at a minimum, how many calories they should be consuming every day. This number is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), also commonly referred to as the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or simply the Burn Rate. Although your doctor can help you calculate your BMR most accurately, there are some resources that can assist you in estimating your number.

Your BMR is your ‘calorie target’, assuming that you wish to maintain your current size and weight. For the best fat loss results, cut calorie consumption moderately…..say, 500 below your caloric target.

If you're seeking fat loss, then it's important to also understand that body fat percentage is one of the most important measurements of fitness. All the medical advice agrees that reaching your ideal body weight is best achieved through permanent fat loss (as opposed to muscle loss). With this in mind, this health tip for easy weight loss is to know your BMR and your body fat percentage, along with the corresponding goals.

** 4) It's good advice to know the difference between cheat food and junk food. Cheat foods are those foods that don’t belong in your everyday diet, but still have some redeeming qualities. Junk foods are those foods that don’t belong in your diet at all, ever.

This tip is really a critical one: Understand the difference between ‘cheat’ foods and ‘junk’ foods. Cheat foods have some nutritional value, so although we shouldn’t eat them every day it’s not the end of the world if we enjoy them from time to time. Junk foods, on the other hand, give us absolutely no benefit whatsoever. Again, we want you to make small changes that you can stick with for life. You don’t have to give up the occasional ‘cheat food’ treat – just try to eliminate all the ‘junk food’.

For example, compare a slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza with a Hershey's chocolate bar. Neither are what you'd consider healthy, and both have roughly the same number of calories. But with the pizza, at least you’re getting some nutritional value because that delicious slice contains 11 grams of protein compared to just 3 grams in the candy bar. Cheat foods are not health foods, but at least they’re not junk foods. Choose wisely.

** 5) When you're trying to lose weight fast, some sound advice is to chart your progress. What gets measured gets done, so charting your fat loss progress is a simple step that will help you get motivated and stay motivated. Create a chart for each challenge you face, whether it be working out or dietary habits. The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to chart your progress – what works for you may not work for anyone else. So come up with your own system, create a tracking chart, and post it where you will see it several times each day.

** 6) Do not decrease your caloric intake far below what is required of your BMR, or you risk forcing your body into starvation mode. “Do not under-eat by too much. If you consistently eat way too little, your body will start to think it’s in a starvation state and for the initial period, weight loss and fat loss may become harder than anticipated. After a while of severe underfeeding, instead of preferentially burning fat for energy, your hard-earned muscle will be burned for energy” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 93). So if healthy weight loss is your goal, and you only want to burn fat while you preserve your valuable muscle, then take great care to not starve yourself.

** 7) Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Shopping when you’re hungry is asking for double-trouble, and eliminating this bad habit will help you lose fat by removing temptation from your home. Shopping while full greatly reduces your chances of impulsively buying sweets and treats. This allows you to shop with your brain and not your stomach. Skipping all the extra fattening foods will make one thing fatter, however…..your wallet.

** 8) Take (at least) 20 minutes to eat. Once you start eating, it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that you’re full. The problem is, many of us eat so quickly that by the time our stomach has had the chance to send that message we’ve already put down more calories than we needed.

Here are a few ways to solve this problem:
a) Drink a large (8 or 12 oz.) glass of water 20 minutes before each meal.
b) Physically put your fork down between each bite.
c) Enjoy your family. Have a discussion that stretches out the length of the meal.
d) Serve the meal in courses, starting with a large salad.

** 9) Have a treat once a week. If you deprive yourself of all treats, then you’re just setting yourself up for failure. “Being too stringent on a diet can beget a downfall. To prevent this, once a week, for one meal, have your favorite foods” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 96).

One of the major reasons people fail in their fat loss efforts is that they adopt the all-or-none mentality. When the attempts to stay away from all treats fail, it’s easy to think ‘Oh well, I’ve already blown my diet. Might as well eat another slice’. Planning a weekly treat will help curb those cravings, making a binge less likely.

** 10) Be inefficient. Make extra work for yourself. Take two trips to bring in all the groceries from the car, even if you can do it in one. When running errands, park as far away from each business as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, even if you’re carrying something. In short, be inefficient. “Being inefficient in this way can easily double your activity level and you’ll be burning calories without even trying” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 96).

Remember that walking burns about 108 calories in 30 minutes. Small walks count too. Even if you don’t have time to walk 30 minutes in one session each day, shorter walks that add up to 30 minutes will still burn that same 108 calories.

If you're looking for the best weight loss program available, give these health tips a try. With a little effort, you may just put that weight issue to rest once and for all.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Dieting: Always In (Unfortunately)

2006-04-05T19:28:00.000+08:00

My dear friend read my previous posting and liked it.. so I found another one, to her and all! :)

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The Top Ten Nourishing Foods For Dieters

By: Patricia Zelkovsky

When you are on a calorie restricted diet, it is more important then ever to choose foods that are as jam packed with as many nutritional elements as possible. This is particularly true if you are taking Hoodia.

Hoodia supplementation can reduce your caloric intake as much as 1000 calories a day. This means you need to avoid eating empty calories from foods that lack vitamins and nutrients and stick to foods that give you the most maximum value in terms of nutrition.

Here is a list of the Top Ten Nourishing Foods for Dieters.

1. Beans - Also known as legumes, beans are inexpensive, low in fat, and rich in protein, iron, folic acid, and fiber. Choose from a large variety including garbanzo, pinto, black, navy and kidney beans. Lentils and chickpeas also fall into this group of healthy foods. Eat them as a side dish or snack, in a tortilla with salsa, or in a soup.

2. Cantaloupe - Only one quarter of this delicious melon supplies almost as much vitamin A and C as most people need in an entire day.

3. Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens - These load with vitamin C, carotenoids, fiber and calcium that your body can easily absorb.

4. Sweet Potatoes - These starchy and satisfying vegetables are loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

5. Pineapple - Contains plenty of Vitamin A, fiber and an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down foods efficiently for digestion.

6. Broccoli - This inexpensive vegetable contains lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid (which is needed to metabolize iron)

7. Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1% but not 2%) milk - Milk is an excellent source of calcium, vitamins and protein with little or no artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. Soy milk can have just as many nutrients but it is often a dollar or two more expensive. Only buy soy milk if you are lactose intolerant.

8. Oranges - This familiar fruit is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber.

9. Salmon - The omega-3 fats in fish, especially fatty fresh fish like salmon, swordfish, and rainbow trout, can help reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks.

10. 100% Whole-Grain Bread - It's higher in fiber and about a dozen vitamins and minerals than enriched while bread or "wheat" bread. Look for whole-grain crackers that have the word "whole" in the first ingredient on the nutrition label.

Notice that many of these foods are inexpensive to buy and in the long run much cheaper than investing in expensive vitamin and mineral supplements.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Patricia has been researching health and weight loss information since the early 70's and knows how to seperate fact from hype. Weight Loss Products that work

How Not To Binge When Stressed

2006-04-04T02:21:00.000+08:00

This is dedicated to a dear friend who's facing tremendous stress at work recently and is eating and eating kinda non-stop as a means to relieve the stress.

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How To Lose Weight Even If You Can’t Stick To Any Weight Loss Program

By: Helene Desruisseaux

Maybe you’re like me and can’t stick with a diet for any length of time. I don’t know how much time and money I spent looking for something that works.

I either couldn’t get going with the diet or I spoiled a good run with a binge, usually more than one because I felt guilty about my failure.

Supplements didn’t work because they either were supposed to reduce my appetite but I ate even if I wasn’t hungry. Or they were supposed to increase my metabolism but I would have had to be burn like a jet engine to get rid of the extra food I kept eating.

Was I weak, undisciplined, or lazy? At times I thought so (why else would I have a problem), but that’s not the way the world saw me. I was a work horse, pushing myself hard through illness or fatigue. I was the reliable rock at work. I could negotiate multi-million dollar deals. I was considered courageous in the face of adversity. And I was a regular gym member.

Yet for a long while, food and body issues ruled my life. I now know it’s because I needed the plunge into food, to deal with stress and emotional tension of any kind. My irresistible food cravings were a well-worn survival pattern that couldn’t be reversed with either willpower, or rational insights about my “issues”.

Then I started studying bio-energetics, how we have energy systems that govern our chemistry, and therefore our emotions.

That explained why even therapy couldn’t make a dent in my behavior. Having insights about why I overate, didn’t dissolve the long-established “energy imprint” that pushed me to hide from stress and tension in food.
And knowing about my patterns wasn’t enough to break the chain, because when I had the urge to eat, it wasn’t my rational thought process that was engaged, but my primitive instinctual self.

So if diets didn’t work and a heavy workout schedule wasn’t enough to compensate for my overeating, what was the solution?

Since I couldn’t fight my food cravings, I had to eliminate them.

I had to learn how to dissolve my tension, both the emotion itself and the energy pattern behind it. How? I use a combination of tools including EFT and Releasing. If you don’t know these, you can get results by just being more aware of the tension, and focussing on your intent to let it go.

Life happens and stress is building as the world is accelerating. We can’t isolate ourselves from it. But we can become masters at defusing its effects.

I also needed to change my belief that I was doomed to either overeat or be miserable fighting the urges to indulge. And that’s something else that couldn’t be done on a rational thought level.

Maybe some people can just wish away their unproductive beliefs; I couldn’t. I had to use a particular form of guided visualization. And I had to do it after I had dissolved the “energy knots” that were choking me, or the message didn’t sink in.

Then weight loss came as a natural consequence of healthy behavior. And I didn’t need to be afraid of food anymore. Life is too precious to waste on stale Twinkies.

Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com

Helene Desruisseaux is a success trainer and co-founder of MakingPeaceWithFood a weight loss program designed to eliminate food cravings. Get from their website a free report on "The top 5 mistakes people make when they try to lose weight."

Bed is for Sleeping... and Table for Studying

2006-03-31T02:14:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since my last entry.. I've been busy. Been burying my head and nose into books the past week.. having an exam tomorrow. It's been a while since I took my last paper. Studying isn't exactly fun, but it's kind-of a walk down memory lane.. kind-of like back to schooldays, you know.

And in doing my revision, I did something which I never ever thought I would do. I actually made use of my table! You see, I have this big work table, set up nicely in my room.. but for years, I haven't been using it the way a table ought to be used. It's stacked with trays of files, cds, forms, working stuff, etc.. there's also a vase of hand-made flowers, and some cute beautiful small figurines.. but here's the thing.. I have never sat down at the table before to do my work! That's right, for so many years, I have never done that. And because I have never done any work at the table, I even got rid of the chair couple of years back by deploying it to some other corner of the house.
All along I would do almost everything - sleep, watch tv, write, read, study, work on my laptop, etc.. - on my bed. Sometimes lying down, other times leaning back, or even sprawled out all on the bed (like right now). Basically, my bed is basically my most favorite hangout at home.

Okay, let's leave the bed and get back to the table. Anyway, spending the past week sitting at the table mugging away has been quite a pleasant experience. In fact, I had a great time! I used to think my bed was the most comfy place to be in.. well, it was.. and still is, but problem was.. I always got so comfy on the bed that studying just didn't quite cut it for me.. so more often than not, I fell asleep instead, hahahah.. ;p

Well, I'm not quite sure if I was more efficient at the table than on the bed, but suffice it to say, my whole revision process was made less frustrating ('cos I dozed off less often) which in turn made me feel better about myself. In fact, I'm proud of myself.. :) No big deal definitely, but nonetheless, still proud.. heheh.. ;p

So you see, it took me so long finally realise that the bed is for sleeping.. and the table for studying. But hey, I also happen to know that there're still many uses for the bed and table.. do you?.. ;)

Oh, and did I mention while flipping the pages of my textbooks, I had a great time flipping the channels as well?.. :p

Flowery Doggies

2006-03-24T15:36:00.000+08:00

Which doggie do you like best?

I love the 2nd one! :)

Reward

2006-03-23T11:13:00.000+08:00

I attended a study meeting last nite and the speaker asked, "What is the reward for a job well-done?"

Ans: "More work!"

I didn't quite know whether to laugh or cry at the answer.. but.. well, well said.. and so true.

Culinary Arts

2006-03-21T23:06:00.000+08:00

I bumped into a long-lost friend yesterday on the streets. It felt great to see him again after so long... 14 years, to be exact. Chris was my classmate from secondary school. But he quit our school in Secondary 2, 'cos the whole family migrated. I didn't know where to then.. today I found out that 14 years ago, they had relocated to Vancouver.

Chris went on to study at The Art Institute of Vancouver after completing high school.. and dived into "the world of culinary arts". Culinary arts? What's that? Cooking? More than that, said Chris. He did a Diploma in Hospitality & Restaurant Management, as well as an Advanced Diploma in... okay, I forgot.. but as far as I can remember, it was definitely related to the culinary arts.

We spent the whole evening chatting away, and honestly, it was very interesting to hear him talk about the different cuisines of the world, the art of making pastries, and his fun in the kitchen. He's currently employed as a chef at The Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, one of the finest I believe.. and I could sense his passion and love for what he's doing. He's enjoying himself there.. and still learning. He's currently back in town for holiday and to visit some relatives.. and "to check out the cuisines".

I had a very enjoyable afternoon learning about food, cooking, and Vancouver... and came back with a new appreciation for the culinary arts. Actually, as I'm writing this piece now.. I realise I'm merely rambling on.. there doesn't seem to be much substance in whatever I'm writing actually.. but I guess this is just my little way to commemorate a fine evening spent with a nice old friend.

An Article

2006-03-19T05:29:00.000+08:00

I received a write-up from a good friend via email this afternoon. The article was titled "Listening With An Open Heart - Being A Good Listener". Beautiful, I thought.. as I read thru' the article. No, there wasn't anything fanciful about it.. no bombastic words, no flowery language, just plain o' English. But it was beautiful in its direct, simplistic style.. and yes, every word rang so true.

My first urge was to post it onto the blog to share with one and all.. but I couldn't, at least not without checking on the source. A quick check with my friend revealed that it was sent to her by another friend.. and so she had to check with the other friend to sniff out the source. I had to wait. Frustrating.

I hate to wait... and so I decided not to. Let me search the internet, I thought... and within seconds, I found it. It came from DailyOm.com. I experienced slight joy and slight anguish at the same time. Joy at having found the answer myself, anguish for not being able to copy and paste the whole article here in its entirety, since it belongs to another website. I can only provide the link here...

Still, DailyOm.com is a very nice website, with plenty of such useful articles. You can subscribe to their mailing list for a free dosage of their daily horoscope and articles. Check it out.. you might just like it. I did.

My Collection Of Quotes

2006-03-18T02:54:00.000+08:00

"Nothing is more important than peace. Nothing brings more happiness than peace. Peace is, the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind." ~~ Daisaku Ikeda ~~

"Cherry, plum, peach or apricot blossom -- all, just as they are, are entities possessing their own unique qualities." ~~ Nichiren ~~

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action." ~~ Mother Teresa ~~

"Non-violence is not a cover for cowardice, but it is the supreme virtue of the brave." ~~ Mahatma Gandhi ~~

"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work for it." ~~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~~

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." ~~ Confucius ~~

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplance takes off against the wind, not with it." ~~ Henry Ford ~~

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up." ~~ Thomas Edison ~~

"Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught." ~~ George Savile ~~

"Study is not seen as a preparation for living, but rather study takes place while living, and living takes place in the midst of study. Study and actual living are seen as more than parallels; they inform one another intercontextually, throughout one's whole life." ~~ Tsunesaburo Makiguchi ~~

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable." ~~ Sydney J Harris ~~

"True happiness is not the absence of suffering, you cannot have day after day of clear skies. True happiness lies in building a self that stands dignified and indomitable like a great palace - on all days, even when it is raining, snowing or stormy." ~~ Daisaku Ikeda ~~

The "In" Thing

2006-03-15T18:20:00.000+08:00

I've decided I don't wanna be writing about Google Cash, Affiliate programs, Google Adsense, HYIPs and Auto-surf programs all the time. There are more than enough sites and blogs around that are talking about all these and I'm definitely no expert here. So let's bring in more variety.. ;p

Well, buying property seems to be the "in' thing amongst my circle of friends these days. Nope, I don't have filthy rich friends, but I guess they're okay.. perhaps above average.. probably what one would term as yuppies. Just after Chinese New Year, my boss started actively looking at the classifieds, and calling up property agents to fix up viewing appointments. I had been with him to look at a couple.. and well, very interesting. :) The fad seems to have caught on, and suddenly, before I can cry "ouch", one of my closest girlfriends sprung up with the news that her boyfriend and her have bought a $900,000 condominium unit. Whoa... why haven't I heard her mention anything about looking at property in the first place?? Heh, I guess I can only attribute it to a woman's sudden whim or fancy. Afterall, buying property is pretty much like shopping, isn't it? Some women would do their research, compare prices, compare quality, then zoom in for the kill.. while others would simply adopt the "I see, I like, I buy" attitude.. swift and clean.. all in a day's work! Well, usually in less than a day.. ;p

Another piece of news from the grapevine.. another girlfriend and her husband have also recently bought a unit from a government-flat-turned-privatised-property with the hope of the development getting an en-bloc. Clever move for investment, I say.. the way I see it, chances are high. I would have comtemplated doing the same.

Yet another close friend and her girlfriend bought a private 1-bedroom unit recently, for investment purposes. They've plans to rent out the unit when it's ready, and with the property market poised for growth in the next few years, chances are high for capital appreciation. Already, industry analysts have predicted rental income to increase by some 5-6 percent in the 2nd half of the year. Another wise move, on paper at least, I say.

Well, seriously, what are the factors to consider when buying a property? I'm sure there are many many factors that would play a part but I'm no expert here, so my opinions are purely my own and not to be deemed in any way otherwise. For me, if it's private, it's definitely gotta be freehold. Location is very important too. If the property is for investment, it's gotta be located conveniently with good amenities and facilities within a stone's throw away. Bus stops, train station, a shopping mall with a good line of retail outlets, etc., would prove popular with potential buyers and tenants alike. Oh, and full-length windows overseeing a fantastic view would capture hearts too. But of course, what is deemed "fantastic view" in the eyes of one would differ in the eyes of another. Some people would love to have a home overlooking the sea, while others would love to have a bird's eye-view of the city lights and skyscrapers.

Perhaps one situation where amenities and even leasehold or freehold don't really matter is when the property is located in an exclusive high-class district. Note: high-class, not prime. Most times, these exclusive high-class districts are usually secluded, quiet areas with lots of landed property, where amenities are perhaps not exactly within walking distance, but wouldn't really matter anyway, 'cos the truly affluent ones (usually the rich, powerful and famous) living there drive and they would rather drive some distance for a mall or restaurant in exchange for some privacy and peace in their abodes.

Couple of weeks ago, I read in an online forum somewhere where there was an on-going discussion about property, how someone wrote that there's usually one "king" of all private developments in every area and how to go about sniffing this "king" out. Ahhh.. complicated stuff there, and that would be another topic for another day.. if that day ever comes.. ;p

Something Worth Mentioning...

2006-03-15T13:41:00.000+08:00

I'll like to talk a little about the few current programs I'm still actively vested in. Well, actually not many left, just a miserable two programs that I'm still surfing on a daily basis.

Surf20Cent has been around since late last year, I think. Well, I'm not sure of the exact date actually.. and it's not accredited on their website. Anyway, they've been kinda low-profie, but surprisingly, they're still standing proud and strong despite the storms that have hit the auto-surf industry the past few months. What is amazing is that they seem to be a mere bystander to all the hoo-haa. They adopted a wait-and-see attitude when E-Gold, their only payment processor, was having a bit of problems with the FBI. Thank goodness, E-Gold managed to escape unscathed, and thus, business for Surf20Cent carried on as per normal. They didn't introduce EMO as an additional payment processor (which on hindsight is a blessing in disguise) as did 12DP and other auto-surfs and neither were they affected when StormPay decided to play bully.

What they've done during this time was to upgrade to a new server, and gave their website a fresh new look. Of course, they've had their fair share of problems as well.. bandwidth exceeded, cpanel attacks, cheating members, etc.. but payment has been prompt (within 72 hours) so far, and to-date, their Admin has pretty much adopted a pro-active stance and has faithfully sent out emails at least once a week to keep members updated.

Well, I'm not saying Surf20Cent is the best program around, but it has certainly impressed me thus far. Per upgrade unit is only 20 cents with upgrades lasting 50 days with advertising credits, and you only need to have $2.00 in your account to request for cashouts. Where many of their peers have fallen, the very fact that they're still around and working fine.. I would say Surf20Cent deserves a kind mention here. :)

Of HYIPs and Auto-surf Programs

2006-03-14T20:01:00.000+08:00

I started getting hungry 7 months ago.. A dear friend who helped me to place free adverts for proofreading services led me to click on another ad nearby that led me to the now-defunct-and-declared-scam 12daily Pro website. One thing led to another, and from there, I was attracted too to the now-management-empty StudioTraffic.

As with majority of the auto-surfers, I soon began my new ventures in 12DP and ST. Truth be told, I liked 12DP much more, not sure why.. just some gut feel, I guess. And so I pumped more money into 12DP than in ST, and for 4 nice months, things went smoothly. Then troubles brewed.. first, 12DP blocked my account due to some IP problems, but that was resolved within a week, so it was still okay. Then ST blocked my surfing services unjustifiably and it remains blocked to this very day. By a horrible twist of fate, StormPay decided to keep all funds for itself, and indirectly caused the downfall of 12DP. Of course, the media and some black ugly sheep vested in 12DP played a huge part.

Anyway, to cut things short.. the start of this beautiful year of 2006 resulted in my online monies mostly locked up now with FBI, SEC or (T Lennon) and ST. My adventures with the few new auto-surf programs that I dallied with in the past 2 months haven't been smooth-sailing as well.. most have folded up to avoid ending in the same fate as 12DP, or have simply vanished into thin cyber-air. Of cos, along the way, I employed the principles of diversifying, and invested some monies into some HYIPs and a couple of cyclers, but again, most have turned into scams. As for my cyclers, they're still around but I'm still awaiting my turn for my investment to be cycled, hahahah.. :p

All these have led me to further explore other money-making opportunities.. so in comes Google Adsense, blog-writing, Google Adwords, Google Cash, ClickBank, etc.

Anyway, though SEC has declared 12DP a ponzi and therefore a scam, 'cos Charis has been so nice and responsible and so open thru' it all, I still choose to stand with her, and should she decide to make a comeback, well, she's got 1 supporter here.

By the way, I still offer proofreading services. :)

Determination Re-determined

2006-03-14T13:21:00.000+08:00

Okay, I admit it.. I'm money-crazed these days. These days, I'm always searching frantically for some good online programs out there that can start me on my path to earning a nice passive income. I'm paving my way to the day where I can proudly declare I'm ready for retirement (read: quit my full-time job and yet still live comfortably without fearing where my next day's bread and butter will come from).

It's no easy feat. A search thru' Google led me to a thousand and one websites, all claiming to be THE one that would bring me the riches I crave for. Almost all claim their programs are as easy as A-B-C, requiring just an hour (or less) of work that will yield from hundreds to thousands daily. Wow, that sounds like just what I'm looking for.. yeah, except that there are thousands of them, and rather than feeling exhilarated, I actually end up feeling confused, wary and deflated.

I won't lie. I've been cheated, not once, not twice.. but ample times. So much so that I've lost count myself.. okay, I said I wouldn't lie.. so in truth, I didn't lose count. Rather.. I refuse to count my failures. Heheh, it's easier this way. But still, I refuse to give up. I refuse to give up my quest to find THAT 1 program (or maybe 2) that will work for me. I'm stubborn that much.

Hence, my decision to blog my quest for that elusive path to online riches here... I will attempt to pen and share my thoughts on the programs that I come across, and if I should test them out, what my results are. I'm sure this path is definitely no stranger to many of you out there, so folks, if you can, let's share our findings together.Life really shouldn't be just about work alone, there's gotta be a simpler and less time-consuming way than simply slogging it out day and nite, spending two-thirds of our waking moments to earning the dollars and cents.

Blog this page, guys.. and stay updated!