Monday, September 27, 2004

Creative breakfast!

Creative breakfast!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many studies have found a relationship between eating breakfast and learning ability, attention span, and general well-being. The American Dietetic Association reports that adults who eat breakfast have an easier time losing weight. Children who regularly eat breakfast think faster, clearer, solve problems more easily, and are less likely to be irritable. Breakfast is important for all ages, not just children.

So why is it 63% of people today do not eat breakfast? Is it because they get up late and have no time to make breakfast? or is it just because they cant find something impressive to feel like eating. So why not make your breakfast impressive?

Change the old light bulb, and start thinking! How am i going to make my simple breakfast interesting? Statistics show that people are more more drawn to a meal to what it looks like. Looks can be decieving, but when it comes to food, 80% of people today are deceived. But thats not a bad sign. In fact some food taste really good. Would it not be better if the food looked good and tasted good.

I have always had the tendency to try to make the most impressive breakfast. If it did not look good, i would prefer to fast the morning meal. One simple idea i took from The Oprah Winfrey show was how to make pancakes looks delicious and yummy. Now this dish contains 2 regular home made pancakes topped with mapple syrup poured on top of the pancakes in a smiley face style. After which slice two pieces of strawberries into thin slices and place them around the pancakes. This will make the pancake look like a sunflower. Now that is what i call a cheerful, creative, makes me wanna eat breakfast. Now if we all made our breakfasts look the way we want them to, don't you think you have just started your day with a bright smile on your face simply because you have achieved making what you wanted your breakfast to look like.

There are loads of different approaches you can take when making your breakfast. I know someone who makes his breakfast look like frankenstein's home! Well as for me, i love cheerful breakfasts.

Anyone have an interesting breakfast idea?

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Key to patience.

Key to patience.

I find it rather funny that people find it annoying to sit down and knit, but don't find it annoying sitting in front of a un-upgraded computer for hours. If i am not wrong, both of these task require a lot of patience. So why is it that most people prefer computers to knitting?

Yes, i agree that knitting may be an old trend, but i feel that the amount of patience needed to knit is no where close to one using a computer. "using a computer, requires long waits as two are communicating in two different languages."- John Mill. So why is it, we have so much patience with computers?

I use to say, i hate knitting, as i have a very short attention span, but yet i can sit in front of my old rugged un-upgraded computer for hours without even coming close to the sentence. "i hate computers!"

But recently, i have been getting very restless, and annoyed at having to use a computer that takes 5 minutes just to get into the next page. No, i thought this was rather slow, but many friends say that its nothing compared to 15 minutes of waiting for a page to load. Yet these friends, don't get irratated waiting. If a needle and thread were given to them to knit a simple cloth, most people like them would get so frustrated after only 5 minutes. So what is the logic here?

What is your key to patience?

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Is alcohol so bad after all?

Is alcohol so bad after all?

"People who have a daily glass or two of wine or beer are in better health than those who abstain"

Too much drink is undoubtedly bad for the system, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, liver damage and some cancers. But many experts now believe that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can reduce the incidence of some health problems.

"Research has shown that there are modest health benefits from a moderate intake of alcohol," says Brigid McKevith, nutrician scientist with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). One of the benefits of alcohol comes from ethanol, which increases "good" HDL cholesterol and reduces blood clotting. A 12 year study of 38,000 American men showed that those who consumed small amounts of alcohol at least 3 to 4 days a week had a lower risk of heart attack. Neither the type of drink or whether it was taken with a meal or not affected the results.

There might be mental as well as physical benefits to moderate alcohol consumption. Research carried out by a team at University College London suggests that alcohol can enhance brain function. Of 6,000 civil servants studied, those who drank the equivalent of one glass of wine a week did better in a range of cognitive tests than teetotallers, while people who downed the equivalent of half a bottle of wine or two pints of beer a day scored highest of all. The effect is thought to be due to increased blood flow to the brain and the results were most striking among women drinkers- Copyright of Telegraph Group Ltd, London

The above is an extract from a Star newspaper article dated 15th September 2004, an article written by Barbara Lantin as she reports on new research. The reason i raised this article on my blog today, is simply because i found it to be a very controversial topic of discussion among youngsters today.

If this research makes any sense, then why is it today parents make a big deal when their child consumes alcohol? I was and still am not allowed to go out to clubs or pubs at night, because my parents fear that i would come home drunk. On occassions that they do allow me to go to a club or a pub, i would receive a large amount of phone calls, telling me to get back. It is only 10.30, and the phone starts ringing. Now, i don't understand why parents make such a big fuss when it comes to drinking. If this research makes sense, then parents should encourage their children to have a glass or two a day. It will only keep them at better health.

I noticed most parents, including my own, tend to worry a lot and abstain their children from alcohol. Pschycologist say that if a parent would give their children more freedom, they would pick up on responsibilty. My parents seem to say i am very rebellious, that i do things behind their back. Well, to be honest i only do them to take revenge. If i was allowed to do them, i would stop and think and then make a desicion. But because they dont, i am taken in by peer pressure. If my parent were to allow me to go out clubbing without making an issue that its a club, and there is alcohol, i would then go, but this time i will go in with responsibility.

I am not the only 18 year old out there, who has a view like this. Many of you do. More freedom should still be given, and then responsibilty will be seen. Parents should try and understand their children, instead of always abstaining them from the real world. A child can feel so lost and lonely out in the real world.

I tried to show my mother this article above and she just pushed it away refusing to read such nonesense. Now why is it, that she is so narrow minded to something like this, that continues to question her own children. She keeps saying "no", but not "why no".

For those of you reading the article above, open your mind to it. You do not have to follow it, but know that its just some proven research. So don't always believe what people say, as research can show different views.

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Never have i fallen

Never have i fallen

Your lips speak soft sweetness
Your touch a cool caress
I am lost in your magic
my heart beats within your chest

I think of you each morning
And dream of you each night
I think of your arms being around me
And cannot express my delight

Never have i fallen
But i am quickly on my way
You hold a heart in your hands
that has never before been given away.

~Rex A. William~

This is a poem that expresses how truly i feel today.
Thanks Rafiki, for your inspiration.

Good Night!

Friday, September 17, 2004

Living me?

Living me?

Lately i feel like i am living a life in the presence of someone else. I sit in class, and i switch into dream mode. Now this is a really weird dream because i am aware of whats going on, but im dreaming. I am not myself in this dream. I am more silent, and all i do is listen. When i am questioned, i answer, but my answers do not come from me. It comes from someone who is living in me, someone who knows me for who i really am, someone who knows my deepest darkest secrets, someone who just aint me.

I look at this someone in the mirror, and realise she looks just like me. "Not bad for an impastor!" But something is wrong, she is hiding something. She wants to tell me something, i know it! I can feel it! Am i really living a life in the presence of someone else?

I have not been able to answer that question, thats why i have been so quite lately.

Saturday, September 11, 2004

Toothbrush mania!!!

Toothbrush mania!!!

Do you remember how it feels to first brush your teeth after buying a new toothbrush? Spiltery, splatery, splat! The amount of noise a new tooth brush makes is amazing.

I just bought a new purple colour(who would have not known) colgate tooth brush yesterday. Its so pretty on the outside but when i used it to brush the inside of my teeth, i figured it makes a whole lot of noise, louder than the two of my brothers put together. Now i wonder why? I did a quick research on the web today, and found no such thing as a tooth brush being noisy unless it was an electronic one. hmmmm. So why did mine make noise? Its hard bristles stared at me as i opened my big mouth. And then "chomp" it had dissappeared into my mouth. As i start brushing, the noise gets louder and louder. Now was my tooth brush trying to talk to me? or was it the tooth brush boogie man after the candy i ate last night?

After a few seconds of brushing i realised that the noise was the knocking of the hard bristles against my teeth. What can i say? Its a new tooth brush, so its gotta have hard bristles. =)

Well, good morning everyone! That was my lil tooth brush mania!

Friday, September 10, 2004

Korean Barbeque with Steam Boat Delight

Korean Barbeque with Steam Boat Delight

Its late, im tired and im full. I had an exciting dinner with my cousins as we had korean bbq with steam boat delights. I must say its alot of work we have to do cooking our food before we get to eat them.

Korean bbq is a unique barbeque that is similar to what we eat in a steam boat, only its not steamed its grilled! So in the middle of the table there is a steam boat, and around it a grill made out of foil. So you either grill or steam. The choice is yours. So tonight, we had loads of fishballs, too fo balls, corn, wantons, crabmeat, beef, lamb chop, prawns, chicken, lettuce, kangkung, and lots more at a a place called RESTORAN HOT POT in Taman Megah. We arrived there at 6.30pm, and then we got messy cooking on the grill, steaming stuff in the middle. Was just a matter of cooking what you want to eat. Its so funny that the whole table is cooking, when usually one cook cooks for the rest of the table. So whatever happened to "too many cooks will spoil the soup"?

Anyways it was a fun evening, i must say i have never returned so gay and full after being splatterd by the little bits of hot water from the steam boat, and being sticky, sweaty and oily. Hah! the amount of crazy things we Malaysians do! So that is a complete korean bbq with steam boat delight.

So bloggers when we going out malaysian-style for a korean bbq with steam boat? Im just craving for more wicked fun we can have cooking!

Thursday, September 09, 2004

You are my doctor!

You are my doctor!

Its thursday, and i feel so happy that my computer has finally been fixed! For all my dedicated blog readers, no i havent forgot you guys, and no, i havent been going through writers block. As i mentioned above, my computer was having a little problem, so i wasnt able to update my blog. College computers are just to slow to be used. To sit an update my blog, i would take at least 3 hours, which is really long just to write a blog post. So i decided, now that im back, i will dedicate this first post to how i felt without being able to blog for 3 whole days!

I must say, i am really happy and thankful that my computer is fixed, simply because i have lots to say, and its starting to crowd that little mind of mine. I felt really burdened and lost, just by not being able to post my thoughts on my blog. My blog was and still is essentially like my own psychiatrist. What better way, then to express how i feel and get a response from my dear doctors out there who happens to be my fellow bloggers. Now dont take me wrong here, your not forced into dealing with a psychotic patient, but you are on this site to enjoy reading my thoughts and crazy ideas. Do feel free to comment as you guys are my "doctors". But always remember this, "right patient, but wrong medicine could kill the patient."- Economist. Lol... Just playing around. Yeah sometimes i do think that i am a psychotic patient, and you'll are having a bad time trying to understand me. muahahahahaha!!!!!! Well Let me just say, thank you so much to all of you who have taken time to read my blog. You'll make excellent doctors!

So doctor, when's my next appointment?


Monday, September 06, 2004

Making a dream come true!

Making a dream come true!

I always dreamt of performing live in front of huge crowd of screaming fans, whether it was singing, acting, or even dancing. My dream is coming true!

How? Well i will be dancing at Stadium Bukit Jalil (the biggest stadium in malaysia) for Anugerah Era( which is one of Malaysia's grammy's for Malaysian Artists) on the 25th of september. Best part, i will be dancing as a back up dancer for Dayang Nurfaziah (one Malaysian singers). Imagine the thrill of dancing hip hop with Dayang on one of her big performances at the grammys. We are also dancing to a track that is not even out yet. So we are likethe first few to hear it. Now thats so cool.

Now i just like to call it making a dream come true! Its not everyday that you get a chance to dance with an artist. Im on a hip hop crazy fever. Hope to see you'll there!

Laters~

Sunday, September 05, 2004

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

For the moment we have all been waiting for, the most wanted ice cream on my blog award goes to CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM!!!! And to treat those craving chocolate chip ice cream lovers out there, i roamed the web, and found a great recipe from nestle on how to make homemade chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. Maybe one day we should all go out and have a chocolate chip ice cream party. What you'll say?
Anyways this is the recipe

There's no better treat than homemade ice cream. This one has double chocolate with chocolate chips mixed in the dark, rich chocolate ice cream.

1 (12-ounce) package NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels,
divided 1 (14-ounce) can NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk 4 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

HEAT 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk in large, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until morsels are melted. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in half-and-half and vanilla extract. POUR into ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Coarsely chop remaining morsels and add halfway through freezing. Makes 2 quarts.

FREEZER METHOD:POUR prepared ice cream mixture into 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. Spoon into large mixer bowl; beat until smooth but still frozen. Stir in chopped morsels. Return to pan; cover tightly. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight until firm.

Well happy making ice cream!!!!


Saturday, September 04, 2004

Chocolate Pimples

Chocolate Pimples

Chocolate pimples! hah! No such thing! I got into a small discussion today on whether the myth that chocolate actually causes pimples is true. I have been avoiding chocolate for some time, simply because of i always assumed that chocolates will ruin my face filling it with nasty pimples. Well got an article of the net on "The Chocolate and Acne Myth" which proves me wrong. For those of you who thought the same way i did, read on.

The allegation that consuming chocolate causes acne is a myth that has been going around for years. Doctors and scientists have refuted the old myth that chocolate causes acne after considerable research. A chocolate candy bar is innocent, but is blamed regularly. Other foods that are blamed include pizza, potato chips and dairy products. No foods have been proven to cause acne. If a person maintains a healthy diet and consumes healthy vegetables and fruits, acne can be prevented.

Overactive oil glands, heredity, dead skin cells that lodge in skin pores and hormonal changes cause acne. Androgen hormone production is at its highest during the teenage years. Outbreaks of pimples and blackheads can become a traumatic event for young boys and girls.
In recent studies, scientists have demonstrated the possibility of regulating hormones as a significant reduction element of acne.

Teenagers are not the only ones with acne. Women who are pregnant or in their 40s can have outbreaks, but by the time a person is 50 it usually has run its course. During the teenage years, boys are more susceptible to stronger breakouts than girls, but when they reach around 40, the women take the lead in numbers of flare-ups. Chocolate has been faulted by many arguments between teens and adults as the cause of acne, tooth decay, being overweight and lacking any food value. It has also been known as an anti-depressant, a cause of hypertension and even an aphrodisiac.

We know that chocolate is basically harmless unless, like everything else, it is over-consumed. Chocolate has been found not to cause nor aggravate outbreaks of acne. These results are backed up by further research that shows acne in no way is affected by chocolate.
Recent scientific studies have suggested chocolate boosts the serotonin in the brain that produces a calming effect and stability. Stress has been identified as a cause of acne. If chocolate stimulates the serotonin and calms the nerves, then chocolate could be found to assist in acne restraint.

Chocolate lovers will be pleased to know that nutritionists believe chocolate plays a nutritional role in a balanced diet. The facts are that chocolate carries about one-third of an adult’s daily requirement of antioxidants. Food of any kind is not responsible for acne. There are, however, other elements for acne such as hereditary, hormones, skin type, cosmetics and the environment. If eating something in particular causes an outbreak of zits the next day, it is advisable to stay away from that food for a while. If eating the same food again after a few days the result is an outbreak, the chances are it is an allergic reaction rather than an outbreak of acne.

So you see, im proven wrong. Chocolate is not the cause for pimples!

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Hash Clothes Modelling...

Hash Clothes Modelling...

Apologise for the late posts! I lost my mind in the past two days, and was on writers block. Anyways, updates!

Monday a pretty busy day, as i, yes me modelled hash clothes. Another one of those stunning dinner and dance nights where they have the traditional fashion shows. This time in hash clothes (very casual attire, hashers usually wear eg. Shorts, bandana, and t-shirts). I must say this is a very different type of fashion show as its very much more casual than the usual.

The first round i was styling a spaggetti strap, and hash shorts. Yes, i know i look awfully thin in a spaggetti strap, but it wasnt so exposed anyways, as i had a palm leaf in front of my face. This round was to show us running the hash. Quite different, but nice. Ths music we walked to was Dragostea Din Tei by Ozone. Its a very different unique techno track which you will get attracted to if you listen to it that you will want to hear it over and over again. Trust me, im stuck on it.

Round two, got me out styling a rugged jeans, with a large t-shirt, bandana, and shades. Now this gives in a cool chick look as they tied my t-shirt exposing my tummy. The truth, i have no tummy(thanks to jogging everyday).

Third outfit, hmmm...this is interesting as it was merely just a piece of cloth wrapped around my body, more commonly known as sarong. Now they tied in a very different way, something very beach like. Now girls, this makes you feel very sexy, as your basically in a towel llike thing.

Round four, where we had to escort the grand masters, and the chairmans up the stage to make their final bow. Here we styled an evening gown. Mine was a green gown, with little black beads. Very lovely. All the pictures below are of me with the other models after the show.



This is Ashvina, me and Ameet in our evening gowns and suit.



This is me, Ashvina, Matthew, and Aunty Kate(the lady who helped us with the changing)



Me and Ash, the two female models out of the other four guys.



This is the design the boys had on thier heads. This model is Samreet.

All the others who modelled with me are Ashvina, Ameet, Matthew, Samreet and Rajey. Nice working with you guys!