This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.9
Mind:	7.2
Body:	8
Spirit:	6.7
Friends/Family:	4.8
Love:	7.7
Finance:	6.3
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score leaves room for improvement. You can make changes to improve your trouble areas, and this will bring you greater satisfaction. Focus on your weakest points and set about to change them. Do not delay your happiness and success.

But then again, the cynics will tell you that happiness, love and all good things are temporary... that all states of being are but temporal, even life itself... so live for the moment?

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?"

What's Your Power Color?

Success
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?
To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better
Whether by a healthy child, a garden
Patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived;

That is to have succeeded.

Having said that, I believe that everyone has to have their own definition of "Success". I read somewhere before that "success is being able to do what one wants to do". I agree with that too. So an unhappy lawyer who is earning big bucks but who really wants to be an actor may not necessarily be "successful"..

But then one may ask: What about those things that I don't want to do but everyone tells me I have to do because it is "good for me"?

I think for those things then, you have to ask yourself first of all if you agree they are "good for you". If deep in your heart you do not agree, then maybe doing them may not really be such a good idea... i think you should trust your gut feel to some extent.. But on the other hand, if in resisiting them, you find that you are merely lazy or procrastinating or fearful but that these things are in fact good for you (for whatever reason), then do them without hesitation. Persuade and convince yourself that these are good for you so that the willingness to do them may come.

and this is stuff i muse about at night. instead of sleep. zzzzzz

I saw the Orient Express pass by in front of me yesterday on my way to the Chemistry 'A' levels invigilation!! All the cars had to stop for the train to pass by but I didn't mind it at all... after all, it's the Orient Express!!

click here for more info and here for the official site

"The Eastern & Oriental Express (E&O) offers the romance of luxury railway travel with fine food, attentive service and breathtaking views..... Train cabins are outfitted in embroidered linens, intricate Thai carvings, and polished brasswork; even standard Pullman compartments have convertible seat-beds, private showers, and panoramic windows; and in the restaurant cars, you'll chow down on Malay curries and mango-filled samosas..."

Check out the prices for the train journeys from Singapore

Singapore to Bangkok or vice versa - prices range from SGD 2,520 to SGD 5,070
Singapore to Butterworth or vice versa - price range from SGD 1,750 to SGD 3,440
Singapore to Kuala Lumpur - prices from SGD 1,120 to SGD 2,340

If you just want to feel what it's like to travel on the train, you can go on the "DAY CAR TRAVEL" to KL which will set you back by a mere SGD 380 per person inclusive of lunch and afternoon tea...

in comparison, an airconditioned journey by rail from Singapore to KL typically costs between SGD 19 to SGD 68 depending on the class of travel.

talk about living in luxury!

countries i've been in...



create your own visited countries map

ok lah.. to be fair, for some of the countries, i've only seen the capital or some small town.. ha..but still counted, right?? :p .. look at russia!! wah!! as if i've visited the whole country!!

Observing Moon Craters with A Bino



i was trying to share my joy of seeing moon craters with my bino just now with my mum and i realised she was just nodding mindlessly to everything i was saying. Distracted by the TV. some silly taiwanese talk show.

she didn't even react when i told her i could see Chang Er on the moon.

durh.

so i decided i must share it online.. you have to try this out. blew me away.. you need a somewhat high powered binoculars (12x60s or 20 x 80s.. mine is 16x50s). try to rest the binos on something stable so u can observe the surface slowly... its pretty fascinating..

best is when the moon is in a half or crescent .. when it is full moon, the moon is at its brightest because the Sun shines onto the Moon from almost directly behind us so we probably can see no shadows of craters and mountains...

the black bits are the moon's large, dark plains, called maria (the Latin plural of mare, "sea"). the maria are great lava flows that filled much of the lunar lowlands billions of years ago. astronomers have already named all the major craters and valleys and what nots (you can see this below). if u r interested, i'm sure u can find tonnes of info on this online..



amazing hor??

we can see all this because in astronomical terms, the moon isn't really that far away - just a quarter million miles from Earth.. :)

mr angry and mrs calm

see this. very cool.

(thanks lynn)

Be Careful Of What You're Eating...

you've got to see this Charcoal Roasted Chicken thing ....

this is so not accurate lor..

Your Hair Should Be Red

Passionate, fiery, and sassy. You're a total smart aleck who's got the biggest personality around.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

been reading this book by steve chandler and he says that most of us live in "cocoons".

it is dark and dusty inside, and we think we can't get out. we tell ourselves stories about the cocoon, but these stories are lies. they only feel like the truth because they have been repeated so often. we could tear open the cocoon if we wanted to. we could push out and see the light of the world. we could learn to fly.

the cocoon is known by the name of 'personality' (or otherwise known as 'invented selves').

no wonder i've got these so-called "issues".. or at least that's what some people have been trying to tell me, especially of late.

sorry i've been so much of a pain in the ***. i'll try to change now that i've got time..

Some recent pics



the first was taken at a pet shop in holland v. 3 puppies in adorable overlap.

the second at an art exhibition in NIE. some statement about how modern society has accelerated our maturity, the way mangoes are 'ripened' by placing them in a vessel of uncooked rice. (enid, correct me if i'm wrong!)

sensory overlap these few days. met some fascinating people and learnt some new things. saw the planet mars through a telescope. read two thought-provoking books in rapid succession. had some long talks with people who matter. got fined $30 for not displaying parking coupons when i'm supposed to.

amongst others.

Wakeboard World Cup 2005 @ Bedok Reservoir




free & exciting.. lots of flipping, spinning & tumbling.

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama. Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time... But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you. You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

a timely message from kai



honestly, few people know how incredibly tired i am. totally pooped. absolutely exhausted. lifeless. drained. energy-deprived. spent. consumed. beat up. worn out.

i am so in need of this so-called "complete rest"... :(

You Are Likely a Third Born

At your darkest moments, you feel vulnerable. At work and school, you do best when you're comparing things. When you love someone, you tend to like to please them. In friendship, you are loyal to one person. Your ideal careers are: sales, police officer, newspaper reporter, inventor, poet, and animal trainer. You will leave your mark on the world with inventions, poetry, and inspiration.

The Birth Order Predictor

i'm a true blue third born.. wahahahah

weekend



from left: (pics 1 & 2) bowling balls for girls @ victor superbowl. (pic 3) patrick the starfish basking in the sun. (pic 4) dashboard shrine. (pic 5) the auntie with the biggest block of butter i've ever seen @ marina south steamboat.

thereafter, we went kite flying @ marina.

after observing us trying to fly our pathetic $1.50 kite (in vain) for a good half hour, a nice malay uncle there (one of the regulars/experts) told us to give up on our kite and passed us his "killer kite" (with glass-covered string and all) which was already airborne. taught us how to "cut other people's strings" (with evil laughter and all). despite our initial reservations, it wasn't long before we "turned to the dark side"... the temptation to cut other kites down from the sky was too great.. as they fluttered innocently in the sky...

i think we made two little girls cry that day... when we cut her daddy's kite down..

i couldn't sleep that night... yes, i'm a kite killer...

:( i hope their daddy bought them ice-cream to make everything better..

i found it in 2 seconds flat



told YOU i'm brilliant. ha.

these pics reside in my camphone



cute ya?

thought so. enjoy.

blogger vs blog-reader

i dont' seem to blog much anymore.

is it because i've become too much of a blog reader?
are the two mutually exclusive?
certainly i can't be blogging if i'm reading.

nope. i can't.

blog reading has turned me passive. voyeuristic even.

this is bad.

promise to be back blogging once the hols start.

yay. hols are coming.

the simple perks of teaching. :)

one of these days i'll grow up....



fascinating sweet... my students seem to find it rather normal that a sweet should be allowed to look like a burger. a food that looks like food... umm...



give me a real burger anytime.

Lantern Safari 2005 @ Chinese Garden

wow.... right down the middle...

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

i'm getting a feeling of dejavu.. i've done this test before too...

not entirely accurate but... (ha, guess which part isn't true.. :p)

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart. In love, you feel the most alive when everything is uncertain, one moment heaven... the next moment hell. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is low. Even if you're tempted, you'd try hard not to do it. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

all the rage with students.. done this before but doing it again...

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Personality Disorder:	Low
Schizoid Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Schizotypal Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Antisocial Personality Disorder:	High
Borderline Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Histrionic Personality Disorder:	Very High
Narcissistic Personality Disorder:	High
Avoidant Personality Disorder:	Low
Dependent Personality Disorder:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	Moderate
-- Take the Personality Disorder Test -- -- Personality Disorder Info--

Histrionic Personality Disorder?

People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the center of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to discribe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provacatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. Histrionics also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative.

Antisocial Personality Disorder?

A common misconception is that antisocial personality disorder refers to people who have poor social skills. The opposite is often the case. Instead, antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of conscience. People with this disorder are prone to criminal behavior, believing that their victims are weak and deserving of being taken advantage of. Antisocials tend to lie and steal. Often, they are careless with money and take action without thinking about consequences. They are often agressive and are much more concerned with their own needs than the needs of others.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by self-centeredness. Like histrionic disorder, people with this disorder seek attention and praise. They exaggerate their achievements, expecting others to recongize them as being superior. They tend to be choosy about picking friends, since they believe that not just anyone is worthy of being their friend. Narcissists tend to make good first impressions, yet have difficulty maintaining long-lasting relationships. They are generally uninterested in the feelings of others and may take advantage of them.

Pekan Baru (Riau)

went to photograph my best friend kai doing her bit for charity!

(pic of cute niece Nicky looking at her bald auntie in astonishment)

kudos to her for her courage (and insanity)!! wahahaha.. :) but really, i'm terribly proud of her.. WELL DONE MY FRIEND! :)

shanghai shopping



this is shanghai as most would see it. nice too.. especially when there's a chilly evening breeze..

btw, i've rediscovered the joy of writing on paper.. looks like i'm gonna be straddling blog (weblog) and "plog" (paperlog) quite a bit from now.. :)

pretty shanghai



not quite most people's idea of shanghai, with all its glitzy lights and crowded shopping streets.. but these are the parts of the city i really like. real people living in real places, carrying on with the way they've lived all these years.. wonderful... :)

photo avalanche


:) from my trip to Shanghai

photos photos and more photos and no time to sort them out.. stacking up in little piles in my drawers, cf cards, hard disks and brain.. :(

Kusu Sea Lagoon Reefwalk



an early morning walk on kusu sea lagoon beach at low tide... still amazes me to know that our reefs are so alive... :)

what i think they are... (from top left) “dead man’s fingers” (finger soft coral – Sinularia sp.), anemone coral (Goniopora sp.), maze coral (Platygyra sp.), flowery soft corals (Dendronephthya sp.), peacock anemone, some hard coral (?? Help!! I can’t identify this! :O)

Labrador Beach



amazing stuff you can see at low tide...

what i think they are... (from top left) anemone shrimp (on carpet anemone), periwinkles (mating??), common squid (2cm), branching sea anemone #1, branching sea anemone #2, hairy crab, mermaid's fan (seaweed), another anemone, baby polka-dotted nudibranch (1cm), another nudibranch (wow!!), zoanthids (colonial anemone) hard coral (Turbinaria sp.) - thanks Jeffrey!, red egg crab

strong emotions



it just occurred to me a moment ago...

(actually the "enlightenment" was inspired by my mum yelling at me as i walked through the door cos she was upset i couldn't make it home for dinner (yet again) due to one of my growing list of commitments..)

i realised that... if there is something (some human behaviour or whatever) that upsets or annoys us greatly and we don't figure out how to deal with it soon enough, it is probably going to irritate and frustrate us for the rest of our lives.. ALL THE REST OF OUR LIVES.... 30, 40, 50 years.... unceasingly... unabated...

in truth, i realised my mum grumbles at me in (almost) the VERY SAME WAY she has done ALL THESE YEARS!!

these things will never go away... until we figure out how to make them irritate us less.. or be less angry with them... they will pop up suddenly, rear their ugly heads in our most unexpected moments, when we are weak and vunerable... tired... dejected... feeling lousy...

for some reason, i think my mum has always managed to find something to yell at me about, all these years, even though many things have obviously changed... does yelling actually make her feel good?? ummm.... i doubt it.. so...?

anyway, i think negative emotions are like the "demons" in our lives that a friend of mine used to describe.. apparently, in the monasteries of Tibet, monks hide little knives or ritual daggers (known as 'phurpa') in their sleeves to slay these demons so they are assured of a better life after rebirth..

we need a better life NOW!!

You are dignified, spiritual, and wise. Always unsatisfied, you constantly try to better yourself. You are also a seeker of knowledge and often buried in books. You tend to be philosophical, looking for the big picture in life. You dream of inner peace for yourself, your friends, and the world. A good friend, you always give of yourself first.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Sea Hare (Syphonota geographica)




fascinating intertidal creatures.. can grow up to 15cm long.

Reefwalking on Kusu Island

The ONE campaign



And this is a pic of my MRI brain scan done a little while back (courtesy of my good friend Lynn)...



THE secret to all the brilliance... wahahahah..

Happiness

"Happiness is not being rich.

Happiness is being where you want to be, doing the work you want to be doing, and being with the people with whom you want to be.

If you can do that without money, do it."

Campagnie Albédo (France)

Lez Bigbrõzeurs!

Inventor of the quick, inexpensive meal bows out of limelight at age 95



TOKYO - Mr Momofuku Ando, the man credited with inventing instant noodles, will bow out of the business limelight at age 95, after seeing his cups of quick, hot and inexpensive meals sweep the world.

The entrepreneur - who entered the food business when Japan was hungry after World War II - lived to watch his invention stocked on the shelves of omnipresent convenience stores and become an international favourite for people on the go.

Mr Ando, who remains in excellent health and goes to the office every day, will resign as chairman and representative director at Nissin Food Products on June 29 at his own request, said the company in the western Japanese city of Osaka. The business tycoon, born in 1910, founded the predecessor to Nissin Food Products in 1948 and invented the world's first instant noodle - "Chicken Ramen" noodles sold in bags - in 1958. He launched the cup version in 1971. As "Cup Noodles" have swept the world - and been widely replicated - Nissin now boasts annual sales exceeding 300 billion yen ($4.6 billion).

"I am 95 years old. I have lived for nearly a century," said Mr Ando said in a statement on his resignation. "I decided to devote myself to the food business when I saw people starving to death amid a post-war food shortage. I was sure the world could be peaceful only after having enough food.

"I invented instant noodles ... because I could imagine how happy people would be if I delivered to households ramen they can eat any time, anywhere and safely. It was as simple as that," he said.

Mr Ando added he wanted to pass the baton to younger management while he was fine. The resignation does not mean he will retire, though. "The company accepted his resignation as he was firmly determined. But he agreed to hold a newly-created post of founding chairman and keep advising the company from a broad perspective," a Nissin spokesman said. - AFP

my all-time favourite instant noodles are:

Indomie Mi Goreng

Nissin Ramen Original (Sesame Oil)

Myojo Thai Tom Yam

Myojo Mee Poh Dry

Myojo Chicken Tanmen

Check out the Momofuko Ando Instant Ramen Museum