Passion Run 2010

Registration for Passion Run 2010 is now opened. New categories are added to this year’s run:
1) There is a new distance of 25km for men and women solo.  For runners who would like to challenge themselves a little further than the half marathon, this is a good distance to work with.

2) There is also a 50km duo, a 2 person event with each person covering 25km. To register for this category, you do not need to have a partner.  You can sign up alone and indicate that you need assistance to allocate a partner.  However, I feel that this is more meaningful if you can find your own team member. I would love to run with a buddy and complete the race together, supporting and encouraging each other along the run. 

Race Details are as follows
Date: 22 May 2010, Saturday
Venue: East Coast Park
Time: 1600hrs to 2300hrs

Registration will be closed on 22 April 2010.  There is still time for you to consider and most importantly, train for it.

Iphone Apps

Iphone craze is hitting Singapore rapidly.  In my recent dinner gathering, out of the 10 people in a table, there are 8 Iphone users.  What’s great about Iphone is that there are many applications (apps) for us to keep ourselves entertained and also helped in our daily activities.  There are 20 categories of apps ranging from games to finance to health & fitness.

As an avid sports lover, there are a couple of apps that is helpful in my everyday training for instance, RunKeeper, Distance Meter, Trailguru, etc.  During the days of training for my marathon, I have used Trailguru. A simple to use app which tracks the distance I’ve covered for each run, my duration and speed.  The best part is, using GPS, this app captures the route I’ve taken after I post my activity to the Trailguru website. I could view the exact route I’ve just ran on Google Earth.  Amazing!

It’s a great app! Wait no further, take out your Iphone, go to appstore and download Trailguru. A simple registration is needed on the website and you are ready to use it for your next run.

Lai Lai Casual Dining - Taiwan Lite

A couple of entries back, I wrote about how one of my favourite foodie treats, the KFC egg tart, has finally arrived in Singapore. Recently, I went to try to out another of the foods I mentioned that I loved from Taiwan.

Although Lai Lai Casual Dining isn’t as new in Singapore as the egg tarts (the outlet I went to opened with the new extension of Jurong Point several months back), it was the first time I had eaten there and also the first time I had lu rou fan, or stewed (some websites say braised and I totally can’t tell the difference) pork rice, in Singapore.

Alas, while the dish wasn’t bad, it definitely did not live up to the standard of the ones I had in Taiwan. I don’t know if which is supposed to be the original way of cooking it but the meal I had here had, as you can see in the photo, pretty large pork chunks. While not larger than the kind you can get from coffeeshops with your chicken rice, they were pretty different from the minced variety I had those years ago, which I prefer. Also, while the dish wasn’t bland or anything, it definitely wasn’t as straight-out tasty as its Taiwanese counterpart.

The serving was pretty decent sized and definitely enough for a full meal for one person. At $6.90, it wasn’t too expensive (although the Taiwanese version, which was about 70% of the same serving size, only cost about S$1). I did feel a bit cheated, though, because the picture of the dish in the menu had the egg included but I only found out when I was paying the bill that it cost an additional S$1.

My friend had Taiwan vermicelli with pig intestine and, again, while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t a knock out of the park either. The taste was of a decent standard and the meal was perfunctorily filling.

The service at that outlet wasn’t much to rave about neither. The service staff (of which there was a reasonably large number for an outlet of this size) were inattentive and it took us a while to even get to place our orders.

Dining at Lai Lai Casual Dining certainly won’t count as a gastronomical highlight. Still, if you’re looking for a quick bite at prices slightly lower than the fastfood outlets (assuming you’re the upsizing, combo meal sort) or cafes, this would be an adequate lunchtime quickie.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

63 Jurong West Central 3 #B1-60/61 (JP2)
Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Singapore 648331
Tel: 6861 1002
Opening Hours: 10.30am to 10pm daily

The Budget’s biased against the young & gorgeous

Believe me, the Singapore Budget has never held much allure for the young, single, female Singaporean working adults.

Each year, we see babies, wives, men, and silver-haired folks benefitting from the slew of reliefs and rebates such as Baby Bonus, NSmen reliefs, CPF top-ups etc, from the government’s annual hong bao package.

But for us – gorgeous, young gals risking manicured nails and baby soft skin under the wintry, cold, hard blast of office air con, toiling daily for the Singapore economy – for some reason (only known to the Singapore government) we are totally ignored and bypassed in every Budget announcement.

Even if we do spend a little more time gossiping and exchanging beauty tips in the office, the number of hours can’t be compared to men taking time off for in-camp training, and pregnant women indiscriminately taking MC! Besides, we make a significant contribution too - of strengthening the society’s social fabric and enhancing the locals’ competitiveness in the area of aesthetics through these activities.

Why? I wonder, when we are a group of one of the nation’s finest-looking, economically most productive and potentially most reproductive citizens? 

Blowing hot and cold

Slightly exhausted as I breathed the dry morning air. Past Februarys had been cooler. This year’s seems to wear the mask of the arid July. I shivered involuntarily, as the dry wind blew gently on the back of my sweat-stained shirt.

As I pushed the swing doors into the office building, the dry wind left from behind me, replaced by a torrential gust of artificially chilled wind. It would have been icier if not for the building management coming to their senses a few months ago. Still, the sharp shock of stepping into the air-conditioned building overwhelmed the relief I felt from the dry wind. My back, with a soaked shirt clung to it, got the brunt of the chill; just as the door swung shut — enveloping me in the artificial refrigeration.

It all seems surreal: the hot, tropical climate outside ended abruptly at the blue-glassed façade. Not unlike crossing the border into another country; but more unnatural. Walking into the freezer felt more like a shock to my body than walking into another country ever did to me. Of course, this may change once I travel more, but the artificial reality of air-conditioning is unusually pronounced.

I sneezed. I remember not flinching in the face of France’s 15 degree Celsius summer wind. I sneezed again. The cool, French climate seemed marvellously fresh. Damn, all those weird artsy music in travel programmes are filling my head. I blew my nose.

Yeah, I’m falling sick.

Tragedy to make animals perform silly tricks nonstop

A killer whale killed a 40-year-old female trainer at Florida’s popular SeaWorld entertainment park on Feb 24, 2010.

People never learnt, especially those working for big corporations that buy wild creatures and make them do silly tricks again and again, day after day, until the animals go crazy!

Killer whales, dolphins, elephants and orang utans are crowd-pullers as they perform these routines which are neither entertaining nor interesting. The animals are taken from their natural environment and confined to tiny spaces for the rest of their lives. Some are known to have committed suicide—dolphins, for examples, would go underwater and refuse to surface until they drown!

The Seaworld trainer killed was Dawn Brancheau. She apparently slipped and was fatally injured by one of the whales. The whale, named Tilikum, is among the killer whales, dolphins and seals whose shows have made SeaWorld so popular.

A witness said Tilikum attacked the trainer as she showed him off to visitors following the Dine with Shamu show. “He just took off like a bat and came back around to the glass, jumped up, and grabbed the trainer by the waist and started shaking her violently,” said Victoria Biniak.

Though killer whales or orcas, are a common attraction at marine parks, they are known for aggressive play and behaviour in the wild, including batting seals or dolphins back and forth. They are huge creatures. Tilikum weighs in at least 11,000 pounds.

Tilikum was captured in November 1983 off the coast of Iceland and is one of several killer whales on show at the park. Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the death was a “tragedy that didn’t have to happen.”

“For years, PETA has been calling on SeaWorld to stop confining oceangoing mammals to an area that to them is like the size of a bathtub, and we have also been asking the park to stop forcing the animals to perform silly tricks over and over again,” the PETA statement said.

If you love nature and care for the welfare of animals, don’t go to these places. And educate your children on treating animals with respect and compassion, and supporting organisations such as PETA and the Nature Conservancy.

At Seaworld, after the tragedy. Bottom picture shows killer whales in the tiny pool where they are forced to perform tricks nonstop, to pull in the crowd.—AFP photos

See photos of electric shocks applied to baby elephant to make it learn tricks. 

Food for some hot lovin’

The right kind of food not only nourishes your body but can heat up your romantic relationship too. Known as “aphrodisiacs”, these foods are said to arouse sexual excitement, leading to, you know what…

So, if you are getting your partner into the mood for some hot loving, check out the stuff that may just increase the libido and make both of you less inhibited.

Oyster is believed to be a natural aphrodisiac because of its strong aroma and high zinc content which helps to increase sperm count. If you can’t stand raw oysters (those offered in buffet dinners in pricey hotels), go to a hawker centre and order a takeaway packet of orh-luak (fried oyster with egg).

Escargots are also regarded as an aphrodisiac because of the high protein content and natural smell. Escargots taste excellent with garlic and butter and are often taken as an appetiser before the main course (the meal, lah). 

Asparagus has a high concentration of Vitamin E, good for cell repair and renewal, as well as stimulating the sex hormones.

Ginseng is believed to be the super-duper sex food. You would surely have heard stories of frail old Chinamen being pushed in wheelchairs into girlie nightclubs where they were served concentrated ginseng chicken soup, and then getting up to perform prodigious sexual feats with their escorts.

Raspberries and strawberries are red, which hopefully will infuse you with crimson passion when you munch them.

Ginger root can be eaten raw (in thin slices) or cooked. Ginger is thought to stimulate the circulatory system and increase sexual desire. Sip ginger tea to relax and revitalise your body.

Sweet basil is said to stimulate the sex drive and boost fertility. It also creates a sense of wellbeing in body and mind. The herb is often used in Thai cooking.

Shrimps are believed to increase sperm count and lead to more powerful orgasms. So, include shrimps in your dinner before bedtime activities.

Chilli pepper contains Capsaicin, a chemical that burns your tongue, stimulates the nerve endings and raises your heart rate. Chilli pepper is also believed to release endorphins, which give the body a natural high.

Chocolate is a popular aphrodisiac that is quite certain to make women happy and relaxed. It contains a stimulant called phenylethylamine, which gives a sense of wellbeing and excitement similar to the body’s natural endorphins.

Tiramisu is said by Italians to possess aphrodisiac qualities. In the past, houses of ill repute in Rome served tiramisu to clients to increase their sexual desire. Tiramisu is made with mascarpone cheese, chocolate, espresso coffee and whipped cream, ingredients that are enough to make any woman (and man) go weak in the knees. So, even if you’re not in Rome, you can still do as the Romans do.

Bananas remind people of the fifth limb that dangles between male legs, hence the fruit is regarded as an aphrodisiac. Bananas also contain potassium and B vitamins which are essential for the production of sex hormones.

Coffee in one or two cups helps to keep one awake, a necessary condition when one is aiming for a productive night in bed.

Exploring the wintry wonderland of Wales

What do you do when you’re bored during the weekend? Go on a trip to Snowdonia and attempt to scale Snowdon, of course! Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, and has an altitude of 1,085m. The Warwick Singapore Society organised a trip to Snowdon in an attempt to scale the peak, as well as to explore the surrounding countryside.

Wandering around the countryside.

One of the lakes around Snowdon.

Snowdon from a distance.

Just before Snowdon

There are sheep around the slopes.

Frozen lake on the way up.

A gentle upward trail before the going got tough.

Stepping stones!

A view on the way up!

Due to poor weather conditions, we had to turn back unfortunately. You can’t even see anything with the wind and fog at this height.

You can still look down…

but can’t even look ahead… too dangerous.

But we will be back and we will make it to the top!

Daydreaming the purrrfect boyfriend

I believe all single girls (swinging and non-swinging) have a mental image of their perfect boyfriend.

In the daydream, the girl sees her young man driving his Toyota Prius (oops, sorry, car under recall, make it a VW or BMW 1-series Cabriolet) to her doorstep, jumps out from the seat, flings her a bunch of blue roses, sweet-talk her parents, and flirt graciously with her older, shelf-expired sisters.

[You all know, right, that blue roses grow only on the far side of Paradise as the expression of perfect love?]

Well, I’ve been daydreaming a lot lately. This imaginary knight or prince in shining BMW or VW cabriolet keeps popping up in my mind:

Washboard body of Bi If you haven’t heard, Bi is the Korean name of Rain, the superhot singer.   My perfect boyfriend would have Bi’s athletic body but would be about 10cm shorter since I wouldn’t want to appear a midget beside a hunky escort.

Wealth & relaxed confidence of William Henry Gates III, otherwise known as good ol’ Bill Gates who has since quit Microsoft to devote himself to poor kids suffering malaria in Africa. I’m not greedy, I just want a chap with, say, one percent of Bill’s fortune, intelligence and gungho spirit (but without the geeky face) to provide me a life time of luxury and envious looks (from other women). What’s more, Bill’s known to be devoted to wife Melinda, a rare quality among successful men these days. [Let’s not even mention a certain Tiger billionaire, sniff, sniff.]

Happybones of Will Smith Will personifies fun, self-confidence and happiness. My ideal boyfriend too would be one totally at ease with himself; contented with his millionaire lot in life; and simply love living. He has self-deprecating humour and can laugh at himself. He can also offer words of comforting and support when I’m down and out.

Occasional wilful & tantrum-throwing traits of “Lee Young Jae” (the character Rain played on the Korean drama Full House). As I see it, a perfect man is unlikely to make a perfect boyfriend. A flawless man is simply fakey. A dash (I mean, just a sprinkling) of impulsiveness, insensitivity and unreasonable willfulness will make my man more real. Besides, little squabbles will spice up our love life.

Reflecting on these criteria, I guess my perfect boyfriend will always be just that: unattainably purrrfect on the other side of Paradise.

Is my shining prince coming to carry me away in his BMW for a summer escapade?

Ooouch! Deep tissue massage is painful

It was my regular visit at the Physiotherapist.  I was feeling disheartened when after a recent short run, I experienced acute pain in my knee.  The physiotherapist did a thorough check on my legs and found some tension points on the left thigh muscles.  These tight muscles needs to be released by doing a deep tissue massage, she said.

She asked if I had received a deep tissue massage before. Thinking it was the same kind of therapy offered by spa outlets, I replied yes since I am fond of Thai massages from Bangkok. But she replied that deep tissue massage is not the same as those performed in commercial outlets and scheduled a session for me that day. Before the massage, I was informed I would experience discomfort, I should not hold my breath when I experienced pain and should not tensed the muscles.

I was more worried the massage will be ticklish since it focused on the thigh area. When the first stroke is performed, it was not ticklish but painful, excruciatingly painful. It was almost unbearable and I wanted to stop immediately. The physiotherapist urged me to continue and told me it would be over soon.

It took me quite a while to allow the second and third and subsequent strokes to be performed. I experienced soreness on the muscles on the day itself and the day after. On the third day, the soreness subsided and I felt much better.

I did some research on this treatment. Deep tissue massage is widely used by sportsmen to treat sports-related injuries. When one experienced muscles tightness, adhesions of the muscles will occur. The adhesions may cause inflammation and reduce blood and oxygen circulation. As the name suggests, deep tissue massage focuses on the deep layers of muscles. Specific tight muscles are identified and slow deep strokes are used to loosen them. It helps to break down the adhesions, release the tension points, release toxins, and circulate blood and oxygen flow.

Like any other activity, when not performed properly, it could result in adverse effects. Hence, if you ever consider doing one, I would suggest seeking professional advice.

Guys, all I ever wanted was a murder mystery on Valentine’s Day

I had a few dinner invitations for Valentine’s Day. You might think I was so lucky, but somehow I wasn’t thrilled by what these guys said.

Having broken off with my long-time B/F in the middle of last year, I’m “on the market” again on Valentine’s Day. I was looking forward to re-igniting those heady feelings of being pursued for a date. But IMHO, the guys who called were simply too stupid or lazy or whatever, to know how to catch a girl, any girl.

They were sweet and nice. But I realised what I wanted wasn’t a polite invitation. Here’re what I thought the guys should have done to catch a date with me.

Put some zest and creativity into that phone call for a date: If you can make an effort to time that call at 14 mins past 2pm, or surprise me with a bouquet of flowers at my office, then call me just after its arrival, or better still, date me through a poem or a song on the radio show:

I’d like to get you
On a slow boat to China,
All to myself alone.
To get you and keep you in my arms evermore,
Leave all your lovers
Weeping on the faraway shore.
Out on the briny
With the moon big and shinny,
Melting your heart of stone..

Say something cheesy and romantic: Your phone call is no different from the next guy who calls. Gimme an old-time romantic line like “going out with you will be a dream come true from here to eternity”, or “I’ve waited patiently by the wayside while you were with your former B/F. Would you give me an opportunity now to go mainstream with you?” At heart, girls are old fashion and they want old-fashioned romantic exclamations.

Offer to get the butler to kill someone for me: A candle-light dinner or a walk in moonlit Botanic Garden is OK for serious lovebirds. But for a guy who’s just starting out with me, you are better off giving me a unique, unusual Valentine’s Day experience. Like a dinner show where a murder is committed, with dead bodies, bloody knife and guilty butler all over the place. At least I could look forward to the unique experience even if I’m not that hot over you.

Never say die: One guy sent me so many SMS that I was almost tempted to meet him for dinner. Luckily I remembered in time that no self-respecting girl would accept a first date through SMS. But maybe if he persisted, I just might go out with him.

Well, Valentine’s Day has come & gone but those guys were simply too clueless, so I spent V Day alone.

TV Mobile beams no more, YES!!

Rather than choose a more direct title to this post — since it’s the Chinese New Year festive season, I’ll euphemise the obvious into an expression of enormous joy: Bloody hell, YES!

I spent a large part of my JC life taking buses between school and home, and the blatantly ungodly hour for assembly meant dragging a semi-alseep body under the cover of darkness to the bus stop, up the bus that stops closest to school, and onto an empty seat. There I would sleep, erect as a rod.

Or, to use a more appropriate adjective: I attempted to. For having Channel News Asia blasting on full volume at 6am makes it a little difficult to fall asleep. The long-term result of exposure to this daily ritual torture is obvious: a psychologically imbalanced individual who takes extreme pleasure in celebrating the demise of mostly stale re-runs of shows on a television set that most people cannot see the moment the bus gets even slightly crowded. (Run on sentence intentional.)

Imagine being stuck in a bus where you’re forced to hear the sounds blasting out from a television early in the morning — I think that’s part of the definition for “brainwashing”. Of course, I can take a wholely objective and angst-free way of sharing with you the daily trauma that I endured for 2 whole years, but doing so won’t adequately express my extreme hate for that little television hanging from the stanchion pole.

At any rate, for reasons I’m not going to care about, Mediacorp decided to discontinue this dis-service from this year on; There’s no word on what they’re going to do with the dormant LCD sets on the remaining buses that were afflicted by the plague, but I can’t see any suitable use for digital displays on buses. TV Mobile was an excuse for the television operator to monetise passengers buses. Even the LCD screens on the trains, the last bastion where screens are still being actively installed, are showing ads (albeit public service ones) to no real benefit to passengers.

So, good riddance, TV Mobile; you had your day tormenting me, and bringing out the most negative feelings I’ve ever expressed in a blog post. I pray that an abominal being such as you will never appear again… ever.

Van Nistelrooy scores first two goals for Hamburg

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy came off the bench in the 65th minute and scored twice against VfB Stuttgart to make a very impressive start to his collection of goals in the German Bundesliga.

Hamburg went a goal up with a spendid finish by Marcus Berg in the 23rd minute, only for Stuttgart’s Christian Träsch to level on the 55th minute. The visiting team might have shown goal-scoring prowess but to no avail as the former Arsenal goalkeeper saved several shots.

Then the Dutch legend came on to score two goals to mark a remarkable debut for the German team.

Beckham vs Rooney

As we celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays, the Champions League is about to kickstart tonight, or rather, early tomorrow morning.

I am sure Man U fans are eagerly awaiting the prospect of David Beckham playing for AC Milan against his former club; afterall, it has been seven years since we saw Beckham after his 23 million pound move from United to Real Madrid. Since leaving United, Beckham had only won the Spanish La Liga once, and that remains the only title for him. I can already smell his regret.

Now over at the other end of the match, Man U have its own star player Wayne Rooney, hailed by Alex Ferguson as “among the very best in the world”. Rooney is currently on extremely molten hot form! His goal-scoring this season has caught the eye of many football critics, and even bookmakers are ranking England one of the favourites in the World Cup solely because of him!

So the showdown in San Siro prove to be mouth watering, and I bet it definitely will be. I am going to stay up to watch it.

In the other Champions League game, Real Madrid faces Lyon in France, and it also marks the return of French Striker Karim Benzema to his own club since his expensive move to Spain. Another great match, another great return (but not as big as Beckham).

Here are my predictions:

AC Milan 0 Manchester United 1
Lyon 1 Real Madrid 1

Five ways for malware to spread

Nowadays, it is common to see something like this popping up on MSN:

Totally*** says: (11:17:36 AM)
I know you have been looking for a while and I wanted to tell you I found the site who has all the stuff and real cheap too http://www.LoudBig.com

Now, if you click on it, your computer may quite possibly be infected with nasty viruses and malware (malicious software) of all kinds. But honestly speaking, who actually believes these comments?

I think the people behind such messages should come up with more convincing lines (or lies).

For example, here are five convincing messages that might induce people to click on the links:

1. M0useHunter says: (04:11:21 AM)

Do you want more SuperBrie? Refresh your Hunter’s Horn every fifteen minutes? This website shows you how! http://www.mightymousehunter.com

2. LostAtNOOSE says: (14:30:05 PM)

Exam results out but no idea how to find them on the university intranet? This is the link! http://www.noose.edu.sg/exam09/results

3. Zodiac Collector says: (07:35:14 AM)

Limited edition of zodiac pig on sale here! Hurry and buy before stocks run out. http://www.xiaodingdangpig.com

4. Pest-E says: (23:59:59 PM)

At the 11th hour and trying to find out how to downgrade before going through BMT? Find out how here with our numerous specialists. http://www.chaokengstersunite.com.sg/downgrade/

5. Achieve says: (06:10:35 AM)

Looking for tuition for PSLE / O Levels / A levels / Undergraduate / Masters / PhD? Look no further, we are Achieve Your Maximum Potential has the correct tutor for your brilliant child. Check us out at http://www.achieveyourmaximumpotentialtuition.com. Experienced tutors teaching over ten years!

Passable but laced with MSG at Hong Kong Kim Gary

One would think that when eating at a restaurant, the browsing of menus and ordering would be the easy or even negligible, with most of the attention paid to the service and food itself.

But at a restaurant I dine in recently, it took me far longer to order my meal than to actually finish it.

Located at Vivocity, Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant seemed a decent offering, with pleasant decor and a large number of customers inside. It has an air of bustle around the place. Just deciding on something to eat, however, was enough to give me a headache.

Unlike most places which usually offer only one menu (with perhaps additional menus for drinks, desserts and promotional sets), this restaurant has a whole stack of menus, which all confusingly listing not only different foods, but sometimes even repeat the same dishes, which makes the main focus of each of the menus unclear.

On top of that, even after you’ve scoured through the various lists and picked what you wanted, the order chits on which to write your dishes of choice came in an overwhelming array, with sheets for ala carte dishes, vegetables, drinks, rice sets and several other different categories, many of which don’t even seem mutually exclusive at first glance.

To make matters worse, the food wasn’t great, neither.

The Shanghai noodles with beef and Sichuan vegetables had a lot of MSG and, even then, tasted unremarkable (although the beef was surprisingly tender). The Korean spicy noodles were even worse, tasting like something we could have whipped up ourselves at home (and probably done a better job). (If you don’t know already, MSG is the stuff that makes you thirsty and fries your brain!)

The baked rice dishes, apparently their speciality, were just passable. The cheese and chicken chop portions were chewy and provided a good feel but the overall taste was lacking and not worth the $12 it cost.

My friends and I shared a bowl of fries topped with a stingy spread of minced beef sauce. The fries were bland and tasteless and weren’t even the same type as the ones advertised in the menu.

To top off the bad experience, the service staff were inattentive, indifferent and brusque (even after we had indicated who had ordered a certain dish, they would just set it down on the side of the table nearest to them and leave us to pass the food around) and, seeing as we did practically all the work navigating the scores of menus, didn’t warrant our service charge at all.

Definitely the worst dining experience I’ve had in recent months (although I’ve heard very polarised reviews of this place from different friends so maybe you could be luckier and enjoy a better experience).

Rating: 1 of 5 stars

Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant
1 Harbourfront Walk, #02-128 VivoCity
Tel: +65 6376 8183
Opening hours: Daily 10am-10pm

Life sucks for A Serious Man

Don’t watch the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man, if you don’t like dark comedy and unresolved endings. But the message from the movie is something many people are familiar with – that life can turn bad and get worse, without reason or cause.

Main character Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a university professor besieged by all kinds of troubles – wife Judith is leaving him for another man, his unemployable, gambling-addict brother is sleeping on the couch, his son takes drugs and shirks school, and his daughter is stealing from his wallet to save for a nose job.

An anonymous letter-writer tries to sabotage Larry’s chances for staying on in his job at the university. A graduate student bribes him for a passing grade while threatening to sue him for defamation. Finally, the good-looking woman next door torments Larry by sunbathing nude.

Struggling to cope, Larry, who is Jewish, seeks advice from three different rabbis (Jewish spiritual teachers). Can anyone give him the right advice to become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man - who can handle problems and difficulties and stay on top of life?

The movie synopsis is similar to the life story of many of my middle-aged friends who have to handle rebellious teenage kids, a dissatisfied spouse, relatives who are spongers, demanding bosses, knee-joint pains, and other cakesim problems. Life sucks, they say. How could they cope?

Many Singaporeans will reply that the way to cope is to be kiasu—not to lose out, whether to co-workers, neighbours or simply the person queuing in front of you for buffet.

It’s actually a shameful thing to tell foreigners that Singaporeans are well-known to be kiasu, as if we are nothing but mean, envious, competitive creatures, more than willing to shove others aside so that we alone get all the buffet and perks. And if we don’t get them, we want to make sure no one else will!

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, life was tough for most people but no one ever said life sucked. Instead I remember clearly that in school and at home, the lessons children learnt were on being a good individual, a “true man” (women included). Teachers and parents read to us stories from Chinese classics and history, of exemplary characters who studied hard (and did well in exams!), were filial to parents and faithful to friends, and earnest in serving their community and country.

In those formative years of Singapore as a nation, there were many words to describe Singaporeans, but not once did I come across “kiasu”. As we face the Year of the Tiger, let’s banish this word and all its associative traits once and for all from our action and speech.

Re-focus your life

Whether life sucks or not, is a matter of your own perception. You don’t have to be smart to figure out that when you change your mindset, you change your life. Try it: re-focus your thought and action on courage, self-discipline, and a kindly attitude towards family, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers.

Thankfully, there is ONE book that sums up all you need to know in developing these three worthwhile traits of courage, self-discipline and a kindly attitude. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, a collection of personal reflections, by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius who lived more than 1,800 years ago.

Life really sucked for the emperor: the country was invaded constantly by barbarian tribes, his wife was publicly accused of having affairs, his assistant emperor died while helping in a campaign, troops rebelled, and a third of the population was wiped out by the plague. He himself suffered from poor health and died at age 58 in the cold, harsh climate of northern Europe.

But in the notebook which he wrote for his eyes only, Marcus Aurelius did not moan and whine. Instead, he reflected on what he learnt from his elders, teachers and friends, and how to attune his attitude to cope with constantly changing circumstances and challenges.

And he left behind his Meditations that have since encouraged, inspired and taught countless number of people in the West. A recent example is Bill Clinton, former US President and a driving force in helping poor nations, who keeps the book as his self-help reference guide.

There are many translations available, but I recommend a recent edition in a handy, hardcover format, titled, The Emperor’s Handbook, translated by C Scot hicks and David V Hicks (2002). Get this book from Amazon.com and let the wisest, most compassionate ruler of all times, be your guide and teacher.

A parting word from Marcus Aurelius: “If you care about yourself at all, come to your own aid while there’s still time.”

Read more excerpts...

Michael Stuhlbarg as Larry, getting to know his sexy neighbour. Don’t watch the movie if you don’t like unsatisfactory, unresolved endings.

Is Beckham gonna face United or not?

David Beckham’s dream of lining up against Manchester United were thrown into doubt last night after he was dropped by AC Milan.

The former Old Trafford star could only make the bench for Milan’s goalless draw against Bologna yesterday which casts serious doubts over his chances of starting the Champions League second round first-leg clash against United at the San Siro next Tuesday.

Beckham was replaced by recent loan signing Mancini before replacing Ronaldinho with just 11 minutes left to play.

The England midfielder came close to breaking the deadlock late on after firing wide from the edge of the box after a one-two with Marco Borriello.
Beckham has struggled to recapture the form that made him such a hit during his first loan spell at the San Siro last season.

Are KFC egg tarts here as good as in Taiwan?

Two years ago, before my NS enlistment, I went to Taiwan with friends and one of the foodie surprises I had there was, as mentioned in my earlier post here, the KFC Portuguese egg tarts! (For those wondering if KFC in Taiwan is some fancy bakery, no, it is indeed Kentucky Fried Chicken.)

The egg tarts in Taiwan had crispy, flaky crusts and amazingly sweet egg paste filling and were, to be honest, the best egg tarts I had ever tasted (and, being an egg tart fanatic, I’ve tried it at several places too, including Macau’s famed outlets, which I found over-rated).

So, when I heard they had come to Singapore, I HAD to try it. Alas, though, while it isn’t bad, it’s not as good as those in Taiwan.

The crusts, which is probably the first thing you’d sink your teeth into, were pretty tasty. Unfortunately (or maybe it was just the outlet I got it from), the crispiness was not even and some parts were harder (and more greasy) than the rest and made for an odd eating experience.

The egg filling, which is probably the most important part, was abundant and decent. However, it lacked a certain oomph! to it and, while it wasn’t bland, was a tad underwhelming and un-aromatic.

With that said though, although the tarts were a tad disappointing, they are still decent enough for anyone looking for a quick pastry fix here. It sure beats some of the other egg tarts I’ve tasted across the island.

At $1.30 for one or $7.50 for a half-dozen, it’s pricier than those sold elsewhere but it comes in a festive crimson box, suitable for giving away during the 15 days of Chinese New Year (for those who want to give something more than just tangerines).

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sister-in-law strategy

The New Bride
by Wang Jian

On the third day she entered the kitchen.
She washed her hands and made the soup.
But uncertain what his mother likes,
She asked his little sister to take the first sip.

In this Tang poem that I translated (and subtitled as “The Little Sister-in-law Strategy"), Wang Jian said that by the third day of marriage the bride has to demonstrate her cooking skill by preparing a dish for her mother-in-law. Not knowing the old woman’s preference, she enlisted the help of the husband’s little sister to taste the soup first.

Like most Chinese poems, there is of course a subtext message which is directed towards being savvy when you first step into a new work environment. The first 1-2 days are usually spent in job orientation and being introduced to your new colleagues. By the third day you are expected to start serious work and show what you are capable of.

Here’s Wang’s advice: First impressions are crucial; so whether you’re making a Powerpoint slideshow, drafting a report or just proposing some ideas, humbly ask an experienced co-worker who knows the boss well to look it over first, so that your good work is not marred by saying things that might cause offence because you are new to the place and the people.

The co-worker, like the little sister, is familiar with company culture and taboos, and more important, has worked with your boss and knows his likes and dislikes. So, get his advice and make the necessary changes before you present your work officially. That’s the way to create great impression and work smart.

Playing on the Importance of Being Honest

Recently, just two days ago, the Singapore Society at Warwick, England, staged its first-ever musical in 45 years (coincidentally or not, Warwick University - and possibly the Singapore Society - was founded in 1965). 

Being the very first musical production ever attempted (but thankfully with sponsorship from OSU and Contact Singapore), lots of sweat, blood, tears, and improvisations were put into the production (since we did not have previous experience to go by), and everyone involved worked late into the night at daily rehearsals, which is why I’ve haven’t been blogging lately.

Titled “The Importance of Being Honest”, it is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s witty The Importance of Being Earnest, and features a rather, ahem, interesting plot. Here’s what the programme booklet says:

“Every family has its secrets, but what happens when those secrets are revealed? Will the family fall apart or emerge stronger? The Importance of Being Honest examines these questions through the lives and loves of a pair of sisters, Gwen and Cynthia.”

I would have liked to write more, but given the prevalence of Googling, I shall not, because everything else can easily be found online.

I was in charge of ticketing and sound cues for the production. It was a hectic task, not only having to be present during rehearsals and on the actual days to synchronise the correct cues together with the lighting IC, but to also manage selling tickets. It’s kind of an optimisation problem. Given a block of 500 seats, and given that people have preferences “I’d like to sit with so and so, I’d like to be seated at the back please, I’d like to have a group of 6 in the middle, etc”, is there an optimal solution (filling up 500 seats) that fulfills all these requests?

So why am I blogging about something that is gone and done with? Well, for one, it’s just as good an excuse to show that even overseas, we Singaporeans do have talent. But for two, the musical has been filmed (yay!), and if everything goes well, I’ll put a link here to the video of the musical, so everyone can see how multi-talented we can be when overseas!

Sony’s movies for the year

I remember, back in my secondary school days, I used to watch a lot of movies. Thanks to never-ending readings and assignments now, as a university student, however, I find it much harder to find a timeslot where I can head down to a cinema, pay the (really expensive) ticket price and catch a show. Still, some of Sony Pictures’ releases in the upcoming year look interesting enough to compel me to the nearest silver screen.

The Book of Eli (releasing 18 Mar) is a thriller that stars Denzel Washington as Eli, a loner who treks through an American apocalyptic wasteland, protecting a book that he feels is destined to change the world. I’ve always found post-apocalyptic stories (e.g. I Am Legend) interesting and the fact that Denzel Washington, whom I’ve always found one of the best actors of the current generation, is helming it makes it really exciting.

Most of the year after that seems to be filled with lots of romantic comedies (a genre that I don’t actually mind watching but wouldn’t pay a full weekend price for) but two titles near the end of the year pique my interests.

Beastly (releasing 2 Sep) is supposedly a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, set in high school, and told from the Beast’s point of view. Though it is also a comedy and stars High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen (ten brownie points if you can tell me which twin she is), the concept sounds interesting and it stars Neil Patrick Harris (probably as the Beast), who’s possibly one of the most awesome actors around right now.

The Green Hornet (releasing 23 Dec) is probably the movie I’m most excited about for this year - a film adaptation of one of my favourite 1960s superhero TV series. Starring Seth Rogen as the eponymous green-garbed hero, Jay Chou as the martial artist Asian sidekick Kato (a role immortalised by Bruce Lee) and Cameron Diaz as Rogen’s love interest, the casting is interesting but I’d love to see how it’s going to turn out.

What movies are you most excited about this coming year?

OMG! Look what I got for my Birthday!

I celebrated my birthday last Saturday. My gang-sisters had promised an unforgettable seXXXy experience.

Sure enough, these spunky gals delivered on their promise gaving me the full risqué experience including the apparatus!

At the start of the evening, I had to wear a bare-back dress complete with boa feather – the night’s uniform for the gang. We then headed on down to Devils Bar, arguably the best spot in Singapore for bar top dancing.

As if baring flesh and swaying seductive butts around an innocuous pole in full view of cheekopek men weren’t risqué enough, my friends conspired with the bartender to get him to present me a birthday present – a 10-inch DIY xxx!

What followed after was total mayhem! In full view of the shocked bartender, those “evil” women went on to educate me on how often to use IT, what were the different ways to operate IT, and even how to maintain IT to keep its shape! IT was an unforgettable XXXperience!

For clueless guys: What do women really want? The real thing, man! not some DIY stick!

United loan Tosic to Cologne

Manchester United have agreed to let winger Zoran Tosic join Bundesliga outfit Cologne on loan until the summer.

Tosic has failed to make any impression at Old Trafford since arriving 12 months go from Partizan Belgrade as part of a double-deal that included Adem Ljajic. The Ljajic option was discarded last month and the player has since gone on to sign for Fiorentina.

And despite his £7 million price-tag Tosic has never given any impression his slight frame could adjust to the demands of English football.

He made just two appearances this term - both in the Carling Cup against Barnsley and Tottenham - although he clearly has ability judging by his frequent appearances for Serbia, which are likely to earn him a place at the World Cup.

It does seem unlikely the 22-year-old will eventually challenge for a senior spot at Old Trafford, although Tosic refuses to give up hope that he can one day force his way into Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans.

“I don’t believe I have had my final say at Manchester United,” he said. “Hopefully my performances with Cologne will be my ticket back to Old Trafford.”

Money strategy in a relationship

Linda and Peter dated for two years before getting married. Linda then quit her job to enjoy life as a young “tai tai” as Peter made good money in his business. She often went for facials and spa treatments and splurged on branded handbags and clothes.

After two years, Peter’s business went bust due to the economic crisis and Linda could no longer continue her lavish lifestyle. She had to work to help make ends meet and pay off the debts. After a year, she divorced Peter.

Another couple who split due to money problems is John and Karen. John, a sales manager, entertains his clients at pubs and restaurants. His extravagant lifestyle has resulted in large amounts of credit card debts. Karen, a meticulous and prudent auditor, is often upset by John’s spendthrift nature. She tried many ways to curb his spending but to no avail and ended the relationship.

Many couples do not touch on sensitive issues such as money for fear of jeopardising their relationship. However, as couples get closer, they need to open their hearts and share intimate details of their lives including the financial aspects of their future together.

While financial management in a relationship should not be overly emphasised, it cannot be neglected either. Before a couple enters a marriage, it is important to discuss the management of finances. Here are some tips for couples who are planning to get married.

Be honest with your finances

Do not try to hide the state of your financial health. If you have commitments such as loans car loans, education loans, personal loans) and credit card debts, you must tell your partner. If you are dishonest, it may lead to arguments and disputes in the future.

Discuss short term and long term financial goals.

Are you planning to save up for a condo or your child’s education? Start a joint account and discuss how much money to put in the account. There is no fixed amount. It depends on what is comfortable for you.

Manage expectations

Some women expect to be “tai tais” after they get married but their husbands have no intention of shouldering the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner. It is therefore vital to discuss expectations. If your partner does not want to work after marriage, analyse your financial situation and see if you can afford it. If you find it taxing to be the only one earning money at home, you may want to let her know and see if you can work out an agreement where she takes on a part-time job instead of a full-time job.

Do up a budget

A set budget helps you to plan ahead and analyse your spending patterns to see where you can cut back. It is an effective bridle on impulse spending.

Track your expenses

Take note of your expenditure every month. Record the amount you spend on food, transport, clothes, water, handphone and electricity bills. This is to ensure that you do not overspend. Remember, you are now thinking for two persons and not just for yourself.

Seek help from a financial consultant/ planner

If both your partner and you are not good at managing finances, seek help from a financial consultant/ planner. Find out more about savings and endowment plans, insurance policies etc. Once you have decided on a policy, stick to it. Do not give up halfway.

Money may not be the most important factor in a marriage. However, the mismanagement of money can lead to many problems and cause a marriage to break down. 

Inject gratitude in your life

The more gratitude you can inject into your day, the more you will widen your perspective to see more things to be grateful for.

When you use the tool of gratitude throughout the day, you will be amazed at the results;

Don’t like having to pay bills?

Be grateful for the pleasures you received - airconditioned bedroom to sleep during a humid evening, hot shower on a chilly morning - that you are now expressing appreciation for by paying those bills.

Don’t like arguing with your spouse?

Be grateful for the loving, caring feeling you get from him or her when things are going great, when they are not going great.

Don’t like cooking meals?

Be grateful for the food that offers you and your family the nourishment you all need.

Don’t like cleaning the house?

Be grateful for a wonderful place to live that gives you shelter from the rain and sun and allows you to be safe and comfortable. Think of Haiti.