I have dreams

2009-12-31T13:01:00.010-06:00

Happy 2010!

Hi Friends! Happy new year to you! Oh my, did another year just ended? Wow... and before you know it, it'll be the end of 2010!

So what am I expecting in 2010? A lot of great and exciting things, of course. So let me just list down TEN... (and this is by no means a new year resolution, cos we all know they don't really work!)

1. Start my MBA program... I am trusting God for this!
2. Run two half marathons... one in Champaign, Illinois (May) and the other most probably in Kansas City, MO (Oct), or Des Moines, Iowa (also Oct)
3. Pay off my PTPTN study loan... AT LONG LAST!
4. Rent out my house in Malaysia. Anyone reading this interested?
5. Get my Social Security Card
6. Get my U.S. Driver's License
7. Sleep under the stars a.k.a. camping (Ron my man, I'm counting on you for this!)
8. Watch a meteor shower (check out this 2010 schedule)
9. Hold a praying mantis
10. Visit Dr Eric Lien in Philadelphia, PA (May)

Ok, I know that some of you, well, in fact, most of you will be wondering... what about a baby??? Nah... not so soon. No baby at least for the next 4-5 years. I really wonder why people commonly have the notion that a couple should be having a baby immediately after getting married. I mean, at best, that's the most ridiculous idea, because it's not as simple as having sex and then 38 weeks or so later, bring a living being into the world. There's too many things to consider... financially, mentally, what about current situation... who's to take care of the baby, do we have the time, do we have the commitment? Given her current job circumstances, and my coming involvements, nah... we're not ready. Oh boy, how did I get into all this now? LOL :)

Anyways, have a nice new year. And I truly appreciate those of you who are still around reading my blog. I know that some of you go waaaaaaaaaay back! Thanks for reading this and I appreciate this friendship of ours :)

2009-12-03T10:42:00.005-06:00

7 LOVES

Hi Friends! The weekends is coming so let me be the first to wish you happy weekends!

There had been many many many things happening to me over here in Columbia, MO, and I don't think I will be sharing all of that here. So to save all of you readers the trouble, I had decided to choose 3 most important updates...

1. Found and attending a great church - Faith Church St. Louis. It's about 2 hours' drive away from my place, but I really don't mind driving all the way (4 hours to and fro), because the message is Word-centered and very good. The pastor, Pastor David Crank is really cool and rocks, and the people there are friendly too.

2. Succeeded in getting that Toshiba laptop everyone was queueing for on Black Friday! $399 only for Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T6500 (2.1GHz); 4GB DDR3 memory expandable to 8GB; Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD; 6-cell lithium-ion battery (about 3.5... hours); DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; 16" TFT-LCD widescreen with TruBrite technology (1366 x 768); 320GB SATA (5400 rpm) hard drive; built-in webcam; and the latest OS i.e. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Thank You Jesus!

3. My 3rd half marathon (1st ever winter race) is coming up!!! It's on the 3rd day of Christmas, which is about 3 weeks from today. Wow 3 more weeks left to train! I hope I'm ready by then, and I hope to run below 2.5 hours. Or else I'll be getting...

Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Pray for me and cheer for me ok, even though you are not there :)

Actually I intended to do the tag by my friend Donna, hence the title of this post, but I guess I'll do it next post, and let this be just the prologue to it :)

Till then, take care and thanks for reading this! God bless ya!

2009-11-11T15:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Veterans Day!

Hi Friends! Sorry I haven't been updating this blog as regularly as I used to. Not sure why though.

Anyways, this post is dedicated to honor all the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces, to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. These are the people who really made a difference, because I can't imagine what the world would be today, without them around in 1917, 1941, 1950, 1964, 1990 and 2001.

Of the 10 Federal holidays in the United States, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living Veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty.

So this goes out to you, Inge', the only friend I know who used to be a Marine! How cool is that huh?

2009-11-01T17:04:00.005-06:00

Can I Help You?

Hi Friends! Having a superb Sunday? And I hope that your weekend has been going great so far. Yesterday was Halloween, but too bad, no kids came around asking for treats-or-tricks, else they would be in for a pleasant surprise ;)

Ok, back to business. If you still remember, starting last month, and then for every 1st Sunday of the month, I will accept questions from you. Yes, YOU! And I will try my very best to answer your questions, or help you with whatever problem that you have.

For those of you who are new here to this blog, you can read about last month's introductory post HERE, and the answers to the questions asked HERE, HERE and HERE. Pretty good response for a start, eh? I sure hope that all those who had their questions answered were blessed :) And for those of you who missed out on last month's, don't miss out this time! Don't be shy!

So... FIRE AWAY!

2009-10-27T04:00:00.001-05:00

Around half the world in 1.42 days

Hi Friends! How had all of you been? Greetings from the United States of America!

Phew, I know it has been a while since I last updated my blog, and you bet I had tons of stuff to share!!! And I don't even know where to start!

It's 4:06am now here in Columbia, Missouri (MO), and it's COLD out there! It's 45°F, or 7°C. Thank God for the heater! My wife and I are keeping the house temperature at 75°F, which is 24°C, and thank God too, because with this cold weather, I can exercise without sweating much :)

Oh, before I forget, I must let ya'll know that I had signed up for the half marathon in Springfield, MO, on the 3rd day of Christmas at 2:30pm. Springfield is 173 miles away from my place (about 3 hours 53 mins by car). This race is part of the 10th Annual Run For The Ranch. Yeah, I know, my wife thinks I'm crazy too, since the forecasted temperature for the run will be around 43°F! Training alone is a crazy thing, since I would have to brave cold temperatures to go running out there! Well, I have less than 2 months to go, so wish me luck and pray for me! And I really want to do this, because firstly, I had never run in cold temperatures before, it will be exciting, and I can't just stop running because of winter. So I'm reading up and spending quite a fair bit on winter running gear, but I keep reminding myself that this is a one-time investment, since I will be able to re-use the same stuffs every year's autumn or winter :) I'm targeting to run below 2 hours and 30 minutes, since in my previous half marathon, I dipped below 3 hours. Hope that I can catch up on my training, since I'm almost 3 weeks behind, due to lack of motivation and discipline. Sigh... got to buck up, since the race itself is no joke, what more running in cold temperatures!

Anyways, back to my experience traveling to the States and my first 5 days here. Let's start with the flight... gosh! Thank God I made it, because in the flight from Hong Kong to Chicago, almost 30% of the flight was affected badly by turbulence. And it's not just simple rock-a-my-baby... it's violent rock-and-roll ok! Even the flight attendant commented that she had never experienced such a bad turbulence before in her many years of service.

The best thing about the whole traveling is... no crying babies, no big-sized guy beside me, I got the aisle seat, and the service is not too bad. Food sucks, so did the movies they played on United Airlines (UA), but what the heck, that's what you get for cheap tickets. Heard that they had free flow of booze, but too bad I ain't a drinker.

At O'Hare, Chicago airport, I was starving, so I had my first ever American McDonald's burger set meal, which didn't differ greatly from the Malaysian version. But the funny thing is, they had no chairs or tables, so I joined a few others sitting on the floor at the sidewalk... LOL! I don't know, but I think I could pass for a poor old Chinese beggar!

And I can't help noticing that I was the only black-haired, Asian-looking guy on the flight from Chicago to St. Louis. Welcome to America!

And oh, did I mention that they (UA) used this 39-seater plane to fly from Chicago to St. Louis? Very interesting experience! That must be the smallest plane I had ever sat in. Ok, ok, I know, for my American friends, they might be going... duh... but it's a first for me!

For $58, a coach carried me from St. Louis to my new home sweet home's doorsteps, literally speaking. It was a shared coach, so it went around dropping others first before dropping me.

Oh oh, this post is getting too long, so I'm not going to share about my church experience last Sunday, or my first Walmart experience. Maybe another post. So I'm ending this now, by just letting you all know that I'm doing great here, and I hope the same for you too! Have a beautiful Tuesday and thanks for reading this!

2009-10-18T14:16:00.003-05:00

A Year Ago.....

..... on this day, I just started planning for my wedding. Remember this post? Time sure flies, huh? And I really appreciate those who read that post, and are still reading my blog today! You know who you are! *Winks*

Although I started blogging in 2005, I had no posts on the 19th of October in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Can't remember why though. But I sure remember what happened in that one year from 19th October 2008 - 19th October 2009. In that one year, I...

1. Completed 2 half marathons

2. Campaigned for Obama

3. Fell sick three times

4. Went on my first family trip with my soon-to-be-in-laws-back-then

5. Took my wedding photos in Guangzhou, China

6. Planned, prepared and got married (what an adventure!)

7. Prepared and sat for my TOEFL exam

8. Maternal grandfather passed away

9. Blessed with many bloggy friends like Deboshree, Donna, Inge', Mys Lyke Meeh, Ron, Small Footprints and Traveling Chemist!

10. Had my company (ex- now) bought over by a bigger one

11. Quit my job of 5 years plus plus

12. Had numerous farewell lunches and dinners, and gifts - first time in my life

13. Tremendous improvements in my physical fitness and training

14. Had the worst boss ever in my life

15. Visitors to this blog grew to over 800 per month

16. No car accident, as compared to previously, at least one every year

17. Canceled 4 credit cards and the debts as well, of course

18. Finished paying the 7-year-loan of my car

19. Packed and packed and packed, and now I'm only 3 days away from flying off!

2009-10-17T14:16:00.002-05:00

A poem for my baby

Penning love in a poem
Where should one start
With innermost feelings
I am enclosing my heart

Gathering my thoughts
By the candlelight glow
I reached from my heart
Soon love began to flow

In giving of my devotion
Whenever I write to you
With every word I impart
My love I truly imbue

Expressing my sincerity
While longings flow free
I seal this poem with a kiss
With love to you from me

2009-10-16T14:16:00.004-05:00

17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22!

Hi Friends! Welcome to the weekends! I just can't help counting down the days to the day I will journey across half the circumference of the earth, to be with my wife, to start a new life in the United States of America :)

This is going to be a very short sharing, a joke, actually.

A couple of days ago, my computer developed strange symptoms. A little while after starting up, the cursor will move by itself, as if the "space bar" was being held down continuously. I tried restarting, and even pulled the keyboard cable off, and the same thing happens! It always starts in about 5-10 minutes time.

Not only that, when I tried to click on anything, the opposite happens. For example, if a dialogue box appears, with 2 options... either "Ok" or "Cancel", when I clicked on "Ok", the opposite happens.

So I thought it must be a darned virus or trojan. And how wise of me not to install any antivirus program prior to this! So I thought I could beat the virus or trojan by downloading a free antivirus program, but unfortunately, the virus or trojan had another plan in mind. It will shut down the download box even before the download has been completed. Dang!

Restarting the computer doesn't help, and just when I thought things could get any worse, there isn't anymore grace period when I restarted the computer after a few times restarting. The virus or trojan had manifested and became dominating!

So I sought the help of my good friend William, who happens to be an expert in computers and stuff. He said I needed to take out the hard drive, and pass it to him for scanning with another computer. I did so, and he detected no virus nor trojan!

Then he said he needed to come over to my house to see the symptoms himself. He also thought it was a virus or trojan because he said he'd heard of such virus or trojan causing such symptoms to appear or develop.

Amazingly, the symptom didn't reappear, even after 20,

30 minutes of waiting. Now, did the virus or trojan kind of "know" my friend will be coming, and "hid" itself, and then after the expert has left, it will "show up" and antagonize me again? Shucks!

Suddenly, my friend saw something on my bed, not far from

the computer table. It was my wireless keyboard that I momentarily didn't use, because I wanted to use another keyboard with a cable that normally will be plugged into the USB port for usage.

He asked me a very simple question... Is the wireless keyboard disabled or it's still functioning?

Then..... realization dawned upon me!!!

HOLY CRAP!!!

The "virus" or "trojan" is actually ME..... hahahahaha..... I must

have accidentally moved something which held down the "space bar" key, which explains the symptoms.

Holy crap... what a big boo boo... and how smart of me! Yeah, I know... duh...

And true enough, after clearing all obstacles from the wireless keyboard, the symptoms had not shown up ever since 48 hours ago.

This sure taught me an important lesson. Always be gracious to those who are less computer-literate than me, because sometimes, I'm no smarter than they are with computers! LOL

Hope you enjoyed this, and have a lovely weekend, Friends!

2009-10-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

Our lives are surrounded by numbers, knowingly or unknowingly. And whether we like it or not, numbers are important to us.

Can you think of how many things you know that is associated with the number 9 (nine)?

Ok, let's see if you can beat me. But no peeking at my list until you had done yours, ok?

Here goes mine...

Ready?

On the count of 9...

1. Cloud nine
2. A human pregnancy normally lasts nine months
3. Nine lives of a cat (cultural belief)
4. Nine of spades
5. Nine of hearts
6. Nine of diamonds
7. Nine of clubs
8. The last number of my cellphone number
9. The last number of this year
10. Nine One One
11. Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
12. Nine gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

So there you go... 12 things. Not much, really. In fact, it's quite pathetic. There are actually many interesting facts associated with this number. And oh, by the way, this isn't my favorite number, nor do I dislike it.

For instance, did you know that...

- Nine is the atomic number of fluorine, the most dangerous halogen, more so than other halogens such as the poisonous chlorine gas.

- The purity of chemicals usually expressed in nines e.g. 999 gold.

- The ninth President of the United States is William Henry Harrison, who owns (and still holds) numerous records in U.S. presidential history, e.g.
(a) Shortest presidency ever - 32 days
(b) First president to die in office
(c) Delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. At 8,444 words, it took nearly two hours to read, even after his friend and fellow Whig Daniel Webster had edited it for length.
(d) First sitting president to have his photograph taken

Interestingly, he was born on the 9th of February, 1773. Gematria of February is 576, and 5+7+6=18, 1+8=9! And 1+7+7+3=18, 1+8=9! 999!

Amazing huh?

And there are more! For example...

- Before 2006 (when Pluto was officially designated as a non-planet), there were nine planets in the solar system. Did you know that? I mean, how could I have missed this news??? We all studied in school that there are 9 planets in the solar system. So now we're left with 8 planets..... shucks...

- In the Christian angelic hierarchy there are 9 choirs of angels.

- Nine (九 pronounced jiǔ) is considered a good number in Chinese culture because it sounds the same as the word "longlasting" (久 also pronounced the same as the former). That's why we Chinese normally give 9 red roses to our woman, or 99, 999 and ultimately 9999 to signify how long we intend to love them.

Nine is strongly associated with the Chinese dragon, a symbol of magic and power. There are nine forms of the dragon - it is described in terms of nine attributes, and it has nine children. It has 117 scales - 81 yang (masculine, or bad influence) and 36 yin (feminine, or good influence). All three numbers are multiples of 9 (9x13=117, 9x9=81, 9x4=36) as well adding up individually to 9 (1+1+7=9, 8+1=9, 3+6=9). The dragon often symbolizes the Emperor, and the number nine can be found in many ornaments in the Forbidden City. The circular altar platform (Earthly Mount) of the Temple of Heaven has one circular marble plate in the center, surrounded by a ring of nine plates, then by a ring of 18 plates, and so on, for a total of nine rings, with the outermost having 81=9×9 plates. The name of the area called Kowloon in Hong Kong literally means: nine dragons. The nine-rank system was a civil service nomination system used during certain Chinese dynasties.

Phew... learnt so many things today, just from one number... 9! If you would like to read some more, you can go to this site

HERE.

Actually, the main purpose of this post is for me to announce that...

Nine days left in Malaysia for me!

Woohoo! Can't wait now... :)

PS# By the way, this is my 360th post on this blog... 3+6+0 equals... 9!!! And no, this was not staged.

2009-10-12T08:55:00.010-05:00

Time (and the power & wisdom to

choose what to do with it!)

Hi Friends! How's the start of your week? Hope it was a blast!

As promised, I will now attempt to answer the 3rd and final question for this month, from Deboshree. She asked a very interesting question, and not very easy to answer. Although the answer for me is quite blatantly clear and glaringly obvious, I have to re-think my answer a few times, so that I will be able to be positive and help to encourage her, as she journeys into the working world in a few years' time.

Her question was:

You have worked for quite a few years and I haven't experienced anything from that sphere of life. People tell me that one gets less idealistic and more flexible with their morals as time passes.They lose their energy and drive to make a difference and simply learn to go with the flow. Is that so and if so,why??

Deboshree, to be honest... this is a tough one. I had seen that happen to many of my friends, including myself - we experienced what you had described in your question i.e. become less idealistic, loose in their morals, lose the energy and drive to make a difference in this world, and go with the flow... some worse than what you had listed.

Let's talk about myself. Well, I'm not perfect. I'm still human. I make mistakes. So there was a time when I had a lot of dreams, hence the birth of the name of this blog. A lot of things I desired to be, to do and to achieve for God. Things to make this world a better place, less suffering, people getting a "second chance" at life, and helping people enjoy the fullness of life.

When I started working, things slowly started to change. From having more than 10 hours of free time a day back in the university days, I was faced with less than one third of that in the weekdays. Yup, I'm talking about having about 3 hours of free time per day. There was less time to do things that I enjoy. There was less time to think, to dream, to hope. No time to lose. No time to pause and evaluate. No time at all.

You might ask, what about that 3 hours of free time per day? Yes, I still have some remaining time every day, but guess what? I was going through a taxing relationship, and a string of other miscellaneous chores took away every bit of that free time.

Ok, let's pause a little bit and take a look at what I had shared.

Firstly, not everyone gets a remainder of 3 hours of free time per day like me. Because of the nature of my work, I had to work long hours, and sometimes, over the whole night i.e. no sleep, and had to continue working the next day. Some might be more blessed with a 9 to 5 job, and gets to go back sharp every day. Not me. Although on paper I have a 9 to 5 job, realistically, my working hours are 7 to 10. AM and PM respectively, that is. Being tired physically, mentally and spiritually most of the time, there isn't much time and energy left to spend on anything else, is there?

Secondly, not everyone goes through a taxing relationship like me. I don't want to sound like I'm bad-mouthing that girl, but the truth is, she was a very demanding person. She demanded that we go out on a date every day. If not a physical date, a phone date... every single day. Weekends are one-whole-day dates. Oh, by the way, I am referring to the girl before I met my wife.

I just don't know how did I survive that one year, but I just did. It was super tough. There was absolutely no time at all for myself, no time for thinking of what's happening and what's to do, what's to achieve, what's to dream. It was a year I completely lose myself, lost sight of what I dreamt of, lost sight of what I wanted to achieve. I lost touch with people that I love, people close to my heart - my family and friends.

So if you ask me, I honestly and straightforwardly confess that I was the perfect specimen of your question, when I started working. I was everything - less idealistic, lose morals, less energy and drive to make a difference, going with the flow.

But did I like what I had become back then? Not at all. Did I want to become like that, had I the choice? Absolutely not. But did I have the power to choose? Definitely, but I didn't choose wisely. Did love "blind" me? I think so!

It was a hard-learnt lesson. I learnt many things... Firstly, work will always be there, whether you work hard at it, or less hard at it. So learn to have a balanced life, a life not all spent in the office. Did I regret spending almost all my time in the past 6 years in the office? Partly, yes, because doing that did not get me any closer to where I want to be in my life.

Secondly, as hard as it seems to be, try not to get "blinded" by love, especially if it's one that's not worth pursuing. During then, I lacked the maturity and the wisdom to see through the doomed relationship. Getting into a taxing relationship is a big no-no especially if you are just starting to enter the workforce.

Thirdly, don't lose sight of your dreams, your goals, your visions. Write it down. Keep reminding yourself of it. Keep track of your progress. Think, think and think again. Does doing this thing or that thing bring you any closer to achieving it? Or further away? There's nothing you can do humanly to retract or undo lost TIME.

You are a caring and smart girl, and I can see a lot of goodness and potential in you, Deboshree. Though I do not know you that long nor that well yet, I just believe that you can do it, that you have a big and bright future ahead of you. Keep dreaming, keep hoping, keep loving!

PS# Hope I answered your question!

2009-10-10T10:59:00.003-05:00

It is confirmed! Woohoo!!!

Hi Friends! I have good news to share. Not only I had my U.S. visa approved, but also had my airtickets confirmed! ETA in Columbia, Missouri is 7pm local time on the 23rd of this month.

Total travel time, inclusive of layovers, is around 34 hours! Phew... I had never traveled by air more than 9 hours, and we are talking about over triple of that time.

And I had also obtained my international driving permit, valid for a year. Shall be applying for a U.S. driving license, as soon as I get familiar with driving in the States.

It's not even winter yet but the weather there is already in the mid-50's in the morning and as low as 34 at night. Fahrenheit, that is. Now that's something I have to get used to, once I arrive in less than 2 weeks' time, 'cos it will only get colder and colder towards January!

I'm going to dedicate the next next post to appreciating the farewell gifts that my friends and colleagues (ex) had blessed me with, totally unexpected blessings, really. But as for this post, I will answer the next question from Mys Lyke Meeh. For those of you who are not sure of what's going on, just to recap: For every first Sunday of the month, you get to ask me questions, any questions, and I will try my best to answer them. An example is below... about cellulite. Questioning closes in 5 days, inclusive of Sunday, and you will get your answers in less than 2 weeks' time.

Alright then, let's take a look at the next question from Mys Lyke Meeh.

What do you think is the reason why a question unanswered remain a question?

This looks simple, but not really..... LOL

Actually, I think... a question will remain a question, regardless of whether it is answered or not. What do you think? Maybe Deboshree The Philosopher might want to chip in some opinion of her own?

Now I even tried googling the whole question... :p and there are about 240,000 results, as of 22:54pm on 10 October 2009, Malaysian time.

Interestingly, the first result, has something to do with the Bible, about Pontius Pilate's questions to Jesus remain unaswered. For those of you who don't really know about Pilate... he was the Prefect (governor) of the Roman province of Judaea from AD 26–36. Typically referenced as the fifth Procurator of Judea, he is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized his crucifixion.

Pilate appears in all four Gospels of the Bible - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Mark, depicting Jesus as innocent of plotting against Rome, portrays Pilate as extremely reluctant to execute Jesus, blaming the Jewish hierarchy for his death. In Matthew, Pilate washes his hands of Jesus and reluctantly sends him to his death. In Luke, Pilate not only agrees that Jesus did not conspire against Rome, but Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, also finds nothing treasonous in Jesus' actions.

The following pictures illustrates...

Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem...

And of course, the heart-wrenching snapshot from the movie "The Passion of the Christ", more realistic...

Ooppss... now why did I go there? I hope I answered your question, Mys Lyke Meeh!

Have a great weekend, Friends!

2009-10-08T12:59:00.001-05:00

The Battle of Cellulite

WARNING: This post is going to be long.

Hi Friends! Firstly, thanks to Inge' for being the first to ask questions :) I knew I could count on you!

We have all heard about it. Some are experiencing it. Probably some are trying all sorts of experiments to remove or improve it....

Cellulite.

The very word causes some to shun away in fear. Or shake their heads in disappointment.

Inge' asked a very good question: Can drinking more water get rid of cellulite, or it's just a myth?

To answer this question requires understanding more about cellulite first.

So what is it?

I'm not going to post any pictures here, in case I spoil your lunch or dinner. You can easily find pictures of cellulite from googling.

Occuring mostly in women, cellulite is something aesthetically unpleasant on the skin, normally found in the lower limbs, abdomen, and pelvic region. It's like having a lot of dimples on that part of your body. One dimple is nice, but imagine ten dimples on your left cheek, or twenty dimples on your right buttock.

From the medical point of view, it is something that is not life threatening. Nor is it contagious. In fact, most of the medical community doesn't view cellulite as a disorder. Instead, it is considered a normal condition of many women and some men.

But of course, it does not look good. Especially if you are wearing a bikini, or your birthday suit.

And strangely, it occurs mostly in women. Cases of cellulite in men are rare.

So what causes cellulite? From what I had researched, it appears that experts are still uncertain about this, as there appears to be multiple factors that could contribute to the formation of cellulite, and these multiple factors are poorly supported by clinical evidence. It may or may not include changes in metabolism and physiology such as gender specific dimorphic skin architecture, alteration of connective tissue structure, vascular changes and inflammatory processes. Other factors also associated with cellulite formation includes:

1. Lifestyle - If you are always under a lot of stress, you tend to have increased levels of catecholamines i.e. adrenaline and noradrenaline. These two hormones are known to contribute to the development of cellulite. Which brings us to the second factor...

2. Hormonal factors - Estrogen appears to be the dominant contributor, but then again, it is not well substantiated by studies. Other hormones include the catecholamines, insulin, prolactin and thyroid hormones.

3. Diet - It appears that taking certain foods or not consuming certain foods seems to have an effect on cellulite (something that might bring us to the answer of Inge's question).

4. Predisposing factors - Gender, race, biotype, a hormone receptor allele that determines the receptor number and sensitivity, distribution of subcutaneous fat, and predisposition to circulatory insufficiency have all been shown to contribute to cellulite.

So based on the above factors, there are 2 NATURAL ways to control or improve the situation, i.e. your lifestyle and what you eat. It may or may not work, but at least there are some evidence on the possibility of you controlling or improving it. There are other UNNATURAL (and expensive) ways to get rid of cellulite, which I will touch on later.

What can I say about stress? I know that for some of you, a stressful life or job is inevitable. But I somehow believe that this could be overcome. A breakthrough, a miracle... all these are possible. And a lot of times, the choice is in our hands. Sometimes, an extra bit of wisdom, and God's green light is all we need.

Now, let's talk about diet... aha! My forte. Believe it or not, this is the first time I had receive this question about nutrition in relation to cellulite. Maybe my female friends or colleagues are just too shy to ask me about it, lest that I go and gossip about it! Who would want word to spread around about so-and-so having cellulite problem? But rest assured that I had always treated all those who had consulted me with much discretion and privacy. What you share with me remains with me, unless, of course, I need to seek further help from someone more specialized in the problem, or a physician's opinion.

So let's get on with it.

Based on the studies I had examined, here's some myth busters:

I. Losing weight will get rid of cellulite.

VERDICT: Partly true.

While some of those who lost weight saw an improvement, others had their condition worsened. So this might or might not work for everyone.

Ref: Smalls et al (2006)

II. Drinking more water will get rid of cellulite.

VERDICT: Untrue

Dehydration is known to be one of the possible causes of cellulite formation. So keeping yourself hydrated will only prevent or minimize the risk of cellulite formation. Once you have cellulite, you can't get rid of it by drinking more water.

Ref: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (2008)

III. Thin people won't get cellulite... ever.

VERDICT: Untrue

Hahaha... so you thought you could get away with this? Think again. Even thin people can get cellulite, because we all have layers of fat just below the surface of the skin. Collagen fibers that connect fat to the skin may stretch, break down, or pull tight, allowing the fat cells to bulge out. This creates the rippled look of cellulite.

Ref: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (2008)

So what's the best way to "treat" or get rid of cellulite? I know the truth may sometimes hurt, but the truth is the truth, and it's better that you know it now than later. So here goes...

There are numerous therapies for the "treatment" of cellulite. However the empirical evidence for the efficacy of these strategies is limited. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Molly Wanner, an instructor in dermatology at Harvard Medical School and an author of a 2008 evidence-based review of existing treatments, asserted, “At this point, there is no outstanding treatment for cellulite.” Dr. Michael F. McGuire, a clinical associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, confirmed that “realistically there is no cure for cellulite.”

A great deal of money is spent by people who want to rid themselves of cellulite, but no amount of weight loss, exercise, massages, wraps, gels, creams, machines, supplements, or surgery has proven to effectively eliminate it once you have it. Liposuction, for instance, is not recommended for cellulite, and may even make it look worse. Dr. Jeffrey Dover, director of SkinCare Physicians, a dermatology practice in Chestnut Hill, Mass., says: "Some people have misrepresented the truth to suggest that there’s a lot you can do [to treat cellulite].”

A classic example would be the usage of an anti-cellulite gel & LED as per Sasaki et al (2007). Treatment for 3 months - 8 of 9 had improvement, 5 reverted to previous state 15 months after treatment.

Even the FDA is not doing a good job either. In 1998, the FDA approved a high-powered, handheld massage tool that consists of a treatment head and two motorized rollers with a suction device that compresses the affected tissue between the two rollers. The manufacturer is permitted to promote it for "temporarily improving the appearance of cellulite." The procedure, called Endermologie, usually takes 10 to 20 treatments to get the best results, and one or two maintenance treatments per month are required to maintain them. Without the maintenance, the benefits will soon be lost. The typical cost is $45 to $65 per session.

It is unfortunate that the FDA did not review this study by Collis et al (1999) - while it is true that it can only temporarily improve cellulite appearance (continued maintenance is needed), the study shows that not everyone responds to Endermologie. Only 10 of 35 Endermologie-treated legs had their cellulite appearance improved. That's less than 30% success rate of TEMPORARILY improving cellulite appearance. Even if you are one of the 30% successful users, you do the math on the maintenance part.

And I had browsed through many other studies on the "treatment" of cellulite using weight loss programs, exercise programs, massages, wraps, gels, creams, machines, supplements, or even surgery and came to the same conclusion... there are either no studies to prove the claim, or the studies showed that they don't work for everyone. Even if they did, they are costly, and long-term, continued application is required.

I know it's a bit sad to know this, but hey, why not ask God to remove it? Nothing is impossible for him who believes, and God is more willing to do anything for us, right?

I have GOOD NEWS to those who has YET to get cellulite! There are ways to prevent or reduce the risk of getting cellulite (again, not goofproof, but still, worth trying). Prevention is always better than cure, and for this case, there are hardly any effective "cure".

Ways to avoid cellulite include:

- Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber
- Staying hydrated with plenty of fluids
- Exercising regularly to keep muscles toned and bones strong
- Maintaining a healthy weight (no yo-yo dieting)
- Not smoking

Of course, the methods proposed above are nothing new. In fact, these are the same preventive measures to take to reduce the risk of getting heart diseases too, as per my previous posts on this.

I hope I answered your question, Inge' :)

And just a bit of humor (courtesy of Snopes.com) to round off this post... enjoy!

The Thighs of Texas Are Upon Us

2009-10-03T12:35:00.008-05:00

Can I Help You?

Hi Friends! I wish you a happy Sunday, and I hope your weekend has been great so far.

Guess what? I am starting something that I feel would be beneficial to all of my loyal bloggy readers and friends.

Starting from today, and then for every 1st Sunday of the month, I will accept questions from you. Yes, YOU! And I will try my very best to answer your questions, or help you with whatever problem that you have.

What kind of questions, or problems? Well, firstly, I'm not Superman. Nor am I a genius. But I won't set a limit to what kind of questions to ask me. If there's anything that I can't answer you, I can do research on it, or ask a friend of mine who may be an expert in the particular area.

Yes, that's right. Everything under the sun. And nope, this is not a male-chauvinistic, ego-boosting activity just to make me feel good. No strings attached.

And I welcome debates or discussions as well, which will be very interesting indeed!

For those of you who are new here to this blog, or don't really know me that well yet, just for your information, I am a nutritionist. And through my working experience, I had dealt with specific areas, such as nutritional medicine, pediatric nutrition, food act & regulations.

Disclaimer 1: I am not trying to advocate any company nor its products

Disclaimer 2: I am not charging any fee :)

Disclaimer 3: Nope, this is not because I'm too free!

So... who wants to go first?

2009-09-30T21:58:00.006-05:00

Wyethless (and Pfizerless) Day One

Hi Friends! How is everyone's Thursday? I'm having a great one, because I no longer need to wake up early to go to work... LOL

Yes, yesterday was my last day at work, and so it begins... a new chapter, a new phase in my life. How does it feel? Fantastic :)

Well, I'm not going to spend too much time here on a beautiful Thursday... Instead I'm going to exercise, go shop for groceries, perhaps get a new hard drive for my computer, and so on and so forth... wooohooooo!

Of course, I'll be getting ready for the interview at the U.S. Embassy for my VISA application this coming Monday, as well as getting ready my things to bring to U.S. and things to send back home. I'll still need to get some more jabs too to complete my vaccination process. I'll also need to send my car for servicing, and to collect my car grant or ownership certificate. Just finished paying the loan a couple of months ago! Woohoo! Another reason to celebrate!

Anyways, I will end this post with the farewell message that I sent out yesterday to all my colleagues in Wyeth before I left :) Bye now, and have a blessed Thursday!

Hi ALL,

It is my last day after a wonderful 5 years, 2 months & 26

GOLDen days with Wyeth. I would like to sincerely thank each of you for every experience shared, friendship made, opportunity offered and good times had during this time.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of being part of the Nutri team, especially during my early years in Wyeth. Although I was very "green" and the youngest in age during then, everyone in the team treated me like I was part of their family, and helped to nurture, train and shape me into a better person at work and in life. I couldn't thank you more for the great amount of patience you had showered me in withstanding my sudden outbreaks of insanity, wrong words or actions said or done, and always seeing the best in me of who I can become.

I will never forget how you all had cheered for me as I sang "She Bangs", helping me to win the very first Wyeth Idol in 2005. I will also never forget all the time, effort and success in obtaining LUTEIN content and function claims approval from the MOH, with the support of Marketing and Corporate Affairs. And how can I forget the time when I fell backwards, blindfolded, from a raised platform into the loving and trustworthy hands of my team members (Blue team boleh!), safe and sound! Who can forget the incentive trip to Italy?

In short and sweet, thank you so much for all these years of the best of everything, the opportunities to work with the best people, and for the chances to be a part of interesting experiences. I think nothing is more fitting but to end my parting message with the lyrics of my song that I sang to all of you at this year's NSM.

Friends For Life

Friend, you put a smile on my face
Friend, you fill my heart with joy
I will give thanks to Him my Lord
For by His grace
We are friends

He has joined us together
Walking side by side
And I know we'll be together
Friends for life

Though many things
Try to take us apart
But I know...
We're gonna make it through together

He has joined us together
Walking side by side
And I know we'll be together
Friends for life

Last and best regards,
John

PS# If anyone wants to keep in contact, you can email me @ johntan1979@gmail.com (or see you on Facebook!).

2009-09-22T09:08:00.004-05:00

FFF

Hi Friends! How are you doing? I had just got back from a Fabulous Fourth Farewell :) Thanks to Wei Luen and Sarah, two good friends of mine for more than 6, 7 years. We had Japanese steamboat... very healthy and yummy food, with lots of fiber and greens :)

I truly appreciate moments like these, because when I look back 10, 20 years later, I'll know that I had friends who cared, friends who loved, friends who took time off their busy schedules to spend time with me...

Friends who understood what I am going through, friends who supported my future plans, friends who sincerely wanted to know how I felt going through all these major changes in my life (i.e. marriage, quitting my job, moving to the States, taking up MBA, et cetera), and friends who offered me invaluable advice and words of wisdom that are much appreciated :)

I might not have a lot of money in my bank accounts (yet). I might not drive a Merz or a BMW (yet). I might not own a lot of lands or properties (yet). But one thing I do know is that I am ever so richly blessed, because I have FRIENDS :)

Yes, friends come and go. But some stay longer. And it's those friends I'm truly thankful to God for. Someone asked me once, why did I remain friends with that person for so many years? I answered him, it takes two hands to clap. Both has to put in the effort to stay together. But I also said that, when the friendship seems to be slipping away, that's the time when I have to decide if I wanted to let it fade away into utter oblivion, or put in the extra effort to keep it going. For most of the time, I fanned the dying flame. Just for what? For my own benefits? For something I want out of it? Nope. It's for FRIENDSHIP. I cared enough. I loved enough. As simple as that. I believe that friends who came into our lives definitely didn't happen BY CHANCE. It's definitely God-given. And just like so many things God placed in our hands, we have the power to CHOOSE... either to keep it and nurture it well like gold, or let it go like rubbish.

Some people treat friends like commodities, like toys. When they get bored, they find a new one. Some treat friends like the toilet. Out of convenience, they will remain friends with them. And when things change, e.g. they are moving further away, it is no longer convenient (or economical) to stay as friends. Have I met people like that? Unfortunately, yes. And yes, I did try to fan the flame, to keep it going, but alas, if you are the only side trying to make it work for numerous times, it does not take too long for me to decide to LET IT GO. Why does this has to happen? Did we do something wrong? Something wrong with us? Absolutely not. It is unfortunate that some will decide not to remain friends, or close friends with us. And when that happens, no matter what reason, whether valid or invalid, there is nothing else we should do but to MOVE ON. Sometimes, that's the best thing to do.

I know I had done this before, so I'm not going to do it again... to name names. So this time, I will just thank God for all of you, all the friends that God has blessed me with. You have no idea how much you mean to me, and how much you have impacted my life. And I definitely look forward to many more years of friendship together with you all.

And I especially want to thank God for my baby, my wife, my best friend FOR LIFE. And yes, God always saved the best for last :) And she is THE BEST. EVER. FOREVER. Thank You Jesus!

2009-09-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

2 Headhunters and 1 ½ Farewells

Hi Friends! Hope you are having a great Tuesday! I had one of those mixed up days... half happy, half angry/sad, whatever.

But firstly, let me share with you about what I had been experiencing recently. I want to thank God because, even though my current boss (CB) does not appreciate me, others do VALUE me highly. Others, as in my other colleagues that I had been working with together for more than 5 years, AND people in other companies.

So far, 2 different headhunters (not literally) called me up to offer me positions in other companies, even though they know that I have plans to move to the States in about a month's time. Phew... I'm actually THAT much in demand huh? Thank God for that, because although CB doesn't think that I had done anything much or worth much, others know my contribution to the company and my job aptitude and attitude for the past 5 over years. I'm not trying to be proud, but I'm just trying to show the contrast in the way CB treats me, as compared to others. I can empty out all the trash of how-CB-is-treating-me here to all of you, but I think that's not a professional thing to do. What's done's done. And I'm moving on (THANK GOD!). Too bad, and I feel that it's his loss, not mine. So long..... sucker (LOL I just have to inject that word in...)

On the other hand, I feel sad and happy at the same time, because of all the farewells that my friends and colleagues (ex- or current) will be organizing or had organized for me. Sad because of all the friendship and experience that we had gone through together for so many years, happy because they cherish this friendship and took up the initiative to hold farewells for me.

Since the first farewell more than a couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending another 1 ½. The second farewell is all thanks to Geraldine Lee, an ex-colleague, who also did a wonderful job in holding a small farewell for me - 5 persons including me. And she invited just the right people to the farewell :) We ate yummy Chinese tai-chao food and drank 1 crate of Tiger (Now how many bottles was in 1 crate? Sorry, I'm not a drinker.....). Didn't get drunk, but we sure had a great time, catching up, eating good food, and didn't spend a lot at all. And oh, what a revelation I had that night on CB. Didn't know how that surfaced in our conversations, but somehow, it did! And I wasn't the one who initiated that topic. Weird huh? It's just like a nasty piece of shit. No matter how many times you try to hide it or flush it, it will surface again and again, automatically. And you know that it sure stinks like hell. Somehow, I thank God that I'm not the only one getting such treatments from him.

The 3rd (which is considered a ½) farewell was just this afternoon, a so-called Nutrition Division farewell lunch for me, yet again, tainted with CB's shit. Now you understand the nasty shit analogy? It just has to show up EVERYWHERE, invited or uninvited!!! I just wish that my last moments in Wyeth, my sending off..... could have been more happy and pleasant in nature. Sigh..... give me a break.

So what's the shit this time? Well, it was originally planned, more than a week ago, to be a farewell dinner in a nice Italian restaurant somewhere a little far from the office, about 15 mins or so driving. And everyone, including me - the VVIP, the reason why it is being held at all - had committed to it. SUDDENLY, I just have to stress that

adverb... just yesterday, the day before, SUDDENLY, CB wanted it to be lunch at a restaurant nearby the office, like less than 5 mins away. Just for whatsoever dumbass reason, I really don't know, but it did create a lot of confusion among all my colleagues, because many had, like me, thought that it is supposed to be a dinner. And also

because of the fact that i had wanted it to be a dinner. So who's

leaving now? It definitely did come across my mind to boycott the lunch, since there was no respect at all for my feelings and my colleagues' feelings. At the very least, he could have asked if I'm ok with the change. Now wouldn't that be something? Boycotting my own farewell..... LOL!

Whatever! And enough of this shit.

Thank God (seriously) that I'm leaving! I just have to bear with it for another 2 weeks or so.

This post was supposed to be a happy sharing. You know..... being headhunted, farewells..... sigh.....

Hope that you are having a better day than I am. As for me, I'm heading home now, back to bed :) Good night, all, and take care!

2009-09-13T00:54:00.006-05:00

And so it begins...

Hi Friends! Hope you're enjoying a great weekend! I am!

Just a few minutes ago, I went to get my MMR shot - vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella. This will be the first of a few vaccines that I will be getting before flying off to the States. Next on my list are Hepatitis B and Tdap - tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. There are many other vaccines that I should get, but these are the priorities.

If you are not aware that adults should get vaccination, neither did I! Until I came across CDC's page on Adult Immunization Schedule (anyone over 18 years old). No doubt, most of us are immunized as a baby, but I'm sure many do not know that we should get vaccinated again after the age of 18. I think these are called booster shots. Here's the LINK to download the Adult Schedule. And here's the schedule extracted from the file (NOTE: You many click on the picture to view the full size):

As you can see from the schedule, after the age of 18, you need to go for Tdap (once) and subsequently Td every 10 years. If you are female, you'll need 3 doses of the HPV vaccine. But it seems that the age to get this is between 19-26, so does that mean that if you missed this, you don't have to get it at a later age?

You'll also need 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) if you had never gotten chickenpox in your life. For those 60 years old and above, you'll need 1 dose of zoster. 1 or 2 doses of MMR between 19-49, and another optional dose at 50 or above for those with prevalent risk factors. Since influenza or flu hits the world population every year with new strains, you'll need influenza vaccination annually, especially if you are 50 or above. And the pneumococcal (polysaccharide) vaccine at 65 or above.

Depending on the risk factors present, you may need the pneumococcal jab once or twice before 65. The same applies for Hepatitis A (2 doses), Hepatitis B (3 doses), and meningococcal (1 or more doses).

So how did I prioritize which vaccines I should get first?

It is by looking at the prevalence of the respective diseases in the States:

I got chickenpox when I was 24, so I'm immune to varicella. And I was given BCG as a baby, so I don't need TB vaccination. Therefore, my top priority will be Tdap, Hepatitis B and MMR. The rest to follow.

Make sure you get yours, and don't tell me that I didn't tell you. Prevention is definitely better than cure, in terms of the suffering (or in some cases, death) that you can avoid, as well as the costs of treatment if you contracted the disease(s). And this is definitely biblical, since God gave man the insight and wisdom on creating vaccines to prevent these terrible diseases.

Take care and have a beautiful week ahead!

2009-09-10T06:54:00.005-05:00

Wooohoooo! I got 106 out of 120!

Hi Friends! Yes, I did it! I have received the score for my TOEFL exam, and I think it's great!!! 106 out of 120. It's not a superb score, but good enough to meet the minimum requirement of top business schools in the world like:

Chicago Booth (104) - ranked #3 by The Economist, Economist Intelligence Unit 2008
Stanford (100) - #4
Cambridge Judge (100) - #7
Cranfield (100) - #13
INSEAD (105) - #19
Michigan Ross (100) - #22
Warwick (105) - #23
Ashridge (100) - #24
Virginia Darden (100) - #25
Cornell Johnson (100) - #28
Yale (100) - #30
Carnegie Mellon Tepper (100) - #35
UCLA Anderson (100) - #41
Manchester (100) - #60

For the school that I intend to enrol in, which is the Trulaske College of Business of the University of Missouri in Columbia, the TOEFL requirement is only 80. Ahahaha...

Anyways, there is another reason I'm very happy about, that is, I scored FULL MARKS for the Reading section... 30

out of 30. You see, there are altogether four sections of the test - Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, each carrying 30 marks for a total of 120. So scoring full marks for the Reading really made me very very happy, because as you may recall, I was worried about my inference skills, as per my previous post. Getting this really tells me that, I have no issue with inference at all... hahaha! Thanks for all your tips... they are much appreciated, Donna, Inge' and Mys Lyke Meeh! Thanks as well for all those who prayed for me :) And I thought during the test that I would not score that well, since I hardly had enough time to read and complete the questions! What a miracle! Thank You Lord :)

You may view the full details of my score below :) Next up: GMAT

2009-08-31T07:43:00.006-05:00

A month of many FIRSTS

Hi Friends! Hope you had a fantastic weekend, and for all my Malaysian friends, a wonderful 3-day break. I did, and I shall let you know in a while why.

And just as the title suggests, this month had indeed been a superb month of many firsts. Can't beat my wedding month (July) though, in terms of superiority, but definitely one of the tops :)

And yes, there's always a first time, so let's see...

1. Just yesterday, my first ever farewell party, first in my life, in fact :)
All thanks to my HR Director, Anna Tan, who had not only planned the party of 4 fantastically well, but she personally cooked and made some of the dishes as well! The darn thing is we forgot to take pictures of those sumptuous (I must stress here, HOME-COOKED) food... hahaha... We had Iban tomato with fish, a local dish unique to Sarawak (oh yeah!), pork knuckles in black sauce (with egg... ohhh), and Sarawak laksa minus the santan with a gigantic prawn each. There was champagne as well, wine of course, and she served Patchi chocolate and her own Catana cookies (oat & raisin)... oooh... yummy! And she only had 3 guests, specially catered for my type of personality. And she's spot on :) I wouldn't enjoy a party of many people as much as a small close-knit group :) That's just me. I truly appreciate her doing this for me. It's just too meaningful for me. Not only it's a first, but all the effort she took to prepare everything for it. Thank you Anna, if you're reading this, which I doubt!

2. First time I sat for a public exam, the TOEFL, after God knows how long.
I know I'm not THAT old, but then again, it HAD been THAT long. And studying and preparing for an exam, while having a full-time job is really no joke. It had been an interesting experience, no doubt :)

3. First time for many personal bests in training:
(a) 100 sit ups below 3 minutes 25 seconds
(b) 7.5K below 50 minutes
(c) 77 push ups below 22 minutes 22 seconds

4. I know I blogged about this previously, but I still want to say it again... first time after a long while somebody new came here to this blog and commented :)
Thanks again Deboshree!

5. While Small Footprints celebrates 300 (and more) followers of her blog, for me, first time ever... more than 800

visits/month to this blog!
And the day, or month has not even ended yet! And a year ago, it's barely touching 400. Amazing huh? I keep reminding myself it's not just the 1 same person visiting my blog more than 25 times per day for the whole of this month... LOL And it's really not, as you can see from the second picture below.

That's all for now. Please come back for the next post. It'll be an award ceremony *winks*

Have a great week ahead, Friends!

2009-08-24T10:21:00.002-05:00

Welcome Deboshree!

Hi Friends! Yep, it has been a super LONG while since I added anyone to my blog list, as compared to previously where I had been adding one new blogger every month, specifically someone from Blogger's Blogs of Note, or someone who "accidentally" ventured onto my blog from another bloggy friend of mine's blog.

And it has also been a really LONG while since any stranger actually ventured here, and commented!

So I would like to officially welcome Deboshree to my blog, who came here via Ron's wtf blog. She has a nice blog, y'know. Simply reeking with the thoughts and writings of a great philosopher in the making :) And she has a great heart too by the way. You'll find stories about her helping out in an NGO, especially in teaching dance classes to poor children. So, do pay her a visit if you are free. I'm sure you'll be entertained. And who knows, you might get a free dance class too *winks*

Have a great week ahead, Friends!

2009-08-18T07:34:00.002-05:00

(For all reading this, I'm practising for the TOEFL Writing Section, so I thought what the heck, I might as well blog it ;))

People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

(You have 30 minutes)

WHY DO PEOPLE ATTEND COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY?

There are various reasons why people attend college or university but before we look at just what are those reasons, let's first classify WHO are those people attending colleges or universities. Basically, these people are either a student who has yet to enter the workforce or an employee.

For students, I believe that the main reason they attend college or university is to obtain that higher qualification in education, that degree, which can be very important for them when they graduate and start applying for jobs. Oftentimes, employers will look for someone "qualified", or someone who possess a certain amount of education or training in specific areas of work, for example a degree in classical music, or a degree in environmental science. It is unlikely that employers will employ someone who only had basic or elementary education or training to be in positions that demand specialized training or qualification, which can only be obtained from colleges or universities. Apart from that, students often have high hopes and dreams of entering a good college or university, be it their own hopes and dreams or those that are imposed by their family or society. Usually, one that has a degree from Harvard or Oxford will command greater respect from their peers or society than someone that graduated from so-and-so college or university.

For workers returning to studying in colleges or universities (like me), I believe that they want to achieve a higher level of qualification in education, to take up new courses that will broaden their perspective in work and life, and/or to increase their market value i.e. the way employers value employees. For example, I am taking up M.B.A. after working for more than six years as a nutritionist, because I would like to obtain skills in management, knowledge in business management or administration, and to increase my chances of securing a higher position in climbing the corporate ladder. This will also help to increase my competitiveness in finding that job that I want. Besides, doing M.B.A. is also important for my future plans of setting up my own business, and in achieving my God-given vision of becoming a billionaire.

Therefore, people generally attend college or university to obtain a specialized qualification, which can be very important in getting a good job later.

(Let me know what you think about my essay, ok? And please feel free to correct my mistakes, as well as contribute any points that I may have missed out. Thanks Friends! And have a tantalizing Tuesday!)

2009-08-14T10:48:00.004-05:00

Achtung Baby!!!

Hi Friends! Yes, what a strange title... That happens to be the seventh studio album released by U2 in 1991, but it's not my intention to review this album here.

Actually, the reason for the title is that I'm just puzzled at the recent influx of German readers to my blog. See this?

And just to confirm that it's not just one reader who keeps coming to visit my blog more than 10 times per day, look at this...

They come from different parts of Germany!

Firstly, I would like to welcome you, all of you German readers. Welkumme!

I'm not sure what was that I shared recently that attracted this interest... Was it about "Nightmares and Spiritual Attacks"? About "Wedding/Marriage/Divorce"? About going to the States? About love? "How Big Is Your Penis?" Of course, I could go and find that out from sitemeter.com by looking at each visitor's details, by looking at the referring page or blog. But nah, I don't have time for that. So I'll just leave it at that. Thanks anyways for dropping by, and hope that you had been entertained :)

Achtung Baby! And have a blessed weekend!

2009-08-12T00:46:00.005-05:00

Less Than 8 Weeks to America

That's right! In less than 8 weeks' time, I'll be flying off to stay in a continent that I had never stepped foot on in my entire life, to stay for at least 7 years, maybe more or forever.

Am I excited? You can bet on that for sure! And I have many reasons for that:

1. To unite with my lovely beloved wife in every possible way (heh heh...)

2. To pursue my MBA, something I'd never thought of doing, never had much training or experience at all, but essential for my future plans

3. To leave my current job! Oh yeah... can't wait for that last day. There are many things that I had grown to love about my company in the past 5 years, but there are also many MORE things that I had grown to hate about my company in that same amount of time. And I'm really glad I'm moving on...

4. To experience autumn, winter, spring and summer! Woohoo!

5. To work in America

6. To meet my friends - Elmo, Cookie Monster, Baby Elmo, Baby Cookie, Dr Eric Lien, Timmy, Davy, Ron (nope, I didn't forget about camping, bro!), Inge', Donna, Mys Lyke Meeh, Small Footprints, Traveling Chemist, Fenny & Andrew, Amy Then, and so many more!

7. To meet Americans that I admire in person - like John Grisham, Steven Spielberg, President Obama, Warren Buffett, etc.

8. To explore America! I have heard of, read of, so many interesting places to visit in the States, and oh yeah, I'm looking forward to that!

9. To run the half marathon, and eventually the full marathon in America, including winter runs! That'll be sooooo cold... ooppss, I mean COOL! Looking forward as well to all the scenic running trails.

10. To attend one of Joel Osteen's service!

11. To leave behind the stupid Malaysian politics, government, mentality, education system, quality of service, blah blah blah. You know it. You name it.

12. Heck, the list is endless. So I'll stop here for now. But nothing will stop me from leaving!

What will I miss in Malaysia?

1. The FOOD, of course, especially Sarawak food, like kolo mee, laksa, kueh chap, etc.

2. My family and friends.

3. Errr... I think that's all. LOL

Looks like I'm more than ready to leave behind Malaysia! LOL and that is not a surprise at all. Ok, maybe you'll tell me that there'll be more things that I'll miss when I'm already there in America for 6 months, for a year, two years, etc... but seriously, I don't think so. It's just like me staying in West Malaysia for more than 10 years now. Do I miss Kuching? Other than the food, my family and friends... NOPE.

I guess there'll be a lot of farewell lunches and dinners. Heck, I'd already been booked for dinner on Aug 30. And a lot more to come, for sure.

There is a time for everything... and God made everything beautiful in its time (excerpted from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

And it's time for me to leave :)

2009-08-08T14:00:00.002-05:00

Of Nightmares & Spiritual Attacks

Hi Friends! How are all of you? Yeah, I had been away for a while... not really sure why... haha...

Anyways, I actually had 2 things to share with you, 2 things that happened to me recently. One is on Wednesday night (or Thursday early morning - to be chronologically accurate), and the other was on Thursday at work. The earlier one has to do with what I entitled this post, and the latter has to do with someone who PISSED me off at work, someone I couldn't stand anymore. I had decided to share on the earlier topic, rather than about that stupid somebody, since I'll be leaving soon anyway, and I'll rather have less to do with that person than to dwell on it. But that doesn't mean I wasn't angry! Oh boy, I sure was ANGRY. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

So let's move on then... to what I encountered at around 3am on Thursday. I used to have a lot of nightmares as a kid, some recurring more than the rest e.g. myself falling down from a high place, and that ugly-looking, witchlike woman that keeps appearing at the dining area of my house in Kuching. Of course, most of the times, nightmares are actually spiritual attacks, but the reason why I classified both separately is because spiritual attacks are more real, while nightmares are nothing more than a bad dream. How real is it? Well, I can't tell you, scientifically or logically whether it really happened or not, but it's like it REALLY DID happen, just like you are awake and really experiencing it happening... do you understand what I'm talking about? It's safe to say that, it's not an illusion, or just a hallucination. How do I know it? Well, I just know, ok?

So throughout my life, I had several "attacks", notably 4, with the fourth being the most recent. I'm not going to share about the earlier 3, because it will make this post seems like a horror novella. It'll be too long, anyways, to put everything down on paper, or blog, per se. And before I go on with my sharing, please allow me to clarify a few things. Firstly, the intention of this is NOT to scare you, or create fear. And secondly, you need to know that, our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. That's in 1 Peter 5:8. Do you know what this verse truly means? I didn't, until a Pastor, I think it's Pastor Joseph Prince, expounded on the full meaning of this verse. Now let me ask you a question: Normally, a lion does not go around roaring, while seeking for its prey, right? A lion who does that is downright silly, since doing that will scare away whatever that's supposed to be caught and become food. A real lion will creep up silently, and wait until its near enough to pounce on the unsuspecting prey. So why does the devil go around like a roaring lion? That's because, he's a toothless and clawless lion, disarmed and disempowered by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. The only thing the enemy can do now, is to scare us, to create fear, to make us lose sight of who we are in God's eyes. Therefore, all we have to do now is to cast the devil or the enemy out or away IN THE NAME OF JESUS. And they will HAVE TO GO. Because there is no other name greater than the name of Jesus, that every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, every tongue confess that He is Lord. That's in Philippians 2:9-11. Everything must go in the name of Jesus. Greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). You have to know that!

So, with the facts straightened out, let's get on then with what happened to me. I was sleeping, until at around 3am, I was "awakened" by the presence of "it", or "them". I couldn't tell how many. And I didn't SEE it, or them. But I know it's the enemy(s). Of course, I felt fear, but I know what I had to do. I commanded it to get out of my house in the name of Jesus. And then, I took the anointing oil and pour it over my head all over me. When I had finished pouring it, I realised that I took the wrong bottle! LOL... No wonder it felt refreshing, like menthol, camphor or eucalyptus oil! LOL... And when that happened, I "woke up". A dream?

And then I saw the real bottle sitting there on my table, so I took it and dabbed some on my the top of my head, and drew a cross on my front door and back door. And soon afterwards, the thing(s) left. And when that happened, I woke up, for the second time. I was like, what? That didn't actually happen? I touched my hair, and inspected my front door... nope no sign of anointing oil. But it was sooooo real that I really thought it happened. And how can someone wake up twice??? Does it mean that in my dream, I was dreaming? Weird huh?

Nonetheless, whether it's real or not (real enough for me), the moral of the story is, do not be afraid of the enemy. They can't do anything to you, unless you let them, or do things that opens the door for the enemy to come in.

And ooppss, I've got to go. This post is getting too long (again!). Have a great weekend friends! And God bless you!

2009-08-01T11:35:00.007-05:00

Just remembered something funny...

Yeah, I read this on one of the silly Facebook's quizzes, and thought that it was damn funny... and STILL DO! LOL

And some of the quizzes are just plain STUPID. Are they made

for STUPID people? I mean I saw one quiz entitled "How Big Is Your Penis?" You mean you need a quiz to find out how big is your own penis??? Can't stand the current size? Sheesh... And yes, I saw some people doing that quiz... -________-'''

Oh well, hope you all are having a great weekend :) Have a blessed week ahead and rest well tonight :)

2009-07-30T07:47:00.003-05:00

My Big Days

Hi Friends! How are all of you? Hope that it has been smooth sailing and sweet for the past few weeks for you. Before you read this post, just to warn you that it's gonna be a looooooooong one!

As for me, I just went through 3 super BIG events in my life in the past 7 days or so:

1. July 21 - Chinese Wedding Dinner in Kuching, Sarawak (my birthplace)

2. July 25 (11 am) - Church Wedding & Lunch Reception in KL

3. July 25 (7 pm) - Chinese Wedding Dinner in The Saujana, Shah Alam, KL

As much as I would like to share the photos of the wedding dinners and church wedding here, I thought that it would be more chrono-economical for all of you to just visit my Facebook page (link is on the right panel of this page) and view the photos from there. I know that some of you are already doing that, and thanks so much for your lovely comments and for visiting :) If you have not signed up or own a Facebook account, it's really very simple to join or sign up. All you need is to enter your name and email, create a password, and skip all the next few steps. It's that simple. Don't forget to add me as a friend!

Allow me to share with you some highlights of those major events...

KUCHING - Besides smiling for more than I had ever smiled in the past 1 year in less than 3 hours, and shook more hands that I had ever shaken in the past 10 years, the Kuching event was simple and prompt. Everything was so efficient. The dishes were splendid, especially the shark's fin soup, and they came out very very promptly, to the point that we had to ask them to slow down the speed! And guess what time the dinner finished? Before 9:30pm. Of all the weddings I had ever attended, none had actually finished earlier than 10pm! I didn't really enjoy the Chinese oldies that my dad's State choir friends belted out, but I definitely loved my brother's violin performances, and a special thanks to Alex Chai for crooning that Bryan Adams' song - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You. Now how did he know I loved Bryan Adams? And I also enjoyed bringing around my wife's family around Kuching for all the yummy Kuching local delicacies... mmmmmmm :) Oh, and did I tell you that we made some minor boo-boos, e.g. after walking in halfway, the bride and groom processional music only started playing, and we sat on the wrong chairs! LOL

CHURCH - This is the event that gives me the license to have sex in the eyes of God! Heh heh heh... But of course, that's not the only thing I look forward to. Because we are keeping the KL dinner small, and limiting it to close friends and relatives, I only had 3 tables to invite my friends and colleagues to for the dinner. Therefore, the church wedding and lunch reception was kinda special, because I could invite as many people as I want, up to 1,000 people, if I want to! But of course, me and my wife didn't invite that many, but we invited and confirmed +/-160 pax for the church ceremony cum lunch reception. In the end, only around 120 turned up, even with some surprise turn-ups, people that I didn't expect to come! I really want to thank everyone, especially the friends and colleagues who travelled for more than 100 miles just to come for my wedding. THANK YOU! And I would also like to thank all those who helped out in one way or another:

Pastor --- Pastor Sally
Translator cum florist --- Aunty Lydia
Best man cum MC --- Luke
Bridesmaid --- Faye
Flower girl --- Elisa (nope, not Pastor Elisa... hahahaha... how I wish it's her! LOL)
Pageboy --- Aaron
Florist --- Aunty Pat
PA --- Mitch
Official photographer --- Angie
Photographers --- Marcus, Stephanie, Peter, Foo, Alan, et al.
Videographer --- Er Ku Chang
Worship leader --- Candy
Drummer --- Francis
Bassist --- Wei Luen
Keyboardist --- Peter
Guitarist --- Jack
Back up singer 1 --- Geri
Back up singer 2 --- Daya
Back up singer 3 --- Corrine
Chief usher --- William & co.
Treasurer --- James
Logistics manager --- Qiu Yun
General coordinator --- Aunty Julie
Food caterer --- Mr Lim

I wonder if I missed out anyone? So sorry if I did... ooopppsss!

The video and the official photos are not ready yet, but you can still view those that Angie uploaded on Facebook, by going to view my Profile Page (link is on the right panel of this page). Or you can visit her website HERE as well :) Do drop a word or two while you're there yah! Thanks!

Actually there's something burning in me that I'd like to share, and probably this will benefit those whose weddings are coming up, like Jack & Steph.

I was seriously infuriated when I was told, on the night before the church wedding, that the church plans to conduct temperature checks, hand washing, etc, etc during the wedding, while my guests are coming in. Can you believe this crap? And if someone was detected to have higher than normal body temperature, that person has to wear a face mask and sit at one corner in the hall. How can one not get angry at something like this? I mean, firstly, conducting such checks would create fear and give a bad impression to my guests. Secondly, wearing a face mask and sitting at one corner of the hall is not the proper way to treat a guest who most probably is visiting a church for the first time in his or her life. Thirdly, why tell me the night before? And fourthly, this is my special day. Hello? And fifthly, it's PURE CRAP.

So I objected strongly to this plan, and THANK GOD that the church didn't go ahead with the plan, after making me promise to take full responsibility for anyone that will get sick or die after attending my wedding. How weird huh? I mean, why assume that there will be a carrier of the H1N1 virus coming to my wedding? Why assume that there will be transmission or infection spreading during my wedding? Why all this fearful behavior? I believe that other churches don't conduct such temperature checks during their services, and people still go home healthy and return again the following week. Besides, aren't we, as believers, supposed to have more faith than unbelievers, to believe that God will keep the virus away from His people, just like what God promised in Psalm 91? And I quote verse 7 (NIV):

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

I've got more to share, but let me just keep it as such, and let me just forgive the church and move on. I'll share with you in my next post, if I can't keep the fire down (ooppss!).

Anyways, back to my big days' sharing :)

THE SAUJANA - Just before the dinner, we had the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. This was special, because I get to meet all the "elders" of her family. So what happens in this ceremony was that each of us, me and my wife has to take a cup of tea and serve it to the "elder", while calling out their "title", for example "Pek Kong" meaning "Eldest Uncle On The Dad's Side", inviting them to drink tea e.g. "Pek Kong, drink tea", and pass to him the cup. And me and my wifey also get to sit on the chair to be served tea by my younger sister and brother, as well as her two younger brothers :) How cool is that, huh? Oh, before I forget, the person being served the tea has to give out ang pows, or Chinese red packets containing, what else... moolah! Oooh lah lah...

When it was over, it was time to greet the guests coming, and to get ready to enter the hall for the bride and groom procession to start off the dinner. I especially liked the second march in, after she changed her bridal gown, as my brother played "Ave Maria" on the violin as we marched in :) How romantic huh? Thanks Bib for everything! Before I forget, I'd like to thank all those who helped make the dinner a success:

The pastor --- Pastor Edwin
The 2 pretty MCs --- Hui Yin and It Ee (hope I got their names right!)
The sexy photographer --- Angie
The videographer --- Er Ku Chang
The bridesmaid --- Faye
The pimp --- Luke
The 6 virgins --- Francis, Peter, Wei Luen, Kenny, William, Kevin
The 2 accountants & logistics managers --- James & Qiu Yun
The DJ & violinist --- My brother
The butler --- forgot his name (sorry!)
The drivers --- Wei Luen, Luke, Mrs Ku

Hopefully that's all. Now let me continue with my sharing... I think the highlight of the night was the pop quiz, and the blind game... LOL fancy that huh? A quiz and a game during a dinner. Kudos to the MCs for this great idea.

So what's the quiz? Well, the MCs invited me to the stage, to ask me 3 questions about my wife. And I got the first 2 questions wrong! LOL Thank God I got the last one right!

Question 1:
What was the most memorable day in her opinion?
My answer:
There are many memorable days, but I guess it should be the day I brought flowers (without her knowing) into the labour ward (yep, the ward where pregnant women give birth) and surprised her.
WRONG!
The correct answer: Our first date, where her shoe broke or became spoilt, and I went to buy a new pair for her.

Question 2:
What is my body part that she admires the most, nothing obscene?
My answer:
At first, I thought it's my butt, since she always says that I have a big butt, but since you said that it's nothing obscene, then, I guess it's my nose hair.
LOL yeah right, as if that's gonna be right!
The correct answer: My dimple (hmm... never knew that, y'know!)

Question 3:
Which character strength of mine that she admires the most?
My answer & the correct answer:
I'm funny!
Wooooohooooooooo! Oh yeah...... at least I got one right... or else...

Wasn't that fun? LOL

So what about the game? Aha... Sit tight and enjoy... :)

Once again, I was invited to the stage. And I was blindfolded by The Pimp. So what I had to do is to identify which of the 7 virgins is my baby, by smelling the neck. What the??? And little did I know that 6 of the virgins are actually my guy friends! LOL Ok, nevermind that prank, but I managed to identify the correct one. How? By making stupid comments each time I smell someone's neck, e.g. "Wah, so tall one?" (PS# My baby is quite short), "Eh, why so fat one?" (PS# She's sensitive to this word), etc, etc... And I guessed the right one because she was laughing away (I can recognise her laughter) throughout the game. Bingo!

All in all, it was fun, and a nice and cosy dinner. Food was great, though not as good as the one in Kuching. But it was nice, and everything went well.

So that's it. I am oh my God finally a married man. It had been a long road. And I had finally arrived :)

Thank You Lord for everything that went well during the wedding and dinners!

Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

2009-07-19T09:39:00.009-05:00

My life's journey: L.O.V.E. (Love overflowing, vehement & everlasting)

Hi Friends! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Before I fly off to Kuching, Sarawak tomorrow, I would like share about how I came to meet my wife, and how it all came together until today, to the point that we will be married in the church and the customary Chinese wedding dinners very very soon.

I had always and still believe that, THE GREATEST

THING IN LIFE is not to be rich, not to be a somebody, not to be powerful in society, or not to have thousands of virgins (blame it on Achmed... I KILL YOU!!!) at your fingertips... but I truly believe that the greatest thing in life, is TO LOVE AND BE

LOVED IN RETURN.

And what's greater than finding the one you truly love? Marrying her :)

Of course, I do understand that, I'm just starting out, and many of those married friends of mine will tell me that:

Happiness for an hour = Get a hooker

Happiness for a year = Get married

Happiness for lifetime = Get a dog

Is it really THAT bad? I mean marriage? Yes, I have heard of divorces, I have heard of frightening fights, etc, etc... but does it need to get there? Of course, I am only at the beginning and don't have the ability to foresee what will happen to my marriage, BUT... if I do get into fights with her, if I do get into those bad stages... I will remind

myself of WHY did I marry her in the first place. I will remind

myself of WHY on the 25th of July 2009, I said

my vows in the presence of God and family and friends. I will remind myself of WHY did I go after her more than two years ago.

BECAUSE I HAD FOUND THE ONE I LOVE AND SHE LOVES ME TOO :)

BECAUSE I HAD FOUND SOMEONE I CAN ACCEPT AND FORGIVE HER SHORTFALLS AND WEAKNESSES AND MISTAKES... AND SHE DOES TOO :)

BECAUSE GOD HAD BROUGHT

US TOGETHER (I'll tell you all more about this another time)

As simple as that.

Yes, I do understand that things will get in the way, things will change over time, people change, BUT I choose NOT to change in the way I love her. Why should I, anyway? For an hour of sinful PLEASURE? For the satisfaction of being RIGHT? For the sake of upholding my stupid big EGO? For her MISTAKES?

I don't think so.

Of course, you might tell me that TALK IS CHEAP. That I might be saying all of the above now so easily, just because everything is rosie posie, lovey dovey at the moment, LOVE IS BLIND, blah blah blah... that I don't know what the future is like, that marriages should end up in bitter fights and divorce... well, I can only say that, I choose NOT to believe that, and that I choose to believe in a blissful, happy, pleasurable, satisfying and God-glorifying marriage.

IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME, WITH THE LORD'S GRACE AND STRENGTH!

As long as I play my role as the head of the household, as long as I follow after Christ in His example of how He loved the church in loving her, as long as I keep reminding myself of why did I marry her, as long as I keep forgiving her, keep accepting her, keep loving her, keep doing it again and again... IT WILL BE GREAT!

And to you faithful readers and bloggy friends of mine, if you are still following my blog many years down the road, you will be the first to know about this great marriage of mine. You will, of course, be at liberty to remind me, that on this day, this time, I said this and that on my blog... hahaha... And we shall see huh, whether talk is truly cheap, or am I really the man that I am confessing that I am here :)

Thanks for reading this friends, and thanks for being witnesses to my promises above :) You have a great week ahead now! Take care and God bless!

2009-07-14T10:35:00.003-05:00

COUNTDOWN... 0_o

Yes, the big day is drawing nearer and nearer, like a predator closing in on its merciless victim... ooppss... wrong analogy... hahaha... Of course I do not think that marriage is like a monster devouring a merciless me, even though some of those reading this might be nodding their heads fiercely in agreement of that analogy... hahaha... I pray that God will bless the both of you, to renew the love you have for one another, to open your eyes to see each other in a different light, to have the deep revelation of what marriage truly means :D

Well, what can I share with you all? Here I am, trying to stay sane in this moment of blaring insanity. And prepare myself physically, mentally, spiritually, in every thinkable aspect for my wedding day. I try hard not to get upset by those "friends" who called me up to apologise for not being able to make it for my wedding. At least they called, unlike those who didn't bother to reply at all (fancy that huh?). I try hard to get at least 6 hours of sleep daily, so that I will not look haggard and zombie-like on that day. Will I be able to recover from hours and hours of lost sleep over the past many years? Sigh... most probably not. Don't think that I will lose this dark area under my eyes in less than a couple of weeks.

And yes, there are no shortcuts to looking good either, similar to gaining fitness or endurance in sports. But even though logic tells me that it will most probably not completely negate the side effects of prolonged neglect, I still want to give it a try, to at least do something good to my body, to pamper myself, to indulge in expensive things, just for these last few days of preparation.

So what had I done?

1. I went for foot reflexology last Saturday (about US$14).

2. I drank Chinese herbal soup last Sunday (about US$18).

3. I slept for 6 hours on Sunday, as well as on Monday. Today I'll be sleeping for 7 hours.

4. And of course, I am still training: running, push-ups, sit-ups...

Is it so important to look good? Well, it is definitely not the utmost importance, since THAT is not the reason why I am getting married! But then again, I wouldn't want to disappoint our guests that are coming just to see us get married, some from hundreds of miles away. By looking half dead, it might seemed as if I was forced to get married!!! Or didn't have the time to get married or get prepared for the wedding!!! Hahahaha... I'm sure you know what I mean :)

Alright then, it's time for me to go to bed. Yes, I HAVE TO discipline myself to do that, since I have the inclination to stay up late. Thanks for reading this, and have a terrific Tuesday!

2009-07-09T12:17:00.007-05:00

Problem with inference (dang!)

Hi Friends, how are you all doing? Hope this week has been great for you! I just want to take a short pause from my superhecticfranticbusyneckbreaking schedule to share about my revision for the TOEFL exam.

After doing several practice sets, I discovered that I am prone to make mistakes when it comes to questions asking me about what can be

infered from a particular passage. This is NOT a good sign.

Does that mean that I normally infer things wrongly? I mean, I'm really sorry if I did, especially when it comes to reading your blogs. Damn! Is there something wrong with the way I understand things? Or probably it's just the lack of exposure and familiarity to the topics being asked. It's not as easy as it seems ok! Topics covered include "The Origins of Cetaceans", "Desert Formation", "Early Cinema", "Aggression", "Artisans and Industrialization", "Swimming Machines", etc.

I feel greatly humbled, because as a nutritionist, coupled with all my interests or hobbies - they offer no help at all in being familiar with those topics mentioned above. Though I hate to say it, but looks like I need to expand my reading to cover broader topics, including topics that I absolutely abhor, for example evolution. "The Origins of Cetaceans" is all about the evolution of cetaceans. How do you understand better something that you are trying your best to avoid and hate? Oh, the dilemma!

Sigh... Guess I'll need to practise more on questions of these type, whether I like it or not, to score better! Damn it! Why can't they set questions related to what I'm good in? Thanks but no thanks Mr Smartass Darwin!

2009-07-06T18:07:00.006-05:00

18 DAYS!

Hi Friends! How are you? First of all, I want to wish my baby HAPPY 28TH ANNIVERSARY! It has indeed been an amazing 28 months, and I'm looking forward to many more 28 months together, our happily ever afters.

In the craziness and franticness of getting ready for 3 weddings = 2 dinners + 1 church ceremony, and in the midst of my workload, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on something that I came across on Paul's blog. Can someone be physically FIT and gain

ENDURANCE by just spending SIX

MINUTES PER WEEK exercising?

Apparently, there are some research papers supporting the similar or superior benefits of spending less time exercising while increasing the intensity of those exercises, instead of the usual, longer workouts per week in keeping fit.

When I saw this, my immediate reaction was... NO WAY. And

even after reading those handful of studies, I still think... NO

WAY. I don't think there is ANY shortcuts to be fit and have endurance. Being an athlete previously, and still an ardent sports enthusiast, I do not believe that one can stay fit AND healthy

AND have a substantial ENDURANCE by spending,

what, ONLY 6 mins per week exercising, as compared to 60 minutes per week or more. And here are my reasons:

1. Increased risk of injuries - We all know about the importance of doing a proper warm-up, to minus the risk of aggravating muscle tears, and other sorts of sports-related injuries. A proper warm-up already takes more than 6 minutes PER SESSION. There is no way you can be properly warmed-up in less than that amount of time. How can you perform better without a good warm-up? And those SHORT BURSTS OF INTENSE ACTIVITIES prescribed by the 6-minutes-workout-per-week proponents will ultimately lead to the increased risk of injuries, and in the long run, impose a lot of strain on the HEART. Instead of imposing steady, low-intensity stress on the heart, you are putting super, high stress in a shorter amount of time. Now, isn't that equivalent to a heart attack?

2. Different types of muscles being worked-out - Short bursts of movement uses Type II, fast twitch muscles. Ultimately, you are not using those Type I, slow twitch muscles. So I really don't know how does working out more on the Type II muscles will improve the functioning of Type I muscles which is more important in endurance sports. Where is the logic? To illustrate my point, take a look at these pictures, and you'll understand where I'm coming from...

3. Let's compete! - I'll really like to race someone supporting the 6-minutes-workouts-per-week in the half marathon. I'll really like to see how someone spending only 6 minutes per week can run a better time than someone spending more than 60 minutes per week on the road. And I'll definitely like to see how that someone can NOT incur knee pain or muscle cramps in the race. It's like asking Usain Bolt to win the Boston Marathon. Is that even possible?

4. Let's compare! - I'll really like to see, after 5, 10, 20 years later, the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and respiratory system of the 6-minutes-workouts-per-week person, versus the 60 minutes or more person. That is, of course, if the 6-minutes-workouts-per-week person is still alive... OOPPSS! Or should I say... OUCH!

2009-07-03T23:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Independence Day, America! :)

This is THE MAN, who led the army of brave men and women,

who fought for INDEPENDENCE.

For all my American friends, I dedicate this song from Carrie Underwood to you... enjoy!!! And God bless the United States of America!

2009-06-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

It's My Wedding Month!

Hi Friends! Wow... it's July already! And the first 25 days will fly by really really rapidly, for me, most definitely. Well, stay tuned for my pre-wedding photos that I took in China. It will be posted up anytime now. Just as a teaser, you will find one below *winks* As for this post, I shall share with you what's gonna happen in the 25 days I mentioned.

(All dates are in July, unless specified)

1st Continue sending out invitations

2nd Show food caterer church location and get layout of tables from him

3rd Continue sending out invitations

4th Ai Sung's church wedding

5th Continue sending out invitations

6th Conduct Product Training (full day)

7th Conduct Product Training (full day)

8th Conduct Product Training (full day)

9th Conduct Product Training (full day)

10th Conduct Product Training (full day)

11th Conduct talk in Kuantan, Pahang

12th Continue sending out invitations

13th Conduct Product Training (full day)

14th Intercession

15th Intercession

16th Intercession

17th Intercession

18th My baby is BACK! Woohooooo!!!

19th Church wedding rehearsal

20th Fly to Kuching

21st Kuching wedding dinner

22nd Fly back to KL

23rd Counseling session with Pastor's wife

24th Back to work T_____T'"

25th Church wedding, tea ceremony, wedding dinner, and ahem.

2009-06-30T06:13:00.006-05:00

My 2nd Half Marathon

Hi Friends! I did it! I completed my 2nd Half Marathon. If you still remember, I blogged about my torturous 1st half marathon a little over half a year ago. You may still go and review my somatic sensation of acute discomfort HERE before reading this post!

Pre-Half Marathon

I went to collect the race kit the day before (Saturday, 27th). Surprisingly, there was no queue at all, when I was expecting the chaotic, typical, Malaysian queue. Probably it was because of the low number of participants - 12,500 (all categories), as compared to Singapore's 50,000. Why so few, you might ask... I think it's the lack of experience and the inability to host more participants, as the 12,500 was the limit set by the organisers themselves. Pity all those who couldn't take part in this race. And the race kit was a lame thing in itself, since the only thing worth anything was the running shirt from Reebok, nothing like the Singaporean one. Ah well, what to do... Malaysia mar...

Half Marathon Day

My race starts at 6:15am, 15 minutes earlier than Singapore's. I woke up at 4:30am, just to make sure all my body's systems "wakes up", and also to eat something and hydrate my body 2 hours before the race.

Customarily, here's a self-taken shot of myself, fully dressed in my running attire...

Take 1:

Take 2:

Take 3:

Unlike Singapore where my hotel is just minutes away from the starting point by foot, here I had to drive to a pick-up point (about 12 minutes away), and wait for the bus. And guess what? The bus came late, so I was 200m away from the starting point when the gun went off! When I reached the end of the crowd, I thought they were queuing up for the next race, which is the 10km, since everyone seemed to be walking. After confirming with a fellow runner, YES, it is the right race - the 21km (13 miles) half marathon. Being last, I couldn't see how many were in front of me, and it had already started. Not that it mattered to me, being at the end of the group, since what matters most for me is finishing the race in a better time.

And the saying is so true... "Nothing beats experience". I started really, really conservatively, knowing that I had started a little too fast back in Singapore.

I used the run-walk-run-walk strategy, rather than just plowing on non-stop for almost 3 hours previously. After the first 28 minutes, I walked for 2 minutes, and then run the next 28 minutes, followed by 4 minutes of walking, and so on and so forth. And I think this worked VERY

well, as I didn't experience ANY KNEE PAIN AT

ALL, NOR ANY CRAMPS!!! Amazing huh? Thank God for His blessings, and of course, all that half a year of training really paid off handsomely!

~~Too bad, the shots of me DURING the race are not ready yet... But definitely there will be a stark difference between my 1st race and this time :)~~

~~*PHOTOS COMING SOON!*~~

It's here! Shots of me during the race. Are you ready? Here we go!!!

Picture #1: I saw the finishing line... bucking up!

Picture #2: Checking out the time... still below 3 hours!!! Woohoo!!!

Picture #3: Punching the air, victoriously! Yeah...!!!

Picture #4: Sprinting to the line!

Wow, there's even a video of me before and after finishing. See it HERE (I'm the fastest moving, blue-colour-singlet man on the far right side of the lane (my side)).

But I would have to say that the supply of 100 Plus was good - I didn't get any isotonic drink back in Singapore, not even a cup. Here, I had at least 7 CUPS (3 during the race)! Heh heh heh... Thanks to 100 Plus!

And there were so many interesting things on the road, en route. I saw a dead cat, obviously squashed by a stupid driver, no doubt. Probably the poor cat was trying to avoid the incoming runners, but failed to notice the incoming car. I also saw someone's shoe sole. Of course, I didn't stop and inspect if it was the right one or the left one, but suffice to say that, that person will be having a tough time completing the race! And I also saw someone dropped their Power Bar. And nope, I didn't pick it up and use it. It could be a trap, you know, someone evil enough to purposefully "drop" it there. Sorry, no pictures for these!

And yes, I crossed the finishing point, with an unofficial time of 2

hours, 45 minutes and 21.08 seconds (unofficial - my stopwatch) or the official time of 2 hours, 47 minutes and 42.71 seconds! Thank God for that! That's almost 15 mins faster than my previous time. And I could even sprint towards the finishing line, as compared to previously where I half-limped, half-walked.

I was the 1,333rd man to cross that finishing point!!! Isn't that amazing??? I improved from number 4,689 to 1,333. Too bad they didn't tell me how many people finished behind me. For all you know, I could be the last runner!!! LOL... For completing the half marathon, I received a finisher's medal, and a certificate that will be posted to me in the coming weeks.

UPDATE: I had just received the reply from the organisers, that a total of 2,018 men collected their race bibs, and a total of 1,777 finished the race. So let's just assume that all 2,018 of them started the race. Meaning I finished ahead of 685 male runners, ahead of 444 finishers. This means I'm in the top 66%. Previously, I was 4,689th out of 6,339, meaning top 74%. So, even though there are less runners this time, looking at the percentages, not only I bettered my time, but I also bettered my finishing position! Thank You Jesus!

By the way, the WINNER, the CHAMPION for the Half Marathon was again, obviously, a Kenyan by the name of James Meragui. Interestingly, this person is an unknown, as googling turns up nothing for that name! Here are the Top 7 runners, and please try not to notice that Kenyans sweep all the top 6 positions:

1. James Meragui (KENYA) 1:07:12.20 (Faster than the winner in Singapore)
2. Moses Kipkemboi Kiptoo (KENYA) 1:08:18.51
3. Boniface Biwott Cheruiyot (KENYA) 1:08:36.66
4. Richard Mutua Mutisya (KENYA) 1:12:16.27
5. Lelei Joseph Kibet (KENYA) 1:12:46.95
6. Wilson Songok (KENYA) 1:12:48.35
7. Sefli ak Ahar (BRUNEI) 1:16:03.00

Top Malaysian
8th place - Venugopal a/l Rajendran (MALAYSIA) 1:18:47.29

Post-Half Marathon

When I reached home, I was wondering if I just ran 21 kilometers or 21 meters, because I still feel fine - NO KNEE PAIN, NO CRAMPS. Just a little tired, but otherwise, I feel MUCH, MUCH better than the half-dead, half-comatose me in my earlier post-encounter. Did I run the correct race or distance?

And I could still make it to my church's 2nd service at 11:15am. Though I could have just slept in to recuperate, I just want to make it a point to be in the house of the Lord. Besides, I could still walk and have the energy to do just that :)

So... that's 42km under my feet now - two half marathons, excluding all the training mileage.

Should I go for the full marathon next - 26.2 miles? Probably not yet. I want to improve more in the half distance before taking on the full distance. My next race will definitely be in the States, specifically in MO. Interestingly, there are even races towards the end of the year in MO! I'll most likely participate in the St. Louis Half Marathon on Nov 1, or the Run for the Ranch in Springfield on Dec 27, the 3rd day of Christmas. Now this will be an interesting challenge, since it will be wintertime. I will have to read up on this. Apart from braving freezing temperatures (on the lows of 37°F and 26°F respectively), I'm sure I'll need special running shoes for this. Ah! Found it... I knew there has to be winter running shoes.

Ooppss! I better end here or I might keep rambling on and on about running. Thanks for reading this long post friends! God bless you and have a blessed week ahead!

2009-06-20T06:30:00.003-05:00

Déjà vu!!!

Hi Friends! Oh my God! I just realized that I repeated what happened last year! I didn't blog in March, April and May! Talk about déjà vu huh? I mean, this was totally NOT planned. Weird... Thank God going to the loo is not like this. Or else I'll be wondering if I shitted the same shit before or not... eerie...

Anyways, it had been a long time since I updated you on my training progress. So it's high time I give you some updates, and yes, I had been consistently training, eventhough I haven't been as consistent in blogging. The KL Marathon is less than 2 weeks away, and my last day of training will be this coming Tuesday. That's 4 days left. I sure hope to run below 3 hours this time for the 21K :)

3-mile Run
First achievement: 31:40
Best back in January: 30:57.91
Current best achievement: 27:52.00
Target: 18 mins or less

Not only I dipped below 30 minutes, I ran under 28 minutes twice. And the best thing is, I haven't had any knee pain since January!!! Praise God!

100 Sit-ups
First achievement: 4:41.03
Best back in Jan: 4:25.44
Current best achievement: 3:37.40
Target: 2 mins or less

Woohoo!!! Not only I dipped below 4 minutes, I almost dipped below 3:30. Now, I'm starting to think the target is achievable and possible after all :)

77 Push-ups
First achievement: 59 push-ups in 40 minutes
Best back in Jan: 77 in 40:11
Current best achievement: 77 in 24:16.31
Target: 77 in 2 mins or less

Woohoo!!! That's quite an achievement... considering that I had almost halved my previous best achievement. Of course, this is nowhere near the target of 2 minutes, but I'll get there, surely.

Chin-ups
First achievement: 0
Best back in Jan: 1
Current best achievement: 0
Target: 20

Hmmm... why can't I do it? I used to be able to do at least 1, but lately, I couldn't even get to halfway. Strange. I'll probably work on this after I had achieved the targets for the rest.

So what do you think? Am I fit? I personally think that I'm more prepared and more ready than ever to take on the 21K. Bring it on!!!

Thanks for reading this and have a beautiful weekend Friends! God bless you!

2009-06-01T02:08:00.005-05:00

Surprise!!!

Hi Friends! Yah, I know, I had been missing from the blogosphere since February? That's got to be my longest record away from blogging... LOL Fancy that, setting a new record for M.I.A.

I would have to say that I missed blogging A LOT,

and I missed reading your blogs A LOT MORE! Sigh... it's just that I have too much on my to-do list that I hardly have enough time to do anything else other than sleep, exercise or that occasional movie.

Thanks to all my loyal readers and friends who still visits my blog, hoping to see something new each time for the past 3-4 months. Time flies huh?

I won't bore you with my to-do list, but safe to say that I really have a lot of things to clear, in my job and in preparing for my wedding. It's not like you can do everything in one day if you know what I mean!

I will be visiting your blogs real soon, I hope, and I will also try to make it a point to blog. But I won't be blogging like I did in the past, daily. It's just not possible, unless I skimp on sleep, which is not going to be good in the long run, not especially my wedding is coming up and I surely don't want to look half-dead at it!

So thanks anyways for reading this and thanks for noticing this new post... heh heh heh... Have a great week ahead!

2009-02-18T09:59:00.003-06:00

Sending LOVE from China :)

Hi Friends! Sorry I had been missing in action for more than a week! It's just that things happened so fast that I haven't had any opportunity to blog!

If you would like a broader picture of what happened to me in the past week, you may refer to my previous post entitled "Important Dates".

Firstly, my beloved baby came back from the States on 11th, after more than half a year. Yes, it was heavenly to see her again.

Secondly, we had our marriage registration on 12th, legally sealing the PART ONE of our marriage. PART TWO (church wedding) and PART THREE (dinners in Kuching and KL) coming up in July. Wow... means that legally, I am a husband, and she is my lovely beloved wife.

Thirdly, we collected our marriage certificate on 14th, spent almost the whole morning there at the event where 102 couples registered their marriage on Valentine's Day. And yes, if you read Chinese dailies, you will find me and mine wife photo (group photo) in the papers. I will upload a scanned copy of it as soon as I head back to my office on 23rd. Nothing much to see though, since it's a group photo of a big group.

Fourthly, we traveled to Guangzhou, China, on Sunday, 15th, and had our wedding photos taken on Monday. It was a tiring but exciting experience, and I shall put up those photos as soon as I get my hands on the digital versions. I'm very sure you'll be impressed, and it will silence the critics who wondered why one would go all the way to Guangzhou, China just to have their wedding photos taken. Stay tuned!

Fifthly, we shopped till our butts dropped! It was crazy - I had never spent so much in my life before on clothes. The total accumulated amount is more than what I spent on clothings for the past 10 years - NO KIDDING! I think these clothings will last me for the next 20 years. No more clothings for me! You will see me wearing most of these new clothings in my wedding in July. Stay tuned for this too!

Sixthly, we went on a gourmet spree! I'm not much of a food connoisseur, but I must say that some of the stuffs I ate here are astonishing! Some were lame, but most are very impressive. I guess those are the adjectives I know of to describe the good food I ate... LOL... yeah, I know, most food experts would be able to describe the food to the point you could actually taste it!

And seventhly and lastly, I have less than a week and a half to prepare for my TOEFL exam! YIKES! And I can't imagine the amount of work I have to clear once I head back to office after an 8-working-days break. I would have to juggle between heavy workload at the office and studying for my exam! And probably sleep too. Sigh... wish I could be on vacation forever, and still get paid, of course!

Alright, I shall be back (blogging) real soon, as soon as I have more time. And to visit your blogs too. I surely miss reading your blogs! And to complete my postings on Women's Heart. Till then, have a beautiful midweek!!!

2009-02-07T09:59:00.003-06:00

Taking a break from posting about women's heart to wish my baby...

HAPPY 23RD ANNIVERSARY :)

I had always posted a love song from someone, like Chris Brown, or Westlife, but this time, I want to dedicate this beautiful worship song to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, because it is He who brought us together, joined us together, and kept us together.

Colossians 1:17 (NIV) He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

ABOVE ALL

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

Thank You Lord, for bringing us together, and giving us each other :) I love You Lord, and I love you baby :8

2009-02-06T09:59:00.007-06:00

LADIES, PLEASE READ THIS!

(PART FOUR OF FIVE)

Hi Friends! Before I continue on my sharing on women's heart, I just want to thank and appreciate Mys Lyke Meeh for indirectly encouraging me on my postings about taking care of women's heart. You know, sometimes, when you have written a few long posts, and the posts are for the benefit of others, it is definitely EXTRA nice to get a comment or two, just to get the assurance that at least someone is reading all that effort :) Thank you again, Mys Lyke Meeh! I surely hope that all these information is of benefit to all you readers :)

Since this is the second last post, I shall not elaborate too much on the points I want to share with you all, but if you are interested in more details, you can always tell me that, and I'll be most willing to share with you as much as I can. Since this is Friday, this is me, sitting in my office cubicle this morning, all dressed up in RED :) I didn't think that wearing RED PANTS is such a good idea. That would probably draw too much attention... LOL!

Just to recap, here are the 6 Risk Factors of heart problems again:

I. High cholesterol,
II. Hypertension,
III. Poor diet and obesity,
IV. Smoking,
V. Diabetes and
VI. Lack of exercise.

And in my previous two posts, I wrote about how to minimise Risk Factor #1, by:

(i) Eating a heart-healthy diet,
(ii) Geting regular physical exercise, and
(iii) Avoiding tobacco smoke (first- & secondhand)

And, I shall complete writing about (i) Eating a heart-healthy diet. Remember the key words of a heart-healthy diet?

WHOLE GRAINS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, LEGUMES. More of these.

And less of these: CHOLESTEROL, SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

I finished writing about CHOLESTEROL and SALT in food, so in this post, I WILL finish writing about SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

To all those who have a SWEET TOOTH, I have bad news for you. Your habit of eating sweet things, if done regularly, is a risk factor of you getting DIABETES. That would be Risk Factor #5. Of course, some would argue that, they had been eating sweet things almost every day for many years, and they are ok. But the truth is, doing all that will one day lead to diabetes. There might be exceptions, but the chances are TOO HIGH that you will get it. Even if you don't, all that calories in sweet things will surely make you fat or obese, which is Risk Factor #3. I know it is hard. But what worse than getting diabetes? It is NOT my intention to create FEAR, or CONDEMN you, but I am just sharing medical findings and wisdom in living. Yes, God blesses, God protects, but then again, God gave us wisdom. God gave us all the medical knowledge. God warns us through His people - doctors, dietitians, nutritionists. It is best to take heed and CUT DOWN on all those sweet stuffs. So the next time you are thinking about indulging in ice cream fondue, chocolate fountain, desserts, candies, soft drink, please think twice. Why satisfy your taste buds for a few minutes, and risk suffering from diabetes for the later years of your life? And ultimately, heart problems, since diabetes is a risk factor of heart ailments. CHOOSE WISELY.

Next up:

SATURATED FAT & TRANS FAT.

I am grouping these two together, because both are quite similar in nature - they are both fats, and both causes an increase of cholesterol in the body. I'm not going to elaborate too much about these two, but just make sure you read FOOD LABELS carefully and watch out for these two fats. Examples of foods containing a high proportion of saturated fat:

- Dairy products (especially cream and cheese but also butter and ghee),
- Animal fats such as suet, tallow, lard and fatty meat,
- Coconut oil,
- Cottonseed oil,
- Palm kernel oil,
- Chocolate (there you go again... CHOCOLATE!), and
- Some prepared foods.

And foods containing a high proportion of trans fat:

- Commercial baked goods — such as crackers, cookies and cakes
- Many fried foods such as doughnuts and french fries
- Shortenings and some margarines also are high in trans fat

In some countries, trans fat that amounts to less than 0.5 grams per serving can be listed as 0 grams trans fat on the food label! Though that's a small amount of trans fat, if you eat multiple servings of foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, you could exceed recommended limits! MOREOVER, please don't think that a trans fat-FREE food is automatically good for you. Food manufacturers have begun substituting other ingredients for trans fat, such as tropical oils like coconut, palm kernel and palm oils. These oils contain a lot of saturated fat (OUCH!!! WAKE UP!). So do you now see why I group these two BAD BOYS together? Don't just watch out for saturated fat or trans fat only. LOOK OUT FOR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME :)

THE TRUTH IS... monounsaturated fat (MUFA) — found in olive, peanut and canola oils — is a healthier option. Nuts, fish and other foods containing unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids are other good choices.

And now, for the ALCOHOL... How much is too much? How does this affect the heart? This can be very subjective, and depends a lot on case to case basis. But research indicates that MODERATE drinkers are less likely to suffer heart attacks than are ABSTAINERS or HEAVY drinkers.

The results indicated that MODERATE consumers (1 to 2 drinks/day) were at a lower risk of coronary heart disease than NONconsumers or HEAVY consumers. Is this a surprise to many of you? You must have thought that AVOIDING ALCOHOL is a good thing. Unfortunately, medical research has proven that theory (avoiding) to be WRONG. Moderate drinking is a good thing for your heart, because:

Firstly, alcohol improves blood lipid profile:
A. It increases HDL cholesterol.
B. It decreases LDL cholesterol.
C. It improves cholesterol (both HDL and LDL) particle size

Secondly, alcohol decreases thrombosis (blood clotting):
A. It reduces platelet aggregation.
B. It reduces fibrinogen (a blood clotter).
C. It increases fibrinolysis (the process by which clots dissolve).

And thirdly, alcohol acts through additional ways:
A. It reduces coronary artery spasm in response to stress.
B. It increases coronary blood flow.
C. It reduces blood pressure.
D. It reduces blood insulin level.
E. It increases estrogen levels

But please TAKE NOTE that, 1 - 2 drinks is the recommendation. Taking more can lead to alcoholism, or addiction, which will turn you into a HEAVY drinker.

The American Heart Association has reported that "More than a dozen prospective studies have demonstrated a consistent, strong, dose-response relation between increasing alcohol consumption and decreasing incidence of CHD (coronary heart disease). The data are similar in men and women in a number of different geographic and ethnic groups. Consumption of ONE OR TWO DRINKS PER DAY is associated with a reduction in risk of approximately 30% to 50%."

Again, please exercise CAUTION. You might want to consult your doctor before starting drinking, especially if you have pre-existing medical problems. Otherwise... CHEERS!

So there you go... I'm done with (i) Eating a heart-healthy diet. I shall finsh off with (ii) and (iii) in my last post, as well as share a little on Risk Factors #2 - #6.

Have a beautiful weekend Friends! And thank you for reading this long post. I sure hope that it is beneficial to you (especially ladies). Take care!

2009-02-05T09:59:00.002-06:00

LADIES, PLEASE READ THIS!

(PART THREE OF FIVE)

Just to recap, here are the 6 Risk Factors of heart problems again:

I. High cholesterol,
II. Hypertension,
III. Poor diet and obesity,
IV. Smoking,
V. Diabetes and
VI. Lack of exercise.

In my previous post, I wrote about how to minimise Risk Factor #1, by:

(i) Eating a heart-healthy diet,
(ii) Geting regular physical exercise, and
(iii) Avoiding tobacco smoke (first- & secondhand)

And I did not finish writing about (i) Eating a heart-healthy diet. Remember the key words of a heart-healthy diet?

WHOLE GRAINS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, LEGUMES. More of these.

And less of these: CHOLESTEROL, SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

I finished writing about CHOLESTEROL in food, so in this post, I hope to finish writing about SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

The FACT is, cutting down on your salt intake will help to reduce Risk Factor #2, which is HYPERTENSION, and in turn, reduce the risk of getting heart disease. Of course, too much salt in your diet is not the only cause of hypertension. But we shall look at this later.

What kinds of food are high in salt (more than 400 mg per serving)?

- Onion soup
- Foods made with seasoned bread crumbs
- Sauerkraut
- Spaghetti sauce (ready to serve)
- Potato salad
- Cheese sauce
- Baked beans with franks
- Macaroni and cheese
- Pizza slice
- Cheeseburgers, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, and many other fast foods
- Beef stew (from a can)
- Cottage cheese
- Minestrone soup
- Submarine sandwiches
- Tunafish salad
- Pretzels, potato chips, and other snacks
- Sliced ham, bologna, salami and other cold cuts
- Cream-style corn (from a can)
- Pickles
- Beef jerky snacks
- Egg bagels

This is not an exhaustive list, but reviewing it and then getting in the habit of reading food labels can help you spot other foods high in salt (normally listed as SODIUM). As you can now see, high-salt items are typically many CANNED FOODS (especially soups), COLD CUTS, SNACK FOODS a.k.a. JUNK FOODS, and FAST FOODS.

Again, the choice is yours. You might think that... what the hell does that guy know? Those food that he listed are yummy, tasty food, and surely, eating some of it is not going to give me a heart attack.

OF COURSE... one or two packets of instant noodles are not going to cause an immediate heart failure, but, the TRUTH is, did all those people who died from heart problems died just because they just had one or two packets of instant noodles? Nope... they, too, thought that one or two should be fine, and the problem is, one or two over a long period of time, becomes A LOT.

I'm not asking you to meticulously go and count your daily sodium intake to ensure that it does not exceed 2,300 mg per day, or 1,500 mg per day for individuals with hypertension, African Americans, middle-aged and older adults. But if you did, you'll be surprised that you easily do not meet the recommendation. So do many others.

And guess what? One packet of instant noodle contains AT LEAST 3,000 mg of sodium. I know you must be cursing me, that I'm crazy, simply writing things that are not true, etc. Fine, if you don't believe me, go read the labels of any packet of instant noodle. Or a canned food. Or one double cheeseburger. Don't be shocked at the TRUTH.

Of course, again, many people don't feel the urgency or the importance of keeping a low-salt diet, mainly because of the terrible side effects are NOT FELT after many years down the road. But PLEASE BELIEVE ME FOR ONCE. I'm not kidding. Cut down on your salt intake. And you'll avoid wasting money on expensive hypertension drugs, drugs for heart problems, hospitalisation, and ultimately, a fatal heart attack.

You might complain... food with little or no salt, no MSG is TASTELESS... Again, the choice is yours. Choose wisely.

You know what? I think my posts are getting too long, and I feel that I'll never be able to complete writing about how to keep your heart healthy, because there's just too many things I would like to share with you all. You might say, cut it short. Go straight to the point, but the truth is, do people follow "shortcuts"? Most of the time, they'll just ignore all the points and think that the author is mad. And then regret it 10, 20 years down the road. And oftentimes, they JUST DON'T GET IT. They know that too much salt is bad, but they don't give a damn about it, and go on as usual, eating like they had always been eating, all those high-cholesterol, high-salt food. WHY THEN, do you think that the statistics is always increasing, year after year? Because of population growth? Do you think that the people in India or Africa, which are currently the main contributors to population growth mostly die from cardiovascular problems? The truth is, the increase in the number of people dying from heart diseases comes from all those developed, high-income countries. Because people JUST DON'T GET IT. Am I the first to write about something like this? Of course not. Thousands of nutritionists and dietitians and doctors had spoken or written before me. Are these things I'm sharing NEW information? Nope... ancient wisdom passed down for generations. And still, few listened, and even fewer assimilated these information.

Take care, and I hope YOU get it.

2009-02-04T09:59:00.003-06:00

Blessings come in pairs :)

Taking a break from Go Red For Women and Women's Heart, I just want to update on the torrents of blessings that I had been receiving over the past 7 days. Thank You Lord Jesus!

PAIR #1: Received my annual increment - 3% AND my annual 1 month bonus, which is credited into the 12 months' salary for this year.

PAIR #2: Received a RM100 (about US$27.67) shopping voucher for singing a song during my company's annual dinner AND my HR Director made 4 cookies for me.

PAIR #3: I only need to submit my monthly report on the 10th day of every month, as compared to the last day of the month previously, AND I only need to submit one page of report, as compared to more than 20 previously.

PAIR #4: I ran below 30 mins for the first time for the 3-mile run this morning - 29:51.74 AND I haven't fallen sick since the Melaka trip (Oct 27, 2008)!

PAIR #5: I was asked by 2 different colleagues on 2 separate occasions to work (different events) on Saturday, Feb 21, the next day after I return from my Guangzhou trip, but the events were eventually cancelled... WOOHOO!!! AND I'll be seeing my baby in less than a week's time! After more than half a year... WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!

Hope you are all having a great time too. Take care and God bless you abundantly!

2009-02-03T09:59:00.005-06:00

LADIES, PLEASE READ THIS!

(PART TWO OF FIVE)

Hi Friends, this is a continuation of my previous post, as I work hand-in-hand with the American Heart Association to help create a greater awareness among women concerning heart disease and how to reduce the risk factors associated with it. Of course, this also applies to men, but we would like to focus more on the ladies, since they contribute more to the statistics, and they are less aware of this problem as compared to men.

In my previous post, I agreed to write more about the RISK FACTORS for heart disease: High cholesterol, hypertension, poor diet and obesity, smoking, diabetes and lack of exercise. We shall look at high cholesterol in this post. You will realise that the risk factors are all inter-related with one another. I have to bear this in mind, or else, I might just get lost writing everything in one single post! So let's go!

RISK FACTOR #1: High cholesterol

What contributes to a higher cholesterol level? Food high in cholesterol? And what does it really mean by "high cholesterol"? Do you know that there are GOOD cholesterols and BAD ones?

When you go and have your blood tested, you will normally get 4 kinds of readings related to your cholesterol or lipid levels.

- Total Blood (or Serum) Cholesterol Level (200-239 mg/dL: Borderline; 240 and above: High Risk)
- HDL (GOOD) Cholesterol Level (Less than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women: High Risk)
- LDL (BAD) Cholesterol Level (130-159 mg/dL: Borderline; 160 and above: High Risk)
- Triglyceride Level (150-199 mg/dL: Borderline; 200 and above: High Risk)

Is it THAT difficult to LOWER all the levels above to DESIRABLE levels? Not at all. Do you have to take expensive medications? In some cases, yes, as per your physician's advice. But the truth is, there are ways to do it healthily, free-of-charge, and best of all, without the terrible side effects of taking drugs. These methods are nothing extraordinarily new, and I'm sure you know some, if not, most of them yourselves. And I sure hope that THIS TIME, this message or advice will really sink in. It's no point reading it again and again but you do nothing about it. I strongly implore you to put it to habit:

(i) Eat a heart-healthy diet,
(ii) Get regular physical exercise, and
(iii) Avoid tobacco smoke (first- & secondhand)
(iv) Get a blood test once every 5 years
(v) Change your genetic make-up (ok, this is not possible, but just to let you know that our genes can also determine how much cholesterol your body produces, something we can't control)

Now do you see why I said that the risk factors are inter-linked in one way or another? The 3 ways to reduce the first risk factor (high cholesterol), is actually also helping to reduce risk factors #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6.

So let's now zoom in to the first method:

(i) Eat a heart-healthy diet

Yes, I hear those GREEN words coming... Vegetarians, vegans, octo-vegans, etc... all of them have been consistently proven to have significantly reduced chances of having heart diseases, as compared to the hardcore carnivores. Whether you like it or not, fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and legumes, are all heart-healthy food. These are the kind of food that are LOW IN or are absolutely FREE of the BAD BOYS: CHOLESTEROL, SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL. I'm not saying you can't take any of those things, or meat. But the truth is, those ARE ultimately THE things that contribute to higher cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, etc. In the end, you have to make the choice between continuing your current eating habits, and changing to a healthier and good-for-your-heart diet. All I can do is to present to you the facts and truths, and the decision is yours. You are responsible to make your own choice, sow whatever you want (good food or bad ones), and years later, reap the results. I can only pray hard that you will make the RIGHT choice.

Think about it... you WILL definitely save A LOT on healthcare and medication. What makes you think that healthcare costs are going to come down? And you'll be in great health, enjoy life as great as it can be, and avoid all the unnecessary disablements and discomforts of chronic diseases. Having pain all the time is not fun at all. And having to swallow all those expensive pills for your conditions is not fun too. There are a lot of nightmarish side effects in taking drugs. And I do not think that God intended for us to go through old age with all kinds of sicknesses and diseases and sufferings. Is it possible to die of old age free of common chronic diseases? Absolutely.

To be specific, what should you AVOID or CUT DOWN ON? Here are some lists that can help you make your choices:

TOP 75 HIGH CHOLESTEROL FOODS (Source: USDA)

I'm sharing the Top 30 here. If you would like to see all of the 75, go HERE.

For those in RED, PLEASE AVOID TAKING IT as much as you possibly can. Those are the major killers. HOWEVER, it should be noted that the same high cholesterol food stuffs are also good sources of other essential nutrients such as protein, fatty acids, macro- and micro-nutrients, and carbohydrates. But of course, these essential nutrients can be found in other healthier sources of food. Again, it's your choice. Choose wisely.

If you are currently consuming these high cholesterol food in every meal every day (for some, maybe more than one high cholesterol food in every meal every day), I suggest that you do a transition change, so that you won't feel the "withdrawal syndrome" that badly. From 3 meals a day (some four), you may reduce those high cholesterol food down to 2 meals with those kind of food, and the remaining one meal, you may convert the high cholesterol food that you regularly consume into something green, like veges, or fruits, or whole grain, or legumes, on the 1st day. Do this for the whole week. I'm very sure you'll notice a difference in how you feel. If that week is alright, then, you may convert another meal to be free of high cholesterol food for the second week, and so forth. For the hardcore carnivores, they may need a longer transition period, probably a month or two (don't be surprised), as compared to a week as per what I'd explained above.

You might ask, does this mean complete elimination of those food in red from the diet? Well, ultimately, yes, that would be the best, but you might also ask, would there be any exceptions? Special cases? Well, the answer is yes, there is. IF, and I must repeat... IF you are an active sportsman, active in physical activities, which is solution (ii) that we will look at in the next post, then you may safely consume more of these food as compared to a sedentary non-active individual. And also if you are a non-smoker, and not exposed to secondhand smoke, as well as if you are regularly consuming cholesterol-reducing food. We shall touch on this soon (cholesterol-reducing food).

Orange colored ones, still quite risky, so can consume in extreme moderation, probably once a week, and the yellow ones, in moderation, 3 times a week should be fine. And for the rest of those not listed here, in moderation, once a day should be alright. Of course, the best is to avoid all of these completely, but that would be quite impractical. Try turning a carnivore to a herbivore overnight. You'll get more roadkills than before. And ultimately, those things high in cholesterol also happen to be food that TASTE GOOD.

Even though I am an active sportsman, I don't smoke or stay near smokers, and I ADORE EGGS... BUT ultimately, I keep my eggs intake in check, because whether I like it or not, I need to take care of my heart! And of course, being a nutritionist, I need to walk the talk, not just talk big.

I shall be back to write about SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

Remember the key words of a healthy diet: WHOLE GRAINS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, LEGUMES. More of these.

And less of these: CHOLESTEROL, SALT, SUGAR, SATURATED FAT, TRANS FAT, ALCOHOL.

2009-02-02T09:59:00.015-06:00

LADIES, PLEASE READ THIS!

(AND WEAR SOMETHING RED THIS FRIDAY!)

Hi Friends! How's the start to your week? Great? I would like to share with you an article I read on Kentucky.com, which I feel strongly about sharing it with you all, especially ladies, or men with ladies, BUT not men who feel like they are ladies trapped in a man's bodies.

All full credits to Merlene Davis, Herald-Leader columnist for more than 20 years. You could visit her blog HERE. She's a real nice lady. If you loved her article, please send her a Thank You note, or a nice email to mdavis1@herald-leader.com.

It's about your HEART, ladies, and reading this might save your life, no kidding. Here's the great article:

For some reason, we women just don't get it.

We don't understand that cardiovascular disease is responsible for more deaths in women than breast cancer, 17 times more every year. And we don't seem to be aware that more women die of heart disease nationwide than men.

We've learned to examine our breasts monthly or suffer through mammograms annually to stay on top of breast cancer, all while our heart health is on the back burner — if cooking at all.

Part of the reason, said Ed Jutt, director of the Heart Institute at St. Joseph Hospital, is that women tend to be the caregivers, making sure spouses and children are cared for. Plus, in the early years of heart-disease studies, women were not the focus, sometimes leaving the impression that cardio vascular disease was a man thing.

"As the American Heart Association and people who deal with hearts regularly can tell you, that is not the case," Jutt said.

One problem is that the symptoms of a heart attack are different for women or we might not experience them the same way. While men get a more dramatic, chest-clutching, crushing blow as a signal, women don't seem to experience that, he said.

"They may get the twinge down the arm, but they don't think that is heart-related," Jutt said.

They don't connect sweats or lower back pain with a heart attack either. All of those symptoms are assigned a reason easily found in daily activities. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, light-headedness, nausea and discomfort in the upper body or chest.

The risk factors for heart disease are basically the same for men and women: high cholesterol, hypertension, poor diet and obesity, smoking, diabetes and lack of exercise. [John's comment: I will write more on this in my next post... stay tuned!]

To help bring awareness to women's risks of heart disease, the American Heart Association has set Friday as its fifth annual National Wear Red Day, part of the Go Red for Women heart-health awareness movement.

Women and men are encouraged to wear red clothing to help remind women to think of their heart health. [John's comment: Besides looking stunningly hot (lady in red), you can let people know about the real cause you are supporting!]

Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 killers of women in Kentucky. An estimated 19 women die in the state from heart disease and stroke every day.

"It is important for women to talk with their doctors about this," said Mike Turner, special events director for the Lexington office of the American Heart Association.

On Friday, he said, St. Joseph Hospital nurses and technicians will be available at Macy's in Fayette Mall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., to conduct screenings, which will include blood pressure readings. They also can talk with women about their risk factors. "And they will get a free red dress pin," he said.

Women can go online to www.goredforwomen.org to learn of risk factors associated with heart disease and to read stories about women who had heart attacks. A free heart disease assessment also is available at www.knowmyheart.com, Jutt said.

"It takes about seven minutes," he said. "If it appears you are at risk, you will have the choice to have someone follow up with you. A nurse will call if you like to make an appointment for a free face-to-face assessment."

It is time to give combating heart disease a higher priority in our busy lives, ladies.

Don't discard the pink ribbons. Just pick up a little red dress to go with them.

Heart attack warning signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and there's no doubt about what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help.

Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

■ Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

■ Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

■ Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

■ Other signs might include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Source: American Heart Association

ELMO: I'm not wearing anything this Friday... weeeeeee......

2009-02-01T09:59:00.005-06:00

Fantastic weekend in sports :)

Hi Friends! What a great weekend! I hope you had a great weekend too :)

Firstly, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer yet again, to win the Australian Open, 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-2. It was a historic victory for Nadal, as this is his first Australian Open title, first Grand Slam title on hard courts, and he became the first Spaniard in history that had ever claimed this Grand Slam Open trophy. It was a sweet victory, not just because he beat Federer yet again, but for all the hard work - this match was his second consecutive 5-sets epic battle, and in total, spent 9 and a half hours on court for the past 3 days! And I always like to say this... he's only 22. And he'd already claimed 6 Grand Slams. Federer, when he was 22, had only won his FIRST Grand Slam - the 2003 Wimbledon. I think Nadal will be the greatest ever, and the one to surpass Sampras' 14 Grand Slams record. Even if Federer exceeded Sampras' record, my prediction is Nadal will surpass 'em all. Congrats, Rafa!

Secondly, Manchester United beat Everton 1-0 to stretch their lead at the top of the English Premier League to 5 points. Yay!!! Looks like Liverpool has fizzled out, following the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. And we thought that it would be a tight race... Kudos to Edwin van der Sar, for keeping the clean sheet for 12 consecutive matches, eclipsing the previous English Premier League record of 1,104 minutes without conceding a goal, set by Reading's Steve Death in 1979. Let's see if he will exceed the all-time British record of 1,196 minutes, set by Chris Woods of Rangers (Scottish Premier League).

Thirdly, I did 77 push-ups in 36 mins and 5.44 seconds, my best time ever, today. Things are progressing great. And I'm pretty sure that in no time, I will be able to do all that 77 push-ups in 2 mins.

Ok, it's back to work now. Yes, I think I am working through the night. And you are right if you guessed that I am rushing to complete my monthly report, not period (winks to Small Footprints).

Have a great week ahead, Friends!

2009-01-30T23:50:00.005-06:00

Milestone, Poll Results and Some More

Hi Friends! It's the last day of January, and did you notice one month passing you by? No? Time flies huh? I thought we just celebrated the new year. Now, it's eleven months left.

Anyways, I want to thank all those who had visited and commented on my blog this month. Check this out (your contribution to this amazing milestone):

Not so long ago, I talked about the milestone of seeing the 1.2K mark. Now, it's exceeded... 1,272 page views!

For the first time ever, I am seeing the 1.4K mark.

And for the first time ever, more than 750 visits!

That's 3 quarters of A THOUSAND! Phew.... Things ARE getting hot around here huh? And what a start to the new year! Thanks to all my faithful bloggy friends, and all the other anonymous readers. And of course, I'm not surprised to see that my bloggy friends from the United States of America, contributing to 42% of all the visits and page views for this month, followed by my own countrymen/women at 23%, Aussies at 7%, Aliens at 5%, and Canadians at 4%.

And I promised to report on the poll results. There were only 8 people who voted. And 7 of them had similar thinking/opinion like I do on whether someone should respond to your comment on their blog. I think it is only polite and nice to at least acknowledge them, even if you have no idea what to say in response. Thanks again to all those who participated!

Have a fantastic weekend Friends!

2009-01-28T09:59:00.002-06:00

Evil Big Fish!

Another update to the Pfizer-Wyeth saga... I don't know if you'd read the details of the news on this buyout... Apparently, Pfizer plans to finance this buyout in a 3-pronged approach:

$22.5 billion in cash

$22.5 billion in debt

$23.0 billion in equity

And the $22.5 billion in debt will be financed by 5 banks, of which 4 of the banks had been bailed out not so long ago by the US Government with the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. The 5 banks are:

1. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch,

2. Barclays,

3. Citigroup,

4. Goldman Sachs and

5. J.P. Morgan/Chase.

Except for the British-owned Barclays, the rest received money from the Congressional bailout.

It's EVIL!!!

You might ask, WHY?

Because from now until the transaction goes through, they are going to lay off 26,000 employees! Employees who had been faithfully paying their taxes. Do you now see the cruelty? They are using the taxpayers' dollars to buy Wyeth, and then throw many of those taxpayers into the streets to starve. That's not all... they already cut 4,700 jobs in 2008. Those poor fellas who got retrenched... I feel for them and their families. I think you must have read about the guy who killed his entire family a few days ago. How tragic!!!

Good thing I'm going to have no part to play in this evil scheme. I don't know about you, but this is how I personally view this so-called "beneficial synergy". Do let me know what you think about this, ok?

Back to work (on the third day of Chinese New Year... sob...) Have a beautiful Wednesday, Friends! (And let's cook the evil fish for dinner)

2009-01-27T09:59:00.006-06:00

Overwhelmed :)

Hi Friends! Before I give you the update to my previous post, I just want to thank Inge', Donna, Darrel and Ron so so much for the prayers, encouragement and kind words you had given to me. God is so good that in this time of uncertainty, He has surrounded me with caring friends :)

Inge', thank you for your prayers. Yes, you are right indeed. One just can't stop speculating and guessing what's gonna happen next! Thank you for reminding me that whatever happens, God has His best interest for me.

Donna, thank you for your prayers too! I do agree that God will see me through all challenges and everything happens because God knows best :)

Hi Darrel! Welcome to my blog :) I think I read some of your comments on Inge's and Small Footprints' blogs. I will be visiting your blog soon. Thank you for sharing with me about your personal experience with mergers/acquisitions. I sure hope your latter experience would happen to me too :)

Ron, thanks for the encouragement. And also thanks for sharing your experience with me from the perspective of the "bigger fish". I guess nothing's easy when these things happen. How I wish I could just cook the fish and eat it now...

Alright, let's get down to business, shall we? So what's gonna happen to me? My Nutrition Division? Apparently, the so-called "transaction" has not fully taken place yet. No money's been paid by Pfizer yet. And the shareholders have yet to vote until April. Based on my CEO, Mr Bernard Poussot's message, the transaction will take place sometime in the second half of 2009. Hahahahahahahahaha............ Sorry for bursting out in laughter... But those of you who had been following my blog faithfully and for so loyally, will know that, by then, I'll be GONE! Wooohoooooooo! I've got nothing to worry about. I mean, talk about how coincidental and how perfect is the timing! And that also means that, I will still have a job until I leave... LOL (make that the evil Dracula laughter...)

Isn't it amazing how God works sometimes? Well, ok... ALL times. Just that we fail to see how amazing it is most of the times.

Anyways, even if I did stay on (probability = 0%), it is said that Pfizer will retain the Nutrition Division, and probably retain my position too. But too bad. I'll be gone then. Ok, for people like Darrel who is new to my blog, after my wedding dinners in July, I'll be heading to the United States of America. Purpose? To go camping with Ron. No kidding. That's the only reason I am going to US for.

Ahaahaha! Gotcha! In actuality, (oh no, do I have to explain myself again here?) in actuality, I'm going there for multiple reasons, besides going camping with Ron. First, I want to do my MBA. Second, I hope to gain overseas working experience (yeah, I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes at this reason, since US is one of the last places on earth for an Asian to come searching for a job). And most importantly, to be with my lovely beloved wife (by then) a.k.a. baby, who is already doing her neurology posting in Columbia, MO more than half a year ago. And of course, to fulfil my dream of sleeping under the stars ;)

Oh well... thanks again, Friends. You don't know how much all that you had said and done means to me :) Have a great Wednesday!

2009-01-26T09:59:00.001-06:00

BIG FISH EATS SMALL FISH

If you had been following the news on TV or paper, you'd know that Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company has acquired my company, Wyeth earlier today! You can easily find news about this by just googling "Pfizer" and "Wyeth", or either one.

This is my company's new owner...

What a start to a new Chinese New Year, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

A zillion questions zoom in and out of my head relentlessly...

Will I be laid off? Retrenched?

Who's going to be retrenched?

How are my colleagues taking it?

Will I be offerred a position by Pfizer?

Will Pfizer retain the Nutrition Division, consisting of only 7.5% of the total Wyeth business?

If Pfizer mentioned in the press that they will retain Fort Dodge Animal Health Division, which is less than 5% of the total Wyeth business, won't they retain the Nutrition Division as well?

Am I going to get another new boss?

Should I make backup plans?

Is God asking me to go to US earlier?

If they retrench me, will they pay me compensation or retrenchment benefits?

How come I'm not worried?

Is this a joke?

Am I dreaming?

Why on the first day of the Chinese New Year?

Don't they have any life?

Oh well... there'll be a company-wide teleconference at 3 pm tomorrow, so I'll just wait and hear what will happen to me and the Nutrition Division in the next few days or weeks. Stay tuned!!!

2009-01-24T09:59:00.002-06:00

Dear Mister/Miss WTF,

Although you might not know,

Although you might not visit my blog again,

You were very rude,

You typed "wtf" in my chatbox,

On the 6th of January, at 11:19:37 pm my local time,

Even if you do not like my blog,

You don't have to say vulgar things about it.

You think that I do not know who are you,

By not typing any name and remaining as "Guest",

But guess what?

I can find out who you are.

You are visitor number 5,780 to my blog,

Your IP Address is 78.150.143.#,

Your Internet Service Provider is Opal Telecom,

You are from the UK,

You are using Windows NT, so most probably you typed the vulgar message from your office,

Your office location is Lat/Long 54, -2,

Does this map look familiar to you?

Most offices use a fixed IP Address,

So I could trace which company you are from by checking with Opal Telecom,

Based on your IP Address and office location.

Although you might look down on me,

Although you might think that I am not good with computers,

But HEY, guess what, I do know certain things,

And I can make your life very miserable if I want to,

But I hope that next time you visit someone's blog,

Especially my bloggy friends' blogs,

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS,

Because I am watching you.

God bless you,

Mister/Miss WTF.

2009-01-23T09:59:00.002-06:00

Green Government

Hi Friends! This post is in reference to a comment I posted on Small Footprints' blog - Reduce Footprints. You should visit this great blog if you haven't done so, as you could find great tips and ideas on how to live healthily, how to leave less "footprints" on the earth, green ideas, green tips, and also regular featured bloggers who post great things on other topics too :)

Have you ever wondered if your green efforts are working? Or are at least contributing to a better environment? I just think that the government plays a very critical role in all these efforts. The government can impose rules and regulations, and can carry out mass projects in greenifying the earth. The impact the government has is tremendous. And I'm real glad that the new government, the new President of the United States, Barack Obama has green plans on his agendas. Let's get to know him better:

Early in his inaugural address on Tuesday, he stressed that, "... each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

He also pointed us to one of his plans by stating that, "We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

And he also mentioned in his first speech as President that, "With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet."

And referring to making the world a better place for all mankind, he said, "To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

Of course, some critics and naysayers will say that all this is BIG TALK, NO ACTIONS. Sure, the man is talking, giving his first speech, but before you criticise him, before you condemn him, why don't you give him a chance to do his job? And I think that if something is important enough, that person will include that into his first speech as President. Don't you think so?

And if you had not read his blueprint for change, his plan for America, you may do so by downloading a PDF file HERE. In it, you'll find that he will invest in alternative fuels and renewable energy, including a plan to increase America’s energy efficiency and create 5 million new "green" jobs.

What can the leader of the 3rd most populous (2009 estimate = 305,683,000) country in the world do? A LOT. But OF COURSE, I am not discrediting the efforts of individuals, of each and every one of you who is making a conscious effort in greenifying the earth. Every single person is important, because the government would not exist if you had not voted it into power. And we should never underestimate the power of one.

I would like to encourage all of you not to give up, and to keep up your great works in making this world a better place to live in, if not for us, it will be for our future generations. And of course, in lobbying the government, in making sure that President Obama fulfills his promise.

Have a green weekend, Friends!

2009-01-22T09:59:00.003-06:00

Time with the family :)

Hi Friends! I hope things are more than great for you at the moment. I had been spending a lot of time with my family, for the past two days.

Yesterday morning, early morning may I add (yeah, I'm supposed to sleep late, since I'm on vacation), I went jogging together with my dad. He's more than twice my age, so he didn't jog fully, if you know what I mean. Rather, he walked briskly, and jogged a little. It was fun! I remember when I was younger, as in MUCH younger, like minus 20 years from my age now, my dad used to take me and my sister to go jogging regularly after he came back from work. I could still remember him teaching us how to avoid vicious dogs from attacking us by just squatting down. To the dogs, it seemed like we are picking up stones to throw at them. AND IT WORKS ALL THE TIME! Ancient wisdom passed down for generations, no doubt. Will be going for breakfast together with him tomorrow morning - to eat my Sarawak laksa! Mmmmm...

And a few hours ago today, my younger brother asked me to go catch Cape No. 7, a Taiwanese romantic movie, the last day it is being shown here in Kuching. And then we adjourned to dinner - glorious Kuching food - tomato kueh tiao, kueh chap, matterhorn... no kolo mee, since I had already had 3 packs of it!!! LOL And of course, I accompanied him to play DOTA, since he's like looking forward to beat me since the last time we played 3 years ago. It was fun as well, as I didn't have the opportunity to spend that much time with him, ever since I went to study and work in Selangor more than 10 years ago, and also when he went to study in Toowoomba 2 years ago and only graduated like last year. Well, one thing I learnt - nope I did not ask him - is that he is still single! Or else why would he invite his older brother to watch a romantic movie together? LOL Ok, in case you are thinking about THAT, nope, he is not gay, or bi.

Next up are my mom and my younger sis. I'm surely looking forward to that :) Will update you when I have time. Have a nice Friday and a great weekend, Friends!

2009-01-21T09:59:00.005-06:00

Finally ON BOARD

Hi Friends! I'm blogging from my birthplace, Kuching, Sarawak. Reached home about 6 something in the evening yesterday, due to the wonderful flight delay by AirAsia. Thanks guys, appreciate the amazing punctuality!

Anyways, before I post President Obama's swearing-in and inaugural speech, I'd like to remind those of you who had not answer the poll I posted on Monday, please take just a few seconds to do it. So far, only 7 people had voted. SEVEN??? There are more than 20 visitors to my blog every day, and only 7 responded? Hmmm... Here's the poll again, and thanks in advance for answering, and a special thank you to all the 7 who had already voted. I had no idea who voted, so I can't thank the 7 personally, but I'm guessing 4 of the 7 are Ron, Donna, Florence and Mys Lyke Meeh, since they commented on the post as well. The rest... you know who you are! Thank you again!

The poll...

And here is President Obama's swearing-in but before that, a picture that is representative of the whole of the United States of America turning up, tuning in to watch history being made...

More than a MILLION people braved cold temperatures in Washington to witness President Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States.

Inaguration and Address

Option 1: WATCH IT

Option 2: READ IT (below)

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

What a great speech! I don't care if it is better than this or that past speech, or not as good as this or that person's speech, HEY, let's stop all these non-essential comparisons and take his speech as it is. What I personally felt is - WITH HOPE AND VIRTUE, change is coming to America. Just as the sun will rise every day, hope WILL rise. And change WILL come.

2009-01-19T21:59:00.003-06:00

President Obama's Inauguration

Hi Friends! I just got home from my National Sales Meeting. And yes, I know President Obama's inauguration is going to happen in an hour or so for those of you in Washington, D.C.

I wish I could follow the ceremony live, but thanks to the great connection speed offerred by Maxis, the live feed will appear broken and stunted. So I will have to catch it on Youtube much later or something like that. Sigh... but I'm so happy that after months and years... he is finally President! Yay! For those of you who had been following my blog ever so faithfully for the past 6 months or more will know that I had been campaigning for him as much as I can, against Hillary and McCain. Phew... a good battle won, and change is coming to America! A tough one though...

Do you know what is the oath that is traditionally taken by the new President of the United States?

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God."

And I am indeed looking forward to know which Scripture will President Obama turn to, for his swearing-in. And also looking forward to hear his inaugural address :)

Congrats President Obama!

2009-01-18T10:00:00.002-06:00

Strange

Just before I go to bed, before my company's National Sales Meeting in 9 hours' time, I just want to post something that I had in my mind for a long time.

I'm not sure about you, but I just find that those bloggers who had received the Blogs of Note award, apart from Traveling Chemist, they seem to be more disengaging and unsociable, as compared to those who had never got that award. Until today, they had never responded to any of my comments. And most probably, they had never read my blog, less to say follow it, since none had ever commented on any of my posts, apart from Traveling Chemist, of couse. And of course, I don't mean to say that just because I commented on their blogs, they should read my blog, or respond to my comments, but I just feel that it's only courteous to reply to someone's comment, rather than ignoring them. What do you think? Perhaps they have their reasons, like maybe their mommys are still telling them not to talk to strangers. Or perhaps they don't know why Elmo can't count. I don't know...

So I JUST might change my ritual of adding a new Blogs of Note winner every beginning of the month. I mean, I do enjoy reading their blogs, but to be treated like I never existed is not very nice. Could it be the somebody-nobody thingy? You know, they are somebody and I'm a nobody? Hmmm... regardless of who commented on my blog, even if I am a somebody, I will still make an effort to acknowledge their presence here on my blog, and of course, reply them. It's just not me to ignore someone's comment.

Could it be because they are getting more than 10 comments per post, and therefore, feel overwhelmed and not sure how to respond to all that? Or just have no time to respond to all that? Or perhaps they had no idea how to reply to a comment? Or how to post a comment?

I know... the best thing is to ask them myself, but I never liked confrontational questions. And what makes me think that they will reply me, since they had never responded to any of my comments?

Hmmm... why blog then? Isn't a blog a medium for you to share with the online community about your life, your knowledge, your experiences, your expertise? And if you are planning not to reply to your blog readers' comments, then, why leave the comment box open for commenting? For commentators to read other people's comments? Hmmm... weird.

Please feel free to complete the poll that I had created below, so that I can roughly gauge what do most people prefer when it comes to commenting on someone's blog :) And don't worry, your privacy is protected (no one will know who answered what, not even me), and I will share with you the full results once I close it.

2009-01-18T00:10:00.000-06:00

LONG WAY to go

Hi Friends! After a day or two of good rest, I'm recharged and feel much better. Thanks for your wishes. Things look pretty easy for the next few weeks, as I will be attending my company's National Sales Meeting, which happens annually, where everyone from all the different states in Malaysia, plus Singapore and Vietnam comes together to listen for the new year's directions and targets set by the management, and also to see how we performed last year. That will be from Monday to Wednesday. I would have to be excused on Wednesday, since I had already bought my plane ticket back to my hometown, Kuching for Chinese New Year celebrations, long before the meeting dates were announced. The meeting was initially supposed to take place the previous Monday to Wednesday (previous week), but was postponed. By the way, Chinese New Year falls on the 26th and 27th of January. So if you still don't have any inkling by now, yes, I'm a Chinese :p

It will be a great time to catch up with my family, relatives, long lost friends, who, like me, are residing in places other than their birthplace. I will be looking forward to a high school reunion on the 24th, as I will get to meet classmates or schoolmates that I haven't seen for more than 13-15 years. It's not that I don't want to keep in touch with them, but we have our own family, our own set of new friends, so things changed. To say "friends forever" will be difficult, unless, of course, both party strive to keep the friendship going. Of course we are still friends, but you know there are many categories of friends - stranger, acquaintance, friend, buddy, best friend, partner. At best, these friends of mine are just friends, since we hardly meet up or talk other than once a year during Chinese New Year.

Now why did I go into all that? That wasn't what I planned to post up, if you refer to the title! LOL

I was planning to update you all on the progress that I'm making in my running and training. If you had been following my blog faithfully, you will know that I had been using a new and revised training plan for about a month now. So let's see...

3-mile Run
First achievement: 31:40
Current best achievement: 30:57.91
Target: 18 mins or less

If you are a runner, you will understand that 13 minutes to minus is a LONG WAY to go. Looks discouraging, but I have good news! The right knee pain is gone! And I just ran my fastest ever 15 rounds (roughly 6km) a couple of days ago - 39:19, as compared to the previous personal best of 40:07.96. And yes, that is indeed a great milestone, as it is the first time I ran below 40 minutes, and I felt that I could have run an even faster time, since I was not pushing very hard yet.

100 Sit-ups
First achievement: 4:41.03
Current best achievement: 4:25.44
Target: 2 mins or less

It's crazy!!! I mean, I am already pushing my hardest, and I've got more than double the target time to subtract from the current time. Phew... And by just doing 100 sit-ups is already quite an achievement by itself! But not to fret... I will get there, no matter what. So here's looking forward to the first milestone - to go below 4 minutes.

77 Push-ups
First achievement: 59 push-ups in 40 minutes
Current best achievement: 77 in 40:11
Target: 77 in 2 mins or less

Arrrrrrrgh!!! Ok, you may laugh now. Yes, for this, I am waaaaaaaaaaaay off the target. More than 38 minutes to minus! Well, I don't know how long it will take, but I have faith that one day, one fine day, I will get there. Hopefully, I will still be blogging then, and hopefully, you'll still be following my blog, so that we could both know when I achieve the goal.

Chin-ups
First achievement: 0
Current best achievement: 1
Target: 20

Ok, you may laugh again. I just don't get it. WHY can't I do it? Is it my technique? Or my muscles are just not strong enough? Or could it be my increasingly growing body mass, which makes it more and more difficult to lift myself up? Maybe it's not as bad as the push-ups, and I think they correlate. If I can do 77 push-ups in 2 mins or less, most probably I will be able to do more chin-ups. We'll see :)

Ah well, let's hope that I could get as fit as possible before my second half marathon in June :) Have a beautiful Sunday and a great week ahead Friends! God bless you!

2009-01-15T09:59:00.008-06:00

M.I.A.

Hi Friends! I'm touched that some of you noticed that I had been missing in action for the past 2 days and inquired about it. Thanks and really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

Well, I had been squashed by a merciless mountain of work. And I just don't have that drive/push left to post something when I reached home sweet home but just helplessly and passively diffuse into dreamland out of extreme mental and physical exhaustation. And by the way, the previous post took me at least 8 hours to complete. No kidding!

I still don't have the time to post anything up, but so that you won't be disappointed by just reading the ramblings of a tired man, here's a "cut-and-paste" of my reply to a friend of mine who asked me which is healthier - margarine or butter? I'm sure you had also received the forwarded email from somebody, or maybe read about it somewhere, since this is one of the most circulated emails.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hi NAME DELETED,

Happy New Year to you, and I want to wish you Gong Xi Fa Chai too, since it's almost CNY! I'm sure I'm the first right? Sorry for the delay in replying. You know lah, the amount of work I have...

Anyways, the answer to your question is a difficult one, because both have pros and cons. You have to decide yourself, but I will list down the points and counterpoints for margarine and butter.

The below-quoted compilation began circulating on the Internet in June 2003, often under the title "Butter vs. Margarine," and surprisingly enough there was a fair bit of truth to it, at least at the time (2003). According to the latest findings in the medical world in 2003, margarine could increase the risk of heart disease, depending upon the type of fat contained in the spread. Previously, the dietary "bad guy" in the development of coronary disease was presumed to be saturated fat , but new evidence points the finger at trans fat. Although butter has its own set of dietary shortcomings, it does not contain trans fat.

In 1994, Harvard University researchers reported that people who ate partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats, had nearly twice the risk of heart attacks as those who consumed much less of the substance. Several large studies in the United States and elsewhere, including the Nurses' Health Study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, have also suggested a strong link between earlier death and consumption of foods high in trans fat.

The US FDA, the US National Academy, the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the American Heart Association all recommend consumers limit their intake of trans fat wherever possible. Moreover, the federal government passed regulations requiring that by 2006 all food labels disclose how much trans fat a product contains.

Because butter is an animal product, it contains cholesterol, amounting to 30 mg per tablespoon or 10% of the USDA RDA. Margarines, because they are non-animal products, do not.

Although a great deal of the information given in the e-mail is valid, one bit of intelligence is nothing more than hyperbole tossed in by the author in an effort to make his point more strongly. The claim that some comestible is but a "single molecule away" from being a decidedly inedible (or even toxic) substance has been applied to a variety of processed foods:

[Collected via e-mail, November 2005]
I was told that the difference between Cool Whip and Styrofoam is one molecule... is this true???

[Collected via e-mail, December 2006]
Is velveeta processed cheese food really one molecule different from plastic?

[Collected via e-mail, March 2007]
heard that Pam spray is 1 molecule away from plastic and is therefore dangerous??

[Collected via e-mail, January 2008]
I am tired of hearing my husband say that Cheez Whiz is only 2 ingredients different from garbage bags. Can you please help me set him straight?

These types of statements (even if they were true) are essentially MEANINGLESS because the substance (margarine) will not change to become "1 molecule less" under normal circumstances, or even exposure to extreme heat or UV light.

Contrary to the claim, margarine was not invented as a turkey fattener. It was formulated in 1869 by Hippolyte Mege-Mouries of France in response to Napoleon III's offering of a prize to whoever could succeed at producing a viable low-cost substitute for butter. Mege Mouries' concoction, which he dubbed oleomargarine, was achieved by adding salty water, milk, and margaric acid to softened beef fat. By the turn of the century, the beef fat in the original recipe had been replaced by vegetable oils. You can read more about that here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_M%C3%A8ge-Mouri%C3%A9s

So, what is the conclusion, you might ask? The healthier choice is margarine products that carries the word "NO TRANS FAT", and contains a lower saturated fat amount. Alternatively, butter with "NO CHOLESTEROL" and lower saturated fat is also ok.

I hope this is useful. Take care.

Regards,
John

>>> FRIEND'S NAME & EMAIL DELETED FOR PRIVACY PURPOSES > 7/29/2008 11:23 AM >>>

John,
Which is better? Need to ask expert, Plz help.

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys.
When it killed the turkeys, people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings.
DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!
Both have the same amount of calories.
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.
Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarinehas a few only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .
And now, for Margarine..
Very high in Trans fatty acids.
Triple risk of coronary heart disease .
Increases total cholesteroland LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response & insulin response.
And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..
This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).
You can try this yourself:
Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:
* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

2009-01-12T09:59:00.016-06:00

The Answer ;)

Hi Friends! As promised, here's the answer to last week's question. I would like to thank all those who tried :) Some are very "creative", and too lateral thinking! LOL I'll let you know if you are correct at the end of this post *winks* But don't scroll all the way down to get the answer, else you'll miss out the fun :)

As I had mentioned, I'm the type that solve problems very well by drawing images. So, I'm going to show you how I came to the answer.

Step One: Draw out all the obvious clues

Step Two: Draw the assumptions and possibilities

Step Three: Link the clues to eliminate assumptions and possibilities

So the first thing I did is to identify all the WHOs, WHATs and WHEREs.

And it's easier to start with the NATIONALITY, plus their following accompanying clues.

So this is what we have when we look at clue #1, #2, #3, #9, #13 and #14:

Next, let's put in the other clues, starting with clue #4:

The green house is on the left of the white house.

The green house has to be on the left of the white one, so we have 2 Assumptions here, so, I'll write it in RED (first assumption) and BLUE (second assumption). It's either the 3rd and 4th or the 4th and 5th house counting from the left or from the right:

Then, we look at clue #5:

The green house owner drinks coffee.

At this point, we don't know which nationality stays in the green house, except the Brit who stays in the red house (clue #1). And it can't be the Norwegian, because he/she stays in the 1st house either from the right or 1st from the left (clue #9), and his/her house is on the left of the blue house (clue #14). AND it can't be the Dane, since he/she drinks tea (clue #3). So that leaves... the Swede or the German who could possibly stay in the green house, AND drinks coffee:

Next, let's look at clue #6:

The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.

At this juncture, we only know the German smokes Prince (clue #13) AND the Swede keeps dogs (clue #2). So that means, it could be the Brit, Dane or Norwegian that smokes Pall Mall AND rears birds.

Ok, so far so good? Now, let's look at clue #7:

The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.

Now you get the way things work? I'm sure you had figured that it can't be the red house Brit (clue #1) and the Prince-smoking German (clue #13). So that means, it could be the Swede, Dane or the Norwegian. Right now, you should have this picture:

What about clue #8?

The man living in the house right in the centre drinks milk. And we know that clue #5 says green house = coffee. Therefore, we can eliminate the RED part in Assumption 1:

Let's move on then to clue #10:

The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.

Who can possibly smoke Blend and live next to the one who keeps cats? We don't know who keeps cats, but we do know that the German smokes Prince for sure. So this guy/lady who smokes Blend AND lives next to the cat owner is either a Brit, Swede, Dane or Norwegian.

Clue #11:

The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.

Who keeps horses and who smokes Dunhill? We don't know much yet. So we'll come back to this clue later.

Clue #12:

The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.

Since Blue Master + beer comes together, it can't be the Dane (drinks tea) and the German (smokes Prince). So it's either the Brit, Swede or Norwegian that does the above:

AND, the last clue - clue #15:

The man who smokes Blend has a neighbour who drinks water.

Who can smoke Blend and who drinks water? Too many possibilities, so we'll come back to this clue later as well.

Alrighty... still looks pretty blank and clueless huh? Nevermind, let's fill in all the assumptions, starting with the house colours.

Brit's is confirmed red. That leaves the rest with yellow, blue, green and white. Remember the 2 Assumptions, whether the Norwegian's house is first from right or first from left? If you look back at that picture above, we know that clue #14 tells us that the Norwegian's house can't be blue, green or white. His/Her house has to be next to the blue house, while being first house in the row. That means, it is confirmed that the Norwegian lives in a yellow house! And that also means that he/she is the one who smokes Dunhill (clue #7). Is that all? Nope. Since it is confirmed that he/she smokes Dunhill, he/she can't have birds for pets (clue #6) and he/she doesn't drink beer (clue #12):

So that leaves the rest with blue, green and white house colours. Now, what does clue #5 says? Green = coffee. That means, the Dane can't have green house, since he/she drinks tea. So far, this is what we have:

Are we stuck? Nope, take a look at the house colours for Assumption 1... what colour is left? RED! The red house in the middle belongs to the Brit. Now, going along Assumption 1's path, we can tentatively confirm that the Brit drinks milk. Don't worry, if Assumption 1 is wrong, we can always double check the final answer with all the clues.

If the Brit drinks milk, that means he/she doesn't drink beer and smoke Blue Master (clue #12). That leaves the Swede with the possibility of this combination and therefore, the Swede drinks beer and smoke Blue Master.

If the Swede drinks beer and smoke Blue Master (we'll still adventuring along the lines of Assumption 1), then, he/she doesn't drink coffee and stay in a green house. This will make the Swede staying in a white house, the Dane staying in a blue house, and the German, the green house.

And since the Dane is staying in the blue house, he/she keeps horses, not birds. Therefore, he/she doesn't smoke Pall Mall, but Blend. And this makes the Brit owning birds and smoking Pall Mall.

The Dane smokes Blend! So if we look at clue #10 and #15, this makes the Norwegian keeping cats, and drinks water.

So who keeps the fish?

Yes, it's the German. And if you just test the answers with all the clues provided, it fits the picture. That confirms that Assumption 1 is correct, and that the Norwegian's house is first from the left. And even if you try out Assumption 2, you will find errors and get stuck.

BY THE WAY, is that the ACTUAL ANSWER?

AHA...

Now, tell me, politely,

and sensibly,

and wisely,

and patiently,

and gently...

Where in the clues given state that the 5th pet is a FISH?

The question asked is WHO KEEPS THE FISH? Why couldn't it be an elephant? Or a dove? Should not the answer be something like... THE CLUES DID NOT STATE WHETHER THE 5TH PET IS A FISH.

LOL (DARN IT!)

Einstein fooled us all! So for all those who had tried to answer, you are all CORRECT!!!

LOL

2009-01-11T06:23:00.004-06:00

5 things that can make your computer work faster

Ok, you might call me a geek after this, but I had always been interested in the world of computers, besides tons of other interests... LOL Nevermind that, and anyways, I might be wrong in my judgments, so please forgive me and feel free to correct me if I am wrong:

1. Processor - A faster processor supports more efficient operations and applications performance.

LATEST: Intel® Core™ i7-965 Extreme - Level 2 (Factory O/C'd to 3.73GHz)

This is the highest performing desktop processor on the planet. With faster, intelligent multi-core technology that accelerates performance to match your workload, you'll multitask 25% faster and unleash incredible digital media creation with up to 79% faster video encoding and up to 46% faster image rendering, plus incredible performance for photo retouching and editing.

Is that fast or what? Phew... 3.73GHz. Remember the hype about having Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M...? If you are still on this, then take a look at this, to see how far behind is yours:

Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition --> Intel® Core™ i7 processor --> Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor --> Intel® Core™2 Quad processor --> Intel® Core™2 Duo processor --> Intel® Pentium® Processor.

And if you are those who have not even heard of the word Pentium, or your PC doesn't have this sticker on it, then, you must be another generation behind, probably a 486, or a 386, or even a 286 processor. If not, oh my God, I don't even know what's before a 286, or what could be slower than a 286!!!

2. Memory (RAM) - Helps improve multi-tasking, speed up your PC and take your PC's performance even higher!

LATEST: Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series (Brand Name) or Corsair XMS3 Series (Brand Name) 6GB Tri-Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (3x2GB) PC3-12800 Enhanced Latency DIMM Kit

We've all heard about those new 1GB memory cards, 2GB, 3 GB but 6GB??? Phew... and this is DDR3. Heard of DDR2? No? What about DDR? NO??? Then, perhaps, SDRAM? Not even SD??? Maybe DRAM??? We're talking about 6GB and 1600MHz now. And we have not even talked about Enhanced Latency and Low Latency. Don't ask me what that means, but the word "enhanced" surely means it's a better one, right?

3. Video card a.k.a. Graphics card - A higher-performance video card can speed up your whole PC and make viewing pictures, videos and games more enjoyable.

LATEST: ATI Radeon HD4870 X2 2048MB (2GB) GDDR5 Memory

Some might ask... WHAT? My computer has a video card? Yes it does. It SHOULD. Perhaps you have heard of SVGA or VGA? No??? Don't tell me EGA or CGA...!

4. Hard drive - Thought these things are for storing information? Think again.

LATEST: 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (Model code: WD3000HLFS) - SATA-II, 3GB/s, 10,000RPM, 16MB Cache

Take a look at the RPM. Yes, that's how fast it allows you to run programs. Besides, aren't ALL your programs, including your Operating System (e.g. Windows, Mac) are installed ON the hard drive? And a hard drive's RPM definitely makes a difference. Most hard drives have RPM of 7200 or 5400. Some even have a lower transfer rate of 1.5GB/s, and a lower cache of 8MB.

5. Software/Operating system (OS)

Yes, sometimes your computer is slow because of software problems, or your OS is too old. But the truth is, if you really want to experience a faster computer, then, by just replacing the former 4 hardwares could really do WONDERS!

But of course, you will see WONDERS on your bills or

receipts too, because THESE THINGS

AIN'T CHEAP!!!

Ah well, thanks for reading this anyways, and have a great week ahead, Friends!

2009-01-10T09:54:00.007-06:00

Extinct beasts that could walk the Earth again

I was reading a science article just a moment ago and learnt that scientists are working hard on bring extinct animals back to life again.

Seriously??? Hmmm... what do you think about this? Well, I don't think I have any complaints, if they can successfully bring them back to life, and ensure that they can survive the current world climate and environment. Or else there is no point bringing them back to life again and then succumb to global warming and other man-made environment hazards. And also make sure that they don't become a threat to our safety.

What about moral or Christian values with relation to that? Hmmm... I don't find anything morally wrong or if it is against the Word of God with what they are doing. Sure, God creates, God gives life, but God gives man wisdom and knowledge as well. Or else how did these scientist have any idea how to resurrect these extinct beasts? Stolen knowledge? Satanically or black-magically acquired knowledge? Nah... let's not go there.

But the truth is, I really have no idea how they are going to do it. I mean, how are they going to get it going? And how are they going to create those intricate parts like the eye or the brain? And get them working? This is totally different from cloning. There're no life specimens to clone, since they are extinct (duh...).

Anyways, if they can successfully do it, well, here are the animals that you might see again, for the first time in your life, or your future generation's life:

1. Sabre-toothed tiger (Smilodon fatalis)

Extinct: ~10,000 years ago

Can I keep it as a pet? Nice kitty...

2. Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis)

Extinct: ~25,000 years ago

Ok, some might argue that isn't this a predecessor of Homo sapiens, the current man? Well, I beg to disagree with you. Unfortunately, I do not accept Darwin's theory of evolution. We don't evolve from apes. We came as it is, wholly human, created by God in the image of God. But why looking so much closely like the current man, some might ask? Do they have souls? Beats me. Something I'll only know when I get to heaven, because only God knows, since He created them too. So isn't it wrong to resurrect Neanderthals? Again, I don't know. I'm not sure if they are like us.

3. Short-faced bear (Arctodus simus)

Extinct: ~11,000 years ago

If they really succeeded to bring this bear back to life, it will become the largest land carnivore, beating the polar bear into a distant second place. Now, how about this for a teddy bear?

4. Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)

Extinct: 1936

Those who lived before 1936 had the opportunity to see this tiger in real life. It's pretty sad... to know that they let the last one die, just like that, in 1936.

5. Glyptodon (Doedicurus clavicaudatus)

Extinct: ~11,000 years ago

Watch out for that spiky tail! You wouldn't want to get a smack with THAT!

6. Woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis)

Extinct: ~10,000 years ago

It must have been really cold last time, that rhinos needed the hairy insulation.

7. Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)

Extinct: ~1690

Another sad case. I mean, they just get "wiped out", like nobody cared.

8. Giant ground sloth (Megatherium americanum)

Extinct: ~8000 years ago

This sloth is HUMONGOUS - around 6 m tall and is estimated to have weighed a whopping 4 tonnes!

9. Moa (Dinornis robustus)

Extinct: ~1400

As you can see from the picture, this giant bird became extinct due to extensive hunting. There goes Big Bird.

10. Irish elk (Megaloceros giganteus)

Extinct: ~7700 years ago

Woah... even from the species name, you know that this elk is HUGE!

11. Giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis)

Extinct: ~10,000 years ago

Ok, this is not Papa beaver and Baby beaver... the bigger one is the Giant beaver, while the smaller one is what we have today.

12. Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)

Extinct: ALMOST (Conservation status: Critically endangered)

Can you believe this? Rather than trying to preserve and populate the remaining gorillas, they are working on bringing them back from extinction? How weird. Might as well put all the resources for this research into conservation activities. Save the gorillas! By the way, doesn't this picture reminds you of Planet of the Apes? :)

Hmmm... at least these scientists are sane enough not to consider bringing back to life DINOSAURS. Imagine a T-Rex! Then, we'll get to see Jurassic Park every day on TV!

2009-01-09T09:59:00.005-06:00

Something for the brain

I find questions like this (below) very interesting and great for stimulating the brain. One of the ways to keep the mind active is to do things like this, answering mind-boggling questions and keep using it.

And I did manage find the answer to this question (YAY!), supposedly asked by the great Albert Einstein. Let me know if you had discovered the answer. Don't cheat and google for it! That will defeat the purpose of this brain exercise.

So here's the question:

Einstein stressed examining assumptions, and once wrote: "The important thing is to not stop questioning."

Facts:
1. There are 5 houses in 5 different colours.
2. In each house lives a person with a different nationality.
3. These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar and keep a certain pet.
4. No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.

Hints:
1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The green house is on the left of the white house.
5. The green house owner drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the house right in the centre drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blend has a neighbour who drinks water.

The question is... WHO KEEPS THE FISH?

As I have said, the answer is workable. And it does help if you draw out the hints provided (that might not apply to certain people). Remember what Einstein said: Assumptions and don't stop asking questions.

Have fun! Answer will be revealed on Monday and be prepared for a surprise! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK ;) Have a great weekend friends!

2009-01-08T06:33:00.001-06:00

Dear employees,

Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown of economy, Management has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 40 years of age and above on early retirement. This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early).

Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to management to be eligible for the SHAFT scheme (Special Help After Forced Termination). Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW program (Scheme Covering Retired Early Workers). A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Management deems appropriate.

Persons who have been RAPED can only get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance). Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Management.

Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Management has always prided itself on the amount of SHIT it gives employees. Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring to the attention of your Supervisor. They have been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.

Enjoy the Holidays!
Sincerely,
The Management